Proactive Policing Archives

Grateful for More Than a Day

In the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln reminded the nation that there was much of which to be grateful. He issued a thanksgiving proclamation to his countrymen in October 1863. He asked his fellow Americans to “observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” The need for a sincere focus and reminder to be grateful remains. Moreover, we need to be grateful for far more than one day each year. Such is true in the nation in general, and with respect to leadership within the police profession. [Click the link to read more | 27 Nov 2025]

Lemmer on Gratitude and Adversity in Policing at BTB 2025

Thomas Lemmer has been invited to return to the Breaching the Barricade Conference (BTB) for an unprecedented fifth year. Each year, this premiere conference is uniquely focused on building resilience in meeting the challenges of the policing profession. This year, Lemmer will be presenting four sessions on gratitude, adversity, truth, and the importance of being proactive in policing. The full-day conference will be held on Friday, 3 October 2025 at the Farmstead Inn and Conference Center in Shipshewana, Indiana. [Click the link to read more | 9 Sep 2025]

“The way forward must be one with broad outreach across community partners. As a community, we need our elected and civic leaders to foster unifying approaches that advance constitutional policing, reduce violence, address chronic crime conditions, improve public safety, protect victims, foster wellness, and enhance community support for the police. Those seeking and participating in police reform efforts must not lose sight of these core elements. As a profession, it is essential that we fully reawaken our community policing roots, and engage in active problem-solving directly with all community residents and stakeholders. Policing must honestly seek to reach the hearts and minds of the community and call them to action. If we seek to regain the support necessary for our police departments to meet their public safety mission – the voices of support for the police must be heard from across the community of us.”

— Thomas J. Lemmer