Letter From the Editor - January 2022

Well, we made it through another year. Welcome to January 2022!! I never thought I’d still be dealing with COVID anything in 2022 and I certainly didn’t think anyone anywhere in our nation would be wearing a mask, debating boosters, arguing over medical record privacy, etc. But here we are. And we can go into the year miserable and grumbling about all that, or we can look at a new year, new opportunities, new growth and new ways to approach every day.

Elsewhere in this issue you’ll find an article I penned about New Years Resolutions. Yes, I do believe in them. However, I believe my approach is a bit different than many and at least reasonably beneficial if attempted; even more so if the resolutions become habits.

One of those resolutions has to do with training above and beyond minimum standards and in that vein you’ll also find, in this issue, an article about Officer Media Group’s new learning tool: the Officer Virtual Academy. Launched in November ’21 with 18 courses online, the classes are free and can be taken from anywhere you have an internet connection. Our first sponsor, N-ear, is appreciated and they have an informative page on the academy site as well. To check it out, visit virtualacademy.officer.com and sign up for your account. Each class has downloadable materials (syllabus and handout), videos to watch and additional resource links for you to read. Upon completion of each course, you can download and print a Certificate of Completion. We anticipate having the courses approved for in-service credit in the coming year (getting that done is one of my personal resolutions).

Another article you’ll find in his issue discusses the differences between military and civilian law enforcement work. Many of us started out in the military and then moved to the civilian law enforcement world. Some of you reading this are still in the military and we want to make sure we don’t neglect your professional interests as we develop our editorial calendar and content materials.

That’s a small taste of what you have to look forward to in this issue. As we move through January and into the new year, I wish all of you a happy, safe and prosperous life. Inherently, law enforcement is dangerous work. Society around us continues to evolve and we have to do the same. I often laugh at how people demand we “reform.” What they don’t know is that we constantly reform in response to case law, new law, insurance worries, public opinion and more. The only constant is change, right?

Keep that in mind as you pin on your badge and strap on your gun for each shift. Make sure you are evolving to maximize your chance of going home alive, whole and healthy at the end of every shift.

Again, welcome to the new year. Stay safe!