Policing Matters

We all remember the story of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman, but there have been other less-famous incidents in which non-sworn personnel attempted to do the work of a sworn law officer that resulted in unintended and unwanted consequences. Vigilantes are criminals and should be prosecuted as such, but where do people like bounty hunters and neighborhood watchmen fit into the mix? In this week's podcast, Jim and Doug discuss the upsides and the downsides of these well-meaning but potentially dangerous individuals and groups.

There have been dozens of terrible police procedurals, but we've had some good cop shows too. That list includes Southland, Streets of San Francisco, Hill Street Blues, Barney Miller, and The Wire. What are the best cop shows in television history? What makes those good shows good? In this week's podcast, Jim and Doug go to Hollywood and talk about their favorites. Add your favorites in the comments section below - movies too, if you want.

A white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in mid-August left a 32-year-old woman dead and nearly two dozen other people injured when a deranged white nationalist drove his car into a crowd of anti-racist protesters. There were other violent clashes in the streets that saw too little separation between the opposing factions. At the time of this recording session, there is a far-right rally planned in of all places, San Francisco. The city is organizing a “block party” to give the opposing side a place to gather. It’s nearly five miles away. Whether or not the rally in the City by the Bay is kept peaceful, law enforcement must continue to develop new ways to deal with the threat. In this week’s podcast, Jim and Doug discuss how crowd control is changing.

Because cops have a tendency to retire at a younger age than people in other careers, a cop pulling the pin on a 30-year career is likely to have a second career in mind. Lay the groundwork for that next phase of your working life, whether it’s consulting with a LE-related vendor, establishing your own training company, or working as a criminal justice professor. In this week's podcast, Jim and Doug discuss how to lay the foundation for a long and enjoyable retirement.

According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, public pension plans need an additional 1.1 trillion dollars just to meet current expected obligations. This is, as the mayor of Dallas recently said, untenable. Meanwhile, pensions are one of the most important incentives for police (and fire) to put their lives on the line to serve their communities. How can states resolve this looming issue? Something has to give. But how? And when? Jim and Doug discuss the prickly issue of public safety pensions.

New Jersey is considering legislation (Assembly Bill A1114) that would require schools to teach children how to interact with police "in a manner marked by mutual cooperation and respect." But can we really legislate civility? And what about compliance with lawful commands? Just because a kid has been told what to do, will they when they become adults actually do what they’ve been told? In this week's podcast, Jim and Doug discuss the potential such a law would have, as well as the ways in which it could go totally sideways from its intended purpose.

Some of the most important people in policing are the teachers, trainers, and mentors. Whether those are assignments (the academy, FTO, and other roles that focus on teaching) or informal relationships that develop organically, the police mentor is vital in helping officers to be safer and more successful on the streets. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the role of the mentor in law enforcement.

For many — if not most — agencies, the act of drawing the service pistol from the holster and pointing it at a subject is considered a use of force. However, context should be considered. Is the firearm out and hidden behind the leg upon approach at a traffic stop? Is it out and at the low ready during a building search for a suspect known to be armed and dangerous? In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss what constitutes force, and what constitutes sound tactical judgment.

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear a 9th Circuit case involving two Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies who shot and wounded a man who pointed a gun — later found to be a BB gun — at them. The premise of the 9th Circuit decision is a "provocation" theory — followed by no other federal courts — that essentially undermines the objectively reasonable set forth by Graham v. Connor. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the case and the ramifications it may have on law enforcement.

In many lines of employment, the advent of high-speed internet and the cellular phone network has made “the office” obsolete — people can successfully do their work from a coffee shop or from their living room. Police work is obviously much more dependent on being present out in the public, but cops too can do a number of tasks remotely. They can file reports via computer and phone, do forensic analysis, do research and planning for special events, and a host of other duties. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the future of telecommuting in law enforcement.