By David Baker for Lexipol First responders learn early on to “push through the pain.” You work long hours, carry heavy loads, and perform physical tasks that can escalate from routine to extreme in seconds. When intense output is commonplace, the body keeps score. And when physical strain is compounded [...]
By Chief (Ret.) Ken Wallentine Case v. Montana, 2026 WL 96690 (2026) The Fourth Amendment places the home at the center of its protections, but it has never made the front door an impenetrable barrier. When officers confront credible information that an occupant may be seriously injured or facing imminent [...]
Few concepts in law enforcement generate more commentary — or more second-guessing — than reasonable suspicion. Officers know it’s less than probable cause but also more than just a gut feeling. In the middle of a real-world encounter, though, that line can feel razor thin. And when it comes [...]
By Chief Ken Wallentine for Lexipol McCord v. Nevada, 2023 WL 8943915 (Nev. 2023) The Latin legal maxim, de minimis non curat lex, means the law does not bother with trivial matters. Though the phrase dates back to Venetian courts during the Renaissance, courts are still messing around with trivial [...]
By Chief Ken Wallentine for Lexipol United States v. Gonzalez, 2025 WL 1007291 (8th Cir. 2025) On a September morning in Moody County, South Dakota, a caller notified the sheriff’s office about “a distracted or a drunk driver,” driving northbound on I-29 near exit 108. The caller described the car [...]
Part of the Leadership Principles Webinar Series. The challenge of recruitment and retention in public safety is more than just filling vacancies—it’s about fostering a culture that keeps good people in the profession. Before you invest in new hiring initiatives, ask yourself: Is your agency a place where people want [...]
By Ken Wallentine for XIPHOS In law enforcement, bright lines are often hard to come by. While legal rules exist to guide officer conduct — especially in high-stakes situations involving searches and seizures — those rules are frequently tempered by exceptions, caveats and gray areas. The language of relevant [...]
From the Lexipol Team As the field of public safety continues changing at a breakneck speed, public safety leadership must change as well. The challenges faced by today’s fire service, EMS, corrections and law enforcement leaders are vastly different from those from even a decade ago. From navigating complex [...]
In Balogh v. Virginia, the court held police have no duty to intervene to protect protesters from third-party violence during a rally By Ken Wallentine for Lexipol reprinted by Police1.com | Photo by Getty Images The court’s opinion begins: “Does the First Amendment protect speech amid violence? More specifically, [...]
By Ken Wallentine for Lexipol United States v. Jackson, 2024 WL 4343486 (1st Cir. 2024) An investigator in Providence, Rhode Island, observed an electronic device using a specific IP address on a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. He saw the device had shared and downloaded files of child pornography on multiple occasions. [...]
Missouri Sheriffs’ Association
6605 Bus. Hwy. 50 West
Jefferson City, MO 65109
573-635-5925
Monday – Friday: 8 AM – 5 PM
6605 Bus. Hwy. 50 West Jefferson City, MO 65109
Phone: 573-635-5925
Fax: 573-635-2128
Email: info@mosheriffs.com
