Patrol Issues
The Patrol Issues topic page offers news, commentary, analysis, and tactical tips that will help prepare police officers for life on the thin blue line.
DFR is more than a police tool — it’s infrastructure that improves safety, efficiency and trust across city services
Considering the proliferation of law enforcement take-home vehicle programs, it’s no surprise there has been a correlating increase in burglaries to those vehicles
From patrol bags to medical kits, here are the essential accessories every officer should keep in a new take-home car
The drone is designed to de-escalate conflict and improve public safety
Violators would be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000
The court noted probable cause “is not a high bar: It requires only the kind of fair probability on which reasonable and prudent people, not legal technicians, act.”
If you’ve never written an affidavit for a search warrant, now is the time to learn
Aurora Interim Chief Art Acevedo believes a visible response will make criminals uncomfortable
The woman, who was having a mental health crisis, dropped the weapon on the freeway as officers approached her
Los Angeles Police Protective League says armed response not needed for most welfare checks, illegal fireworks, noisy parties and drinking in public
The agency said a pay raise in 2021 and “tireless efforts from the recruitment branch” aided in gathering 103 potential new law enforcement officers in the latest class
A bystander saw the officer being struck repeatedly and “jumped in without hesitation” to help detain the man
Lake County sheriff’s detectives had to pay to activate the vehicle location service after mother was run over during a carjacking
The appellate court held that the suspect, while not free to leave, was not in custody when an officer first questioned him in the park
Addressing new commonalities and trends in mass shooting incidents
Transit authority will increase the number of patrol officers on trains and at stations as it tries to bring back riders after the pandemic
Officers who apply for disability retirement benefits due to a psychological condition would have to complete up to 32 weeks of mental health treatment
Last month, two deputies were charged with civil rights violations in the arrest of a man outside a convenience store that was caught on video
The program, Trusted Driver, allows an officer to notify a driver by phone and issue a warning or citation if stopped for a minor violation
Sergeants must play a key role in domestic violence-related responses – not just for repeat calls for service but also in managing high-risk calls
Split-second decisions are inevitable in the law enforcement profession but reacting in a way that deprives people of their constitutionally approved rights is not
Incident command must be presented in a way that is useful for law enforcement responding on scene
The department noticed they were losing potential recruits to nearby departments with more relaxed tattoo policies
Deputy Chief Timothy Peek said the redeployment will have “extreme minimal” impact to emergency responses in the rest of the city
The funding was announced on the fifth anniversary of the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida
Technology, data-driven legislation and adequate facilities are all parts of the solution
During a mass casualty incident, or when EMS isn’t available, survival of the wounded may depend on you
An action that may be perceived as “mean,” yet doesn’t violate a clearly established constitutional right, will not lead to liability for an officer
“The goal of lowering the BAC is to hopefully make people think twice about driving when they’ve been drinking at all,” Sgt. Wes Rasmussen said
The breach has disabled patrol vehicle laptops, forcing officers to write down details of calls they receive from dispatch
How much safer and more confident would you feel knowing you have lightweight, ballistic protection between you and the threat?
“We can make a huge change on scene if we just spend 120 seconds with a community member.”
During testing, officers found the TASER 10 to be much more intuitive and easier to use than firearms or legacy TASERs
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