May 2014
In 2013, 105 men and women form the U.S., state, local, tribal, or federal law enforcement agencies tragically lost thier lives. It is the IACP’s position that no injury or death of a law enforcement professional is acceptable. This is the IACP’s annual magazine issue dedicated to officer safety and wellness, and it addresses timely and notable issues such as officers fitness; personal body armor; mental health and suicide considerations; officer seat belt use; and management and training strategies developed in other industries.
Articles
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Changing the Culture of Officer Safety and Wellness
In 2013, line-of-duty deaths among law enforcement officers in the United States dropped to the lowest recorded number in over 50 years. Still, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, there were ... -
Cute or Catastrophic: Officer Safety in Encounters with Exotic Species
Law enforcement officials throughout the world have increasingly become aware of risks to officer’s health and safety through contact with people, chemicals, and explosive materials that can occur d... -
Building a National Gang Strategy: A Comprehensive Policy Proposal for Effective Policing, Partnerships, and Organizational Change
Confronted by challenges of a growing gang threat amidst an unprecedented fiscal crisis, U.S. law enforcement is at a crossroads. Police leaders must choose between continuing a reactive response that... -
Pay Now or Pay Later: The Value of Structured Physical Training
There is no better time than now to address a culture change in law enforcement in regards to physical training and fitness. An organization faces two choices: it can either invest time in rehabilitat... -
Keeping Our Heroes Safe: A Comprehensive Approach to Destigmatizing Mental Health Issues in Law Enforcement
The suicide of a police officer is a tragedy on multiple levels: the senseless loss of the officer’s life to his or her family, community, department, and the law enforcement profession. Recent esti... -
A Lesson Learned the Hard Way—One Agency’s Recommendations for Increasing Seat Belt Use
The end of 2013 marked the 25th anniversary of one of the worst losses of life in the history of the Los Angeles, California, Police Department (LAPD). Three Los Angeles police officers lost their liv... -
Product Feature: Dressing the Officer for Protection
Sometimes, the best offense is a good defense. New advances in apparel and protective gear help make officers safer. They are also becoming easier to use, more convenient, and less burdensome for l... -
Managing Change: A Success Story in a Culture Resistant to Change
A truism in policing is that the only thing cops hate more than change is the way things are. Police officers from any country will agree that police officers are often resistant—sometimes in quite ... -
Preparing for Active Shooter Incidents: Adapting to the Latest Tactics and Anticipating Future Trends
The first modern active shooter incident occurred in Austin, Texas, on August 1, 1966, when Charles Whitman climbed to the top of the University of Texas at Austin clock tower with an arsenal of weapo...
Columns
- Legislative Alert: IACP Supports COPS Funding, Smartphone Searches, and New DHS Undersecretary
- Officer Safety Corner: Protecting Officers against Pathogens
- Research in Brief: Using NIBIN Ballistic Imaging Hits for the Strategic Targeting of Violent Criminal Networks
- Chief's Counsel: Dealing with an Armed Populace—Suspect Control in the Age of Open and Concealed Carry
- From the Manager: A Proactive Strategy for a Unified Public Safety Network