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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. She’s had a front-row seat observing rural agencies – local, state and federal – from the Sierra foothills to California’s notorious Emerald Triangle, for more than 30 years.

LATEST ARTICLES
As rural officers are priced out of the housing market, department heads scramble to fill positions and retain experienced staff
Tracking the number of shootings of police officers demonstrates that the risk rural officers face is measurable and substantial
Real reform means accepting that change is hard and expensive – but it’s worth it, if you do it right
Research indicates that rural locations have higher rates of mental illness, opiate addiction and suicide than urban areas
Understanding the potential for risk, and the different types of criminals game wardens hunt just might save a life
Chief James Small of the Palmyra Public Safety Department has slowed down officer turnover to nearly a stop
Not all police movies and TV shows are about big-city departments — here’s a selection of those set in the small towns and wilds
Poor leadership can be particularly destructive for an agency’s ability to recruit and retain its workforce
There is a ‘healthcare desert’ in rural communities, with a near complete absence of mental healthcare providers in general, never mind ones versed in police stress or trauma
Distance from backup and trauma care are the perils of rural policing