APB American Police Beat

More than 13 years ago, the nation’s attention was glued to the unfolding events surrounding the bombings at the 117th Boston Marathon. A multi-agency manhunt led law enforcement personnel from […]

During the last week of July, the Blue Springs Police Department in Missouri put out a call on social media for assistance in identifying a boy who had been found […]

Since the days of the Gold Rush, ranching and farming have been key economic drivers in Lincoln, a city about 37 miles northeast of Sacramento, California. That heritage continues to […]

Last month, it appeared voters in Portland, Oregon, could decide in the November election whether the city’s police department would receive a funding boost for staffing through dollars originally designated […]

I put my name on the list. As the exam approached, I grew more nervous. Night after night, I studied department manuals, reviewed policies and questioned officers who had already […]

In the era when many families are discovering their roots through DNA testing, it’s affirming to hear how one extended family found each other across the Atlantic Ocean to remember […]

In late July, heavy summer rains drenched central Connecticut. While that’s usually a welcome relief from the heat, the wet weather hindered Vernon police officers’ search for an 8-year-old boy […]

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) on July 28 announced Officers Chris Sullivan, Nicolo DiStefano, Jason Jueckstock, Juan Valencia, Tanner Donnely, Jarrod Valdes, Erick Fuchs, Tyler Hernandez, Hugo […]

As a member of the Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division, Lieutenant Michael de Castro doesn’t regularly drive patrol. After 31 years in law enforcement, however, he […]

Not all top cops have the time to respond to ordinary distress calls, but in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, Police Chief Bryan Taylor stepped up to help visitors who lost control of […]

Mother’s Day is supposed to be a day of celebration, but for Olivia, a resident of Kansas City, Missouri, the day marked a series of unfortunate events. First a thief […]

Like so many Chicagoans, Sergeant Christoria King headed to the cooling waters of Lake Michigan during the July Fourth holiday weekend. She was enjoying a few days off from the […]

It’s true, alcohol gives the illusion of effectively making problems go away through numbing. It is easy to forget the sack of problems that police officers carry around in this […]

As a retired peace officer and experienced law enforcement instructor, I have found that the profession is constantly evolving, whether it be equipment, report writing or tactics. And with new […]

Sometimes the greatest lessons about policing don’t come from a policy manual, a leadership seminar or even years on the street. Sometimes they come from a story. Sometimes Hollywood gets […]

People ask me all the time what I do for a living. The short answer is that I’m a police psychologist. The longer answer is that even after I explain […]

Last October, I wrote Part 1 of “Training dipshittery” (apbweb.com/2025/10/training-dipshittery). After much fanfare, ticker-tape parades and a couple emails of support, it’s time for Part 2 of what is quickly […]

I still remember the first time I faced an internal affairs investigation and had to surrender my badge and gun. That first time, it honestly felt like, along with the […]

Four-year-old Charlee Lacey of Rock Springs, Wyoming, has been through a lot in her short life — and it’s already taught her so much about the importance of first responders […]

“The only comparison I should be making is with myself. Will I be better tomorrow than I am today?”  — Ryan Hawk Answer this question: I’m not where I would […]