Tim Dees

3 weeks ago | police1.com | Tim Dees

From spotting a suspicious object on a sidewalk to responding to a driver who refuses to roll down their window, police officers routinely face unpredictable situations that require fast, informed decisions. But what are the legal boundaries of their authority in these encounters? This article examines five real-world patrol scenarios and outlines what officers can — and can’t — legally do in each situation.

Nov 21, 2024 | police1.com | Tim Dees

Law enforcement officers are generally known for their selflessness. They won’t hesitate to insert themselves into a dangerous situation to prevent harm to a total stranger and expect little more than their paycheck for doing so. That doesn’t mean there is a complete absence of “What’s In It For Me?” especially in regard to long-term issues like pensions, mental and physical health. That’s why a new presidential administration is always of special interest to police.

Aug 17, 2024 | police1.com | Tim Dees

The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), law enforcement’s default think tank, recently published its 10-year look-back report on the phenomenon of body-worn cameras (BWCs) in American policing. The report detailed the changes BWCs have brought about and those likely to come. The last technology to have this much impact on law enforcement was the two-way radio.

Jul 18, 2024 | police1.com | Tim Dees

Have you ever called in a traffic stop over the radio and forgotten your call sign, your location, and/or one or more of the phonetic words to report the license plate characters? Something like, “Dispatch, this is unit six at First and Oak. I’ve got a brown Ford with a Utah plate. Nine, Charles, Edward... uh, um, ah... Scooby Doo...”If your career is long enough and you haven’t done that yet, you quite possibly will at some point.

Jul 13, 2024 | police1.com | Tim Dees

The “Dinkheller” documentary is now available to watch on Amazon, iTunes and Google Play. Deputy Kyle Dinkheller was approaching the end of his watch on January 12, 1998, when he made a traffic stop on a road adjacent to Interstate 16 in Laurens County, Georgia. That stop would mark Dinkheller’s End of Watch in capital letters, after Andrew Brannan first danced in the road and taunted Dinkheller to shoot him, then returned to his truck and produced an M1 rifle that he used to murder the deputy.