There are many changes to what we used know as a police car. The conventional police lights we usually see in police vehicles during the past years have already been replaced with light bars and inside these light bars are strobe lights. The emergency lights which are used by most police cars these days actually “dance” at the top of the vehicle and these types of lights are very advantageous for the police vehicle and the other drivers that are on the road, why? First, it provides more visibility to the police who are in pursuit of a certain suspect and for the other drivers on the road the strobe light serves as a warning light that a chase is ongoing in order to avoid accidents.

One disadvantage of this kind of light is that at times it can block a driver’s vision; however the advantages actually outweigh the disadvantages. To others it can serve as a warning light when they approach the police vehicle while to some it can cause some blockage to their vision while driving. Emergency lights which are used in police cars sometimes comes in different color combination just like red, blue and white and. Some emergency lights are made of LED lights which is also very effective in emitting very bright flashes of lights.

LED lights are also used to add to the beauty of your vehicle. Construction vehicle and road service vehicle also use LED lights to warn other motorist that a construction is ongoing, especially during the night. However, if you are planning to install one in your vehicle you have to see to it that it is not as the same color as to the one which is used by the police vehicles, even though in most states the traditional red police lights have already been replaced by many different color combination; the red flashing lights are still used by many different emergency vehicles like ambulance, fire trucks and the like. You might be wondering why you can’t use the red LED warning light. Basically because it will just confuse other drivers if a chase is ongoing or is it just a construction or road service vehicle.

It is actually very important for the police vehicles in different states to use the same color scheme, for the main purpose of avoiding chaos. For example, if you see a police car that is flashing green and orange lights you might get confused if it really is a police car or not. However, for unmarked police cars using different color from the usual is really an advantage for them.

There are many ways to buy a used car in Cincinnati and other cities. As for me, the best opportunity to buy a used or even a new car is government car auction. It does not matter whether you want to find bargains for yourself, or to resell your purchases for a profit, government auctions are an effective way to increase your net worth and bottom line. Prices there can be as low as $500 for a car in a perfect condition. In this article I will tell you more about these auctions. I am not joking. The prices there are really low and I will tell you why. The majority of vehicles at these auctions have been confiscated from criminals or people who didn’t pay on their bank loans or taxes. The government has to sell these cars at any price because a little money is better than no money.

Many people attending government auctions for the first time can’t believe the prices. They think it is very hard to participate in these auctions. It is not true. You “Don’t Need Experience” to bid at a government auction. If you can hold up a bidding number, you can win at a government auction. However, you have pay a small fee to the auction’s holder, who has to cover the expenses incurred in running the auction. The fee is very small so do not worry.

If you are interested, it is time for you to search through the local newspapers and find out when and where you can participate in the auction. But there is another way to find hundreds of auctions. It is web-based auction. Web-based government auction houses run bare-bones operations, similar to eBay, that simply bring buyers and sellers together. This is a best way to buy a used car in Cincinnati and other cities in the USA. I recommend you online auction called “SiezeCars” which I use every month. The link is below.

It was refreshing to hear the comments of the Lagos Police Commissioner Hakeem Odumosu on the excesses of his men in Lagos last week. He was reacting to the brutality of the policemen sent to disrupt the Independence Day protest organized by the Coalition for Revolution (CORE). The RevolutionNow protest which was to hold in major cities of the country was to be a mass action against poor governance in the country. At Ojota, an overzealous policeman left a photojournalist covering the protest bleeding after breaking his head with a baton. CP Odumosu did not hide his displeasure of the incident. He not only condemned the action, but assured the policeman will face disciplinary actions and also promised to pay the bills for treating the battered news man. He called the action of the policeman an irresponsible act. Wow! Just listen to him, “The man that was doing his lawful duty and the police assaulted him, we will take care of it. Once again, apologies for that. But you know me, I don’t tolerate all these things and will never. There is no reason to justify what the police did. What he did was an assault, brutality and incivility. I won’t cover that. Be rest assured he will face disciplinary action.” My God! How did you feel reading those words? Does it sound like a typical Nigeria police officer? In the past while battering and arresting innocent protesters, you will hear that it was an order from above or an action to stop miscreants, looters, unlawful assembly or action against the enemies of democracy. Or at best you will receive no comment at all.

As I read that report I remembered how I also felt at the beginning of the year while watching the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG Ahmed Iliyasu of Zone 2 Command, Onikan parading the killers of a prominent businessman Chief Ignatius Odunukwe in Lagos. The AIG threw his arms around the late Chief Odunukwe’s younger brother, consoling him and reminding him that he promised them (the family) from the onset that he will do his best to see that the sudden disappearance of the Anambra-born owner of Fireman generators is solved. As I watched that clip I fought back tears. I once again felt proud of being a Nigerian. I saw in Ahmed Iliyasu; a former Kano State police commissioner and Chief Investigation Officer at the United Nations

a dedicated, gallant, patriotic, loving, honest, god-fearing, detribalized Nigerian. I must say that I have not seen that level of love displayed by a security officer in the public before. And it was like a sorting balm to some of us who knew IG Odunukwe in person. We lived on the same close at Anthony Village when I was with Banex Group in late 90’s. And like my former boss Sir Victor Mbanisi, he was from Oraukwu town in Idenmili Local Government of Anambra State. Yes, there are many of them from that small town – young, smart, hard-working, industrious and very wealthy. I learnt entrepreneurship, hard-work and dedication from them. You get infected with strong desire to be successful when you get in contact with these guys. Some of them did not have the opportunity for a formal education while growing up but today they lead and rule in their areas of businesses. Even their overseas partners always acknowledge, respect and envy their astuteness and dedication. I commend the AIG Iliyasu for comforting us by arresting the butchers of our dear IG.

Look at the just concluded Edo state governorship election, the police and the electoral body proved that they can always deliver if given the right environment and the necessary support. The repot had it that over 30,000 police men and officers were deployed to the state for that day. Helicopters, boats and other equipment were also sent in to ensure a smooth conduct of the exercise. They were given a free hand to operate. And what was the outcome? The people’s wish prevailed. The election came out free and fair; with minor incidents. It was indeed a pleasant surprise because everybody had expected maximum violence. This is the kind of result you get when you allow the institutions to work. People have been congratulating the candidates and their backers but I think the first people to appreciate are President Buhari, the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu and the Chairman of INEC who

refused to interfere with the exercise. Even when his party was involved, the President decided to be neutral and the other agencies were forced to fall in line, thereby allowing a free and credible exercise. I don’t want to care about the other political interpretations being suggested. The lesson here is just that we can get it right if we decide to. We can make our institutions and processes work like they do in other places. True. In the past it would have just taken a simple instruction from ‘above’ or their body languages for the politicians to rig hell out of the elections with the full protection and connivance of the security agencies and the electoral commission. Yes, no election can be rigged without the full support of the security men. And in Nigeria, they will do it with impunity, with pride and ask you to go to court and challenge it. I mean the same court that they appointed and pay the judges? You already know the stories from some of those electoral petitions.

This has been our bane – weak institutions, corrupt and unpatriotic leadership, unprofessional police and armed forces, uncourageous judiciary and electoral umpires. But if these critical institutions will be strengthened I believe the story will change for good. The Nigeria police force under the current leadership has been trying to rediscover itself and redeem its image. One must say that the police have been posting a positive performance in recent times by continues busting of crimes and tracking down criminals, especially armed robbers and kidnapers. We must encourage them to do better by giving them what they need to work- quality training and retraining, expose them to other decent environment and exchange programs. We must properly and adequately equip them with modern tools, especially communication, tracking and forensic gadgets, better remuneration and cooperation from the citizens. If they have everything and we don’t give them the information they need they will still not achieve much. We can enhance this by installing security cameras in our homes, offices, streets and public places. This makes their work, investigations a lot easier. Then on the part of the leadership, they must do everything to completely weed out those corrupt men and women that bring bad name to the force and also stop those activities that make the public loathe and doubt them. Yes, we can have an entirely brand new police force. We can create a new image for it by our collective actions. It is possible. I wish all of our cops could be like Ahmed Iliyasu and Hakeem Odumosu by not just serving with integrity but also with compassion and pride.

Agbo is the author of the books / audiobooks Never Again!, Move Forward, Power of Sacrifice, Power of Midnight Prayer.

Police officers have their operation procedures very much linked to the use of radio contact between fellow member of the police force and the base of operations. This allows the up to date information to reach the policemen on where they are needed most. For example if a bank was being robbed then through radio contact the operator could inform the cars closest to the bank in order to reduce the amount of time it takes to reach the scene of the crime. This aids in reducing the chances of the criminal being caught and help given in civilians who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When in pursuit of a criminal that is in a vehicle the radio allows a coordinated pursuit to occur that heavily increase the chances of the criminal driver being stopped and caught. What usually happens is several police cars follow different surrounding routes in the direction the car criminal is driving in and then attempting to block him in on a road up ahead. This can only be done if the radio contact between the policemen is used in order to tell each other where exactly the criminal is at all times.

If a policeman happens to walk into a shop where a robber is in the act of the crime then radio contact with the base could be used in order to get backup in as quickly as a couple of minutes. This is a huge advantage as it allows the criminal to be defeated by the sheer numbers of officers after him.

In the United States of America the role of a sheriff varies dramatically between different states and counties. The sheriff is usually a county official, the enforcer of the county court. In urban areas, some sheriffs may be restricted to these court duties, such as overseeing the county jail, courtroom security, detainee transport, serving warrants, service of process or police administration. Sheriffs may also patrol outside of city/town limits or jurisdiction. In many rural areas, sheriffs and their deputies are the principal form of police. It has become increasingly important to be able to differentiate between typical Police Officers and the Sheriffs office. The iconic sheriff’s uniform does that very job as it is normally markedly different than the traditional police uniform.

As opposed to the traditional dark blue uniform of most police agencies, Sheriffs and Deputies often wear a 2-tone uniform combination of either lighter khaki on top and darker brown on the botom or the reverse. The shirts are a button-down uniform shirt, either short sleeved or long sleeved and often have a shoulder patch reading “SHERIFF” across the top in some manner. The pants usually have a stripe affixed to the outside seams. Sheriff’s uniforms also usually include normal uniform accessories like a gold colored, seven-point metal badge and a gold nameplate.

The reason for the mixed light / dark combination of the sheriff uniforms have a lot to do with the psychology of color. As Richard R. Johnson, M.S. talks about in his report “The Psychological Influence of the Police Uniform”, there was an experiment that presented test subjects with 2 types of paramilitary uniforms. One was the traditional dark blue worn by most police agencies and the other was a khaki shirt and dark green pants traditionally worn by California sheriff deputies. Although both uniforms ranked similarly as good, honest, helpful, and competent, the lighter colored sheriff uniform rated noticeably higher for warmth and friendliness. What they gathered from these results was that a uniform which is only half dark sends a better message that the all blue/black uniform.

Sheriffs have served and protected the English-speaking peoples for a thousand years and over those many years, the uniforms have changed and are universally as unique as the individual Sheriff’s around the country. While some sheriff uniforms follow this traditional brown / tan combination of colors, others use other combinations of browns and greens or all greens or grays.

Whatever the color of their uniform, a sheriff is generally, but not always, the highest law enforcement officer of a county. As Thomas Jefferson wrote in his THE VALUE OF CONSTITUTIONS, “the Office of Sheriff is the most important of all the executive offices of the county.” The office of Sheriff is certainly significant, and was in fact the first county office established in the United States. Some very outstanding Americans have held the office of County Sheriff, from the earliest days down to our present era.

When you become a police officer expect to be asked all types of questions about your profession. Many people want to know if you ever shot someone, and others want to know how to become a cop fast. Many times I’m approached by people while working out at the gym. One of the questions I get asked all the time is what’s my chance as a prospective police applicant if I’m slightly overweight. That’s what one guy asked me at the gym.

I informed him that he would have a better shot if he would lose a few extra pounds as the hiring board will knock off points as a result of him being overweight. You see many of the police officer that you see out on patrol that are overweight were not that way in the beginning of their career. In fact many of them were super lean because they knew their career was riding on it. Once they got offered the job, they fell off the wagon and started gaining the weight. But as I mentioned earlier it was not that way in the beginning of their career.

In this article I’m going to give you tips that will help you get ultra lean for the agility test and/or the police academy.

In order to get in shape for the police assessment test, you must have the right mind-set. The attitude that I’m going to be committed and consistent with my diet. If you stay the course, you’ll burn fat quickly as you progress to your goal of becoming a cop. I’ve met and trained guys who were too skinny and too fat to become a police officer, and the ones who ultimately got the job was the ones who stayed the course and did what it took to lose the pounds.

All it takes is 3 workouts a week, 45 minutes or less to burn fat and get in decent shape for the agility test. You can do a little bit of strength training with resistance bands or free weight for 30 minutes and then do another 25 minutes of cardio. That’s really it. If you do that consistently for 2-3 months, you’ll notice a big change in your conditioning and a big drop in body weight.

Corruption is a widespread social phenomenon; it remains to exist in every culture – even though many countries argue to have eliminated corruption in superior authorities.

These countries believe that corruption only exists in bureaucratic societies; where every single issue is dictated and dominated by a government; perhaps a corrupt government. I beg to differ…

…Police corruption can comprise of a single officer or a collection of officers, or could even be an orthodox exercise of a complete police department!

So this led to me to investigate a common complaint for injustice within society; police harassment and victimization – here are just a couple of headlines I found supporting such complaints:

PHILADELPHIA COPS FALSELY ARREST & HOLD WOMEN FOR THREE WEEKS ON FAULTY POSITIVE DRUG TEST

PHILADELPHIA COPS SHOT TWENTY CITIZENS DEAD IN 2006, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF UNARMED INNOCENT CITIZENS

NEW YORK CITY COPS GUN DOWN THREE INNNOCENT UNARMERD BLACK MEN KILLING ONE PLUS STILL YET ANOTHER SHOOTING THEN GUN DOWN ANOTHER MAN WHO HAD SURRENDERED

I don’t dispute the fact that many police enforcement officers are decent human beings who will try hard to do an honest job for everyone they deal with. Many are honest and need the cooperation of the honest citizen. However research does suggest that powers are being abused by corrupt police officers and citizens are being subject to harassment in some cases.

I decided to speak someone about their experiences and their perspective on the law, a person who feels they have been victimized and subject to harassment.

Meet Tony Hayes:

Tony Hayes made no secret of his time spent in custody for the assault of a doorman. He said the “actions were in defense of myself and my ex wife after a doorman threatened us both with offensive weapons”.

However, previous to this, Tony had filed a complaint against various officers for harassment as well as fictitious statements, malicious behavior & un-professional conduct.

How did the victimization start?

“It started after I first filed a complaint against an officer for slander and defamation of character; I did so because an officer was telling members of the public that I had been arrested for drunken disorderly which was untrue!”

“I felt this was malicious and vindictive as at the time I was the owner of a Muay Thai boxing club. This could ruin my reputation and my livelihood – so I filed a complaint against the officer”.

“I was then called into the police station and I spoke with an inspector who promised me he would make the incident from before (the defense of myself and my ex wife after a doorman threatened us both with extreme weapons) would go away if I dropped my complaint against his officer”.

“I refused and then he made a call to the CPS there and then, a month later I was in court for this incident”

“Ever since I filed that complaint I have become the victim of police harassment, wrongful arrest, assault, you name it.”

What has happened recently with regards to the case?

“Last week I had to report a crime of threatening behavior from an individual linked to the corrupt CID officer. I believe he had a personal vendetta against me because I named him in court; however none of this can actually be found…such a coincidence”

“The individual linked with the corrupt CID appears to be claiming that I have been making threats to him whilst I have been in Warwick. Yet this is the best part – He cannot remember a date!”

Have you been making threats to him whilst in Warwick?

“No, and the funny thing is – I haven’t even been to Warwick and nor have I seen this individual. This is the same man who claims in court to live in fear for his life due to me… “

“The only time I have ever contacted him was to warn him off, as he indirectly threatened my 67 year old father, which I have actually logged on my mobile telephone for evidence. Previous experiences with corrupt police officers have caused me to take these kinds of actions.”

So what are they doing about this?

“Well the police have decided to issue me with a written caution for harassment! ”

“I have told them that I haven’t even seen this man nor have I been to Warwick and you would think that because this individual can’t actually remember the date that, that might be some sort of a clue that his evidence isn’t exactly supported!”

He threatened your father!?

“Yeah, and It just so happens that due to these calls to my father and what they’re going to do him, he is actually selling the family home of 28 years… Yet the Police refuse to act on this individual’s threat.”

“Since the threats to my father I have taken no action other than to log it onto my website as the fear that dealing with the Police directly; will again have an adverse and severe affect on my life”

How has this ordeal affected your life?

“It is useful for people to know that the lies told by the police can damage your life! ”

“None more so than some of the allegations by the Police remain on file and will affect me for the rest of my life – both in a personal and a professional capacity”.

“The Police actually gave out certain details to members of the public and I was subject to two blackmail attempts due to it. I couldn’t kick off over this because they would go to the police and say I was making threats to them which of course means that I end up in prison, it is and was a no win situation”.

Tony went on to describe what he thought about the police force, the injustice he felt he has suffered and the affects of the victimization that he and his father have endured.

Tony adds: “I would ask people to keep an open mind, remember that the police are (despite how they act, human beings). If the police and officers in any force were not capable of being corrupt, why is there an entire unit dedicated to catching such individuals in every force? Complaints and events similar to what happened to me – do take place, only you, the general public never gets to hear about it”.

It was clear to me that the experience that Tony seems to have endured has most definitely had a dramatic affect on his life. These incidents that he has faced have even led to serious mental and health problems for Tony; even to this day!

So; I ask – if a percentage of the law enforcement officials are abusing their power against civilians how are we; civilians supposed to put trust and respect in the system?

The way in which US immigration law treats criminal matters for purposes of determining a non-US citizen’s admissibility to the United States is complex. Notably, travellers from the United Kingdom are often surprised that a UK police caution or formal warning, in which there was no court or judge involvement and no filing of formal criminal charges, could render them “inadmissible” to the United States for any reason.

Their astonishment arises not only from the complex intersection of criminal and US immigration law, but also from the fact that the US Department of State has not been consistent in the way it treats UK cautions/warnings, adopting a new approach as recently as 2014. The recent 2014 policy, described below, could mean that non-US citizens with UK cautions who were previously traveling to the United States without issue may now be barred from the United States, unless eligible for an exemption or waiver of inadmissibility.

Below is a brief summary of the current state of UK police cautions/warnings and US immigration law. The article demonstrates that the prudent approach would be to treat all formal UK police cautions and warnings as “admissions” for purposes of determining criminal inadmissibility, unless there is evidence showing that the admission was not obtained in compliance with controlling US legal precedent.

I. Overview of Criminal Inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(2)

An alien is inadmissible to the United States for committing a “crime involving moral turpitude” (CIMT) or a crime involving a controlled substance, including an attempt or conspiracy to commit them, if (1) the individual was convicted of such crime; or (2) the individual admitted to having committed such a crime, or admitted to its essential elements.

Further, (3) if the US immigration official has a mere reason to believe the alien was or is involved in the trafficking of a controlled substance (e.g., intent to sell), the alien can be rendered inadmissible under INA § 212(a)(2)(C)(i), even though the alien was not convicted (e.g., acquitted) of the crime and has not admitted to its commission or essential factual elements.

A finding of criminal inadmissibility is not the end of the road. Once an individual is considered to be inadmissible, he or she should then pursue, through legal counsel, any applicable exemption or waiver of inadmissibility for the US visa type being sought.

II. UK Cautions/Warnings Defined

Below are three UK out-of-court dispositions particularly relevant to US immigration law:

i) Simple Police Caution. A simple caution is a formal notice from a police officer that a person has committed an offence. Under current policy, the individual will generally be fingerprinted and photographed. The police will likely offer a caution if it is a minor offence and usually if there is no other criminal history. The police can only issue a simple caution if the person admits to the offence and agrees to be cautioned. If the person refuses the caution (e.g., denies the offence), then formal criminal charges will be brought against the individual.

ii) Conditional Police Caution. A conditional police caution is the same as a simple caution in all respects, including an admission to the offence, except the individual is subject to certain conditions. Failure to comply with the conditions will result in formal criminal charges being brought against the individual.

iii) Cannabis Warnings. A cannabis warning is not a caution, but a verbal warning by a police officer to a first-time offender possessing a small amount of cannabis for personal use. The police cannot give the formal verbal warning unless the person admits ownership of the cannabis. The police officer will record that the individual has admitted to owning the cannabis and will be asked to sign this record. Warnings will show up on an ACRO report and will need to be addressed for purposes of US immigration.

The consistent element in all of these UK out-of-court dispositions is that the individual must “admit” to the offence. As discussed below, whether the admission under UK law qualifies as an admission under US immigration law requires a case-by-case analysis.

III. UK Cautions/Warnings Are Not “Convictions”

A “conviction” for purposes of US immigration requires (i) a formal judgment of guilt entered by a court; (ii) or if adjudication is withheld: a finding of guilt by a judge or jury, a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the alien, or admission of facts from the alien sufficient for a finding of guilty; or (iii) the imposition of some form of punishment by a judge.

Based on this definition, UK police cautions or warnings do not qualify as convictions for purposes of US immigration. On April 9, 2014, the US Department of State’s Visa Office agreed. The reasoning being that there is no official court or judicial action. However, as explained below, the absence of a “conviction” does not preclude a finding of criminal inadmissibility for purposes of US immigration.

IV. UK Police Cautions/Warnings Can Be “Admissions”

If there is no conviction on the applicant’s record, the immigration official can nevertheless render the applicant inadmissible to the USA if the applicant “admitted” to the crime or its essential factual elements. Such admission can be elicited before a police officer, federal law enforcement, judge, medical doctor, or US immigration official.

i) An “admission” for purposes of US Immigration Law

The legal criteria for an “admission” for purposes of INA § 212(a)(2) is defined in the Matter of K: the alien must (1) prior to the admission be given an adequate definition of the crime, including all essential elements; (2) admit to conduct that constitutes the essential elements of the crime; and (3) provide an admission that is explicit, unqualified, voluntary and unequivocal. There is no requirement that the alien admit the legal conclusion or non-factual elements of the crime.

Formal criminal charges are not required for there to be a valid admission. For example, in 2013, in a highly-publicized UK fraud trial against the former assistants of UK celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, Ms. Lawson admitted under oath to having used cocaine seven times and “smok[ing] the odd joint.” She denied ever being a habitual drug user or addict.

Even though Scotland Yard never brought criminal charges against Ms. Lawson for her admitted drug use, and does not intend to do so; on March 30, 2014, British Airways refused to allow Ms. Lawson to board a plane for her holiday to the United States.

The US government did not explicitly release the exact reason for its refusal; however, a reasonable analysis of US immigration law’s approach to controlled substance violations shows that her highly-publicized admission in court to having violated a controlled substance law is consistent with a finding of inadmissibility, provided that the other elements of Matter of K were met in eliciting her admission.

Thus, even though Ms. Lawson’s potential admission took place in a criminal trial against her former assistants for fraud, such admissions have the potential of rendering a person inadmissible, even though there were no criminal charges pending against that individual.

Moreover, an admission does not need to be made under oath. For example, an admission to an immigration official during a visa interview or at the border would qualify. Notably, US federal law enforcement officers are trained in the Matter of K criteria to properly obtain a valid “admission” from aliens seeking entry to the United States for the purpose of excluding them.

Further, an admission by an alien to a medical doctor during a required medical exam for a US green card that the applicant had smoked marijuana for a number of years could be a basis for rendering an alien inadmissible to the United States on the basis of having admitted to violating a controlled substance law, provided the doctor obtained the admission in accordance with Matter of K.

Interestingly, if an admission is made subsequent to (i) a valid acquittal/dismissal of criminal charges or (ii) a valid pardon of a conviction, the subsequent admission by itself will not generally render the person thereby inadmissible. However, if the criminal charges were related to the trafficking of a controlled substance (e.g., intent to sell), an admission following an acquittal/dismissal of the charges could nevertheless provide the US immigration official with “reason to believe” that the offence occurred and render the applicant inadmissible, notwithstanding the court’s disposition.

ii) UK Police Cautions/Warnings as “Admissions”

For an individual to receive a formal UK caution or cannabis warning under current policy, the individual must admit the offence to the police officer. In order for there to be a finding of inadmissibility based on the admission: (1) the criminal offence must be a CIMT or controlled substance violation, as defined by US regulations, and (2) the admission to the UK police officer must comply with the requirements set forth in the Matter of K.

The US Department of State’s policy regarding UK police cautions has not been consistent. On September 23, 1997, there was an Advisory Opinion from the Dept. of State that stated UK police cautions were “not an admission” for purposes of US immigration law.

In late 2013, the US Embassy in London requested new guidance from the US Department of State and began placing visa applications in which the applicant had UK police cautions in “administrative processing” until the new advisory opinion was released.

In February 2014, the Embassy began adjudicating the on-hold “UK caution cases” consistent with convictions and admissions. Although this implied that the US Department of State had issued its new formal advisory opinion to the US Embassy in London, the opinion has not been released to the public.

In April 2014, the US Department of State clarified to the American Immigration Lawyers Association that, although UK cautions are not convictions, they can still be “admissions” for purposes of inadmissibility, appearing to depart from its prior 1997 opinion. The Dept. of State stated that there must be a “case-by-case” determination, presumably because UK police officers are not trained in eliciting Matter of K admissions or US immigration law.

The US Dept. of State implied that a “case by case” analysis is required to determine whether, for example, the UK police policy at the time of the caution required an admission for the issuance of the caution, an adequate definition of the crime was provided to the individual prior to its issuance, or whether the admission was voluntary.

The US Dept. of State’s current policy appears to treat UK cautions as admissions, unless this type of evidence can be provided to show insufficient compliance with the Matter of K.

The current policy also means that individuals with UK police cautions who have traveled to the United States based on the Dept. of State’s 1997 policy may now need to obtain an exemption or waiver of inadmissibility in order to return to the United States.

It is important to note that even if a UK caution or warning is “spent” for purposes of UK law, it remains on the individual’s record under US immigration law: the mere elapsing of time does not remove a formal police caution or warning for purposes of criminal inadmissibility determinations.

V. Exemptions and Waivers of Criminal Inadmissibility

A finding of criminal inadmissibility is not the end of the road for a potential traveler to the United States. Depending on the visa being sought and crime(s) at issue, the applicant may be eligible for an exemption or a waiver of inadmissibility. The applicant should arrive fully prepared at his or her interview at the US embassy/consulate with succinct legal arguments and supporting documentation in favor of such exemption or waiver of inadmissibility applications.

VI. Conclusion

Considering the way in which the US Embassy in London is now treating UK cautions, the prudent approach would be to anticipate that the Embassy will treat an individual’s UK caution as an “admission”, unless there is evidence showing that compliance with Matter of K was deficient. Because UK cautions are never “spent” for purposes of US immigration law, this new policy may have the effect of rendering previously authorized travelers to the United States inadmissible, absent an exemption or waiver application that was not previously necessary.

Criminal matters must be carefully addressed and analyzed before attempting to travel to the United States. The intersection of criminal law and US immigration law is complicated, requiring first an analysis of whether the crime at issue falls into the definition of a “CIMT” or “controlled substance” violation; whether there exists a “conviction”, “admission”, or – if applicable – “reason to believe”; and if so, whether any applicable exemption or waiver of inadmissibility can be pursued. It is advisable to seek legal counsel to properly assess and, if needed, to seek relief from these complex criminal inadmissibility grounds.

When you decide to become a police officer, you might as well throw privacy out the window. You see people who know that you are a cop will ask you just about anything. Sometimes the timing is a bit off but you’ll learn to deal with it. For me I get asked police related questions while working out. The number question I get at the gym is how do I train for the police physical assessment test. I’ve trained quite a few applicants before so I would suggest the following for people who are interested in law enforcement.

1) Do Push ups To Build Strength and Endurance

Strength training is extremely important not only for police work but for functional things as well. Strength training will help you big time as you prepare for the push test, and the vertical jump test. I mainly suggest doing body weight push ups instead of hardcore weight lifting. Why? Because you won’t be tested for how much repetition you can do on the bench press, instead the raters will want to know how many push ups you can do in 1 minute. Some departments have different requirements in their agility test but all of them have some way of measuring your strength. For starters if you cannot do regular push up, simply start off with your knees on the ground, and do them that way until you build strength in your upper body.

2) Do Cardio Right After Strength Training

The best way to get into super shape for the agility test is to do cardio right after you’ve completed a session of strength training. Try to aim for 25 minutes of cardio, three times a week. Cardio should be performed after a rest day. Meaning if you jog on Monday, don’t do it again until Wednesday, leaving a day to recover between each workout.

The “Reid Technique” of Police Interrogation

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. But I have worked in the law enforcement field in private security.

Before the interrogation starts: Police do their homework. They have already likely interviewed witnesses and collected evidence before you land in the interrogation chair. So if they’re grilling you hard, this might be a sign that they either have nothing on you unless you confess, or that they only have a partial conviction but could have a full conviction with your cooperation. If they already have overwhelming evidence and witness testimony, interrogating you will be a mere formality, if it even happens.

Look to the left or right when you’re seated in the interrogation room. See the huge mirror on the wall? That mirror is actually one-way glass; behind it is usually several detectives, police, psychology experts, and anybody else who might help. They’ll be watching and recording the process, perhaps even coaching the interrogator when he steps out of the room for a minute.

Also be aware: There is no law that says police have to tell you the truth when they interrogate you! They are free to concoct elaborate lies and use any psychological trick they please – and they’re trained in this from day one. Every good interrogator is part actor. And this technique is designed to play on your emotions. So, to start with, the first step is:

1. Confrontation. They start by presenting the facts of the case that they know and the evidence against you. Remember, this “evidence” might be completely made up! Typically, the interrogator will act as if they already have enough to convict you; the impression that they want to give is that you might as well make things easier on yourself since if you lie they’ll know it.

A detective might enter with a huge folder full of paper, plop down, fan through it, and look at you while shaking his head. They may say they have your crime recorded on tape, your partner already ratted you out, they have multiple witnesses, etc. Once more, this is theater. They’re looking for signs of you squirming uncomfortably, which will show that they’re on the right track. Actions speak louder than words.

2. Theme development. Forget you telling them what happened, first the interrogator will tell you what they “know” happened. They may minimize the crime at this point, giving you a chance to jump in and justify your actions. If you start talking as if you accept that what has been said at this point is the truth, they’ll be smiling and writing it down. The interrogation is over; you just confessed! If not, it’s on to…

3. Stopping you from denials. If you make any objection, they will hush you with words like, “You’ll get a chance to talk later, but right now you need to listen!” The object here is to stop you from saying the magic words, “I didn’t do it!” If you make denials now out loud, that will strengthen your resolve and make it tougher to sweat a confession out of you later. A related method at this point is…

4. Overcoming objections. An objection is very, very different from a denial, and it’s very important at this point to understand the difference between the two. An objection is an appeal to logic. Let’s say for example that you’re in for kicking a dog.

• An innocent person will flatly deny it: “I did not kick the dog, no matter what people think they saw.”
• A guilty person will instead say: “I couldn’t have kicked that dog, because I’m a member of PETA and the ASPCA and I have two dogs of my own and love them like family!”

See the difference? Look for the keywords “couldn’t have” and “because”. In this example, the detective will smile wide and say something like, “Of course you love dogs, which is why this one time was just a momentary lapse of judgment! Isn’t that right?” If you nod your head here, you have just confessed to the “momentary lapse of judgment”! For which you will be prosecuted the same as if you did it on purpose with deliberate intention. The interrogation is over! But if you didn’t crack here, the next step is…

5. Getting your trust. The interrogation will switch to a friendlier, more relaxed tone. The interrogator will sympathize with you, offering you alternative, more socially acceptable justifications for your actions. They might offer you a drink of water, a cigarette, or hint that confessions sometimes result in a lighter sentence. They might pitch questions out of left field, seemingly unrelated, asking if you have been drinking or are suffering from depression, and so on.

The object here is to come on as a friend. The interrogator is trying to help you through this difficult situation, you see? It’s up to you. You can make it easier on yourself, or you can play the tough character. This is also a great opportunity to play “good cop, bad cop”: one officer will act angry and impatient with you, and then storm out of the room… giving the “good cop” a chance to present a contrasting sympathy, hoping that you’ll jump at the opportunity to have your confession handled by the “good cop” instead. Then it’s on to…

6. Pouncing on defeat. If you’re actually guilty of a real crime that hurt someone, and you’re not a clinical psychopath, this is the time when you’ll typically be showing cracks in your resolve. They’re looking for signs of a nervous breakdown:

• drooping head, slumped posture
• tears of remorse
• covering your face with your hands in shame
• looking around the room from one face to another in a silent plea for mercy

A moment of silence will go by, as the team holds its collective breath waiting for you to crack. If you do, the interrogation is over. If not, it’s on to…

7. Presenting alternatives. A new round of constructing a theme will begin in earnest. Two alternative explanations of your action will be presented. One makes you sound like a terrible person, and one justifies your actions to make it sound like your crime was just a “mistake”. The only difference here again is your motive to commit the crime; they’ll both carry the same sentence! To use the “kicking the dog” metaphor again:

• You’re a dog-hater! You deliberately went over and kicked it!
• You were walking and didn’t pay attention and the dog got in your way. You didn’t know what you were doing until it happened. You were drunk. You were still fuming from an argument with your spouse. You have a suppressed fear of dogs, etc.

They’ll present these as your only two options, and repeat them over and over; this is designed to break you down. The interrogator will talk and talk, getting more rote and boring, as he goes over the two scenarios again and again. They’ll go back and forth. They’ll be watching for you to show any sign of agreement at all at any point, even a slight nod of the head or a slip of the tongue. At this point, if you still haven’t cracked, the interrogation will eventually taper to an end. The last two steps only happen in the case of a confession:

8. You open up and confess! As soon as you show the tiniest sign of concession to any of the above tactics, more officials will enter the room. This is because confessions carry more weight in court if there are more witnesses. The more you talk, the more they’ll smile. And if you’re confessing, you’ll be feeling a great sense of relief as you, the confessor, suddenly have the floor before a happy audience. You almost expect the room to burst into applause when you’re done, but instead it’s…

9. Recording your confession. It will be written down, recorded on tape, confirmed by witnesses. Suddenly you’re back in your cell, while detectives meticulously go over your every word. Enjoy your fast trial and speedy sentencing!

That’s the whole technique by the proverbial book. And remember that this doesn’t scratch the surface of what goes on off the book. Remember that they cannot legally practice coercion and torture. Remember that you have a right to a lawyer to advise you. Remember that you have every legal right to sit there like a statue and not say a single word.

The term “Reid technique” is a registered trademark of the firm John E. Reid and Associates, which offers training courses in the method.