Behind the Badge
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…
Browsing: Columns
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…
Vargas: Law enforcement alone can’t solve homelessness
There is little doubt the issues regarding homelessness are on the rise. It doesn’t take much effort to look around…
Roman: Remembering that rookie feeling
The other night I was working a patrol shift when I was sent on a call with a new cop.…
Vargas: Commercializing the sale of marijuana with Prop 64 will not make for safe, more livable communities
On Tuesday night, I attended a workshop in Anaheim to hear speakers discuss Proposition 64. The speakers were from the…
Vargas: ‘Throw-down gun’ theory in Charlotte shooting should be thrown out
The police shooting in Charlotte, North Carolina has ignited a secondary conversation centered around competing narratives. In the police narrative,…
Vargas: Mob in Fresno attacks CHP vehicle and posts ugly incident on social media
On Sunday, Sept. 25, a California Highway Patrol officer was on patrol in Fresno when he approached a crowd of…
Vargas: Heroism in New York lost amid a horrible week for police
The rioting in North Carolina. A police officer charged with manslaughter following a questionable shooting in Tulsa. We should be…
Vargas: It’s not easy to handcuff someone who doesn’t want to be arrested
On Friday, I saw a cell phone video apparently taken at San Diego State University showing two officers struggling to take…