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A Photo Tribute To 9/11

PoliceLink — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 01:28:00 -0700

[photo:489662] September 11th was the most-witnessed event in American History thanks to today's technology. This album presents some of those captured moments as well as the resulting swell of American Pride.

Feel free so submit your own 9/11 photos to our albums page.

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The Scanner

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:43:00 -0700

Hello, and welcome back to the Chaplain’s Corner. July 2011… only 16 more months! I only hope this country lasts that long. I have to wonder: “What part of ‘NO’ don’t Senators understand?” And of course, too, when you read the headlines on Drudge, you keep seeing things proposed and pending that are straight out of the Book of Revelation. But that’s a sermon for another day. (I heard someone over there say “whew!”)

Hmmm….lawnmowers last month, scanners this… I guess to put it in Dr. Seuss lingo: “from there to here, from here to there, object lessons are everywhere.”

The Scanner – sounds like a book or movie title doesn’t it? Well, I’d best not stretch this to book-length or I’ll put some folks to sleep. My little illustration this time isn’t a police scanner or a bar code reader. In this day of computer-literacy probably most of you are familiar with, at least conceptually, the desktop scanners that are hooked to computers to “scan in” hardcopy documents and photos and the like. That’s the type of scanner I want to draw your attention to. I’d hold mine up so you could see, but… So I’ll just have to describe as best I can. It’s basically a thin plastic box that has a scanning carriage like a Xerox machine that moves the length of the “scanning bed” (a long rectangular piece of glass or clear plastic).

I have had an “ancient” Hewlett-Packard table-top scanner for nearly 15 years now. I got it waaaay back when “Dr. Daughter” was still in high school. For the last couple of years now it hasn’t cooperated when I’ve tried to use it. Usually when I’d boot up the computer I would hear it make sounds like it was initializing, but it wouldn’t scan. I never expended much time in trying to figure out why. This weekend, Dr. Daughter needed to scan some documents to be emailed and … right… it still didn’t work. I tried everything I knew. I fiddled with settings. I changed USB ports. I changed user profiles. I hooked it to the OLD computer. Nothing. It would make the expected initialization sounds, Windows XP would find it… I repeatedly uninstalled and reinstalled the software… but still NOTHING! AARRGHH! OK… last resort. I went to the HP website and fired up a download of the software. Over 2 hours on dialup. Guess what. Yep. I gave up, being it was about 0230 and I had to be in the CV in about 5 ½ hours.

That evening after I got off duty, I thought “there’s got to be something simple,” so I tried one more time. This time I started experimenting with the scanner itself. And I discovered that the computer WAS talking to the scanner and the scanner WAS talking to the computer, but the carriage wasn’t moving. Ah Ha! (Did I tell you I was in data processing for over 20 years? I can fix this!) Well, I grabbed my trusty screwdriver and took the cover off of the scanner and found I could reposition the carriage by hand.

After moving the carriage I’d try to use the scanner; the carriage would return to the “start” position and just “bounce in place.” It’s broke. The problem is internal… a fried circuit board or something. This one I can’t fix. It’s beyond my skills and ability. So, what I had to do was “resort” to using a newer scanner that someone had given me.

OK, so what do I make of all that? Several things. “The scanner is like…” is how Jesus would have started. This whole thing is sort of a picture of mankind and their relationship with God. Where to start? Where to start?

1. Well, if we think of the whole scanner/PC “picture,” then it could be an illustration of something being wrong in our lives; but not understanding where the problem is, we try all sorts of different things (read: drugs, alcohol, sex) to “fix” it. The more it doesn’t work, the harder and faster we try the same things hoping for a different result. We keep getting the same results because the problem is in the “scanner” (our innermost being) not the “computer” (our relationship with God and others). We, as humans, seem to have a built-in aversion to admitting that something inside us isn’t what it could/should be.

2. The problem is not something visible. When I looked the scanner over, it looked like everything was good. We look in the mirror and we tend to only see what’s reflected. Taking the time to “loosen the screws” and look deeper for the problem isn’t necessarily something we want to do, but it is necessary to locate the problem.

3. Changing “positions” won’t fix the problem, because the problem is elsewhere. You know, you can go to church somewhere and sit there in the pew and think that just because you’re there, the problem will automatically be fixed. No…when you get up and walk outside, you simply “reset” and the problem remains because you still haven’t identified the problem.

4. It takes an expert to fix some things, but the expert can’t fix what I don’t take to him. There was a time when things in my life were not right, but I realized I couldn’t fix them. I found out that God could, but only if I let Him have a hand in my life.

5. Sometimes things require replacing. Sometimes we need a “change of heart” – a fresh start. God offers us that chance. If we will recognize that we have a “heart problem” and go to God and confess; ask forgiveness; ask for a fresh start, He’ll be glad to do that for us.

Let me take us to The Book to rephrase point 5:
If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)

Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Uh Oh… I’m getting long-winded again, so I’d better wrap this up by simply referring you to Psalm 51 in the Old Testament to see how King David “fixed things.”

Hey, thanks for listening. I hope you have a great shift. Until next time: Blessings to you and yours.

Chaplain Bill
llanochaps@moment.net

Best Of: Ridiculous Speeding Excuses

PoliceLink — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:24:00 -0700

The officers of PoliceLink's Facebook fan page share the best speeding excuses they've heard while on patrol. Check out this collection of real tales from the street and the hilarious things no one should be dumb enough to say.

See The List >>

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You see officer; we are on our way to an AA meeting to get some serenity. That’s why I was going 84mph in a 40mph zone. Now I’m going to be late.

-Gemiley

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"I am on my way to give someone their last rites" - Later the driver complained that I made him late and the guy died without them, however after the ticket he went directly into the McDonalds.
- Copper5817

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The best was when I stopped a guy going 88mph in a 60. Asked him why he was going so fast. He replied "I was trying to go back in time" as he looked at me and grinned.
- Chainsawhand

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I actually had a lady tell me she was literally going to poop herself if she didnt get to a bathroom right then. I had her info and knew she worked at the place we were right in front of so I told her to go ahead and I would wait for her. After she returned, she actually flirted with me and my Sgt. even after we issued a speeding ticket.

- Facebook submission

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Violator: I'm about to give birth

Me: Ma'am excuse me but you don't look expecting

Violator: It's a small baby!

- Facebook submission

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This is from an officer friend: When I pulled a lady over she said she just left her mechanic and he said to keep the RPMs over a certain number. She figured to do that she had to drive fast. I told her to get a new mechanic because he should have also told her to down shift which would keep the RPMs up without speeding.

- Facebook submission

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From an 80-year-old woman I stopped: "I'm speeding because I don't want to forget where I am going."

- Facebook submission

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The driver I stopped was speeding back to the bar to pay his bar tab. He had left all his Money at home.

- Facebook submission

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"I left my stove on. No I don't have my license. It's in my purse on top of the stove"

- Facebook submission

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I had a gal tell me she was almost out of gas so she was speeding to get to the gas station. I told her nice try, the faster you drive the more you use. I also told her if she was really that low she should turn her car off while I wrote the ticket to conserve fuel. She didn't appreciate my sarcasm.

- Facebook submission

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Stopped a guy doing 30 over. He asked to get out of the car to speak with me. After patting him down he walked to the rear of my car. He then asked if I would hurry up and write his ticket, he really needed to get home. After this request I asked him the emergency. He said I might not understand. I said just tell me what's the problem. He point toward his car and the young woman in it. He said they had been dating several months and she was finally "giving it up" and he wanted to get home before she changed her mind. I told him to slow down and get home safe.

- Facebook submission

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I had a lady tell me that she was rushing home to meet her husband because she had 20 minutes to get pregnant. They were using one of those kits that told you when the right day and time of day, would be best.

- Facebook submission

And Finally Our Favorite >>

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Driver is a male: "My wife left me a few weeks ago and started seeing a police officer. When I saw you behind me I punched". The driver was asked why he did this when he clearly saw me behind him? Driver replies, "I thought you might be the one she left me for and you were trying to bring her back!"

No citation issued.

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The Fastest 2x2x2 Drill on the Planet

Christian Lowe | KitUp! — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:32:00 -0700

Well, it might not be…but it sure is one of the fastest bits of shooting I’ve ever seen.
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I ran across this video this weekend to pick up some tips on shooting drills and was blown away at how fast Kyle Lamb can push lead through these targets.

Kit Up! readers might remember my attempt at this drill last year at ITI and it was pathetic (especially since my boss beat me as well).

But Lamb has the money quote in this one where he says “taking out three dudes in less than two seconds isn’t bad.”

So tell us what your fastest time has been in this (or a similar) rifle drill in the comments.

Read the original article at: Kit Up!

Police Work, Prayer and Chaos

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 09:48:00 -0700

Prayer is the theme in concluding this article on uncertainty and chaos in the law enforcement profession. As I indicated previously, I’ve been intrigued by [gate] the comments in our social networking and online writing communities that refer to prayer by asking us to do so on behalf of deceased officers, families, and friends as well as those who live in noble suffering in a call to God that is supported by scripture, but, more importantly, by action. In my
last article, I had provided some personal experiences and examples that spurred my own questions and stirrings about God and prayer and asked you, our audience, to do the same. After some contemplation, what did you come up with?

I will preface this again by saying that I am a work in progress. I’m a praying, religious man who attends church, and found Jesus Christ through my own law enforcement experience. In addition to formal education in philosophy, morality, ethics, and theology, I further consulted with a number of spiritual leaders and police chaplains across the U.S. in developing some tangible things you can take away from this piece to understand the importance of prayer and how we can all participate.

Most of us were introduced to the concept of a greater being when we were children. Many of us claim to believe and follow the way of God/Yahweh through Jesus Christ. We attend church or synagogue, we try to live good lives, and we are aware of the frailties in the world among those we serve, but have we learned how to relate to the God who created us and watches over us lovingly and always? In our experience and research, building a relationship with God is best done in prayer so we must ask ourselves, “How do I pray?” “What do I pray for?” “Who do I pray for?” Chaplains indicate that officers often wish for them to pray for them and they respond that they will, especially during times of hurting and vulnerability.

We are born to be good people. When some of us get too caught up in the everyday temptations of life, we struggle to get back on track. Prayer brings solace in a world of chaos and offers a quiet time for us to leave the stress of our lives, and it provides time to build a relationship with the Master of the Universe. We become more comfortable in the presence of mystery. We need to pray in whatever way we know, and believe that our prayers of praise, thanksgiving, and request will be answered for us and for the recipients of our prayer.

There is always some form of prayer or praying common to all faiths or religious backgrounds. It is a known entity that prayers in some form are readily offered whenever there are officer injuries or deaths. The most common comment from people is: “I am praying for you or remembering you in prayer.” When officers call for prayer, a concept of God's benevolence is present and they trust that those prayers are reaching the God of their beliefs.

Forget science when determining your answers. As a social scientist I can guarantee you that while we seek verification of a phenomenon through rigorous criteria, we cannot explain matters of self, personal experience, transcendence, and intuition with science. It’s metaphysical, spiritual and religious. Philosopher Immanuel Kant once said that science is the organization of knowledge while wisdom is the organization of life. So let’s finish with some words of wisdom by those who have led us in our spiritual calling:

• Praying to God is the foundation for our emotional well-being. It’s not so much an intimate attachment as it is a determined stance toward the world. It implies dependence, vulnerability, risk, and a lack of control. This is where the rubber meets the road for us in law enforcement. We can’t control everything. As a result, we pray—for ourselves and for others. While we cannot fix the world, we trust in God and with it a responsibility to engage and accept life’s possibilities;

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• As a parent, we want to know that our child can come and talk to us—to ask for help—to give thanks and honor us. God invites us the same way. Prayer is simply time spent aware of His presence. There is no need for special words and can be like talking to a friend. Today, we have so many ways we communicate: email, text, instant messaging, fax, phone, and face-to-face. There is no particular way to pray either. Do it the way you are comfortable. It can be in a traditional sense where there is a vocabulary for prayer in a church or through meditation and silence. It can be singing or aloud with postures and gestures. We can do it when we relax, work, or play. Much like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, it’s about talking to God. We must step into the silence and in your heart say to God, I do not know how to pray. At this point, you have begun. Open your heart into gentle dialogue;

• Pray for officers. It’s the most stressful job in the world. They see the worst of society and are often unable to switch gears when they get home. They are on duty 24/7 and often disengaged from their family—crashing into bed or the chair, alcohol, working out or hobbies and preparing for another day on the job. The police culture invites officers to bond with other officers—often a recipe for disaster. Pray for their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

• Pray for the family and friends of fallen officers—that they are able to go forward with God’s help and find solace in the duty their officer provided;

• Pray for law enforcement families. A career of silent and loud suffering occurs with court, holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, call-outs, and the hyper-vigilance that goes with the job. The divorce and suicide rate is very high, comparatively, to other professions. We need strong cops through the grace of God;

• Pray for the criminal justice system—often tainted with politics, corruption, and influence. Pray for people of integrity, character, truth and justice to serve us accordingly;

The bottom line is to pray every day for these circumstances and in a way that is comfortable for you to sit in the classroom of silence with serious contemplation about what you do and how you can tangibly serve others. Police chaplains have told me that they tell cops everyday that they pray for them. A seasoned chaplain once recalled a cop who asked him after roll call, “Are you still praying for me chaplain”? He went on to say that they want to know that someone still cares enough about them to speak their name to God. He replied, “I do it every day.”

If you’re not sure where to start, here is the prayer of St. Michael, patron saint of law enforcement—a prayer inspired by battle:

Saint Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle.

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;

and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,

by the Divine Power of God,

cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits

who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Special thanks to police chaplains Dave Henion, Harry Tysen, M.C. Williams, and James Salo. For more information, visit the Centurion Law Enforcement Ministry and the American Police Chaplains Association.

Law Enforcement Tattoo Showcase - Part 2

PoliceLink — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:06:00 -0700

Our Law Enforcement Tattoo Showcase article was a big hit, and we received tons of requests from members who also wanted the chance to show off their tats.

Browse our second gallery of PoliceLink member tattoos and share in the pride and honor of law enforcement.

View More Member Tattoos >>

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PoliceLink Member: CJHogan

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PoliceLink Member: Barricade434

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PoliceLink Member: SMSO

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PoliceLink Member: Unknown

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PoliceLink Member: G8torFan

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PoliceLink Member: Brandan86

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PoliceLink Member: EverVigilantSheepdog

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PoliceLink Member: CPD46

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PoliceLink Member: cnhatmtwn

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PoliceLink Member: ctbullrider

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PoliceLink Member: DeputyMJ

Which tattoo was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

Now go check out Part 1 >>

PoliceLink's Law Enforcement Tattoo Showcase

PoliceLink — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:55:00 -0700

Photo by Librarianguish

Police tattoos have long been a tradition in law enforcement. Whether it be St. Michael, a department badge or personal remembrance, these tattoos offer a tribute to the lifestyle and sacrifice of law enforcement officers.

Browse our gallery of PoliceLink member tattoos and share the pride and honor of law enforcement.

View Member Tattoos >>

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PoliceLink Member hafahndlr

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PoliceLink Member bjessica57

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PoliceLink Member widowofcop

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PoliceLink Member stout517

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PoliceLink Member Chief171

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PoliceLink Member K9GSD

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PoliceLink Member BigNTS

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Photo by Justin Grimes

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PoliceLink Member [Anonymous]

Want to see a Part 2 featuring your tattoo? Email us a photo, description and your username!

The History and Importance of Police Training

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 05:35:00 -0700

Gone are the days of a county sheriff handing his buddy a badge and gun and “Deputizing” him to go out on the street and enforce laws that he/she had never been trained in. In today’s modern law enforcement world, police training is as important as doctors attending medical school or lawyers passing the bar exam.

Without properly trained police officers, our society could not successfully function. Police officers must be trained extensively in federal and state law, evidence handling, prisoner transport, handcuffing, defensive tactics, firearms, driving, customer service and many other areas of law enforcement.

History

In 1967, the Presidents Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice determined that there was a greater need for the proper training of police officers. It recommended no fewer than 400 hours of instruction and a 12- to 18-month probationary period. It also recommended no fewer than 8 weeks of field training and college education for different levels of police officers.

Service

Police officers need to be trained in professionalism and customer service. The very nature of policing requires officers to interact with the general public, and they should have problem-solving skills, while being polite and professional at the same time.

Education

As each decade passes, college education has increased in the police ranks. Because of the complexity of policing, and the many aspects of it, the more education an officer has, the better he is prepared to deal with matters on the street. Many colleges and universities are offering bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in criminal justice. August Vollmer, the first police chief of Berkeley, Calif., and considered the father of modern-day policing, first proposed that police officers should be college educated. He established the first school of criminology in 1916. “Vollmer’s emphasis on an educated policeman has been carried forward and expanded under each of the three men who have succeeded him” according to Time magazine.

Liability

It has been shown that a link exists between the lack police training and liability. The better training the police have, the lower the risk that an officer will bring down civil or criminal liability upon himself or his police agency. According to Jack Ryan, “If, following this grant of qualified immunity for the individual officer, a court finds that the violation was the result of some policy or training issue; the agency may still be liable”. Matthew McNamara, of Triple Canopy, points out that The United States Supreme Court has ruled that police agencies can be held liable for failure to train, and he states that “Good, clear documentation of training is a must”.

Protection

Law enforcement officers often are called upon to protect themselves or others from violence. This sometimes will require an officer to use force against a violent offender. Knowing the amount of force necessary to stop the offenders’ action requires extensive training. Officers are trained to use a variety of weapons, including hand-to-hand combat, pepper spray, Taser, handcuffing techniques and deadly force.

Without proper training in all of these areas, we as officers would be considered nothing more than a rogue gang out on the streets strong arming everyone else. Law enforcement is a profession, and because of training, we are a highly respected profession.

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The Parable of the Lawnmower?

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 10:26:00 -0700

Welcome to the Chaplain’s Corner one more time. Well, it was inevitable… yesterday I mowed the grass for the first time this year. If I lived up north in “Yankee Country” that wouldn’t be so surprising, but for central Texas (where in years past I’ve mowed even in January and February), that is a sad commentary on the state of our rain situation. We got a couple inches last week and that’s the most rain we’ve had since September, I think.

I pulled and pushed the riding mower out of the shed – the tires were flat (hazard of mowing under mesquite) and the battery was dead from sitting all winter. I had to get the mower out to where I could pull the “ChappyMobile” close and use the little lighter-plug compressor to air up the tires. And then roll the mower around to where I could jump it off. (It’s amazing how much easier it is to move with inflated tires.)

Once I hooked up to the battery in the Explorer, the mower turned right over and started after just a few coughs. I didn’t mention that the gas can was empty, so all I had was what gas was left in the tank. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to finish the front and back yards without having to push the mower back to the shed.

Hmmm… seems like there might “be a sermon in there.” Wanna bet? Well, let’s what I can do with “The Parable of the Lawnmower.”

I guess the place to start is with the lawnmower itself. My mower is more than 10 years old; and mowing about 3 acres of grass, weeds, fire ant mounds, gopher mounds, mesquite twigs, and cactus has taken its toll. In other words, it’s no longer in mint condition… dusty, faded, scratched & dented – just plain tired. (Sounds like me when I come in after riding on the mower for 4 hours when it hasn’t rained in weeks.) And as “tired” as it is, there’s still a mowing job ahead of it, and each time I go out, it “rises to the occasion” – sometimes needing a bit more “help” than others.

Have you ever felt like that by the time you get your “40” in for the week? How ‘bout when you get home from your second job? Sometimes life just uses us hard, or as the old cowboys would say, “I feel like I’ve been rode hard and put away wet.” So, the old mower is a pretty good picture of the way we can get to feeling not only physically and emotionally, but also spiritually as well – dusty, dry and used up.

The mower was designed and crafted (created, if you will) for a specific job – to mow grass. And the mower “has that job to do” so to speak. We humans have been created with a specific task to do, and that is to worship God. As I was gathering thoughts and typing, I realized that the mower doesn’t have to be pretty to do its job. Sometimes we can allow ourselves to be convinced that we have to be “pretty” to be of use to God or even to come into His house to worship him. When we’re feeling used up, that’s easier to believe, but it’s still not true. It’s what’s in our heart, not our high dollar duds and fancy footwear, that makes for worship.

Flat tires and dead batteries. In our profession it’s easy to get deflated (discouraged) with all the dirtbags, trauma, mistreatment, meanness, and just plain misfortune that we have to deal with on a daily basis. I know, I’ve been there myself a time or three. We can just get to where we don’t seem to have it in us anymore. That’s when we need a friend to help.

Okay, since a “parable” is supposed to be a sort of verbal illustration of something, let’s look at it this way: If the mower is a picture of us when we’re feeling all used up, and the mowing job is worship, then the “Chappymobile” could be an illustration of Jesus. I brought the mower to the vehicle which had what the mower needed to fulfill its job – air for the tires and electricity for the battery.

Jesus can touch our lives where we’re hurting and give us healing and encouragement in our inner selves which will allow us to continue living and to have a personal relationship with Him. And once we’re “back in the saddle,” spending time with Him in a personal, meaningful way, He’ll put more “gas in our tanks” and keep us going.

As I said, there are times we need a friend to help us get the mower and the vehicle in close proximity. If you’re a Christian and see someone you know who looks to have some “flat tires,” take a chance and reach out to them. Sometimes all it takes is a little prayer to “jump off the battery” and get them started on their way to a closer relationship with God.

If you’re the one who’s got “flat tires” and/or a “dead battery,” take a chance and reach out to a Christian you know and ask them to pray with you that God would make a difference in your life.

Thanks for spending some time with me again. Blessings to you and yours.

Chaplain Bill
llanochaps@moment.net

How Do You Handle Police Misconduct?

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 09:41:00 -0700

“Police misconduct” is always a favorite topic of the media, and who can blame them? Exposing the dark side of those who are supposed to serve and protect makes for fascinating reading and viewing by the general public. And let’s face it; there is no shortage of fodder when it comes to our own bad behavior. Cops make mistakes, just like everyone else, and sometimes our errors involve momentary insanity, huge lapses in judgment, or even criminal behavior.

In my own small suburban area outside of Chicago, a deputy chief was recently accused of dipping into the prescription drug “turn in” program’s evidence locker. He got caught, fired, and indicted, and it made local and national headlines in print, on television and on the Internet. Ouch.

Police Link recently asked this question on their increasingly popular Facebook page: What would you do if you witnessed misconduct by one of your department co-workers? The responses were varied, emotional, and fascinating.

Many respondents wanted more information before they answered the question. “Define misconduct” was a frequent response, as was “it depends on the type of misconduct.” That kind of attitude is typical in our society; we seem to tolerate more and more bad behavior from each other as well as ourselves. In Michelle Malkin’s fantastic best seller, Culture of Corruption, she systematically outlines decades of misconduct involving many of the people currently holding high office in the United States, and yet there was little sustained national outrage regarding her well-researched findings.

We’re just a nation accustomed to our lawmakers “pushing the envelope” ethically; let’s hope we’re not heading in the same direction when in comes to our law enforcers. I agree that engaging in police brutality is not the same as taking a free cup of coffee, but as a profession, we have to take a hard look at own ethical standards and expectations.

Many of the Facebook posts indicated that people set high standards for themselves but didn’t want to be the one to confront someone else’s bad behavior. That’s a dangerous attitude for this profession. I understand not wanting to be the shift snitch but if you witness a fellow officer engaged in misconduct and you simply turn away, you’re just as culpable as they are. We get frustrated with citizens who don’t want to get involved when they witness a crime, how can we do the same thing when it comes to misconduct? But what about “The Thin Blue Line” you ask?

As one post read: “We are held to a higher standard for a reason. I know we are human, but we get paid to be on point.” Another reader added: Where I work, they make it clear that if you see something, you better say something…this is not the "old days" any longer.” When one of us does something wrong, it affects all of us. We need to remember the lessons (and the horrible domino affect) of the Rodney King incident and act accordingly.

Several respondents suggested talking it out, cop to cop, before reporting a fellow officer to the brass. This is called “Tactical Intervention” and is something I teach to police personnel around the nation. It’s important to know how to successfully approach a co-worker when you observe them make an officer safety mistake or treat a citizen poorly.

We also need to know how to intervene when we see things about to go bad off duty, such as stopping a friend who is about to drive drunk or get into a bar room brawl. However, be cautious about putting your own career in jeopardy. If a fellow employee is hell-bent on self destruction or is engaged in misconduct that is well beyond a heart-to-heart chat, then you’re probably not going to want to take this on by yourself.

Which brings us to “report it to a supervisor,” another reoccurring suggestion. But how that supervisor reacts makes all the difference. When my department hired a new chief, he immediately implemented a “no gratuities” policy. We considered ourselves a very ethical agency, so we didn’t give the new edict much thought. The biggest gratuities we ever indulged in were half price meals at select restaurants and free coffee at the local 24 hour convenience stores; we certainly weren’t taking bribes on traffic stops and shaking down tavern owners for protection.

However, when our new boss found out that we had all taken free hotdogs and sodas during an annual town festival, he was livid! Heads were going to roll. But instead of punishing the officers, he went straight to the sergeants, and gave them each suspension time for failing to enforce his new general order. You can bet that there wasn’t a free cup of coffee taken by a cop in our city for years to come. As with almost all cultural change in law enforcement, the sergeants are the key. As one reader said, “When in doubt, go up the chain.”

Sadly, many of the Facebook responses indicated a complete lack of trust in police administrators to do the right thing if misconduct is brought to the attention of a supervisor. Reasonableness and consistency are two key elements for managers and supervisors to consider, and we also need to examine our own ethical behavior not only as individuals, but as leaders and role models in our organizations.

One of our readers said this: “We are not to forget that we are trusted with a great amount of power and if we misuse those powers or turn a blind eye to a colleague, where does that lead is?” That’s a great point for all of us to ponder. As another said, “In law enforcement, the right decision isn’t always the most popular.” Nobody becomes a cop to be popular, we become cops because we have a sense of right and wrong, and we’re on the side of what’s right.

Print this article out and take it to roll call, forward it to your friends, post it on the locker room bulletin board. Keep the discussion going. Our profession and our society may be at stake. Stay safe!

Dealing With Uncertainty In Law Enforcement

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:30:00 -0700

As people of faith, we often wonder what we can do for others, especially for those in need. Ultimately, we seek help when things are out of our control and we can’t fix it. Is it a sign of powerlessness when we say, “We must pray for one another”? Spiritual leaders say that to do so is to acknowledge that we belong to each other. Thus, it is through prayer that we can, and do, help.

In the last several months, I’ve watched our social networking and Internet outlets burst with mentions of prayer. I’m interested in the fuss. Granted, we’ve recently come out of the Easter holiday, National Police Week, and the supposed apocalypse, however, viral statements of “prayers for” or “please pray for” are dominate phrases in a relatively outward, social network made up of family and friends but, moreover, acquaintances and work colleagues.

Are we banding together in response to our line of duty deaths and a war on cops? Perhaps we are weary and in need of hope or having difficulty coping with the burdens of a profession that offers little guidance. Is the pronouncement of prayer just lip service? Does it have meaning or is it the perception of praying that makes it authentic? Does everyone else share in this same spiritual cry for help?

This social networking phenomenon has intrigued me because people are more likely to express their feelings over an email, text, tweet or status update so as not to be fearful of a confrontation or judgment associated with a personal encounter. So why be afraid? While I think there’s a correlation between our prayers and the rising number of deaths and assaults on our law enforcement officers today, I also think that we are at a tipping point in what has been considered secular humanism (a false teaching that all things are “relative” and that there are no absolutes).

Are we considered to be intolerant, out of touch, and narrow-minded unless we embrace all lifestyles and faith? These were questions posed to me by a police chaplain. It forced me to contemplate my own vulnerability while searching for something higher to intercede in making order out of chaos—chaos that we all share. So if we are to “pray,” what are we to pray about? To whom must we pray for?

Let me preface this article by noting that, personally, I’m a work in progress. That is, I’m not in the final term of my “being.” That said, I have a lot of work to do. I often feel left to my own design—in a constant state of desperate stress—looking to find strength and grace on my own. In an existential way, I have always looked for security and comfort in a life of chaos and uncertainty. Although religious, I never really considered myself a praying man, but then I was called to law enforcement—a spiritual vocation—and a lot changed.

After initial schooling and training in military science and kinesiology, I remember waking up one day and declaring, “I’m going to be a cop!” I was 19. I switched gears. I changed majors. I took an oath. Like a hermit crab, I left one shell for another—except this one seemed to fit better. It was larger, more durable, and gave me shelter to grow. It was during this “growth” that I smacked head on with chaos and uncertainty. It was far greater than I had ever experienced or imagined. Every cop knows this chaos. It’s often ugly and wrought with frustration and anxiety. I didn’t always understand it or how to function and thrive in it. I was often confused and seemingly without a beacon or light to show me the way.

Let me share with you a personal story to put this into perspective. If you’ve ever been to college, you’ve had an academic advisor and often that advisor is a professor too. They give you advice, counsel you on your academic welfare, and teach you to look outside of the box—to use critical thinking to challenge the status quo—and to make order out of chaos (there’s that chaos word again). Easy enough, right? I was a full-time criminal justice student while I worked full-time as a deputy sheriff. Not so weird. At the same time, I came to realize that my advisor/professor had an alcohol problem.

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Not so weird either—alcohol and drug abuse is the epicenter of our profession. What was weird, however, was that after a number of DUIs, I found myself booking my professor in at 5pm from a work release program and then sitting in his class the next morning studying sociological literature and the justice system! Assigned to the jail division that week, I would collect his earring, ponytail holder, watch and personal belongings and pick up his dinner tray each night.

Six months had passed, and while my advisor was out of jail and back to work as usual, I sat across from his desk and listened to him—always leaving with an implicit wink and hush about our unconventional relationship. One Sunday afternoon, I was off-duty and sitting on my living room floor when my police radio alerted local law enforcement and EMS units to an injury accident west of town. I was writing a paper for my advisor’s class on Erving Goffman’s Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.

The paper explained how we are “actors on the stage” and foster impressions that reflect well on ourselves while encouraging others to see and support our preferred “definitions”, i.e. what a cop “looks” like, how they behave, and the boxes society puts us in. While I geared it towards my own profession, the literature had larger implications.

I can’t explain it other than intuition, but I had a strange feeling when the deputy called in that the driver was deceased. When I went to work the next day, I learned that my advisor was the person that had been killed in that car crash west of town. After a drinking binge and fight with his girlfriend, he lost control of his vehicle, wrapping it around a telephone pole. I quickly read the report and viewed the accident scene photos. It was only a copy of his driver’s license picture that told me it was him. For what seemed like a lifetime, I remember gazing back and forth between the license and accident photos. I also recalled images of him standing in front of our classroom with passion and vigor about his favorite subject and also sitting on a bunk bed in his jail oranges—looking over to me with a kind but sad smile. In a culmination of chaos, I prayed.

A series of events would unfold over my career that led me to what I called the classroom of silence—a place where I contemplated life and death through thanksgiving, joy, sorrow, and intercession. Like most cops, I remember the first time I watched the shooting death of Trooper Mark Coates—a training staple in our police academies and continuing education. Rage and anger swelled from within me while I watched a cop bleed to death on a roadside while the gunman lay shot and alive, still wielding his gun in a menacing manner. In a culmination of chaos, I prayed.

I recall my own scuffle on an interstate roadside while attempting to arrest a drunk driver. No gun was involved, but the loss of control and vulnerability that came with being alone and trying to get the other handcuff on a combative, strong, determined drunk scared me to death. Backup officers were not far behind. Like angels—not with wings, but with blue lights and screaming sirens—swooped down and helped me in a time of uncertainty. In a culmination of chaos, I prayed.

Some may argue that our prayers (if we even do so) lack focus: to score a goal, to do well on an exam, or for a special someone to like us. Regardless of its geography, what we do know is that prayer requires time, attention, and effort and that we must discipline ourselves for what some theologians call “spiritual combat.” The remedy is faith and watchfulness.

In Part Two of this article, we will look at such watchfulness through the logistics of prayer. Like that book I read years ago while sitting on the floor of my living room, we will blend actor and action as a presentation of self by the “giving” of our self in a new or renewed way. In researching for this piece, I spent some time visiting with various spiritual leaders from all faiths—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. While we don’t have aggregate data that gives us the religious breakdown of United States law enforcement officers, most police chaplains have indicated that they’ve worked with officers from our western culture and its Judeo-Christian ethos.

As it was for me, I’d like for you to contemplate your career and think about those people, places, and things that require a remedy of faith and watchfulness: line of duty deaths, trauma, addictions, divorce, families of cops, etc. From that, we’ll examine ways of praying, what it looks like, what to say or do, and how to make it meaningful by incorporating it into our everyday lives as keepers of the peace. As it is written in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.”

Why Do Mothers Kill? The Link Between Mom And Murderer

Boston Globe via YellowBrix — Fri, 20 May 2011 05:28:00 -0700

CHELMSFORD, MA - The grim discovery of 6-year-old Camden Pierce Hughes lying dead on the side of a road in southern Maine and the subsequent arrest of his mother, Julianne McCrery, under suspicion of murder have attracted widespread attention and outrage. In fact, yesterday’s news of the 42-year-old woman’s capture at a rest stop in Chelmsford, Massachusetts may have eclipsed President Obama’s visit to Boston as the lead story of the day and evening.

If only such cases were as rare as they should be. Regrettably, nearly 100 children ages 5-7 are murdered annually in the United States, and about 20% of these young victims are murdered by their mothers. And this is just the top end of a much larger cluster: There are, on average, about 180 children ages 7 and younger who are murdered each year at the hands of the woman who brought them into the world. That’s about one mother-perpetrated infanticide every other day.

It is difficult for most of us to fathom how someone could kill their flesh and blood, especially a victim so young and innocent. Motherhood is supposed to be about nurturing, not murdering. The motives for such crimes vary from the pathological to the pathetic.

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Some murdering moms act out of depression and despair, believing that their child will be better off living in heaven than suffering on earth. In March 2002, Andrea Yates of Houston, Texas, drowned her five children, ranging in age from 6 months to 7 years old, in a frenzied religious hallucination. The jury was convinced of her impaired mental state and returned a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Of course, not all murdering moms garner as much compassion as Yates, particularly those who act out of pure selfishness. In 1994, Susan Smith of South Carolina drowned her two sons in a lake, and then told the police and the press that the young boys had been taken by a stranger during a carjacking. Apparently, she did it for love -- not love for her children, but to hold onto a boyfriend who would have nothing to do with her so long as her children were around. Plus, for Smith, playing the role of a grieving mother would make her more sympathetic and appealing.

Sympathy-getting can indeed be a powerful driving force, an irresistible motivator for some people. At the extreme, Marybeth Tinning of Schenectady, New York killed her nine children, one-by-one over a period of fourteen years, to feed her craving for emotional support. With each new birth and each subsequent death of a child, Marybeth remained at the center of attention.

Based on preliminary reports related to McCrery's depressed mental state and early speculation concerning motive, this case would appear to involve what has been called "suicide by proxy." A recurring theme identified in cases of infanticide is for a suicidal parent to kill his or her child out of a warped sense that they both will be better off together in the afterlife. In some occasions, the parent succeeds in ending the child's life, but ultimately fails to complete the final phase of the plan when their own survival instinct prevails.

In the weeks and months ahead, we will learn more about Julianne McCrery and what may have compelled her to kill, as it is alleged, the son to whom she seemed so devoted. Whatever her role in the child’s death and whatever forces were upon her, most people will continue to be perplexed concerning how love transform into the will to kill.

Take a Walk Through the National Crime and Punishment Museum

Kendra Weikman | PoliceLink — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:21:00 -0700

Take a walk through the Crime & Punishment Museum in Washington D.C.

(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

Next: Tour the Museum >>

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Serial Killer Ted Bundy's Volkswagon (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

Honoring our LEOs (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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Historic Firearms and Edged Weapons.
(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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Pair of Golden Age Period Flintlock Pistols. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

Colt - Model 1862 Police - Percussion Revolver (Above). Wild Bill Hickok 1851 Revolver (Below).
(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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Colt Mini .45 Submachine Gun. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

Original Death Mask of John Dillinger. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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Authentic inquest for the St. Valentine's Day Massacre (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

Magazine and slug attributed to shooter Fred Burke of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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One of the oddest crimes in history. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

The clown makeup case of John Wayne Gacy. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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'Old Smokey,' whose most infamous client was Bruno Hauptmann, the man executed in the chair after being found guilty of abducting and killing Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr. in 1932. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

A replica guillotine (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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The Bomb Squad (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

1963 Harley Davidson (Pan-Head Engine) Police Motorcycle. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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Set of America's Most Wanted (Photo by PoliceLink)

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(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

Honoring Our Fallen: Photos from Police Week 2011 >>

A First Hand Look At National Police Week 2011

PoliceLink — Mon, 16 May 2011 12:43:00 -0700

National Police Week (May 9-15) is a celebration of our nation's law enforcement officials, and remembers those who lost their lives in the line of duty. Thousands of people commemorated the event in Washington D.C., with memorial services to fallen comrades, and ceremonies recognizing local heroes.

PoliceLink's very own kweikman went out to Washington D.C. to cover Police Week, and capture its memorable moments.

We would like to give a special thank you to C.O.P.S. (Concerns of Police Survivors) for hosting such a special event for the law enforcement community.

(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

Next: Photos From Police Week & Candlelight Vigil >>

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(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

Remembering the Fallen. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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The Law Enforcement Memorial Wall. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

Crowd waiting at the Candlelight Vigil(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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The Law Enforcement Memorial Wall. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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A proper remembrance. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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A Police Unity Tour Crochet Blanket. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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Remembering the four-legged heroes. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

Remembering the K9 heroes. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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(Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

Gone but not forgotten. (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

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The Thin Blue Line. (Associated Press)

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Staff member kweikman prepping for the Police Week 5K (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

Running in Memory of fallen officers (Photo by Gabrielle Pownall-Brown/PoliceLink)

More 5K runners for the PoliceLink team (Photo by Gabrielle Pownall-Brown/PoliceLink)

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Some of our fantastic PoliceLink members at the DC ChopHouse Meetup! (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

Hm, I wonder which one is TheSarge's - DC ChopHouse (Photo by Kendra Weikman/PoliceLink)

A special thanks to all of you in the PoliceLink community who have shown us so much love and support!

Now Take a Walk Through the National Crime & Punishment Museum >>

3 Lessons Learned the Hard Way

David Reeder — Mon, 09 May 2011 08:39:00 -0700

**1. Search Every Room**

We were serving a search warrant with tribal police on a residence on Indian Land. The house wasn’t too big and we had a CI’s sketch of the interior. I’ve never liked relying on the word of a strung out informant but the boss had faith in it.

For some reason, because two agencies were involved, they decided we’d rehearse the floor plan and assign officers to each room or threat area instead of just flowing it as we found it (reading the structure and adjusting as we went based on SOPs). They planned for contingencies like combative suspects, extra suspects and of course God forbid an officer down, but overall the plan was rigid and far too dependent upon that map and things going exactly right.

Despite misgivings I went along with the plan. I wasn’t a senior member of the team at the time and I didn’t want to see like a complainer or a coward or whatever. In retrospect that was probably the greatest mistakes made that day—I know I wasn’t the only one uneasy with it.

We rolled in at daylight (no knocks in our district are impossible to obtain) under the gaze and rifles of what we call a “creep team” that had set up during the hours of darkness to cover our approach. The containment guys deployed without a hitch, a dog was convinced to go sulk in his house and the ram popped the door with one hit.

Things went well for two rooms and then of course everything unraveled. Turns out there was one too many doors past the living room and an unexpected hallway off the kitchen. We should’ve shut it down and gone deliberate at that point, but the officer I was paired with was brand new and had rehearsed just a little too well. He never slowed, just went past the extra door and crossed the unexpected hallway to enter the room he’d been assigned to.

I followed of course, trying to watch the new threat areas and his back. Naturally it was when I took my eyes off the extra door that another suspect emerged, intending to walk down the unexpected hallway—putting her right behind me.

It all worked out, no one was hurt and we recovered lots of evidence, but not because of our plan or our training or because of what we did right. I don’t blame the officer I was paired up with, I blame myself first and our leadership second. That was the last time, thankfully, we assigned threat areas instead of flowing a structure, and the last time we ever ran an operation alongside a team we’d never trained with before…and it was absolutely the last time I let my ego get in the way of sound tactical sense.

2. Wait for Backup

My first vehicle pursuit was an object lesson in Don’t Do This. I was one of three officers on duty in our small municipality when we received a COS call (Check to your Own Satisfaction) for two suspicious individuals in a residential area. Before I arrived my sergeant initiated a pursuit of not one but two stolen pickups from that neighborhood. He’d slow-rolled the street just in time to see them break into pickups parked in adjacent driveways.

I caught up just as the stolen trucks split in two directions. My sergeant chased one and sent me after the other. My truck went dark and fled towards the next jurisdiction. My partner was still miles away, but a highway patrol unit headed towards my sergeant and neighboring PD units radioed they would be with me shortly.

Before they arrived, however, my quarry failed to make a turn and crashed into a ditch. He was fast -- despite the crash, he was out the window, up an embankment and through a barbed wire fence before I’d even slid to a stop. Despite having no backer and no real idea where I was, I went after him. I couldn’t see him right away because he was wearing camouflage clothing. But I could see ‘toe dig’ tracks showing which way he’d gone, and since it was pretty damn cold I was able to pick up his breath in the air just a short ways away. I sprinted towards him and he jumped up and bolted, managing to stay a short ways ahead.

I kept after him, farther and farther from the road then suddenly topped a hill to find him crouched and waiting on me. Unable to slow, I crashed over on my side as he tackled me.

I wasn’t able to completely subdue him on my own and kept him mostly at a disadvantage but did wonder why he kept punching me weakly in the ribs on my off-gun side.

Thankfully another officer quickly arrived, the noise of our struggle allowing him to locate us (I hadn’t had my light on when I was chasing him and then was too busy fighting to get it out). He helped me get the bracelets on and then to my feet.

Turns out he hadn’t been punching me in the ribs at all, he’d been trying to stab me in the side with a sharpened screwdriver. We were just so close and his hand was so tangled in our two coats that he couldn’t put enough umph behind it to get it through my vest.

I’ve been in a lot of chases since -- foot and vehicle -- but that was the last time I ever took off blindly without a backer, a plan and an eye to what might be coming up.

Size Doesn't Matter

We got a call about a primer-covered beater headed south in the northbound lanes of a four-lane road. I came in on it from the south, a lot closer than anyone else. I found it more quickly than I expected to -- the perp really had his foot in it.

He had to slow down before I could get to him because of traffic. I had to play chicken with him to get him over to the side of the road. I managed to get boots on the ground before he got out (barefoot) but though he bailed fast enough, once he was on out of the car he just went mellow.

He was a little guy with only half his teeth. I could’ve put my fingers around his biceps and counted all his ribs. He was obviously on something and wouldn’t make eye contact, but he was pleasant. Of course, it didn’t look or smell like he’d bathed in weeks and you could barely see the rash on his skin through the grime, but he was polite.

Then another officer stepped up he bolted, fast. We caught him quickly and he actually seemed a little confused about why he’d run. For reasons that escape me now we walked him back to the cars instead of cuffing him there. He remained compliant until a passing car honked its horn and then he went ballistic, tossing us around like rag dolls in short order. It wasn’t like he was fighting to hurt us, just to keep our hands off him, but this guy half our size was really giving us the good news.

We administered every compliance technique we knew. We actually broke a couple of his toes and one thumb -- not intentionally -- trying to get control of him. Only supervisors had Tasers then, so that wasn’t an option. I really didn’t want to put him down, but it was getting bad. He tore my radio off and shattered my partner’s, but it wasn’t until he tossed me across the hood of my car out into traffic that I realized just how much trouble we were in.

Turns out he was on PCP and really hadn’t bathed in at least a week. The only reason we ever got the cuffs on him was because a third officer showed up and couple of civilians piled on to help us pin him down by body weight. The only reason he didn’t really hurt or even kill one of us was that he just plain didn’t want to.

Osama Bin Laden Killed

PoliceLink | AP Photos — Mon, 02 May 2011 10:08:00 -0700

May 1, 2011 marked a historic day for the United States when President Obama made an official statement announcing the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

In celebration of the incredible job our U.S. armed forces have displayed, as well as the swelling of American pride, we share with you this collection of photos over the last 48 hours. Enjoy and God Bless America.

A U.S. Park Police officer is handed a flag as crowds celebrate on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House in Washington, early Monday, May 2, 2011, after President Barack Obama announced that Osama bin Laden had been killed (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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A crowd outside the White House in Washington, cheers Sunday, May 1, 2011, upon hearing the news that terrorist leader Osama bin Laden is dead. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Perched on another's shoulders, Ryan Burtchell, of the Brooklyn borough of New York, center, waves an American flag over the crowd as they respond to the news of Osama Bin Laden's death early Monday morning May 2, 2011 by ground zero in New York. President Barack Obama announced Sunday night that Osama bin Laden was killed in an operation led by the United States. (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg)

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Justin Kearns, a reservist at Andrews Air Force Base, walks through section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery after visiting the site of a friend who died in Iraq.

A note left with flowers reads "Vengeance is now ours. May Peace now be yours. God Bless America" at the memorial to Massachusetts victims of the attacks of September 11, 2001 in Boston, Massachusetts, May 2, 2011.

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Maj. Tevye Yoblick sits alone at the Pentagon Memorial at dawn in Arlington after the death of Osama bin Laden. Dedicated in 2008, the memorial was erected in honor of those killed on Sept. 11, 2001.

Flikr: Obama's team watching the Osama raid live

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AP: Women pose for photographs with an American flag in front of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 2, 2011, the day after Osama bin Laden was killed.

AP: Bob Kunst from Shalom International celebrates the news of the death of Osama bin Laden at the Torch of Freedom, Monday, May 2, 2011, in Miami.

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AP: Fourteen-year-old Kristen Grazioso places balloons on a carved stone Monday, May 2, 2011, in Middletown, N.J. , that honors her father, who was killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. There are 37 stones in the garden representing those from Middletown who died in the attack. Word came late Sunday, May 1, 2011 the Osama Bin Laden has been killed.

AP: Kenyans watch US president Barrack Obama,on television in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, May 2, 2011, announcing the death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

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AP: An Afghan youth walks past by a television announces the death of Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden at a television selling market in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, May 2, 2011.

AP: Former Marine Adam Furr, of Centreville, Va. , visits the grave of his friend Marine Lt. Col. Kevin Michael Shea at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. , Monday, May 2, 2011. "It doesn't seem like it's in vain anymore" said Furr, who decided to visit after the death of Osama bin Laden.

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AP: This photo of a poster taken from the FBI website shows Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden, the face of global terrorism and mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, was tracked down and shot to death, Monday, May 2, 2011, in Pakistan by an elite team of U.S. forces, ending an unrelenting manhunt that spanned a frustrating decade.

AP: Christina Snapp, who is married to U.S. Army Sgt. Tracy Snapp, who returned two weeks ago from a deployment to Afghanistan, waves a flag on the "Freedom Bridge" just outside Joint Base Lewis-McChord, around midnight to celebrate the death of Osama Bin Laden, Sunday, May 1, 2011, near Tacoma, Wash.

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AP: A visitor to the temporary memorial to United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa. , views the crash site on Monday, May 2, 2011.

AP: Jeff Ray of Shanksville, Pa. , visits the temporary memorial to United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa. , Monday, May 2, 2011.

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AP: This is a flag placed at the temporary memorial to United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa. , on Monday, May 2, 2011.

AP: A man buys copies of newspapers in New York's Financial District featuring headlines of the death of Osama bin Laden, Monday, May 2, 2011.

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AP: People read the extra edition of a Japanese newspaper in Tokyo Monday, May 2, 2011, reporting Osama bin Laden, the glowering mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks was killed in an operation led by U.S. forces.

AP: Construction worker Paddy Garvey affixes an American flag to a fence at ground zero in New York, Monday, May 2, 2011.

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AP: A driver and passengers celebrate the death of Osama bin Laden in the streets of Lawrence, Kan. , Sunday, May 1, 2011.

AP: Melissa LaCour, left, Brittany McGarry, second from left, Bryan Murray, second from right, and Dennis Vincent celebrate outside the ABC studio in New York's Times Square as news of Osama bin Laden's death is announced on the ticker, Monday, May 2, 2011.

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AP: People cheer and wave flags on the "Freedom Bridge" just outside Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Sunday, May 1, 2011, near Tacoma, Wash. , after they heard the news that Osama bin Laden had been killed.

AP: Crowds gathers outside the White House in Washington to celebrate after President Barack Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden Sunday, May 1, 2011.

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AP: Crowds gathers outside the White House in Washington to celebrate after President Barack Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden Sunday, May 1, 2011.

AP: Herman Maisonave, of the Queens borough of New York, holds up a sign as he joins those gathered by ground zero in New York as they react to the news of Osama Bin Laden's death early Monday morning May 2, 2011.

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AP: A large, jubilant crowd reacts to the news of Osama Bin Laden's death at the corner of Church and Vesey Streets, adjacent to ground zero, during the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 2, 2011 in New York.

AP: With the new One World Trade Center building in the background, second left, a large, jubilant crowd reacts to the news of Osama bin Laden's death at the corner of Church and Vesey Streets, adjacent to ground zero, during the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 2, 2011 in New York.

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AP: United States military troops watch breaking news on the announcement by President Barack Obama that Osama bin Laden had been killed, at the USO at Kandahar Airfield, southern Afghanistan, Monday, May 2, 2011.

AP: FDNY firefighter Scott Hickey, left, and a fellow firefighter who did not give his name, sit in a fire truck parked in New York's Times Square as a crowd gathers in reaction to the news of Osama Bin Laden's death early Monday morning May 2, 2011. A plaque with names of Ladder 4 firefighters who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 attacks, the house that Hickey belongs to, is seen on the side of the truck.

The Operation >>

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AP File: In this Dec. 24, 1998, file photo, Muslim militant and Al Quida leader Osama Bin Laden speaks to a selected group of reporters in mountains of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

AP FILE - In this 1998 file photo, al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is shown in Afghanistan.

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AP FILE - In this Oct. 7, 2011 file photo, Osama bin Laden is seen at an undisclosed location in this television image.

AP: A Pakistan army soldier stands on top of the house where it is believed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden lived in Abbottabad, Pakistan on Monday, May 2, 2011.

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AP: This undated aerial handout image provided by the CIA shows the Abbottabad compound in Pakistan where American forces in Pakistan killed Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

AP: Pakistan army soldiers seen near the house where it is believed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden lived in Abbottabad, Pakistan on Monday, May 2, 2011.

The Security >>

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AP: New York City police officers with Operation Hercules arrive at the Armed Forces recruitment center in New York's Times Square on Monday, May 2, 2011.

AP: Work continues at the World Trade Center site and the Freedom Tower, center left, in New York on Monday, May 2, 2011. On Sunday, President Barack Obama announced Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan. At right is 4 World Trade Center.

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AP: Armed Metropolitan Transportation Authority police officers stand guard in New York's Grand Central Station on Monday, May 2, 2011. Security was heightened as a result of the announcement of the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

AP: New York City police officers stand guard outside the Armed Forces recruitment center in New York's Times Square, Monday, May 2, 2011.

Chaplain's Corner: GOA and UTL

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 10:39:00 -0700

“763, Llano. The subject is GOA. I’ll be in the area looking.” “763, Llano. Show me UTL.”

Welcome back to the Chaplain’s Corner. As my dear old Grandpa used to say: pull up a chair and sit down beside it. I’m glad it’s April again. Spring Break is history one more time, and the bluebonnets are starting to bloom here and there. I’m glad to see it greening up, and I hope we get some meaningful rain soon to keep things green.

For those drawing a blank: GOA – Gone On Arrival – and UTL – Unable To Locate; two common acronyms in law enforcement. I use them frequently when I get sent out to highways and byways looking for cattle that have gone for a walk on the wrong side of the fence. Not always, but a lot of times they simply go back in where they came out. Sometimes a hitch-hiker will get picked up before I get there (GOA) and I’ll be UTL.

What do GOA and UTL have to do with April? I’m glad you asked. What they have to do with is Easter, and Easter is the last Sunday in April this year.

Let me quickly review the events of Good Friday. Jesus had been severely beaten with a whip and then nailed to a rough wooden cross which was hoisted up and dropped into a hole. He then spent agonizing effort after agonizing effort trying to breathe, and when he stopped breathing He was stabbed in the side and through the heart. He was dead. Any medical examiner would have signed that death certificate. After that He was tightly wrapped in linen cloth, placed in a solid rock tomb, and a huge stone rolled over the entrance.

Gone On Arrival. Well, let’s start with a quick look at some Scriptures, shall we? Luke 24:1-3 says: But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (NASB, emphasis mine) He was “GOA.” In John Chapter 20, the Apostle John records that after the initial report that Jesus’ body was not in the tomb, he and Peter ran to the tomb and found the grave clothes, but Jesus was not there.

Mark records this in his Gospel: (an angel speaking to the women) “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold here is the place where they laid Him.” (Mark 16:6 NASB)

Unable to Locate. Backing up a verse in John (20:2): And so she [Mary Magdalene] ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” (NASB emphasis mine)

Okay, so what’s the significance? Jesus had told anyone who would listen that He would die, but that He would then rise from the dead and live again. It seems that most folks didn’t understand what He was saying – including His own disciples who were the closest to Him. They went to the tomb and were amazed that He was not there. The Scriptures say that it was sometime later that they remembered His words that He would rise from the dead. (John 20:9)

The Gospel of Matthew records that it was the Jewish religious leaders who remembered that Jesus said He would rise again. The fact that Jesus did rise from the dead proved that He was Who He claimed to be. John 19:7, the Jewish leaders speaking: “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

No one was able to produce a dead Jesus. Not that day, not the day after, nor anytime since. The Jewish leaders had every reason to produce a body. They couldn’t do it. They were simply UTL. If His followers had simply gone to the wrong tomb as some suggest, I would think it would have been simple for someone to have gone to the right tomb and produced the body.

Allow me to flash back to my disappearing livestock for a moment. Here a month or so back there was a big red bull that kept getting out of its pasture. I had helped get it back in twice in one week. Well, the following Sunday, it was reported to be out again. I went looking and couldn’t find it anywhere. Since its last known location was near the Cowboy Church, I was close to the church when the crowd started coming in. I parked across the street from the church for sort of a security patrol. I’d been there, oh, four or five minutes when I looked in the side mirror. There was that bull standing in the middle of the street just behind my car! I hadn’t seen it or heard it. It was just suddenly there, “big as life.”

If we go back to the account in John 20, we find the same thing happened to Mary Magdalene. Starting in the 13th verse, Mary and the angels conversing: And they said to her, “Woman why are you weeping? She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid Him.” When she had said this, she turned around, and beheld Jesus standing there…

No one could produce a dead Jesus (and He certainly was dead when they took Him down from the cross). But Jesus Himself produced a live Jesus. The Scriptures record that over the following days He appeared to more people than just His disciples and offered convincing proofs that He was very much alive.

His death and resurrection proved Who He was and made forgiveness possible for anyone who wants it. All you have to do is ask.

I’ve run out of time again. Drop me an email and we can talk more about it.

Until then: Blessings to you and yours.

Chaplain Bill
llanochaps@moment.net

What Was Your Scariest Moment On the Job?

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:20:00 -0700

“What was the scariest moment you ever had on the job?”

When PoliceLink posted this question on Facebook and Twitter, it really gave me pause. I started my law enforcement career as a dispatcher at age 17, became a cop at 21, and retired as a sergeant two years ago after 29 years on the job. I’ve had plenty of frightening moments in those thirty three years, but “scary” is a relative term. I was just as scared when I was a brand new sergeant and my team and I got shot at responding to a domestic as I was when I realized I had hit “reply” instead of “forward” on a particularly inflammatory inter-departmental email about the boss who had just sent me the original email. Like I said, scary is relative. What scares you?

Our family and friends often believe that “danger” is the most stressful and frightening thing about our job. As most police psychologists will tell you, it’s actually the “administrative stress” that wears at us. As Dr. Kevin Gilmartin says, “It’s not the a-holes on the street, it’s the a-holes in the station;” and some of those people and situations can be downright scary!

As one reader responded, “having to explain to the undersheriff where that hole in the ceiling came from’ was certainly a frightening moment in his career. Being called into Internal Affairs, having your butt chewed by the sergeant, or getting into an on-duty fender-bender that’s totally your fault are just a few of those things that scare us.

Fear is different on the street. It can actually be a great motivator and trainer. One reader talked about deploying stop sticks during a pursuit and watching the suspect lose control, hit a cement barrier next to him and then hit his patrol car. Another wrecked his cruiser driving 110 mph in a pursuit. I’m guessing that once the dust settled, these crimefighters learned the valuable lesson that it’s not just thugs with guns who kill us.

Vehicle-related incidents kill us with frightening regularity. How about when we’re assaulted by someone with an edged weapon? Even when we win, we learn to be alert to knives, fists and feet, not just assailants with firearms. When we respond to a “run of the mill” domestic and the shooting starts, we remember that there is no such thing as a “routine” call. Having the heck scared out of you can be a powerful training event, pay attention to those unexpected lessons, and share them with your co-workers.

Many of our respondents talked about situations where they felt totally out of control. Several found themselves in spontaneous riots while trying to make arrests; others were involved in foot pursuits and lost their radios, batons, sometimes their partners! Many told stories of equipment failure. One talked about spotting an oncoming tornado that was snapping high tension wire; how fast can you safely drive in the opposite direction of that?!

Correctional officers have many frightening moments dealing sudden attacks by inmates who are already known criminals and now want to take out a cop. Several others discussed how frightening it was to be the rookie passenger in a cruiser during a high speed pursuit. Ironically, one of my most frightening moments on the job was being the FTO and passenger during a pursuit; I still have nightmares about that one! Cops like to be in control, and a lack of it can be ridiculously scary.

Animals also seem to be a big cause of fear among cops. My husband, Dave “JD Buck Savage” Smith, remembers that his very first call as a rookie in Tucson, AZ was “mountain lion in the back yard.” How do you train for that?! One of our readers was attacked by a rabid raccoon, and many were attacked by various breeds of dogs. Another was nearly killed when a moose stepped into the roadway! We’ve had officers in the US killed when they’ve struck cattle, deer and other large animals, or they’ve swerved to avoid a dog or cat.

Not only do we need to train for armed assailants, we need to visualize and train for those unexpected and unpredictable animals that may come our way, whether we’re on foot or in a vehicle.

Sometimes our most frightening moments occur when we’re off duty. Remember, ten percent of police officer murders occur when we’re not working! Several of our respondents told stories of being car jacked or robbed at gunpoint. Do you carry off duty, and do you train mentally and physically for potentially violent off duty encounters?

Cops love to tell “war stories, “ but what struck me about so many of our responses was that bone-chilling fear came from concern for the well-being of our friends and family. One officer was bitten and potentially infected by a life-threatening disease, and yet his concern was primarily for his wife and son. Many spoke of life and death struggles to save their partners, not themselves. Warriors tend to be pretty damn selfless.

When we look back on our scariest moments, they are often also some of our greatest adventures. The key is balancing the risk with your training, tactics, and strategies, such as wearing your vest, carrying an off duty weapon, buckling your seatbelt, and telling yourself on every call, during every shift, “Not Today!” Continue to tell your stories, embrace the “cop humor” that we all need, and keep reaching out to each other. Law enforcement is one big, crazy family, enjoy the adventure and stay safe!

Stupid Criminals Caught on Tape

PoliceLink | YouTube — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:00:00 -0700

Stupid is as stupid does. Sometimes crooks shoot themselves in the foot, no pun intended. Check out the hilarious lineup of actual crimes committed by inept thieves. Isn't it nice when they do the dirty work for you?

Stealing... from a Surveillance Store? →

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Stealing... from a Surveillance Store?

Feisty Store Manager Fights Back →

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Feisty Store Manager Fights Back

Would-be Robber Locks Himself In →

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Would-be Robber Locks Himself In

As Does Another... →

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As Does Another..

Robber Squirrel Bombs a Film →

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Robber Squirrel Bombs a Film

Have a Nice Trip! →

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Have a Nice Trip!

Heavy Lifting →

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Heavy Lifting

Five Fumbles Rolled Into One →

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Five Fumbles Rolled Into One

Bunch of Clips

Updated Glock 23: A New Generation Of Perfection

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:32:00 -0700

The Glock 23 and its larger sibling, the Glock 22, are by far the most popular pistols with today’s local state and federal law enforcement agencies. The compact G23 version generally sees the majority of service as a plainclothes or undercover pistol, while the G22 is a uniform duty gun.

Quite naturally, the Glock 23 Gen4 version shares many attributes and features of the original model. The pistol uses Glock’s “Safe-Action” striker-fired system with three safety mechanisms. A 64 HRC dark coating is applied to the steel slide and the frame is constructed of high-strength polymer.

The .40 caliber G23 is cataloged as a “Compact” version with a 4.02-inch barrel. The overall length of the slide is 6.85 inches and it is 5 inches high. Empty weight for the pistol is a mere 21 ounces. A 13-round magazine feeds the pistol, but higher capacity magazines will work in the gun.

Numerous sight configurations are available. The model featured herein has the factory night sight set up, with tritium inserts in the front and rear. Rampant popularity of the pistol has led to a myriad of aftermarket sights being built for the Glock series, including my personal choice—the XS 24/7 Express Sights.

The new Gen4 version includes three primary enhancements to the G23 pistol. These include the new Multiple Back Strap (MBS) frame, a reversible and enlarged magazine catch, and a new dual-captive recoil spring. On the grip you will also note the Rough Textured Frame (RTF), a unique new surface texturing.

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Considering the upgraded MBS frame, Glock includes two additional backstraps -- medium and large. The small backstrap is simply the pistol’s stock configuration. A special tool is included as is a polymer pin to hold the medium or large backstraps in place. Installing and swapping the backstraps is a simple process that takes only a minute or two.

The dual-captive recoil spring is not a new item for Glock. They’ve been using this spring system in their sub-compact pistols for many years now. However, using this design on a compact or full-sized pistol is new. There is no getting around the fact that the .40 caliber pistol cartridge is a high-pressure, snappy little round. The new spring configuration helps to dampen some of the recoil from the cartridge.

Regarding a reversible magazine catch, it was simply a matter of time before Glock included this feature. Left-handed folks can work a “right-handed” magazine catch with the proper training, but all of the competing pistols have ambidextrous or reversible magazine catches. The die was cast.

Shooting Impressions

Filling the 13-round magazines to capacity, I started out with some simple chronographing chores and then benched the pistol for slow-fire on paper. Results were on par with what I have come to expect from Glock pistols.

The G23 is not a benchrest pistol designed for punching paper, it’s a fighting pistol. For more dynamic practice I broke out the Rotator reactive steel target from Safe Direction. This target incorporates two 8×8-inch paddles offset at 180 degrees from one another.

During my practice session I worked with the G23 with all three backstrap set-ups. In the end I settled on the medium-width version. My hands are large, but I believe only folks with extra-large hands or long digits will truly get the most from the larger (thicker) backstrap. I also installed a new SureFire X300 on the Gen4 pistol and kept it in place for the first 100 rounds. I turned the light on and left it on deliberately to get it hot. I then fired two complete magazines in rapid succession. The pistol cycled and the light continued to burn brightly.

In all I put around 200 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition downrange while working with this new pistol. I did not experience any stoppage or failure issues—the pistol performed as advertised. Always keep in mind when we are discussing fighting pistols that hardware is nice. However, without the skill to employ it a gun is merely a security blanket. Whichever pistol you choose to put in your holster, proper training and mindset should go along with it.

Read the Original Article at Tactical-Life.com

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