This is the final Policing Matters podcast segment of 2019. With what is sure to be a tumultuous 2020 about to commence, Jim and Doug reflect on some of the topics that rose above the rest in the past 12 months, including police officer suicide, the impact of California's AB-392 on the use of force and officer safety, active shooter response during some of this year's tragedies, the use of facial recognition software and artificial intelligence, ongoing anti-police sentiment — and the opposing f...
Dec 26, 2019•1 hr 18 min
Police officers in Alaska are unlikely to encounter an alligator, and officers in Alabama are unlikely to come upon a moose, but in every state in the union officers routinely come into contact with all manner of animals. There are some very important rules of the road when dealing with wildlife, as well as so-called domesticated animals that can turn suddenly dangerous. Generally, police officers are not equipped with tranquilizer guns, control poles, and animal cages, so it's ideal to call in ...
Dec 20, 2019•10 min
In late November, four Good Samaritans came to the rescue of an officer in Georgia who was trapped inside a burning patrol vehicle. In August, three Good Samaritans came to the aid of a deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department who was in a potentially deadly struggle with a suspect. There are myriad other examples of citizens coming to the assistance of an officer in trouble. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss how police can be aided by police supporters, and how to tel...
Dec 13, 2019•9 min
In November 2019, voters in San Francisco elected to the office of District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who ran on a platform of ending gang enhancements, part of a California law that adds additional prison sentences to defendants who participate in violent street gangs. His parents—Kathy Boudin and David Gilbert—were imprisoned for the felony murders of two police officers and a security guard in 1981. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss policing alongside hostile prosecutors.
Dec 06, 2019•12 min
Inevitably, every year on the day after Thanksgiving, police are forced to deal with crowd control issues as massive numbers of people crush the front doors of retail establishments offering "great deals" for holiday shoppers. Police get thousands of calls for shoplifting, domestic violence incidents, public drunkenness, and other misbehavior that spikes for about 72 hours on either side of Thanksgiving. Further, "Black Friday" is the semi-official start to the Christmas Holiday season. In this ...
Nov 29, 2019•12 min
Several years ago, PoliceOne reported on the retirement of an 84-year-old lieutenant who had served 61 years with the Montgomery County Police Department. This was an extreme case to be sure, but there are many officers who overstay their time in the ranks for a variety of reasons—they may fear losing their entire identity, they may have not planned for the financial realities of retirement, or they may just not realize that the time to move on has come and gone. In this podcast segment, Jim and...
Nov 22, 2019•11 min
According to a 2011 study by the Automobile Association of America, 53 percent of police officers get less than 6.5 hours of sleep daily (compared to 30 percent of the general population), 91 percent report routinely feeling fatigued, 14 percent are tired when they start their work shift, and 39 percent admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the matter of police officer sleep and how it affects effectiveness on the job.
Nov 15, 2019•14 min
Former presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke famously said during a recent debate that he'd gladly enforce a mandatory gun buy-back program that would target legally purchased "assault rifles" such as AR-15s and AK-47s. Disregarding the discussion about the Constitutionality of such a proposal, his suggestion highlights how politicians have a tendency to put police in the middle of political issues without knowing all the details of an issue. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss how O'Ro...
Nov 08, 2019•12 min
Following the active shooter event at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California, one police agency in the Golden State has decided that during large-scale events in its jurisdiction, a certain number of uniformed personnel will be "strapped" with patrol rifles. The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office announced in mid-August that an undisclosed percentage of officers patrolling festivals and other events will be carrying AR-15 rifles capable of responding to an attacker with a long gun. In this po...
Nov 01, 2019•13 min
Policing on Halloween is different from any other day of the year. Children who are ordinarily on their living room couch after supper are out on the streets. Adults consuming large quantities of alcohol wander from one bar to another carrying costume "props" resembling edged weapons and firearms. Teenagers get into all manner of mayhem. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the various challenges facing police officers on the final night of October.
Oct 25, 2019•12 min
Do police, fire, and EMS share the same priorities and communication during the response to critical and mass casualty incidents? How can all of the first responders address their individualized priorities while sharing the same goals? Do current policies adequately address the need during urgent times when wounded and bleeding victims remain in a hot or warm zone of a critical incident? In this podcast segment, Jim Dudley is joined by veteran EMS leader Rob Lawrence for a discussion on dilemmas...
Oct 18, 2019•15 min
Two high-profile active shooter incidents in the span of two days in early August—one in Dayton, Ohio and the other in El Paso Texas—has reignited discussions about the threat of individuals conducting mass murder. Later in August, police in Connecticut, Florida, and Ohio arrested three men in the span of two days, potentially preventing three separate but unrelated mass shooting plots. One of the things that is common following events such as these is the deep-dive examination by the national m...
Oct 11, 2019•14 min
Well-lit areas have less crime than areas that are enshrouded in darkness at night. Properties with waist-high fencing at the front of the dwelling and shoulder-height fencing on the B, C, and D sides tend to be less prone to break-ins. Structural elements that prevent access and egress to open areas help prevent criminal activity. Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) is not a new concept—it dates back to the 1960s—but it is ever evolving. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug d...
Oct 03, 2019•12 min
There are now 33 states (as well as the District of Columbia) that allow the sale and use of medical marijuana products. Among the myriad options available are topical CBD oils that are intended to relieve muscle pain, among other things. These products do not contain the psychoactive THC element of the plant that causes a "high" and proponents say that these oils are safer and more effective than many over the counter and prescription pain medications. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug disc...
Sep 27, 2019•12 min
A recent series of articles published by a California organization called The Center for Investigative Reporting—a nonprofit founded in the late 1970s—alleged that a significant number of American police officers were members of "closed" groups on social media that have racist, sexist, or other extremist ideologies. The articles seemed to indicate that a large number of officers belong to groups on social media hosted by Oath Keepers, Three Percenters and other organizations. In this podcast seg...
Sep 20, 2019•11 min
Recently, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 392. Media reaction would indicate that the bill would drastically reduce police use of force, but the reality is that the new language does little to restrict officers from using force when they reasonably believe that there exists an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officer or to another person, or to apprehend a fleeing person for any felony that threatened or resulted in death or serious bodily injury. Still, the law does cont...
Sep 12, 2019•13 min
Anti-police politicians continue to grandstand on the topic of criminal justice reform during election campaigns and from their elected offices, suggesting everything from decriminalization of lower level drug offenses to reduced jail sentences that could lead to increases in crime. They continue also to vilify law enforcement, seizing upon every opportunity to paint police as vicious villains whenever a controversial incident takes place. The anti-police members of the media parrot their sentim...
Aug 30, 2019•14 min
In mid-August, NYPD Police Commissioner James O'Neill fired Daniel Pantaleo—the New York City police officer accused in the 2014 death of Eric Garner—despite the fact that Pantaleo was cleared of any wrongdoing in the incident. Patrick Lynch—the president of the Police Benevolent Association—sent a message to officers that could very easily be construed as a signal of a work slowdown. "We are urging all New York City police officers to proceed with the utmost caution in this new reality, in whic...
Aug 23, 2019•14 min
In mid-July, several acts of police heroism in which an officer saved the life of an infant or a toddler made headlines in the span of just a couple of days. This might lead one to conclude that there was a sudden uptick in such actions, but that conclusion would be inaccurate. The only uptick was in the media's coverage of those events. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the fact that police heroics happen every day, and talk about the increasing need for police agencies to proactive...
Aug 16, 2019•11 min
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 ...
Aug 09, 2019•12 min
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.
Aug 02, 2019•13 min
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 readi...
Jul 26, 2019•11 min
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 hef...
Jul 19, 2019•12 min
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 ...
Jul 12, 2019•15 min
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, an...
Jul 05, 2019•11 min
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.
Jun 28, 2019•14 min
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 c...
Jun 21, 2019•12 min
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.
Jun 14, 2019•13 min
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 enforc...
Jun 07, 2019•15 min
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 once again with Dan Green to continue the discussion about FTOs and the difference between content-driven an...
May 31, 2019•12 min
