APB American Police Beat

A new chief rarely has a complete understanding of the organization on the first day in command. Even with careful preparation, research and extensive input from others, the full weight […]

My career in law enforcement spanned nearly 47 years. I worked in patrol, criminal investigations, the gang unit and the emergency response team. I held many pivotal positions, including supervisor […]

As the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) prepares to welcome the law enforcement community to Washington, D.C., for Police Weekend, those unable to attend in person will also […]

There is no single comprehensive, centralized database tracking all police suicides nationwide directly tied to 9/11. What is known is that at least 35 rescue and recovery workers died by […]

A supervisor reviews a report and corrects nearly every sentence. An experienced instructor develops a training plan, only to have routine decisions reconsidered. A trusted employee starts a project but […]

It’s said the road to hell is paved with good intentions. That may be true for many things, but far too often the road to hell is paved with evil […]

On the morning of September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four passenger planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York, the pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a […]

For most Americans, September 11, 2001, is remembered as a day that changed the nation forever. As a young college student in Missouri, I didn’t have any personal ties to […]

On September 11, a 26-foot, 16,900-pound steel beam pulled from the debris pile of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001, will return home to ground zero in […]

Tuesday, September 11, 2001, was America’s darkest day. It was a day that saw 2,977 people murdered by al-Qaida terrorists who attacked our country from within using American resources. The […]

On August 4, communities across the country gathered to celebrate National Night Out. For more than 40 years, millions of residents in thousands of cities have participated in the annual […]

Whenever police officers arrive at the scene of an automobile accident on busy highways and roadways, there are multiple factors to quickly assess, not the least of which are their […]

Police Chief Marcos Garcia and Officer Raymundo Sanchez were immediately confronted by offenders buzzing all around them when they arrived at a home in Lyford, Texas, in late July. The […]

Police communication was very difficult in the early history of American law enforcement. Rattles were one of the first alarms colonial police had at their disposal. Later, these would be […]

On August 24, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) today announced Deputy Lorne Juday of the Osceola County, Michigan, Sheriff’s Office as the Officer of the Month for […]

Every police leader has their own unique leadership style that reflects their personality, value system, knowledge, people skills and overall competence. Not every leader understands how leadership works or has […]

Imagine a sergeant supervising two officers. The first officer graduated from the academy a few weeks ago. He is enthusiastic, motivated and eager to prove himself. He volunteers for assignments, […]

For many officers, becoming an instructor is a career goal. It’s a chance to pass along knowledge, help other officers become more capable and leave the profession a little better […]

Since the beginning of modern policing, officers have been trained to rely on their instincts, common sense and five basic senses while performing their duties. In recent years, however, there […]

I recently had one of the most rewarding experiences I have had — and one that I have experienced scores of times — attending the law enforcement academy graduation of […]