According to the American Heart Association, walking is the most popular type of exercise. And why shouldn’t it be? Aside from the cost of comfortable shoes, it’s free — and you can do it pretty much anywhere. Walking provides proven health benefits, including weight loss, decreased blood pressure, improved memory and better sleep. Walking also contributes significantly to your overall well-being. If you’re a first responder needing a physical and mental boost, consider taking regular walks. This may seem obvious; after all, public safety work used to involve much more walking than it does ..read more

In public safety, where the demand for resources often outpaces budgets, public- and private-sector grants have become an important way of funding a variety of initiatives. Police departments, sheriffs’ offices, fire departments, emergency medical services (EMS) and corrections agencies all face the daunting challenge of maintaining operational efficiency with static or even shrinking budgets. Grants — whether federal, state or private — provide essential financial support to enhance capabilities, improve services and implement innovative solutions for our nation’s first responders. However ..read more

Few enjoy giving them, much less receiving them. Preparing to give a performance review can be more stressful than studying for a promotional exam. I don’t like receiving or giving them, but I know they must be done. Performance reviews can be a lot easier if clear, effective policies are in place and everyone in the organization understands them, trains for them and follows them. It’s important for leaders to ask, “Do our performance reviews reflect our policies?” It is also critical that agency performance reviews follow departmental policies. This will provide effective criteria for goo ..read more

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has established the RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) discretionary grant program to transform American infrastructure. This initiative aims to support projects prioritizing safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness, good repair, partnership and collaboration, and innovation. The DOT has established merit criteria to evaluate a proposed project’s alignment with anticipated benefits using data-driven, evidence-based methods. Applicati ..read more

Lexipol, the leader in policy, training and wellness support for public safety and government leaders, has been named a finalist in the 2024 North American Inspiring Workplaces Awards. This is the second time Lexipol has been recognized as an Inspiring Workplace. “We are honored to be recognized once again in the North American Inspiring Workplace Awards. This recognition is a testament to the passion and hard work of every Lexipolian, as we strive to make performance excellence the heartbeat of public safety,” said Lexipol CEO Bill Nunan. “As a people-first organization, we believe it’s c ..read more

Congress passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) unanimously in 2003 with one ambitious goal: to “provide for the analysis of the incidence and effects of prison rape in federal, state, and local institutions and to provide information, resources, recommendations and funding to protect individuals from prison rape.” In addition to rape, PREA was also meant to help reduce sexual abuse and sexual harassment in corrections facilities. The PREA Standards, the regulations governing facilities subject to the Prison Rape Elimination Act, require these operations to be audited at least once ..read more

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in The Chief’s Chronicle; New York State Association of Chiefs of Police. Reprinted with permission. In recent years, I have fielded an increased number of search and seizure law questions, primarily related to traffic stops. Digging deeper, I discovered a common source of the misunderstanding. In every instance, the questions arose after officers had attended some form of interdiction training presented by the same private police training group. As explained to me and from what I was able to verify online, the training encouraged aggressive ..read more

In the demanding world of first responders, recognizing when to seek help is crucial yet often obscured by the stigma against mental health treatment. The stigma surrounding mental health in such a masculine, tough-it-out culture can make it difficult for those who dedicate their lives to helping others to acknowledge when they, themselves, need help. Let’s demystify this process, outlining clear indicators for when it’s time to seek help, exploring the options available, and when it’s critical to take action. Self-Check-In Reflection As a first responder, successfully navigating the rigor ..read more

Brown v. Giles, 2024 WL 938493 (6th Cir. 2024) Jorden Brown was homeless and struggling with addiction. He showed up at the pizza place where his mother worked, hoping for a meal and a place to crash. Instead, Brown’s mother called the police and reported Brown had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. When a responding officer asked Brown for his name, Brown repeatedly provided a false name, even when the officer asked if his last name might be “Brown.” The officer asked Brown several times to stay in his car. Nonetheless, Brown got out of the car and began to run; the officer chased him ..read more

United States v. O’Neill, 2024 WL 862161 (6th Cir. 2024) Charles O’Neill’s son told his mother he had seen photographs of nude and partially nude minor boys on O’Neill’s phone as it was on the counter charging. The son told his mother he had looked through O’Neill’s iPad and found more photos of nude boys ranging in age from under five to 17. O’Neill’s wife then looked through O’Neill’s phone herself and found two albums, one containing “over one thousand images” of young boys in varying states of nudity. O’Neill’s wife and son approached local police to report their discovery. The wife to ..read more