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A Calibre Christmas

From the Street Survival Newsline

Every year the holiday season brings joy, goodwill, and peace on earth, just not in your beat, not on your shift. The burglars, car busters, and every other form of vermin that preys on our folks who are doing their praying, crawl out to steal the goodies Grandma left in plain view in her back seat, and Uncle Craig left sitting in the driveway as he carried two giant armfuls into the house.

It is our truest hope you have a wonderful season whatever your faith. If you are Christian remember to celebrate your Savior, gain strength from that faith, then gird your loins and get hunting. You of the Jewish faith remember Chanukah is a time of a God’s great miracle to your people, remember it, and then keep the candles of joy lit for the folks who sleep at night as you seek evil with the strength of a Maccabee!

This is truly a time of great celebration for two great faiths and the diversity movement would rob of our heritage, our spirit, and our life’s meaning. You have chosen a warrior’s path to serve and protect. We hope your faith, whatever it is, gives you strength and joy, and that whatever challenge may suddenly confront in this time of lights and prayers, parties and drinking; the good and the bad of the season, you keep your head in the game. You wish to be home with the ones you love, but if you got stuck working Christmas or New Year, get right with it, wish good hunting for you and your colleagues; besides, most Bowl Games are pretty poor anyway! One of the advantages to working on the actual holiday is that you can have several celebrations before and or/after the actual day. One night family, good friends from work two nights later and so on, but then, I like to cook.

What we always worry about is the season’s effect on our attitude and alertness. All this sadness in the season of joy, all this crime, all this crap, so what…you are the hunter. The fact that there is a season at all is because of your courage, your spirit. Evil rests in hearts, you must find the Dirtbag carrying the evil within…stop him…book him…enjoy the victory…”Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Harry Maggot in the jail, Christmas carols being sung by a choir and folks dressed up in inmate clothes!”

Warriors hunt the evil in some, but they protect the innocence in others. Protect your community, celebrate the loyalty of your brothers and sisters who toil beside you, and take pride in the joy that you bring to the innocent and the needy at this most sacred time of year. Stay safe, be happy, good hunting, and regardless of your faith, find joy in the season.

Dave Smith is an internationally known motivational speaker, writer and law enforcement trainer who has been an integral part of the Calibre Press family for over 20 years. As a career police officer, Dave held positions in patrol, training, narcotics, SWAT, and management. In 1980 he developed the popular “Buck Savage” survival series videos and was the lead instructor for the Calibre Press “Street Survival” seminar from 1983 to 1985. He was a contributor to Calibre’'s popular “Tactical Edge” handbook and helped pave the way for what “Street Survival” is today. Dave joined the Law Enforcement Training Network in 1989 and was the general manager of Calibre Press until January of 2002. Now president of Dave Smith & Associates, a law enforcement & management consulting company based in Illinois, Dave has developed hundreds of programs across the spectrum of police & security training needs.

Dave is now a Calibre-Press Street Survival instructor and his experiences as officer, trainer, manager, and police spouse lend a unique perspective to the “Street Survival” experience.