Talk to me
The art of de-escalation for police officers
While training to be a crisis negotiator, I came across this quote from Sergeant Matt Lyons of the Queensland Police Service in Australia. He said: “There are no words to […] Read More
Mike Geier
Justice in a free society
The real meaning of the “thin blue line”
Back in the mid-1980s, Chief Fred Stoecker of the Wilmette Police Department posted the phrase “Justice in a Free Society” on the side of all marked police cars. At this […] Read More
Procedural justice
Creating legitimacy and trust for police departments
Procedural justice refers to the basic ideas of fairness and respect. Simply put, it is the Golden Rule: “Treat others as you would want to be treated.” Procedural justice promotes […] Read More
Developing a comprehensive crisis intervention response model
A crisis intervention team (CIT) is a police mental health collaborative program found in many American cities. The term “CIT” is often used to describe both a program and training […] Read More
Fitness for life
A rational approach to developing healthier police departments
I recall an incident many years ago when two significantly overweight officers experienced difficulty taking a mentally challenged 18-year-old kid into custody. During a violent struggle, the offender wrestled one […] Read More
Gun violence reduction strategies
A guide to best practices
Over the past several years, gun violence has become a growing topic of concern nationwide. While there is no “one size fits all” solution to this problem, police departments can […] Read More
