Law Enforcement Blog 

New Mexico Deputy Sentenced to Prison in Controversial Shooting

Here's one you don't read about often...the deputy's story conflicts with the patrol camera audio. Given that the suspect here was clearly irrational and a cold-blooded killer, it still appears the deputy violated his civil rights under the strictest interpretation of the law. What do you think? Does somebody in such a position as this suspect (who most of us would agree was a low-down criminal) deserve what he got? Should the deputy be considered justified in this instance? Click here for the full article

Officer Tases 76 Year Old South Carolina woman

This South Carolina woman was prohibited from visiting a local nursing home. She showed up anyway and refused to leave. When police got there, she resisted and ended up getting tased by a female officer. I imagine this case is going to raise alot of controversy. There are research studies pointing to both the dangers and the safety of police using tasers. In a situation like this, do you think the officer was justified? Click here for the full article

The New Hip-Hop Culture

The new hip-hop culture is now widespread in American society. From what we wear to what we listen to, this subculture is penetrating America's young generations. Even Hollywood is cashing in with all the recent films on street life and the ways of the gangsta. The latest is a movie called Hustle & Flow. Will this new cultural trend lead to a rise in violence and crime? What do you think?

For Police Recruiters

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A Simple Measure for Personal Privacy and Property Protection

A simple measure people can take to ensure privacy within their home and create additional protection against burglary is through the use of window blinds. By installing blinds on windows in your house, you can ensure your privacy by blocking the view to outsiders. In addition, you can discourage potential burglars. As the old saying goes, "What can be seen, can be taken." Another old saying goes, "Out of sight, out of mind." Window blinds are an inexpensive investment for the security they can bring in knowing you have privacy and preventing possible crime.

Chief's Car Stolen

Sunday morning, D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey discovered his unmarked police car had been stolen. Some police equipment was also stolen, but supposedly no weapons. Better have good car insurance, Chief. Seriously, though, how is it that this car was stolen? I doubt someone hotwired a Crown Vic. The article says an officer parked the car Friday somewhere near the Chief's house. There HAD to have been a set of keys in there somewhere. Not only that, but what's up with law enforcement leaving equipment in their cars that stay parked in the driveway or on the street? There's been more than one past incident where a federal agent has left everything in their government vehicle and it was stolen while parked for an extended period of time on a public street. None of the equipment lost in those thefts is covered by car insurance, only the vehicle. It's time for law enforcement to start learning from these examples and keep your stuff secure.

Cowardly Cop

Two NYPD cops are involved in a shooting. A camera captures the incident as one officer bears the brunt of the confrontation while his partner flees the scene. Was this a discrepancy in training? Unlikely. The officer fleeing the scene is clearly not cut out for police work. This officer should have rendered aid to his partner, who engaged the suspects in the shootout. Incredibly, the cowardly officer was said to have no prior incidents of concern. Something needs to be done in the hiring process to ensure this kind of candidate does not end up wearing a badge and hanging another officer out to dry. Click here for the full article

Call It In

Police in Louisville say up to 70% of their calls for service could be handled by phone rather than dispatching an officer to respond in person. The Department believes this will speed up response time and allow officers to be free to handle priority calls. While callers may no longer be waiting for hours to have an officer take a report, I think this leads to a breakdown in community relations. What will be the guidelines to differentiate calls that do require a personal response from calls that don't? What about property crimes where there could be critical evidence that gets overlooked because of the nature of the call? This could also lead to an increase in false reports, especially with matters regarding possible insurance claims. The Louisville PD purports that officers will be free to answer higher priority calls. My question is, who will be taking the phone reports? Officers, of course. Whether they take them in person or over the phone, the reports will still have to be done. Click here for the full article

Alleged Denver Cop Killer Arrested

Raul Garcia-Gomez, the 19 year old believed responsible for the May 8th death of Denver Police Detective Donald Young, was arrested in Mexico Saturday. Several family members may face charges of harboring a fugitive. What do you think should happen? Click here for the full Article

Another Taser Death

Broward County, FL Sheriff's Deputies used a taser on a subject resisting arrest and the suspect ended up dying. The autopsy concluded the cardiac arrest was induced by cocaine in the suspect's system. Are tasers safe and should police continue using them? I don't think the question has been fully addressed yet. Taser International, of course, has done its own research and claimed (as one might expect) that the taser is not a health risk to suspects. However, since 2001, there have been over 100 deaths where the use of a police taser was involved. Granted, suspects who resist police assume all risks that entails. But, are the tasers being used too liberally? Do we really have conclusive evidence to support just how safe they are? At what point is a taser "overkill?" There have been several controversial incidents where tasers were used on children. I don't think we truly know yet just how safe the taser is and before that question is answered, we shouldn't be using them so liberally on suspects. Click here for the full Article