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!

Rodney King Fights Police Officer and Wins

Hot News: Rodney King Fights Police Officer and Wins, and More

  The Tampa Police Department has named Assistant Chief Jane Caster as the department's first female police chief. Chief Caster says one of her priorities is, "To do more with less."   Chief Jane Caster Wrong place, right…
Keep your shirt on

A Police Chief’s Job: It’s Not All Pushing Papers

  I snapped this image of a police chief's badge and insignia while I was conducting the research for my book on police procedure. The model for the picture was Chief John Grote of the Yellow Springs Ohio Police Department. The tiny…
Keep your shirt on

Behind A Chief’s Badge

  This photo of a police chief's badge and collar insignia first appeared on The Graveyard Shift in January 2008. I snapped the image while I was conducting the research for my book on police procedure. The model for the picture was…
Dr. Denene Lofland

Weekend Road Trip: Dr. Denene Lofland Featured at International Conference

This weekend, more than 10,000 of the world's top scientists, physicians, researchers, and health care professionals are gathering in San Francisco at the 49th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapthy (ICAAC). The…
Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

  Officer Robert Crittenden, 57 North St. Paul Minnesota Police Department   On September 7, 2009, Officer Robert Crittenden was shot and killed while attempting to protect a woman during a doemstic violence call. The suspect…
Tobacco

What’cha Gonna Do Bad Boys: Wacky Cop Stuff

Rhode Island - A Rhode Island state trooper, Edward Steinovich, has been suspended from duty for punching his sergeant in the head. The officers were attending a fundraiser for the wife of an officer who died in an on-duty accident.…
Tobacco

North Carolina Writers Police Academy

It's coming! In September 2010, I will be hosting a Writers Police Academy in North Carolina. We're in the process of ironing out the final details, but it's definitely a done deal. The event will be held at the Public Safety Training Academy…
Texas Drug Bust

Weekend Road Trip: Texas Drug Bust

  A very alert Texas state trooper stopped this Department of Transportation pickup truck on I-10 near San Antonio. An ordinary work truck, right? Nothing here except the normal roadside emergency equipment. Not…
Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

Deputy Sheriff Christopher Ray, 22 Southampton County Virginia Sheriffs Office Deputy Chris Ray was killed in an automobile accident on August 29, 2009. He and his field training officer were responding to a fight call when they swerved…
Tobacco

DNA, Police Beatings, A Very Angry Pit Bull, and Yet Another Taser Story

After serving 14 years in North Carolina's prison system, Joseph Lamont Abbitt is out - a free man. In 1991, a 16 year-old girl and her 13 year-old sister accused Abbitt of raping them. They even identified him in a police line up. Abbitt was…
Tobacco

Shake and Bake: The New Meth

Meth users have devised a way to beat the recession. And they no longer have to bother themselves with rushing out in the elements to score that next hit. No travel time and no rain or snow to trod through to get to the "ice." No middleman…
Tobacco

The Real World of a Forensic Scientist: Dr. Katherine Ramsland and Dr. Henry Lee

Dr. Katherine Ramsland has published 35 books and over 900 articles, and is the chair of Social Sciences at DeSales University, where she teaches about forensic psychology, profiling, serial murder, and forensic science. Her latest books…
International Festival of Falconry at the Englefield Estate, England

Paul Beecroft: International Festival of Falconry at the Englefield Estate, England

  My friend, Paul Beecroft, a Coroner's Officer employed by the Thames Valley England Police, has generously invited us to join him on a visit to the Second International Festival of Falconry. The festivities were held at the Englefield…
Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

Officer Michael Davey, 34 Weymouth Massachusetts Police Department Officer Michael Davey was directing traffic at a construction site on August 24, 2009, when he was struck and killed by a motorist. He leaves behind his wife, three children,…
Sandy Russell

Sandy Russell: Private Investigator

Hi, I'm Sandy Russell, a Private Investigator licensed in the State of North Carolina. I traveled along a very interesting path in order to get to this place in my life. I was always somewhat of a "tomboy." I loved to to do anything as long…
Addie J. King

Addie J. King: The Life Of A Prosecutor

Addie J. King spends her days as an assistant prosecutor for Champaign County, Ohio, and has over seven years experience as a prosecutor handling adult felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile delinquency cases and appellate work. She holds a degree…
Tobacco

Texting While Driving: It’s Deadly

Senator Charles Schumer, one of four senators who introduced legislation to ban texting while driving, says studies show it's more deadly to text while driving than it is to drive when intoxicated.
Tobacco

Weekend Road Trip: Tobacco

  Longs rows. Rows as far as the eye can see. Red clay. August sun. Heat. Unbearable heat. Humidity. Men sweat like rain. Bending. Pulling leaves. Sunup to sundown. Bottom of stalks. Pulling leaves as large…