The Things Worth Believing In
Tested by Reality. Guided by Ethics.
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Category: The Craft
Focusing on the intersection of organizational strategy and tactical reality. This category explores the “Way of the Sword” through the lens of modern law enforcement—incorporating staffing studies, hotspot analysis, and the deployment of technology to optimize the mission. It is about the professional discipline required to lead from the front in a 2026 policing environment.
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This viral clip from Hurst, Texas, is a textbook example of what happens when a “courtesy” is mistaken for a weakness. It starts with a 40 mph violation in an active school zone [04:16]—a situation where any officer worth their salt is going to write a ticket because child safety isn’t up for debate. What…
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Back in 2009, I sat through Lt. Col. David Grossman’s “The Bulletproof Mind” presentation. At the time, he was the primary voice on the psychology of killing and the “Sheepdog” concept. Seventeen years later, as I look back at my notes and incorporate the perspective of legendary operators like Major Dick Winters, I find that…
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If I had a dollar for every time someone yelled, “That’s entrapment!” during an arrest, I could have retired a decade ago. It’s a favorite line of the “jailhouse lawyer,” and while they might actually be back on the street tomorrow, it won’t be because the police “entrapped” them. In the age of viral videos…
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In the world of law enforcement training, few concepts are as widely cited—and as frequently misunderstood—as the “21-Foot Rule.” Most of us first encountered this through the late-1980s training film Surviving Edged Weapons. It’s a classic for a reason, featuring legendary practitioners like Dan Inosanto demonstrating just how quickly an officer can be overwhelmed by…
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The AR platform is arguably the most modular long gun in existence. There is no end to the “do-dads” and upgrades available, but there’s often a gap between buying a part and actually having the confidence to install it. Many owners are hesitant to take a punch and hammer to their “baby.” This post is…
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When we talk about “The Standard” in this profession, we often focus on the gear we carry or the certifications on our wall. But the Hagakure offers a sobering reminder that the “trappings” of the warrior are not the “doings” of the warrior. “In China there was once a man who liked pictures of dragons,…
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If you spend any time on social media or in certain “self-defense” circles, you’ve seen the alerts. Viral posts about “suspicious white vans” in Target parking lots, or warnings that middle-class girls are being snatched on their way to Starbucks to be shipped overseas in containers. It’s a scene straight out of the movie Taken.…
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Something unfortunately tends to fly out the window the second stress enters the equation: clear thinking. It seems like everyone in this industry studies, practices, and frankly, sometimes fantasizes about “dynamic entry” and building clearing. But often, the best tactical decision you can make is to slow the hell down and ask one simple question:…
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I was scrolling through the local news recently and saw a familiar headline: an off-duty officer arrested by another agency for a DWI. As expected, the comment section was an immediate dumpster fire. “Bet he gets off.” “Good. They should be treated like everybody else.” “They should be held to a higher standard.” It’s a…
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A common refrain from critics of American policing is how “poorly trained” we are. They point at European academies that last years or compare us to elite military units. They see a six-month academy and assume that’s the end of the road. As someone who has spent 26 years in the job—and managed the logistics…
