Behind the Badge
Tearjerker warning: Students shower Officer Mitch with love
It seems every day there is a new viral video involving police officers that comes across my social media feed.…
Browsing: Columns
Vargas: Seven tips to prevent ‘porch pirates’ from ruining Christmas
Editor’s note: We are reposting this column from a year ago as Christmas approaches. In the pecking order of bad…
Vargas: Today give thanks for our first responders
Today across America there are tens of thousands of first responders who will not be spending the Thanksgiving holiday with…
Vargas: More PDs turn to shaming strategies to curb crime, and that’s a good thing
The use of shame and embarrassment has long been used by society to maintain social order. Law enforcement agencies have…
Vargas: Publicly identifying criminal street gangs now makes sense, and here’s why
On Nov. 11, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Santa Ana Police Department, Tustin Police Department and others conducted a…
Vargas: Rant against cops goes viral, but patient response of officers speaks louder
On Nov. 11, the owners of Brewhemia coffee shop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, asked 65-year-old Melyssa Jo Kelly to leave after she…
Vargas: With Facebook live, every moron now is capable of becoming a media sensation
On Oct. 23, 2016, Michael Vance began a crime spree in Oklahoma that lasted for eight days. It began with…
Vargas: Respect for law enforcement near an all-time high
In the midst of all the political rhetoric involving polls this year, you may have missed one poll that signaled…
Vargas: Madera PD ridealong experiences the terror of taking gunfire from fleeing suspect
What’s it like to be a police officer? It’s a challenge for police officers everywhere to try and share the…
Vargas: We all should be thankful there are so many officers who will stand in their place
Over the last two weeks we mourned the tragic shooting deaths of three peace officers in Southern California. On Oct. 5, L.A. County…