January 2023 Blues Vol 39 No. 1

Officer suicide, police

Officer suicide, police fatigue, stress-related maladies, healthy relationships and care for injured officers are all topics we need to be familiar with. As a police veteran, I can testify that open discussions of these issues are relatively new to the police profession. Staying current on best practices to keep yourself and your brother and sister officers healthy and serving well is a survival skill, not just a warm feeling. Top police training tip on “How to enjoy your life while avoiding death by a thousand cuts”: Some officers never learn to accept positive critique. Instead, they become defensive and internalize anger toward anyone who has the nerve to try to make them better cops. If you can learn to appreciate constructive criticism from FTOs, assistant district attorneys and supervisors instead of letting it anger you, it will eliminate a major irritant in your life. It may also make you a better cop. 4. BE A BETTER CRIME FIGHTER One of my observations over the years is that no knowledge is lost in police work. I remember a former meat cutter turned deputy sheriff who was able to solve a poaching case due to his knowledge of how the game had been field dressed, a cop who was a coin collecting hobbyist whose knowledge was key in solving a burglary, and a farm boy who spotted a stolen farm implement that an urban officer might never have recognized. Top police training tip on” Writing effective case summaries”: One of the best ways to introduce an investigation is by writing an effective case summary, which lays out your investigation and findings succinctly and in an orderly, logical and easy to read format. This allows the prosecutor to quickly gain a solid understanding of the facts of the case, as well as any potential defenses. 5. BE EVEN SAFER & KEEP READING IN 2023 There are literally thousands of online resources available to law enforcement today. Of course, we want you to continue reading The BLUES each month, but online police sites like Police1.com and Policemagazine.com keep you informed on a daily basis of what’s happening in the world of law enforcement. Also spend time reading and studying Police Survival techniques. Many of PoliceOne’s digital pages are devoted to issues related to tactics, training and legal updates around the use of force and officer safety. Their writers give significant attention to active shooter, ambush and major incident response. Because these events are statistically rare but could happen to any agency or even a single officer, a review of this knowledge base is time well spent. Top police training tip for “Preventing active shooter drills from going sideways”: It’s not uncommon for a drill to be executed then simply ended without a plan for a thorough, all-encompassing debrief. Make sure you have a debriefing plan in place so you can identify what went right, spotlight what can be refined and learn from what may have gone wrong. 7. GO HOME TO YOU FAMILY SAFE & SOUND AFTER SHIFT Your number one goal should always be “do your job to the best of your ability and always, always go home safe and sound at the end of your shift.” You may work in a safe, quiet town where not much happens or just the opposite where a shooting or SWAT call is an hourly occurrence. You are not Superman, and you are not bullet proof. On average, there are at least one or two officers shot in the line of duty every day in America. One of those will not make it. As a collective group, we need to reduce the number of officers that don’t make it home to their families. EVERY- ONE needs to make it home. Be safe, be consistent, be vigilant, and use your training. Your family needs you and we need you. NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IN 2023 MAKE IT HOME SAFE ! 58 The BLUES The BLUES 59