Words like these often flow from a place without fore- or afterthought. They exist only at the moment they flow from my brain to my fingers or Continue Reading
Law Enforcement
Weaponizing a System That Thrives on Anonymity
The once sanctuary, the seemingly last vestige of honest relief, tainted from within. To be denied the right of comedic relief from the horrific Continue Reading
Jake: My Liberator, My Tormentor
These words are always tormentingly liberating. I fear every phrase, wondering if some passing reader might one day recognize my same Continue Reading
Certified but Unprepared
Editor’s note: Citation superscripts have been removed to align with The Havok Journal’s formatting. Full references remain listed at the Continue Reading
When Criminals Play the Racism Card
Imagine, if you will, an ethnic group in America often being identified for its association with criminal activity. Members of this ethnic group Continue Reading
Donning My Gear
I don my belt and snap my keepers. I place my radio in its pouch and clip it in. I slide my light into its place. I slip into my body armor and Continue Reading
A Cop’s Guide to Brain Surgery
Editor's Note: Yes, we have to say this: the “medical advice” in this piece is satire. Do not attempt any of it, unless your long-term plan involves a Continue Reading
The Cost of Inaccuracy
This originally published in Vincent's substack and is republished with the author's permission. I worked for the Department of Homeland Security Continue Reading
The Blissfully Ignorant
Freedom allows the ignorant and inexperienced to profess utopian ideologies—ideologies that captivate the imagination. Their only physical Continue Reading
Training Written in Blood
Watching the fallout from the ICE agent shooting and killing the protestor in Minnesota has been painful. ICE agents are federal law enforcement. Continue Reading
Trust Earned in Training Paid for in Blood
I’ve spent most of my young adulthood on specialized teams in both law enforcement and the military. One thing I’ve learned is that there’s a Continue Reading
The Sound that Weighs Heavy
By Greg Payton There is a sound during the wee hours of the night in the home of a law enforcement officer. It is simple yet profound. At first it Continue Reading