Safer Life Now® founder Jeff Johnson is a sworn law enforcement officer (retired), U.S. Air Force veteran, and nationally-recognized investigative journalist. He graduated in the top of his class from the police academy in 1986 and holds degrees in political science (primary specialization in criminal justice) and communications from Excelsior University in Albany, New York, with graduate coursework from Amberton University in suburban Dallas, Texas.
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Jeff has nearly 5,000 hours of law enforcement, investigations, security, and crime prevention training and education (more than the requirements for a “Master Peace Officer” certification in most states) from the:
- U.S. Department of Justice
- U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
- U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations
- (U.S.) National Crime Information Center
- Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy
- Arkansas Commission on Private Security and Private Investigations
- Arkansas Crime Information Center
- Liberty University, Lynchberg, Virginia
- Capital City Junior College – Little Rock, Arkansas
- Itawamba Community College – Tupelo, Mississippi
- National Rifle Association, Law Enforcement Division
- Pinkerton (Security) Consulting and Investigations, Inc.
As well as law enforcement-related certifications and/or licenses from the:
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
- Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training
- Arkansas Commission on Private Security and Private Investigations
- Virginia State Police, Criminal Justice Services Division
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- National Rifle Association, Law Enforcement Division
He is (or has been) certified to teach law enforcement defensive tactics, use of lethal and less-than-lethal force, and Aikido, and has also studied Tang Soo Do Karate and Krav Maga, the official hand-to-hand combat system of the Israeli Defense Forces.
Just as Jeff completed his initial training to become a federal agent, a disabling injury ended his law enforcement career. Using his law enforcement training and skills an investigative journalist, Jeff continued studying crime prevention self defense and personal safety, and began teaching the skills and methods he developed during his years in police and protective services work to the public.
These training seminars led to various permanent positions including as Statewide Training Supervisor for Pinkerton Security and Investigations in Arkansas, and to contract work such as serving in Washington, DC, as an event bodyguard for nationally-syndicated radio talk show hosts Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham.
In 1995, Jeff founded Safer Life Now (under the name “Street Smart Safety”) to share his “training, tools, and tips to protect yourself and the people you love,” through in-person seminars. In 2010, he decided to combine the extensive experiences from his second career in the news media to reach an even wider audience with this potentially life-saving information.
Jeff renamed the venture “Safer Life Now” and began producing training videos, crime prevention columns and product reviews, in addition to his traveling seminars and forthcoming book.
Click here to learn more about how Jeff Johnson can help you have a Safer Life Now.®