Letter From the Editor - February 2022
Well, like it or not, we got through January, 2022. No matter where you fall in that spectrum, life goes on, as does doing the job no matter what the circumstances. It’s easy to get distracted by politics, news about variants of COVID, climate change, etc. I avoid being distracted by such. Health management is an on-going and daily personal effort. That means YOU manage your health and make your decisions. Remember that all decisions have consequences and as long as you’re prepared to accept them, make your decisions. Unfortunately, the mainstream media isn’t going away and they will continue to sell sensationalized, carefully edited “reporting.” Make sure you pay attention to your agency regulations regarding all interactions, cameras, etc. Let’s make it through another year not being hurt or sued, eh?
In this issue, from contributor Lindsey Bertomen, we have an excellent article regarding Building Entry And Search Training (BEAST). From Chief Harvey we get an article about the value of exit interviews. I cannot emphasize enough the value of such interviews. One of the best ways to improve your agency is to pay attention to why people leave; most especially if they start leaving in noticeable numbers. Is your level of pay competitive? Are the work conditions safe? Is the agency culture supportive? If you’re losing staff, you need to know why.
We have an excellent article about emotional support dogs and how they are being utilized by agencies. “Dog is man’s best friend,” doesn’t just have to be a commonly known phrase. It can actually mean something, but your agency has to go about it the right way. Read how. And along that same vein, there’s an article about the basics of law enforcement. While you read about agencies using emotional support dogs, a relatively new concept and practice, consider what’s never changed in law enforcement at the same time. All of the new technologies, protocols and practices are great, but no computer has ever put a bad guy in handcuffs. The basic skills of handcuffing, searching and more will likely never change until robots can do it for us. Do you practice them enough to maintain a high level of proficiency?
As we do in each issue, there’s an informative and entertaining article about how a cold case was investigated and closed courtesy of contributor Brendan Rodela. There is also a piece about body worn camera perspectives and everything that can challenge them. Finally, yours truly wrote a piece about Valentine’s Day and how we can make sure our significant others don’t feel neglected while we work weird shifts, weekends, etc.
Read on and stay safe. Thank you for your readership!
Lt. Frank Borelli (ret), Editorial Director | Editorial Director
Lt. Frank Borelli is the Editorial Director for the Officer Media Group. Frank brings 20+ years of writing and editing experience in addition to 40 years of law enforcement operations, administration and training experience to the team.
Frank has had numerous books published which are available on Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and other major retail outlets.
If you have any comments or questions, you can contact him via email at [email protected].