Orlando (Fla.) Police Department Officer Alfred Gordon was shot and killed Oct. 4 when he attempted to take police action during a robbery while off-duty. The 52-year-old officer had gone to an ATM in Orange County and was approached by...

Ah, the talking car: the promise of complete interactivity between driver and vehicle. In the past, the only place to find such a thing was on TV, such as the Pontiac Trans Am known as Kit on the television show...

My October column dealt with confidential, reliable informants. Along with a model policy and procedure for department personnel using informants, the article also provided information on the use and audit of department undercover funds, and some practical suggestions on how...

Quality room clearing and search training can take place in a structure that s simple and inexpensive in design and construction. In my October column, I discussed how to construct a shoothouse, explaining that it doesn't need to be a...

It was Friday afternoon. The day watch was coming off duty and the night watch hitting the streets. Normally on Friday, everyone is eager to change into their civvies and get on the freeway before the big get out of...

During a recent advanced patrol rifle class, an officer leaned out far from a hard-cover position to fire on an armed offender. Why break cover? In part because his sling design wouldn't allow him to change shoulders while maintaining his...

A few years ago, I was asked to set up some training classes in Brazil. Excited at the opportunity to visit this amazing country, I decided it would be advantageous to learn some of the language. I did what many...

In my August column, I addressed pretextual traffic stops, using as an example a stop made after officers received an anonymous 911 call of a male driver in a pickup truck taking pictures of young neighborhood children. I use the...

Interoperability is a key word circulating among the law enforcement community these days. Since the Sept. 11 disaster, more and more public safety initiatives have taken shape to reach the goal of complete communication. Along the southwestern Texas border, first...

Dear Bullethead: I'm on a regional tactical team that handles situations for seven agencies. I'm one of three supervisors assigned to the team. It's a good setup. Everyone has worked really hard to get to where they are, and our...