Police Tips

The PoliceOne Law Enforcement and Police Tips section provides insight from PoliceOne columnists and members on the things Police Officers can do to increase safety and enhance productivity.

The tips and resources here—ranging from innovations in defensive tactics to new concealment techniques to off duty survival and dozens of other matters critical to law enforcement officers—are updated regularly. Every day, Officers on the streets encounter new information that can help fellow officers, so we encourage you to submit your tips. Help us to help Police Officers better serve and protect our communities.

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Full list of recent and archived Police Tips

Grow house hazards: Beware of Aspergillus and other molds: Following up on the tactical tip I posted last week relative to dos and don’ts for handling meth precursors. I got several great pieces of feedback from PoliceOne Members, three of ...
Provide K9 teams with the entire less lethal tool kit 3: In a perfect world, every cop would have the right tool with him, at the right time. He or she would arrive at every call with every line of the force matrix — from presence to a .50 ...
Video: Carrying a second gun 42: Betsy Brantner Smith talks to Adam Painchaud, director at Sig Sauer Academy, who says "redundancy is key" to maintaining officer safety. One day, he says, your backup gun could be critical ...
17 dos and don’ts for handling meth precursors2: In light of a recent record-breaking 15-ton methamphetamine bust in Guadalajara, Mexico — and the on-going proliferation of meth users and manufacturers nationwide — it’s ...
Do you have the spirit of a warrior? 23: Do you arrive at work with the spirit of a warrior, or do you just show up with the attitude just another day of job BS and public stupidity? If you have the attitude that this is just ...
Equipment to take to an active-shooter event 18: In this video tactical tip, Don Alwes talks about the necessity to be prepared for an active shooter incident, calling it a “come as you are, and come right now” type of event. ...
Quick and easy weapon wipes 12: Here is an easy way to keep wipes with your favorite gun oil or solvent on them handy. You will need:• one pack of travel sized baby wipes • your favorite oil or solvent • ...
Practicing a strong-side-only reload9: Scott Reidy, Senior Instructor for the Sig Sauer Academy discusses what he terms the “strong-side-only reload” — some use terminology like ‘dominant / non-dominant ...
Making room in your life for your dreams4: It’s déjà vu all over again. Since it’s Groundhog Day, I don’t feel too terrible about offering a tip we’ve all probably heard — in one form or ...
Moments of leadership can last forever 8: It has been more than 40 years since trainer John Demand Jr., then a rookie, almost gave a courtesy ride to a car thief. But he remembers the leadership lesson of that night vividly, and ...
Video: Practicing the 'one-hole drill'25: In this video tactical tip, PoliceOne Columnist Betsy Brantner Smith works alongside J.C. Corbett — a Senior Instructor at the Sig Sauer Academy — on what Sig calls the ...
Precinct invasion: 5 lessons learned from a bloody attack 20: At the IACP annual conference last fall, two separate panels were devoted to debriefing what happened in Detroit that cold and fateful Sunday morning nine months earlier when an offender ...
Being defensive can be a problem 36: Being defensive can be counterproductive, particularly if you see the attack coming and you wait to respond. Your best advantage may be to react first. Look for your opening — in a ...
Video: First on the scene of an active shooter 10: When arriving to handle an active shooter, the officers who are first on the scene have certain responsibilities. Don Alwes outlines them here. ...
Anything less than sighted shooting is a 'compromise' 19: Some officers, and even some trainers, argue it’s a waste of time to use your sights in firearms practice. After all, you’re not likely to use them in a sudden gunfight.ILEETA ...
Video: Inspecting your pistol ammunition8: The loudest sound a pistol can make is “click!” In today’s video tactical tip, John McGregor — an adjunct instructor with the Sig Sauer Academy — demonstrates ...
6 winter driving tips6: As winter weather hits much of the country it’s important to keep in mind the challenges and potential dangers of slick-surface driving. Here are a few things to keep in mind this ...
Are you ready for your Super Bowl? 5: I’m submitting this in the spirit of the football playoffs, which began this past weekend. Some of you may appreciate it and others not so much, but there is a point to be made ...
A source for LEOSA legal info4: In a recent article which mentioned LEOSA (H.R.218) concealed carry issues, I complained of not knowing a single, good source of LEOSA facts. Attorney Steve Manion of New Jersey emailed me ...
Keep your firearms clean and serviceable 20: A colleague of mine told me of a story about an officer he knew. This officer had not cleaned his weapon in several months and when he finally went to tear it down the magazine was rusted ...