Up Close & Too Personal
Retention Position Work Why Despite what some on the errornet opine, we do get into confrontations at very close distances, under 3-5 yards, and even arm’s length. Many of those end up going to the ground as well. Again, in spite of what some commentators have to say. A disproportionate number of L/E deaths occur in close because we must close with BadGuys to pat search, Terry frisk them, and handcuff them. It happens to [...]
Banning Targets?
Since at least 2013, a tremendous number of agencies have suffered from “Good Idea Fairy” visits. I’m specifically addressing those “good ideas” that will reportedly fix society’s ills but have little to no factual foundation. Generally, these stem from politicians “doing something” to fix a problem. Some of these include [...]
Giving Commands
Recently, body-worn camera (BWC) footage from a police department on the West Coast was sent to me. While the sender wanted to discuss something else, the commands given were of interest to me. Or, I should say, how they were given. (Note: this is not a criticism of the officers, [...]
It Has Happened Before — Norco
Today, patrol rifles are common in patrol cars. They are routinely issued to patrol, and often, most officers in an agency have a rifle. This was not the case in the 1980s. Back then, most police officers only had a revolver with a total of 18 rounds and, possibly, a [...]
Police Week — Our Losses From 2023
This is the yearly Police Week, which includes honoring those officers we have lost. Across the country, there are countless events commemorating officers who have died on duty or were murdered because of their chosen profession, their uniform. Some of these events are local, at an agency that has lost [...]
The Danger of Higher Ready Positions
There’s a balance to maintain between safety and acceptable risk We can agree that there's room for a variety of techniques in firearms training and law enforcement tactics. However, we must also honor fundamental principles. One of these is safety—an important consideration in all law enforcement operations we cannot ignore. [...]
Taser Weapon Confusion
You’ve probably seen videos of officers in stressful confrontations mistaking their pistols for their Taser (Electronic Control Weapon-ECW), causing them to shoot the suspect. There have been at least 18 incidents of weapon confusion in the U.S. between 2001 and 2021. Many of the officers involved were convicted and served [...]
Press Checking The Trunk
"Now listen here, rookie. When yer makin' a traffic stop, you gotta push down on the trunk lid when you walk by, see? Or you'll get killed in the streets!" You've called out the location, description, and license plate of the vehicle and now you are approaching it. [...]
Contact & Cover Re-Visited
Our profession – policing – has had some hard-earned lessons. Lessons that were caused by the deaths of or serious injuries to officers. Some of those lessons might be considered “old,” but their validity should not be based on their age. They are just as important and viable today as [...]
Lessons Learned, Forgotten, And Ignored
It’s disappointing that we don’t pay better attention to our own history I am writing this just after returning from Las Vegas and the SHOT Show. An outstanding trip, a much-needed reunion with friends, and a celebration of the shooting, hunting, and outdoor culture. For American COP readers, throughout the show, there [...]
Christmas Stories From Patrol
Coming up on Christmas, I’m reminded of the ones I worked over the years. That got me thinking about good Christmas stories. Two stand out, one of which I’ll share here: a cautionary cop tale that eventually came to be. The others are from friends of mine who are still [...]