COVER STORY: EXCLUSIVE WHITE HOUSE INTERVIEW - At the White House with U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan

EXCLUSIVE WHITE HOUSE INTERVIEW: At the White House with Tom Homan — The Border Czar Who Never Backed Down

Inside his mission, his message, and the movement to protect America’s borders.

By George Beck, Steve Olimpio & Jordan Beck

The Blue Magazine

Inside the West Wing, just steps from the Oval Office, Tom Homan moves with the same urgency he carried decades ago as a Border Patrol agent. His handshake is firm, his tone direct, and his message unmistakable: Securing America’s borders isn’t about politics — it’s about saving lives.

For more than forty years, Homan has stood on the front lines of law enforcement and immigration. From patrolling the U.S.–Mexico border in the 1980s to serving today as Border Czar under President Donald J. Trump, his career has been marked by persistence, discipline and conviction.

“I’m not just running an agency anymore,” he told The Blue Magazine in an exclusive White House interview. “Now I help define strategic policy that drives our national security.”

That policy, he says, is working. Under the Trump Administration, illegal crossings have fallen to levels unseen in modern history. “We went from more than 15,000 illegal crossings a day to 82,” Homan noted. “That’s not luck — that’s leadership, and that’s law enforcement doing its job.”

Homan’s story began far from Washington. He started his career in upstate New York as a small-town police officer with a dream of federal service. A chance encounter while fishing led him to take the Border Patrol exam — and to a lifetime enforcing the laws of a nation he deeply believes in.

He often reminds young officers: “You can’t demand respect — you earn it. I’ve seen people try to demand it without earning it, and it never works. I never forgot where I came from.”

In Washington, Homan relies on data, not politics. “Every morning I look at the numbers,” he said. “Roughly 70 percent of the people we arrest are criminals. The rest could be national-security threats — gang members, fugitives or people ignoring lawful removal orders.”

He rejects the idea that immigration enforcement should be softened or politicized. “We’ve got fewer than 5,000 deportation officers nationwide,” he explained. “We have to prioritize the worst of the worst — but that doesn’t mean we ignore everyone else. If you’re in this country illegally, it’s not OK. And if we find you during operations, you’re going to face the law.”

Homan is equally quick to defend those who wear the badge. “ICE officers are mothers and fathers. They’re not monsters,” he said. “They put on a vest every day to protect this country, and they deserve respect — not hatred.”

For years, misinformation has fueled unnecessary division — and even hostility — toward federal officers. “It’s all lies,” he said. “We’re transparent about what we do. The more we tell the truth, the more people see that secure borders save lives.”

“Secure borders save lives. That’s not politics. That’s reality.”

Behind that statement lies the human cost he’s witnessed. “I’ve seen dead children. I’ve talked to young girls who were trafficked and raped. I’ve seen the worst humanity has to offer. So when I say secure borders save lives — it’s not a slogan. It’s a fact.”

Even among critics, Homan is respected for his steadiness and refusal to back down. He speaks his mind, often bluntly, and doesn’t apologize for it. “I’m not running a popularity contest,” he said. “I tell the truth. And if that makes people uncomfortable, so be it.”

His candor once made headlines after Pope Francis criticized U.S. border policy. Homan replied, “With all due respect, the pope lives behind walls — he should worry about his church before judging ours.”

Despite his tough image, Homan describes himself as a family man who values his wife and two sons above all. “They’ve sacrificed as much as I have,” he said. “They deal with the hate, the travel, the pressure — but they understand why I do it.”

When asked about working directly with President Trump, his response was immediate: “He’s the greatest president of my lifetime. No one has done more to secure the border or support law enforcement.”

By contrast, Homan has been outspoken about the Biden Administration’s approach to immigration. “We went from control to chaos,” he said. “Since the change in policy, the cartels have been thriving again — and it didn’t have to be this way. You can’t stop enforcing the law and expect safety; it doesn’t work like that.”

For The Blue Magazine, the interview with Tom Homan marked a milestone — the first time in the publication’s sixteen-year history that its team stepped inside the White House. It was a proud day for American law-enforcement media and for everyone behind The Blue Magazine. The publication extends gratitude to President Trump, his administration and every member of his cabinet who continues to protect and serve this nation with honor.

The interview was conducted by senior journalist George Beck, alongside Steve Olimpio and youth correspondent Jordan Beck. Special acknowledgment goes to Holly Finley, Rick Vanderclock, Christian Bonilla, Eddie Yegan, Alyssa Del Valle, and Catherine Angel, whose dedication behind the scenes made this White House interview possible. Together with Editor-in-Chief Joel Gordon, they represent the teamwork and trust that define The Blue Magazine.

For Homan, relationships matter — especially with those who share his commitment to service. His friendship with The Blue Magazine dates back more than seven years, introduced by our late mentor and top advisor Commissioner Bernard B. Kerik — the former NYPD Commissioner and 9/11 hero who helped guide and strengthen the magazine’s mission from its earliest years.

Kerik, a lifelong supporter of law enforcement, believed deeply in Homan’s integrity and mission. “Bernie always said Tom was a ‘cop’s cop’ — and a man who loves this country,” recalls The Blue Magazine. “And he was right.”

As the interview drew to a close, Homan reflected on what drives him after decades in service. “I just want to leave this country safer than I found it,” he said quietly. “That’s how I’ll measure whether I did my job.”

Over the years, The Blue Magazine has interviewed many national figures, but Tom Homan stands apart — not because of his title, but because of his character. Behind closed doors, he’s as genuine and grounded as they come. In a world that often rewards pretenders, Homan is the real thing: a man who never forgot where he came from and never stopped fighting for what’s right.

The Blue Magazine is proud to call him a friend — and proud to stand beside him in the mission of serving those who serve.

— Daniel Del Valle

Founder & Publisher, The Blue Magazine

BLUE EDITOR UP FRONT

The Turning Point?

Life goes on. As we lost some of our larger than life inspirational figures, our lives and futures have been left with a clear course to follow.

What a year it has been. First we lost our friend and mentor Commissioner Bernie Kerik to a cardiovascular event. Then the evil and tragic murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk occurred.  In spite of loss this may prove to be a true Turning Point for the USA. Although many have suffered the death of loved ones, injury, and illness in 2025, including my own struggle with a needed leg amputation along with a found aneurism, which was skillfully repaired in time, many beneficial things have happened as well as we get back on track in our desire to leave the world better than we found it.

Our border is the most secure ever thanks to Tom Homan and the Trump Administration. Our Cover Story is an Exclusive White House interview with our Border Czar and friend and is a timely must-read.

Of course, the Trump Administration is proving (once again) that enforcement and prosecutions really do play a needed role in safety and crime reduction. Letting good police be police is essential. Well-selected and -trained officers have proven to be effective guardians and problem solvers, but unlike counselors, have the ability to become warriors as necessary for the greater good.

Check out our Feature Article by Leonard Sipes which provides an analysis of President Donald Trump’s efforts to Make America Safe Again. Sheriff David Clarke (Ret.) asks Does President Trump have to fix everything? Lt. Joseph Pangaro (Ret.) reminds us that Truth Dies in Darkness. John Giduck J.D./Ph.D. along with Matt Adams explores Do Cops Make Good Bodyguards? providing timely insights in this day and age of rampage and political violence.   Of course, be sure to read many more meaningful articles on training, effective leadership, wellness, retirement and more!

As we move toward the end of the current year, let's count our blessings and support one another. Remember the Blue Magazine, Moment of Silence, and the Blue Health Network are here for you. Reach out to us. We look forward to your insights, article submissions, and continued support.

Joel E. Gordon
Editor-in-Chief 

“Good Job, Mr. President”

“Good Job, Mr. President”
By: The Blue Magazine Editorial Team

A breakthrough arrived in October 2025 that few believed possible. Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a U.S.-brokered plan. Guns quieted under a cease-fire. The remaining Israeli hostages came home. Israel freed nearly two thousand Palestinian detainees, many held for years. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey helped bring both sides to the table — but it was President Trump who drove it, brokered it, and sealed it. For decades, world leaders had tried and failed. This time, peace took hold.

It happened aboard Air Force One. President Trump told reporters, “The war is over.” A reporter pointed out that Prime Minister Netanyahu had not yet used those words. Trump didn’t hesitate: “The war is over — you understand that.” The moment captured more than confrontation — it revealed how deeply some parts of the press have become conditioned to frame every development through conflict. Questioning is the duty of journalism; distortion is not. Even when the truth is clear, too many remain committed to finding a negative narrative, unable to accept good news at face value.

Shortly after, the claim met reality. All twenty living Israeli hostages were freed after two years in captivity. Israel released nearly two thousand Palestinian prisoners as part of the first-phase exchange. Humanitarian corridors opened. The cease-fire held. These are not slogans; they are facts — the receipts. Two sworn enemies, bound by grief and mistrust, released captives and gave the world a pause in bloodshed. For the first time in years, actions spoke louder than promises.

If those who hate each other most can see the light, America can, too. Yet too many at home remain hostage to bias and misinformation — unable to admit when something good happens simply because of who achieved it. We’ve allowed politics to imprison honesty. The same courage that brought captives home in Gaza is the courage America now needs to tell the truth about its own leader. For years, critics painted Trump as chaos incarnate, unfit for diplomacy. Now that peace has begun to take hold — with hostages returning and the guns finally quiet — many who once preached compassion have fallen silent.

Where are the voices that once filled headlines demanding justice? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Ilhan Omar. Rashida Tlaib. Their public reactions so far have been muted — silence that lands louder than speeches. They’re mentioned here not to attack, but because their voices once defined the public outcry for peace. If they were loud in war, they should be loud in peace. In Gaza and Israel, enemies freed hostages. In America, it’s time to free our own — from the grip of selective silence and the comfort of false narratives.

The Nobel Peace Prize this year went to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado — a worthy laureate. But prizes and magazine covers don’t free people; actions do. Hostages came home. Prisoners walked free. The war stopped — at least for now. History remembers outcomes, not narratives.

The Blue Magazine asks a fair question of those who once filled the airwaves demanding peace — Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Tlaib: What exactly is left to evaluate? The facts are in. The hostages are home. The war is over. What more must be studied before saying the words every American should be able to say: “Good job, Mr. President.”

President Trump is no stranger to peril. In July 2024, an assassin’s bullet struck his ear during a campaign rally — a near-fatal moment later confirmed by federal investigators. He’s endured indictments, ridicule and relentless attacks, yet he continues to stand.

You don’t have to be deeply religious to wonder how a man who’s been shot at, indicted, and written off so many times still stands — and now delivers peace. Maybe it’s grit. Maybe it’s grace. But one has to ask: Is there something larger at work here?

This is bigger than politics. It’s bigger than parties. This moment doesn’t belong to one man — it belongs to everyone whose life will no longer be threatened by rockets, raids or revenge. It belongs to humanity. It belongs to a world that, even for a brief moment, exhaled.

Trump isn’t the story. Peace is. But peace wouldn’t have happened without our President, Donald J. Trump.

Quotes:

“The war is over — you understand that.”

— President Donald J. Trump, aboard Air Force One

“If those who hate each other most can see the light, America can too.”

(Referring to Israel and Hamas finding common ground through the peace agreement.)

— The Blue Magazine Editorial Team

“Trump isn’t the story. Peace is. But peace wouldn’t have happened without our President, Donald J. Trump.”

— The Blue Magazine Editorial Team

From Plans to Progress: Overcoming the Execution Gap in Organizational Change

From Plans to Progress: Overcoming the Execution Gap in Organizational Change

By: DLT. Joseph Bucco Jr.

Organizations, whether in the private sector or law enforcement, constantly develop plans to improve efficiency, adopt new technology, restructure operations, or enhance performance. Leaders hold meetings, outline strategies and introduce initiatives with enthusiasm, believing that their plans will bring about meaningful change. Yet, despite the effort put into planning, most initiatives never fully materialize. Execution begins, obstacles arise, and soon, daily responsibilities take precedence. Before long, the initiative loses momentum and the organization quietly moves on, often without fully recognizing why things fell apart.

The problem isn’t the plan itself, nor is it a lack of effort or good intentions. The reality is that organizations often fall victim to external pressures and internal constraints that make execution difficult. Company culture, daily operational demands, understaffing, budget limitations and manpower shortages all create significant barriers to implementing change. In law enforcement, for example, agencies are often forced to balance new initiatives with immediate, mission-critical responsibilities. When staffing is tight and officers are handling increased workloads, rolling out a new training program, policy shift or technology upgrade can feel like an added burden rather than a benefit. In the private sector, businesses must navigate financial constraints, shifting market conditions and an employee base that may be resistant to change.

These challenges don’t mean change is impossible, but they do highlight why execution is the hardest part. Organizations must recognize that change efforts don’t fail because people are unwilling to evolve; they fail because execution is complex and requires a strategic approach that accounts for these realities. The key is not just having a great plan but implementing a system that ensures follow-through despite the inevitable roadblocks.

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is over-planning and under-executing. They spend months or even years refining strategies, conducting research and debating implementation details, but take little action. While thorough planning is important, it can become a trap that prevents progress. Instead of waiting for the perfect moment or ideal conditions, organizations should focus on action. Quick wins can create momentum, pilot programs allow organizations to test initiatives in a controlled setting and an agile mindset helps leaders adapt when challenges arise. No plan will ever roll out without obstacles, so the focus should be on progress, not perfection.

Another major reason for stalled initiatives is the lack of clear ownership. Many organizations introduce change at a high level, discussing it in leadership meetings, sending out company-wide emails and outlining broad goals, but fail to assign specific responsibility for execution. Changing efforts need a champion, whether it’s a dedicated leader, a task force or a cross-functional team that is directly responsible for driving implementation. This group must break down the plan into actionable steps, assign responsibilities and track progress consistently. Without this level of ownership, even the best ideas will lose momentum and eventually fade away.

Equally important is effective communication. One of the main reasons employees resist change is that they don’t fully understand why it’s happening or how it affects them. Leadership often assumes that once a plan is announced, employees will immediately understand its purpose and impact. Most employees are busy with their daily responsibilities and may not grasp how the initiative fits into their work or why it’s necessary. Successful execution requires leaders to over-communicate, reinforcing the purpose, benefits and expectations behind the change. Employees need to see the bigger picture and understand how their individual contributions support the broader initiative. When people feel informed and included, they are far more likely to engage with and support the process.

Tracking progress is another crucial factor in preventing change efforts from stalling. Many organizations start strong but lose focus when immediate results aren’t visible. Without regular check-ins, data analysis and performance reviews, it becomes easy for people to slip back into old habits. Leaders must establish clear benchmarks for success, track key performance indicators and review progress frequently. This not only keeps the initiative moving forward but also allows for necessary adjustments before small challenges turn into major roadblocks. Change should be treated as an ongoing process, not a one-time event.

However, even when an initiative gains traction, the real challenge is ensuring it lasts. I’ve seen many organizations successfully implement changes only to watch old habits resurface within months. Change must be reinforced until it becomes ingrained in the organizational culture. Leaders play a vital role in this by setting an example employees need to see that leadership is fully committed, not just in words but in actions. Recognition and incentives can also be powerful motivators. When employees who embrace change are acknowledged and rewarded, it reinforces the importance of the initiative. Additionally, ongoing training and development ensure that employees have the knowledge and skills needed to sustain new practices over time.

Having worked in leadership positions in law enforcement, as well as working with private sector companies, I understand the complexities of change management across different industries. Law enforcement agencies, for example, operate under strict regulations, hierarchical structures and deeply ingrained traditions that make change particularly difficult. Officers may be skeptical of new policies, reluctant to adopt unfamiliar technology or hesitant to alter long-standing procedures. In private companies, the resistance may stem from different factors, uncertainty about new performance expectations, fear of job displacement or reluctance to move away from familiar processes. Yet, across both sectors, the barriers to execution remain similar: understaffing, budget constraints, operational pressures and competing priorities.

The reality is that most organizational plans don’t fail because they are bad ideas. They fail because execution is difficult, and organizations often don’t have the tools, structure or bandwidth to push initiatives forward. Leaders don’t need more planning; they need more action. By creating accountability, improving communication, tracking progress and reinforcing change until it becomes second nature, organizations can bridge the execution gap. Change won’t happen just because a strategy is well-designed, it happens when leaders commit to making it a priority, despite the challenges.

If organizations, whether public or private, want real transformation, they must stop making plans and start making things happen.

Joseph Bucco Jr. is a Municipal Police Lieutenant in New Jersey.  He is currently in his 22nd year of service and is assigned to the Detective Division as the Division Commander. Some of his past assignments include the departments Patrol Division, Street Crimes Unit as well as an on-loan assignment with a Multi-Jurisdictional Fugitive Task Force. He received a B.A from Ramapo College of New Jersey and an M.A in Human Resources Training & Development from Seton Hall University. In the fall of 2018, in addition to his police and consulting careers, Joe accepted a position as a Business Development Manager with a national communications and media company that is solely focused on serving our nation’s law enforcement officers.

REMEMBRANCE: Charlie Kirk

REMEMBRANCE: Charlie Kirk
Artwork by Jonny Castro

Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while engaging in a public forum with students at an outdoor event on Utah Valley University’s campus. It was an appalling act of violence that no one should be subjected to. On 9/12, the suspected gunman was taken into custody.

Regardless of what side you’re on, or whether you agree/disagree with some of the things he said; what happened to Charlie was wrong. Taking the life of another human being because your views differ from theirs is reprehensible.

At the end of the day, a wife lost her husband, and their two young children will grow up without a father.

Has Crime Decreased In Washington D.C. Since The President’s Interventions?

Has Crime Decreased In Washington D.C. Since The President’s Interventions?
By: Leonard A. Sipes, Jr.

If you look at a recent CBS News story, the president’s anti-crime actions in Washington, D.C., are either widely supported or dismissed, depending on your political affiliation. We are in a cultural war over the deployment of troops and federal agents and perceptions of crime.

In any war, both sides exaggerate.

In many cities, people complain that wait times for a police officer to respond to a reported crime can take over an hour, if an officer appears at all. In Detroit, many claim that police response to property crimes is nonexistent. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we have lost 25,000 police officers and employees.

In other cities, the wait time to report a crime can be an hour or more. So, regardless of your beliefs about crime in D.C. or elsewhere, cops not appearing would scare anyone; it becomes a de facto statement about how you feel about crime. Per the D.C. union (below), understaffing is severe in the nation’s capital.

National Crime Statistics

About 38% of violent victimizations in urban areas were reported to police, which was lower than the percentages in suburban (43%) and rural (51%) areas, per the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the USDOJ. Based on that data, whatever crime statistics you use for D.C. or any other urban area are a considerable undercount.

According to the USDOJ’s National Crime Victimization Survey, violent crime increased in urban areas for its most recent yearly report.

The 2022 National Crime Victimization Survey offered the largest increase in violent crime in the nation’s history (44 percent), as recorded by analyst Jeff Asher, The Marshall Project, and ChatGPT. The high rates of violence continue unchanged for 2023 and 2024.

This is compared to a national reduction in reported violent crime of approximately 3-4 percent for 2023 and 2024 from the FBI. Independent analysts state that reported crime in cities has decreased considerably.

Fear Of Crime

With President Trump’s efforts to reduce crime in Washington, D.C., there are multiple articles in major publications warning Democrats not to fall into a trap where they seem insensitive to the plight of crime victims and those concerned about crime, which is most Americans.

Per Gallup, we are near record increases in fear of crime nationally. About 65 percent of D.C. residents told The Washington Post that crime was a “very” or “extremely” serious problem last year, even as violence declined. Per Axios, “As armed National Guard troops patrol the nation’s capital, a majority of Americans now see handling crime as a relative strength for President Trump, according to a new AP-NORC poll. According to the poll, 68 percent see crime as a “major problem” in large cities.”

I have been to multiple cities with crime problems courtesy of the federal government. I have never been in a city where the residents said that they do not want crime controlled. I have never been in a city where the residents didn’t express fear.

Washington, D.C.

I worked in Washington, D.C. for 25 years as the senior specialist for crime prevention and statistics for the USDOJ’s clearinghouse, and then as the director of information services for the National Crime Prevention Council before eventually transitioning to the senior spokesperson for a federal criminal justice agency.

I visited every part of the nation’s capital and spoke to hundreds of residents and community leaders, and I found that fear of crime was considerable among residents. I have never seen a city where entire neighborhoods have bars on every door or window.

Reported crime (most crime isn’t reported) in D.C. and other cities has decreased in recent years, giving D.C. and targeted cities reasons to object to federal interventions of National Guard troops and federal agents. Nevertheless, fear of crime remains high in D.C. and elsewhere, impacting a personal sense of safety and degrading the quality of life for many of its residents.

Crime in DC

·         D.C. is among the higher-crime large cities in terms of violent crime, homicide rate and robbery rate, but it is not at the top of the list.

·         Its homicide rate (25.5 per 100,000) places it in the top 15 cities nationally. 

·         For robbery, D.C. is critically high (3rd highest) among cities 50,000+ as of 2024.

·         There are endless examples of robberies, homicides and carjackings in D.C., mostly at the hands of juveniles and younger offenders.

The Sources Below Provide Different Perspectives Regarding The President’s Actions

I analyzed crime statistics for decades, and the short answer regarding President Trump’s actions is yes, it’s working, and no, it’s too soon to tell:

The Hill

President Trump’s decision this summer to assert federal control over the District of Columbia’s police force marked one of the boldest federal interventions in a major city’s public safety strategy in decades. His stated goal: to confront the violent crime surge that had long plagued the nation’s capital.

Supporters of the move argue that the results speak for themselves. In the month following the federal takeover, preliminary crime data from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) reportedly showed sharp declines across nearly every major category.

Homicides — a grim barometer of public safety — fell by more than 60 percent compared to the month prior. Property crimes also dropped significantly: burglaries and thefts from vehicles decreased by over 40 percent, motor vehicle thefts declined by roughly 35 percent, and robberies were down by nearly 20 percent.

These reductions were observed across all seven police districts in the city, affecting both affluent neighborhoods and historically high-crime areas. Advocates credit tighter coordination among federal agencies, increased National Guard presence and a more aggressive policing posture.

“Living in crime and danger is a choice, not an inevitability,” one administration official said. “The data shows what can happen when leadership and accountability replace excuses.”

The central question now is whether the District’s political leadership will continue these strategies once federal control ends — or revert to the policies that critics say allowed the crisis to worsen in the first place.

It’s Too Early To Judge The Impact Of The President’s Actions

Not everyone agrees that the drop in reported crime reflects a lasting or direct effect of the federal intervention.

Jeff Asher, a crime analyst and co-founder of AH Datalytics, urges caution in concluding short-term trends. “The most common question I’ve been asked since mid-August has been some variation of, ‘What effect has the deployment of the National Guard and federal law enforcement had on D.C. crime?’” he said. “My answer pretty much every time has been: It’s too soon to say much with confidence.”

Crime, Asher notes, fluctuates for complex reasons that often have little to do with any single policy shift. “Trends can change suddenly for reasons that aren’t well understood,” he explained. “You generally need a longer timeframe to separate a real trend from normal variation.”

Asher points out that D.C. and other major cities were already seeing gradual declines in violent crime before the federal intervention. “Analyzing an event like this is especially tricky when crime is already trending downward,” he said. “How do you know whether it’s the policy or just a continuation of that trend?”

According to his early review of available data, there is some evidence of accelerated declines in shootings and certain property crimes, but little indication that overall violent crime has shifted dramatically. “It’s not clear whether these trends will continue, abate or reverse,” he concluded. “Ultimately, figuring out whether any changes are real — and why — will take longer.”

A Developing Story

The D.C. experiment has reignited a national debate over the role of federal power in local policing. For supporters, it’s proof that decisive action can make cities safer. For skeptics, it’s a reminder that crime statistics — especially over short periods — can be misleading without deeper analysis.

Whether Washington’s current calm represents a turning point or a temporary dip remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: The eyes of policymakers across the country are watching what happens next in the nation’s capital.

What I can say is that the president’s actions are supported by D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department’s union, who openly welcome the president’s interventions.

The DC Police Union

The DC Police Union, representing more than 3,000 officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), issued a blistering condemnation of the dire conditions plaguing the department, driven by chronic mismanagement, neglect and betrayal by city leadership. The MPD is crumbling under the weight of unprecedented staffing shortages, inhumane working conditions, radical partisan legislation, unrelenting crime spikes and a leadership culture that prioritizes optics over accountability. 

Regardless of the false narrative that “crime is down,” the city continues to be plagued with crime and violence at a rate beyond the capabilities of these crippling staffing numbers.  Officers are forced to work over 2 million hours annually, equivalent to 1,000 full-time jobs, pushing them to the brink of exhaustion and compromising their ability to serve effectively.

Conclusions

From the perspective of the police officers working in Washington, D.C., and after decades of talking to D.C. residents about their crime and fear of crime concerns, it’s probable that the actions of the president are welcomed.

However, it’s equally probable that the political leadership and some residents in the city see the president’s actions as an infringement of home rule and a violation of the right of elective representatives to govern themselves. Immigration enforcement without prior criminal charges beyond illegal entry causes some discomfort.

Yet after attending multiple meetings about crime in the nation’s capital and additional cities, I never heard anyone stating that they were accepting or comfortable with the level of criminal activity in their neighborhoods or the lack of a police response.

If the D.C. police union’s observations are correct, additional resources were necessary.

As the president contemplates similar actions in other cities, the eyes of the nation are fixed on the experience of Washington, D.C. With the accumulation of additional data, we will have an opportunity to better evaluate the impact.

But for the moment, the overall experience seems to be positive as to the enhanced safety of D.C. residents. D.C. police officers welcome the intervention. It’s a work in progress.

Leonard Adam Sipes, Jr.is a retired federal senior spokesperson. A former Adjunct Associate Professor of Criminology and Public Affairs - University of Maryland. Former advisor to the “McGruff-Take a Bite Out of Crime” national media campaign. Past police officer. Aspiring drummer. Operator of CrimeinAmerica.net. His book based on thirty-five years of criminal justice public relations,” Success with the Media: Everything You Need to Survive Reporters and Your Organization” is available at Amazon and additional booksellers. He can also be found @ leonardsipes.com

The Heart That Doesn’t Quit — Joel E. Gordon’s Story

The Heart That Doesn’t Quit — Joel E. Gordon’s Story
By: Daniel Del Valle for the BLUE Magazine Team

Inside every great publication there is a quiet constant — someone who carries the mission through good times and hard ones. For The Blue Magazine, that person is Joel E. Gordon.

A former Baltimore City police officer who began his career in 1980, Gordon has lived the kind of life that defines endurance. From the streets of Baltimore to the mountains of West Virginia as a chief of police, from patrol cars to the editor’s chair, he has worn more hats than most could manage in a lifetime — officer, instructor, chief, mentor, writer and now editor-in-chief of The Blue Magazine.

His path was never easy. Decades of service brought him heart attacks, surgeries, diabetes, and, most recently, the amputation of his left leg. Yet even from a hospital bed — while fighting through pain most would find unbearable — Joel was still editing stories, mentoring writers and planning the next issue. When others might have asked for rest, he was asking about deadlines.

What defines him isn’t only endurance but perspective. He jokes on phone calls about the “new model” leg and laughs through discomfort that would silence others. That optimism isn’t a show — it’s who he is. It’s the same spirit that’s carried The Blue Magazine through its toughest chapters.

Over the years, Joel has been an essential force behind The Blue Magazine’s most defining work — including the landmark interview with Border Czar Tom Homan and The Blue Magazine’s exclusive interview with President Donald J. Trump. As both journalist and editor-in-chief, his steady hand and instinct for truth align seamlessly with The Blue Magazine’s mission — strengthening the voice, credibility, and integrity that have defined the publication for more than sixteen years.

In 2025, Joel E. Gordon was named to Marquis Who’s Who in America for his decades of dedication and contribution to law enforcement and journalism. He is also a past recipient of The Blue Magazine’s Senior Journalist of the Year Award (2017) and the 2022 Award for Excellence in National Law Enforcement Leadership.

Ask anyone who’s worked with him and they’ll tell you the same thing: Joel E. Gordon doesn’t just lead the newsroom — he lifts it. He reminds every contributor, from new recruits to senior editors, why The Blue Magazine matters: because it stands for truth, service, and heart.

And now, in recognition of his lifelong commitment to law enforcement, journalism and the mission of The Blue Magazine, Joel E. Gordon will receive the 2025 Blue Magazine Lifetime Service Award — a tribute to a man whose courage continues to define the standard of dedication we strive to uphold.

The heart that doesn’t quit.

What the police academy WON'T prepare you for

What the police academy WON'T prepare you for
By: Monica Crawford

According to Officer Down Memorial Page, in 2022, 249 officers died in the line of duty. The median age of the line of duty deaths (LODD) was 45, with the average duty tour of fifteen years. Of those 249 LODDs, thirteen died due to heart attack, two due to heat stroke, and seven “duty-related” deaths.

Many other deaths occurred as a response to a call or during a training exercise.

These incidents range from executing arrests to foot pursuits, directing traffic, firearms training and basic physical training. In other words, these officers went to work expecting to carry out another “routine” day and died because of physical overexertion.

Their bodies became too stressed out, and their heart rates were likely too high for their body to recover just one more time.

Law enforcement officers all know the basic premise of staying healthy and in shape. They recognize the dangers of the job. They know they could go to work, get shot, get run over, get stabbed, and never return home. Yet in 2022, forty-two percent died because of poor health, likely a result of many years on the job that went unaddressed for too long.

Yet, the police academy won't prepare you for the trauma, the day-to-day chronic stress, or the toxic co-workers and work environments. In some cases, it won't even prepare you physically or mentally for your job demands.

In the worst cases, it won't help you heal from your mental and physical injuries from the trauma and chronic stress you experience.

However, being in law enforcement can be the most challenging yet most rewarding careers. So let's call it out for what it is and start taking the steps to put yourself in control of YOUR life and YOUR career.

(Spoiler alert, your administration isn't coming to save you.)

It starts with prioritizing you and your health; prioritized in that order of importance.

·         Getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

·         Making intentional time for 15 minutes of self-care daily.

·         Eating 3 meals per day composed of whole, non-processed foods. 

·         Getting in movement at least 30 minutes, 3 times per week.

Those things aren’t typically taught in the academy, but they’ll keep you from being the next LODD statistic.

You get to decide what you’re worth. Are you worth devoting a few hours per day to yourself to ensure you’re able to keep up with your grandkids long after your career is over?  I believe you are.

Looking for some one-on-one help to achieve your fat loss and strength gain goals so you can hold your own at work and thrive into your 90’s (from someone who has lived the challenges inside of law enforcement)? Shoot me an email at monica@five0fierceandfit.com 

Monica is a former law enforcement officer, the author of “Thriving Inside the Thin Blue Line,” a keynote speaker, and owner of Five-0 Fierce and Fit.  As a Health and Performance Coach, Monica helps women in leadership lose 10-20+ pounds, build muscle tone, and increase energy, without extreme diets or long workouts.  Monica aspires to validate the challenges commonly faced by women in leadership (often inside of male fields) and provide education, motivation, and inspiration for women to prioritize their health en route to becoming powerful leaders who leave an everlasting impact on those they serve. Follow Monica on Instagram: @five0.fierce.and.fit

How a police officer can deal with suicidal thoughts

How a police officer can deal with suicidal thoughts
By: Stan Popovich

There are times a police officer deals with negative thoughts that can be overwhelming.

For some officers, the more they try to get rid of their thoughts, the stronger they become.

As a result, here is a brief list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their negative thinking.

1. Do not focus on your fearful thinking: The first thing a person must do is not to dwell on the fear-provoking thought when it comes. The more a person tries to reason out on the fear behind the thought, the stronger it becomes. The next time you encounter a negative situation, get into the practice of not dwelling on it.

2. Think of a red stop sign: At times, a person might encounter a fearful thought that may be difficult to manage. When this happens, visualize a red stop sign which can serve as a reminder to think about something else. Regardless of how scary your negative thinking may be, do not dwell on it. This technique is great in dealing with your negative situations and depression.

3. It’s only fear: The difference between an obsessive thought and a regular one is that an obsessive thought is based on fear. With this in mind, try to find the source of the fear behind your negative thinking and then find ways to get rid of your worries.

4. Your thoughts are exaggerated: Sometimes, a person may encounter a lot of scary thoughts coming at them all at once. Instead of getting upset, remember that your negative thinking is exaggerated with worry. Ignore the fear behind these obsessive thoughts, regardless of how the strong the fear may be.

5. Challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking: When encountering thoughts that make you fearful or depressed, challenge them by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense. Focus on the reality of your situation and not on your negative thinking.

6. Carry a small notebook of positive statements with you: A person should keep a small notebook of positive statements that makes them feel good. Whenever they come across a positive and uplifting verse that makes them happy, write it down in a small notebook. A person can then carry this notebook around in their pocket and whenever they feel anxious, they can read their notebook.

7. Take it one day at a time: Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week or month, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things, and that includes learning how to deal with your situation. In addition, you will not feel overwhelmed with everything if you focus on one thing at a time.

8. Get help: Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run.

Stan is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear" which covers a variety of techniques that can drastically improve your mental health. For more information, please visit Stan's website at http://www.managingfear.com

The Enduring Impact of Canton v. Harris on Police Training

The Enduring Impact of Canton v. Harris on Police Training
By: Dr. Rich Rosell, Police Chief (Ret.)

Introduction

Since the initiation of the misguided fantasy associated with the “Defund the Police” movement, police departments have been forced to do more with significantly less human assets.  Very slowly, some municipalities have realized how catastrophic staffing reductions have impacted public safety and stopped looking at salaries and benefit cuts to defund their agencies. 

Unfortunately, some municipalities have shifted their foolhardy defunding efforts toward training budgets to make gratuitous budget cuts to appease their constituency.  Those who have taken this path do so at their peril. 

The landmark Supreme Court case of Canton v. Harris thirty-six years ago established a stringent standard of deliberate indifference, fundamentally altering a municipality's legal obligation to adequately train its police officers and holding them accountable for failures to train in core, foreseeable tasks.

The Case of Canton v. Harris

In Canton v. Harris, Geraldine Harris was arrested by Canton, Ohio police and, while in custody, exhibited incoherent behavior and slumped to the floor twice. The police did not summon medical assistance, and she was later diagnosed with emotional ailments after being taken to a hospital by her family. Harris sued the city, claiming the police department's inadequate training led to the denial of necessary medical care.

The legal question the Supreme Court was asked to decide was “could a municipality be held liable for failing to train its police force?”  The Supreme Court's holding was "yes" but under a very specific condition, granting certiorari to determine whether a municipality could be held liable for inadequate training under § 1983 when it resulted in a constitutional violation.  That condition (standard) is called deliberate indifference.

The Deliberate Indifference Standard

The Supreme Court defines deliberate indifference in the context of failure to train police officers as a conscious disregard for a known or obvious risk of harm to others, when that risk is a highly predictable consequence of inadequate training. It's more than negligence; it requires proof that policymakers were aware of a pattern of constitutional violations or that the need for specific training in core tasks was obvious and they failed to address it.  That failure to train must be so obvious and likely to result in the violation of constitutional rights that the policymakers can be said to have been deliberately indifferent to the need.

What are Core Police Tasks?

Core tasks are best described as those tasks which are "core" or "foreseeable" and essential to an officer's duties. Examples of these core tasks in which failure to train could be presented as examples of deliberate indifference in civil litigation include routine police patrol, investigating motor vehicle crashes, directing traffic, conducting motor vehicle stops, conducting criminal investigations, medical aid (the original basis of the Canton case), use of force (encompassing a wide spectrum of subtasks), handling mentally ill individuals, ADA application during arrest situations and vehicular pursuits, to name a few.

Burden of Proof

Fortunately, proving deliberate indifference is not a slam dunk for the plaintiffs.  Some attorneys consider these cases difficult to win, though not impossible.  Further, Harris differs from holding a municipality liable for the actions of a single, poorly trained officer, rather it looks for systemic departmental failure at the hands of administrators.  These systemic departmental failures can occur when municipality defunds requisite training in core tasks.

Mitigation

As with almost all aspects of police administration, an agency lives and dies on the relevance and actionability of its policies and procedures.  Promulgating strong policies and procedures which clearly establish those core, foreseeable tasks of your department is a good starting point, but it cannot end there.  An agency must still make certain it seeks credible sources and delivery methods to train its officers in the core, foreseeable tasks delineated in those policies.  A sad but true reality is that some agencies’ training budgets are so bleak that they only train on the state-mandated tasks, often provided for free, which sometimes are nothing more than PowerPoint presentations with little or no performance measurement.  Training must be comprehensive, thorough, and credible to protect against accusations of deliberate indifference.  Further, such check-the-box training does nothing to help the practitioner transition to expert. 

Conclusion

The central argument that Canton v. Harris created is a relevant and crucial, though high, legal standard for municipal liability in police training.  High as it may be, those of us who have been tasked with assisting with the defense of civil litigation understand that if there is an opening, most plaintiffs’ attorneys will find it and try to force their way through it.  It is best to make every possible effort to take away their ability to exploit that opening by making certain that reductions in police budgets do not affect training. 

Dr. Rich Rosell is a retired Police Chief from the Town of Indian River Shores, Florida.  He is the former Director of Public Safety for the Town of Dover, New Jersey and the Township of Springfield, New Jersey.  He retired from the New Jersey State Police at the rank of Captain.  He is currently the co-owner and co-publisher of a Professional Investigator publication and the owner of Expert Opinion Consulting, Training, Investigations, and Security, and is a retired veteran of the US Marine Corps and US Army.

Drones, a force multiplier for Departments throughout the Country

Drones, a force multiplier for Departments throughout the Country
By: Ken Dye

Last July, former President Donald Trump was almost killed in an assassination attempt.  The director of the USSS, in front of Congress, gave a lot of “I don’t knows” and “We have to wait for the investigation….”  She tendered her resignation the following day.

One should have only one question on their mind, HOW?  How did this person get to a position that he could have a clear shot at the former president?  How, indeed!

The next question should be does the USSS have drones?  If so, why weren’t they used?  Good question.

This incident has thrown the unmanned drone as an adjunct to law enforcement into the forefront.  It’s easy to say and pontificate about how things SHOULD have been done after the fact.  Now is the time to move on this important and necessary tool in the department’s tool box.

Just think how easy it would have been for the USSS to deploy a drone prior to and during the former president’s appearance in Butler, Pa. 

Upon a review of the air operations of the USSS as stated in the Department of Homeland Security Privacy Impact Assessment dated May 2022, it was determined that the USSS is still “discussing” the value and impact of drones.  That’s well over two years ago.

If the USSS can’t perform the aerial surveillance and real-time situational awareness, perhaps they could rely on their state and local law enforcement partners to lend a hand and observe the area from above.  Going to bet they have that capability and would be gracious in assisting in the security of statutorily protected persons!

Editor’s note: The U.S. Secret Service refused offers to use drones at former President Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania before the failed assassination attempt there. A whistleblower told Sen. Josh Hawley, “The night before the rally, U.S. Secret Service repeatedly denied offers from a local law enforcement partner to utilize drone technology to secure the rally.”

Ken Dye is the author of 5 books about crime, cops and bad guys in the St. Louis area. He Blogs under “Cops Perspective” and has over 20,000 followers. Ken served with the St. Louis County Police Department for 13 years and finished his LE career with the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority as the administrator for the statewide MEG’s and Narcotics Task Forces.

Train, Lead, Inspire, & Learn

Train, Lead, Inspire, & Learn
By: Chief Ron Camacho, DCJ

In today's world, life can be complex and demanding. There are so many distractions in our daily lives that concentration has become a full-contact sport. Try this simple experiment: Name all the different streaming platforms on your television, or list all the apps you use on your phone every day. I receive hundreds of emails daily. I'm checking emails when I'm eating, in the car, watching TV, before I go to bed or during any spare time I have. I know, I know, that is not a healthy habit, but it seems to be the only way to keep up with the tsunami of information I need to run my department. The problem becomes how to retain all this information and concentrate on what is required to perform our jobs effectively. I found that breaking down complicated or extensive tasks into their simplest forms is effective. Recently, while examining the numerous and complex concepts of leadership, I sought to simplify and get to the root of this crucial topic. I needed to find a concise way to illustrate to the officers, supervisors and executives in my department what authentic leadership is. After some thought and reflection on my own past experiences, training and education, I distilled the principles into four main, simple categories: train, lead, inspire and learn.

Train – Policing is now at its most technical level, and I do not see that changing anytime soon. Additionally, while some cities have experimented with reallocating non-traditional police roles to civilians, most officers continue to respond to non-law enforcement-type calls. We do our people a disservice if we're not training them to their fullest capabilities. We need to equip every individual with the training necessary to ensure their success in handling the myriad of calls they respond to. Once an officer completes field training, we should continue to provide them with ongoing training and support. Training is a valuable commodity in policing, and we cannot afford to be cheap or stingy in its dispersal.

As leaders, it is a core mandate that we train our people to the "standard.” You should be sharing your knowledge, training and experience daily to meet and exceed the standard. If you are not doing this, you are failing as a leader! Suppose you don't have the necessary skills your people need; you have several options. First, you can learn the skill well enough to teach it. This can be problematic at times, as specific skills require extensive use and training to master. Second, consider having another officer or supervisor with that skill teach your personnel. Internal department trainers are the most common and cost-effective way we obtain training. Finally, enroll them in a school or class that can teach them the specific skills they need to be confident in their roles. Doing nothing or letting your officers fend for themselves is not an option! Remember, well-trained units are safer, more productive, provide better service to the community, and have fewer disciplinary issues.

Lead-What do leaders do if not lead? Yet many currently in those positions are not doing that effectively. Some in the profession have adopted a "risk-averse" leadership approach. They believe that if their officers are only answering calls, doing the bare minimum and not being proactive, they can avoid any problems or liability. That is a falsehood and not a good practice to follow. To be blunt, it is a cowardly philosophy that does a great disservice to their officers and the community they serve. Officers grow through their experiences; a risk-averse leader's methods hold their people back. A lack of proactivity could, in many cases, make policing a community less effective and potentially more dangerous. If you are a risk-averse leader, I implore you to reconsider your approach, retire, or change your ways before you cause further harm to your personnel, community or agency.

Good leaders understand and successfully navigate the eternal balancing act between accomplishing the mission and taking care of their troops. They hold their personnel accountable for their actions, use mistakes as learning opportunities, look out for their welfare and mentor them to ensure they have fruitful careers. When I was a young sergeant, a veteran and well-respected lieutenant told me, "Welcome to the club, you are now your troops' father, uncle, brother, priest, pastor, coach, psychologist, drill instructor and at times friend. This is what you signed up for when you put on those stripes." He was absolutely right; throughout my career and to this day, I have filled every one of those roles. It is a privilege to be a leader; sometimes we forget that. Remember and reflect on why you chose to lead the men and women of your department. Respect that you made a willing choice to earn the title of leader every day; your troops, agency and community will greatly appreciate it.

Inspire-What separates a good leader from a great one? In my opinion, it is the ability to inspire, getting people to believe they can push themselves beyond their current capabilities. During my travels, crisscrossing the U.S. while teaching or presenting, I observed career stagnation throughout the ranks in many agencies. We often become comfortable and complacent in our positions and assignments. At times, we need that "spark" that stops the inertia that keeps us from getting out of our comfort zones. At specific periods in our lives, we may lack the internal motivation and mindset to push ourselves. When this occurs, we should look for individuals who are energizing, stimulating and successful to help us. Be one of those inspirational leaders who officers are searching for.

Inspire your troops to be great, to reach for heights they thought were untouchable. Rouse their curiosity to learn unfamiliar subjects and examine problems with fresh and novel perspectives. Show them the options available in their careers. Fully develop your officers so they can capitalize on opportunities when they arise. Teach your officers not to rest on their laurels; always encourage them to look forward to the challenges ahead. Make striving for excellence your team's mantra. Younger generations yearn to make a difference in the world and inspirational leaders show them how to achieve it.

Learn- First, Learn Your Job! While mastery of leadership and policing may not be possible, strive for proficiency and effectiveness in your duties. If there is a "hole in your game," obtain the necessary training or skills to fill it. Additionally, nothing bothers me more, especially at higher levels of leadership, than when a newly promoted person acts as if they have "made it." They stop progressing and improving, becoming stagnant. The proverbial "feet on the desk" syndrome sets in. Comfort with career stagnation is the wrong attitude to have, one that, unfortunately, has permeated the ranks of our proud profession.

Great leaders are constantly looking to improve themselves. Many become "students" for life, continuously searching for knowledge and opening their minds to new concepts and ideas. These "treks" for knowledge often evolve into challenges that drive the leader toward professional and personal improvement. The process of continually acquiring knowledge helps us transform into the best versions of ourselves. Become a knowledgeable and well-read professional. Present an opportunity for your team members to emulate you as they pursue their own paths of professional development.

We must also learn as much as we can about our officers. Dive into discovering what makes your personnel tick. Ask them for their goals, aspirations and hobbies. Take the time to get to know your officers on different levels. Is family their top priority? Is religion important in their life? Are they a dog or a cat person? Your genuine curiosity will open the door to stronger and meaningful connections with your team. Leaders who are engaged positively in their personnel's lives enjoy running teams that are well-functioning, cohesive and integrity-based.

Furthermore, cultivating familiarity with our personnel allows us to develop a baseline of their behavior. Leaders who are in tune with their officers can quickly identify and address any changes in said behavior. Quickly addressing changes in behavior, particularly negative ones, can prevent or mitigate problems before they escalate. Aren't the best leaders the ones who address and solve problems before they arise? Learn who your people are!

No matter the size of the agency, unit, platoon or squad, you want all your officers to be "traveling in the same direction." The trick is delivering your message (the direction) to your troops without it getting filtered, misunderstood, or ignored. As leaders, we must provide clear instructions on how, why and where we need to travel as a collective group. I needed my department to understand what I was looking for in leaders. By breaking down the numerous concepts of leadership into four main, simple parts, I was able to deliver that message loudly and clearly. Hanging posters with the words "Train, Lead, Inspire, & Learn" in the different precincts, along with the inclusion of the slogan at meetings, ceremonies, promotions and trainings will solidify the message. Remember, we are competing with many different elements for our personnel's attention. We need any advantage we can get. I chose simplicity.

Chief Ron Camacho is an accomplished law-enforcement executive with 30 years of experience who is currently the chief of the North Charleston Police Department in South Carolina. He holds a Master’s and Doctorate in Criminal Justice from Liberty University and Penn West University. He’s a highly requested speaker and nationally published author and in 2023, he was honored as one of Police magazines, innovative law-enforcement leaders. Chief Camacho is a graduate of the FBI National Academy 239th session and is an experienced international trainer/advisor. He owns Camacho Consulting, a company specializing in developing leadership, management, and security solutions. https://www.camachoconsulting.net/

At the Edge: Law Enforcement, Human Rights, and the Interlocking Crises of Our Time

At the Edge: Law Enforcement, Human Rights, and the Interlocking Crises of Our Time
By: Peter Marina, PhD

To look soberly at the state of the human species today is to confront not just crisis, but the likelihood that we are nearing the end of a global system rooted in domination, denial and destruction. To critically examine the moral crises of our time requires confronting the realities of state violence, structural inequality and the erosion of human rights frameworks. Nowhere is this more evident than in Gaza, where ongoing military actions have resulted in catastrophic civilian suffering. Numerous international bodies, including United Nations officials and human rights organizations, have raised grave concerns about potential violations of international humanitarian law. Reports by figures such as UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese document patterns of mass displacement, infrastructure destruction and civilian targeting that demand urgent global attention and accountability. These events should not be reduced to partisan narratives but must be understood within a broader context of colonial legacies, militarized power and the failure of international institutions to protect vulnerable populations. As members of the human species, we have a responsibility to engage critically and ethically with such issues, fostering dialogue rooted in evidence, empathy and a commitment to justice.

Add to this the collapse of public education into a profit-driven marketplace where students are treated as customers and learning is reduced to transaction. Add mass incarceration, particularly in the United States, a global penal empire where police forces increasingly resemble domestic military units. Add mass deportations, the rise of surveillance capitalism, the erosion of the free press, the normalization of nuclear brinkmanship and the destruction of any meaningful public sphere. The evidence is not merely overwhelming, it is systemic, accelerating and global.

Law enforcement sits at the intersection of all these crises. Policing, historically a tool for the enforcement of order on behalf of dominant groups, now faces a defining choice: Reinforce the existing system of control, or reorient toward the ethical defense of human rights. In an age of terminal crises, the status quo is not sustainable. As I argue in Human Rights Policing, we need a radical shift from punitive enforcement to the principled protection of all people, especially those most vulnerable to systemic harm.

Community policing is often touted as a remedy for fractured police–community relationships, yet in practice, it is often watered down, reduced to PR campaigns or advisory committees without real power. For community policing to matter, it must be grounded in solidarity where officers and communities work together as equals to address the root causes of harm, not merely its symptoms. Within this framework, the guardian model of policing offers an important alternative to the dominant “warrior” mindset. Guardianship implies not submission, but moral responsibility and a commitment to human dignity, peace and care.

Recent research by Clifton, Torres, and Hawdon (2021) reveals that the divide between warrior and guardian is not always absolute. Many officers, particularly those from Latino/a backgrounds, report hybrid orientations suggesting that departments could nurture a principled model of policing that combines resolve with humility, responsiveness with restraint. This is not about perfection; it is about reimagining the purpose of policing in a world where control alone cannot solve the crises we face.

Because the current punitive orientation of policing feeds into the machinery of mass incarceration, law enforcement has become complicit in the systemic abandonment of entire communities. Prisons have become the default solution for social problems that demand care, housing, education and public investment. Particularly for Black, Indigenous, immigrant and poor populations, the police are not seen as a source of protection, but rather perceived as a source of harm.

And these patterns are now converging with the existential threat of ecological collapse. Climate disaster will shape every aspect of life in the coming decades, including the role of police. Natural catastrophes, resource scarcity, forced migration and mass displacement will become routine. The question is whether policing will double down on coercion and control, or evolve into a stabilizing force for justice, equity and survival.

The collapse of trust in police institutions, while visible in many marginalized communities, is far from universal. In fact, large segments of the public continue to support aggressive, punitive models of policing including agencies like ICE and programs that prioritize enforcement over care. This reflects deeper ideological divisions and the normalization of state violence as a tool of social control. The heavy-handed social control and pervasive surveillance seen in Gaza offer a stark glimpse of tactics that risk becoming normalized here in the U.S. Yet, even amid this reality, critical voices, including from historically marginalized communities, continue to call not merely for reform, but for a transformation of public safety rooted in human rights, ecological ethics and collective well-being. These demands may not represent the political mainstream, but they articulate a necessary moral counterpoint to the dominant logic of punishment and exclusion. We must hold space for these conflicting truths, interrogating both the systems of violence and the social conditions that allow them to persist.

This complex dynamic is further entrenched by fiscal policies like those exemplified in the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” which funnels billions of taxpayer dollars into ICE, law enforcement agencies and the military-industrial complex, while simultaneously granting substantial tax breaks and subsidies to the wealthiest corporations and individuals. At the same time, vital social programs, such as healthcare, housing and education face cuts or chronic underfunding. This redistribution of resources away from the public’s welfare toward enforcement and the elite exacerbates inequality, fuels social discontent and deepens the conditions that breed crime. Rather than investing in the root causes of community instability, the state’s fiscal priorities reinforce a cycle of control and punishment that undermines long-term safety and justice.

In this context, transforming policing is not simply about changing tactics. Rather, it demands a fundamental shift in how officers see their role within society. They must move beyond being enforcers of order to become guardians of human dignity, civil liberties and social cohesion. This transformation requires departments to rethink training, leadership, oversight and mission, and to end practices that criminalize poverty, suppress protest or treat vulnerable populations as threats.

And it demands that we situate law enforcement within the broader collapse of settler modernity and global capitalism. Other worlds are not only possible, they have existed. Indigenous cosmologies and ecological ethics offer vital alternative ways of knowing and being. These traditions reject domination and extraction in favor of relationality, reciprocity, and care. The contrast is stark and necessary.

There is no neutral ground in a time of disintegration. Law enforcement will either help build the trust and solidarity needed to sustain democratic life or it will contribute to its further unraveling. Officers, departments and policymakers must ask: What kind of world are we protecting? And what kind of world are we helping to destroy?

We may be near the end. But how we face that end –– what we resist, what we protect, what we create –– will shape the future for whoever or whatever comes next. If there is hope, it lies in a new kind of public servant: one who chooses humanity over force, dignity over domination, and justice over convenience.

Dr. Peter Marina is a sociologist and criminologist at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. Along with his father, (retired) Lieutenant Pedro Marina, he teaches human rights policing to law enforcement professionals throughout the United States. He is author of the Human Rights Policing: Reimagining Law Enforcement in the 21st Century (Routledge Press, 2023)

Do Cops Make Good Bodyguards?

Do Cops Make Good Bodyguards?
By Dr. John Giduck and Matt Adams

Between the October 2025 ambush of a businessman at his home in Macomb County, Michigan, the targeted killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024 and the assassination of Charlie Kirk, not to mention the two efforts against Donald Trump’s life, we live in an era of targeted threats and killings. Business executives and other high-profile leaders can’t ignore the increasing threat to them. Right now, celebrities, politicians, church leaders and countless others live with daily threats on their lives. Much of this is driven by the mass radicalization caused by Left Wing news and talk shows, as well as social media’s pandemic of hate. With each event, others who have long-thought of doing such things are incentivized. Rhetoric like that of Virginia Attorney General hopeful Jay Jones’ highly publicized emails during the 2025 election, in which he fantasized about putting two bullets in the head of a previous political opponent, only add fuel to this simmering social fire.

In the face of this growing threat, the question must be asked just who those in danger can turn to for security. Many believe that hiring prior or current cops offers the best protection. Citizens assume all police are expert at three things: shooting, fighting and being bodyguards. But are the skills of our nation’s warriors in blue really suitable for them to serve the role of Kevin Costner in the famous movie The Bodyguard? Can they really fight, shoot and perform all the other skills of executive protection or bodyguard (EP or BG) work, much of which is not even known to the uninitiated?

Transferable Skills

Certainly, police possess skills with direct application to EP. Training and experience provide excellent observation capability; especially of the immediate environment and people who are potential threats. They are exceptional at quickly assessing whether someone has a concealed weapon and that person’s hostility level. This is critical, especially in the Close Protection realm of EP. Situational Awareness is something addressed in everything from LE training to FTO mentoring and even publications like BLUE. Nothing is more important to a BG.

They also are competent with firearms. Certainly, all police qualify regularly. But they are also forever making decisions over whether to be prepared to draw a weapon and which weapon to draw, including “shoot-don’t-shoot” decision-making. The chances of a cop having to fire a weapon are much higher than a BG. In EP, so much effort goes into planning and ensuring all factors are in favor of your protectee’s safety that if you end up shooting someone, you failed on several levels long before the gun was drawn and hammer cocked.

Fighting – or using defensive tactics – is one area that police are probably not as highly trained as most people believe.There are too many DT systems that are not reality-based. They’re often more oriented to keeping a department from being sued than ensuring the officer’s safety. Even when going “hand to hand,” the skills police require are often quite different from that of a BG. This includes close-quarters weapons disarming, something both are typically trained in. However, police also realize the difficulties and potential threat to tussling with a suspect on the ground while armed. BGs never seek to control and secure a threat, never arresting anyone. The rule for EP is to stop the threat and evacuate the client. It is always better to evade-and-escape than fight, and BGs do not have the right to pull a gun in all the circumstances police enjoy. That is another advantage of police as bodyguards. Whether retired with LE credentials, or active duty working a side gig, when problems ensue and local LE arrives you will often be given latitude that other, out-of-town private-security professionals may not. That is one of the reasons when running EP details, we always seek to hire at least one off-duty local officer for every shift.

On the less dramatic but equally important side, from shifts spent securing public buildings, controlling crowds or traffic, cops are comfortable spending long hours standing guard while maintaining vigilance over potential threats. Bodyguards do much the same. Just ask any Secret Service agent. It isn’t all high speed and glamor. In fact, if you’re doing the job correctly there is seldom drama. Just like police work, though, EP is a difficult job that can come with difficult decisions. Both see long hours of tedium interspersed with brief seconds of adrenaline-fueled action. You have to stay “switched on”.

An Expansion of Skills

But there are certain conditioned behaviors of police that do not fit well into the EP/BG model. Chief among them is recognizing that you are never there to make an arrest. Everything changes when your only priority is the client’s safety. Use your police experience to mentally log things that will be important to a police report later, like description of an attacker and type of weapon, but do so on the fly as you move quickly away. You must also discipline your police instinct to get control of environmental situations you encounter. If you’re moving your client down a city street or through a parking lot, don’t be distracted by an argument or fistfight between others. You are not there for that. When running CULEX’s on the final day of police EP training, we will often stage an altercation to test the cops’ ability to only react to it as a potential hazard to the client and alter the route.

A rule for the most professional of BGs – and one police benefit from - is to be friendly and approachable where possible. When working in private security, you do not have the authority of a cop to order someone to move away, remain in place or not enter a public restroom your client is in. Doing so only invites conflict that becomes more of a threat to the client than the person posed in the first place. Learn to navigate situations with well-mannered professional courtesy. You are never there to engage, not on any level with anyone; merely to ensure your protectee is always in a safe space.

This requires changing your focus. Since you always know where your client is, your focus changes from him to the areas and people around him. Threats always come externally. If your client is giving a keynote speech at a conference, you should be in a position to scan the crowd to the front, but also people to the sides and even working backstage areas. You must also be in a position to move quickly to your client or between him and a gunman. This is another difference with EP work: You train to first get between a shooter and your client at the closest point possible. These are called movement-to-target drills where you make a high-speed decision whether you can reach the shooter, the client or get in the line of the bullet the fastest. That means you become the human shield for that client and never move to cover for your own safety. In EP work, you are pledging your life to ensure the life of the person paying you. Your body armor is as important to your client as it is to you.

Also, when in the EP role you must remember you are not enforcing the law – any law. When people have BGs, they are taking a relative stranger into their most private lives. That gives you glimpses into things that the job demands you maintain the confidentiality of. Clients are trading intimacy for safety, but also depending on your ability to keep secrets. This is recognized at the highest levels of government. Secret Service agents and governors’ state police protection officers are never called to testify as to the goings-on in the chief executive’s private life. They need to maintain their protectees’ trust, not risk compromise, and ensure executive privilege. Celebrities are notorious for bending laws in their personal lives. If covering rock or movie stars, even politicians and business executives, short of needing to put a stop to horrifically dangerous or felonious behavior, the EP role demands you merely focus onyour client’s security. Remember Japan’s “Three Mystic Apes”: see no evil (Mizaru), hear no evil (Kikazaru) and speak no evil (Iwazaru).

The last and most difficult of the adjustments police must make when serving as bodyguards is the abandonment of the “no cop left behind” rule. If a shooting takes place, you must leave your partner and evacuate the client. Your teammate’s job becomes engaging the threat solely to provide you the ability to move the client to safety.

Police can and usually do make excellent bodyguards. But they must be realistic about the differences in the role before taking someone’s money and pledging their lives to that person’s safety, something they already do every day for perfect strangers. John 15:13 states, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends". In EP work, police bring their willingness to risk their lives for others into a new realm.

Dr. John Giduck has a law degree, a master’s degree in Russian Studies and a Ph.D. in Middle East Studies. His dissertation was on the evolution of jihadist terrorist mass-hostage siege tactics throughout the world. He has trained police departments and SWAT throughout the US. His latest book, 1500 Years of Fighting, can be found on Amazon. He is also the author of Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America’s Schools (listed by Police1 as one of the top 15 all-time must-read books for police); Shooter Down! The Dramatic, Untold Story of the Police Response to the Virginia Tech Massacre, along with co-author Police Commissioner Joseph M. Bail; and When Terror Returns: The History and Future of Terrorist Mass-Hostage Sieges. He can be contacted at john@circon.org.

Matt Adams is a 32-year law enforcement veteran. Beginning as a patrol officer, he is currently a Special Agent for the Office of the Attorney General in Colorado. He has served as an instructor in high-liability areas such as firearms, Taser, defense tactics and SWAT. Matt served on his department’s SWAT team as a team leader. He is a multiple black belt holder Matt was trained in close protection and surveillance through a SAS-based EP course in the UK. He has worked EP for foreign dignitaries, generals and high-risk terror targets, as well as providing EP training for US SWAT teams for joint operations with the Secret Service and State Department Security details.

Truth Dies in Darkness

Truth Dies in Darkness
By: Lt. Joseph Pangaro, CSO, CPM  

The feeling of danger is palatable. We all live with it. Some of us feel it more as a constant presence because of where we live or work, and others feel it when they have to leave the relative safety of their homes for any other reason.

The never-ending threat of being robbed, attacked or otherwise brutalized has been crystalized in recent days by the very public and brutal murder of an innocent young woman from Ukraine who came to America for a better life. Her throat cut while sitting on a train doing nothing to deserve her fate.

The school shootings we see all across the USA on a regular basis makes us nervous and afraid to send our children to school, and the devastating live action murder of Charlie Kirk at the University of Utah sent shock waves across the country.

These horrific events and many more that are less publicized but are just as terrible take place every day at what seems like a heightened pace and have left most of us shaken.

And what causes this wave of violence, death and destruction?

While I can cite many reasons such as crime in general, a lack of respect for our fellow citizens and an attitude adopted by many that they are entitled to hurt and steal because of their circumstance, there is a bigger reasons at work.

These reasons we don’t talk about so openly because to do so would open a person up to criticism for being “uncaring, racist, religious haters, cold hearted and bigoted” and any other slur that can be leveled at a person to shut them up.

In this age, we find ourselves in a place where truth is shunned because it is considered hurtful, offensive to point out facts, and makes some people look bad in their choices and actions no matter how detrimental those choices are to the person themselves and everyone around them.

We are told through the popular culture that it is better to ignore truth as it makes people uncomfortable; it is better to live a lie and pretend not to see the truth than to see things as they actually are. This goes for many of today’s problems and they stand at the doorstep of leftist, liberal, socialist thinking.

While most of us have known this to be true all along, we have stayed quiet in the background so as not to be targeted for recognizing actual truth and not going along with the lies being pushed on our country and people.   

We have seen the era of big liberal ideas, beliefs, concepts and theories take hold of our nation and the utter destruction these things offer in real life, defined by pools of blood and shattered lives. We have seen the power of the media, who have clearly taken sides and joined with the anti-truth crowd, to push lies, misconceptions, twisted thoughts and illogical thinking to advance an agenda that is based on a misplaced sense of, “Being nice, understanding people’s feelings”, and allowing horrendous behavior to be excused as society’s fault and not the fault those who engage in the negative behaviors.

We are suffering a mental health crisis that has added to the carnage offered by leftist beliefs and ideas. We have accepted the idea that it is better to let people live in a delusion rather than to help them cope with their problems.

We force the entire society to “Pretend” these delusions are real and to go along with them in some bizarre belief that living a lie will make it real. And voicing any opinion different than the approved version of reality can subject you to being canceled, ostracized, called names or shot through the throat in front of your family on a beautiful sunny afternoon in Utah.

And to demonstrate the depth to which these beliefs and concepts have overrun us, we see thousands of unhinged, morally bankrupt individuals posting on social media that the brutal murder of a man simply speaking his opinion is a great thing.

We see people dancing with joy because a voice they disagree with was silenced. Instead of debating these different ideas and opinions, they revel in murder and bloodshed.

For many years, we have refrained from defining this mindset so as not to offend. We ignore truth and pretend that bizarro world is real; we allow thousands of our fellow citizens to be murdered every weekend in our cities without addressing it for fear of revealing truths that would be inconvenient. And we accept the attacks on like-minded, clear thinking people, because we don’t want the evil eye of the politically correct to be focused on us.      

The result of our silence; a dead woman on a train, school children shot down like animals, women sexually assaulted on a daily basis, children trafficked by evil people and a man’s voice and life taken from him, his family and the world.

These are the results of living lies.

These lies are supported and propped up by an ideology of hate, revenge, narcissism, self-pity, self-righteousness, fear, rage, purposeful misinterpretation, manipulation of the weak in spirit and weak in mind and the cowardice of those who see the truth, know the truth but do not speak up. This will lead to doom for all of us.

It is clear the world we are living in is suffering from the reality of this leftist ideology that has afflicted our society and many other societies across the world. We can see parallels in other western countries where these same left-wing beliefs, policies and practices have been allowed to take hold to the ruin of many people. To ignore this reality or to refuse to see it is a symptom of a much deeper problem; a problem that will affect all of us sooner or later.

How do we recover from this dark place we have found ourselves?

The answer is not hard to find, it has always been with us, but it is much harder to live because it demands we address the lies, refute the lies and accept truth. 

Let’s ask a few tough questions…

Does seeing, and speaking the truth mean we cannot be understanding and compassionate to the suffering of people who struggle with mental challenges, or those whose moral underpinnings have been damaged for decades and led to parts of our society that don’t behave and interact with the world around them appropriately?

The answer is no; we must use compassion to understand people’s struggles. But we don’t further damage them by lying to them.

Seeing and living the truth is the first step. Next comes the responsibility to heal those afflicted, help them overcome their challenges, and take concrete actions to make the world a better place.

We must commit ourselves to speaking the truth even if it offends, even if it makes us uncomfortable, even if it is interpreted as hurtful. What is more hurtful: Pointing out truth and helping people overcome their struggles so they can have a better life, or continuing to spout lies so they can pretend they are living a better life? And we must stand together to demand a new era built on truth, reality, decency, and love as we support the voices of truth.

Lofty goals indeed, but where has the current way of life gotten us, how has living the lies made our country a better place for all?

It hasn’t. We suffer citizens being slaughtered in the streets in American neighborhoods because we won’t confront crime and the actual sources of crime because it’s uncomfortable? How is that compassionate? How is that in the American tradition? To not address this truthfully puts the blood of innocent people on all of our hands.

How do we ignore the rule of law because criminals find themselves suffering for the consequences of their actions? Is it better to ignore the truth and allow people to destroy lives and our way of life to pretend crime cannot be stopped?

No it is not better. Human nature tells us that if we allow criminals to act as they choose, it is the innocent who will suffer, and that is not a good exchange for the perceptions that criminals cannot control themselves or society made them rape, rob and murder. We must face the truth and protect these communities from the people who would destroy them.  Every citizen in every community deserves to live free and safe.

In the end the list of things we must readdress and reevaluate under the bright light of truth, and I will address them in the future, for now this piece has broached the subject.

Are you a person who wants to live truth or will you hide under a rock to protect lies?

Tonight, a young woman who could be anyone’s daughter lies in her grave. A voice of a generation will never hold his wife or children again and countless other people will suffer from living lies and not facing truth.  This must change.

This article originally appeared on AmericaOutLoud and is reprinted with permission of the author.

Joseph Pangaro is a 27-year veteran of law enforcement. He retired in 2013 at the rank of Lieutenant and currently serves as the Director of School Safety and Security for a large school district in NJ. He is also the owner of Pangaro Training and Management, a company that provides training to the public and private sector on a host of topics. Email: Joe@PangaroTraining.com, www.PangaroTraining.com. “The Blue Heart Webcast”www.YouTube.Com/@BlueHeartWebcast & host of “The Human Equation” at 9 PM on AmericaOutLoud.news Thursdays and Fridays.

WE ARE A PROFESSIONAL POLICING ORGANIZATION…and also WE will ONLY help fellow officers WE agree with!? ...Chicago?

WE ARE A PROFESSIONAL POLICING ORGANIZATION…and also WE will ONLY help fellow officers WE agree with!? ...Chicago?

By: Monty Bynum

I’ve spent the last several days digging into what happened in Chicago on October 4, 2025, the incident where a request for aid by federal agents to the Chicago Police Department went unanswered for more than 40 minutes.

I’ve reviewed the press conference by Superintendent Larry Snelling, the dispatch recordings, the CAD logs, and spoken with several CPD officers who were familiar with the call. What I’ve seen and heard paints a disturbing picture:

·         A direct call for help ignored.

·         A delay that would get any patrol officer disciplined or terminated.

·         And a command staff more focused on defending the optics than confronting the truth.

During his press conference, Superintendent Snelling didn’t own the failure. He downplayed it. He deflected criticism by claiming those outside the agency “didn’t have the facts.” That’s not leadership, that’s damage control. The facts his own timeline, the radio traffic, and the CAD readout did show that assistance was delayed. The “why” is what’s most troubling. Multiple officers inside CPD have stated that this was not confusion; it was hesitation. And hesitation rooted in politics.

Let me be clear… When a fellow law enforcement officer calls for help, the answer is never “wait.” It’s never “stand down.” It’s “on the way.” Five minutes is an eternity when you’re in a fight for your life. Forty minutes is betrayal.

If the Chief of Patrol truly gave that order or failed to countermand it, that’s not a lapse in communication. That’s a moral failure in leadership; the kind that costs lives. This is what happens when politics infect policing. When command decisions are made to protect careers instead of lives. When the people wearing stars forget what it means to wear the badge.

Superintendent Snelling’s defense of his command staff might sound noble, but defending failure isn’t leadership, it’s complicity. I’ve always given police leaders the benefit of the doubt. But in this case, the evidence, the radio traffic and the voices of the officers on the ground say otherwise. This incident should terrify every cop in America. Because it tells you when things get political, help might not come.

Chicago PD has a chance to fix this. To be transparent. To admit a mistake and restore trust. But that starts with truth, not spin. To every agency across the nation learn from this. If your people ever call for help, your response time better not depend on politics or press conferences.

SINCE WHEN DOES IT MATTER WHAT UNIFORM AND BADGE YOU WEAR??? Are we servant leaders, cops, law enforcement officers or we are POLITICAL PAWNS!? I have NO patience or tolerance for weak leadership, DON’T make excuses. This was not a hard call. Immediately respond. TRUE LEADERS are built and trained to make the ‘hard calls.’

When cops stop responding to each other, the system collapses. And if that happens, no one’s coming.

#LeadershipMatters #ChicagoPD #Vigilant

Monty Bynum is a USMC Captain Veteran and 32-year law enforcement professional whose career spans narcotics, counterterrorism, and complex criminal investigations with the DEA and GBI. He’s led Marines across 12 countries, dismantled international trafficking networks, and trained thousands nationwide. As founder of the ADB family of brands, he’s on a mission to restore the honor, pride, and excellence of policing—raising the next generation of guardians and redefining what it means to lead with purpose, conviction, and heart.

Attaboy

Attaboy
By: Deon Joseph

The older I get, the more I value the memories of my job as it gets closer to the end.  I had a lot of challenge coins given to me over the years. The ones in the front row each have a cool story behind them.

One in particular is my favorite.  It was given to me by Chief William Bratton around 2005 or ‘06. I remember back then I was really grinding to make Skid Row safe along with many great officers. I was primarily driven by the tragedy and lack of justice for the people there. I wanted to change it.

One day I was at the old Police Administration Building on the first floor en route to conducting an investigative follow-up at Robbery Homicide Division.

I was at the lobby desk talking crap with one if my old partners, when a tall detective with a white shirt and red tie approached me and said “The Chief wants to see you.”  It was out of the blue. First I thought, “How did he even know I was here.”  The second thought was “What the heck did I do?”

I was just a new Senior Lead. I never got into trouble, I stayed quiet and humble.  Never bragged about my work.  Someone must have lied on me or something.

It was a weird way to think, but after what we experienced with the previous chief, I was a little nervous.

So I took the elevator to the Chief’s floor. I said a prayer, sighed got myself prepared for whatever was coming beyond that door. I knocked and heard a calm voice with a super heavy Boston accent say, “Come on in Officer Joseph.”

I entered and saw the Chief in his class A uniform standing and staring out of the window at the gray sky. His hands were clasped behind his back.  I thought to myself “Oh oh!” I approached and said, “Sir, You wanted to see me.”  He turned to me with his hands behind his back and said, “I’ve been hearing about your work. Keep it up. This is for you.”

I stuck out my hand had he placed this coin in it. He then said, “That is all. Be safe out there.” I thanked him for the coin and I left feeling relieved.

But also euphoric knowing that though I never touted my work, the highest-ranking member of my department noticed.  It was a good feeling.

With every story I tell there is a lesson. This is for leaders of 1st responders The people who work under you don’t look for credit. They don’t look for pats on the back or thank yous. They don’t need to be paraded around in a grand fashion.

But a simple and quiet, “Attaboy” in private, can really mean a lot.  It really did mean a lot.

Deon Joseph is a 28 year veteran of law enforcement in Southern California - 24 of those years working in the homeless community to create an environment conducive to change for those in recovery, as a Lead Officer. He’s been recognized for his work locally and nationally, and news stories and documentaries surrounding his work in crime fighting and community relations, featured him. www.deonjoseph.org

It’s hard to believe it's been 38 years

It’s hard to believe it's been 38 years
By: Dale Gabriel  

It was October 19. 1987. THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS AGO!

Happy Anniversary to my brothers and sister from the 69th PSP Academy class.

We embarked on a journey like no other, a journey that cannot be defined, and a journey that only a very small percentage of people are 

able to take, a journey that would take us places and show us things that NOBODY should ever have to see, a journey that would bless us with unbreakable bonds, a journey that would give us pride and jubilation, a journey that, in the end, was ultimately life-changing!

Personally, I left my job that I absolutely loved as a radio announcer/news reporter, packed up my old yellow Firebird, kissed and hugged my mom and dad, my then-girlfriend (now my wife of over 37 years, said goodbye, then began the long and lonely 2 ½-hour drive east, across the state, to PA State Police Academy in Hershey.

I had NO idea what I was getting myself into.  Other than being 20 miles away at Saint Vincent College, and coming home most weekends, I had never even been away from home. The next five LONG months seemed like a lifetime for this college boy, being about as anti-military as they come. I never DID learn to march or salute very well, something that would haunt me over the next 25 years.

The Academy classroom work was simple. Learning had never been difficult for me when I put in the effort.  Pool time was easy since I had swum nearly every day possible for the past 12 years or so (although we did not have "pool duty" long because of a problem with the pool.) The REST of the academy time was NOT easy. My knees could NEVER withstand the morning run of up to 5 miles, regardless of the weather. Physical training had its ups and downs. There was fight class, actual LIVE hand-to-hand combat. Sometimes you were lucky enough to get the weak; other times, you WERE the weak. The shooting range, working details and much more filled the days.  My parents and older troopers I knew LIED to me!  This was NOTHING like college! What had I gotten myself into?  And then, there were the constant inspections. They certainly were not my friend, especially considering I did not have my mom to make my bed or wash and iron my clothes.

Fortunately, after that long, hard five months and finally passing the required tasks, including the obstacle course at the exact time I needed (I still think they shaved a few seconds off my time.  Just a week earlier, I was still far off.), I would become a full-fledged Pennsylvania State Trooper.

Trooper Dale a Gabriel. "GABRIEL G-A-B-R-I-E-L Just like the Angel." That had a nice ring to it. I probably said that a thousand times over the next 25 years, pointing to my name tag, when someone DEMANDED to know my name. My coworkers can attest to that. In fact, some of them started doing it FOR me. This was easily the most important and proudest accomplishments in my life to that point, only overshadowed later by being a father.

I would spend the next 25 years doing what I still consider to have been very important work, taking me from Shippenville in Clarion County, to Greensburg, then home to Kiski Valley for the last 20 years.   I was proud of the work I did. Proud to be a "Road Dawg" for the entire time. I was punched, kicked, bitten, spit on, run down by a car, dragged by a drunk driver and even attacked off duty, resulting in a fractured skull and severe facial injuries. Yet, like Buford Pusser, I kept "Walking Tall."  Well, at least as tall as a guy not quite 5'9" could!

I kept plugging away, going from wide-eyed rookie to grizzled veteran in what SEEMED like a very short time.  Several times, I was among the top 10 in DUI arrests in my troop, receiving the High DUI award. For about 18-20 of those years, I had the most DUIs at my station. I probably took part in taking a thousand drunk drivers off the road, and I absolutely hammered underage drinkers. Many thought I was wrong hunting them out the way I did.  Right or wrong, these were things I despised.

My very favorite thing, however, was simply the interaction with people when they were NOT at their worst, not victims, not the accused.  I loved seeing kids out in public and the excitement in their eyes at seeing a policeman, still a hero to most of them. I would let them sit in my patrol car, blow the siren, just talk to them, let them know we are there when they need us, and a friend when they don't.  I absolutely loved being like Superman to them.  I thoroughly enjoyed the hundreds of programs I put on at schools, old folks' homes, town meetings, scout troops, 4-H Clubs, PTA meetings and many more.

I think my proudest "accomplishment" was to incorporate, then put on for five years, "Camp Clelian," a one-day police camp for the students at Clelian Heights, a school for persons with special needs, the first of its kind to my knowledge. Each year, it got bigger and better. After the last one, I received a personal call from Governor Corbett and our PSP Commissioner. Great memories.

Unfortunately, though, as only those of us IN law enforcement know, the job eats at you. It takes so much out of you, changes you. My outlook on life changed. We are forced to see a multitude of things the average person does not see. I had so many ups and downs over the years, hundreds of dead bodies, mostly fatal accidents and suicides, drug overdoses, fatal fires, even a few murders. I saw a man die screaming while trapped in his tractor-trailer, as fire raged around him, and we caught his dog as he threw it out the window. I found my daughter's best friend and other kids I knew dead in a triple-fatal crash. I sat along the side of the road, holding an elderly woman's hand as she expired while awaiting an ambulance, talking to her for what seemed like hours. Delivering death messages to people, telling them they had just lost a loved one, was very difficult, completely draining you.

Over time, it hardens you. I saw people at their worst, injured, hurt and scared. Very often, however, I think that I was able to provide them some kind words, some comfort, which I believed helped them deal with the situation they were in. That is a very important and under-rated task.

And I was blessed to work with and become friends with so many great people along the way. Unlike a "normal" job, your co-workers become more than just your friends. They become your lifeline. They are men and women you know you can count on when the shit hits the fan. Brothers and sisters you know will have your back, just as you have theirs.

It's not just those in your own department, but many of those in the neighboring stations, local police officers you work with regularly.  Unfortunately, some of these brothers and sisters were taken from us at the hands of murderers. It does not matter if you know them personally or not; each and every one are family. May they all rest in peace.  And now, I see many of my old law enforcement brothers' and sisters' KIDS wearing the uniform. I am as proud of them as if they were my own kids.  And I pray for them constantly, as I do ALL police officers. Thank you for carrying on the tradition!

All in all, it was a great career for me. I am proud of my body of work. I am proud to have set an example in my neighborhood, someone people knew they could count on, and someone the kids could look up to. In addition, I was able to work midnight shift for the majority of it, which allowed me the time and ability to stay active in my three daughters' lives, which I think helped them turn into strong and successful adults.  It gave me the opportunity to stay active with kids in my community.

Those of us IN law enforcement KNOW the truth... but to those NOT in law enforcement, it's much different than you THINK. It's not like what you see on TV. It's a calling, not a job. When others run for safety, WE run TOWARD danger. Today's world disgusts me. There is so much blind hatred for law enforcement. So much disrespect. Yet we are still out there doing the job every day, much of the time for people who do not appreciate it. I cannot believe it's been 38 years, and I have been retired for 12, but I still hold my head high.  I am still proud to be part of a fraternity that most of the world could not or would not do.

Happy Anniversary my brothers!

Dale Gabriel is a retired patrol and community services officer with the Pennsylvania State Police. After 25+ years of service, in retirement, he has been working on a book of his many PSP memories. He also coaches a baseball team in a Miracle League for those with special needs. He holds a communication degree with English minor from Saint Vincent College in Western Pennsylvania.

The SALT Deduction Revival: How the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” Bailed Out America’s Overtaxed Homeowners

The SALT Deduction Revival: How the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” Bailed Out America’s Overtaxed Homeowners
By: Geoffrey Rejent

Imagine this for a minute:  You’re a hardworking law enforcement officer living on the East or West Coast, earning a solid six-figure income. You pay enough property taxes to personally fund a small town’s volunteer fire department annually, and your state income tax bill is even worse. For as long as you can recall, you’ve been getting crushed by taxes.  You take your blows from the state and local governments, only to get hit again by Uncle Sam, who wouldn’t let you deduct more than $10,000 of those crippling state and local taxes. Naysayers may say, “It’s your choice to live there,” but let’s face it, can you really uproot your family midway through your career and move to a tax-friendly state?  What about those who are near the end of the careers, just trying to hang on until they can secure their pension and leave their overtaxed state?  Chances are that those faced with those situations will consider moving only when they are finally able to pack it in and retire.  President Ronald Reagan once said that “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are,, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’”  Well, thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the federal government has helped taxpayers in the high-taxed states.

On July 4th, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law.  The law has a number of provisions and tax reductions for your average American.  You can debate the merits of the bill, whether or not it will ultimately increase or decrease the national debt, etc.  There is one major component of the bill that serves as a financial lifeline that millions of Americans in high-taxed states have been desperately waiting for:  a temporary increase in the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction.  Prior to the passage and signing of the bill, the SALT deduction was capped at a mere $10,000.  The bill now increases that number to $40,000, providing much-needed help to those living in high-taxed states.

What is the SALT Deduction, and Why Should You Care?
The SALT deduction allows taxpayers who itemize their deductions to subtract their state and local income taxes, sales taxes and property taxes from their federal taxable income. Think of this as the federal government saying to high-taxed state residents, “Hey, we recognize you’re already getting crushed by your state and local taxes.  We aren’t going to do it, too.”Prior to 2018, there wasn’t a cap on this deduction. People who lived in high-taxed states like California, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut could deduct their entire state and local tax bill. When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 was signed into law during President Trump’s first presidential term, it created a $10,000 annual limit on SALT deductions.  That meant that residents of those high-taxed states lost their federal tax deduction with the stroke of a pen.  What was the result? Taxpayers who lived and worked in high-tax states suddenly found themselves paying thousands more in federal taxes, even as their overall tax bill continued to climb from a state and local tax standpoint.  Residents of high-taxed states felt like they were being punished for living in states that happened to have robust public services, inflated budgets and higher tax rates.  Worse yet, some politicians in these states have done little to help improve the rising taxes in these states.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act brought about much-needed tax relief to high-taxed state residents. The new legislation temporarily provides a more generous deduction cap, increasing it from $10,000 to $40,000 from 2025 to 2029.  There are some limitations to the SALT deduction. There is an income limit starting at $500,000, which phases out the generous deduction. The SALT deduction will take effect for the 2025 tax year and remain in force through 2029, with a 1% inflation adjustment after 2025.

To put this in perspective, here is an example of how this will benefit residents from high-taxed states.  John is a municipal police officer living in Bergen County, New Jersey.  He earns $130,000 annually, owns an $800,000 home of which he still owes $450,000 to his mortgage company, and pays about $25,000 in combined state income and property taxes.  Under the old $10,000 SALT deduction cap, John could only deduct $10,000 of his $25,000 state and local tax bill, essentially leaving him feeling like his $15,000 was essentially taxed twice.  How was he taxed twice?  He paid the initial tax of $25,000 (a combination of the state or local tax), but he was still taxed on that $15,000 federally as well, even though the $15,000 was paid out of his pocket for taxes.  What is the implication?  Depending on his federal tax bracket, he could be paying an additional $2,500-$3,500 of federal taxes on money he didn’t get to keep.  With the new $40,000 cap and assuming John itemizes his deductions, John can now deduct the entire $25,000 state and local tax bill, saving that $2,500-$3,500 per year in federal taxes.  That’s a significant savings!  It is important to note that the One Bill Beautiful Bill Act also changes the amounts of standard deductions.  The bill increased the standard taxpayer deduction to $15,750 for single filers, $23,625 for head of household and $31,500 for joint filers, while also limiting other itemized deductions. If John is a single filer or even a head of household, it would make sense for him to itemize his deductions. If he is a joint filer, he may need to determine if any other deductions total up to a higher number than $31,500. 

You might be asking how does this affect real estate markets?
The SALT deduction isn’t just about individual tax bills; it’s a major factor in real estate markets, particularly those located in high-tax areas around the country. Homebuyers often (and should) consider tax costs when buying a home.  A higher SALT cap makes expensive homes in high-tax areas more financially attractive. This change is also very important for buyers looking to move into larger or nicer homes.  Homeowners who are looking to sell their starter homes and purchase larger properties in desirable school districts will be motivated to buy these homes because of the tax savings. The enhanced deduction makes moving to a more expensive home more financially feasible. The higher limits on the SALT deduction may also slow the flow of families leaving high-taxed states.  This is especially important for people who are moving toward retirement or those who are on a fixed income.

The changes to the SALT deduction represent more than just a tax policy modification.  The modified SALT deduction is recognition that Americans living in high-taxed states are struggling and paying an astronomical amount of taxes.  Families living in high-tax areas will now be able to keep more of their hard-earned money, which will provide more flexibility with how they handle the household finances. Whether you’re a current homeowner watching your tax bill shrink or a prospective buyer suddenly finding more homes within reach, the enhanced SALT deduction is reshaping the landscape of personal finance and real estate. After years of feeling penalized for living in states with high taxes and high home values, families finally have some breathing room.

Geoffrey J. Rejent is a Municipal Police Sergeant in New Jersey.  He is currently in his 23rd year of service and is assigned to Special Operations.  Prior to Special Operations, he was assigned to the Detective Bureau, Traffic Bureau and Patrol Division.  He also currently serves as a Drug Recognition Expert and is a former Crash Reconstructionist.  He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Marist College and a Master’s Degree in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University.  He is also a Mortgage Loan Originator (NMLS 2624041) with One Real Mortgage (198414).  You can reach Geoffrey J. Rejent by email at Geoffrey.Rejent@onerealmortgage.com or by Facebook at Geoffrey J. Rejent – For All of Your Mortgage Needs.

PREVIEW: Artificial Intelligence: The End of the Human Officer?

PREVIEW:Artificial Intelligence: The End of the Human Officer?

The Blue Magazine – 2025 Edition

In Silicon Valley, engineers are designing the perfect officer — one that never sleeps, never hesitates, and never makes a mistake. While they debate algorithms and ethics, America’s command rooms stay quiet. But silence doesn’t mean safety. Artificial intelligence is already policing the world.

In Dubai, robots patrol public spaces. In Los Angeles, predictive software guides deployment. In Singapore, surveillance systems flag movement patterns before a crime occurs.

What began as support for law enforcement is becoming a replacement for it. To policymakers, perfection looks efficient — no fatigue, no bias, no liability. But when judgment is turned over to artificial intelligence, who defines justice?

The Blue Magazine examines the rise of AI in law enforcement and what it means for the officers still wearing the badge. Read the full investigation at TheBlueMagazine.com (https://www.thebluemagazine.com)