Policing Matters

Former presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke famously said during a recent debate that he'd gladly enforce a mandatory gun buy-back program that would target legally purchased "assault rifles" such as AR-15s and AK-47s. Disregarding the discussion about the Constitutionality of such a proposal, his suggestion highlights how politicians have a tendency to put police in the middle of political issues without knowing all the details of an issue. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss how O'Rourke's suggestion would put police officers in danger, how it doesn't really address the matter of gun violence in America, and how it shines a light on how police are too often put in the middle of a political debate.

Following the active shooter event at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California, one police agency in the Golden State has decided that during large-scale events in its jurisdiction, a certain number of uniformed personnel will be "strapped" with patrol rifles. The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office announced in mid-August that an undisclosed percentage of officers patrolling festivals and other events will be carrying AR-15 rifles capable of responding to an attacker with a long gun. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the balancing act between protecting life and presenting a non-threatening image.

Policing on Halloween is different from any other day of the year. Children who are ordinarily on their living room couch after supper are out on the streets. Adults consuming large quantities of alcohol wander from one bar to another carrying costume "props" resembling edged weapons and firearms. Teenagers get into all manner of mayhem. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the various challenges facing police officers on the final night of October.

Do police, fire, and EMS share the same priorities and communication during the response to critical and mass casualty incidents? How can all of the first responders address their individualized priorities while sharing the same goals? Do current policies adequately address the need during urgent times when wounded and bleeding victims remain in a hot or warm zone of a critical incident? In this podcast segment, Jim Dudley is joined by veteran EMS leader Rob Lawrence for a discussion on dilemmas, response and the preparation required before the critical incident occurs.

Two high-profile active shooter incidents in the span of two days in early August—one in Dayton, Ohio and the other in El Paso Texas—has reignited discussions about the threat of individuals conducting mass murder. Later in August, police in Connecticut, Florida, and Ohio arrested three men in the span of two days, potentially preventing three separate but unrelated mass shooting plots. One of the things that is common following events such as these is the deep-dive examination by the national mainstream media into the backgrounds of the perpetrators. But what is the benefit of this type of investigation? Some say that reporting on every detail of an individual's life leading up to an attack or an attempted attack glorifies the individual, and puts the victims in the background. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the "Don't Name Them" effort, which encourages media outlets to minimize coverage of the assailant and focus more on the victims.

Well-lit areas have less crime than areas that are enshrouded in darkness at night. Properties with waist-high fencing at the front of the dwelling and shoulder-height fencing on the B, C, and D sides tend to be less prone to break-ins. Structural elements that prevent access and egress to open areas help prevent criminal activity. Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) is not a new concept—it dates back to the 1960s—but it is ever evolving. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the latest trends.

There are now 33 states (as well as the District of Columbia) that allow the sale and use of medical marijuana products. Among the myriad options available are topical CBD oils that are intended to relieve muscle pain, among other things. These products do not contain the psychoactive THC element of the plant that causes a "high" and proponents say that these oils are safer and more effective than many over the counter and prescription pain medications. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss whether or not police officers should be allowed to use these products.

A recent series of articles published by a California organization called The Center for Investigative Reporting—a nonprofit founded in the late 1970s—alleged that a significant number of American police officers were members of "closed" groups on social media that have racist, sexist, or other extremist ideologies. The articles seemed to indicate that a large number of officers belong to groups on social media hosted by Oath Keepers, Three Percenters and other organizations. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss these groups as well as officers' participation in them.

Recently, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 392. Media reaction would indicate that the bill would drastically reduce police use of force, but the reality is that the new language does little to restrict officers from using force when they reasonably believe that there exists an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officer or to another person, or to apprehend a fleeing person for any felony that threatened or resulted in death or serious bodily injury. Still, the law does contain some language that might cause officers to hesitate to use force, potentially putting them in danger. Some opponents to the law are calling it a watershed event that could negatively affect policing in the United States. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the law and its potential result on police use of force.

Anti-police politicians continue to grandstand on the topic of criminal justice reform during election campaigns and from their elected offices, suggesting everything from decriminalization of lower level drug offenses to reduced jail sentences that could lead to increases in crime. They continue also to vilify law enforcement, seizing upon every opportunity to paint police as vicious villains whenever a controversial incident takes place. The anti-police members of the media parrot their sentiments to generate television ratings and internet traffic. Anti-police protesters take to the streets destroying public and private property. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the anti-police sentiment that doesn't seem to be going away.

In mid-August, NYPD Police Commissioner James O'Neill fired Daniel Pantaleo—the New York City police officer accused in the 2014 death of Eric Garner—despite the fact that Pantaleo was cleared of any wrongdoing in the incident. Patrick Lynch—the president of the Police Benevolent Association—sent a message to officers that could very easily be construed as a signal of a work slowdown. "We are urging all New York City police officers to proceed with the utmost caution in this new reality, in which they may be deemed 'reckless' just for doing their job," Lynch said. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss how actions such as the firing of Dan Pantaleo fan the flames of the continuing trend of de-motivation and de-policing in America.

In mid-July, several acts of police heroism in which an officer saved the life of an infant or a toddler made headlines in the span of just a couple of days. This might lead one to conclude that there was a sudden uptick in such actions, but that conclusion would be inaccurate. The only uptick was in the media's coverage of those events. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the fact that police heroics happen every day, and talk about the increasing need for police agencies to proactively tell those stories to counter the seemingly ongoing anti-police rhetoric in the public discourse.

Following violent protests that left several people injured—including a conservative journalist who was badly beaten by protesters, the chief of police in Portland, Oregon suggested that the city pass a law that bans the wearing of masks during protests. Citing the fact that other states have laws prohibiting the wearing of masks during the commission of a crime, Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw suggested that the city institute the restrictions on masks at protests and demonstrations. The Oregon ACLU opposes the proposal—they do tend to side politically with the people who tend to wear masks at rallies—but others in both government and private sectors see some benefit to the idea. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss whether or not such a proposal would even pass in the City of Roses.

On Independence Day six police officers were approached by a Starbucks employee in Tempe, Arizona and told their presence was making another customer "uncomfortable." They were told they could relocate or leave. They decided to leave. News of this incident soon hit social media, and a firestorm ensued, with officers across the country calling for a boycott of the coffee chain. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the incident itself, and the online outrage that followed.

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon recently announced a new artificial intelligence tool that will automatically redact from police reports any information that would indicate the race of an individual accused of a crime. He wants to eliminate any influence of racial bias in the decision-making process as to whether or not charges should be pursued or dropped in a given case. Attorneys will make a preliminary decision based on the redacted report, and then a final decision after reading the unreacted version. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss this new technology, as well as what the San Francisco DA's motives might be in deploying it.

At a time when it seems that officers are getting bigger and bigger in physical stature, the compartment they occupy in their patrol vehicles keeps getting smaller and smaller. The vehicles themselves are in many cases smaller than the trusty old Crown Vics of old, and they're being stuffed with an ever-increasing amount of aftermarket equipment like MDTs. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss this trend and debate the merits of looking at going to more SUVs that will allow for those hefty cops to be more comfortable behind the wheel.

Last month, the New York Police Department suffered three deaths by suicide in the span of ten days. That string of tragedies prompted NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill to call for officers to not be afraid to seek help if they need it. "This is a mental-health crisis," O'Neill said. "And we – the NYPD and the law enforcement profession as a whole – absolutely must take action." Meanwhile, in Chicago, that department held a two-day symposium on suicide prevention. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss if the stigma of seeking help has finally been smashed.

Oakland recently became the second city in the United States—Denver is the other one—to decriminalize the consumption and ingestion of psilocybin mushrooms, recognized by the federal government as a schedule one drug. Schedule one drugs are defined as drugs with a high potential for abuse or drugs that have no recognized medical uses. However, advocates of this movement argue that these naturally occurring fungi have been used by many cultures for centuries for religious and medical purposes, and that argument prevailed by a narrow margin in a city council vote. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the matter and what it means for law enforcement in the Bay Area.

Patrolling in the summer months can have some additional challenges, particularly in areas where the heat can become downright unbearable. For whatever reason — the heat, the over consumption of alcohol, family disputes, or some combination — there seems to be an uptick in violent crime. Kids are more likely to be struck by vehicles because they're not in school. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss some things to keep in mind as you're out on patrol in the summer months.

Police and firefighters have a lot of fun with the "guns 'n hoses" rivalry, but in reality there are myriad calls for service which require the response of all public safety disciplines (as well as some city and civilian services at times as well). In this podcast segment, Policing Matters podcast co-host Doug Wyllie sits down with Justin and Jason (a firefighter/paramedic and a motorcop, as well as co-hosts of the What's Your Emergency podcast) to discuss how all the public safety disciplines can work better together.