The close of 2025 is the perfect opportunity to reflect on a year of meaningful discussions and insights across the public safety professions. Throughout the year, the Lexipol blog has delivered practical guidance, thought-provoking analysis, and actionable takeaways tailored to the complex challenges faced by first responders and public safety leaders. The articles featured below are those that resonated most with our readers, spanning topics from leadership and legal trends to wellness and best practices.
Whether you’re shaping policy, conducting training, leading a team, or looking to enhance organizational wellness, these standout posts offer valuable perspective that will help inform your work and support your mission to serve with excellence. Dive into the top Lexipol articles of 2025 — organized by category — and discover insights worth revisiting as we head into the new year.
Public Safety Articles
These articles highlight broad trends and challenges affecting agencies across public safety disciplines. They focus on leadership, preparedness, and strategies that strengthen organizational effectiveness and community trust.
1. Living a Long Life in Public Safety by Gordon Graham
Lexipol co-founder Gordon Graham reflects on his decades in law enforcement and shares lessons for a long, fulfilling life, highlighting the “10 Fs” such as faith, family, friends, fitness and fulfillment to maximize both lifespan and quality of life. He urges public safety professionals to focus on purpose and making a positive difference every day, as those actions build the meaningful “dash” between birth and death.
2. 5 Essential Public Safety Leadership Skills by Lexipol Team
Public safety leaders need five key abilities — outcome-based leadership, intentional self-improvement, strong organization and adaptability, the ability to listen and learn, and emotional intelligence — as defined by Battalion Chief (Ret.) Bruce Bjorge and Chief (Ret.) Dave Funkhouser in a Lexipol webinar. Effective leadership in fire, EMS, corrections, and law enforcement isn’t about rank but about mindset, continuous growth, and inspiring teams to excellence.
3. Some Things You Can Just See Coming by Gordon Graham
In this introspective post, Gordon Graham advises public safety professionals and members of the public to anticipate and prepare for obvious risks, reducing things like travel hazards and risky behaviors that often lead to preventable harm. He underscores the value of proactive risk assessment and planning to avoid injuries and tragedies that are foreseeable with basic preparation.
Honorable Mention: Leading Across Generations: How People-Focused Leadership Strengthens Public Safety Teams by Lexipol Team
Effective public safety leadership bridges generational differences by treating people as individuals, grounding teams in a shared mission rather than relying on stereotypes. Practical leadership practices — such as being present, practicing self-care, and building trust through daily actions — strengthen team culture and leave organizations better every day.
Law Enforcement Articles
The most-read law enforcement articles of 2025 address the operational, cultural, and legal issues reshaping modern policing. These posts offer timely guidance to help agencies navigate change while maintaining professionalism and accountability.
1. The State of Police Recruitment and Retention: A Continuing Concern by David Baker
According to a survey by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), U.S. law enforcement agencies are still experiencing persistent difficulties in recruiting and keeping officers, with most departments operating below authorized staffing levels. While some agencies are changing hiring policies and processes to attract candidates, innovative recruitment and retention strategies are still urgently needed.
2. Preparing for Tragedy: A Guide for Law Enforcement Agencies by Amy Thomas
Lexipol’s Amy Thomas urges law enforcement leaders to plan ahead for the possibility of line-of-duty deaths by gathering information, defining roles, training staff and educating families to reduce confusion and suffering if and when tragedy strikes. Readiness isn’t pessimism, but rather a compassionate duty that helps agencies honor fallen officers and support survivors with dignity.
3. Invisible Conditions and Law Enforcement — Awareness, Not Assumptions by David Baker
Ethical policing requires officers to be able to recognize hidden physical, neurological or medical conditions that can affect behavior and communication; misinterpreting those cues as defiance or intoxication can lead to tragic outcomes. Awareness, training and (where available) voluntary alert systems can help law enforcement adapt communication and response to improve officer and community safety.
Honorable Mention: Operational Fatigue Is Real — And It’s Threatening Readiness by Chief (Ret.) Michael Ranalli
Cumulative operational fatigue among law enforcement officers undermines mental and physical preparedness and poses a serious risk to readiness, according to Chief (Ret.) Michael Ranalli. He argues that adapting culture and policies to prioritize wellness and counseling — especially after critical incidents — can help agencies better support officers and sustain effective performance.
Fire Service Articles
Fire service and EMS professionals face high-risk, high-stakes environments every day. This year’s top articles focus on safety, leadership, and operational readiness to support effective emergency response.
1. Competence or Connections? Navigating Promotions in the Fire Service by Chief Sam DiGiovanna
When making promotion decisions, Chief Sam DiGiovanna argues, fire departments must prioritize merit and transparency over personal relationships. Favoritism undermines trust, morale and safety on the fireground, and rank advancements should be based on clear, consistent criteria. Emphasizing competence over connections fosters stronger leadership, higher engagement, and safer communities.
2. Modern Fire Service Culture — Keeping the Real Thing the ‘Real Thing’ by Bruce Bjorge
Internal conflicts over issues such as uniform or policy details are distracting firefighters from their core mission, and blowing small conflicts into cultural battles undermines unity and credibility. Chief (Ret.) Bjorge argues the fire service needs more doers, listeners, and leaders who focus on teamwork and shared purpose rather than ego or division.
3. When That Foghorn Blows — Dealing with Uncertainty in Fire Service Leadership by Chief Sam DiGiovanna
When conditions are the firefighting equivalent of the “fog of war,” fire service leaders must navigate uncertainty by relying on clear policies, teamwork and purposeful action rather than instinct alone. Drawing on personal experiences to illustrate how overconfidence can lead to danger, Chief DiGiovanna urges leaders to stop, look, and listen when the metaphorical foghorn sounds.
Honorable Mention: Learning From Viral Firefighter Videos Without Becoming a Keyboard Critic by Dave Cline
It’s easy to publicly criticize peers in viral incident videos when they appear on our feed, but firefighters and other public safety professionals should resist the urge. A more productive response is to use those clips as educational tools by asking how they would handle similar scenarios in their own departments. The author urges viewers to give colleagues grace and follow the “kitchen table rule” of only sharing critiques they would voice respectfully in person.
Corrections Articles
Corrections agencies continue to operate in complex and evolving environments. These articles examine policies and practices that support safety, professionalism, and humane treatment within correctional facilities.
1. Blind Spots in Corrections: Vision and Attitude by Lt. (Ret.) Gary Cornelius
Corrections veteran and author Gary Cornelius discusses the many safety failures in corrections stemming not from lack of training or equipment but from physical and mental blind spots. These can cause staff to overlook risks, dismiss warning signs, or become complacent. Leaders and staff, he emphasizes, must actively challenge assumptions and stay alert to behavioral cues to reduce risk and strengthen facility safety.
2. Inmate-Staff Relationships and Escapes from Custody by Lt. (Ret.) Gary Cornelius
Inappropriate personal relationships between correctional staff and inmates undermine facility security and can contribute to escapes. Cornelius shows how inmates can exploit emotional vulnerabilities and erode professional boundaries, stressing the importance of ongoing training and maintaining professional distance to keep everyone safe.
3. Surviving a Career in Corrections by Lexipol Team
Highlighting insights from a Lexipol webinar, this article discusses how a long, sustainable career in corrections requires deliberate attention to managing the intense stress and unique challenges of the job. Key strategies include building resilience through recognizing early burnout signs, separating work from home life, prioritizing physical and mental wellness, and planning early for retirement.
Honorable Mention: Inmate Ingenuity, Revisited: More MacGyver Tales from the Inside by Lt. (Ret.) Gary Cornelius
Another post from Cornelius details the talents inmates often display in circumventing rules, exploiting weaknesses, and concocting schemes that challenge corrections staff. The author stresses how complacency can undermine facility security, drawing on real examples to show how inmates adapt and innovate. He urges ongoing training for all staff to help maintain safety and support effective corrections operations.
Legal Analysis Articles
Legal standards and court decisions continue to shape public safety operations. The top legal analysis articles of 2025 break down key rulings and explain what they mean for agency policy and practice.
1. Reasonable Suspicion for Vehicle Frisk, One Fact at a Time by Chief (Ret.) Ken Wallentine
In United States v. McGregor, the 10th Circuit upheld officers’ decision to conduct a protective vehicle frisk after observing a driver’s furtive movements, recognizing his alleged gang affiliation, and noting his parole status — concluding those facts created reasonable suspicion that he was armed and dangerous.
2. Reexamining the Police-Power Exception to the Constitutional Takings Clause by Chief (Ret.) Ken Wallentine
Chief (Ret.) Ken Wallentine analyzes the decision in Pena v. City of Los Angeles regarding police destruction of private property as an exemption from the Fifth Amendment’s takings clause. Conflict between circuit courts, he explains, makes it likely the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on whether such an exception should exist and when damage to innocent property must be compensated.
3. Deputies Liable When Drunk Juvenile Causes Multiple Fatalities? by Chief (Ret.) Ken Wallentine
When their actions, or failures to act, create foreseeable risks that lead to deadly outcomes, officers can face civil liability — even when the direct harm is caused by someone else. Chief Wallentine examines a case in which deputies released a highly intoxicated juvenile who later caused a fatal crash, underscoring the importance of carefully assessing custody decisions, impairment, and public safety risks.
Honorable Mention: Facial Recognition in Law Enforcement: Promises and Pitfalls by Prathi Chowdri
Facial recognition technology is a powerful tool for law enforcement to identify suspects and aid investigations, but its use raises serious concerns about accuracy, bias, and privacy. Legal expert Prathi Chowdri details FRT best practices, explaining how it should generate leads that officers verify through traditional methods and be governed by clear policies to limit misuse and protect civil liberties.
Wellness Articles
Wellness remains a critical priority across public safety professions. These articles address mental health, resilience, and support systems that help first responders perform effectively and sustain long-term well-being.
1. Fitness for Duty in Public Safety — JFK and the ‘Soft American’ by David Baker
Since strength and resilience are essential to performing high-stress, physically demanding duties safely, declining physical fitness among public safety personnel and the broader population is undermining the readiness of first responders. Today’s status quo is a critical echo to John F. Kennedy’s warning from the 60s about the national decline in fitness. As fewer Americans meet basic fitness standards, agencies must encourage and support ongoing physical conditioning to maintain operational effectiveness.
2. Therapy: Because Trying to Outrun Your Problems Doesn’t Count as Cardio by Dr. Jaime Brower
First responders often cope with stress and trauma by avoiding their problems through extreme hobbies, fitness obsessions, or other distractions rather than seeking professional help. Dr. Jaime Brower argues mental and emotional health deserves the same attention as physical health, with regular self-check-ins and honest assessment of coping strategies. Support from a counselor, peer supporter, or trusted network can be essential when unhealthy patterns emerge.
3. 10,000 Steps per Day? How Many Do I Really Need to Be Healthier and Happier? by David Baker
Although walking 10,000 steps per day has become popular as a fitness milestone, it isn’t a strict scientific requirement. Research shows meaningful health benefits — including lower mortality and improved cardiovascular outcomes — begin at far fewer steps (around 4,000 to 7,500 daily) and continue to accumulate with more movement, so the focus should be on consistent activity rather than an arbitrary number.
Honorable Mention: Five Hobbies for a Well-Rounded Life by David Baker
The “five hobbies” idea provides a helpful framework to enhance personal growth, improve work-life balance, and promote overall well-being for first responders. This includes cultivating hobbies that generate income, keep you physically fit, boost creativity, expand your mind, and foster social connections to help reduce burnout, enrich life outside work, and support mental and physical health.
Keep an eye on Lexipol’s blog for insightful articles on topics relevant to public safety and the people who work to support it. Also, follow us on social media for articles on critical topics covering challenges and innovations in public safety, plus expert advice on how to improve agency operations. If this information is helpful to you, consider subscribing to our newsletters to get the most up-to-date content delivered straight to your inbox:
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