Tribute - Our Angel From Above

Our Angel From Above
By Joel E. Gordon

There were many benefits to being a sworn member of the 8th largest police department in the United States with the many specialized support service units that are available, not the least of which is the Baltimore City Police air support unit known as Foxtrot.

I learned the value of having air support early in my career. By my third night working a post by myself on the 4x12 shift I found myself in foot pursuit of a suspect in an assault who was armed with a gun. I pursued the suspect for over three long blocks in dark trash laden and rat infested alleys. I was so intent on catching this “bad guy” that I really forgot about my radio, gun or anything else. All of my energy was spent on the chase with tunnel vision towards an apprehension. Fortunately, the police helicopter, Foxtrot, had my six and was overhead calling out my location by radio while spotlighting the chase. I was really lucky too because the suspect threw his gun while running from me (later safely recovered) and didn’t choose to shoot at me (probably only due to the helicopter as witness). I caught up to the suspect, got him up against the side of a brick building, searching, cuffing and arresting him. My first big arrest!

Many times, after roll call at the western police district stationhouse, we were reminded of Foxtrot’s presence from above. While exchanging shifts by taking over the car assignment and radio from the previous shift officer it was common for a familiar helicopter sound to be heard approaching from the distance. Then, just above our vehicles which were lined up in front of our police station on North Mount Street, Foxtrot would appear swooping down in an acrobatic fashion as a reminder that they were up and flying to assist wherever they could.

The pilot when this would occur was always Flight Officer Barry W. Wood. A veteran combat veteran pilot from the battlefields over Vietnam, he hadn’t joined the Baltimore Police Department to cruise Baltimore city streets. He joined to fly over them.

He served in Vietnam for three years and it is told once safely landed a Huey packed with soldiers after another helicopter flew too close and clipped off his landing gear. He was honorably discharged from the Army on April 1, 1971, and joined the city police force 26 days later becoming one of the first Baltimore Police helicopter pilots.

Wood spent more than 42,000 hours flying over Baltimore in a quarter-century of chasing stolen cars and helping officers find elusive suspects. He once piloted one of the choppers from Los Angeles, where the aircraft were made, to Baltimore, a seven-day trip.

On November 4, 1998 tragedy struck when he was responding to a call to assist fellow officers. The Schweizer Helicopter 300c engine suddenly and unexpectedly exploded. Barry maneuvered the helicopter to avoid endangering the citizens and the police in the area. He turned the helicopter so he took the impact of the crash and saved the life of his observer and partner losing his own life in the process.

Barry is memorialized at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. in its Wall of Honor as an Air and Space Leader located at Foil: 33 Panel: 2 Column: 1 Line: 7

Additionally, the Baltimore Police Department dedicated a new Eurocopter EC-120 in his remembrance… Dedicated to Flight Officer Barry Wood, passed away on November 4, 1998 protecting the City Of Baltimore and doing what he loved to do, Flying.

Flight Officer Barry Winston Wood was a true hero and a great man. The memory of Barry will never be forgotten.

Perhaps it is expressed best in this tribute located on the Baltimore City Police History website:

A Man Who Loved To Fly

If your thoughts go to him 
and they go sad

Just remember this,

He has no barriers anymore,

For now the clouds aren’t closed doors.

He has no limits

It does not matter how high he flies.

The Good Lord has set him free.

And remember this, if it is a shooting star you see,

Think of him and you will know

That his heart and soul will never die,

For he now lives in the sky,

What a wondrous thing for a man who loved to fly.

To the men and women of the Baltimore City Police Department he truly was and remains our angel from above.

Joel E. Gordon is a former Baltimore City Police Officer and was Chief of Police for the city of Kingwood, West Virginia. He has served as vice-chair of a regional narcotics task force and is a candidate for Preston County West Virginia Sheriff. An award winning journalist, he is author of the book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer’s Story and founded the Facebook group Police Authors Seeking Justice. stillseekingjustice.com

Contemplation - Letter to the Man I Killed

Letter to the Man I Killed
By Kirk Lawless

Some people know this about me; others do not. I have killed a man. This is not a confession; it is just fact. I have nothing to hide about it. I am not ashamed of the fact. I have no regrets about doing it. I was doing my job. At the time of your death, I was a police officer. And, you tried your best to kill me. I am the police officer that killed you.

I hope you were not long in your suffering, but as I am aware, during the short time I spent with you, listening to your cries of agony and for mercy, the curses you spat at me, I endured, as you bled to death. I endured.

I hope you had a chance to reconcile with our creator before you went, and that angels bore you away to a better place. I would have prayed with you had there been time, but there was not, so I could only pray for you. And, occasionally I still do.

People who choose a path like the one you chose probably don’t weigh into the equation, the most dreadful consequences of their actions. I weighed it into my own equation every day as a police officer.

I have experience with death. In fact, death and I are quite intimate with each other. You have your death. I died a physical death once, albeit briefly, but I was brought back. I wondered for what, a specific event? Your death?

I never really feared a physical death. When I came back, that lack of fear was reaffirmed. I suppose that made me infinitely more dangerous as an adversary, more so than someone merely chest thumping with a “nothing to lose” attitude, at the risk of sounding cliché.

I took your life; I get that. But still, you took something from me and you changed me… forever. I have been a hunter for most of my life, including a hunter of armed men. What Hemingway said about the hunting of armed men and liking it, is true. You never really care for anything else thereafter. I hunt animals still, but often do not pull the trigger. Perhaps in time, this will change.

Killing a man is nothing to take lightly. It changes you. It changes what people think about you. You aren’t the same person anymore. And still, I love life. I revel in the beauty of it, both the simplicities and intricacies of it. I appreciate life. This solitary act does not define me; it doesn’t even scratch the surface.

People, who do not “know,” talk about it as though it was no big deal, but I will tell you it is a “huge” deal. “Get over it,” “Put it behind you,” “Try to not think about it,” which are all great thoughts. Were it that easy, who wouldn’t? It does not work that way.

Perhaps people would begin to understand the gravity of it, were they to see a police officer choking on the barrel of their own gun, trying to turn “it” off. Or writing about it, with the muzzle of a gun pressed against their temple. Some succumb to the haunting despair.

I will not.

To the contrary, I consider “It” a visit from an old enemy. I sometimes welcome the nightmares, the gore, and the violence, to let “It” know, “It” will never best me. The outcome is the same at its base.

I live.

Whatever attacks me does not. They fail; I survive. When I awaken from my sleep (If you can call it that) dripping slick with sweat, heart pounding, I am still alive!

I get to relive “our” event every day since it happened, not because I want to; I have no choice, it just comes calling whenever it feels like it, no warning; it just intrudes, multiple times a day. What triggers it? Everything and nothing at all.

I’m always expecting the unexpected, always aware. I have a heightened tactical plan to kill everyone I meet. Only a police officer or soldier would understand that. It is not paranoia. I am “situationally aware,” even in my dreams. Realistically, there is always a target on my back, but that’s what I signed up for when I pinned on the badge. This is just part of what it is like to be a police officer.

Walt Whitman said, “If you done it, it ain’t bragging.” But, if you haven’t done it, the things I have done; your opinion, armchair quarterbacking, and constant shuffling of the “What if?” deck, really doesn’t mean shit to me.

Still, my adversary, I admire your tenacity. It was a fair fight for the most part, well you cheated a little, but still, it was a fight to the death, your death. But I don’t hate you, truth be told, I just feel sorry for you.

Oddly, I have not shed one tear for you, and I have cried many times during my career. My lamentation over the loss of my favorite bird dog was loud, tearful, and long lasting. Maybe because he was a true friend, and you, you were just what you were, my enemy, and that changes everything.

You made fatal mistakes, young and invincible, tough guy full of bravado whether false or real. You had choices; you made poor ones. I was already committed when I climbed out of my patrol car and stood on the asphalt. Perhaps you just hesitated, or maybe, were just too slow? The latter is obvious fact. Everything else is merely speculation.

I would like to thank you for some things, like looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life, and for cutting my career thirteen years short. Thanks for helping me see that my department was totally incapable of handling the shooting investigation and subsequent homicide investigation.

It perfectly illustrated the creed “A false friend is more dangerous than a known enemy.”

It was a real eye opener, after many years on the job to realize that incompetent supervisors and politicians have no hesitation to hang a target on the back of a good police officer for doing his job and doing it well.

I wonder how many other officers have had their Civil Rights violated by their own departments during post-shooting investigation fiascos? Police officers have rights too. Please keep that in mind.

While my career was cut short, I am thankful I would never again (at that agency) have to endure shoddy procedures and listen about my “other options” in a justified deadly-force scenario, from cowards and idiots. Nor will I have to worry about being returned to the front lines as soon as possible without a chance to decompress, nor worry that a modicum of protection would be afforded my family, who has suffered greatly at their hands.

I remember visiting the scene of the shooting on the first anniversary of your death, not knowing what I would find there. What I found there was absolutely nothing to mark the occasion. There was however, a small token of remembrance there when I left. That struck me as very sad; the only one who bothered to pay their respects was the one who put you in the ground.

Were I able, I would sit down and share a drink with you and a fine meal, I would do so before I broke bread with some of my so called “brothers” or the “politicians” from my town, who are so quick to feed us to the wolves. I mean that with the very fiber of my soul.

You were a worthy adversary.

I thank you for bringing a “real” gun to a “real” gunfight. I thank you for turning your attention to me and leaving the younger officer alone. I thank you for the baggage that keeps me in a perpetual state of being physically and mentally worn out.

Perhaps I’ll see you on the other side, if you reconciled, and the angels came to take you away to Heaven that early summer morning. If so, maybe we can have that drink and share a meal?

If not, you made another bad choice, infinitely worse than the first, and I will never see you again.

With Sincerity,

The police officer who killed you.

At the bottom line, it’s all about saving just ONE life.

Kirk Lawless is a 28 year, decorated, veteran police officer from the St Louis area. He’s a former SWAT operator, narcotics agent, homicide investigator, detective and Medal of Valor recipient. Off the job due to an up close and personal gunfight, he now concentrates on writing. He’s a patriotic warrior, artist, poet, actor, musician, and man of peace.

Operation Rebound - Back the Blue

Back the Blue
By Michael D. Boll

A few years ago at a charity race, I had the pleasure of meeting United States Marine Corps Iraqi War veteran Tim Shea. Tim is an amazing man who donates countless hours every day to help the families of fallen officers and prevent Blue suicide. Tim is one of the most passionate men that I ever met, and he has dedicated his life to help our blue families during some hard times. Soon Tim will be doing an event with our team, and we couldn’t be any more excited to be a part of his extraordinary “Back the Blue” charity. Here’s his story in his own words.

Back the Blue Running was created by combining two things that are very vital to the way I live. This nonprofit is my catalyst for allowing me to be able to show my support for our law enforcement families while using a unique approach. Running long distances has recently become a big passion of mine over the past few years. The idea of running distances in the Ultra (anything over a 26.2 marathon) category has been an eye-opening experience each time I attempt those distances. My hope is that using my platform or running while wearing thin blue line gear or carrying a thin blue line American flag will allow passing officers to take notice and see that they are still supported. I do not only do this for our officers, but I also do it for their families. Sometimes those are the members of our community who need to see the support more than the rest of us. I carry the memory of not only my brother (LODD 7-18-2004) but of all our blue members that we have lost protecting us. Some we may have lost to gunfights, some to traffic collisions, and more than ever we have lost too many to suicide.

Being a veteran of Operation Iraqi freedom, and someone who carries an active PTSD diagnoses, I can somewhat assimilate what out Law Enforcement members are going through. I understand the toll that mental illness, exhaustion and thinking no one understands you takes on the body, and how it can make the whole world feel against you.

Each year, starting in 2018, I will be dedicating all funds raised for charities that support the same causes I believe in. In 2018 I performed a solo 34.8 mile run in Delaware in my brother Chris’ memory to raise awareness to the families who lose an officer, as well as funds to be given to Concerns of Police survivors, Delaware chapter, with nearly $1,500 being donated to their programs. In 2019 I am concentrating my efforts on the law enforcement suicide epidemic, with all funds raised going to the “Blue H.E.L.P” organization, whose mission is:

“To reduce mental health stigma through education, advocate for benefits for those suffering from post-traumatic stress, acknowledge the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers we lost to suicide, assist officers in their search for healing, and to bring awareness to suicide and mental health issues.”

Donations can be made at www.backthebluerunning.com/donations

Michael D. Boll is a retired police sergeant in NJ. He previously served as a United States Marine, and is a Gulf War veteran. He is the founder of Operation Rebound Racing Team, a nonprofit organization that helps wounded veterans and first responders enjoy a better quality of life.

Fitness - Fairview Police Chief Marty Kahn Wins at Recent Bodybuilding Competitions

Fairview Police Chief Marty Kahn Wins at Recent Bodybuilding Competitions
By George Beck, Ph.D.

Fairview Police Chief Marty Kahn’s impressive bodybuilding wins didn’t happen overnight. After years of working out, Kahn, 48, started preparing for the competitions in December 2018. Recently he entered into the bodybuilding divisions for the Pittsburgh Championships (NPC) in the Masters 40+ division, True Novice division, and Open division. Kahn placed 2nd in both over 40+ and True Novice. He placed 8th overall in the Open division of the Light Heavyweight. That competition took place on May 4.

Kahn also entered into the Mid Atlantic Classic in Brick, NJ. He competed in the Masters 40+, Novice, Pure Natural (drug tested), and Open divisions, placing 1st in Masters 40+, Pure Natural, and Novice, and secured 2nd place in the Open division.

Kahn’s road to bodybuilding competitions began when Lawrence Achey and Christopher Popper from Police Academy Training Help (PATH) convinced him to try competitions back in the fall of 2018. Kahn, always up for a challenge to push his workout to the limits, decided to go for it.

Kahn worked with Achey and Popper (both detectives at the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office) as mentors and began speaking on the importance of health, nutrition and wellness in law enforcement to the students of the Career Development Course, run by William Schivella.

Kahn was coached by Carlo Filippone, owner of Elite Lifestyle Cuisine and The Chicken Pound, for the competitions. Carlo is a former coach and IFBB professional bodybuilder himself. Many know him as The Muscle Chef (Instagram- @therealmusclechef). He is a childhood friend of Kahn and eagerly began assisting the chief to prepare for the bodybuilding shows. Carlo graciously took on the task (coming out of his coaching retirement) to support him on the journey into bodybuilding.

“Diet, proper nutrition, and a mindset to win and overcome against any and all odds is what it takes to compete on any level in bodybuilding,” Kahn said. “Getting over the voices that say it’s impossible to win is the first hurdle, then it’s all discipline and hard work that pays off.”

Kahn is a role model for officers seeking to live a better and healthier life. Bodybuilding is hard work, but with commitment and fortitude, the possibilities are endless. Blue Magazine commends Chief Kahn on his recent bodybuilding wins and looks forward to following him to more victories. Congratulations!

You can follow Chief Kahn on Instagram @fit_and_blue or on Facebook at FitandBlue. He also has a website www.fitandblue.com.

George Beck is a police detective, award-winning journalist, and managing editor of Blue Magazine. He holds a Ph.D. in History & Culture from Drew University. He is the author of The Killer Among Us and several other books. His nonfiction and short stories have been featured in magazines and anthologies nationally and internationally.

Moving Forward - Legally Achieving the American Dream: Now Campaigning for Mayor

Legally Achieving the American Dream: Now Campaigning for Mayor
By Valerie Velazquez-Stetz (Ret.) J.C.P.D.

Arvin Amatorio, Esq. was born to Librado and Sonia Amatorio in the northern section of the Philippines, along with his five siblings. Both of his parents were school teachers and his mother was also involved with politics. Education, their Catholic religion, and community service were very important to the Amatorio family. All through grammar school, Arvin aspired to be a Catholic priest. It was during high school where he became interested in law. Arvin went to college in Manila and then attended the College of Law at San Sebastian where he earned his law degree. His girlfriend Ilya was also educating herself and received her nursing degree. She traveled to NYC to work on several projects. In 2002 she asked Arvin to accompany her several times, which he eventually did. Ilya felt a connection to NYC and wanted to stay when she was offered gainful employment. Ilya works as a nurse administrator at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC.

Ilya discussed her plans with her boyfriend Arvin and was determined to stay with or without him. Both of their entire families were living in the Philippines and Arvin had to choose his career in the Philippines or starting over with his love in the United States. He made a great choice and began looking into obtaining a green card and gainful employment. He became an adjunct professor in one of Manhattan’s private colleges, all while studying for the Bar exam in NYC. Arvin and Ilya eventually married and were both employed in NYC when they were having their first-born son and they wanted to achieve another American dream of becoming homeowners.

They purchased their first home in Bergenfield N.J., which was affordable for them. Arvin passed the Bar exam on his first attempt. He worked for a few firms and eventually started his own successful practice based in NYC, where he found his passion for immigration law. Arvin has been representing clients for over thirteen years, with matters before US Immigration Offices and US Immigration Courts Nationwide. His passion is helping others fulfill their dream to stay and live in the United States legally.

Arvin felt a strong connection to his new-found home, Bergenfield, NJ, where Filipinos are the largest ethnic group and he developed relationships within the community. He was asked to run for Councilman of Bergenfield by his peers, which he has been very successful at while serving the people as a two term Councilman and Council President. He has been the chairman of the finance committee for the past four years that delivered 0% municipal tax increase for two consecutive years amidst the rising cost of government in the State and in the Country.

Additionally, he is on the police and DPW committees. Being elected to the Council is one of the highest honors and privileges of his life. As an immigrant, he was entrusted with public office and he is taking this as a sacred obligation, which leads to his announcement to run for Mayor in November, alongside Council members Kornbluth and Deauna. If victorious in November, Amatorio will become New Jersey’s second elected Filipino mayor. Amatorio states, “I would like to bring Bergenfield to a different level. I know I can do more for the town and excel.” Arvin spearheaded disabled veteran tax exemption to make sure our returning veterans and surviving spouses have property tax relief. Arvin has the upmost respect for the military and first responders. Other accomplishments include reduction of borough debt of more than four million dollars and lowered tax increases by more than 50%.

As if law and politics were not enough, Arvin serves as the CEO of Pro Health Consulting LLC. and Apex Health Care. Pro Health engages in managing medical facilities, with concierges’ service to first responders, educators, local, county, state, and federal employees and their families. Apex is a professional medical staffing company. Despite his busy schedule, family always takes first priority. He loves spending quality time with his two sons and wife as he instills in his two boys the importance of love of God, family and country.

Valerie A. Stetz (Velazquez) retired on accidental disability from the Jersey City Police Dept. She was injured in a radio car accident responding to a robbery in progress call. Valerie is a member of the NJ Police Honor Legion. She is the radio host for the popular Internet show “Blue World Uncensored” on DDV RADIO.

Incumbent Sussex County Sheriff Michael F. Strada Discusses His Bid For Re-Election

BLUE magazine: What do the people of Sussex County have to say about their Sheriff’s Office in regard to areas that may need improvement and how do you plan to meet their expectations?

Sheriff Michael F. Strada: I believe we meet and even exceed the expectations of the people of Sussex County as I often times receive positive feedback from our citizens, not only in person but by thank you letters and awards. We are very involved in our communities with our school children, civic organizations and our senior population. While addressing the community, I always engage and ask what their needs are or what we could possibly change to better meet their needs. 

In terms of intelligence-led policing, where does the Sheriff’s Office currently sit, and what measures are you taking to keep up with technological advances in law enforcement?

We have a state of the art Communications Center along with a new CAD system that enables us to both communicate with law enforcement agencies and all the other emergency services including fire and first aid. We are also the single answering point for any text to 911 calls within the county as well ask having the technology to implement reverse 911 calls.

In addition, all of our marked cars that perform traffic enforcement have onboard computers and cameras. Our officers on the road wear body cameras and have the ability to use e-citations while performing their duties. Each car on the road is equipped with AVL/GPS tracking to assist our Communications Center dispatchers. We utilize Rapid SOS technology as well as newly implemented license plate readers.

Community policing, what does it mean to you and how does the Sheriff’s Office practice it throughout Sussex County? 

Community policing means getting out in the community with our officers and engaging with the public. We have 32 senior citizen organizations in our county. We make it a priority to work with county Senior Services and meet with all of these organizations on a regular basis.

We recently just formed a group at our office that is called the Sussex County Sheriff’s Senior Citizens. We meet monthly and talk about concerns that the seniors may have relating to safety in their lives. Some of the presentation topics include emergency preparedness, active shooter-civilian response, fire safety and internet/telephone scams.

The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office was the first law enforcement agency in the state to implement a Senior Wristband Program in 2014. At no cost to the taxpayers, we distribute soft latex wristbands to our senior population with an individual identification number assigned to the senior citizen. Our participating senior citizens provide us with their name, address, contact information as well as doctor information and emergency contacts. Should the senior be unable to communicate, the first responders in the County are able to call our Communications Center to help identify the senior who may be in need of assistance. This in conjunction with our Senior ID program means that seniors are kept safer when they go out into the community.

In addition to our senior community, we have two officers dedicated to community relations work on weekend shifts by attending community days within the municipalities and we do child safety seat events as well as fingerprinting children when requested.

School safety is a major concern and widely debated. What role does the Sheriff’s Office take to ensure Sussex County schools are safe? 

Our officers teach LEAD (Law Enforcement Against Drugs) in 10 Sussex County schools. In collaboration with the New Jersey State Police, we also conduct lockdown drills in our county schools that are policed by the New Jersey State Police. Several of our officers have completed training with the New Jersey State Police in responding to an active shooter. In addition, several of our schools have cameras linked to our County Communications Center where we can monitor if an incident occurs. 

Statistically the opioid epidemic is increasing, and Sussex County is not excluded from these stats. How will you combat this growing crisis?

We continue to have officers assigned to our county narcotics task force to assist in the opioid crisis that has affected our County. All of our officers on the road as well as within our County Courthouse have the ability to administer Narcan. We work with the Center for Prevention and Counseling by allowing counselors specifically dedicated to opioid abuse to have the ability to counsel inmates that are requesting assistance. Our medical staff at our correctional facility is able to offer a free shot of Vivitrol upon an inmate leaving the facility. 

Some Sussex County inmates have recently been shipped out to Morris County. How does this benefit the people of Sussex County and does this move run the risk of laying officers off?

With the implementation of bail reform, this has taken a drastic effect on our inmate population.  We have seen a 66% drop in our Average Daily Population since bail reform took place.  Our current ADP is around 74 inmates.  This is in sharp contrast to six years ago when we had over 200 inmates housed in Sussex County.  With the reduction in inmates and our female inmates moving to Morris County, this has enabled us to close two floors at our correctional facility.  We have reduced our staff from a high of 82 sworn officers to 63 sworn officers.  This reduction in staff was achieved without any layoffs as these officers were just not replaced due to retirements or officers finding other employment.  In addition, we have been able to hire several corrections officers as Sheriff’s Officers.

A 2013 Jail Needs Assessment Study was initiated and approved by the Board of Chosen Freeholders.  This study revealed that 60 million dollars would be needed to modernize our correctional facility.  With a declining inmate population, it does not make financial sense to spend millions of taxpayers’ dollars on a facility that has a declining inmate population due to bail reform.  This same study analyzed the cost per night on average for each inmate at $197.10.  Our contract with Morris County allows us to house Sussex County inmates at a greatly reduced cost of $105 per night within their state of the art facility.  The changes we have made within the correctional facility have enabled us to save 1.9 million dollars alone in 2018.

As far as the future of our correctional facility, this will be a decision that the Board of Chosen Freeholders will have to make.

I will always continue to look at ways to enhance services and reduce costs.

Thank you for sharing your insight with us and we wish you the best of luck in the upcoming Primary. 

Candidate Andy Boden Discusses His Run for Sussex County Sheriff

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BLUE magazine: What do the people of Sussex County have to say about their Sheriff’s Office regarding areas that may need improvement and how do you plan to meet their expectations if you’re elected?

Andy Boden: What I hear all the time from the people of Sussex County is, “What exactly does a Sheriff do?” They are usually generally aware of the corrections aspect of the organization but have little knowledge of the many other functions. I believe there is much more that the Sheriff’s Department can do. My plan is to get out into the communities and ask them what they need and make every effort to assist them. 

In terms of intelligence-led policing, where does the Sheriff’s Office currently sit, and what measures would you take to keep up with technological advances in law enforcement?

“Intelligence-led policing” is a very important practice. I believe that we need vast improvements on how we approach this concept. We need solid information sharing between networking groups involving all the key stakeholders at the municipal, county, state and federal level. The only way to make this a reality is to get everyone involved with the practice and to be 100% committed to it. There are amazing advances in law enforcement technology on nearly a daily basis. It’s an exciting time and I would like to take full advantage of what becomes available, that is of course applicable. I would assemble a working group of the best and brightest from the law enforcement and civilian tech community and have them advise me on what becomes available and how it would benefit the residents of Sussex County. 

Community policing; what does it mean to you and how would you plan to deploy it evenly throughout Sussex County?

Community policing is a concept I believe in whole heartedly. One of the most positive changes in law enforcement over the last decade has been a return to this approach to policing. I would start with greater awareness of what the Sheriff’s Department has to offer the residents, increase officer training, and place a large focus on rehabilitation services in order to tackle the heroin epidemic plaguing our communities. Working with local representatives, I will get out into our communities and aid in crime prevention, safety, and drug and alcohol awareness. An often overlooked group in our communities is our seniors. I want to get out into our senior communities, and aid in the prevention of fraud, scams, and elderly abuse. I will be a partner to these people and agencies, by getting invested and involved. 

School safety is a major concern and widely debated. As Sheriff what position would you take to ensure Sussex County Schools are safe?

School safety is absolutely a major concern of mine, after all I’m not only an officer, I’m a father of four children. The only debate taking place regarding school safety, in my opinion, should be on to how to properly secure our schools to ensure we get the best results for our financial investment. I would like to see our Sheriff’s Officers out making school visits on a regular basis, as well as helping train school staff and students on how to properly react to a school safety incident. We have a tremendous amount of talent currently in our ranks and this is an area where I believe we can have a great impact.

Statistically the opioid crisis is increasing, and Sussex County is not excluded from these stats. How do you plan to combat this growing crisis if elected?

Reflecting back to my previous answer regarding community policing, I touched on this subject because I believe it has a major impact on our resident’s lives. No one is immune from this horrendous epidemic; rich, poor or middle class; it doesn’t matter. Sussex County is suffering greatly and something must be done. My plan would be to employ the ILP approach and combat it from an intelligence angle. I would encourage the development of confidential informants, increase drug recognition and interdiction training, and build a task force composed of local, state, and federal members. I would also look for any available grant money that could be used to not only combat the trafficking of heroin, but help in the rehabilitation efforts. One thing is for certain, incarcerating addicts does nothing unless it is coupled with a comprehensive drug rehab program.

Some Sussex County inmates have recently been shipped out to Morris County. Does this benefit the people of Sussex County and does this move run the risk of laying off officers?

I get this question quite often, and just as often, I am misquoted. I am in no way against shared services. One of my priorities is to ensure that the “Shared Services Agreement” currently being implemented and negotiated is done with complete transparency, in the best interests of the taxpayer, and to ensure that Sussex County’s ability to protect its residents and visitors is not diminished in any way. The benefit to Sussex County is yet to be clearly identified. I do support shared services and will work with the County Freeholders to ensure, if in fact there are to be additional transfers, they are done with every aspect of the service being considered. Again, if shared services are the best move for the county, then I would like to explore avenues which include possible repurposing of the correctional facility and its professionally trained staff who currently serve the County of Sussex with distinction.   

Thank you for sharing your insight with us and we wish you the best of luck in the upcoming Primary. 

BLUE Exclusive - Judge Jeanine Pirro

The BLUE Magazine: Judge, we always try to humanize our interviewees, so can you tell us a little about you? Who are you?

Judge Jeanine:  Who am I? I’m a girl from a small town in upstate New York who  was raised with values that I think reflect the values of America, who was taught to know the difference between right and wrong, who spent her life fighting for a level playing field for victims, and you know, I’m here to talk about them, so I’m still here.

What is something nobody knows about you?
I’ll never tell you. Seriously.

Some people do.
It’s like a confession?  Everybody knows I had pigs for 18 years. I love animals. I prosecuted animal cruelty for years.

How about this? when you go home, who are you?
Well, I used to be mom to two kids and now I’m mom to two standard poodles. You know, I’m like every other woman. I clean the house, I do the laundry, I cook, I go shopping. I’m at this stage in my life where now that my kids are grown and gone, that I enjoy life. I look for humor. I’m not in politics anymore. I ran for office five times, four for judge, and once for DA in Westchester County, and then I ran statewide for Attorney General, lost to now Governor Andrew Cuomo. The good news is politics isn’t an important part of my life anymore.

In your opinion, how has law enforcement been treated nationally the last couple of years?
Like shit. That’s a quote. Look, I worked with cops for 32 years. I was the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in a county of over a million people. I had 40 criminal investigators, I had task forces that I put together, I had an intel center where I had cops from NYPD and other federal agencies who worked in my office. It was one of the first intel centers in the country, and after 9/11, NYPD set up shop in my office because of what we had there. I love cops. It’s that simple. Have I prosecuted some? Yeah. When they cross the line, they need to be prosecuted like everybody else. But make no mistake, these are men and women who get up every day and put their lives on the line. They don’t know where they’re going, they don’t know who they’re going to come across.  They could be sitting in a car having lunch right before Christmas and some dirtbag comes up and shoots them. I could go on and on, and I don’t want to patronize you guys, but I’ll tell you, but for law enforcement, there would be no line between a civilized and a barbaric society, and anybody who doesn’t recognize that is just plain stupid.

And anybody who doesn’t respect cops is ignorant. I hate the rants. What do we want? Dead cops. When do we want them, now? That is fascist, communist, barbaric bullshit. People who do that need to live in a world where they don’t have police protection, where they don’t have people fighting for them, where they don’t have the ability to call 911 and get someone to respond.  I just don’t know what these people are thinking.  I don’t know where this country is going, and the hit on cops is an indication of the decline in our society. It is an indication that we no longer respect those in authority, whether it’s law enforcement, the military. You know what? Go on your own, get the paddleboat and live on your own. But there are rules, and they have to be followed. And there is only a certain caliber of person, a certain type of person, who’s willing to say, not only will I take low pay, not only will I separate myself from my family, go into one of the most stressful jobs in the world, but willing to put his or her life on the line for people they don’t even know, people who don’t even like them, people will criticize them and sue them in a minute. Shame on us. Shame on the direction that we’re going.

Black lives matter, legit?
Every life matters. All the rest is horseshit.

Who do you admire in law enforcement?
Commissioner Bernard Kerik for all he did for this country during the 9/11 attacks.

What do you make of some presidential candidates continually saying that there’s a systemic racism in law enforcement?
I think what’s happening in this country today is that there is a group of people who believe that they are victims and are disenfranchised, and our politicians, even at the highest level of government, are looking to ingratiate themselves, to appeal to that group. And, there is this common bond that they’re victims, or that they’re being ignored, when the truth is that in some ways if you look at South Chicago, I think victims are being ignored there. So far this year, 1,000 people in Chicago have already been shot. Those are real victims, as far as I’m concerned.  But, I think this tale that people are being targeted because of the color of their skin, that’s not my experience. That’s not what I did, and I’m no spring chicken. I was in law enforcement for 32 years, and I don’t believe it. I think cops do what they’re supposed to do.  If there are some that don’t, that doesn’t mean that a whole category of people are entitled to kill them, and chant for them to die, and kind of incentivize other mindless idiots to go shoot them.

What effect will electing Hillary or Bernie as President of the United States have on the current negative climate for police officers?
Hillary is pandering… I think that law enforcement will be defunded to the extent that they can defund law enforcement, as if law enforcement has enough resources now. They don’t. I think that there will be this cultural phenomenon where cops are seen as people who are the enemy. And, I think that it would be the worst thing for law enforcement. I think that law enforcement knows that. Law enforcement has always known that. Firefighters, law enforcement. You can give me some people, the tops of the unions will promote her or Bernie, but at the end of the day, they don’t believe in the second amendment, they don’t believe that cops are primarily good people, and I think that they’d be bad for the country.

Conservatives across the nation are waiting for you to enter the political arena again…
Who me? Not a chance… Here’s the thing, I was in politics for many years. I ran for judge and won, I was the first female judge. I ran for DA and won, and then won again, and then won again, first female DA, the first president of the state’s DA Association. I was the first woman to prosecute a murder case in the history of my county.   I started the first domestic violence unit in the nation. I’ve done a lot in the public arena as it relates to politics, but for me, politics was the means to do the job that I wanted to do. It wasn’t something for me to get to the next level. To be DA, you had to run. To be a judge, you had to run. Soon as I became a judge, I said this is a little slow for me, so I gave up my robes long before my term ended to run for DA. I’m a fighter. I’m an activist. I am someone who, you know, when I see a playing field that’s not level, I want to level it, whether it’s for women, or children, or the elderly. I fought for a hate crimes law in New York. I went to John Cardinal O’Connor, we were working on a bill to cover everybody, and to get the Catholic Church behind it. I believe in justice. That’s who I am, that’s what I stand for. I have passion for the victims, and I’m furious with criminals. I think the criminal justice system is all screwed up. I think the fact that we call it the criminal justice system as opposed to the victim’s justice system is a mistake. It’s the victim who pays the price. The criminal gets all the rights. That fight for me is over. I’ve done it. I’ve done everything I could. I’ve tried murders, rapes, violent felonies. I started one of the first, if not the first, Internet pedophile sting operation in the nation with 100% conviction rate, first domestic violence unit in the nation that was a model for the rest of the country. I was a fighter. I will not use or go into politics to do what my passion is because I’ve already done it.

What’s your opinion on electing judges, rather than appointing them? which do you prefer?
There was a time when I said electing versus appointed. I really still go with the election thing. Both of them have their negatives. When they’re appointed, it’s a political inside game and anyone who doesn’t see that is stupid. When they’re elected, it may be just a function of the inside game that they play to get on the ballot in a county where that party is favored. But, what I do believe is that judges should have to face the public. I think hiding behind the robes is a mistake.

You have defeated the odds numerous times in male dominated careers, what is the best advice you can give to young women who intend to do the same?
It’s the same advice I gave to my daughter. She’s a lawyer in Manhattan, smarter than I was. She’s making money. I was in government. And that is, always have a sense of humor. Don’t have a chip on your shoulder. Be smarter and better prepared, than everyone, and always make sure you have enough under-eye concealer for those nights when you stayed up all night.

How long does it take you to prepare for your show?
My opening is what I’m most passionate about. It depends how angry I am. Some- times about eight hours, because I only have a couple of minutes and every word has to matter. If I make an argument, it’s the lawyer, the prosecutor, the judge. I need the evidence to back it up. I come out with my opinion and then I back it up with the facts. Now, I can write an open that’s done on Fri- day and Saturday, I’ll see something, I’ll be furious, scrap that one and write a new one in an hour-and-a-half, two hours. But, it reflects my passion, it reflects my quest for justice. Whether you’re in law enforcement, politics, or television, to me it’s about the level playing field, and if I see politicians lie, it infuriates me. It infuriates me when they say, ‘Oh no, this is what I said. This is what I’m going to do,’ and they do just the opposite. They speak out of both sides of their mouth. No one calls them on it. It reminds me of Rudy Giuliani. Many years ago, when he called out a judge and it was a domestic violence case, and it was this huge push back.  Everybody said, ‘You can’t criticize judges,’ and Rudy criticized the judge be- cause the judge bailed some domestic violence abuser who then went out and killed the woman. This was a long time ago, and I remember saying to myself, there’s a cultural shift right now, I’m seeing it. And of course, I jumped on it, cause I think, I don’t know whether I was the DA or Assistant DA, I said, yeah, right, they’re not beyond criticism. Neither is the president, neither is the politician. This is America. Every one of us is equal and every one of us has a vote. We’re equal in terms of votes, we’re equal in terms of victims, equal in terms of justice. And anyone who says my life matters more than yours, or this life, that’s all hogwash.

You ever have any fears with calling out the President?
Are you kidding?  I’ve been prosecuting, arresting, indicting, convicting, sentencing dirtbags for 30 years. He can wait in line with Robert Durst and all the rest of them. If you don’t have the courage to do your job and do it in a way that reflects your moral core, then don’t do it. Quit.

You ever make a mistake and then say I shouldn’t have said that?
Look, here’s the thing, I say what I think. I’m not here to say what everybody else thinks or put my finger up to the political winds. I’m here to talk about what I believe in. I believe in law enforcement. I believe in justice, and I believe in the first amendment, the second amendment. I got loads of guns. Nobody’s going to take them away from me. Nobody’s going to tell me what I can and can’t do.  Nobody’s going to tell me we’re safer without guns. Don’t tell me that taking away people’s guns is the answer to our problems.  It isn’t.  Imagine you’re in Boston, the Boston bombers have just hit. City’s on lockdown, martial law, I think that there’s a burglar in back of my house, I call 911, no one’s coming because everybody is out looking for Dzhokar Tsarnaev. But, what if my 911 call is about Dzhokar in my backyard in a boat. If I’m not going to have a gun, who’s coming to save me?

They know this, Judge. They’re just saying what the mass wants to hear when it comes to being a liberal.
No, no, no. They don’t know it. They just know that they have bodyguards and they don’t have to defend themselves. Why say it for the masses? Look at what’s happening to all of these victims that are being shot and killed. You don’t think they’d like to defend themselves?

Who’s going to be our next president?
I don’t know.

No clue?
I think Barack Obama’s tried to change the demographics of this nation, and I think he has, whether they’re coming in from Mexico, or whether he’s flying them in from Central America, or whether he’s bringing them from other countries quietly. I think that we’ve got real problems in this country, where  you don’t  have  to  have  an  ID. There’s something called Voter Registration in some states where you can actually register to vote, and vote in the same day. I’m telling you, dead people are going to vote three and four times this year. And it’s a sad commentary that this nation’s changed, and that’s their agenda.

One word to describe Bill deBlasio?
Blowhard… Maybe that’s too nice.

Will he win again?
It scares me. People vote party… Look, I ran in a Democratic county. I was a Repub- lican, Conservative, Independent. I won. But there are some people who will not cross the line, and I fear that New York City, sanctuary cities, I think that they’re going to vote for him. I think that people don’t care if you’re legal or illegal.

If Trump or another Republican was to get elected  into  the white House, do you think  it’ll be beneficial for the party as a whole or do you think we’ll still have a lot of dissension between parties when we try to think about bipartisan politics?
I think the country is in a mess. Would I prefer a Republican to Hilary Clinton or a Socialist? You betcha. But, I don’t know if this divide will ever end. I’m telling you this, based  on  the  direction  we’ve  been  going with Barack Obama, this negative stereo- typing of cops and creating this sense that you  didn’t  build  it,  and  all  of  that  other crazy, Socialist stuff, if this country doesn’t make a right turn, literally and figuratively, we’re in trouble, deep trouble.

There was a 1996 case that you were involved in, the Campbell case, and an NyPD officer, and he’s still ‘til this day…
Yeah. He was convicted by a jury. The Appellate Courts affirmed the conviction. The highest courts affirmed it. Then he took it federal. I don’t care what color you are or who you work for, what you do, if you kill somebody, then as far as I’m concerned, I’m going to take it to the Grand Jury, and if they indict you, I’m going to take it to trial. Let me tell you something, I don’t apologize for doing my job to anyone, to any group, and I don’t protect people who think that they need additional cover.  I’ve worked with a lot of cops. The cops that I worked with loved me. We made great cases. It’s who we were and what we did. And, you come out of line, and you come at some guy, you got lawyers, you’ve got the best lawyers around.

Was everybody on the jury wrong? Was the evidence wrong? Were the witnesses lying? Are the judges on the take? The judges on the highest court on the take? The federal judges on the take?

Did you find it difficult to separate yourself, not from that case in particular, but being with the police and being their adversary?
No, no, because if I prosecuted a cop, it was because he or she crossed the line. I think the toughest jobs are when the cops arrive on a scene and if they shoot someone that they are intending to target.  That’s the toughest job in the world. I was at the National Law Enforcement Foundation in Washington and they put a laser gun on me and they described a scenario. I shot everybody. They said, who do you arrest, who do you call out. I got a guy with a knife, I can’t tell what he’s doing. Then, I got a guy holding a baby, and a woman. It’s a tough job.

Favorite Baseball Team?
Yankees.

Pet Peeve?
People lying.

Strength?
I stand up for what I believe.

Weakness?
Chocolate… Dark chocolate.

Are you in a relationship?
No, single. Divorced.

What do you look for in a man?
A sense of humor. Someone whose got courage, someone who’s not intimidated by me, someone who doesn’t have to compete with me, and someone who likes Standard Poodles.

Any last words? any words of encouragement toward our profession as we move forward?
I’ve worked with hundreds of cops. I also admire the cop who doesn’t need attention, who avoids the limelight, who believes that he or she works for God. The cop who is true to his uniform and true to the constitution. There’s no one who is better than another. I admire cops, I admire the institution. I think it’s the unsung cop who deserves the attention, the one who either walks the beat, investigates a crime, is sensitive to victims.

I think that cops need to know that the vast majority respects them, holds them in high esteem. It’s the blabbermouth people who have a grudge, angry, the Occupy Wall Street Group, the really leftist groups. Honestly, I think if they don’t like cops, they should live in a community without them. And, I think that cops need to realize that there’s tremendous support for them. People are not stupid. The public gets it. The big mouths know how to access the press and the media, and therefore, cops are thinking, and not just thinking, they’re getting shot, they know they’re vulnerable.  But they need to know that there’s support for them.

Check out Judge Jeanine’s latest book, “He Killed Them All” available at bookstores and online retailers.

(This article is a reprint from the May 2016 Edition of The BLUE Magazine/NJ BLUE Now)

Editor’s Point of View

George Beck, Ph.D.
Editor-In-Chief

Spring is finally here! After a long, and at times, freezing winter, the rebirth of spring is a great time to get outdoors and enjoy the nice weather with family and friends. Our profession requires us to be in a sense on duty around the clock, but commit to detach mentally from the job and experience the wonderments of life with those who love and genuinely care for you. You deserve the break. You deserve to enjoy it. So make sure you prioritize who’s important in your life and spend quality time with them. They and you will be glad you did.

Our cover story “Leaders Help Wanted” written by Chief Joel Gordon (Ret.) is an open and honest assessment of law enforcement leadership today. The article highlights several law enforcement leaders with weak leadership ability, followed by several leaders with excellent leadership ability. It then provides the necessary context to demonstrate how effective leaders lead their officers in our modern times. Chief Gordon’s approach is not to bash ineffective leaders, rather to show the harmful effects of their poor leadership and how desperately some agencies in our country need to hang up the “Help Wanted Leadership” sign.

The stakes are too high for weak, feckless and incompetent leaders. Many times the right person for the lead role is not chosen, because of political interference or nepotism, or other reasons, and therefore the agency suffers. When a department is led with poor leadership, certain personality traits are almost universal. These failed leaders are typically frightened and threatened easily—sometimes paranoid—and believe that ruling through fear and with an iron fist will have their officers following them. In the short run, these leaders are effective, but in the long term, they will always meet someone unafraid of them and will expose them for the cowards they are. Time has a way of bringing down these imposters who destroy lives and careers. What’s that saying: “What goes around comes around?”

I have another observation on this leadership angle. As editor-in-chief of Blue Magazine, I’ve noticed that many officers without rank often have a tremendous amount of wisdom. Our leaders—the ones with the big desks and titles—should take notice of their vision and judgment. Know your subordinates and play to their strengths. A title itself doesn’t come with knowledge and ability. Real leaders can lead those who know more than they do.

There are plenty of great law enforcement leaders in our country who are leading their officers and communities with honesty, integrity, vision, and compassion. To these excellent leaders, keep leading your men and women to have productive, safe, and healthy careers while offering the best policing services to the communities you serve. Your officers are blessed to be working for you. We at Blue Magazine tip our hats to you. We appreciate your work and hope more leaders will aspire to reach your level of success.

As we move ahead in 2019, we have a tremendous amount of new and creative ideas flowing at Blue Magazine. Over the years we have assembled the brightest minds on the local and national law enforcement scene. Our writers are fearless. Their abilities to think at deeper levels with solid logical arguments continue to impress me. I thank all of them for their commitment and hard work for our profession. Together we are advancing the dialogues and pushing back against false narratives to keep officers safe and alive.

Cover Story - LEADERSHIP – “Help Wanted”

LEADERSHIP – “Help Wanted”
By: Joel E. Gordon

"The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have. Leadership is about inspiring and enabling others to do their absolute best together to realize a meaningful and rewarding shared purpose.” - Leonard Hamm Former Baltimore Police Commissioner and Author of the Hamm Rules on Relationships, Leadership, Love and Community.

Imagine working for a police chief who thinks it’s “demeaning” to suspects to have them sit on the ground or sidewalk at a crime scene—whether handcuffed or not. If you work in San Francisco, Chief William Scott has determined that your safety and tactical advantage over a suspect is less important than how a criminal may feel. Everybody knows, especially when you have multiple suspects, having them sit down will give you that time to react should they get up and attack. In other words, in San Francisco, the criminal’s feelings are more important than the officer’s safety—a clear sign of failed leadership.

How would you have liked to have been working for Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel and his appointed captain, Jan Jordan, who “took charge” of the scene during the Parkland Florida school shooting and who ordered officers to stage, clearly in violation of their response plan? The sheriff has been replaced and the captain has since resigned. In addition to the fourteen students and three staff members killed the day of the shooting, most recently two former students have tragically killed themselves out of survivor’s guilt in separate incidents.

Or picture working for the chief of the police force in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Chris Blue, who ordered officers to stand down as protesters toppled a Confederate monument at the University of North Carolina. “Let’s give them space,” Police Chief Blue reportedly texted on the night of Aug. 20 as protesters gathered around the statue known as “Silent Sam,” representing a Confederate soldier. Later he wrote, “…do not engage with Crowd at statue. Stay way out.” Riot, disorder, criminal activity is apparently OK in the chief’s eyes, so what’s that say about the officers? They are as expendable as the laws to be upheld.

Now picture working for Phoenix Arizona Police Chief Jeri Williams. The local police union publicly aired an attack against her for what they say is a failure to stand by her officers over a domestic violence incident in which a man claimed an officer used excessive force against his daughter. The officer’s body camera footage ultimately invalidated the claim, and union representatives pressed Williams to seek charges against the man for making a false report. Williams declined, arguing that it would cause a chilling effect among those who want to file a complaint against an officer. “The Chief’s response to us was not that of a leader, but rather a politician,” Phoenix Law Enforcement Association President Ken Crane wrote. Whose side is the chief on? Apparently not the law or her officers.

Or imagine working for Chief Daniel Paez, a 23-year veteran of the Perrysburg, Ohio, Police Department, who has been publicly accused of dereliction of duty for instructing his officers to stand down during a pursuit and shootout when Paez told his officers with more than 60 years’ combined experience, to back off. Paez said he decided because he was not sure the officers were experienced enough to handle it. I suppose the chief was going to call the police?

Over and over, these kinds of feckless leaders rise to the top in law enforcement. And the list goes on and on. There is no shortage of ineffective leaders in law enforcement. Political hack law enforcement leaders who do not back their officers and who are easily manipulated into bowing to politically motivated pressures are detrimental to our profession and cause others to perform in a less-than-optimal manner. A true leader makes every effort to shield their team from under-informed and counterproductive political influences.

But not every law enforcement leader is a gutless, floundering fish out of water.

Take, for example, now-retired Dallas, Texas, Police Chief David Brown, who stood up for police officers nationwide by saying that law enforcement officers across the country are being asked to take on too much. As the Dallas police worked to go through massive amounts of evidence from the shooting that killed five officers, Chief Brown said he believed officers in his city and nationwide were under too much strain. “We’re asking cops to do too much in this country,” Brown said. “Every societal failure, we put it off on the cops to solve. Not enough mental health funding, let the cops handle it. …Here in Dallas we got a loose dog problem; let’s have the cops chase loose dogs. Schools fail; let’s give it to the cops. …That’s too much to ask. Policing was never meant to solve all those problems.”

Speaking truth at a candlelight vigil for fallen cop Michael Chesna, who had succumbed to injuries sustained from a large rock thrown at his head, Weymouth Massachusetts Chief of Police Richard Grimes slammed the country’s knee-jerk negative attitude surrounding police use of force. “Hesitation gets officers harmed,” Grimes said. He asked the crowd to consider how they would react if threatened and given a split second to respond. Grimes said officers need to feel comfortable using their weapons and criticized the public’s emphasis on shooting deaths of unarmed people. “I can tell you that isn’t just the gun. Is it a rifle? Is it a knife? Could it be a crowbar?” Grimes asked. “Or maybe just a rock,” Grimes asked people to respect and support the police. “What happened to Michael was horrific,” he said. “It should not happen to someone else.”

If you haven’t had your head buried in the sand for the past six years, you know that Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke (now retired) has been consistent as a leader who stands up for law enforcement irrespective of political pressure of political correctness. In the wake of the Ferguson riots, Sheriff Clarke was the dominant leader who pushed back against the false narratives and cop haters. Many officers across the country wished there were more law enforcement leaders like Clarke who dared to take a personal risk and stand up for our profession. However, during this period, it seemed that many law enforcement leaders were eager to throw good officers under the bus for self-gain or to appease angry mobs.

When Baltimore, Maryland, recently had the help wanted sign out in search of a new leader, they ultimately chose Michael Harrison, the New Orleans police chief. Upon his arrival in the city of Baltimore, he said this on leadership: “Number one, I want to hear from the citizens. I want to hear from the officers… I want to hear what their concerns are. I want to hear what their needs are. I will advocate all the resources they need to be successful, and then work on building bridges and building inroads, building relationships that were never built, improving good ones and repairing the bad ones, doing that and hitting the ground on the very first day.”

Of course, actions and not just words are where true leaders shine.

Leaders must find the often-difficult balance in satisfying the needs of their department’s internal customers and the needs of the external customers in the communities served all while weighing the validity of the wants of the politicians that they must deal with and are accountable to.

While leaders are about “we” the team, bosses masquerading as leaders are only about “I” or themselves first. The political hacks and the men and women who serve them know it, even if they smile and buy them a cup of coffee, or eagerly ask them how their lunch or weekend was.

Fortunately, police leadership styles are gradually changing, moving from the authoritative style that has historically dominated law enforcement to a more inclusive approach that seeks to enable and empower rather than merely command. While there can be differences in leadership to accommodate the individuals involved, the best leaders:

• Set an example of honesty and integrity along with a stellar work ethic and attitude.

• Give positive reinforcement & recognition

• Praise in public… Criticize in private.

• Set clear expectations.

• Allow a proper level of staff autonomy and do not micromanage.

• Trust but verify.

• Identify staff strengths and weaknesses and delegate tasks to individual strengths and interests, giving each team member leadership responsibility. This while working toward increasing abilities in areas needing improvement. In this way, leaders identify and prepare the next generation of leaders worthy of promotion.

My own best shift commander during my career, Baltimore City Police Lt. Victor Kessler, was a leader whom you knew had your back when you did the right thing with reasonable actions that could be articulated and honestly justified. He was a man who recognized the truth that leaders exist within all ranks, as he acknowledged during his retirement speech to our shift in his way: “The bosses come and go ... What matters are you guys and gals who make the decisions on the street. Stick together, look out for one another, and work as a team. You are the ones who really matter and make all the difference.”

With a clear vision and a consistent and steady hand, true leaders accomplish their goals and team mission while inspiring others in positive and fulfilling ways. The “HELP WANTED” sign is out. The best of the leaders are needed now and for all of our tomorrows.

Joel E. Gordon is a former Baltimore City Police Officer and was Chief of Police for the city of Kingwood, West Virginia. He has served as vice-chair of a regional narcotics task force and is a candidate for Preston County West Virginia Sheriff. An award winning journalist, he is author of the book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer’s Story and founded the Facebook group Police Authors Seeking Justice. stillseekingjustice.com

Around Florida - Dusting Off an Old Program to Help Fight the New Plague Ravaging America

Dusting Off an Old Program to Help Fight the New Plague Ravaging America
By Chief Rich Rosell

The Plague
Make no mistake; the opioid crisis has hit America like a tsunami.  Unlike a tsunami, the waters do not appear to be receding.  In a recent Op Ed article written for Fox News, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich claimed that every day, 134 Americans die of addiction. Everyone in America has an obligation to stop the wholesale slaughter of our youth.  Not even in our most recent wars have youth lost their lives at such an alarming rate.

Police officers wield quite a bit of power and discretion, sometimes more than they realize.  Constant pressure on drug dealers is certain to have an impact on this problem, but experienced leaders will testify that arresting addicts is not the answer to stopping addiction deaths.  Identifying and placing them in proper treatment is the preferred and accepted method. 

Tool in the Tool Bag
Enter the Drug Impairment for Educational Professionals (DITEP) program. DITEP is derived from the national Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) program and is a sister program to the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) program.  The proponents are the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA).  DITEP is not an enforcement tool. Rather it is (strictly) an educational asset, which is designed to get students suffering from addiction or otherwise abusing drugs the help that they need.  Law enforcement officers see this training as an additional tool for school personnel to employ as they wish as an early warning system for at-risk students.  The training will first provide all school personnel, to include teachers, counselors, custodians, coaches, nurses, administrators, school resource officers and other staff with the ability to conduct a quick assessment of behavior and symptoms commonly associated with drug abuse and make a non-accusatory referral to the school nurse.  Once the student is with the nurse, she/he will look for certain indicators to determine if the student is under the influence of a drug.  If it is determined that there is impairment, the nurse will determine whether the impairment is due to a medical problem or is drug-related. If the impairment is drug-related, the nurse will utilize proven diagnostic procedures taught in the DITEP course to determine what category or categories of drugs are likely causing the observed impairment.  The nurse can then take appropriate steps to get help for the student. 

By providing training to school officials and health care professionals, DITEP enables schools to employ an aggressive evaluation and detection program that could cause drug usage in schools to decline. Consequently, not only will the disruption caused by those abusing drugs be decreased, but also the incidence of those individuals driving to and from schools while impaired by either alcohol or drugs will also be greatly reduced, making our communities and schools a safer place for all.[1]  If employment of the tools learned in a DITEP course saved just one life, it would clearly be worth the time spent in the course. 

There is a clear connection between drug use in schools and school shootings.  Statistics show that most school shooting suspects were either under the influence of some type of substance during the time of the shooting or were active drug abusers leading up to the event.

Practical Application
In Florida, along the Treasure Coast, which encompasses the counties of Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Okeechobee, the Treasure Coast Opioid Task Force has been convened.  This task force is comprised of public and private partners with a common goal: Get out ahead of the curve on the opioid crisis.  As a member of the Law Enforcement Subcommittee on this Task Force, and President of the Treasure Coast Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Association, recognizing that the police can contribute more than just arrest statistics, I reached deep into my tool bag and pulled out DITEP.  On May 29, through a cooperative agreement with the Indian River County School District, I will present our first DITEP course.  Word of this initiative has reached the state level, and we have interest from various regulatory agencies wishing to receive this training.  While the goals of the Treasure Coast Opioid Task Force remain my responsibility, I have a moral obligation to share what I know with all jurisdictions.

Summary
We must never give up on our youth, no matter how far off course they stray.  To do so would grossly violate the very oath we all took.  DITEP has been around for decades and is one of those programs that tend to be lost when the subject matter experts retire or are promoted and have not taken the time to pass along the historical information that took them a lifetime to accrue.   It provides a simple mechanism to supplement our community involvement initiatives and further humanize the police to the public.  Unlike many of our skills, this does not involve placing anyone under arrest; rather it is strictly educational in nature. As one of the many resources we have at our disposal, it will help ebb the tide of the tsunami. 

Chief Rich Rosell Bio
Chief Rosell is currently the Police Chief and Public Safety Director for the Town of Indian River Shores, Florida, the former Director of Public Safety for the Town of Dover, NJ and Township of Springfield, NJ, and a 27-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police, retiring at the rank of Captain.  He has a very diverse skill set with vast operational, training, policymaking, homeland security, leadership, management and administrative experience.

Chief Rosell has years of experience teaching at the graduate level for Seton Hall University and Fairleigh Dickinson University, as well as extensive police and military training experience.    

Chief Rosell has a bachelor’s degree from Thomas Edison State University in Human Services, a Master’s Degree from Seton Hall University in Human Resources Training and Development, a Master’s Degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Homeland Defense and Security Studies and has thus far earned eighteen credits at Drew University’s Doctor of Letters program.

Lessons Learned - UNITED WE STAND

UNITED WE STAND
By Christoper Scilingo

Am I my brother’s and sister’s keeper? All law enforcement officers should ask themselves this question, and they should ask it often.  They should continually evaluate whether or not we are genuinely looking out for each other and keeping our promises to one another.

However, let me wake everyone up with the truth. Far too many times we see officers trying to break each other down rather than build them up.  We see the assassins out there, secretly destroying a good officer’s character.  You know, the dry-rats, the ones who talk trash, point fingers and throw officers under the bus.  These rodent-like creatures speak with a particularly raised voice while being conveniently down the hall from the boss’ office when the boss’ door is wide open. Or they’ll go around telling key information to courier pigeons, fellow officers who cannot stop gossiping if their life depended on it, knowing they’ll sprint to the boss’ office and deliver the message.

When we see this happening in our profession, we must consider if we have forgotten the perils and risks that our chosen professions expose us to.  Are we concentrating too much on the bullshit and not the reasons why we chose a career in law enforcement? Being kind to each other is possible. We see it all the time when we pay respect to a fallen officer, standing shoulder-to-shoulder when the brother/sisterhood and love is so abundant that you can’t escape it.  But why does it take the death of an officer to produce that bond and feeling of belonging to the BLUE family? Why can’t we as law enforcement officers treat each other well and care for each other and support each other regularly? We can! Try and forget for a minute what that other officer has; why did they get that good assignment? Why do they get to drive the new squad car? Why do the bosses favor that officer and not me?

Erase the words, “what about” from your mind.  Stop saying, “well what about that officer” when you're singled out by a supervisor or peer.  Don’t worry about what that other officer is doing; worry about yourself; unless that other officer is messing up.  If you see another officer messing up, or an officer lacks experience in an area, then help them.  Stop waiting for them to slip up and make a mistake just so you can trash talk them in the locker room or worse, dry-rat them out to a supervisor.  Also, if you’re going to speak negatively about another officer, at least do it while they’re present and give him or her opportunity to defend themselves.  Maybe there is a good reason why he or she made that call or why they handled that incident the way they did.  Most of the time, the big trash talkers of a department weren’t even there; they just stir the pot and spread the rumors. Have the courage to say it in their presence or don’t say it at all.

We need to stop standing around with a few cups of coffee and smack talking all the other officers who aren’t present.  Here’s a thought: Engage in meaningful conversations with the ones who are present.  “How are your kids?” “How’s the family?” “How are you holding up?” Those are some meaningful questions that show you care and want to be engaged in each other’s lives. After all, there may come a time when we will need to watch each other’s backs while on the job.  You wouldn’t slander, discredit, or disgrace another officer while you’re applying a tourniquet to them or plugging out their wound while telling them to hold on and that help is on the way.  So why talk like that about each other when the times are good?

Let us make it a point to treat our brother/sister law enforcement officers with the love and respect that we want in return from them.  Let us live up to the meaning of, “The thin blue line.” Let us show that we are a BLUE family.

Lastly, I know there are a lot of good officers out there who truly understand their roles and have a love for our profession and those who wear the uniform. I tip my hat to you and offer my most sincere admiration. Perhaps the negativity is what’s occupying most of our attention. Therefore, let’s work together to turn things around. Let’s commit to making our profession the best it can be. After all, nobody took this job to harass and break each other down. They chose this career for their esteem and respect for the professions and for those who risk greatly keeping our communities safe and secure. Let’s all commit to telling the dry-rats, the pot stirrers, and the cynical ones that the days of treating each other like garbage are over.

Civilian’s Perspective - The Smollett Case: Managing the Narrative 101

The Smollett Case: Managing the Narrative 101
By J. Scott Wilson

For pretty much the entire month of February, you couldn’t turn on a news or entertainment program without seeing the unfolding saga of the Jussie Smollett case.

Just in case you spent February under a rock or blissfully unaware of the news media in some other way, a quick recap: On Jan. 29, Smollett, who is openly gay and starred on the Fox series “Empire,” told Chicago police he was attacked by two men who beat him, poured an “unknown substance” on him and wrapped a rope around his neck. He claimed the attackers told him he was “in MAGA country,” a reference to President Donald Trump’s infamous slogan.

Almost immediately, the case began to unravel. There was no surveillance footage of the attack, and in short order it was learned that the two “attackers” appear to have been hired by Smollett, who was dissatisfied with his salary on “Empire” and thought a bit of notoriety might boost his earning potential.

So, here we have a reported bias crime which the police took at face value and investigated aggressively, going through hundreds of hours of surveillance footage and spending many hours canvassing and trying to find corroborating evidence. Their initial reaction was to believe Smollett’s claim and investigate the case to the fullest extent possible. Of course, that investigation led them back to Smollett, but the officers didn’t start out assuming the tale was bogus.

And now, friends, the rhetoric begins to spin in earnest. In the wake of Smollett’s arrest for filing the false report and his subsequent removal from “Empire” and abandonment by liberal talking heads across the board, the Black Lives Matter brigade began cautioning against police “assuming” future reports of bias crimes were false. They pull off the masterful sleight of hand of simultaneously condemning Smollett’s false report and casting doubt on future police investigations of similar reported crimes.  It’s the sort of thing that requires an ability to disregard reality on a truly mind-boggling scale.

So, let’s break this down: A crime was reported. The proper authorities did their sworn duty and investigated that crime, discovering that the report was false and that the initial complainant had, in fact, possibly committed a crime. This is far from a remarkable event. There are hundreds of criminals sitting in cells today who got their ticket to the Graybar Hotel punched under identical circumstances.

However, because this case involved an actor who is black and openly gay, the narrative must be managed and political hay must be made as much as possible. Smollett has been thrown to the wolves, but his bones are being shaken to try and keep police from “assuming” that future bias crime reports are false from the start.

This is ridiculous on its face, insulting to every police officer, detective and investigator everywhere, and an absolute contradiction to the essence of police work. The very idea that any officer would, before looking at the first fact of a case, assume that the complainant was lying is ridiculous. It’s the sort of thing you’d expect in a banana republic or some fascist regime, not in one of the oldest democracies on earth.

And these people are getting airtime! Every story during the aftermath of the Smollett case had at least one clip of an activist warning against police not believing the next victim of a bias crime because of Smollett’s falsity.  They’re trying to create in the public consciousness the assumption that law enforcement WILL disbelieve the next person to report a bias crime, and that the reporter won’t get the justice he or she deserves.

This is patently false, but it adds to the prevailing media-fueled perception of police officers as biased, hateful of minorities and the LGBTQ community and in general thugs operating under the color of authority.

I’m a copy editor by trade, friends, and I spend my days editing news copy from all over the country. I can tell you without reservation that this narrative is NOT gaining traction among the great majority of the American people. Every day, stories of heroic cops putting themselves at risk to protect and serve come across my desk. These stories get repeated. The officers get recognized. The false narratives get quieter and quieter. 

Stay the course. Keep doing the good work, and you will prevail in the end.

Hear Me Out - Another Law, Another Problem Unsolved

Another Law, Another Problem Unsolved
Sherif Elias

It’s gun control season.  The Democratic Party has gained control of the House this year, and the ideas are flowing. One bill comes with a twist.  Instead of centering on firearms, Jaime’s Law, named after Parkland shooting victim Jaime Guttenberg, will focus on the regulation of ammunition.  The bill would require universal background checks for ammunition purchases.  It would require checks for all such purchases, except for those at hunting camps or shooting ranges if the ammo will be used at the location.

With Jaime’s Law being named after one of the victims of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, one would think it was written in response to that particular shooting.  In 2018, despite countless warning signs and a history of disturbing behavior, Nikolas Cruz was able to legally purchase firearms, and ammunition, which he then used to carry out his act of terror.  17 people died that day.  That would be 17 out of 40,000 dead each year according Jamie’s father, Fred Guttenberg. During a recent press conference while introducing Jaime’s Law, Fred Guttenberg said, “We have a gun violence death rate in this country right now of approximately 40,000 per year.  It is not normal.”  And he was correct. According to the CDC, 39,773 people died from guns in the United States in 2017. In that year, the U.S. population was 326 million.  Do the math and 0.01% of the U.S. population died from guns in 2017.  Fred Guttenberg is right, that’s not normal.  It’s incredible.   People often forget the size of the United States.  And more people means more annual deaths.

But 40,000 gun deaths are misleading.  Fred Guttenberg is using this statistic to promote a bill that is in response to a mass murder. However, only 36.5% of those gun deaths were caused by homicide. 60% were from suicide.  To lump suicide with homicides is confusing and unfair, especially when suicide was the #10 leading cause of death in 2017.  47,173 people committed suicide in 2017, up by 3.7% from the previous years. That means we have a suicide problem.  It also means 50% of suicides were caused by a firearm.  The 39,773 deaths also include 553 dead by legal intervention or operations of war.  I don’t see how ammunition regulation will affect government and police shootings.

Take away suicide and legal intervention and 39,773 become 15,366.  15,366 died from homicide, unintentional shootings, or shootings where the cause was found to be undermined.  And that number is way lower than the National Center for Health Statistics reporting 37,133 motor vehicle deaths or 47,173 suicides and even further away from 70,237 drug overdoses.

Well, one death by a gun is one too many.  OK, and one drug overdose is one too many. So is one motor vehicle death or one senseless suicide.  But if Jaime’s Law is a reaction to a school shooting, then it should be purposeful, in that it would have prevented the Parkland massacre and it would prevent future shootings.  Except that it wouldn’t have prevented Nikolas Cruz from buying legal ammunition.  There would just be a record of his purchase.  If his community and local law enforcement had acted on the countless death threats, violent statements or his aggravated cyberstalking, then he would have been prevented from buying a firearm.  And he probably wouldn’t have bought any ammo.

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A libertarian will tell you that all gun laws are unconstitutional, including laws on ammunition.  A socialist will say, “We need common sense gun control” in their effort to completely rid society of firearms.  Well, the gun control laws will continue to come, but they should be resolute.  A gun law should be an answer to a specific problem.  Jaime’s Law doesn’t do that.  It is a feel-good bill that puts more control on legal purchases.  Nikolas Cruz would have still legally purchased his ammunition, and it would have been ignored just like his firearm purchases were ignored.  If legislators were more serious about stopping gun violence, then they should focus on mental health, which would probably also lower the number of suicides and drug overdoses.

Inside Perspective - Why Sell Hate and Division?

Why Sell Hate and Division?
The aftermath of Jussie Smollett
By Lt. Patrick J. Ciser (Ret.)

In 1987, almost 20 years after the race riots of 1968, a young African American woman named Tawana Brawley accused four white men of raping her. Her account horrified the nation as we learned that her attackers wrote racial slurs on her body, covered her in feces and put her in a trash bag. I remember thinking, “How will this poor young girl ever get this horrible experience out of her mind?” It took almost a year for the trial and truth to come out that it all was a hoax perpetrated on America by none other than Al Sharpton. So why would anyone, especially an African American, want to return us to the horror of yesteryear? Hate is a taught behavior. Each generation takes us further away from our racist past. Nevertheless, for some, like the Reverend, there is money in promoting racism.

In 2006, Crystal Gail Mangum, a black college student working as a stripper with a criminal record, including stealing a car and trying to run over a police officer, accused four white members of the Duke University Lacrosse Team of raping her at a frat house. An overzealous prosecutor got three of the four indicted and called it a “hate” crime. Mangum, along with another stripper, was hired to perform for a party at the house. Mangum claimed that she was beaten, called racial slurs, and raped to include being penetrated by a broom handle. The prosecutor seemed to ignore all exculpatory evidence in the case in his rush to judgement. The media again, thirsting for a story that they wanted to believe, made this the biggest story in the country. Not totally unexpected, because many of us saw this movie before, the three indicted college students were acquitted of any and all crimes. The story was totally fabricated and ruined the boy’s lives. The prosecutor, Mike Nifong, was terminated from employment and later disbarred.

It seems today that hate crime hoaxes are all the rage, with the biggest headline grabber being the Jussie Smollett story. First Smollett, an African American, mailed himself a hate letter. It is apparently cool now to be a victim, and you can get a lot of traction with the help of today’s gullible and complicit media. When he didn’t get the results that he hoped for, he concocted an extraordinary story with two friends.  Most of you I am sure are familiar with the story, but let me give you the gist of it. Jussie called the Chicago police late at night to say that he was the victim of a hate crime. According to him, two white men accosted him on the street in downtown Chicago, beat him up a bit, threw bleach on him and then put a noose around his neck. Moreover, get this; he left the noose around his neck until the police showed up. Oh, and it gets better! They yelled at him that this is MAGA country! He didn’t think the cops were smart enough to pick apart that lame story? First, they are in Rahm Emmanuel’s heavily Democratic city. Second, who in the hell walks around Chicago carrying bleach and a noose on one of the coldest nights of the year? Finally, Jussie held onto his sub sandwich throughout the entire ordeal. Not rushing to judgment, the Chicago Police Department did an in-depth investigation that determined that the entire story was fabricated. Jussie’s two Nigerian friends were paid $3,500 to help him “stage” the attack, and Jussie signed the check. It is likely now that Jussie will do some prison time.

Things are only getting worse since Donald Trump became our president. At a minimum, there have been fourteen hate crime hoaxes perpetrated on the American people, with the liberal media being willing participants. Black churches have been damaged, and one was even burned to the ground in an effort to stir up racial tension and hatred for Trump specifically, and whites generally. It turned out that the organ player burned down his own church.

In closing, there are always going to be hoaxes out there perpetrated by unscrupulous people; this will never change... But why does the media constantly stoke the flames in their rush to judgement? I invite you to search, “hate crime hoaxes” on the internet. I think you will be surprised to find out how many of these “crimes” actually turned out to be hoaxes. Let us remember when investigating ANY crime; facts before you act.

Over what time period? Since Trump was elected?

Things are only getting worse since Donald Trump became our president. At a minimum, there have been fourteen hate crime hoaxes perpetrated on the American people, with the liberal media being willing participants. Black churches have been damaged, and one was even burned to the ground in an effort to stir up racial tension and hatred for Trump specifically, and whites generally. It turned out that the organ player burned down his own church.

In closing, there are always going to be hoaxes out there perpetrated by unscrupulous people; this will never change... But why does the media constantly stoke the flames in their rush to judgement? I invite you to search, “hate crime hoaxes” on the internet. I think you will be surprised to find out how many of these “crimes” actually turned out to be hoaxes. Let us remember when investigating ANY crime; facts before you act.

Over what time period? Since Trump was elected?

Training - Big Data: The Future of Policing

Big Data: The Future of Policing
By Deniz Majagah

Mr. Marks was arrested and taken away for a crime he had yet to commit. This is pre-crime policing. Futuristic and foreboding.

Imagine a world where crime can be predicted. A world where you knew who was going to break the law. A world where you knew when a robbery was going to be committed. A world where you knew when someone was going to be murdered. This is the dystopian future of Minority Report, a short story penned by Philip K. Dick and later turned into a movie.

“Mr. Marks, by mandate of the District of Columbia Precrime Division, I'm placing you under arrest for the future murder of Sarah Marks and Donald Dubin that was to take place today, April 22 at 0800 hours and four minutes.” – Precrime Chief John Anderton, Minority Report

Rewind to today, to reality. Predictive policing is no longer science fiction. But, it’s not something necessarily new either.

The first uses of predictive policing resulted in people being falsely accused, arrested and imprisoned because of the crude, flawed theory put forth by the father of modern criminology, Cesare Lombroso. Lombroso postulated that criminality was inherited, and that certain people were predisposed to commit crime. These “born criminals” could be identified by a set of atavistic physical features such as facial asymmetry, big ears or the “angular or sugar-loaf form of the skull, common to criminals and apes.”

Pin mapping for hotspot policing and psychological profiling to identify serial killers and other criminals are well-established, though somewhat basic, forms of predictive policing. Observational information coupled with an officer’s experience also provides a certain level of predictive policing. As an overly simplified example, it’s not difficult to guess what is going to happen when you see someone in a ski mask walking into a bank when everyone else is wearing short sleeves and shorts.

The difference between the predictive policing of the past and the predictive policing of the present and the future lies with data. Small data versus big data.

Pin mapping, psychological profiling and observational information coupled with experience are all examples of small data. Small data is easy to access, analyze and small enough that we can comprehend and understand what it is. Big data is very much everything that small data is not. It is made of large data sets, often from different, disparate sources, making it very complex and difficult to use and make sense of. When used correctly, though, and with the right tools, big data reveals hidden patterns and useful information. It helps us to see connections and make correlations that we wouldn’t have been able to find otherwise. In the world of law enforcement, big data is a tool that can help us to predict crime and criminality.

If big data is the heart of smart, predictive policing, algorithms are the brains. At its simplest, an algorithm is a set of rules that are used to solve a problem. You feed the algorithm with big data information, it runs that information against the rules that are set up and it gives you results.

It’s easy enough to understand, sans the technical aspects. Tons of information from different sources are pumped into a computer and useful, actionable information is returned. You now have a crime forecast.

The computer is telling you when and where to expect certain crimes to occur. Great. Extra patrols are sent to those areas and it’s had the expected effect and there are no burglaries and only two assaults during the shift as a result.

The computer has also provided you a heat list of individuals; a list of people who are predisposed to commit crime. The list is built from the rules that you gave the algorithms, from the data sources that you provided.

But what happens when these tools are misused? What happens when during those same patrols individuals on that list are stopped, questioned, frisked or even arrested for no other reason than being on a heat list and spotted within or near a “crime forecast” location? What happens if the data that is fed into the algorithms is skewed somehow? Do we have information that is objective and neutral, or are biases that were present in the original, raw data now amplified by algorithms?

As with most things “police,” the Los Angeles Police Department is at the forefront of predictive policing. They are also now being scrutinized in how they implement and use predictive policing. Inspector General Mark Smith submitted a report ordered by the Board of Police Commissioners where he found that , “Officers used inconsistent criteria in targeting and tracking people they considered to be most likely to commit violent crimes.”

Predictive policing, like anything else, has its pitfalls when not used correctly. However, this type of intelligence-led policing and the technology behind it cannot and should not be abandoned because of some mistakes made by the LAPD or other agencies. These experiences and issues should be used to steer other agencies in the right direction.

Leveraging big data for intelligence-led, predictive policing is in the future for all law enforcement agencies big and small. It will enhance public safety as well as officer safety when used as the tool that it’s meant to be. It will also help to improve and strengthen community relations by augmenting police transparency and objectivity. But it needs to be implemented correctly, using unbiased data, with proper oversight that includes community stakeholders and strong controls that prevent misuse.

Predictive policing, like anything else, has its pitfalls when not used correctly. However, this type of intelligence-led policing and the technology behind it cannot and should not be abandoned because of some mistakes made by the LAPD or other agencies. These experiences and issues should be used to steer other agencies in the right direction.

Leveraging big data for intelligence-led, predictive policing is in the future for all law enforcement agencies big and small. It will enhance public safety as well as officer safety when used as the tool that it’s meant to be. It will also help to improve and strengthen community relations by augmenting police transparency and objectivity. But it needs to be implemented correctly, using unbiased data, with proper oversight that includes community stakeholders and strong controls that prevent misuse.

Then and Now - The Dirty Work of Protection: Winning the Battle

The Dirty Work of Protection: Winning the Battle
By: Joel E. Gordon

"There is no nice way to arrest a potentially dangerous, combative suspect. The police are our bodyguards; our hired fists, batons and guns. We pay them to do the dirty work of protecting us. The work we're too afraid, too unskilled, or too civilized to do ourselves. We expect them to keep the bad guys out of our businesses, out of our cars, out of our houses, and out of our faces. We just don't want to see how it's done."  -Charles H. Webb, Ph.D.

When I made the decision to become a police officer, I did so out of a desire to help people. The one unknown question in my mind was how I would respond to a physical confrontation in the process of apprehending those that were dangerous individuals. What a relief it was during defense tactics training in the Baltimore City Police Academy - circa 1980 - when my class was informed “Police don't fight fair; we fight to win.” Then we learned techniques with which we could maintain tactical advantage.  Of course, in today's world the police are frequently assuming greater risk of personal injury or death to satisfy a growing public perception that less is often more when it comes to use of force by the police.

Much of what a police officer does is misunderstood by outside observers. An angry person may possibly be talked down, but an enraged person will likely require a heightened use of force to stop any threat. Of course, doing so isn’t normally an easy task and certainly does not result in creating picture-perfect politically correct images for those recording the events as they unfold.

So is police reluctance to use reasonable and effective force in an attempt to avoid harsh judgement causing more harm than good to our law enforcement brothers and sisters? You be the judge...

For example, police failed to subdue a violent career criminal who was armed with a knife in Pittsburg, California this past February after a man called police to report that his son had tried to stab him.

Officers responded to the area, spotted the armed subject, and after realizing that the man wasn’t about to back down, tried to negotiate with him for the next hour. Bodycam footage showed as he refused to comply with officers’ repeated orders to drop his knife and to get onto the ground. A less-lethal round was deployed, a K-9 raced into the skirmish, and a Taser was utilized just as officers closed in, bodycam footage showed.

As the officers tackled the suspect to the ground while trying to get the knife-wielding man under control, he deliberately reached back and jabbed the officer in the neck with the open blade according to police accounts. Fortunately, in this case, the officer will recover and the suspect was ultimately apprehended.

A month later, a Maryland state trooper responded to a report of a man armed with a knife and slashing tires. The trooper approached the man and was stabbed in the side of his body. The trooper then fatally shot the man to stop the threat. The trooper survived the attack.

As is widely known, a close-quarters edged weapon or knife attack by an enraged person is almost certainly a losing proposition to anyone going up against it.

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Back in the day, I was taught the 21-foot rule, which itself has been more recently under attack. The 21-foot rule was developed by Lt. John Tueller, a firearms instructor with the Salt Lake City Police Department. In 1983, when officer safety concerns were routinely first and foremost, a drill was conducted where a "suspect" armed with an edged weapon was positioned 20 or so feet away from an officer with a holstered sidearm. The armed suspect ran toward the officer in attack mode. The training objective was to determine whether the officer could draw and accurately fire upon the assailant before the suspect stabbed him. After repeating the drill numerous times, it was determined to be entirely possible for a suspect armed with an edged weapon to fatally engage an officer within the distance of 21 feet.

While deadly force should be a last resort, we must be able to do what is necessary to effectively stop any threat while fulfilling our mandate as peace officers. Today’s diminished concern for police safety in favor of elimination of perceived harshness in the handling of violent encounters cannot stand. We must not relinquish the tactical advantage training that has been received due to perceptions based upon false narratives. Let’s go home safely to our own families after every shift.  After all, is the old adage not true that, if necessary, it is better to be judged by twelve than carried by six?

Square-Shooting - MANY CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT MY JOB CAN BE

MANY CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT MY JOB CAN BE
By: Officer Deon Joseph

I wanted to wait a few days before I posted this. I needed to process it thoroughly. Two nights ago I left the police station after a long day’s work. I was in my personal car, wearing nothing more than a T-shirt and jeans. As I’m driving, I pass a very dark street. I see a commotion on the south side of the street. People are walking away quickly from a shadowy figure walking in and out of traffic pointing something. I could not tell what it was as I passed him. As I looked in my rear-view mirror, it appeared he was continuing to point something in his hand at people and vehicles passing him by. I tried to stop and investigate, but he took off westbound. So I drove around the block and see the young man again. The light of an oncoming vehicle illuminated him. He was a young black male in his mid-20s wearing a hoodie off his head. He was still pointing at people. As they walked away nervously, another vehicle shined their lights on his hand and it appeared to be a firearm.

I was still not 100% sure. But as I drove closer it indeed appeared to be a firearm. I passed him and made a U-turn to try to confront him. I wasn’t thinking about the consequences. I was not thinking about what color he was beyond knowing his physical descriptors. I was not thinking about the criticism I would receive in the press afterward, my only focus was trying to stop him, hopefully without having to use deadly force. All I knew was he had a gun. As I completed my U -turn, he ran into a nearby shady hotel.

Still trying to process if he was holding a gun or not due to the darkness, my suspicion that he had an actual weapon was heightened when I saw a man run out of the hotel screaming for his life and begging the young man not to shoot him. The young man immediately followed the screaming man, chasing him down pointing what truly looked like a firearm at the man. I grabbed my gun and tried to exit my vehicle to shoot the young man and protect the older gentleman he was chasing. I was stuck in my seatbelt and frantically tried to get out of it to neutralize the threat.

As I was finally able to unbuckle my seatbelt, the young man ran across the street to the back of my police station. He was now pointing the weapon at the wall of the station and yelling incoherently. The station was well lit but he had his back turned so I could not see the weapon. I drove my car closer so I could use it as cover. I got out and pointed my weapon at him. I ordered him to drop it as a detective showed up to assist me. When he saw me, he paused. If he would have turned and pointed what I truly believed was a weapon in his hand based on the reaction of the people he was chasing, I would have shot him. I was scared for my life and the people around me. I had no vest, no radio, no ballistic door paneling. But as frightened as I was, I was ready to push past my fear to do what I prayed I would never have to do in my career. He then threw the item into the station planter.

I ordered him to the ground. He complied, but was still yelling at the sky. Sweat was pouring down his face. As my fellow officers arrived to help me, we were able to detain him without incident.

As we looked into the planter, it was a cellular phone. In his hand was a wadded-up piece of rubber or plastic made to resemble the handle of a gun. I was relieved and thankful to God that I did not have to shoot him.

He was a young man in his early 20s or maybe even 19. He was stoned out of his mind. It was obvious that he was mentally ill and under the influence of some substance. On the way home, I could not help but think of how I would have been perceived if I shot that young man.

Out of all of the things I have done to save lives, this one incident, on a dark street, with frightened homeless people fleeing from this man, and an item he purposely made to look like a gun … If I would have shot this man what would they say about me? How would I be portrayed? Would they call me a racist? Would they say I racially profiled him? Would the media call this a pattern? Would I get thrown under the bus, to satisfy an irrational and unquenchable anger within a political movement? Would it have sparked protest and another lawsuit? Would there be mobs of people looking for “answers” no matter what the facts would bear out? Would I be seen as a hypocrite? Would political candidates use this incident to get elected citing that I … a 20-year veteran who has never shot anyone, was “Too quick to pull the trigger” to pander to a voter base. Would the headline in the paper the next day read “Veteran LAPD Cop Slays Teenager for Carrying a Cellphone?”

That beautiful young black man could have been my son. I had no hatred in my heart toward him before I saw him, nor after he was detained. My heart broke for this lost soul who may have wanted me to kill him via suicide by cop.

But would I have done what many of us dread to keep people safe? Yes.

I need you all to know that my job is not an easy one. No police shooting can be simply summed up by racial measures. Race had zero to do with what I almost did. But if folks still want to “racialize” this incident, then tell the truth.

And that truth is that I was almost forced to take a young life, to save many black lives. But I am thankful to God I did not have to.

I share this for those who wonder what goes through the mind of a law enforcement officer in situations like these. If I would have shot that young man, I would have been ordered not to talk about it until the investigation was complete for logical reasons. That would have left those with an already negative view toward police to sum up in their minds why I would have taken that action. Police shootings are not something we take lightly. I value human life as much as the next person, but if a human tries to harm others, then I in my humanity, bound by duty, would have had to take action.

Please stop judging until you are in our shoes.

Technology Feature - Police Body Cameras

Police Body Cameras
By Danny Reynoso

In recent years, the words police brutality has appeared on every news outlet possible. There are tons of recording devices all over. Whether it’s a security camera on an apartment building or at a gas station or from a personal cellphone, all of these pieces of footage are coming together to capture different time frames of the same event. The questions that need to be answered are what really happened in these moments and what did the officer see that perhaps the additional footage did not. Body cameras capture this angle.

When body cameras were first implemented, some thought they would infringe on the privacy needed for certain police activity as well as civilian privacy and police officers’ personal rights. While there is some conviction in this statement where privacy laws come into play; they hold little power over the counter arguments of safety and protection of those involved in these dangerous encounters. This applies to both the police officer(s) and any civilian(s) involved. A police officer labeled with police brutality can have their entire career ruined. Their faces get plastered around the public and their lives then become on the line as their career falls. Whether that claim has merit or not is something that falls into the hands of our justice department, and with the help of body camera footage, many officers are exonerated and some are clearly wrong.

Body cameras can determine whether or not police-civilian encounters required the use of deadly force. Did the civilian threaten police with a weapon, or start a physical altercation with the officer that escalated to a deadly force situation? That is something that a video shot midway into an officer subduing a suspect cannot tell. The stories right now that can be easily shared on social media have created an environment where pictures and videos can be taken out of context. Body cameras fill in the gray areas.

But body cameras are not a perfect solution. There are pros and cons to having police officers wear body cameras. First, body cameras increase the safety of officers and the public. At the same time, the camera can negatively affect the physical and mental health of the officer. The camera improves police accountability and protects officers from false accusations of misconduct. At the same time, it invades the privacy of citizens, exposes victims and witnesses of crimes, and damages police-public relationships. Finally, the cameras are a good tool for learning and have a strong support from members of the public. But in the end the cameras are expensive and can be unreliable at times.

However, body cameras offer the advantage of being able to tell the full story of an event. They eliminate the need for fragments of videos and pictures taken by people walking past in the middle of what is happening. Body cameras can be used for the safety of the officer and the civilian. They show an unbiased image of the situation and are tools that can be used for the good of all.

Straightforward - On the Job … Why it’s Worth It

On the Job … Why it’s Worth It
By Lt. Anthony Espino

Being a police officer can be a rewarding job with many benefits, but it also comes with many challenges. The profession has changed in so many ways. In many regards, police agencies are a mirror of our beliefs and values as a society.

Our profession is held to a higher standard today compared to our predecessors. Think about it back in the 1950s, police officers knew their beat and those who were the troublemakers by name. More often than not, they dealt out justice as they felt it was needed. Argue with them, and two things were guaranteed, a beating by the officer and another when they got home and told their parents what had happened. Those cops of yesteryear would never make it in today’s society.

Today’s police force has become publicly accountable, subject to the rule of law and respectful of human dignity irrespective of whether or not they are treated the same way. Whatever course of action we take, we’re scrutinized, right or wrong, and often the media make us look like the bad guys. External pressures have increased tenfold from even fifty years ago. However, this has modernized our police forces and increased community trust and accountability.

Protecting the community and making a better environment for others to live in was a big reason why I chose to be a police officer. The police business is a tough one. There are days you deal with the scum of the earth and see the inhumanity that most people never see and would never understand. However, there isn’t anything more satisfying about police work than stopping a crime in progress or arresting someone who has victimized an innocent person. Rolling up on a burglary that is otherwise not yet reported, or any number of other crimes of the sort is an amazingly gratifying experience. Placing handcuffs on a suspect of a brutal crime is even better.

We encounter all walks of life, and it doesn’t matter what socioeconomic category, race, color, or creed we meet, each interaction is unique. To me, every day is different, and that's what keeps me coming back for more. Like many of my brothers and sisters in blue, I’m willing to make sacrifices, work odd hours, weekends and holidays because I believe in our profession and our purpose.

Being a police officer takes a lot of commitment, dedication and sacrifice. It’s not for everyone. No one should enter into the job with selfish motivations, because they will most likely be disappointed. Although there are negatives to the job, the benefits by far outweigh the detriments.

I love my job and would never trade it for another. It's a great job as long as you can get past the fact that you’re not going to save the world every day. Unfortunately, there are also some cops out there who show up for a paycheck or think they are above the law. They give our profession a bad name, but we should not focus on the few bad apples, rather the overwhelming number of good officers who do this job with respect and admiration.

This profession will expose you to see inhumanity at its worst, and people at their lowest. We often encounter people who are down and out, addicted to drugs, destitute, emotionally unstable, suicidal, violent and basically at the lowest point in their lives. One of the most rewarding and satisfying aspects of being a police officer is the unique opportunity to help these people get out of a bad situation, get back on their feet and ultimately turn their lives around. Millions of acts of kindness are committed each year by police officers, and millions more are changed for the better by the compassion and dedication of police officers who are committed to helping those people who need their help the most.

I’ve had many people thank me over the years for my service. It is indeed the most rewarding experience when people remember you for what you’ve done. Being able to help is what being a police officer is all about. Always remember that and carry it with you through your career.