Calibre Press

"...he claims he's gonna go rob sombody and stick 'em!" The Jacksonville, FL Sheriff’s Office has released body camera footage of the 2020 shooting of 39-year-old John Ridder after he threatened an officer with a large butcher knife. There are a number of opportunities for learning and discussion offered by this incident so we’re taking a look. The situation began when a man called 911 to report that Ridder, who the caller believed had ... Full Article »

The Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA decided to boycott their playoff game against the Orlando Magic last week in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man shot by a white officer in Kenosha, Wis. three days before. “Some things are bigger than basketball.” said Alex Lasry, senior VP of the Bucks showing support and solidarity with his players. While the shooting of Jacob Blake captured on video is disturbing—any shooting i... Full Article »

COVID-19 has had enormous impacts on almost every facet of life, but first responders have been uniquely affected. Dr. Janne Gaub, an assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is conducting a study to understand the rank-and-file perspective about how COVID-19 has affected the job and policing in general. She is recruiting officers and frontline supervisors for participation in virtual focus groups ... Full Article »

Recently, Calibre Press hosted a widely popular one-hour Webinar titled, “Lockdown Leadership: Evolving Issues That Impact Safety, Morale & Public Confidence.” More than 4,000 officers registered for the program, which featured Calibre Press’s Jim Glennon and a team of three Chiefs of Police who also instruct for Calibre. The recording is now posted for viewing. Click here to watch. In this video you’ll our powerhouse team will ... Full Article »

Survival lessons from a firefight. How fast can a “routine” traffic stop go bad? Really bad? For a corporal in Idaho, it took just 12 seconds. That’s the elapsed time between the moment he cleared the front left bumper of his patrol car in approaching a reckless driver and the moment he was shot center mass. Fortunately, he survived - but not before he experienced a common malfunction with his semi-auto that could have left him vulne... Full Article »

a Joint Venture with NYTOA Calibre Press is excited to announce that it has joined forces with the New York Tactical Officers Association to push forward a new national Patrol Tactics Conference designed to specifically meet the needs of patrol officers, command staff in charge of generating patrol-related policy and agency instructors tasked with training their boots-on-the-ground troops. Offered in three- and four-day versions, the conference ... Full Article »

“This will remain the Land of the Free only so long as it is the Home of the Brave.” https://youtu.be/9tVWL_TBg48 To all who have served, and your loved ones, thank you!    ... Full Article »

In late September of this year, the Charlotte Observer published an article detailing a disturbing trend that has taken root in the area: time and time again, weapons charges are dropped against suspects who are alleged to be involved in a crime. Time and time again, those individuals go on to commit more violence. The article brings to light the story of Mario McGill, who was arrested in 2012 for breaking into a home and shooting a man in the... Full Article »

Over the last few months, there have been several active shooter drills conducted in public venues – at least one in the middle of a very populated urban area during prime business hours – that ended up causing confusion, fear, and some chaos. These drills are critical, and we support them, but just as critical as the actual real-time execution of the exercise is the planning of the event. Here are a few key things planners can do to bette... Full Article »

Some of the best stretches of my career included two things; productivity and lots of laughter. There are nights I can actually recall being sore from laughing so much. Whether it was with a partner while spending long hours working highway interdiction on the night shift or with team members from a patrol shift or after conducting a covert operation that ended well. These are also the times I remember my co-workers feeling more like family membe... Full Article »

Editor’s note: Sept. 10th was World Suicide Prevention Day. In recognition of this critical issue and its broad impact on law enforcement, we share these five hard-earned tips for helping navigate the painful and complex aftermath of an officer suicide. Calibre Press will soon be announcing a nationwide program designed to practically and powerfully support law enforcement suicide prevention efforts. Additional details will be announced here so... Full Article »

Throughout the academy, into your FTO phase and up to today you have been trained to look for, identify and appropriately deal with weapons you might find at a scene and on the people you deal with daily. Over time the types of weapons officers encounter have remained consistent; hands and feet, blades, blunt objects, firearms, and a wide variety of “weapons of opportunity.” You and your partner’s ability to spot those weapons and activa... Full Article »

What are your training points? https://youtu.be/MGFY-133caA A San Bernardino Co. Sheriff’s deputy was beaten and disarmed this week after responding to a domestic call. Footage of the incident has just been released. The 21-year-old suspect, whose mother called the police to have him removed from her home, beat the deputy, seized her gun and opened fire as she ran for cover. The deputy was not hit but sustained non-life-threatening injuries... Full Article »

Court ponders how far is close enough to be an “immediate” threat Is it reasonable for officers to shoot an on-rushing knife-wielder at an estimated distance of 55 feet…or does the so-called “21-foot Rule” suggest that a would-be attacker that far away does not yet pose an immediate threat justifying deadly force? That question is the core issue in a case of alleged excessive force brought before the US Court of Appeals in the nat... Full Article »

From all of us at Calibre Press - Have a great, and safe, holiday!... Full Article »

Hear me out... How many people in this profession really care about officer safety? When I ask that question in leadership classes, all of the bosses emphatically say that they do. And I believe that they believe it. They guarantee that they really do care about the safety of their officers because of course - they do. They want their officers to stay safe—no question. And in a deadly moment, each would risk their lives to save one of ... Full Article »

Popular iHeart Radio personality, Fred LeFebvre, recently featured the new National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in his Morning News Podcast. During an in-studio interview at WSPD studios in Toledo, LeFebvre spoke with original founders, Megan Stockburger, and Adam Davenport. Among other things, the interview focused on the organization’s partnership with Calibre Press. “After meeting Megan and Adam earlier this year and discussing t... Full Article »

Notice: As the publisher at Calibre Press, I like to be able to stand by all that we do and say. Unfortunately, sometimes I get it wrong, as was the case for the article entitled "In a World of Active Shooters: A Personal Experience."  After reviewing the article with the Aurora, Ill., PD, some of the facts provided to our author by a third party didn't add up. I regret the error and wish to apologize to the Aurora PD and community for publishi... Full Article »

[Publisher's Note: The following is an excerpt from Calibre Press' latest book, Mindful Responder. It is available now on Kindle and will be out in print in the next few weeks.] Some call us ‘occupational athletes.’ That word, athlete, others will say involves competition, and so they claim that’s not part of first response. But that’s not true, I think. You’re always up against the clock as a first responder. We’re competing for our... Full Article »

One of the critical points in a leader’s tenure is when he or she first goes into a new position. Because of the nature of change and the uneasiness that accompanies it, all eyes fall on the new leader. As people, we quickly become anxious and start to speculate about what the new leader may change, who else may be promoted, or what the cause of the change will be. The way a new leader handles themselves in these first days sets the tone and ex... Full Article »