Officer.com Police Blogs & Podcasts

Frank Borelli
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com

Like so many of the things I read that aggravate me I received an email today that had me thinking. Now “thinking” and “aggravated” aren’t always in the same sentence but often my thinking about something ends up with me aggravated. In this case I just ended up curious and potentially confused. The topic: President-Elect Obama’s “civilian national security force”. Read the rest of this entry »

Karen Bune
Victimology Contributor
Officer.com

President Elect Barack Obama’s choice of Eric H. Holder, Jr. for the position of Attorney General is an outstanding one. Mr. Holder is an accomplished attorney with demonstrated achievements and highly regarded by legal veterans, like myself, who work in the law enforcement arena and criminal justice system. Despite any criticism that is now floating around concerning his alleged failure to prevent the pardon of Mr. Marc Rich, he likely was caught between a rock and a hard place–particularly if he was an “at will” employee at the time. It is highly probable he had to walk a fine line in the decision-making process and may not have been the ultimate decider despite being tagged as the recipient of blame. Read the rest of this entry »

Frank Borelli
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com

By now we’ve all seen the news about the terrorist attack in Mumbai. As much as I hate to sound like a broken record there are a few things we - the law enforcement professionals of the United States and every citizen who refuses to be a willing victim - need to learn. Read the rest of this entry »

Karen Bune
Victimology Contributor
Officer.com

Perhaps Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) is so elated over President-Elect Barack Obama’s victory that he cannot think clearly let alone recognize how ridiculous his comparative thought about the Fairness Doctrine even equates with pornography. “The very same people who don’t want the Fairness Doctrine want the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to limit pornography on the air. I am for that…But you can’t say government hands off in one area to a commercial enterprise but you are allowed to intervene in another. That’s not consistent,” said Schumer. Read the rest of this entry »

Karen Bune
Victimology Contributor
Officer.com

Phillip Sherman of Arkansas has no one to blame but himself if nude photos of his wife turn up anywhere other than on his cell phone where he had them stored. He reportedly left his cell phone behind in a McDonalds and is now blaming the store for not maintaining the security of his phone. Consequently, he alleges the photos are supposedly floating around somewhere in the public domain on the internet. Mr. Sherman is now bemoaning his own self-induced plight and is suing McDonalds for 3 million dollars for suffering, embarrassment, and the cost of having to move to a new home. Read the rest of this entry »

Frank Borelli
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com

“Royal Trappings”: Those things that make someone look or seem “royal”. What the heck is “royal”? Dictionary.com defines (7th definition) royal as appropriate to or befitting a sovereign; magnificent; stately.

Why am I bringing this up? Well, there is a news item this morning that made me think about it and as I considered my more than two decades of law enforcement experiences and interactions I thought this topic might be of interest. Read the rest of this entry »

Frank Borelli
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com

I saw in the news this morning an article about a town in Vermont where they are debating whether or not the Pledge of Allegiance should be said in schools. Apparently this was previously discussed there and it was decided that, so as not to offend anyone, the Pledge wouldn’t be mandatory for students. Apparently some of the students didn’t want to say the Pledge for religious reasons. Read the rest of this entry »

Frank Borelli
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com

Not that long ago one of our poll questions on Officer.com had to do with what medals and awards meant for various agencies. Out of the over 1,000 votes, 23% said that “everyone knows they’re worthless” with 35% saying “only a few really mean anything.” Only 7% replied “Every one of them requires accomplishment and sacrifice”. That, and my experience traveling to various agencies around the country, made me think about the different outlook we (officers) have about awards, commendations, medals, etc. Read the rest of this entry »

Ronnie Garrett
Editorial Director
Law Enforcement Technology magazine

The initial numbers are indelible: 8:46 a.m. and 9:02 a.m. The time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes. The time they took to fall: 12 seconds. From there, they ripple out, reports New York Magazine about the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. Read the rest of this entry »

Karen Bune
Victimology Contributor
Officer.com

Former New York Governor, Elliot Spitzer is clearly a model to illustrate the meaning of the word, “hypocrite.” During his tenure in political office and well known as an aggressive former Attorney General, Spitzer avidly cracked down on financial crimes as well as prostitution. He was an ominous threat to those he pursued for illegal activities and displayed no mercy, in any fashion, to those he went after. Spitzer talked a good line and followed through on his promises to bring down those who were criminal miscreants involved in seamy and illegal activities; consequently, he was despised by many on Wall Street for his pit bull pursuit and success in achieving his tenacious goals. Read the rest of this entry »