St. Louis Police Department Officer Norvelle Brown was shot and killed in an ambush by a 15-year-old suspect who had intended to kill a police officer. Brown was wearing a bullet-resistant vest, but the bullet entered through the arm opening...

In the past few issues, I’ve reviewed a number of vehicles developed by the major automotive manufac­turers to address the law enforcement marketplace. These vehicles are all excellent choices for today’s patrol fleet, with great strides made in comfort, performance,...

Although anyone who provides information to the police (complainants, victims, witnesses, etc.) can technically be considered an informant, this article deals specifically with confidential informants (CI). For this article, a CI is a person formally registered with and compensated by...

Firearms training has changed dramatically during the past three decades. When I became a law enforcement officer in the mid-1970s, agencies still qualified using the Practical Pistol Course (PPC) with a change shortly thereafter to the FBI-driven Tactical Revolver Course...

My partner and I were working a plainclothes assignment focused on bandits who were committing armed robberies. While we watched two of these crooks, they parked in front of a liquor store. One went inside while the other stayed at...

The law enforcement environment is filled with risks and hazards both obvious and unseen. But as noted risk management trainer and consultant California Highway Patrol Commander Gordon Graham (ret.) states, That which is predictable is preventable. It takes little imagination...

As a direct result of the actions overseas, law enforcement agencies are discovering that there is a shortage of ammunition. Government plants pump out literally billions of rounds of ammo, but law enforcement agencies must get in an ever-growing queue...

Some of you may have suffered that sinking feeling of realizing you busted down the door of the wrong house. Your mistake was innocent, but it's unpleasant apologizing to a blameless homeowner who, when confronted with masked men in dark...

Just about every episode of the TV show “Las Vegas” has the security staff nailing some bad guy by using facial recognition software. Other shows such as CSI and NCIS also use the technology on a regular basis. Of course,...

Dear Bullethead: