The Graveyard Shift Blog

Since 2008, Lee Lofland has written over 2000 articles on his blog, The Graveyard Shift. Topics such as police procedure, forensics, criminal behavior, and what it’s like to be a cop has helped countless numbers of popular and aspiring writers.

His life’s mission – to remind writers that cordite is dead and gone. Just say no to cordite in your books!

Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

Officer Jarrod John Martinez, 30 California Highway Patrol Officer Jarrod Martinez was killed in a motorcycle crash on October 29, 2009. His one year anniversary with the department would have been on October 30, the day after the accident.…
Mark Arsenault

Night Vision: How The Heck Does It Work?

Night vision devices need some sort of light source in order to operate. The equipment makes use of small amounts of natural lighting, such as moonlight and starlight. That minuscule amount of light is utilized by converting the light's energy…
Last Week In England With Paul Beecroft

Paul Beecroft, Coroner’s Investigator: It’s A Beautiful Day

My friend, Paul Beecroft, has spent a good deal of his life in law enforcement, in England. He's worked Foot Patrol, Area Car, Instant Response Car and also as a Police Motorcyclist. He's currently a coroner's investigator and has traveled all…
Mark Arsenault

Castle: Famous Last Words – A Review

Famous Last Words. That's the title assigned to this week's show, Episode 7, written by Jose Molina. First of all, I want to thank Mr. Molina for sparing us the torture that comes with episodes featuring the Lanie Parrish character. I'd gathered…
Mark Arsenault

Murder In Mayberry

  All was not quiet last weekend in the quaint little town of Mayberry, N.C. Far from it. Barney would have needed all his bullets, and then some. Actually, Mayberry was inspired by a little town in North Carolina called Mt.…
Halloween Tips

Weekend Road Trip: Halloween Safety Tips For Kids

  The Graveyard Shift wishes everyone a Happy Halloween! Please have fun, but stay safe. Halloween Safety Tips For Kids - Avoid costumes that greatly reduce visibility or are too dark for motorists to see. Apply face paint instead.…
Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: RememberingThe Fallen

Detention Officer Dionicio Camacho, 51 Harris County Texas Sheriff's Department Officer Dronicio Camacho suffered a heart attack on October 21, 2009 during defensive tactics training. He was hospitalized on life support, but passed away…
Mark Arsenault

Thermal Imaging: Redux By Necessity

Lately, there's been quite a bit of constructive argument and confusion floating around the crime-writing community about thermal imaging and it's use in law enforcement. Some have posted comments and questions regarding the legality of…

Security Cameras: You’ve Been Duped!

 *Images removed. Sorry for the inconvenience. Spy cams, nanny cams, granny cams, web cams, hidden cams, traffic cams, earth cams, weather cams, red light cams, pole cams, pinhole cams, hat cams, necktie cams, alarm clock cams, nut and bolt…
Castle: Vampire Weekend

Castle: Vampire Weekend – A Review

Goodness, where do I start with this fiasco titled Vampire Weekend? It's always best to begin with something positive, so I'll say this...I'm positive this was absolutely the worst episode of Castle that's aired so far. Honestly, it was painful…
My New Backyard

Weekend Road Trip: My New Backyard

  After living in California, Seattle, and Boston, three of the worst cities in the world for driving, it's nice to have room to stretch your legs. Although, I still miss California and Seattle. Boston...not so much. They've already…
Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

  Officer Julius Moore, 23 St. Louis Missouri Police Department   On October 6, 2009, Officer Julius Moore was responding to assist fellow officers in the apprehension of a burglary suspect when a tractor trailer collided…
Mark Arsenault

Shock Trauma Plates: They’re Lifesavers

Shock Trauma plate inserts for bullet resistant vests are available in various levels of protection. The inserts fit into a pocket on the front center of the bullet resistant material (Kevlar). This is an actual front Kevlar panel. The…
Castle: When The Bough Breaks

Castle: When the Bough Breaks – A Review

When the screen went dark and the credits began to roll on episode five, When The Bough Breaks, I wanted to dance. I wanted to kiss babies, pet a puppy, and plant a tree. I even had the wild urge to climb on my rooftop and shout to the world.…
Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

Lieutenant Benjamin Santiago-Fragoso, 44 Puerto Rico Police Department On August 16, 2009, Lieutenant Benjamin Santiago-Fragoso and Agent Jorge Sanchez-Santiago were transporting a prisoner to jail. The suspect struggled with the officers…
Corner Shot: Who Says Bullets Don't Bend?

Corner Shot: Who Says Bullets Don’t Bend?

  Officer safety just got safer. With the CornerShot system, officers may safely remain behind cover and concealment and still return fire...around corners! The system turns pistols, such as a Sig Sauer or Glock, into a very short, bendable…
Mark Arsenault

Mark Arsenault: Escaping A Bleak Place

Mark Arsenault is a Shamus-nominated mystery writer, a journalist, a runner, hiker, political junkie and eBay fanatic who collects memorabilia from the 1939 New York World's Fair. His new novel is LOOT THE MOON, the second book in the Billy…