If I Knew Then: Life Lessons From Cops on the Street

Half a century of wisdom – one book. These are the life lessons learned by law enforcement professionals from across North America. In these pages, they share their stories, their insights, their pain, and their lessons learned. All of the stories in this book are written by real cops, real people who have chosen to commit their life to the profession of law enforcement. These stories have been written by officers who have worked in big cities for some of North America’s largest police departments, and by officers who have worked in small departments and rural agencies. Some of these stories will make you laugh while others will pull at your heartstrings. All of them will leave you wanting more. All of the contributors for this book committed their time and energy for one purpose. That purpose is to share their stories so others can learn from their experiences and grow. If you choose to study this book, it will enable you to stand on the shoulders of giants. “Brian Willis has put together an outstanding anthology of excellent essays on a topic of great interest to every police officer—thought-provoking lessons from seasoned veterans about how to thrive and find fulfillment in the often harsh world of law enforcement. The greenest rookie will learn things that can help him throughout his career, the retiree will find nostalgic things to ponder about the past, and every cop in between will learn valuable lessons from the accumulated wisdom of the contributors. This is a well written, easy to read book with a lot of heart. I highly recommend it.” Brian McKenna Author of Officer Down! Lessons From The Street "If I Knew Then: Life Lessons From Cops on the Street is full of hard-earned life-lessons that are applicable to the layman and the lawman alike. Regardless of your profession you need to read this book." Ian McRobbie, Ocularist

Half a century of wisdom – one book. These are the life lessons learned by law enforcement professionals from across North America. In these pages, they share their stories, their insights, their pain, and their lessons learned. All of the stories in this book are written by real cops, real people who have chosen to commit their life to the profession of law enforcement. These stories have been written by officers who have worked in big cities for some of North America’s largest police departments, and by officers who have worked in small departments and rural agencies. Some of these stories will make you laugh while others will pull at your heartstrings. All of them will leave you wanting more. All of the contributors for this book committed their time and energy for one purpose. That purpose is to share their stories so others can learn from their experiences and grow. If you choose to study this book, it will enable you to stand on the shoulders of giants. “Brian Willis has put together an outstanding anthology of excellent essays on a topic of great interest to every police officer—thought-provoking lessons from seasoned veterans about how to thrive and find fulfillment in the often harsh world of law enforcement. The greenest rookie will learn things that can help him throughout his career, the retiree will find nostalgic things to ponder about the past, and every cop in between will learn valuable lessons from the accumulated wisdom of the contributors. This is a well written, easy to read book with a lot of heart. I highly recommend it.” Brian McKenna Author of Officer Down! Lessons From The Street "If I Knew Then: Life Lessons From Cops on the Street is full of hard-earned life-lessons that are applicable to the layman and the lawman alike. Regardless of your profession you need to read this book." Ian McRobbie, Ocularist

Brian Willis is an internationally recognized thought leader, speaker, trainer and writer and President of the innovative training company Winning Mind Training. Brian is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution and commitment to Officer Safety in Canada and was named Law Officer Trainer of the Year for 2011. Brian serves as the Deputy Executive Director for the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA). He is the editor and contributing author for the acclaimed books W.I.N.: Critical Issues in Training and Leading Warriors and W.I.N. 2: Insights Into Training and Leading Warriors, If I Knew Then: Life Lessons From Cops on the Street. And If I Knew Then 2: Warrior Reflections. He is also a contributing writer for the book Warriors: On Living with Courage, Discipline and Honor. Brian began his law enforcement career with the Calgary Police Service in 1979 and over the next 25 years he worked as a patrol officer, tactical officer, patrol supervisor and trainer. Brian is a past Editor of the ILEETA Review and writes the W.I.N. Column for the ILEETA Use of Force Journal. In addition to having numerous articles published in law enforcement periodicals Brian is a regular contributor to PoliceOne.com and Policemag.com. Brian has given presentations on mental preparation and conditioning at numerous international conferences and is sought after as a speaker across North America for his presentations Excellence in Training, Harnessing The Winning Mind and Warrior Spirit, Dare to Soar: The Pursuit of Personal Excellence and Your Life IS Your Legacy. Brian has also worked with martial artists, competitive shooters, athletes and coaches from a variety of sports including boxing, hockey, skeleton, volleyball, bull riding, figure skating, running, biathlon, and golf on harnessing the power of the mind and enhancing performance.