Kathleen Dias

Policing the Remote and Rural

Kathleen Dias writes features and news analysis on topics of concern to law enforcement professionals serving in rural and remote locations. She uses her background in writing, teaching and marketing to advocate for professional levels of training and equipment for rural officers, open channels of communication for isolated departments, and dispel myths about rural policing.

In this column, Kathleen explores topics relevant to law enforcement professionals in small communities, and rural and remote locations. The challenges facing rural officers in the 21st-century increase with each news cycle. This column addresses these challenges one by one, opening up new channels for discussion.

Full list of Kathleen Dias results

How the traditional guard rails of workplace safety fail rural LEOs
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Why is it okay to skimp on basic safety equipment because we’re talking about a cop instead of a welder or warehouse worker?
Forgotten history: What law enforcement can learn from the Young Brothers massacre
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A 1932 bloodbath at a remote Ozarks farm that resulted in the death of six LEOs still offers tactical lessons for officers today
Why drones may be the next big thing in fighting rural crime
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Small agencies can always benefit from an extra set of eyes – especially when they are in the sky
What a Washington Post article got wrong about small-town policing
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The article discussed small town PDs in the US and the disastrous response in Uvalde as though they were related
“Wrist Lock” calls for a reimagining of police culture
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Award-winning indie filmmaker Jason Harney’s new documentary provides the icebreaker for a discussion on priorities around police training and use of force
How virtual crisis care is helping rural sheriffs manage mental health calls
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“When I talk to our taxpayers, they ask, ‘Why didn’t we do this sooner?’”
Research: Rural cops absorb a disproportionately high rate of damage from felonious gunfire
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By quantifying what is happening in rural places, there can be no excuse for failure to train, equip and staff rural police to modern, professional standards
A letter to the American public: 3 common misconceptions about pay and rural policing
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Wanting equitable wages for rural cops is not about greed or ingratitude, it’s just economics
Could police officer sabbaticals reduce rural retention woes?
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Chief Paul Wegner believes it is a viable solution that he’s willing to try in order to save his staff
How supported do rural officers feel? Interpreting the data from Police1’s State of the Industry survey
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What rural cops want isn’t complicated or exotic. Over and over survey respondents repeated the same refrains
A letter to President Biden: Consider what rural LEOs need in your executive order
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Following the leak of a draft executive order on police reform, White House advisors are promising more LE collaboration. Let’s hope they talk to rural cops
Evictions: ‘What’s the true cost’ to law enforcement?
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A Colorado LEO looks back on the murder of his brother, Corporal Nate Carrigan, who was killed enforcing an eviction order
6 times rural cops rescued animals from danger in 2021
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Cops spend a lot of time rescuing critters from places they shouldn’t be, and we’re going to look at a few rescues from this year
Trooper Tracy: Making rural roads safer one social media post at a time
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The Illinois State Police has a secret weapon for making country roads safer for drivers
IACP Quick Take: Analysis-driven operations for small agencies
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Even the smallest departments can conduct basic crime analysis and evaluation of the impact of police operations
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