Train now for the day will come!
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Report details St. Petersburg officers' heroics in death of two cops
The basic facts of Jan. 24 are seared into the community's soul.
A St. Petersburg police officer killed in a shoot-out with a wanted
man hiding in an attic. Another killed trying to rescue the first. A
wounded deputy marshal who survived the siege that ended with the death
of Hydra Lacy Jr. and the razing of the bright orange house where it all
happened.
But Thursday, after investigators worked for a month, the public
learned what really happened inside the house that day - the acts of
deception and evil, and of...read more
Workplace Violence Prevention Readiness and Response
Workplace violence, a complex and widespread issue, has
received increased attention from the public, mental health experts, and
law enforcement professionals. The wide range of acts that fall under
this rubric include all violent behavior and threats of violence, as
well as any conduct that can result in injury, damage property, induce a
sense of fear, and otherwise impede the normal course of work. Threats,
harassment, intimidation, bullying, stalking, intimate partner
violence, physical or sexual assaults, and homicides fall within this
category.
Although a handful of high-profile incidents (e.g., mass shootings at
a workplace) have led to increased public awareness, prevalence rates
show that nonfatal workplace violence is a more common phenomenon than
previously believed. For example, a Bureau of Justice Statistics Special
Report estimated that approximately 1.7 million....read more
Effective Firearms Training
Events across the nation continue to highlight the need
for law enforcement officers to develop and sustain the firearms skills
needed to survive a lethal force encounter. However, officer-involved
shootings remain relatively rare in this country. Consequently,
assigning the right priority to firearms training never is easy, and
many small and medium-sized agencies face the challenge of finding the
resources necessary to implement more than a minimal periodic firearms
requalification program. Further, the current economic downturn has made
the task harder as declining budgets have resulted in staffing
shortages, overtime curtailments, and difficulty in purchasing training
ammunition.
The Daviess County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Office continues to
experience each of those challenges. Yet, agency leaders felt obligated
to officers and citizens to address those obstacles, rather than just
defer firearms training until better times. This entailed gaining buy in
among employees at all levels while developing creative solutions for
the lack of resources—in short, crafting an effective program that the
agency could execute within the available means. Leaders also decided
that the training requirements would apply equally to all sworn
personnel—supervisors, patrol officers, court security officers,
criminal investigators, school resource officers, and special
deputies—even though this....read more
On Preparation Being ready in all ways
It went like this...
Patrolman A was scheduled to attend a firearms qualification and
training program at the range. He arrived straight off a patrol shift
with the gear he usually wears on duty. The flashlight that he brought
(the only one he has since he lost his department issue light) was so
dim that it could barely illuminate the target 15 feet to his front.
Truth told he could have probably gotten more light from a 99 cent Bic
lighter. Heck, I had a brighter micro-sized keychain light on my car
keys that day. He and another officer with a similar light, maybe they
bought the lights two for one at the Dollar Store, laughed about it. He
chuckled, look at me hard-core salty street cop and my crappy
flashlight. With his laissez faire attitude he was essentially saying,
It's not...read more
Improvise, Adapt & Overcome
“1986, as a whole, was a pretty eventful year. The space
shuttle Challenger experienced a cataclysmic systems failure, and
exploded shortly after liftoff. The Nuclear Plant in Chernobyl, Russia,
experienced a major meltdown, resulting in the deaths of more than 4,000
people. A postal employee experienced a similar meltdown, shooting 20
fellow employees, which coined the phrase, “going postal.” Although Tom
Cruise was probably the most popular actor that year for his role in Top
Gun, Clint Eastwood should’ve been recognized for introducing one of
the best...read more
Seven Steps to Controlling Fear
I think it was General Douglas MacArthur who said, If
bravery is a quality which knows not fear, then I have never seen a
brave man. For the courageous man is the man who, in spite of his fear,
forces himself to carry on.
Everybody fears fear at...read more
Debrief Yourself Once a Day
Mental preparation and imagery are well-known
performance enhancers. After-action evaluations and debriefings are
essential tools used to improve performance in any area, from the
military to business, for soldiers as well as sales people. Both of
these well-established, powerful tools are yours for free to enhance
your own performance and survivability. Here s one way...read more
