Policing Matters

Should police be allowed to seize guns from the mentally ill?

Following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, a great deal of attention was paid to the fact that the gunman had exhibited myriad signs of mental instability—hurting animals, threatening and/or fighting with other students, previous mental health treatment—that may have been enough for relatives or school authorities to ask law enforcement to keep him from possessing firearms. As of February 2019, more than a dozen states have laws on the books that allow local law enforcement to seize firearms from people diagnosed as mentally ill. In this podcast episode, Jim and Doug discuss the Constitutionality of such laws, and what they might mean in the larger context of the gun-control debate.

Baltimore: A microcosm of de-policing in America

In Baltimore, it has been reported that from 2014 to 2017, dispatch records show the number of suspected narcotics offenses police reported themselves dropped 30 percent. The number of people they reported seeing with outstanding warrants dropped by half. The number of field interviews dropped 70 percent. This type of de-policing has emboldened criminals and crime now is on the rise. In September 2018, 37 people were killed in the city, making that the deadliest month in more than a year. Baltimore has had five police commissioners in four years. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss how things went from bad to worse in Charm City following the death of Freddie Gray and the subsequent anti-police protests.

What the surge in swatting calls means for police

In mid-February someone called 911 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina claiming to be Robert McCord, a reserve officer with the department. The caller told dispatchers he’d just shot his wife and was going to kill the rest of the people in the house. Police responded as one might imagine they would respond to such a call—they sent in SWAT to ensure the safety of innocents. McCord exited his home with hands held high above his head, walking slowly toward responders. The incident ended with nobody injured, but so-called "swatting" calls have been fatal on all too many occasions. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss what can be done to prevent swatting as well as how police investigate and charge people for making swatting calls.

What the LEOSA Reform Act might mean for active and retired officers

In 2004, Congress passed the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (also known as LEOSA), which allows qualified active and retired officers to carry a concealed firearm in any jurisdiction in the United States—with certain exceptions and restrictions. Recently introduced legislation—the LEOSA Reform Act—would expand where current and retired officers can carry a concealed firearm, as well as reform the qualification standards for retired officers to ease superfluous burdens for anyone carrying in accordance with LEOSA. If passed, some of the hurdles put in place in states like New York, New Jersey and other places would come down. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss whether or not the LEOSA Reform Act will pass, and what it would mean for officers if it does.

How civilians can help cops in harm‘s way

Some members of the public have put themselves in harm's way to help an officer survive a deadly situation. We've seen incidents in which an officer is struggling with a resistive subject—and potentially on their way to losing that fight—when a Good Samaritan appears seemingly out of nowhere to help bring the suspect under control. We've seen citizens race to help an officer wounded in a gunfight. We've seen citizens pull officers from burning patrol vehicles. We've even seen citizens help officers end a high-speed vehicle pursuit. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the ways in which police supporters can render assistance, without getting in the way of an officer's own tactics.

Parkland school shooting: What leadership failures mean for LE nationwide

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis fired Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel—who served as the 16th sheriff of that county—on January 11, 2019. Many would argue that his firing was long overdue. His agency was derided for failing to take control over a shooting at the Fort Lauderdale airport in 2017. Then, in 2018, deputies with the agency failed miserably in their response to the mass murder taking place at the Stoneman Douglas High School. In April 2018, the Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies Association opened a no-confidence vote—it tallied 534–94 against Israel. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss Israel's dismissal, and what it means for law enforcement leaders nationwide.

Words of wisdom: Applying famous quotes to policing

Henry Ford once said, “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” This famous quote can easily be applied to law enforcement in 2019, with so many factors seemingly going against the profession. Winston Churchill once said, “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Police officers at every level have countless opportunities to listen to citizens and collect information and intelligence about what's happening in the community. There are myriad famous quotes that can be applied to law enforcement. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug share some of their favorites.

Reducing police officer suicides

In early January, Blue H.E.L.P. — an organization that tracks officer suicides while simultaneously seeking to prevent such tragedies from occurring — issued an announcement stating that in 2018, at least 158 officers died by suicide. This is nine percent more than the total number of line-of-duty deaths resulting from 15 other causes such as felonious assault, patrol vehicle accident, heart attack, and duty-related illness. It is also the third straight year that suicides occurred in greater number than duty deaths. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the crisis of officers dying by suicide, and offer some thoughts on ways to better help officers nearing crisis.

Why are hate crimes on the rise?

According to FBI data released in 2018, hate crimes rose by 17 percent in 2017 compared with the previous year. It was the third straight year showing an increase in hate crimes. The offenses were most commonly motivated by hatred over race, ethnicity or ancestry. Nearly a fifth of the offenses were motivated by hatred over religion. Sexual orientation and gender identity hatred were also listed as biases motivating criminal acts. In this week's podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the FBI's findings, and explore reasons why the reporting of hate crimes is seemingly on the rise.

Why agencies should keep mounted, bike and foot patrols

Walking the beat is a fundamental element to community policing. Other forms of patrol aimed principally at community engagement have officers mounted atop equine partners, and rolling around town on tricked-out mountain bikes. In all these cases, officers on foot create opportunities for the public to connect with their police (and vice versa). Conversely, when officers are wrapped in two tons of metal and plastic, that opportunity for real connection is essentially lost. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the need for agencies to keep these types of patrol efforts well-staffed and supported.