REALITY CHECK II | Dangerous People
Sacrifice is the surrender of something for the sake of gaining something else. At a firearm’s instructor development school here in Oregon a regional law enforcement officer and lead instructor of the class said, “we might need to sacrifice safety for realism in firearms training.” WE MIGHT? I got an e-mail from an officer from Missouri who was asking about the training he just participated in. I was appalled at the drills being taught. The [...]
The Noble Sundae
A Taste Now And Then Is A Healthy Thing Police work ain’t exactly ice cream, chocolate and cherries. If it’s ugly, we see it. If it’s mindlessly violent, dirty, demeaning and dark, we roll in it, steep in it, and despite the thick skins we develop and wear like armor, [...]
A Case For Professional Sergeants
Two messages from polar opposites, both focused on three stripes: The first, a retired captain, concerned about the state of sergeancy today, noted the dwindling numbers of seasoned, experienced “career first-line supervisors,” and the increasing percentage of those only occupying the rank as a stepping-stone to lieutenant and beyond. He [...]
Looking Versus Seeing
The Art Of Perception You’d never tag Amy Herman as a law enforcement trainer. Tall, chic and sophisticated, you might guess she’s an expert on fine art, working for a major gallery or perhaps a Manhattan corporate attorney. Actually, she’s all three. Ms. Herman has a master’s in art history [...]
The Better Part Of Valor:
Knowing When NOT To Jump Last November, Riverside, Calif. PD officer Ryan Bonaminio was killed while doing something we’ve all done: chasing a “rabbit.” Late on a Sunday night, en route to a reported misdemeanor hit and run, he spotted the suspect vehicle. It pulled over adjacent a darkened park. [...]
Off Duty = Off Balance?
Duty, Danger And Dunkin' Donuts: All Open 24/7! This column was triggered by three factors: First, the fatal assault on Las Vegas Metro PD Officer Trevor Nettleton, who was off-duty, working in his open garage late at night when three armed, apparently opportunistic gangbangers rushed him. He was armed, which [...]
The Moving Shooter
Everyone's Nightmare — A Sergeant's Role Scene 1: Just as you pull up and slam the gear lever into park, 40-50 screaming, sobbing, panicked people pour out of the north double doors of Sunrise Mall, and with them, the unmistakable staccato popping of gunshots. The instant the apex of the [...]