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!

Presumption of Innocence and Reasonable Doubt

Presumption of Innocence and Reasonable Doubt

Today, The Graveyard Shift welcomes Leslie Budewitz as our featured guest blogger. Leslie, a practicing attorney and author, is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. As busy as she is, she always manages to find the…
Grand Canyon

Weekend Road Trip – The Grand Canyon

  Well, another week has come and gone. Now, let's load up the car, leave the city lights, noise, and smog behind us because it's time for The Weekend Road Trip. This week we're traveling to the south rim of The Grand Canyon, near Williams,…
Fridays Heroes

Friday’s Heroes

  Each night, as we settle into our warm beds for a good night's rest, police officers all over the country tuck their kids in bed, kiss their spouses goodbye, and head out the door to keep us safe.  What do they do while we sleep?…
lady luck

CSI: Crazy Stupid Information

  Each night people from all over the world settle in to watch their favorite television sleuths solve the latest murder. You can't turn the channel without seeing some sort of well-dressed investigator using fancy tools and equipment…
Narcotics Evidence

Narcotics Evidence – What Happens To It?

  Narcotics officers spend a great deal of time conducting surveillance in some of the worst places imaginable, and they do it while enduring some pretty rough conditions. After all, it's not pleasant sitting in a patch of poison…
4/20 Day Cannibis

Narcotics Officer: Not Your Normal 9-5 Job

  There's one job within the police department that really takes special skills, patience, and abilities. It's a demanding job that requires long, late-night hours, working in extremely dangerous situations, and hanging out with some…
Dr. Denene Lofland

Microscopic Murder

  Our guest expert today on The Graveyard Shift is Dr. Denene Lofland. Dr. Lofland received her PhD degree in pathology from the Medical College of Virginia, and she's a trained clinical microbiologist. She has served as the Director…
Clinton Presidential Library

Weekend Road Trip – Clinton Presidential Library

  Our Weekend Road Trip this week takes us to Little Rock, Arkansas for a tour of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. The 150,000 square foot structure cost approximately $165 million to construct, and it sits within the boundaries…
Cops are people too

A Cop’s Day – It’s Not All Car Chases and Shootouts

  Police officers have a dangerous job, no doubt about it. They drive fast, dodge bullets, wrestle bad guys, and take knives away from rowdy drunks. But, if you take the time to look closely you'll see that they're just people, like…
Police Academy Training - Firearms

Police Academy Training – Firearms

Firearms training is one of the most enjoyable parts of the police academy experience. After all, where else can you go to shoot a bunch of ammunition on somebody else's dime? However, it doesn't take long for the new recruits to realize these…
Come On: Hearst Castle

Weekend Road Trip – The Hearst Castle

  The Hearst Castle is perched high above the Pacific Ocean at San Simeon, California. The castle was built by William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. The project began in 1919 and lasted thirty years. The main house consists…

Police Academy Training – Defensive Tactics

  Before police officers actually hit the streets to begin making arrests, directing traffic, responding to domestic complaints, and investigating murders, they must attend a basic police academy to receive their certifications as police…
Pinocchio

How Detectives Know When a Suspect is Lying – Part 2

  Kinesics is the study of nonverbal communication - body language. A suspect's movements and gestures can tell investigators when he is being less than truthful. Some of these gestures are very slight while others are as plain as…
Danny P. Smith

On The Job With Author Danny P. Smith

The Graveyard Shift is pleased to introduce a wonderful and talented author, Danny P. Smith. I first met Danny at a writers conference several years ago in California and my cop instincts told me he had what it takes to survive in a writer's…
Wallace Falls WA

Weekend Road Trip – Wallace Falls, Washington

  Put on your hiking boots and grab an oxygen tank because we're headed high up into the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Our Weekend Road Trip this week takes us to Wallace Falls, Washington. The only way up to the falls is to…
Chief of police Scott Silverii

Police Chiefs

  Police chiefs are responsible for enforcing the laws and ordinances of their city or town. They're appointed by a city council and mayor, and they're supervised by that same governing body. Since they're appointed to their position…

Blood Evidence

  Nichole Brown Simpson crime scene. Sometimes, the amount of blood in a murder scene can be quite overwhelming, but the savvy detective can read the reddish-brown liquid like a book. The stuff can even point to where the killer…
Lt. Dave Swords

Lt. Dave Swords on Search and Seizure – Part 2

The Graveyard Shift welcomes back special guest expert Lieutenant David Swords (ret.) of the Springfield, Ohio Police Department. Today, Lt. Swords continues his discussion on Search and Seizure. Vehicle searches Here is one exception to the…