John Wills, 2009 Jan 26, John Wills

By now your agency or department has realized some impact from the troubled economy. Some of you are laid off temporarily, or perhaps being mandatorily furloughed—your department's way of saying "We're...

John Wills, 2008 Dec 22, John Wills

We read a lot about street survival techniques and training, and about the importance of knowing basic things such as interpreting body language. We recognize that these things have a huge impact on a...

John Wills, 2008 Nov 24, John Wills

You've either seen it as an instructor, or experienced it as a student—boring PowerPoint (PPT) presentations that cause people to tune out after the first few slides. I've seen a couple of that were prescription...

John Wills, 2008 Oct 27, John Wills

I recently read in the local paper about a number of officers being honored for their heroic efforts during the past year. The recipients of the awards had performed deeds that were above and beyond the...

John Wills, 2008 Sept 22, John Wills

It's not the grinder that you're thinking about--that delicious submarine sandwich with fried meat, onions and cheese. I'm referring to a workout circuit; running and calisthenics done in a prescribed...

John Wills, 2008 Aug 25, John Wills

Recently I was driving home from the airport around 12:30 in the morning. I had been in Florida for a few days conducting training for the Federal Reserve Police. I was on the Interstate for about thirty...

John Wills, 2008 Jul 28, John Wills

Tell the truth...you never think about your hands very often, do you? Okay, women do. They slather lotion on them to keep them soft, and are often seen getting them manicured and painted. And yes, sometimes...

John Wills, 2008 Jun 23, John Wills

Remember that old song, "Look for the Union Label?" It was a song created back in 1975 to remind folks to buy clothes made in the USA. Unions have revolutionized the way things are done in the USA, some...

John Wills, 2008 May 26, John Wills

As trainers, we do a good job of getting our training done with the time and resources that our departments grant us. Some of the academies combine PT and DT into a block of instruction--40 or 80 hours--depending...

John Wills, 2008 Apr 28, John Wills

Let's all agree on this premise: It is not tactically sound to cuff someone in the front. I lose count of all the incidents involving cops who have been injured or killed as a result of improperly handcuffing...