Letter From the Editor - September 2022

Some give me grief for never letting it go, but I can’t let a September pass without remembering the attacks of September 11th, 2001. Last year our entire September issue was dedicated to remembering that day and honoring those who sacrificed—both ultimately and short or long term; those who served (and many who continue to) in public safety. It was a horrific day and one, in my opinion, we should never forget. Hundreds of law enforcement professionals showed us the best we can be that day and in their memory I feel we should always strive to meet their example.

Thinking about the month in general, September is a busy time of year. Schools are back in session, college campuses increase their daily population in a huge way, and for a lot of agencies, the new budget year starts October 1 (those that run concurrent with the federal government budget schedule). From year-to-year we often don’t know what’s coming or what the next hot topic/big challenge will be. For several years now, in an effort to anticipate some of the challenges, Officer Media Group has run a “State of the Industry Projection Survey,” asking supervisors and command staff officers to share what they know or anticipate about their budgets in the coming year. We’ve done the same this year and would ask that you go to Officer.com to complete the survey or stay alert to a link for it if you receive our daily electronic newsletter (or our Command Staff briefing electronic newsletter).

In this month’s issue we have our usual channel content with articles for Command/HQ, Training & Careers, Investigations, Tactical, Vehicles & Fleet and more. This month we also have some special content regarding work in remote or wilderness areas and some of the challenges that might be presented. In such locations, two of the biggest concerns are back up personnel and dependable communications. While it’s difficult to address back up personnel beyond increased budget or staffing management, we do have some good information about communications in those remote areas and how to prepare for limited or non-existent connectivity.

If you’re looking for more information on any given topic, remember that we have additional exclusive content online. There are thousands of articles about various topics on our site; tons of information about products in every category and an easy-to-use search feature to help you find what you’re looking for. Finally, don’t forget our Virtual Academy (virtualacademy.officer.com) that has no cost training available 24/7 and we’ve recently launched our new podcast series: Officer Roll Call. A new episode is released at least every other week and they average about 20 minutes in length so they’re easy to listen to on your drive to or from work or during some down time on shift.

Stay safe!