The potential for high risk situations is becoming more common as our society continues to deal with an increasing crime rate. As a dog handler, you will be at greater risk for lethal confrontations as a direct result of your K9 applications. There are a number of things that you can do to help you survive such encounters. Many of those ...

The Immigration and Nationality Act, or INA, was created in 1952. Before the INA, a variety of statutes governed immigration law but were not organized in one location. The McCarran-Walter bill of 1952, Public Law No. 82-414, collected and codified many existing provisions and reorganized the structure of immigration law. The Act has been amended many times over the years, but ...

Hello, and welcome to the Chaplain’s Corner 2010. New Year’s 2010! Wow. I can still remember back in high school when I thought the year 2000 was so far in the future that it would never get here. (I say that every year, don’t I?) New Year and Paintbrushes. Now, I bet there’s at least one person out there who’s wondering ...

Welcome to the June 2010 Edition of the Chaplain’s Corner. Like last year, I’m writing my June column just days after the conclusion of Police Week, but UNlike last year, I can talk – I have a voice! I can even YELL at wayward bull calves in bar ditches when I have to – one of the “little pleasures” of being ...

One of the more significant current issues in law enforcement’s use of force is the Taser® and its use. While many of the criticisms are focusing on cases where an officer uses a Taser® and the subject later dies, the more prominent cases are those where officers mistake their firearm for their Taser® and end up shooting the subject. Training from ...

10 Ways to Stay Alive is written exclusively for PoliceLink members by Jerry VanCook, a world famous author, self defense expert, and a law enforcement veteran. VanCook wrote 10 Ways to Stay Alive based on his experiences as a law enforcement officer of 35 years and his expertise as a 7th degree black belt and instructor of Bei-Koku Aibujutsu. Additionally, VanCook ...

Police Cannot Use the Consent of a Co-Occupant to Make Entry in Order to Search for Evidence to be used Against the Opposing Occupant who Is Present and Objects to the Entry. Georgia v. Randolph, 547 U.S. ___, slip op. 04-1067 (3/22/06). The United States Supreme Court further clarified the rules regarding consent searches in homes in Randolph v. Georgia, decided ...

The importance of a face to face interview with a job applicant to evaluate their recent past behavior was emphasized in the last web tip. One reason employers are reluctant to ask probing questions during a preemployment interview is the fear of a subsequent law suit. This discussion will focus on legal aspects of preemployment screening and cost-effective strategies in making ...

While police officers may believe that they will be exposed to liability for all of their actions, both proper and improper, the fact of the matter is that most courts have avoided second-guessing police actions and have only sanctioned the most egregious conduct. There are various levels of liability that may exist when an officer’s actions are deemed improper. The purpose ...

In the aftermath of a severe mid-summer thunderstorm, a rookie police officer is dispatched to the scene of a dead body. A citizen walking his dog has discovered the corpse of a young adult female in some bushes near a sidewalk. The woman appears to have been beaten and her clothing violently torn. The young officer believes he has encountered ...

I received a heartfelt letter from a concerned police officer's wife. She was experiencing her what, for want of a better term, could be called spouse's police stress. Her husband had policed far more than his share of critical incidents, including accidents where numerous children were killed. He was withdrawing from her and questioning his belief in God. Why, in essence, ...

You must always be prepared for the sudden explosive expression of fear and outrage peppered with every obscenity and insult you've ever heard on every traffic stop you make. Generally it is fairly easy to stand back and let the person vent. After all, you have the power to write a citation no matter how much the motorist offends you and ...

An issue that is often raised in school search cases is the question as to what level of police involvement will require that a search be supported by probable cause rather than the reasonable suspicion standard allowed for school officials. A case on point was decided by the Superior Court of Pennsylvania recently. In the Interest of A.D., 844 A.2d 20 ...

Indiana v. Stickle, 2003 Ind.App. LEXIS 1304 (IN Ct. App. 2003). Members of the Indiana State Police received information regarding a drug deal that was going to take place at a McDonald’s restaurant in Batesville. The tipster provided the names of the individuals involved and indicated the vehicle which would be driven by the suspects. Officers placed the restaurant under surveillance ...

With the recent updates in funding in Homeland Security, one can only help wonder how evenly the funds will be distributed. Currently upgrade to the maritime port security initiative have stepped up with awesome and new technology however, we must begin to prepare for old history that tends to show itself over again. In this day in age, the piracy in ...

Hello, and welcome to February and the Chaplain’s Corner. February brings some mixed emotions for me this again this year as it seems it does every year. I’ll hit 57 on the 28th. For some reason, sixty doesn’t seem near as elderly as it did in the last century. “Last century!” Now that WILL make one feel old… “When were you ...

A recent case involving a University of Wisconsin student who falsely claimed that she was abducted highlights some important characteristics of these investigations. This particular case quickly achieved national attention and was followed on a daily basis by morning talk shows. The reason for this attention was probably because the media were able to build suspense by showing surveillance video of ...

No other police stress "Ask the Shrink" column that I wrote for Patrol Log Magazine(Sept., 1993) generated as much controversy and antagonism as this one. It is still relevant five years later. Unfortunately little has changed in the way many departments handle alcohol abuse and/or alcohol dependence with their officers when they run afoul of the law themselves. Police aren't imune ...

On a cold winters night early last year I was on routine patrol and observed a car leave from the rear of a commercial property shortly after midnight. It was obvious they were in a hurry. I pulled into the rear of the property and noted that it had been burglarized. I immediately pulled out onto the roadway in pursuit of ...

Following a day of watching races at the Gateway International Raceway, Christopher DeSalvo was watching guests of the Holiday Inn do “burnouts” with their vehicles in the rear lot of the hotel. Approximately 100-150 guests were gathered for the show. The gathering and the vehicle “burnouts” prompted the response of the police. Officer Krug, upon responding a second time to the ...