Police Inaction Does More Harm Than Good
Last month, Broward County, Florida, Deputy Scot Peterson was charged for his response — or lack thereof — to the February 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 students and teachers and injured 17 more. He faces 11 felony counts, including child neglect, culpable negligence and perjury charges. Despite being formally charged over a year after the incident, the school resource officer has been ridiculed ever since the days following the incident, even gaining the nickname of the “Coward of Broward,” for his failure to act.
Checkpoint Security: A Growing Threat
On Tuesday, June 18, 2019, several TSA agents were injured at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport when a man attempted to rush through the security checkpoint. Phoenix police and airport security were able to subdue the man, 19-year-old Tyrese Garner, and arrest him. He now faces charges of felony criminal trespassing, felony resisting arrest and five […]
How to Keep a Cool Head and Stay Safe as Summer Travel Heats Up
An unprecedented number of travelers are ready to take to the skies this summer. U.S. airlines expect 257.4 million people to fly between June 1 and August 31, a 3.4% increase from last summer’s record of 248.8 million. Even before the season officially began, TSA set a new record for airline passengers and crew members […]
Marijuana Trafficking Arrests Are Soaring at LAX
Advocates for cannabis decriminalization commonly argue that it will free up policing resources to focus on other, more serious offenses. But just over a year into California’s experiment with legalized marijuana, it appears that some cannabis-related crime has only increased, creating new challenges for law enforcement. Last month, the New York Times detailed how the […]
Police Week 2019
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation that designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week in which it falls as National Police Week. This symbolic act would set into motion a tradition, bringing together tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the globe to honor those who pay […]
Charting a New Path Forward
The battle over police use of force has taken a surprising turn. SB 230 and AB 392 — the state’s two competing use-of-force measures — are rivals no more. Lawmakers recently decided to link the two bills in an attempt to reach a compromise and bring law enforcement organizations and civil liberties advocates back to […]
A Time to Honor Service and Sacrifice
Ever since 1962, when President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which it falls as National Police Week, the month of May has been a time when our law enforcement family throughout the U.S. joins together with our communities to remember all the officers killed […]
Goodbye and Best Wishes
On April 22, Deputy Executive Director of Public Safety and Security Patrick M. Gannon announced his retirement from the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), effective May 25. Gannon has served as the Deputy Executive Director of Public Safety and Security at LAWA for the last six and a half years. Prior to that, he was LAWA’s […]
A Use-of-Force Measure That Makes Sense
The battle over use of force continues. This legislative session picks up where the last one left off, but with some modifications. Law enforcement took the initiative this year and came up with SB 230, a use-of-force measure that is saner and safer than last year’s AB 931, which threatened to make officers criminally liable […]
Rebuilding Officer Resiliency: Free Online Treatment Guide
First responders are under constant stress and can find it difficult to turn off their “fight or flight” response mode, even when in the comfort of their own homes. Research shows first responders are TWICE more likely to die by their own hand than those in other professions – and it’s believed that due to […]