Calibre Press

What a time. Policing is stressful enough, and now this. Cops everywhere are needing to deal with the nervous, pressurized public while simultaneously dealing with their own personal challenges that have been exacerbated by the coronavirus situation. It’s not out of the realm of reason to believe that some of us may have thoughts of hopelessness. Hopefully, they’re fleeting thoughts, but notable and likely alarming, nonetheless. In t... Full Article »

I often use boxing metaphors. The same goes for this piece. I want to share some observations I made during a recent professional bout that link what happened in the ring to policing.  In my last article, I suggested that we look at 2020 as a 12-round event.  One poor round doesn’t lose the fight and one great round doesn’t grant you victory.  That reality played a key role in the fight I’m writing about. The match I watched was betwe... Full Article »

Calibre readers weigh in. Last week, Calibre Press columnist Shane McSheehy’s article, Have You Ever Been Punched in the Face? questioned whether today’s younger officers are really prepared for a fight. The query is one Shane actually uses in his training. “It’s a fairly straight forward question I ask each recruit I instruct during day one of his or her academy defensive tactics block,” Shane says. “Normally, and oftentimes predict... Full Article »

Would you know if you had a substance use problem? If a co-worker had a drinking problem, what would you say? Would you know how to ask for assistance or where to get it? Questions like these all too-often go unanswered as a result of either lack of support, resources, punitive administrative stances, or a reduced willingness to reach out and ask for assistance when it is truly needed. Enter Alcohol Despite the increased focus on officer wellne... Full Article »

As a law enforcement officer you must wear many different hats. At different times these extraordinary men and women have to juggle between being a first responder, protector, social worker, crisis intervener, family counselor, youth mentor, and peacemaker just to name a few of the tasks that are incumbent upon them in the performance of their duties. Sleep deprivation and exposure to critical incidents—murder, suicides, rape, child abuse, an... Full Article »

Did you know your EYES can get sunburned? Just thinking about it makes me squint. During the summer we put a lot of emphasis on protecting our skin from UV rays. But we do a much worse job of protecting our eyes. In a survey of more than 10,000 adults, the Vision Council found that only 39% of adults wear sunglasses when they are outside for two or more hours and only 14% are likely to protect their eyes at an outdoor sporting event. Less th... Full Article »

Sometimes people are okay with believing a “lie.” Sometimes, just going with the lie is just easier than facing the “truth.” The lie comes in many forms: white lies, broken promises, fabrication, the bald-faced, exaggeration, deception, plagiarism, and compulsive lying (McAllister). The lie can make you feel better in the moment. But long-term it can have serious implications, and even deadly consequences. When discussing police suicide,... Full Article »

It is all I ever wanted to do. And like so many other law enforcement professionals, I have spent my entire adult life serving and protecting. I remember it all, which is to say, this is a meaningful profession to me. There are few other occupations which have similar attributes of dedication and sacrifice. Certainly our military and our other first responder family members immediately come to mind. The calling of a law enforcement officer is st... Full Article »

When Brian Dalton was attacked his body's instinctive survival system by-passed his thinking brain and deployed human nature's airbag: the Startle-flinch response. IMO it helped save his life.  The startle-flinch response deploys like a biological airbag, expanding in a sudden incident to create space between you and the danger. In Brian's fight, the flinch-response expanded as nature designed it. It bought him time, created space between him... Full Article »

The Fight I watched with great pleasure and astonishment recently when Manny Pacquiao, at the age of 40, turned back the clock to reclaim the Welterweight title. By now you should now my pure love for the sport of boxing. It also fuels many of the metaphors I use when I write. There's probably no better sport that does this quite as well. The tweet I disseminated early Sunday morning was this: Age? What does that mean? Preparation is the k... Full Article »

[Note: The following information is taken from the new training textbook, Street Survival II. ILEETA members will receive a 10% discount on this title if you use the code: ILEETA10 at check out. To order, click here.] When it comes to securing and maintaining your tactical advantage, the ability to recognize and interpret non-verbal communication when dealing with potentially troublesome subjects can be one of the most powerful officer safety ... Full Article »

Job satisfaction, or lack thereof, ranks among one of the most commonly discussed topics in law enforcement. If an officer is unhappy on the job, the key question is why? Certainly there are plenty of academic studies on this topic, most of which cite issues that can have an impact on an officer’s state of mind such as work/life balance, the inherent stress of the job, emotional and physical challenges, their level of ability to navigate “off... Full Article »

“My foremost goal as a filmmaker is to continue to tell impactful stories that shed a positive light on the law enforcement community,” says filmmaker Jason Harney. He’s been a movie buff for as long as he can remember. But that didn’t stop him from enjoying a full career at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department—as an FTO, detective, field training sergeant, among many roles there. In the 1990s he started, as he puts it, “han... Full Article »

In this edition: I. Latest findings about cops & the mentally ill II. Free resources on arrest-related deaths from non-firearm causes I. Voices from the front lines: Latest findings about cops & the mentally ill An officer in Tennessee was interviewing the bed-bound complainant on a disturbance call when this horror story suddenly erupted: With a chilling cry, a male who was long off his meds for schizophrenia charged in from another... Full Article »

It’s the early morning hours of May 2nd, 1993 and I was awoken by the jarring sound of the phone ringing; on the other end was a friend of mine and fellow squad member. Sounding distraught he declared “Asher is dead!” referring to another squad member of ours and an academy classmate and friend of mine. Immediately my thoughts turned to Asher being shot and killed in the line of duty. Police Suicide never crossed my mind, why would it? This... Full Article »

[Note: We received the following unsolicited review of our latest publication, Mindful Responder: The First Responder's Field Guide to Improved Resilience, Fulfillment, Presence, & Fitness--On & Off the Job. Much appreciated!] I just finished reading Crawford Coates' book Mindful Responder. Amazing work!  It's the first book that I've read that directly communicates eminently useful practices for the first responder. [caption id="... Full Article »

We as LEOs aren’t strangers to performance under stress. Often negotiating many stressful situations in a single tour of duty, I wonder: What can cause mistakes or, even worse, panic during our daily rollercoaster ride? A sports analogy: Your favorite NFL receiver misses a sideline catch on the third down and fails to move the chains. Or when you musically inclined folks drop a string of notes during your solo. How about asking your high-s... Full Article »

There’s a beauty about getting older—you become more comfortable in your own skin. The need for approval diminishes, you’re more confident in life and you can speak your mind without the fear of rejection. But if you want to stay comfortable in your own skin as you age, you need to protecting it properly! Consider this scenario: You put your gear in your unit and ready to hit the streets. Before the day gets rolling, the commander rev... Full Article »

Most first responders run from the idea of meditation nearly as fast as they would run toward the proverbial flames and gunshots of their training. And I get that impulse. The first time I tried meditation I just about lost my mind. The stillness and quiet—beyond oppressive. What was the point of it all? I had better things to be doing! What had I gotten myself into? But thankfully and luckily I worked past those reactions. My point: As a bu... Full Article »

The work of first response comes with occupational hazards, including psychological injury. Knowing and accepting this is the first step. Beyond that, how do we build resilience throughout our agencies and ranks? Register here.  And when stress becomes acute, how do we best support our brothers and sisters in weathering the storm? When: May 29, 10 a.m. PDT Cost: FREE REGISTER NOW.  Addressing these critical issues is Dr. D... Full Article »