Sunday, July 8, 2007

Taser Blog Post Gets Good Reactions (And so do my other comments)

My most recent post on Blogger concerning the Taser has gotten some good reactions. Here is an example of an email I received. This one is from an officer in Massachusetts:

I got the link to your blog and wanted to say I thought the info on the taser was excellent. My PD has kicked the idea around and it was kind of let go for the time being. Hopefully they will reconsider.


Even the controversial Fox 35 10:00 News interview I did on the traffic stop in Hillsborough County, FL, (see a couple previous blog posts) got some positive reaction. Here is one off of PoliceLink.com that I received from an officer in Virginia:

Richard,
I haven't chimed in on all the comments in regard to the traffic stop videos, but I wanted to write you personally. Thank you for your honesty and candor in regard to the officer's reactions. Lately (especially on this site), I've been fed up with some attitudes exhibited by fellow officers and have been annoyed at the idea that no matter the action-the officer is always correct. It seems as if some officers have forgotten where they came from, and have completely lost their human side. I believe theres a time and place for everything and seeing you-especially with your experience-being so honest- is truly a breath of fresh air.

I have actually had to step away from this site for a while after receiving some messages from a certain member (who shall not be named) who accused me of being too soft, compassionate, and uptight. To me, policing is like a recipe. You have to figure out the correct ingredients for whatever jurisdiction you work. What works in Florida might not work in DC-and so on.

So, thank you for your honesty. It hasn't gone unnoticed.
Take care and stay safe.


That traffic stops interview even has found its way to be a part of training officers the importance of remaining calm and composed in the face of a possibly problematic officer-citizen interaction. Here is an email I received from a Southern California city's training sergeant:

I just reviewed a news video about an interview with you regarding a traffic stop that went bad: Hillsborough traffic stop. I was wondering if I could get a copy of the video from you for training purposes? I will be teaching a tactical communications class at the end of August and I would like to incorporate it in my training.


It's nice to see that the information is helpful for law enforcement officers, trainers, and administrators.