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
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…
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,…
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?…
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 – 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…
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…
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…
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…
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
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…