Policing Matters

Should masks be banned at protests?

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.

Thoughts on the Ariz. Starbucks brew haha

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.

New AI tool seeks to eliminate racial bias in prosecutions

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.

The incredible shrinking squad car

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.

Leadership stepping up on suicide prevention

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.

Are legalized psilocybin mushrooms the next big thing?

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.

Tips for patrolling in summer

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.

How to work well in multi-disciplinary scenarios

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.

Financial planning tips for police officers

All too often police officers put themselves in unnecessary financial strain, causing them to have to work a ton of overtime or even get a side job. In this podcast segment, Policing Matters podcast co-host Doug Wyllie sits down with Jason Hoschouer, a motor officer and a financial coach who specializes in helping public safety professionals better manage their money.

How a classic police training text was re-vamped and re-published

During the annual conference of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) in St. Louis, Policing Matters podcast co-host Doug Wyllie roamed the hallways and ran into countless law enforcement trainers and experts, some of whom were willing to sit down and talk about what they're teaching and what they're learning. In this podcast segment, Doug sits down with PoliceOne Columnist Dan Marcou to discuss his latest book, the second edition of the classic law enforcement training manual Street Survival, originally authored by Chuck Remsberg.