Officer.com Police Blogs & Podcasts

Tim Dees
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com

Armed and Famous has been canceled after four episodes. CBS says they may air the remaining three installments during the summer. Plan your vacation appropriately.

Your correspondent (me) hasn’t been too active in the blog department lately, as he is moving himself and all his worldly possessions across the country. Yesterday was Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and today I leave Bismarck, South Dakota for Billings, Montana. Can you say, “cold?” If the car heater quits, this trip will be delayed.

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Tim Dees
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com

This business of sending two Border Patrol agents to prison is ugly, no matter how you look at it. When truly bad guys get their just deserts, we all feel a little better. Retribution is one of the most natural rationales for punishment. In this case, not even the immigration rights folks are throwing parties, because the whole thing is just sad, and it’s hard to distinguish the victims from the victimizers.

The president may be considering a pardon for the BP agents, and that might be the best solution. No matter what, these guys aren’t likely to be back in law enforcement. A pardon would allow the U.S. Attorney and the Customs and Border Protection administration to save face, and the former agents could get on with their lives. But even though there’s some sympathy in my heart for the agents, I don’t think they’re heroes, either.

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Tim Dees
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com

There has been a lot of talk lately about the impending implementation of the REAL ID Act, which is to go into full effect on May 11, 2008. REAL ID imposes requirements on the states with regard to the data that must be included on a state-issued identification card, and the format that it assumes. For most of us, these “state-issued identification cards” are our driver’s licenses, which have become the standard for individual identification. Opponents of REAL ID maintain that we will have a de facto national identity card, and that tattooing barcodes on our forearms is only a short goose-step away. Personally, I think REAL ID is a wonderful idea, and only wish Congress had taken it a bit further.

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Tim Dees
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com

I know I promised a final review of SHOT Show “tomorrow,” and “tomorrow” was almost a week ago. As a way of compensating all of you for my procrastination, everybody gets an extra year added to their subscription (no, we don’t have subscriptions.)

One question I haven’t been able to get answered is why this trade show is “Shot Show” and not “the SHOT Show.” Is this anything like when we had to start calling “the Ukraine” just “Ukraine?” Someone has to think about these things.

Even though I’ve never been a “gun guy,” so to speak, SHOT still had a few neat toys, some of which had nothing to do with guns. A few years back, I’m told that police stuff was at one time all but outlawed at SHOT. One company got fined for putting out their law enforcement catalog at their outdoor sports booth. But now there is an entire section devoted to law enforcement, and police items turn up at the other booths far removed from the law enforcement area. Read the rest of this entry »

Tim Dees
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com

The first day of SHOT is done. First impressions are seldom accurate, but they are lasting. My previous blog entry half-supports that. So far, this first impression’s been accurate.

The whole show is show huge and overwhelming, I doubt if I will get out of the law enforcement pavilion before I leave. This might disappoint the hunters and target shooters among you, but you probably look at the web sites and magazines devoted to those interests, anyway. Read the rest of this entry »

Tim Dees

Editor-in-Chief

Officer.com

First, a short confession: I was in my hotel room last night, and had to iron some shirts to wear at the SHOT Show today. I succumbed to temptation and tuned into the first episode of Armed and Famous. After a suspenseful tribute to the danger of the law enforcement profession, I see an aerial shot of a stretch limo, presumably carrying the stars of the show, driving on a rural highway, escorted front and rear by marked patrol units, emergency lights flashing. Yeah, that’s how I arrived at the police academy.
Strike One.

Then, each celebrity (and I use that term in the most liberal sense possible) is introduced, with Trish Stratus saying something about her performance promising “Total Stratusfaction.”

Strike Two.

Finally, Erik Estrada comes on screen, heralded as an “International Television Icon.”

Strike Three. TV Land had a rerun of Bonanza.

This is my first trip to SHOT, the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show. Holy s***.

This is Guns with a capital “G.” Every kind of gun, gun accessory, knife, sword, gun sight, holster, sling, or whatever else can be found here. I doubt if I would make it through the entire show floor in four days (and I’ll only be here for three, anyway), so I’ll stick to the Law Enforcement area. Frank Borelli is here as well, so I’m sure you’ll hear more reports from him.

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