STOP! If you haven’t yet taken PoliceLink’s Practice Oral Board Quiz go take it now BEFORE reading this article. This article explains the pros and cons of each question and answer but is only helpful if you’ve already taken the assessment. Take The Quiz >> Continue to See Explanations >> [page] 1) Thank you for joining us here today. Please take ...

Need a break from patrolling the hot city pavement? Does your idea of a vacation involve taking in the great outdoors, and days of heart-pounding adventure? We thought so. PoliceLink has compiled 20 adrenaline-inducing adventures for the tried and true outdoorsman (or woman). We’ve scoured the travel guides, combed the Internet and sought out word-of-mouth recommendations to bring you the ...

The plain view doctrine is an exception to the warrant requirement which allows officers to seize items which they observe and immediately recognize as evidence or contraband while they are lawfully present in an area protected by the 4th Amendment. The foundation case providing the elements of a plain view seizure as related to the plain view doctrine is Horton v. ...

I get quite a few emails and letters from individuals across this country who are having difficulty getting hired as a police officer or deputy sheriff. While I can’t help those folks that are steeped in a history of drug use or felony arrests, many of the others can jum start their career by self-sponsoring through a basic law enforcement academy. ...

After off-duty incidents hit the news, I often find myself discussing the specifics with academy students. Often in a room with 40 or so newly minted “blue shirts," questions about what exactly should be done off-duty when incidents arise is a hot topic. We talk about about off-duty involvements and some of the considerations they should ponder when they get ...

The names of 324 law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice and died in the line of duty were dedicated at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, DC Thursday evening. The names of those officers killed were read by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., Jennifer Thacker, national president of the Concerns of ...

In my last article we discussed choosing the right weapon for concealed carry, and that we should make that decision based on a worst-case scenario: If you are alone and confronted with an active shooter, or shooters, in a crowded environment you want to be prepared. Now we will address the method of carry. I break this down into two groups: ...

What is it about investigative work and detective work that makes it the center of attention in cop movies that Hollywood spits out on a yearly basis? The love affair with detectives and movies seems to go on year after year, from the likes of Dragnet and Dirty Harry, now television in inundated with crime scene investigators from Los Angeles, to ...

There’s a big issue in police work that’s generally ignored but that we all know exists. Oh, we talk about it alright, although not so much in mixed company, but we sure don’t write about it. In fact, I can’t believe I’m even bringing it up, but it’s something that rookies need to know about and veterans have all agonized over. ...

Law enforcement folks love gadgets and the various accoutrements that go with the job. When I ran police academies in Ohio and Florida, police equipment catalogs littered the desks at lunchtime and cop supply websites were must reading among the cadets. Not surprisingly, conversations on breaks often revolved around the newest device or gadget. All aspiring and newly minted officers covet ...

Why do we carry handguns? It was a question asked of me many years ago while I had the honor to serve as the bailiff to a judge of the Superior Court. He was a remarkable man who spent most of his career as a top prosecutor in the District Attorney’s office, but for three-years he served as one of the ...

All motor vehicle stops must be supported by some level of proof. In other words, officers are not allowed to randomly stop vehicles (i). It is generally not possible to make the stop of a moving vehicle a consensual since an officer must show authority (turn on the emergency light and/or siren) and the motorist must comply (by pulling over) before ...

              Dear Citizens, Neighbors, Friends and Family, My name is Jill and I am a cop. That means that the pains and joys of my personal life are often muted by my work. I resent the intrusion but I confuse my self with my job almost as often as you do. The label "police officer" ...

The mourning band is the traditional way for a law enforcement officer to publicly mourn the death of a fellow officer. A common request received at the Officer Down Memorial Page is for information on how and when to wear a mourning band. While there is no national standard, it is important that each agency has a written protocol regarding the ...

Your patrol shift can be rewarding, exciting and dangerous. There are a number of things you can do to make it more rewarding and significantly less dangerous. This article explores ten actions you can take before you begin your watch to make you effective, efficient, and safe. *Mentally Prepare* One of the most difficult aspects of police work is making the ...

In the wake of the tragic shooting death of North St. Paul, MN, Police Officer Richard Crittenden, it is crucial to note that the fallen badge bearer was not a rookie. Rather, he was a nine-year veteran of the force who, as it was described in newspaper accounts, “died saving someone else.” Another officer was also shot and injured but managed ...

There is much discussion in law enforcement circles and among civilians with concealed carry permits about the best way to carry their weapons and which weapons to carry. This is a subject that I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with myself during my law enforcement career, and I’m going to attempt to share some of my own experiences with you, ...

Oftentimes what is more irritating and stressful to law enforcers than criminals is dealing with the brass and internal agency politics. Thought of as losing touch with the streets and “forgetting where they come from,” the corner office inhabitants of the upper echelons of the law enforcement agency can seem remote and uncaring. This article is designed to point out, or ...

"What If?" Two little words that could be the difference between returning home after your shift or not. As department trainings evolve, it's important to assess previous experiences and break them down.While watching the following videos, ask yourself these questions: 1) What was the cause? 2) Were the officer's actions appropriate? 3) Would you have done things different? If so, then ...

First things first, let us all recognize the difference between Sport Ground Fighting and Combat Ground Fighting, that being said we will be able to fully understand the urgency of this article on combative ground fighting. When I first heard and was introduced to ground fighting it was 1991, initially it was introduced to me as a sport and an art, ...