Increasingly, officers are voicing their workplace grievances and concerns online via social media, where it is readily accessible by members of the public. While some off-duty social media activity can be speech protected by the First Amendment, other statements are [...]
On September 3 of 2015, a decision was issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The decision was widely viewed by football fans as being one that centered around deflated footballs, a potential suspension [...]
In recent months, several states have passed legislation offering funding and/or rendering mandates to local law enforcement agencies for the purchase, deployment and use of body cameras. This article will analyze two of these statutes—one from Texas and the other [...]
At a time when public safety agencies are grappling with a number of highly publicized issues with substantial legal liability and community relations implications, the issue of sexual harassment and gender discrimination should not be lost in the shuffle. A [...]
The belief among employees that “the rules apply to some more than others” when it comes to discipline is a morale issue in departments across the country. Regardless of whether rank and file claims of favoritism are warranted, the perception [...]
he recent events in Ferguson, Missouri have brought national attention to a number of issues central to law enforcement operations. The sole purpose of this article is to focus squarely on one of them—the continuing challenge within law enforcement agencies [...]
In May of 2014, a probationary deputy with the Bay County, MI Sheriff’s Office receives a $480,000 settlement after filing his lawsuit claiming First Amendment retaliation was the cause of his dismissal. In November of 2013, a probationary corrections officer in Yellowstone County, MT receives a $100,000settlement [...]
A recent decision rendered by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, Murphy v. Radnor Twp. [i], illustrates the significance of a federal anti-discrimination statute enacted in 1994, the intent of which is to protect current and former members of the military [...]
Public safety agencies throughout the country are demonstrating interest in requiring sworn personnel to undergo physical fitness tests throughout their career to ensure that they are maintaining a level of fitness that allows them to safely perform their duties in [...]
Within public safety agencies across the country, a small percentage of employees generate the overwhelming majority of stress in the workplace. These are an agency’s toxic employees. Toxic employees are those who can be so manipulative and problematic that other employees [...]