Policing Matters

The benefits of higher education for law enforcement officers can include improving a better understanding of laws and policies, to becoming a better communicator, both verbally and on the written page, to becoming more socially aware from interaction with professors and peer students. The University of Virginia has long been linked to law enforcement practices through the association with the FBI...

The past few years have shed light on what may be described as “mission creep” in policing. Law enforcement officers have been asked to do an awful lot of duties that may have not been on the original job description of being a cop. Things like dealing with drug addiction and homeless issues certainly stretch the expertise of professional law enforcement personnel.  The "defund" movement may have...

Technology has had a huge impact on policing. We have automated record keeping, organized evidence facilities with RFID, enhanced forensics and crime labs with new science, and using virtual reality to enhance police training. Is the next wave of technology coming in the form of fleet improvements? Over the past few years, some law enforcement agencies have started to add electric vehicles (EVs) t...

The public has a high expectation that law enforcement officers should be able to see in the future and know what is going to happen on a call for service. We have seen new legislation that is based upon this presumption, especially in situations where force is used. How exactly are officers supposed to learn how to see into the future, much less through clothing and concealed areas to know if the...

We hear the term “evidence-based policing” tossed around a lot these days. Exactly what does it mean? Does it mean that the results of a program are deemed the decider in whether or not it is replicated and funded? Do we then package it up and institutionalize those evidence-based practices at law enforcement agencies across the country? In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley asks Dr...

Could part-time officers help solve the police recruitment crisis? That is the question Policing Matters host and Police1 columnist Jim Dudley recently debated with fellow columnist Joel Shults as part of their State Your Case column . The article elicited lots of reader responses, including one from Dr. Ross Wolf , who has over 30 years of experience as a full-time and reserve deputy and currentl...

Founded in 1962, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is the leading national non-partisan organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and public health harms of pornography.  On this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley chats with Dr. Michael Shively, who is the senior advisor on research...

Law enforcement officers are often called on to provide counsel and comfort for people in need, colleagues and even their own friends and families. It is difficult for law officers to ask for help in return. Having a chaplain available for difficult times can be a blessing, whether it is with a religious affiliation or not. On this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley chats with Jared Alti...

On the annual year-end episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley is joined by fellow Police1 columnist, criminal justice professor and former law enforcement officer Janay Gasparini, Ph. D . During this special episode, Jim and Janay discuss some of the biggest issues law enforcement faced in 2021, including: COVID-19 vaccination mandates Women in policing Recruitment and retention Officer supp...

In this compendium of interviews from the FBINAA National Annual Training Conference , held in Orlando, Florida, July 7-10, Policing Matters host Jim Dudley speaks with: Former New York City Police Commissioner and former LAPD Chief Bill Bratton, about the challenges of policing today; Bensalem Township Police Department's Director of Public Safety Fred Harran about his agency's use of Thermo Fish...

Crime in America is either rising, or is low, depending on where you get your news and information. One source that disseminates crime rates, statistics, reports and other information is CrimeinAmerica.net run by Leonard A. Sipes , a former police officer who worked his way through top positions within the justice system. Sipes retired in June 2016 as the Senior Public Affairs Specialist and Socia...

Long before we hit the wall with police officer recruitment , Sgt. Justin Collins, an 18-year veteran of the Rochester Police Department, co-founded Police Exam Career Prep (PECP) with the goal of mentoring and guiding a new generation of law enforcement officers.  In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley chats with Sgt. Collins about how PECP has been able to help more than 75 dedicat...

Across public safety, personnel work in conditions that range from boredom to sudden periods of extreme stress. In addition, it’s no secret that officers don’t get enough quality sleep or meals and work ungodly hours, as well as excessive overtime. But what are the lasting, long-term effects of these occupational hazards? In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Dr. John Vi...

In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Chief Carmen Best, who recently released her memoir, “ Black in Blue: Lessons on Leadership, Breaking Barriers, and Racial Reconciliation ,” about the leadership lessons she learned as Seattle’s first Black woman police chief charged with steering the agency through some of the most critical events in policing history.

On this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley is joined by attorney and former deputy sheriff Bridget Truxillo, who now works to bring wellness and support to the public safety community as founder and CEO of Protective Wellness . Jim and Bridget chat about how law enforcement officers can apply wellness principles to improve their emotional health.

According to Bureau of Justice statistics, nearly half of all local police departments have fewer than 10 officers. Three in four of the departments (75%) have no more than two dozen officers. And nine in 10 employ fewer than 50 sworn officers. Policing is tough, but even more challenging when you consider the many responsibilities officers face in smaller departments, often responding to calls wi...

We are all better off reading books, whether to expand our knowledge learn or just to relax. On this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley is joined by fellow podcaster , detective and Police1 columnist Christopher Littrell to share some book recommendations, both texts that will improve your performance as an LEO and recommended books to read for leisure. What books would you add to this l...

In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley chats with Pocatello Police Department Chief Roger Schei about how this mid-sized agency in the fifth largest city in Idaho is addressing defensive tactics training, police recruitment, law enforcement leadership and community engagement.  Chief Schei has a widespread training background that includes the FBI National Academy, FBI Command Colleg...

The City of Irving (Texas) Shop Talk program is a community outreach program designed for residents who would not normally attend community town halls but have a desire and need to have their voices heard. The program provides police officers with the opportunity to talk with barber shop clients and workers to facilitate honest and genuine dialog and may be a vehicle that helps build trust in comm...

On this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Axon President Luke Larson about the cutting-edge technology that is bringing relevant, realistic and efficient virtual training to law enforcement. Luke joined Axon in 2008 and has filled a variety of executive and management roles before being appointed president in April 2015. Prior to joining Axon, Luke served two tours in Iraq a...

Recruitment and retention are huge issues in policing and whether you are trying to get into law enforcement, applying as a lateral transfer to another agency, or if you are a recruitment officer, this is a show you will not want to miss. Rob Cate is the CEO and co-founder of Interview Now , a modern recruitment system for law enforcement. The company makes it easy for agencies to recruit, communi...

In this special episode of the Policing Matters podcast, law enforcement, fire and EMS leaders from across the Lexipol media sites come together to reflect on the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Policing Matters podcast host Jim Dudley looks back on the industry-altering event with Inside EMS host Chris Cebollero, Side Alpha Podcast host Fire Chief Marc Bashoor and EMS One-Sto...

Dr. Ervin Staub studied the roots of violence between groups after living through the horrors of Nazism and then communism in Hungary. His best-known book is “The Roots of Evil: The Origins of Genocide and Other Group Violence,” in which he explores the psychological, cultural and societal roots of group aggression.  After the Rodney King incident in 1991, Dr. Staub was invited to create a peer in...

Over the past year, we’ve seen school districts nationwide scrutinize the deployment of school resource officers, with several cities moving to remove SROs from schools. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley chats with Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, about the critical role SROs play, including addressing student mental health i...

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that has contributed to many of the 91,000 overdose deaths in America over the past year. This Schedule II drug is said to be 80-100 times more potent than morphine. A recent video of a San Diego sheriff deputy who collapsed after he was exposed to fentanyl in the field went viral and led to much discussion about the risks of exposure. In this episode of Policing Mat...