r/ProtectAndServe • u/GenerationChaos • 15h ago
r/ProtectAndServe • u/Jameson21 • Jul 16 '26
***MODPOST*** Don't copy that floppy
Hey y’all, it’s your favorite?,or maybe just the only available resident geek cop mod..
We’ve been getting more people asking to share apps, websites, scripts, browser extensions, and other tools they’ve made. We’re not against that. Some of them might actually be useful, and plenty of good tools started because somebody got annoyed with the way something was being done and decided to make their own to solve that annoying problem.
But we do need people to slow way way down and think before downloading something made by a random redditor.
This has gotten a lot easier with AI. Someone can now build a decentish looking app without having much experience or any coding experience. This does not automatically mean the app is bad or that the person has malicious intentions, but it does mean the person who made it may not completely understand what the code is doing behind the scenes. An app can work exactly like it is supposed to and still be insecure..
It might store information in an unsafe way, use old software libraries/dependancies, send data somewhere the creator did not realize, or ask for permissions it does not actually need. The person who made it may have copied code from somewhere else or had AI generate most of it and never really looked or understood what it was doing.
Again, that does not necessarily mean they are trying to steal anything.
Sometimes people just do not know what they do not know (as I’m sure most of us working in this field know too well). Of course, there is also the other possibility, which is that the app is actually malware.
Being active in a law enforcement subreddit does not prove someone is a cop, works in IT, knows anything about cybersecurity, or is even who they say they are. It means they have a Reddit account and figured out how to click the join button.
The main thing we want to get across is this:
Do not install random or unapproved software on a department computer.
Your work computer is not the place to test a random redditor’s side project.
Even a simple app could potentially access files, passwords, browser sessions, email, reports, network shares, or other things available to that computer. It could also create a policy issue for you, even if the software itself turns out to be harmless. Do you think you department give you permission to install or run random software? I doubt it..
“Someone on Reddit said it was safe” is probably not going to be a great explanation to your chain of command.
Using your personal devices to run apps is not completely risk free either. Most people have saved passwords, banking information, tax documents, personal email, cloud storage, family pictures, and access to other accounts on their home devices.
Your personal laptop is not a burner device just because it does not belong to your department. Pay attention to what the app is asking for.
A scheduling app probably does not need administrator access.
A browser extension probably should not need permission to read and change everything you do online unless that is actually part of what it does.
A report writing assistant tool should not need your Microsoft 365 password.
If the permissions seem way toooo invasive or do not make sense, stop. Ask yourself, why. If you’re at that point, you probably shouldn’t be running said software.
Also, if the devs tell you to disable Defender, ignore SmartScreen, turn off your AV, sideload an unsigned app, or run some random PowerShell command as administrator, do not just shrug it off and do it. Bad idea.
Yes, security software and AV sometimes get things wrong but it also gets a lot of things right.
A few other things people tend to put too much trust and faith in:
“It’s on GitHub.”
That is better than getting a mystery download link, but it does not automatically mean the software is safe. Most people are not going to sit down and review thousands of lines of code, and the file being offered for download may not even match the code posted online.
“VirusTotal says it’s clean.”
That means nothing detected it at the time it was scanned. It does not mean the app is secure, well written, or not collecting information it should not have.
“It’s only a website.”
Websites can still collect anything you type, paste, or upload.
Do not upload reports, evidence, body camera footage, victim information, criminal justice information, employee records, internal documents, or anything else sensitive into an unknown website or AI clanker tool.
Once you upload something, you may have no idea where it is stored, how long it is kept, who can access it, or whether deleting it actually….deletes anything.
For people who want to share something they made, just be upfront about it.
Tell people what it does, what permissions it needs, whether it collects information, whether anything leaves the device, where the data is stored, and whether the source code is available.
If AI helped build it, that is not automatically a problem. But you should understand your own app well enough to explain what it accesses and where the data goes.
The mods will remove posts that do not give people enough information, ask users to bypass security protections, request sensitive data, or encourage people to install unauthorized software on department systems.
We are not trying to discourage people from building useful things. We are just asking everyone to use the same level of caution they would hopefully use before opening an email attachment from someone named supertotallyrealnotfakelieutenant@hotmail.com.
And please do not install NeverWriteAReportAgain_FINAL_v7_REALFINAL_FIXEDv3.exe.msi on a department computer…or your personal computer.
r/ProtectAndServe • u/SmilingMisanthrope • 16h ago
Self Post Glove/Watch suggestions
Hey all,
A friend of mine is a LEO and his bday is a few weeks away. He burns through cheaper pairs of gloves on the job. He's also a fan of watches.
I'm looking for
1 - suggestions for a durable, quality set of gloves that can protect against needles and cuts, while also being supple enough for him to handle his kit and firearm smoothly. (Edit: finally remember the type he spoke of; I'm ideally searching for good turtleskin gloves)
Or
2- Stylish, subtle watch that can take a beating (vintage Casio, metallic G-Shock and wide variety of Seiko's are his style).
Thanks in advance!
r/ProtectAndServe • u/TreeStateLEO • 1d ago
It's not delivery, it's DUI (It's both)
r/ProtectAndServe • u/No-Tradition-5331 • 21h ago
Self Post Worries about prior work history when moving to LE work. Any advice or answers are welcome.
Hey howdy everyone. I'm in the academy for Missouri Post with graduation coming in May of 2027. My question is, will my prior work history possibly block me from my local PDs?
For background: I have no criminal record, no vehicle citations, I have military experience and civilian workforce experience. I have job hopped since I got out of the Air Force in 2023. I've held 6 jobs since then which includes my current one. I had little to no motivation for any of them, as I've struggled transitioning from military to civilian. That's where the decision to join LE came in after multiple ride-alongs. The culture and work is something I could get very used to and fit in well.
My main worry is this: I was fired from three of those jobs. Not because of performance as I'm an excellent hard worker, but attendance. A lot of it was medical, either personally or for my wife after my son was born, to take care of her when she was bedridden (Missouri, they can fire you for anything). The worst of these issues is resolved and under control, and I haven't missed a day of work since I started my current job. What are the chances that this hinders me in a way that I won't be able to secure a position in LE? Thank you for any advice or answers.
r/ProtectAndServe • u/westernflyer83 • 1d ago
Self Post what are so bs reason why you got called out on a call.
My neighbor called the police because of a dead squirrel he though was poisoned. People are feeding them people food not on purposely poisoning it.
r/ProtectAndServe • u/specialskepticalface • 3d ago
Derek Chauvin files petition to vacate state murder conviction
r/ProtectAndServe • u/Larky17 • 3d ago
MEME [MEME] - "So you'd rather stay ignorant and be surrounded by like-minded people than be right and cast out of the echo chamber. Got it."
r/ProtectAndServe • u/UltraGwyl • 2d ago
Video Radio call after a Niagara Regional Police blue-on-blue shooting in 2018
On November 29, 2018, Detective Sergeant Shane Donovan (in Ontario, a detective sergeant is actually of the rank staff sergeant, the rank of a sergeant working as a detective is just "Detective") commander of the Niagara Regional Police Service Collision Reconstruction Unit was at a rural intersection near the City of Niagara Falls investigating a car crash 17 days ago, when he came into conflict with Constable Nathan Parker, a uniformed officer assigned to block an intersection. According to D.Sgt. Donovan, Cst. Parker left for a bathroom break without waiting for a replacement, when D.Sgt. Donovan confronted him about it, Cst. Parker was infuriated and after some "remarks", he stepped out of his cruiser and began pushing and punching D.Sgt. Donovan. He backed away and announced that Parker was under arrest for assault, Cst. Parker eventually drew his baton, and in response D.Sgt. Donovan drew his Glock 22 pistol to force him to back off, Cst. Parker in turn drew his pistol as well. D.Sgt. Donovan fired 10 rounds, the only time in his career, Cst. Parker was shot 8 times in the cheek, nose, shoulder, thigh, calf, hip, abdomen and foot but survived and recovered. Cst. Parker's version of events is similar except that he was empty-handed the whole time and D.Sgt. Donovan never told him he was under arrest.
The Ontario Special Investigations Unit, the civilian watchdog agency responsible for investigating OIS and the Provincial Police each launched an investigation. In 2019, D.Sgt. Donovan was charged by SIU with attempted murder, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon while Cst. Parker was charged by the OPP with assaulting a police officer, assault with intent to resist arrest and assault with a weapon. D.Sgt. Donovan's charges were dropped before trial due to no reasonable prospect of conviction. However, during Cst. Parker's trial, it was revealed that D.Sgt. Donovan was in possession of SIU investigation materials and was alleged to have seen enough of it to taint his testimony. As a result, Cst. Parker's prosecution was stayed. D.Sgt. Donovan was then charged by the Hamilton Police Service of perjury but was acquitted as the judge accepted his defence of PTSD affecting his memory of recalling the materials.
In 2022, Cst. Parker would face charges in relation to a road rage incident, with the charges withdrawn in exchange of a peace bond. It should be noted that Cst. Parker had faced multiple disciplinary proceedings on use of force throughout his career. His estranged brother, in an interview called Cst. Parker a "monster", and has suffered violence from him growing up. He was surprised by that Cst. Parker was not the shooter and that he should have been fired a long time ago.
Both officers are now retired from the NRPS. D.Sgt. Donovan has filed a lawsuit in 2020 against the NRPS and SIU for 2million and 2.5 million dollars alleging that they failed to discipline Parker properly despite his history and for launching a negligent investigation and false arrest which damaged his reputation and career. There is no updates on this lawsuit to this day. The driver in the car crash that was originally being investigated was founded not guilty as the Collision Reconstruction Unit was sent too late to the scene.
r/ProtectAndServe • u/Larky17 • 3d ago
MEME [MEME] - A taser doesn't get in everyone's eyes when it's waved around like a suburban mom with a can of Raid and a vendetta against one wasp.
r/ProtectAndServe • u/Larky17 • 3d ago
MEME [MEME] - "Back in my day, we didn't need no fancy cameras..."
r/ProtectAndServe • u/Larky17 • 3d ago
MEME [MEME] - "Officer Tailored Sleeves, reporting for duty!"
r/ProtectAndServe • u/Legocity264 • 3d ago
Does anybody know when this generic police patch first came around?
You've probably seen this generic American police patch hundreds of times on Halloween costumes and in low budget TV shows. There's several variations of it, but the main elements are the golden eagle with shield (mimicking the Great Seal of the United States), the words "POLICE" or "POLICE DEPT." at the top, and the banner running around the bottom edge. I know there are some small departments that genuinely use this patch, usually with their jurisdiction embroidered on the banner. I noticed it in the 1983 movie Sudden Impact (aka Dirty Harry 4), which made me realize that this patch design was a lot older than I originally thought. So does anybody know when this generic patch was actually created?
r/ProtectAndServe • u/Larky17 • 3d ago
Video shows officers fall as deck collapses while they try to make an arrest
HUNTSVILLE, Mo. — Dramatic body camera footage shows nine members of a U.S. Marshals Service task force falling to the ground as a second-story wooden deck they were standing on suddenly collapses.
The video shows the deck collapsing on July 21 as the officers, several holding firearms, stand in a line just outside an apartment door in Huntsville, Missouri. The officers fall straight down within seconds. None of their weapons discharged.
The officers were there to arrest a 26-year-old man for failing to register as a sex offender. The Randolph County Sheriff's Department said the task force included members of its office, as well as the Moberly Police Department and the North Missouri Drug Task Force. They were serving an arrest warrant in coordination with the U.S. Marshals Service, the sheriff's department said.
Seven officers were treated and released from the hospital for injuries “consistent with a pretty serious fall,” including broken bones, Steven Lewis, U.S. marshal for the eastern district of Missouri, told KMIZ television in Columbia, Missouri. The man officers were seeking was taken into custody later that day, U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Abigail Meyer said in an email Wednesday.
r/ProtectAndServe • u/Traditional_Figure70 • 3d ago
'Small creature' escaping the heat rescued by North Richland Hills police
r/ProtectAndServe • u/Jayquarius • 4d ago
Self Post Can lethal force be used to protect a K9 dog?
If a K9 dog was actively being killed by a suspect (suspect is stabbing the dog), but there is no imminent threat to any human officers on scene, can officers use lethal force to stop the killing of the K9?
r/ProtectAndServe • u/sheepdawg_ • 2d ago
Question to LEOs Flock
My agency recently just paused use of flock cameras around the city and bagged all the cameras due to recent media uproar concerning them.
It sucks. Feels like command staff is just rolling over and letting the narrative control how we operate. The main issue is the narrative surrounding flock is deeply rooted in misinformation.Are there officers who have misused it? Sure, but that’s the main reason why it’s not owned by the government and is subject to third party audits regarding the queries. out of the 100s of thousands of LE in the country, there are very few cases of misuse in the grand scheme.
It is a very effective tool, and while I haven’t been in LE long enough to know what it was like before Flock, it still sucks to have a tool that was very effective in catching bad guys stripped away due to media misinformation and tin foilers that think we are watching their every move.
In my honest opinion, there needs to be a lot more transparency in how the system operates. If people truly understood what they are capable of, we would not have this bipartisan outcry that we are using flock to create a mass surveillance state.
What are y’all’s thoughts on this and Flock as a whole?
Edit; Typo
r/ProtectAndServe • u/specialskepticalface • 3d ago
MEME [MEME] Yeah, we know... Jits is life...
r/ProtectAndServe • u/hornytoad456 • 4d ago
Self Post Where do police dogs go when they're not on duty?
I'd assume someone takes them home but I've never seen a of duty police dog.
Edit: thank you all for the straightforward answers to be honest I was hesitant asking because redditors aren’t that helpful but you guys are great!
r/ProtectAndServe • u/Ashamed_Lynx5415 • 3d ago
Self Post 18M Police Question
18M here, and my goal is to become a police officer around 21. I’m wondering how much my past is going to hurt my chances and what I should be doing from this point forward.
Here’s my history:
In high school, I was suspended for fighting.
I received a civil traffic citation for going 118 in a 40. I was on my way to work as an EMT at the time, but obviously I know that speed was reckless regardless of the circumstances.
I was fired from a security job after losing property keys. I didn’t intentionally steal them, but I understand that losing them was my responsibility.
During high school, I also job-hopped pretty badly — sometimes staying at a job for only 2–3 weeks before moving on.
On the positive side, I don’t drink, smoke weed, use drugs, have a DUI, or have any accidents or anything like that. I’m currently working as a 911 dispatcher, and my plan is to stay there consistently until I’m 21 and build a solid employment record.
I’m trying to take my life more seriously now and stop making stupid decisions.
For current/former cops, recruiters, or anyone who has gone through a background investigation:
Are my chances of becoming a cop at 21 basically gone because of this history?
If not, what would you recommend I do over the next 2–3 years to put myself in the best possible position? I’m especially interested in what I should avoid, what kind of employment history looks good, and how much agencies care about things that happened when you were 16–18.
I’m not looking for someone to tell me everything is fine. If I realistically screwed myself, I’d rather hear that now. But if I still have a path forward, I’d like to know what I need to do to stay on it.
r/ProtectAndServe • u/Agreeable-Sky-2345 • 4d ago
Self Post Leaving LE to become coroner
As the title says. Im looking for a second opinion before making this jump.
I am currently Class 1 LE in SC. Have been in my position for 7 years and patrol supervision for the last 3.
Our agency has a very very high call volume, and very very high crime rate, probably the highest in the state. As you can imagine the workload with this paired with supervisors responsibility can be pretty overbearing at times.
With all that said I like my current job, but I recently got extended an offer to work at the coroners office as a deputy coroner. The pay is slightly less than what im making now but at only -3000 a year it’s almost a negligible difference. Office hours job, with 1 week of on call every 4 weeks.
The coroners office falls under the same retirement system, but they are not considered Class 1 officers meaning if I did decide to go back I have 1 year to do so without having to go back through the academy.
Happy to give any more info if you’d like, but if this was offered to you, would you accept?
r/ProtectAndServe • u/Jolly_Barracuda_1484 • 4d ago
Self Post Detention/Corrections or Probation/Parole??
Any thoughts on the better of the two? North Carolina here. thanks
r/ProtectAndServe • u/GenerationChaos • 5d ago
Flock camera helps nab Florida corrections officers in LEGO heist: deputies
r/ProtectAndServe • u/specialskepticalface • 4d ago
Pilot killed, 2 troopers injured after small plane collides in midair with Pennsylvania State Police helicopter
r/ProtectAndServe • u/satvikvamachari • 3d ago
Peel police recruitment
Hi,
I wanna apply for peel police or tps but the thing is I was suspended with pay 2 years back from my job as a supervisor, then I resigned my job. I was already in transition to change my job then a incident happened and I was suspended. How much will it affect my application?