Letter From the Editor - September/October 2024

Welcome to the September/October issue of OFFICER Magazine and what is surely an information-packed reference for you to use. This issue has articles ranging from our Special Section on Communications to our annual State of the Industry Projection Survey Summary, sponsored by Damascus Gear, as well as a rundown of the new trends in footwear and headwear for officers from the Network Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors.

September is the unofficial start of the fall season, and all across the country, schools are back in session. That means school buses, children walking across streets, children walking to school, after school practices, evening games and more. Does your agency have a School Resource Officer Program? If so, please reach out to me via email to [email protected]. I’d love to hear about how programs vary from inner-city to rural and beyond (my son lives in a county with only 3,000 residents, so the local elementary school classes have as few as 10 kids each in them). As I’ve recently had to say in a few meetings, there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to law enforcement or community services in America. With about 18,000 agencies ranging in size from one officer to over 33,000, the services provided, policies and everything else can be radically different from one agency to the next. We at OFFICER want to make sure we’re sharing good information for agencies of all sizes if we can. Let us know.

September leads to October and Halloween ends that month. Traditionally it’s a fun holiday that the children love and quite a few adults celebrate as well. Have you ever gone to a Halloween party “in costume” wearing something resembling your uniform? Have you ever taken your kids out trick-or-treating in uniform because you had to work immediately after? If you have, email me a funny story about an experience you had (like the guy who tried to give my kids cans of beer in their candy bags while I stood there in uniform—that he didn’t realize was real). Also, if you have a good haunted house or other spooky event story centered around that time of year, let us know!

After Halloween… the silly season quickly sets in. If you aren’t already planning for it, then you’re way behind the curve. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas there will be tons of special assignments in malls, department stores, special events and more. It’s too easy to work too much and get burned out. The holiday season can bring enough stress. Moderate your work schedule so you don’t overload yourself and ruin the holidays for yourself or your family.

Above all else, stay safe. Go home at the end of your shift.