Author: Editor

John Marx was a Police Officer for twenty-three years and served as a Hostage Negotiator for nineteen of those years. He worked as a patrol officer, media liaison officer, crime prevention officer and burglary detective. Also during his career he served as administrator of his city's Community Oriented Governance initiative through the police department's Community Policing project. Today John combines his skills to consult with businesses about improving both their security and their customer service programs. John retired from law enforcement in 2002. When one of his friends, also a former police officer, committed suicide at age 38, John was devastated and began researching the problems that stress creates for police officers. He decided he needed to do something to help change those problems and he wanted to give something back to the profession that gave him so much. He started a project that has evolved into CopsAlive.com. Put simply, the mission of CopsAlive is to save the lives of those who save lives! CopsAlive.com gathers information, strategies and tools to help law enforcement professionals plan for happy, healthy and successful careers, relationships and lives.
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As a Police Officer Who is Your Inspiration?

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More importantly as a cop who do you inspire?

I just finished reading, well listening to Dr. Wayne Dyer’s newest book: “Inspiration: Your Ultimate Calling” and found the book to be in itself very inspirational.  The book is very spiritual and that may turn some of you off but it is worth reading and if you are not ready for it now, you will be someday.

I said I read it well actually I listened to the audio book first through my account at Audible.com and then as I do with many books I bought the hard cover copy so that I could actually see the words.  I don’t know about you but I’m in the car a lot and most times can digest educational materials better if I listen to them and that’s why I have an annual membership with Audible.com so that I can just download the mp3 files to my iPod and play them in my car or when I’m working out.  But if I really want to learn and remember something I also buy the book so that when I’m listening to something, usually for the second time, I can turn to that page in the book and review the concept and remember them better for having seen them.  This works much better if the author is mentioning a chart, graph or even website or address. Continue reading

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Fitness for Cops: Find Out If You Too Are At Risk

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Editors Note: I met Jon Benson on the CopsAlive Cruise 2009 and was very impressed with him as a fitness trainer and as an entrepreneur. I’ve had a chance to review Jon’s materials and think he is doing some great stuff that can help police officers and other law enforcement professionals. Fitness is critical to our staying alive in police work but it is also critical to our living happy, healthy and successful lives. Jon Benson has given me permission to reprint some of the articles from his fitness newsletter on CopsAlive.com and we will be featuring them periodically to help you improve your fitness! PS if you want to start a wellness program for your law enforcement agency read our blog posting on Master Wellness Training with Frank Wooldridge another cop helping cops.

Want to know what your real odds are of having a heart attack?

How about a stroke? Diabetes?

Continue reading

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The Traumas of Law Enforcement – There is Hope!

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As editor of CopsAlive.com I just finished attending the 3-day “Traumas of Law Enforcement” seminar put on by the Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) organization, and despite the depressing nature of what is happening to our profession I left with a sense of hope that there are so many dedicated people out there making things better for those who come after them.  If you are interested in this seminar after reading this blog there are still two more sessions of this valuable program still to be presented this month but you must act fast by visiting the C.O.P.S. website to learn about locations and dates.  There is no registration fee for these programs but registration is MANDATORY!  In our session we had over 110 attendees from around the United States with a variety of sworn and non-sworn personnel including supervisors, chaplains dispatchers and peer support team members. Continue reading

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How Do Cops Communicate, Learn and Share Ideas on the Internet?

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CopsAlive wants to know how you communicate with each other and get information on the Internet.  We’re not talking about Google, Yahoo or other search engines here we are wondering about how police officers use the many social networking tools available on the internet like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Ning, LinkedIn, Hi5, Tagged, Skyrock, Friendster and others. Continue reading

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CopsAlive.com Needs Your Ideas and Input!

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CopsAlive needs your help. Our mission is to create a forum for cops to help other cops by engaging in discussions and sharing ideas and information to help each other plan for happy, healthy and successful lives on the job and beyond the job.

Most of all we need readers. If you like what you are reading here please pass it on. Send a link or a note to all of your law enforcement friends online or tell them to check out Continue reading

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What is your Legacy as a Police Officer?

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What legacy will you leave from your job in law enforcement?  Lives saved?  People helped? or Communities changed?  What legacy will you leave in life?  A healthy child?  A happy and financially secure family?  Maybe an improved world?

Do you ever even think about your personal or professional legacy?  If not, maybe now would be a good time to think about it and maybe to even start a little planning… Continue reading

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CopsAlive Cruise 2009 a Success!

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Beach at The Baths on Virgin Gorda BVI

Beach at "The Baths" on Virgin Gorda BVI

The CopsAlive Cruise 2009 is over and it was a tremendous success. We travelled from Fort Lauderdale Florida to the beautiful Caribbean Sea.  We travelled to the islands of St. Marteen, St. Kitts and Tortola.  Some of us also took a short excursion over to the island of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.  There were seven police officers in our larger group which also included the wedding party for one of the cops.   We had a fun and relaxing time under the sun on the Carnival Miracle as it cruised between these beautiful islands of the Caribbean.

CopsAlive was also part of a larger group of 267 internet… Continue reading

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New Year’s Resolutions for Cops

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As a police officer, sheriff’s deputy or corrections officer do you have a list of New Year’s Resolutions?

It seems that some resolutions that would be appropriate for peace officers or those in law enforcement would include a list that started with these questions: Continue reading

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Merry Christmas to Law Enforcement Officers Around the World

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Police Officers are a very giving and charitable group.  I have never visited a police or sheriff’s department where the staff and officers or deputies weren’t involved in many charities within their communities.  Many cops and corrections officers donate their time and money to help children, animals, families in need, our schools, and churches etc.  I expect that if you can find a charity, then you can find some cops involved to help them.

At this time of year everyone has these things on their minds but cops do these things year round.  We at CopsAlive want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, or best wishes on any holiday that you celebrate and we want to wish you all a very safe, happy and healthy New Year.  Thanks for all the great things you do all year long!

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Gratitude is a Cop’s most Powerful Tool

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” At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.
Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”

Albert Schweitzer

John F. Kennedy expressed it eloquently when he said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

Gratitude is a powerful tool.  I used it so many times as a hostage negotiator when I was dealing with… Continue reading