Even Cops Can Get Hooked by Phishing

CopsAlive was on the wrong side of a phishing trip two weeks ago when we were hacked by a phishing scheme that used our server to host a false web page for a well known bank. It is believed that the hackers were trying to collect personal information from customers of that bank and used our domain to hide their scheme. Then yesterday we were hacked by a group that make a game of taking over sites and leaving nasty messages in place of the actual site. We’ve learned a few things from all this albeit the hard way. Let us share some tips for you. Continue reading

Cops and Superstitions

Today’s date 08/08/08 apparently has so much power as a lucky number that the Chinese Olympic Committee actually picked today as the date of the opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympic Games with a starting time of 8:08:08 PM!

Are you superstitious? Continue reading

When Enough is Enough?

I can think of so my topics to write about using this title but in honor of George Carlin I’m going to write about “stuff”. Check out George’s thoughts on “Stuff”.

These thoughts struck me as we are thinking about moving into a new home and have way too much stuff, which is what I worked hard for as a cop for over twenty years. Now I’m wondering if I really ever needed all this stuff (and what I could have done with the money had I not bought all of this “stuff”). Continue reading

When’s Your Independence Day?

Yesterday the United States celebrated it’s Independence Day.  Many countries celebrate such a day to denote their coming of age and independence from the input and control of another’s influence.  Not many people celebrate such a day for their life but maybe we should.

What in your life do you NEED to become independent from?  A mortgage?  A bad relationship?  A job?  An unhealthy lifestyle?  What would financial independence look like for you?  What would freedom look like to you?  CopsAlive is built upon the premise that we should have a plan to survive and thrive in life and in our job.  What’s your plan? Continue reading

Internet Marketing Cruise for Cops

Have you ever wanted to start your own business on the internet.  Maybe you’re tired of working off-duty security gigs and want to work from home any time you want.  Consider joining me on an 8 day Caribbean Cruise to learn about doing business on the internet and talk to your accountant about whether it is an acceptable business tax deduction for you. Continue reading

Plan Your Life List

I first read about John Goddard when I read the original edition of Chicken Soup for the Soul several years ago.  At age 15 John set 127 goals he wanted to accomplish during his lifetime.  He wanted to accomplish great things and he wanted do lots of amazing stuff during his lifetime.  Now many years later he has done most of them and shares his experiences with others.  His list included things like exploring all the major rivers of the world and climbing the Matterhorn.  He rode elephants and camels, flew in jet fighters and lit a match with a .22 rifle.  He wanted to read the complete works of Shakespeare, Plato, Aristotle, Dickens, Thoreau to name a few and he was able to publish an article of his own in National Geographic.  He retraced the route of Marco Polo through all of the Middle East, Asia and China, and dove in a submarine.  Business World News called him the Real Indiana Jones CLICK HERE to read more.  I loved the story so much that I used to read it to my scout troop when I was a Scoutmaster and I would challenge all of them to write their own life list.  Do you have a Life List?  is it in writing? Continue reading

Stress: Cause or Symptom

When you really examine the side-effects of a law enforcement career on the men and women who take the oath and don the badge it’s kind of scary.

First examine the rate 100 to 200 police officers who are killed in the line of duty in the U.S. alone each year.  Then if you dig deeper, the statistics show that things like suicide, cancer and other side effects of the police career that kill thousands more cops each year. Continue reading

When Will You Retire from Your Police Career?

As a working cop have you thought about when you are going to retire? Maybe you have a fixed police retirement date that’s not within your control or maybe you can plan your own date but haven’t even started to plan for it yet. Maybe you are like many other police officers in that you feel that you will never be able to retire and that they will find you withering away in your patrol car at age 95.

I’d like to ask you to consider another factor and that is how long can you stay successful in the job? How long can you tolerate the stress and demands of the job and still perform it at a level that you know is acceptable? I don’t think the financial planning aspect and the personal health planning aspect of this decision need to be or even should be separate. Continue reading

What Will You Do With Your Life?

Welcome to CopsAlive.com. CopsAlive works in cooperation with The Law Enforcement Survival Institute to bring useful tools, ideas and strategies to police professionals who want to plan happy, healthy and successful lives and careers.

What will you do with your life? Will you become one of the best cops in the world or will the job take it’s toll on you? CopsAlive will ask questions of you and of the experts on your behalf. We will consider the true threats to your life and ask you to conduct threat assessments for your life, health and career. Continue reading

Welcome to CopsAlive.com

CopsAlive works in cooperation with The Law Enforcement Survival Institute to bring useful tools, ideas and strategies to police professionals who want to plan happy, healthy and successful lives and careers.
Law enforcement is the most noble profession in the world.  Police officers deserve the very best the world has to offer as thanks for their valuable service to the world.  Lots of money, time and resources are spent to help cops protect themselves on the job.  Most of it is focused upon “officer survival” strategies that protect officers, deputies, constables, and correctional officers from armed assaults.  A true threat assessment of a career in law enforcement reveals that there are many other threats and some of them are more serious.  This site is dedicated to finding anything that will help cops successfully navigate their careers and survive in mind, body and spirit to enjoy the rest of their lives in peace no matter when the end of their career arrives.
I had a friend and fellow retired officer commit suicide last year.  I didn’t realize how bad the police suicide stats were until I started doing some research.  cops have very high suicide rates and lots of other health challenges.  I think we would all acknowledge that we as a group have a high rate of alcoholism and divorce and maybe even financial problems.  CopsAlive.com is here to work with you and to help you plan to have happy, healthy and successful lives and careers.

Good luck and stay safe!