A MOST MEMORABLE PURSUIT
PROLOGUE Recently Lt. Chuck Smith and I were sitting on my front deck watching Oregon’s Umpqua River flow by, shooting suppressed weapons, killing some brain cells and generally swapping lies when one of us said, in best ‘Harry Callahan’ fashion: “So...tell us about your best felony arrest.” Since neither of us could remember ever having made a felony arrest (I said we were lying!), the subject changed to “Tell us about the most interesting [...]
Staying The Course
Since our first issue in Sept/Oct 2005, American COP has never feared to tread where others haven’t dared to go. We’ve tackled recalcitrant leaders, shoddy equipment, what’s hot (and what’s not) in guns and gear, [...]
America’s Not-So-Funniest Cop Bloopers
Here in the pages of American COP Magazine we talk an awful lot about the need and virtues of ongoing training. Given the volume of videos (from citizens’ to dash cams), news reports and lawsuits, it’s easy to see why training is critical. Some real gems out of Texas and New Mexico are the poster children for “What were they thinking?” It would seem the Fourth Amendment has been tossed out, or cops — and courts — have taken a literal interpretation of the idiom “Justice is blind,” because there have been some incredibly questionable searching practices occurring.
The Virtues Of Going Custom
Does the idea of a custom gun riding in a cop’s holster seem an oxymoron? I mean, “custom” and “cop” … does that really work? Absolutely. And I’ll tell you why. We’re inundated with “adequate” and “make-do” and “plastic” and “disposable” and, well, things that don’t really seem to matter. Our jobs are full of plastic, our homes are full of plastic and at times it seems we’re being overwhelmed by both instant gratification — and instant dissatisfaction. But I found one way out of the cycle, and so can you.
A Profession? Or Entitlement Job?
Part 1. I’ve received several requests to address the seeming growth of an entitlement mentality within law enforcement, which serves to the detriment of the profession as a whole. In fact, as one asserted, this [...]