31Oct05

"Both confronted the say day. This died. That went his way: =9D

"Not long ago, we had an officer murdered here. The culprits were quickly captured, and later interviewed about the incident. They were in a car and

were stopped by two different officers, less than a hour apart. They gave the first officer no problem. They murdered the second!

When asked why they did not assault the first officer, they all replied the y knew right away he was 'a professional.' Alert, focused, cl ear, sharp. Everything about him, from his exit from the patrol car, to his sharp perso nal appearance, to his eventual disengagement, suggested authority, strength, a nd competence. 'We all figured he was a tough customer, a dangerous d ude,' they echoed in unison. 'It was our immediate and unanimous decisio n not to mess with him.'

Conversely, when the group was contacted by the second officer, they described him as confused, distracted, and sloppy, both in appearance and d emeanor. They decided he would be an easy mark and would not react to their attack quickly nor with sufficient violence. Unfortunately, they were right! =9D

Lessons: Half of being good is looking good. The best way to win a war is

by reputation!

All uniformed officers should carry at least two pistols. One they see. One they don't. Backup guns need to be out of sight and accessible to either hand. Concealed blades are an integral part of the uniform too.

Check your gear, particularly emergency equipment, regularly and without fail. Make sure it is present and in the condition it needs to be. Don 't " assume," and don't depend on others. Test; don=80=99t gu ess.

Train for life-threatening emergencies regularly and intensely. "L et's pretend" training is largely a waste of time. Don't be afra id to spend your own money on legitimate training.

Many officers are alive today only because they were lucky. Never give int o adversity. Never trust prosperity. And, never fail to take full note of fortune's irritating habit of doing exactly as she pleases!

/John