APB American Police Beat

Law enforcement and corrections live in constant change. The job shifts every week. Training, on the other hand, looks like it has been frozen since the ’90s. Same tired lectures. […]

So, what does a Division I college swimmer who set three school records, earned two All-American honors and captained the junior and senior swim team do afterwards? Well, naturally, swim […]

As students across the country headed back to class, law enforcement officers were there to make sure the new school year started on a positive and safe note. In Massachusetts, […]

Editor’s note: This article is adapted with permission from the October 2025 issue of PORAC Law Enforcement News, the official publication of the Peace Officers Research Association of California. October […]

With Police Weekend 2025 behind us, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) wants to express our deep gratitude for everyone who supported and was involved in these events. Thanks […]

Renowned firearms instructor and gun writer Dave Spaulding coined the term “dipshittery” to describe the plethora of nonsensical behavior he saw from society in general and the firearms community specifically. […]

Every officer understands the value of time and distance in a dangerous encounter. You slow the situation. You create space. You buy those crucial seconds that allow backup to arrive, […]

For most cops, being told to meditate lands somewhere between laughable and frustrating. You’re trained to stay alert, watch your surroundings and never let your guard down — not sit […]

I heard this great quote once: “There are decades in which nothing happens and days in which decades happen.” My academy experience was a century at least. We had the […]

Somewhere along the line, we started thinking that wearing the badge meant surrendering our identity. That if you weren’t “always on,” you weren’t dedicated enough. That being a cop wasn’t […]

There is a quick way for you to find out if you have anxiety, and you can do this without anyone knowing. Google “Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)” and you should […]

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) on October 1 announced Master Police Officer William Mechler, Officer Mark Neptune, Officer Jason Zimmerman and Officer Austin Vogel of the Tampa, […]

With federal funding set to expire September 30, 2025, the threat of a federal government shutdown is rising as Congress remains at an impasse over budget proposals. In the event […]

A New Jersey school district has become the first in the nation to combine artificial intelligence (AI) gun detection with a mass communication system designed to stop threats before they […]

Recently, I was requested to write a plea to ask for help, to be delivered at the funeral of a police officer who died by suicide. My message was as […]

I am among those executives who have always worked hard to develop and enhance police Explorer programs. I know the exhilaration of great programs and great achievements, as well as […]

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), whose mission is to honor the fallen, tell the story of American law enforcement and make it safer for those who serve, […]

Behind the physical and emotional armor, many police officers quietly endure chronic pain and depression. These two conditions can fuel each other in ways that are difficult to untangle. From […]

Technology shapes policing in impactful, often unforeseen ways. The advent of the automobile took cops off the sidewalks and away from the public, as did the mobile radios that followed […]

The role of first responders — federal agents, police officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and prosecutors — is undeniably noble and vital to maintaining community safety and health. […]