Jim McNeff is the managing editor of Law Officer. As a Medal of Valor recipient with more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement and the military, Jim brings experience, insight, and a keen perspective to the issues affecting law enforcement. For nearly a decade, Jim has also served the law enforcement community as a writer and editor following the latest news, facts, and figures concerning law enforcement seven days a week, and 365 days a year. Jim is a retired police lieutenant and served a municipal police department for 28 years. Previously, Jim was a crewmember of the National Emergency Airborne Command Post—a presidential support detail. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Southwest University, and is a graduate of the esteemed Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute and the Leadership in Police Organizations IACP course of study. Jim is also the author of three police-related books: The Spirit Behind Badge 145, Justice Revealed, and Jurisdiction.
The first time I stood at attention in formation at the Police Academy in my neatly pressed uniform I was determined to make a difference while confronting the criminal element. The first time I went into service during my FTO...
Read moreIn case you’ve failed to notice, America is trending way up in the category of teen killers. However, it's mind pollution, not guns, that have created underage murderers. After each dreadful headline involving a teen killer, we typically read about...
Read moreThere is a reason why “Courageous Leadership” is a five star course. It’s because the content covered in class by Major Travis Yates is way beyond the nuts and bolts of supervising others, it covers the real-world problems of leading...
Read moreToday is my “Alive Day,” an unceremonious anniversary experienced by law enforcement officers recounting the moment in time they survived a lethal encounter. This is the 20th anniversary of the day I survived a violent attack by a suspect who...
Read morePoliticians are lying to you! … “No kidding,” you say, “that is the norm.” But allow me to explain how and why they are trying to pull the wool over your eyes as it relates to public safety. Nearly every...
Read moreHave you noticed a lack of civility in American culture in recent years? Of course! You’d have to be comatose to miss the anger, bitterness and fury that’s going on. The changes didn’t occur overnight, and the violence is not...
Read moreSo many of today’s social paradoxes have a dramatic impact on the institution of law enforcement, public safety, and the quality of life that we’re experiencing as a nation. The following is my list of 17 incongruities that should puzzle...
Read moreCHICAGO - The Chicago Police Department has unveiled a new policy prohibiting its officers from chasing people on foot simply because they run away --- commonly associated with reasonable suspicion based upon a totality of circumstances --- or because they...
Read moreOne thing I’ve learned as a career police officer, student of history, and now a law enforcement news journalist is that progressive politics pretty much guarantees unhappiness because victimization is the focal point as the abnormal and irrational demands of...
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