Policing Matters

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, the number of officers shot and killed in ambush attacks now totals 20 — the highest since 1995. NLEOMF reports that 44 officers have been killed in fatal ambush shootings since 2014. Jim and Doug discuss this troubling trend, and what officers can do to protect themselves from ambush.

There’s no denying that there are private security people who have absolutely no business being in any way involved in law enforcement efforts. However, there are opportunities for sworn law enforcement professionals to develop relationships with the individuals in private security who are diligent about their chosen career, and who can provide excellent information to help prosecute cases. Jim and Doug discuss the ways in which the real cops and the “mall cops” can be better partners in fighting crime.

With a growing number of citizens listening to the Policing Matters podcast, we want to take this opportunity to directly address that segment of the audience. When a police officer stops a person for any reason — a traffic stop, a field interview, or another scenario — the cop wants one thing from the subject: compliance. Jim and Doug discuss what people can do to ensure that whatever the circumstance, everyone goes home safe after the encounter.

In watching the audience of the Policing Matters podcast grow, we have observed that a considerable portion of the people clicking and listening to the show are civilians. We theorize that among this group of listeners are police supporters and people who just want to know more about policing. We also believe there may be individuals who want to become a cop. With this in mind, Jim and Doug discuss the things that folks should (and should not) do as they prepare to join the noble profession.

During a standoff in Baltimore County (Md.) in August 2016, local police were able to convince Facebook to deactivate the account of a woman who was eventually shot in a confrontation with police. The online social network was largely lauded for their assistance to police in that matter. Meanwhile, during the Occupy movement several years ago, BART Police in California were widely criticized for shutting down the cellular phone signal and WiFi connectivity in the transit tunnels. Jim and Doug discuss how social media plays into modern police activity, and whether or not further cooperation is on the horizon.

At the 2016 International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Doug and Jim took the opportunity to speak to police leaders about some of the most important issues facing law enforcement today. From creating a Citizens Advisory Board to adopting the recommendations in the Task Force Report on 21st Century Policing, listen to what these very special guests had to say.

This weekend, law enforcement leaders from across the globe will descend on San Diego (Calif.) for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Annual Conference and Expo. During the four-day event, more than 14,000 public safety professionals will have the opportunity to continue their education at more than 200 different seminar sessions. Further, a great deal of learning takes place in informal discussions among attendees in the hallways and at after-hours gatherings. Jim and Doug discuss the importance for police officers of attending such events as means of improving themselves.

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, so it’s an opportune time to discuss the threat to law enforcement posed by hackers both foreign and domestic. Police agencies have fallen prey to ransomware, which locks the owner of the data out until a fee is paid to the attacker, and have had personal information about officers made public by individuals who identify as being part of the group Anonymous. Further, individual officers have been similarly “doxxed.” Jim and Doug discuss some of the things that can be done to prevent an attack, as well as some steps to take in the event that an attack is successful.

Enforcing laws that address citizens’ quality of life has had a historically positive impact in preventing more serious crimes in areas not already rife with violence and lawlessness. For decades, the concept of Broken Windows Policing has successfully prevented increases in crime — in fact, it has been credited with widespread reduction in crime — in cities across the United States. Jim and Doug discuss the political pressure to draw back from this method of policing.

As we have recently seen in Charlotte (N.C.), a city can be torn apart overnight by looting, arson, and violence if a peaceful protest devolves into rioting and mayhem. Even in cities where police-community relations are good, there are often outside agitators who suddenly appear in town to cause chaos. Doug and Jim discuss how police leaders can prepare for the worst, which could be just one controversial incident away at any moment.

When citizens are fearful of being harassed or assaulted by indigent people living on the streets, they retreat from normal social interaction and leave a vacuum into which criminal elements can take up residence. When cities are faced with widespread homelessness whole neighborhoods can slip into decline. Jim and Doug discuss ways in which law enforcement has become the primary provider of social support services to homeless across the country, and the consequences of that fact.

On the 15 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we mourn the loss of nearly 3,000 Americans — 23 of whom were police officers from the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and 37 of whom were officers from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department (PAPD). Even as we remember the past, we consider the present and look toward the future. Multiple terrorist attacks have occurred on our soil since that terrible Tuesday, and we must remain vigilant against any attacks being plotted today. Jim and Doug discuss how terrorism has changed in the past decade and a half.

In California, the governor recently signed into law several pieces of legislation that — if upheld in pending litigation — will turn many people who legally purchased certain semi-automatic rifles into felons overnight. Further, countless numbers of retired police officers who carry under HR-218 a Glock 17, 19, 22, or many other types of sidearms will become outlaws because those magazines exceed ten rounds. Anti-gun legislation is under consideration elsewhere as well. Cops across the country have for nearly a decade talked about how they would respond if ordered to enforce gun laws with which they disagree. Jim and Doug discuss the very real possibility that this may soon become an uncomfortable reality.

Louisiana recently became the first state to enact a "Blue Lives Matter" law, and similar legislation has been proposed in places like Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. These laws have been proposed in the wake of an increase in ambush attacks on police such as in Dallas and Baton Rouge. Can laws making assaulting a police officer a hate crime actually lower the number of assaults on cops? Jim and Doug discuss the idea.

Despite Dick Wolf’s portrayal of cops and prosecutors who work in lockstep to solve and prosecute crimes, in many cases, the relationship between these two elements of the justice system is anything but harmonious. Jim and Doug discuss the complex relationship between “the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.”

A suicide prevention program may be a difficult “sell” in a police agency — especially one where a suicide has not occurred, or where there is an existing stigma about officers seeking the assistance of mental health professionals. Police leaders should create an environment in which officers are open to seeking peer support. Part of that is identifying the best supporters. Jim and Doug discuss the ways in which top-quality peer support programs can be built and maintained.

A fair number of officers eventually want to get out of a squad car and into a maritime unit, or onto a horse, or in the saddle of a bicycle. Jim and Doug discuss how those units differ from patrol, and offer some keys to successfully making the transition to a specialized assignment.

The Supreme Court recently ruled that if an officer makes an illegal stop and then discovers an arrest warrant, the stop and its fruit will not be excluded in court. Jim and Doug discuss how Strieff pokes a hole in the long-held doctrine that police and prosecutors cannot benefit with “the fruit of the poisonous tree” and how it impacts police interpretation of the Fourth Amendment’s search and seizure doctrine, and the accompanying exclusionary rule.

The best officers are continually looking for ways to improve their skills and abilities. There are myriad ways to go about that, but one often overlooked method is to read as much as possible to expand your understanding of a topic. Jim and Doug discuss a host of titles — some new, some old — that can help officers up their game. They also include some fiction titles for your summer vacation enjoyment.

With the Republican National Convention in Cleveland and the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia fast approaching, officers would do well to leave politics for off-duty discussion. Jim and Doug discuss how on-duty cops should stay neutral despite what may be shouted at protests, and some thoughts about off-duty free speech by cops as well.