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

2022 data again shows rural officers subject to a disproportionate level of violence
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If we won’t acknowledge the risks rural officers face, and make sure they have a chance against them, then honoring their sacrifices with ceremony rings hollow
The dirty secret of law enforcement: ‘My family would have been better off if I had died!’
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There is no magical system that kicks in to take care of officers hurt on the job — and that needs to change
Rural gunfights that changed their agencies
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It’s time to recognize the changes wrought by critical incidents in remote places
The battle for parity for park rangers and game wardens
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The plight of two LE professionals who both died of duty-related melanomas highlights the inequities in workplace protections afforded to those who protect both humans and our natural resources
America’s favorite sheriff talks about cops, criminals and his 50-year career
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Sheriff Grady Judd’s best advice for officers is what they’re not told in police academies: simply to remember that most folks are decent, hardworking people
On four feet, two feet, in the air and on the water: 9 heart-warming police rescues of 2022
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We take a look back at rescues of the most vulnerable among us, and appreciate our better angels
The pros and cons of the Invest to Protect Act
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If signed into law, it would provide $60 million in grants each year to “smaller” law enforcement agencies, from 2023 to 2027
Small, rural and tribal police chiefs want a seat at the table. This association aims to achieve that
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While the Small and Rural Law Enforcement Executive Association is the new kid on the block, its ranks are building fast
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
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