In an excellent July 19, 2013, Wall Street Journal essay entitled “Rise of the Warrior Cop,” author-journalist Radley Balko described the alarming militarization of police forces across America. He cited myriad cases of innocent citizens being killed by over-zealous police officers, particularly Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams serving warrants for alleged, often petty, … [Read more...] about Starve the Beast
LAS VEGAS ANTI-GUN POLICY: KILL AND COVER
The following appeared in the Sangre de Cristo Sentinel on July 19, 2014.LAS VEGAS ANTI-GUN POLICY: KILL AND COVERWilliam B. ScottOn July 10, 2010, Erik B. Scott, a 1994 U.S. Military Academy at West Point graduate with an MBA from Duke University, was shot to death by three Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (“Metro”) officers in front of a Las Vegas, NV, Costco big-box … [Read more...] about LAS VEGAS ANTI-GUN POLICY: KILL AND COVER
THE RIGHT SHERIFF: ACCOUNTABILITY
The next sheriff of Clark County, NV, will face two daunting tasks—getting rid of rogue or outlaw Metro police officers and instilling a culture of accountability. However, he absolutely must do both, or good, honorable police officers on the Metro force will face the wrath of increasingly outraged, distrustful citizens.To the latter point, this week, one of our most tireless, … [Read more...] about THE RIGHT SHERIFF: ACCOUNTABILITY
Cutting Room Floor: Ravens Roast
When editing "The Permit," I cut about 15,000 words, including entire chapters, that didn't satisfy a fiction writer's ruthless criterion: Does it move the story forward?Several faithful readers, who had tracked the online, serialized version, noted that the final, published book was missing a chapter they particularly liked—"Ravens Roast." Consequently, like a DVD movie that … [Read more...] about Cutting Room Floor: Ravens Roast
WHO GETS THE POLICE UNION’S LOVE & KISSES?
One foolproof method for deciding who is the right person to elect as the next Clark County sheriff and leader of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is to scrutinize endorsements.And the perfect way to eliminate the wrong sheriff candidates is to ask: Who is the Las Vegas Police Protective Association (LVPPA) backing? The LVPPA is an unabashed, integral cog in … [Read more...] about WHO GETS THE POLICE UNION’S LOVE & KISSES?