Dr. Michael Wood

Depending on your perspective the criminal justice systems of western civilization are either broken or operating precisely as intended. Either way, the jury is no longer out. Our institutions must be wholly reimagined. The philosophical foundations of thought need to be brought into the 21st century. Building off the famous work of Cesare Beccaria, Michael Wood constructs the pathways to the enlightenment period of justice. A life course that wove from a 17-year-old U.S. Marine to a decade on… Show more

Depending on your perspective the criminal justice systems of western civilization are either broken or operating precisely as intended. Either way, the jury is no longer out. Our institutions must be wholly reimagined. The philosophical foundations of thought need to be brought into the 21st century. Building off the famous work of Cesare Beccaria, Michael Wood constructs the pathways to the enlightenment period of justice. A life course that wove from a 17-year-old U.S. Marine to a decade on the streets of Baltimore to international police consultant to a scholar of management systems, provided a unique combination of experiences for Michael Wood. It was not an easy journey to go from an instrument of violence to an instrument of peace. It will not be an easy journey for you either, but it is the one that we owe to the future. To make a safer world for our children to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Show less

There is no lack of motivation for young officers to go out and police. What is hard to face, is that the politicians that govern us and the citizens that we serve expect police to have Law degrees, be paramedics, psychologists, elite marksmen, omniscient psychics, and ninjas, all at the same time, while we work for peanuts and never sleep. That expectation cannot be changed, what can be changed is our level of professionalism in facing those facts. Why don't law enforcement officers, just… Show more

There is no lack of motivation for young officers to go out and police. What is hard to face, is that the politicians that govern us and the citizens that we serve expect police to have Law degrees, be paramedics, psychologists, elite marksmen, omniscient psychics, and ninjas, all at the same time, while we work for peanuts and never sleep. That expectation cannot be changed, what can be changed is our level of professionalism in facing those facts. Why don't law enforcement officers, just learn all of the things on their own? Because it is daunting, the General Order books are a pile high, law books are intimidating, police theory books are written by sociology professors and scientists that we can't and don't want to understand. Putting a resource into the hands of officers that easily taught them theory, law, procedure, leadership and so forth was the biggest influence that the supervisors could do in order to increase professionalism. With a bunch of United States Marines being involved, the idea became to prepare officers as Sergeants and Sergeants as Lieutenants. A promotional guide took shape that taught everything needed to advance to the next level in the testing room and on the street. Show less

These materials are not all of the theoretical information that you find in the sources that are out there, which are not written by real police and do not understand what really goes into the promotional processes, what really works, and what we really need to know. All of the fluff has been taken out, just the facts, the tricks, and guidance all in one place. No more shuffling between different books, the internet, and stacks of paper. Everything you need is right here, just add General… Show more

These materials are not all of the theoretical information that you find in the sources that are out there, which are not written by real police and do not understand what really goes into the promotional processes, what really works, and what we really need to know. All of the fluff has been taken out, just the facts, the tricks, and guidance all in one place. No more shuffling between different books, the internet, and stacks of paper. Everything you need is right here, just add General Orders. We seek to open the curtain on the promotional process to make it fair for every-one and most importantly to raise the bar and reserve the honor of supervising police officers for those truly worthy. The materials are continually updated to ensure that the most up to date information is provided. The cornerstone of the PLA is the Law Enforcement Career & Promotion Guide, the powerful resource that is made with you in mind. The 348 pages in this guide are the most powerful promotional tool a Maryland police officer can have. 16 pages of critical terminology. 32 pages that break down the Maryland laws into a system even quicker than the digest. 135 pages that of Law Enforcement Management that forever put an end to reading all of those boring scientific theory guides that are needed to pass promotional exams. Everything important that you can find in those books are now in language that is written for police, by police, that you can understand. 125 practice written questions just like on current tests. 31 pages of the tips and tricks to oral board interviews, written "inbox", mock scenarios, etc. 63 pages of the absolute best oral board scenarios, answered completely and thoroughly. 10 pages to write your notes down. Learn the system that is easily taught in this guide to ace your test and put your career in your hands. This is not the materials that you have seen before. This is the most up to date, real guide in existence. Show less

The written practice test for Sergeant, held at the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #3 and put on by Michael A. Wood Jr. Questions are applicable for the Lieutenant's Test as well.

What defines justified transgressions? No two people will agree on what is acceptable, moral, right, wrong, deserving, heroic, or criminal in Eliot and that is what pushes us to truly look inside our own souls. Do you see the actions of the vigilante killer set on revenge, the drug dealer just trying to survive, or the cop trying to preserve his legacy as justified, or is it all just excuses to mask our own hidden understanding that very little separates sanity and psychosis?

When it comes to promotion time we all are looking for an advantage. That advantage is here. The materials offered by the PLA are designed to provide a single resource for career development for law enforcement officers and supervisors. These materials are not all of the theoretical information that you find in the sources that are out there, which are not written by real police and do not understand what really goes into the promotional processes, what really works, and what we really need to… Show more

When it comes to promotion time we all are looking for an advantage. That advantage is here. The materials offered by the PLA are designed to provide a single resource for career development for law enforcement officers and supervisors. These materials are not all of the theoretical information that you find in the sources that are out there, which are not written by real police and do not understand what really goes into the promotional processes, what really works, and what we really need to know. All of the fluff has been taken out, just the facts, the tricks, and guidance. We seek to open the curtain on the promotional process to make it fair for everyone and most importantly to raise the bar and reserve the honor of supervising police officers for those truly worthy. The materials are continually updated to ensure that the most up to date information is provided. The cornerstone of the PLA is the Law Enforcement Professional Development Guide. This is the oral board section of the full guide and is universal for all police. We go over what to expect from the oral boards, the mindset that you need, how you need to appear, and we provide the most extensive benchmarks for 21 scenarios. The scenarios are the true gem of this publication. No matter what level of policing you are on. Step by step on what to do with a new shift or squad, how to handle various administrative, personnel, routine, and tactical situations. What do you do if you are left in charge and there is an active shooter that is barricaded? What do you do when you find out your officer was just involved in a domestic incident? What do you do when an EEOC incident occurs on your shift? I tell you step by step along with many more situations. If you are in an agency that has oral boards in the promotional process or if you just want to be a better supervisor, this is for you. Show less