Police Magazine: 2 Ways to Harden Soft Targets Like Churches, Synagogues, and Mosques

In this article, POLICE Magazine asks, “Will the year 2020 mark the moment in our nation’s history when we dramatically pivot and truly harden so-called “soft targets”—places that are frequently the targets of deranged killers bent on delivering death?”

It goes on to offer two recommendations:

Step One—post armed guards in as many houses of worship as possible. It’s unreasonable to expect total coverage, but the mere fact that there MIGHT be a “good guy with a gun” inside might be sufficient deterrent to keep parishioners safe.

Step Two—at the state level, abolish the notion of “gun-free” zones.

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Leadership Lessons From the Allied Invasion of Normandy

Buy the book Desmond Doss Conscientious Objector: The Story of an Unlikely Hero through this affiliate link with AmazonThe book Agility: How to Navigate the Unknown and Seize Opportunity in a World of Disruption by Leo M. Tilman and Charles Jacoby (Missionday, 2019) includes a chapter examining what the World War II Allied D-Day invasion of Normandy demonstrates about the power and utility of organizational agility (and by extension, SemperVerus living). The authors define agility as “the organizational capacity to effectively detect, assess, and respond to environmental changes in ways that are purposeful, decisive, and grounded in the will to win.” Agile organizations possess both strategic and tactical strengths. The authors identify the three essential competencies that constitute the pillars of agility as

  • risk intelligence
  • decisiveness
  • execution dexterity.

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Stranded in Your Car This Winter? Here’s How to Survive

On the USCCA blog, Frank Jastrzembski writes: The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration reported that more than 70% of the nation’s roads are located in snowy regions, which receive more than 5 inches of snowfall on average annually. Nearly 70% of the US population lives in this area.

Having a winter survival kit in your vehicle is an essential part of winter travel. Your kit should include the following items:

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Situational Awareness: Passive or Active?

Criminal investigations & intelligence unit supervisor Lou Hayes Jr. says: “When I talk with most folks about Situational Awareness, they mention phrases like:

  • being aware of your surroundings;
  • know what’s happening around you;
  • observing things that stick out.

These behaviors or characteristics aren’t wrong. However, they do bring out a certain flavor of passivity. It’s as if the person is passively monitoring their environment as a receptor of stimuli. It’s, in a way, a defensive way of opening oneself up to receive information, whenever that information decides to reveal itself. In short, information comes to you.

What if we looked at a different posture of situational awareness?

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