The Calibre Press Street Survival Newsline.

Imagine an officer on the street encountering a suspect who appears to be unarmed. Searching him, the officer finds no guns or knives. But, he is carrying a weapon. In his mouth, he has a concealed single-edged razor blade, which he has trained himself to quickly access and use to brutally maim or even kill an unsuspecting officer.

A corrections officer in an East Coast prison discovered that a number of inmates had used this deadly tactic prior to their incarceration. Offenders first casually position themselves behind their victim. Then, they grab the victim from behind, squeezing the arms to the body in a bear hug. Next, using their tongue, they guide the blade from between the cheek and gum to secure it between the teeth with the blade facing out. Finally, moving their head from side to side, they slash at the victim's neck, attempting to slice the jugular vein.

Across the country, a corrections officer at a West Coast maximum-security prison uncovered a ballpoint pen that an inmate had modified to serve as a biological weapon. He had filed the tip of the ink cartridge to an arrow-sharp point, then emptied the tube by heating the ink inside and letting it drip out. Fortunately, this tube remained empty, but it could have been filled with a number of contaminates, from feces to AIDS-tainted blood. When launched using the pen's spring, the dart could have penetrated an officer's skin and deposited its toxic payload.

Law enforcement officers around the world were alerted to these potentially lethal practices through the Street Survival Newsline, a free, electronic-mail-based training service provided by Calibre Press, which also conducts training seminars and publishes training materials. The Calibre Press research team writes the Newsline articles, which provide lifesaving tips and other vital information at least twice-weekly to over 30,000 subscribers worldwide.

Any sworn law enforcement officer with e-mail capabilities can subscribe to the Newsline. Members consist of officers from all levels of law enforcement - from front-line troops, federal agents, and trainers to investigators and ranking administrators - and from all sizes and locations of departments - from small, rural departments to large, urban forces to federal agencies.

Why the Newsline Was Created

Before they ever step foot on the street, law enforcement officers receive training in everything from defensive tactics to constitutional law. Throughout their careers, they attend in-service training and seminars to supplement their skills and knowledge. Yet, as quick-thinking criminals devise ways to stay ahead of law enforcement, even the most well-trained officer can find it difficult to keep up.

The Street Survival Newsline was created to fill this void. By delivering current training information on a regular basis, it helps keep officers sharp. In addition, an archive of back issues provides readers with a reference guide.(1) Moreover, the immediacy of electronic delivery allows the Newsline to quickly alert officers to such important information as potential dangers they face on the street or a court decision that affects how they perform their jobs.

Indeed, the Newsline covers a wide variety of topics. Transmissions have focused on everything from improvised weapons, officer-involved lawsuits, gang-related intelligence, and new investigative techniques to how officers and departments can cope with line-of-duty deaths, how they can effectively handle stress, and how they can use other officers' successes or misfortunes to better their own performance. Sometimes, law enforcement researchers want to relay the results of recent studies and the Street Survival Newsline gives them the means to do so.

Some articles pertain to specialized topics, such as new Special Weapons and Tactics team techniques or innovative uses for police canines. Yet, even these articles contain information applicable to all officers, and Newsline staff writers emphasize these points. Finally, periodic doses of humor help officers cope with the stresses of police work.

How the Newsline Has Helped Officers

Not long after the Newsline transmitted the razor blade alert, an officer from an East Coast department who had read the article reported that a fellow officer had encountered an individual who had pulled a single-edged razor blade from his mouth. The alert officer avoided injury, while the suspect was charged with carrying a concealed weapon. This represents merely one of the ways that the Newsline benefits its subscribers.

For some officers, the Newsline represents their only source of continuous training. Budget constraints make ongoing training impossible for these officers, so they look to the Newsline to receive current information on important topics.

The Newsline also serves as a forum for officers to share their experiences and express their concerns and ideas. One popular feature is the Street Survival Newsline Mailbag, which consists of a random selection of e-mail feedback from members, who share their thoughts on recent transmissions, new crime-fighting techniques they have learned recently, or general observations on the state of law enforcement today.

Many officers find that the Newsline confirms that the problems they face on the street are not unique. A member in a small, rural department in Alaska can read about another member from a large, urban department on the East Coast facing the same problems. In short, Newsline articles often help officers see that they are not alone.

Newsline members even had input on a U.S. Supreme Court case with major implications for law enforcement. A Newsline transmission advised officers of a pending Supreme Court decision that would affect the way they served warrants and asked them to e-mail their experiences in the field. Several of their responses were included in a brief submitted to the Court on behalf of law enforcement, thus giving officers a voice in America's highest court.

Newsline members also can influence the public's perception of law enforcement and counter negative press. Such an opportunity occurred when the Newsline discussed an article published in a major newspaper that reflected negatively on police officers. Two days later, the editorial section of that newspaper was laden with letters from Newsline members from around the country.

How Officers Use the Newsline

Officers can retrieve Newsline transmissions any time, day or night. Some members receive the Newsline at their departments and read them just before they go on duty. Others read them when they get home.

Newsline members also use transmissions in a variety of ways. Many read the transmissions first, then print them out and distribute them to all of the officers in their departments. Others post the articles on department bulletin boards or keep them in binders in roll-call rooms so every officer can view them. Some departments read the Newsline during roll call, and some officers keep them in their patrol cars for ready reference.

Newsline members in other countries translate the transmissions, then distribute them to fellow officers. Recently, a member from Finland received permission to translate the Newsline into Finnish so that he could share it with 8,000 fellow officers.

How Officers Can Sign Up

Officers interested in receiving the Street Survival Newsline should e-mail their full names, ranks, department names, addresses, and phone numbers to: [e-mail]. Members also can subscribe through the Calibre Press Web site at http://www.calibrepress.com. After having their law enforcement status verified, new members receive an e-mailed confirmation, usually within 48 hours.

Conclusion

The Internet has produced an avalanche of information on every topic imaginable. Yet, this information is not always credible, and even sources directed at law enforcement may not prove practical. By contrast, the Street Survival Newsline contains well-researched articles on relevant topics for law enforcement officers of all ranks and experience levels. Moreover, subscribers do not pay for this valuable information, which arrives automatically by electronic mail.

Whether it warns officers of a potential threat, provides news of recent Supreme Court decisions, or keeps them apprised of practices in other jurisdictions, the Street Survival Newsline gives law enforcement officers vital information that they can use every day on the street. In doing so, it helps officers do more than merely survive; it helps them thrive in a profession fraught with pitfalls.

Endnote 

1 The archive is located on the Calibre Press Web site at http://www.calibrepress.com.

Mr. Buhrmaster serves as director for the Calibre Press Street Survival Newsline in Northbrook, Illinois.