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.
Reexamining the relevance of historical military thinkers in shaping modern police strategies
By giving officers real-time access to video, RTCCs are turning in-progress calls into solved cases and helping agencies close investigations faster and more safely
Nikki North, RTCC manager at the Flagler County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office, shares how mutual respect and early involvement are key to successful communication
Court concludes a combination of factors led officers to believe a suspect and a driver were in a “common enterprise” to possess fentanyl
Dr. Nikki Johnson is the Denver Sheriff Department’s first chief of mental health services and is charged with improving in-custody mental health services
“We want to break the us v. them mentality: ‘you are with the cops, or you’re with the community’”
Officers used the 70-pound ‘Digidog’ to help search an apartment
A handheld analyzer uses saliva to detect the presence of six kinds of drugs in five minutes
Metro officials are considering paying for more officers amid concurrent upticks in violent crime and calls for police defunding
Instead of writing up the woman for selling without a permit, the officer decided to clear out her inventory so she could go home
Breaking down the roles of police, fire and EMS when responding to a major traffic incident
The robot, which is still in an early stage of development, features a video display screen, microphones and a camera
Here’s a roundup of how police departments across the country are handling the bizarre pattern of winter weather
The Connecticut proposal would be a major expansion of voluntary registry programs already in place at a large number of PDs across the country
Several attacks on older Asians have stoked fear in the Bay Area, leading police to increase their presence
At least 36 people were transported from the pileup on an icy road near downtown Fort Worth
The tactic of a cop playing music while a member of the public is recording them to prevent the dissemination of the material online does not pass the “smell test”
Deputies responding to a possible burglary breached the front door to make sure a woman – who was hiding in her closet – was safe
If a prisoner is transitioned from one officer to the next, it’s always appropriate to re-search the prisoner
When giving commands under high-stress situations, it is critical to be clear and concise
Understanding the path that led someone to homelessness can be key to connecting that person with the resources that work for them
Although the public has a general right to observe and record police, that right is not unlimited
The city’s police chief first raised the idea of a seven-person team available around the clock after a spike in shootings
If signed into law, Virginia would join 15 other states and D.C. in legalizing small amounts of marijuana
A suspect was walking just feet away from officers when he suddenly pulled out a gun
“It was never in our realm of possibility to think that the subject could not hear us.”
We do not risk body and limb for “this” but rather “you” – another human whose life has a high worth to us
Subduing the COVID-19 pandemic, redoubling smart policing tactics and implementing police reform
The role of proactive policing training, whether crime prevention or community engagement, is often given minimal attention
Enforcement, education and outreach were key in reducing drug trafficking, gang activity and prostitution at an apartment complex
Listen to Gordon Graham’s opinion on this topic
A community care fund equips officers to meet the immediate, emergent needs of the citizens they serve
