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!

A day as a Detective

A Day As A Detective: A Twenty-Four Hour Ride-A-Long With Me

As was the norm in those days, my alarm clock sounded a little less than five hours after I'd closed my eyes. The day before was a long one, and this one, like all the others, would be no different. There was a world to save and I felt as if…
Outsourcing: First writing attempt

Outsourcing: My Very First Attempt At Writing

  Have you ever run across any of your early writings and wondered what was going through your mind when you put pen to paper that day? Well, I found the very first story I ever wrote and I don't have a clue what I was thinking about…
Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

  The Graveyard Shift extends our condolences to the families of each of these brave officers. Probation Officer Tiffany Bishop, 24 Georgia Department of Corrections August 31, 2011 - Probation Officer Tiffany Bishop was…
Two heads better than one

Two Heads Are Better Than One: Working The Graveyard Shift

Citizens are rarely allowed to see the private lives of police officers. From the public’s point of view, cops are sometimes seen as uncaring, gruff individuals with little or no sense of humor. Nothing is further from the truth. Many police…
You're a long way from your bicycle

A Long Way From Your Bicycle: False Confessions

The shabbily-dressed black man stood beside his battered bicycle outside a rural post office/country store, muttering to himself and acting "downright weird." So the postmaster/country store-owner reached for the black rotatory phone that hung…
Patrolling alone with Delilah

Working The Shift…Alone

Working the dreaded graveyard shift is bad enough as it is, day shift, too, but when you add the extra stress of working it alone, well, then it sometimes becomes downright dangerous. But I've done it, and so have many police officers across…
Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene Knocks On Our Front Door

  Hurricane Irene stopped by yesterday to welcome Denene and me to our new neighborhood here in beautiful Coastal Georgia. We love the area here, with all its history, and the scenery is some of the best we've encountered. And that says…
Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

  The Graveyard Shift extends our condolences to the families of these brave officers. Officer Justin Sollohub Anniston Alabama Police Department August 25, 2011 - Officer Justin Sollohub was killed after engaging in a foot…
10 Incredible facts about the criminal brain

10 Incredible Facts About the Criminal Brain

Whenever a crime happens, the community is left wondering how someone could do such a thing. For most of us, it’s hard to comprehend the urge to harm someone else or steal something, especially when we consider the consequences to the victim,…
She loathed those boots

A Hole In My Heart That Will Never Be Filled

Nearly twenty years ago, I stopped at a service station/bus stop to fill the gas tank in my unmarked police car. In those days, the department had a contract with a fuel company that allowed us to fill up at various spots throughout the city,…
Forensics Hall of Fame: 10 Forensic Scientists Who Made History

Forensics Hall of Fame: 10 Forensic Scientists Who Made History

Forensics Hall of Fame: 10 Forensic Scientists Who Made History If looking for an education as a forensic science technician, there can be many questions. Issues such as program rankings and average salary are all asked by the average student…
I Know You're Lying

I Know You’re Lying: Your Pants Are On Fire And Other Tell-Tale Signs

I've sat across the table from some pretty darn good liars, some of the best I've ever seen, actually. And I've heard it all. "I loved my wife. Certainly, I couldn't have killed her." "I was at home knitting a cover for my Bible." "I don't own…
A Lifetime Of Memories

A Lifetime Of Memories

  Oh! that my young life were a lasting dream! My spirit not awakening, till the beam ~ E.A. Poe Of mine own thought- what more could I have seen? ~ Poe *Rachael Kramer images
Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

  The Graveyard Shift extends its condolences to the family of this brave officer. Officer Evan Burns, 28 Caruthersville Missouri Police Department August 16, 2011 - Deputy sheriffs were in pursuit of a stolen SUV driven…
Officer Jeremy Henwood

Officer Jeremy Henwood: An American Hero

Last week, I reported the shooting death of San Diego Police Officer Jeremy Henwood. Officer Henwood approached a traffic signal and pulled alongside a black Audi to wait for the light to change. The driver of the Audi, Dejon Marquee White,…
Ted Bundy investigated for more murders

Ted Bundy Investigated For More Murders

In life, Theodore "Ted" Bundy exuded charisma and charm. He was a good looking man who had no qualms about killing. He was tied to murders in six states, but he claimed to have killed many more, possibly as many as 30. He'd been arrested for…
You have been found guilty

So It’s Your First Day In Jail: Here’s What You Can Expect

  So you've been tried and convicted for a crime and now you're ready to do your time. Well, it's not like you have a say in the matter. But, the day has arrived. The judge found you guilty and sheriff's deputies (that's who takes you…
Sleeping With The OohAhCawCawOoh Birds

Sleeping With The OohAhCawCawOoh Birds

  The epic ordeal is finally over. The movers showed up yesterday at 8am, as promised, and began unloading the first of the two moving trucks. And it went well. Our first day of island life had begun. What a pleasure this was going to…