Behind the Badge
Vargas: I’m still a fan of body-worn cameras despite results of new study
The largest study to date on the impact of body-worn cameras on police use of force and complaints was just…
Browsing: Columns
Vargas: Conspiracy fantasies have abounded in the wake of the Las Vegas massacre
It’s been over two weeks since the tragic mass shooting in Las Vegas that claimed the lives of 58 people and…
Vargas: America woke up today to its deadliest mass shooting
Today, Oct. 2, the world woke up to the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. As I write this,…
Vargas: Dueling protests are dangerous and challenging to police
Thousands of demonstrators from two groups with very different political views gathered in Laguna Beach Sunday to protest. For a…
NYPD Sergeant’s Benevolent Association has coined the term ‘Blue Racism,’ now heat is on
This week, the New York Police Department’s Sergeant Benevolent Association released a video titled “Blue Racism.” The video has received…
When it comes to demonstrations, police agencies only can do so much
The demonstrations in Charlottesville were tragic and heartbreaking. White nationalists, neo-Nazis and a variety of other groups chose to gather…
Vargas: Rubber chicken test no laughing matter for recruits
I entered the grounds of the Orange County Sheriff’s Academy in 1980. I was member of Class #50. It was…
Vargas: ‘Tell my family I love them,’ officer tells dispatch after being shot 4 times
With the introduction of body cameras, it seems like every week there is a new release of video depicting officer…
Vargas: Two officers shot, two killed and police still accused of being too paranoid
There will always be criticism of police officers being too paranoid and too quick to draw their weapons. There is…
Two Los Banos police officers were in a fight for their lives
On July 31, 2017, in the City of Los Banos two police officers responded to a burglary in progress at…