Al Rusche was the best police chief I worked for during my career and I wished more than once that he was still around to give me his honest opinion. It was something I once witnessed him do in his office that let me know I could still count on him for advice. In the mid 90’s I was running (sometimes in seemed as if it ran me) the largest undercover drug operation the department had ever been involved in. Mike, our most proactive road officer, had arrested a perp on a traffic stop in possession of a small amount of cocaine. Not a big deal in the Cincinnati area, but Ricky (our new best friend) was on parole, and he was willing to give up his mother to stay out of prison. The intelligence he provided on a possible drug den in the middle of town, if true, was disturbing and a political nightmare waiting to happen...

Article at http://phalanxle.com/2013/02/27/a-cops-brain-trust/

In 1997, Luke Woodum entered Pearl High School in Mississippi and started shooting. Two students were killed and seven others injured before he was stopped. Who stopped him? A principal armed with a .45 caliber handgun that he retrieved from his truck. How many others were saved that day by the principal? Do you think any parents in Pearl, Mississippi said “I only want the police to have guns in the school,” after that day? Or do they wonder how many more students would have been saved if the gun was on his hip...

Full Article at:

http://phalanxle.com/2013/02/22/arm-...chool-shooter/

I asked the group, “All right, who is up next?” There were no takers – just whiners. “I’m tired, someone else go…” “Tim and I are talking about something important, we’ll go next time…” and “I have to finish this text message…” These were all common responses from the cadets at a police academy I had just begun training for. I was so aggravated that I was planning each of their demises in my head, and it wasn’t a pretty picture....

Full Article at http://phalanxle.com/2013/02/19/stre...lice-training/

I Teach Cadets and Write Training Articles for Selfish Reasons

I have selfish reasons for wanting our police instructors to get better and improve the safety of our law enforcers and the society they serve. With frequent visits to the Cleveland Clinic, I have come to the realization that I will not live to a ripe old age. I have a vested interest in the next generation of police officers who will become the guardians that protect my wife and kids (maybe grandkids) after I am gone. We do not hesitate to invest in life insurance to protect our families – should we not also invest in our law enforcers who will provide a lifetime of vital service for them?...

Full article at http://phalanxle.com/2013/02/11/conf...ce-instructor/

During my career I was shot at, stabbed, and had the snot kicked out of me more times than I would like to recall. I have been scared out of my wits a time or two, and experienced the thrill of an adrenaline rush brought on by life threatening encounters. I also had the pleasure of experiencing the release of all that power – or throwing up – whichever you want to call it. But, none of those moments compared to the fear I experienced on the day that a doctor told me my son, Richard Jr., had a tumor in his pelvic bone.

http://phalanxle.com/2013/02/09/5-ca...w-enforcement/

I asked, “Would you please repeat that again.” The dispatcher came across speaking slower and louder, “Danny Williams wants you to meet him at the intersection of Greenlee and Jefferson. He said he is going to kill you.” Yep, that is exactly what I heard the first time; apparently it wasn’t a joke like I was hoping. How lucky was I, to be on duty when someone called in wanting to kill me? I was worried since I knew this guy was capable of murder – he had done it before....

Full article at Phalanx Law Enforcement