Every year, police officers conduct over 20 million traffic stops, the most statistically dangerous activity known to law enforcers. The idea is to discourage reckless driving and, in some cases, identify drivers who are capable of violent felonies behind the wheel. Traffic stops represent more risk to officers than any other task; dangers range from […]
Data collection is the pillar of any criminal investigation, yet many police departments nationwide are yet to incorporate newer technologies for this purpose. These departments still rely on the old Summary Reporting System (SRS), first established in the 1920s by the FBI—then the Bureau of Investigation— as part of the Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR). […]
It’s happened to us all: when we feel like we’re putting out fires in our professional and personal lives, training feels like something that can wait until tomorrow. Before you know it, more time has passed than you intended, and you haven’t trained for longer than you would like. So with your valuable time and […]
There’s one major factor that many aren’t even aware of for all the mental and physical stresses that police officers have to face. That source of stress is simply the job schedule, mainly if officers are working in shifts that lie outside of ‘normal’ working hours. As working irregular hours is so typical for police […]
For law enforcement agencies to stay relevant, they must move with the times. As communities change over time, their police departments should too. As society is currently going through a period of unprecedented technological change, staying on top of new trends has become one of the key responsibilities of law enforcement. Increasingly, however, it isn’t […]
From officer safety, to training, to de-escalating situations and increasing police transparency, the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) by police has a large number of advantages. However, not everyone agrees on how and when these BWCs should be used. When should these cameras be turned on – and when, if ever, is it appropriate to […]
While traffic stops can seem like a fairly benign and routine part of a police officer’s job, they can unfortunately also become dangerous for the officers involved. In 2021, shootings were the second largest cause of death for police officers in the US, after COVID. Worse, this number was a 36% rise from the previous […]
Effective surveillance can be a major challenge. The first hurdle lies in gathering enough data to be useful. Then, once you have enough data, the second question is how to sort what’s useful from what isn’t. And once you’ve figured that one out, you need a system that ensures the right people can access the […]
For years there has been an ongoing debate in Tennessee over the requirement for first responders to live in the same county that they work in. While the debate has mostly taken place in Memphis, more recently Republican lawmakers are looking to take the decision away from the city by enacting a state-wide ban on […]
Dash Cams are fast becoming standard equipment in both police and civilian vehicles. And – as dash cams can help reduce crime in various ways – this can only be a good thing. Here are just a few advantages of having a dash cam at your disposal. DETERING FURTHER CRIMINAL ACTIVITY It’s an unfortunate fact that, even […]
