Contributors

After 32 years of law enforcement service with a large urban police department, Charles E. Humes, Jr. honorably retired at the rank of Sergeant in 2015. Independently achieved, he is recognized internationally as one of the pioneers of modern, realistic police defensive tactics training. He has taught seminars and instructor…

Jeff Chudwin is the Law Officer Tactical Ops columnist. He’s also the 2009 Law Officer Trainer of the Year. He retired as chief of police after 38 years of service for the Village of Olympia Fields, Ill. A founding member and current president of the Illinois Tactical Officers Association, Chudwin…

Robert Johnson is a 20 year veteran law enforcement officer currently working at a large metropolitan agency. His assignments have included narcotics, gangs and training. He joined Law Officer in 2017 as an Associate Editor.

Tim Barfield is in his 35th year as a police officer. He started as a police officer in a rural village before transferring to an inner ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. He spent 32 years in that department gaining experience in many areas of police work. In 2014, he accepted…

Having had a grandfather and father on the Chicago Police Department made the choice of becoming a police officer relatively simple. Between the excitement of having a real profession and the prospect of following in the Casey footprint, the Chicago Police Department seemed a natural choice. I retired at the…

Michael “MC” Williams is an active police officer, state criminal investigator, chaplain/minister and police instructor with more than three decades on “the job.” As a contributor to Law Officer’s Chaplain’s Corner, he provides a biblical, front sight focus on the daily issues we face in law enforcement. MC is a…

Robert Weisskopf grew up in Chicago. The son of a 33-year veteran Chicago Police Lieutenant. Bob was sworn in on February 14, 1983. Over the next thirty years he rose from Police Officer to Sergeant, to Lieutenant. He’s worked almost every job there is in Patrol and as a Sergeant,…

Janine holds a master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition, is a Certified Nutritionist, Certified Nutrition Specialist® Professional and a Certified Ketogenic Nutrition Specialist℠ She is also a retired Police Officer and Marine Veteran, who gets the unique needs of First Responders. After almost 20 years in Law Enforcement and lecturing her…

Dr. Matthew J. Stiehm has received an Educational Doctorate from Argosy University, where the focus of his research was campus safety and security. He has a Master’s Degree of Criminal Justice from Central Missouri State University, with his final paper which focused on the investigation of child abuse and finally…

Cathy and Javier Bustos are law enforcement officers in Central Texas. As "That Peer Support Couple, LLC" they are strong peer support advocates speaking about surviving critical incidents and marriage. They can be reached by email:[email protected] or www.cathyandjavi.com.

Victoria Newman is an author, speaker, and founder of How2LoveYourCop, an organization that provides positive resources for law enforcement families. She is author of A CHiP on my Shoulder and A Marriage in Progress, speaks all over the United States and Canada, mentors several spouses, and is a blogger and…

Sanford Swanson began his career as a law enforcement professional in 2006 and currently serves as a patrol officer for his department where he is employed. Sanford’s professional experiences span areas of patrol, investigations, training/instruction, and supervision. During his tenure, he has found passion in the areas of community policing…

Randy Sutton is a 33-year law enforcement veteran and the national spokesman for the American Council on Public Safety (www.defendingtheshield.org). He served 10 years in the Princeton (N.J.) Police Department and 23 years with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant with numerous awards for…

Chaplain David Edwards is a police chaplain, reserve police officer, author, and educator, and is affectionately known as "Pa" to his grandkids. David is board certified in crisis response and pastoral counseling and is an approved instructor for the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation as well as a member of…

Jonathan Hickory is an active duty Master Police Officer in Virginia and the author of the award-winning book, Break Every Chain. In his 16 plus years of police experience, Jonathan mentors and instructs other officers in police driving methods and has also served as a Field Training Officer. Jonathan spent…

Scott Medlin has worked in law enforcement in North Carolina since 2007. Prior to that he was in the United States Marine Corps. He was deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and in 2005. He was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps and earned his Bachelor's Degree. Through deployments…

Dr. Olivia Johnson holds a master’s in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri, St. Louis, and a doctorate in Organizational Leadership Management from the University of Phoenix, School of Advanced Studies. Dr. Johnson is the Founder of the Blue Wall Institute and 1 Is Too Many. She…

Autumn Clifford is a police officer from Maine who was injured in the line of duty and no longer works full time. She is now employed part time as a police officer while she runs her coaching business, which focuses on helping first responders with emotional, spiritual and mental wellness.…

Dr. Ron Martinelli is a forensic criminologist specializing in police practices and 4th, 8th and 14th Amendment litigation. He is a former police officer, detective, and police academy director, who is also multi-certified Use of Force and officer safety instructor. Dr. Martinelli is Board Certified in Forensic Traumatology, a Federal/State…

Crystal Ienni is the founder of the non-profit organization Peace Officer Wives of California Inc. (Faith.Wife.Hero). She is a certified peer support leader, sought out speaker, and a contributing author with Law Officer and Law Enforcement Today. She mentors and encourages the spouses of first responders both personally and through…

Chief Scott Silverii, PhD retired after 25 years in law enforcement when called into ministry. He and his wife, Leah started Blue Marriage for police and first responder couples. An author of over 40 books, he serves as the publishing coordinator for MarriageToday, the largest marriage ministry in the world.…

Melinda is the Wives In Action Leader, a speaker with Bless The Badge, and a contributing writer for Law Officer. She is a working wife of a Texas Peace Officer whom she is crazy about, mother of two young and rambunctious little boys, two large fur babies, and a girl…

Kevin Cotroneo has served 36 years in law enforcement, retiring from the California Highway Patrol and Mendocino County Sheriff’s – Coroner’s Office, retiring at the rank of sergeant from both.  During that time, he served in such capacities as Highway Interdiction, Officer Involved Shooting Team, Search & Rescue commander, and rangemaster.  He…

Scott Downs is currently an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Briarcliffe College, his works have been published in the Journal of Emergency Management, as a content expert. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Saint Joseph’s College and holds a Master’s Degree from the Long Island University- Homeland…

 JC Chaix is a former police officer (and firefighter). JC is the co-writer of the best selling book The Courageous Police Leader: A Survival Guide for Combating Cowards, Chaos, and Lies. He is also a proud father and self-proclaimed “cop wife.”

Rick Baker, has been providing evidence-based behavioral health services to first responders and responder agencies in North Carolina since 2007. He is the current Clinical Director of the Western North Carolina Peer Support Network, providing oversight of and post-critical incident services to all first responders in North Carolina’s 22 westernmost…

Kathryn Loving is a former peace officer with the Casper Police Department, Casper, Wyoming. She held special assignments such as detective, hostage negotiator, mounted patrol, evidence technician, and patrol field training officer. She is a faculty member at a local college, teaching courses in criminal justice. She, DCI Special Agent…

Jerad Lindsey is a veteran police officer. he has a degree from Oklahoma State University and has been involved in national law enforcement issues through his political and union involvement for over a decade. he is the founder and the host of The Skirmish Line, a podcast dedicated to discussing…

Stacy Ettel worked in law enforcement for 20 years before moving to the private sector.

Joe “Woody" Woodland remains employed as a criminal investigator and has previous experience as patrolman, detective, special operations officer, and supervisor. He was also a generalist instructor for his home state and his training is highlighted in areas related to patrol/investigative tactics, leadership, supervision, and instruction. His education background consists of…

Heidi Hogan is an enthusiastic supporter of the thin blue line and encourager of LEOWs. She is a devoted Christ follower, a wife to her officer and mother to her boys. She is a homemaker, critical care RN, and active member of her church. She is the Director of Family…