Policing Matters

In 2019, Blue HELP reported a total of 228 police officers died by suicide. Those are just the suicide deaths that had been documented—it is unclear how many other officers died by suicide that were reported as "a sudden medical emergency" or "single vehicle collision" or simply swept under the rug altogether. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss how police agencies and individual officers are smashing the stigma of seeking mental or emotional assistance, and how the culture of policing still must continue to evolve to ensure that officers approaching crisis have access to the assistance they need to prevail.

Two decades ago, a small group of dedicated entrepreneurs set out to create an online resource for law enforcement. In the intervening 20 years, a lot has changed in policing—from new technologies to improved training to more sophisticated patrol vehicles and duty gear. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the various events and milestones Police1 writers and contributors have noted over the years.

COVID-19—also known as coronavirus—may potentially pose a substantial threat to American law enforcement as the disease continues to spread across the country. The most vulnerable to serious illness—and even death—are currently elderly people with a pre-existing weakened immune system. However, the emergence into the national narrative of the worldwide pandemic provides an opportunity to remember that other threats pose a significant danger, and to recall that some simple steps can prevent succumbing to infectious disease. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the ways in which officers and agencies can protect themselves from a wide array of infectious diseases carried by individuals they contact when on patrol.

The coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic is causing worldwide concern. First responders, whether they be law enforcement, fire or EMS personnel should be aware of the latest developments. Listen in as Jim Dudley interviews Rob Lawrence, PoliceOne's resident health expert, for the latest information on COVID-19. Members can get up to date information as it is released from the Center for Disease Control at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security has made information available at: https://www.dhs.gov/epidemicpandemic https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/dhs-comprehensive-first-responder-pandemic-guide-pandemic.pdf Agencies may view the template for Continuity of Operations at: https://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/org/ncp/pandemic_influenza.pdf

Despite their effectiveness in helping police agencies—especially in densely populated urban areas—reduce the threat of criminal gangs to public safety, some places are pulling back on utilizing gang injunctions. For example, in San Francisco, newly elected District Attorney Chesa Boudin has declared that he will end the practice of gang enhancements when pressing charges against known gang members accused of a host of different crimes related to the gang's criminal activities. Gang enhancements have drawn increased opposition in California, driven by a belief among police critics that they are disproportionately applied to people of color in poor neighborhoods.

With the ever-increasing popularity of mixed martial arts as a spectator sport, just about every jurisdiction in America has seen the opening of a training facility—a dojo or a gym—specializing in teaching individuals how to fight in this potentially deadly style of combat. Indeed, many police officers are regulars at these gyms, learning everything from the grappling and submission techniques, hand striking of traditional boxing, and kicks from a variety of martial arts from around the world. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the potential threat officers face when dealing with a subject who is trained in this fighting style, as well as the upside—and possible downside—of officers participating in this training.

In large-scale emergencies, police, fire, EMS, and a wide variety of other governmental organizations and private enterprises need to pull together and work as a single organism. At some major catastrophes, you might have city departments such as public works and social services racing to a scene alongside the electric company, the American Red Cross and others. This requires that police leaders and command staff must first establish relationships with those many organizations long in advance of an actual catastrophe. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss how some of those relationships are formed and maintained over time through communication and shared training exercises.

In late January, the Rio Vista City Council voted to dissolve its police department following the abrupt departure of the police chief, a commander, and a sergeant that left the agency all but gutted. The small city about of roughly 9,000 residents—located approximately 60 miles east of San Francisco—will now receive its police services from the Solano County Sheriff's Office. Rio Vista is not alone. Late last year, the town board in Deposit, New York, held a meeting to discuss with interested citizens the proposal to dissolve their police department. A few months before that, the Ridgetop Police Department in Tennessee suffered a similar fate. The town of Freedom, Wisconsin voted to disband its police department—consisting of two full-time and one part-time sworn officer—last year as well. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the shuttering of doors at police agencies, usually in smaller jurisdictions.

This Monday, thousands of the citizens of Iowa will gather in churches, schools, public buildings, and even individuals' homes to try to convince each other who should be the Democratic nominee to face off against incumbent President Donald Trump in November's general election. This election is sure to be a hotly contested one, with passions running high on both sides. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the role of law enforcement in the political season.

Traffic enforcement is one of the most common activities for many line officers. Code violations can lead to significant drug busts. Traffic violations can get dangerous drivers to change their ways. DUI check-points save an unknown number of lives. From speed traps to self-initiated stops, it's a big part of policing. But there are different methods that meet different objectives. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the various ways law enforcement officers can make the roadways safer.

Interviewing victims of violent crime is a vastly different enterprise than interrogating the suspected perpetrators. Victims of violent crime—as well as witnesses—are likely to have suffered trauma that can impact their recall of the events. Vital elements may be erased from memory, while they may recall things that aren't precisely what happened. Victims of trauma also often recall events not in the order that they actually occurred, potentially causing an inexperienced interviewer to conclude deceptions. Further, traditional interview techniques can cause the victim to feel re-victimized. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss how Cognitive Interviewing (CI) can help investigators gather detailed and accurate information from victims of trauma that can lead to an increase in guilty pleas.

Cops must be all things to all people. They're drug counselors, child protectors, criminal investigators, social workers, and enemies of evil. This has been dumbed down in recent years into the debate over whether or not cops are "warriors" or "guardians"—a debate that is rendered meaningless by the use of the word "or." Cops are BOTH of those things and more. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss how the American people perceive police officers, what they truly want from law enforcement, and frame the conversation within the context of what's happened in recent years in San Francisco, where Jim worked as a law enforcement officer for three decades, and where Doug has called home for nearly two decades.

Many police agencies across the country host an annual (or even more frequent) Citizens' Police Academy with the intention of connecting with the communities they serve and helping to increase understanding among civilians about the ins and outs of law enforcement. Given the fact that there is so much widespread misinformation about what police officers do on a daily basis, this is probably a good strategy for educating the public. What goes into creating such a program? What are the benefits? Who should be the instructors? In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss best practices for putting on a Citizens' Police Academy.

This is the final Policing Matters podcast segment of 2019. With what is sure to be a tumultuous 2020 about to commence, Jim and Doug reflect on some of the topics that rose above the rest in the past 12 months, including police officer suicide, the impact of California's AB-392 on the use of force and officer safety, active shooter response during some of this year's tragedies, the use of facial recognition software and artificial intelligence, ongoing anti-police sentiment — and the opposing force of police supporters — as well as the use of CBD oils, and the impact of legal marijuana on recruiting.

Police officers in Alaska are unlikely to encounter an alligator, and officers in Alabama are unlikely to come upon a moose, but in every state in the union officers routinely come into contact with all manner of animals. There are some very important rules of the road when dealing with wildlife, as well as so-called domesticated animals that can turn suddenly dangerous. Generally, police officers are not equipped with tranquilizer guns, control poles, and animal cages, so it's ideal to call in your animal control partners, but there are times animals must be dealt with. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss dealing with wildlife on patrol.

In late November, four Good Samaritans came to the rescue of an officer in Georgia who was trapped inside a burning patrol vehicle. In August, three Good Samaritans came to the aid of a deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department who was in a potentially deadly struggle with a suspect. There are myriad other examples of citizens coming to the assistance of an officer in trouble. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss how police can be aided by police supporters, and how to tell interested citizens that they're most helpful in backing away.

In November 2019, voters in San Francisco elected to the office of District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who ran on a platform of ending gang enhancements, part of a California law that adds additional prison sentences to defendants who participate in violent street gangs. His parents—Kathy Boudin and David Gilbert—were imprisoned for the felony murders of two police officers and a security guard in 1981. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss policing alongside hostile prosecutors.

Inevitably, every year on the day after Thanksgiving, police are forced to deal with crowd control issues as massive numbers of people crush the front doors of retail establishments offering "great deals" for holiday shoppers. Police get thousands of calls for shoplifting, domestic violence incidents, public drunkenness, and other misbehavior that spikes for about 72 hours on either side of Thanksgiving. Further, "Black Friday" is the semi-official start to the Christmas Holiday season. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss policing on the holidays, beginning with Black Friday and all the way through New Year's.

Several years ago, PoliceOne reported on the retirement of an 84-year-old lieutenant who had served 61 years with the Montgomery County Police Department. This was an extreme case to be sure, but there are many officers who overstay their time in the ranks for a variety of reasons—they may fear losing their entire identity, they may have not planned for the financial realities of retirement, or they may just not realize that the time to move on has come and gone. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the need for officers to know when it's time to pull the pin, and how to plan for that day's eventual arrival.

According to a 2011 study by the Automobile Association of America, 53 percent of police officers get less than 6.5 hours of sleep daily (compared to 30 percent of the general population), 91 percent report routinely feeling fatigued, 14 percent are tired when they start their work shift, and 39 percent admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the matter of police officer sleep and how it affects effectiveness on the job.