Night To Unite - The Benevolence Ball

‘A Night to Unite’ – A Night for the Ages
November 21, 2019

Now that a few weeks have passed and Thanksgiving is in the rearview, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to recap what was, hands down, one of the most amazing law enforcement gatherings in recent times.

Already monsters in the law enforcement and charity games, when Brothers Before Others Founder/President Michael Burke joined forces with the Blue Magazine CEO Daniel Del Valle and Moment of Silence Inc. President Steve Olimpio, a perfect storm was created. With help from their individual teams, what these three men pulled off on Nov. 21 is a testament to what happens when egos are put aside and true benevolence is the focus.

Rarely do you ever see PBA’s, FOP’s and all of the “alphabet organizations” come together for a single event, let alone 900+ peoples worth. Well, that’s exactly what happened at the Venetian (Garfield, NJ) that night.

The dinner gala was centered around several awardees and attendees, then closing out the night with live entertainment provided by freestyle legends Coro and TKA.

The night opened with a soul-stirring set by the Bergen County Police Pipes and Drums, with the colors being presented by the Paramus Police Honor Guard. The set incorporated the Pledge of Allegiance led by Alyssa Del Valle and the national anthem sung by Hudson County Corrections Officer Lakia Gaillard.

The performance also included a “military set,” which honored each branch of the military by playing their respective anthems. During this set, every attendee who had served stood during their respective anthem so that they could be recognized for their sacrifice and heroism.

With the introductions out of the way, the emcee of the evening, former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik, took over. Years removed from active service and universally remembered for his steadfast leadership through the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, Commissioner Kerik remains one of the most vocal and active advocates for today’s law enforcement officers. In his words,

“Never has there been a time in our country’s history where our military and law enforcement organizations have been attacked as they are today, which is why these three organizations (Brothers Before Others, Blue Magazine, Moment of Silence) are so important. One supports our nations law enforcement when the ultimate sacrifice is made, another is an unfiltered voice for the men and women in blue, and the third addresses perhaps our most daunting problem, blue suicide.”

The first person honored that evening was Miami Police Sergeant Genevieve Jones (Ret.). Her resumé reads like a storybook and her benevolence has continued well beyond her retirement. As police survivor herself, “Ginger” has dedicated her life to defending the thin blue line. In recognition of this, she was honored as the 2019 Brothers Before Others Member of the Year.

Megan O’Grady who, at the age of 14, had founded Blue Line Bears, hand making one of a kind teddy bears out of the uniform shirts of fallen police officers and then presenting them to the families left behind, was in attendance with some special presentations. Megan had made bears for both the families of Asbury Park Police Detective April Bird and NYPD Police Detective Lou Alvarez. Both the Bird family and the Alvarez family were also in attendance and were then presented with the bears.

What Megan didn’t know was that she, too, was to be honored. In recognition for her selfless work supporting families who have lost a loved one in the line of duty, Megan was presented with the Humanitarian Award. Also, since she is now preparing to head off to college, on behalf of all three organizations, Megan was presented with $1000 to put toward her education.

The first of the two Ally Awards went to Brothers Before Others sponsor and 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund attorney Michael Barasch. Michael has been at the forefront of the battle for adequate and continuous funding for the VCF, making countless trips to Washington, D.C. with his team and affected families. Along with fellow 9/11 attorneys Matt McCauley and Troy Rosasco, the three attorneys each sponsored a full table of 9/11 first responders and their families who, as a result, were able to attend the event free of charge. The level to which these men take the task before them personally is humbling to witness.

Joining Matt McCauley at his table were 9/11 first responder John Feal, who heads the Feal Good Foundation, and his personal friend and 9/11 first responder advocate Jon Stewart. Lost in the world of satire and social media is just how embedded in the fight for the VCF that Jon Stewart has been. He more than lent his celebrity to this fight. As someone who has witnessed first hand this man’s benevolence and genuine care for the civil servant community, especially those who sacrificed on 9/11 and continue to suffer today, I can tell you that there is no more humble and grateful man walking this planet today. His level of inherent respect for the work being done cannot be faked. Despite his aggressive resistance, Jon was recognized for this, even taking the mic for a bit to remind us of why we can’t thank HIM enough.

The second Ally Award went to the irreplaceable Dr. Aleksandr Martirosov, who heads Tri State Health and Wellness Center, located in Fair Lawn, NJ. Anyone who has ever taken advantage of the services that ‘”Dr. Alex” provides will tell you: NO ONE does it better when it comes to caring for the law enforcement community. If you are local and haven’t visited his office yet, you’d be crazy not to.

In August of 2019, a suspect wearing body armor and armed with a rifle engaged the Irvington Police Department in a shootout that would ultimately cost him his life. Multiple Irvington police officers were shot and injured, one of whom was shot in both legs. In recognition of the proficiency and bravery shown that day, which included a police sergeant covering one of the wounded officers with her own body, the 2019 Valor Award was presented to all of the responding officers from that scene, with one being held back for Officer Brandon Gaeta, who is still recovering from his injuries. The awards were presented by law enforcement icons former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The second half of the program opened with a special presentation by Steve Olimpio. As Commissioner Kerik had mentioned earlier, blue suicide has become a growing problem in the law enforcement community. We can sit for hours and argue over the “why,” however, combating it starts with conversation; conversation that needs to come from those who have stared down stress, depression, PTSD, anxiety and all of the factors that could drive someone to that dark place; those who have faced their demons and won. All three organizations are blessed to have one such person on our side(s) who has done just that: Passaic County Sheriff’s Officer Erika Vicente. Her bravery and selfless work forwarding the mission of Moment of Silence is the blueprint for what is so desperately needed if we, as a profession, are ever going to get ahead of this issue.

The 2019 Woman of the Year award was presented to New York Times best-selling author Michelle Malkin. As a wife, mother, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist and longtime Fox News contributor, Michelle has been vocally supporting the American police officer since 1999. She can routinely be found at pro-law enforcement rallies, especially most recently those supporting our U.S. Border Patrol. A few years ago, when President Obama failed to light the White House blue in recognition of National Police Week, Michelle joined members of Brothers Before Others and the law enforcement community in D.C. as THEY “lit the White House up blue,” symbolically standing out front wearing blue glow sticks around their necks and vocally highlighting the inherent disrespect that was being shown. Seemingly every time a false narrative is being pandered to the anti-law enforcement mob, Michelle is always among the first ones standing against that tide. During the gala’s cocktail hour and prior to being honored, Michelle generously donated and personally signed copies of her latest book, “Open Borders Inc.” where she held an impromptu meet and greet.

The 2019 Man of the Year Award was presented to former U.S. ICE Director Tom Homan. A 34-year law enforcement professional, Director Homan served as a police officer in New York, a U.S. Border Patrol agent, a special agent with the former U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service as well as Supervisory Special Agent and Deputy Assistant Director for Investigations. Director Homan then headed ICE from Jan. 30, 2017 until his retirement on June 30, 2018. Since his retirement, Director Homan has spent much of his time advocating for law enforcement, specifically his former agency, testifying, er, SHREDDING Congress for their betrayal and false narratives as they apply to same. A “cop’s cop” in every sense of the word, Director Homan spoke to the attendees, in large part, about the “greatest president he ever worked for,” Donald Trump. He stressed that no president in modern history has “had the six” of the American police officer quite like President Trump. At one point, Director Homan even led the entire room in a “USA” chant. Even though the night was his, Director Homan presented Daniel Del Valle and The Blue Magazine team with a copy of his cover issue, which had been signed by President Trump.

The last award of the evening, the Steven McDonald Lifetime Achievement Award, was presented to NYPD Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch. With the permission of his son, Conor, and his widow, Patti Ann, the award was named after the late NYPD Detective Steven McDonald. After being shot in the line of duty and paralyzed in July of 1986, Detective McDonald spent the next 30 years of his life traveling the world as an ambassador for forgiveness, God, the NYPD and the entire law enforcement community. It was only appropriate that an award recognizing a lifetime of service be named after a man who epitomized what that truly means. It was even more fitting that Conor and Patti Ann were in attendance and physically presented the award.

A 35-year police veteran, Lynch has served as the president of the NYPD PBA since 1999. His status as a union leader is legendary. While he physically represents the members of the NYPD, his words and his passion resonate with police officers from coast to coast. His uncompromising and unwavering support of the members he serves has earned him such nicknames as “New York City’s Blue Bulldog.” The award that was presented to Lynch, done by Brodin Studios(MN), incorporated a poem that Steven McDonald would routinely hand out at his speaking engagements, “You Are Very Special.” Steven wanted each and every person he encountered to know that their individuality and their uniqueness WAS their biggest asset; that no one is capable of what you are capable of in the way only you can do it. With that exact sentiment in mind, there was no better recipient for this award than Pat Lynch. No matter where he speaks or where he appears, Lynch reminds all the wannabes what TRUE leadership looks like.

If you wandered the room that night, at virtually every table you would find true blue cops or their supporters, all with stories to tell—from Philadelphia Police Officer/Forensic Sketch Artist/BBO Partner Jonny Castro who has been creating portraits of American heroes and those lost in the line of duty since 2016, to American artist Scott Lobaido, who generously donated one of his own canvas paintings to be raffled off as a fundraiser supporting all three organizations.

With all the awards handed out and all of the attendees, the biggest winner that night was the fraternity. While BBO Founder/President Michael Burke was being recognized for his ability to bring people together from all walks of life and all levels of law enforcement from every corner of this nation, the following was said: “You rarely see gatherings like this within the law enforcement community; where cops simply come together to celebrate each other and all that is good about this profession; where cops come together to celebrate each other for the simple sake of celebrating each other. And that is sad, because that is exactly what this profession is in dire need of.”

While there will be other gatherings and other awards given, it will be hard to top the lightning in the bottle that was captured on Nov. 21. Every attendee left the gala reminded that the fraternity is alive and well if you just take the time to look in the right places.

Cover Story

Political Sellouts: We Lose Our Country If We Don't Enforce Laws: Michelle Malkin

The BLUE Magazine: Please tell our readers about yourself, your upbringing, your career, your family and how that has drawn you to be a staunch supporter of law enforcement. 

Michelle Malkin: Sure. I have been a newspaper journalist for 25 years. I grew up in South Jersey, was born in Philadelphia, and raised right outside of Atlantic City in a tiny town called Absecon, New Jersey. My parents came here from the Philippines in 1970. My dad worked as the chief of the neonatal intensive care unit at Atlantic City Medical Center. My mom was a public-school teacher in South Jersey. I had one younger brother and was raised with a very strict religious background of my parents who are devout Catholics. They also came from a background that I think nurtured my lifetime support for law enforcement. My mom's dad, in other words, my maternal grandfather in the Philippines was the police chief of his barrio where my parents grew up. My maternal grandfather also served in the Filipino Military and fought with American soldiers in World War II at the time that Japan occupied the Philippines. He was also a survivor of the Bataan Death March. So, when he came to the United States for the first time in the late 1970s, I was just really struck by a love of our country that my Lolo had, and I think that his “Law and Order” persona made a huge impact on my life. So, I've always respected people who have put on the uniform and fought and served.

On your national book tour, you are out front in support of ICE. What have you seen while on this tour? 

I've seen a lot of ordinary American citizens like myself who don't live in the coastal bubbles who are not part of the political elite, and who are outraged at what the progressive radicals have gotten away with. There's this movement called “Abolish ICE.” We also unfortunately have a handful of social justice warrior police chief's, you know, many of them who are not qualified to have their jobs who pander to these elements. Rather than maintain order, they have created safe spaces for those targeting ICE agents. One of the things that I've done is held “Stand with ICE Rallies.” Because I know that there are so many people like myself who want to do more than just sit on the sidelines. It's going to take more than just complaining about these people running rampant and running loose to be able to stop them from doing what they're doing. I asked people to come join me at an ICE facility and about a hundred fifty people came. There were some people who were scared that violence may break out. It didn't. Instead what broke out was chants “USA” and the patriotic singing of the national anthem and I think this was a good way of exercising our civic engagement to show law enforcement agents that there are people who are out there supporting them and willing to put their boots on the ground to do it.

What do you say to those people who believe that the border wall or securing our borders is racist? What do you say to those who claim anybody who supports secure borders or legal immigration is also racist?

I don't care what they call me. I am a brown woman of color who is the child of legal immigrants to this country whose first act was to honor the Constitution and the laws of the country by coming in the right way. I was also taught from a very early age that it is a privilege to be in this country and there's nothing racist about that. In fact, honoring and supporting the sovereignty of the United States is the best thing that you can do. If you care about preserving the American dream, not only for the families that are here in America—325 million of us—but also for preserving an orderly immigration system that is going to still be standing for other people around the world to use, you need both physical obstructions, physical barriers at our southern and northern borders. Also, an interior enforcement system that works when people do trespass, when they are able to get around those barriers.

The “Abolish ICE Movement” is really an extension of the war on police from the 1960s. It’s about destroying the ability to preserve law and order. If we can't enforce our laws, we don't have a country.

Because you support a strong border, do people routinely claim that you're racist? Have you actually experienced racism yourself?

When I was a young girl, there was a time when we lived in Baltimore for a short period and it was the first time that I've ever heard a racial epithet. I was sitting on a porch and some young punks walked by and called me a “chink” and I, of course, had no idea what the word meant, but it was definitely the tone that even a 3- or 4-year-old could understand was hateful. I ran back into my apartment and my mom asked me why I was crying, and I described it to her, and you know, she just told me to brush it off and grow a thick skin. And that was always the attitude that my parents had to never indulge victim status. Now fast forward to my college years when I encountered a much different kind of racism—liberal racism that involved condescension and this expectation or entitlement because I had non-white skin and almond-shaped eyes that I should think a certain way. I always found that so much more offensive than overt bigotry that stems from ignorance. It's the social justice mentality and the social engineering that I have always found so insidious and I think that those kinds of principles underlie the opposition that I've encountered to the policy positions.

It’s laughable! People have actually accused me of being a white supremacist, but I think that's just the most ridiculous thing and I always say, I must be doing a really bad job of that by reminding them of my skin color, and pointing to my face.

How do you feel about these politicians who are weaponizing false claims of sexual assault against women, racism, homophobia, etc. against their adversaries? What can be done to counter this? 

Right, let me talk about something. Whether it’s false allegations of sexual assault or rape, false allegations of racism, discrimination, or these hate crime hoaxes that seem to pop up pretty much every month, we need consequences. It is a crime to lie about crime and very often you have social justice prosecutors, when in fact you have George Soros out there funding district attorney races to put these people in place who either look the other way when there are these types of hate crime hoaxes or they never punish them. I've been very outspoken when it comes to the grifters and the race hustlers who have cashed in. It's Al Sharpton and the 1980s with Tawana Brawley or on college campuses with Duke and the University of Virginia cases or the likes of Shaun King who I've reported on for many years now and I think he's the chief grifter when it comes to race hoaxes and falsely accusing police officers. That guy should be in jail. Not only for the embezzlement of the nonprofit's but also in general for the defamation and the ruin that he has caused in the lives of many police officers across the country. He teams up with a college friend of his who's a lawyer in Texas. The same guy that represented the woman who had falsely accused a Texas state trooper of racism and sexual assault. It turns out it was all caught on the trooper’s body cam and he was forced to retract these false claims. But again, if there are no consequences financially or legally these kinds of false allegations particularly against cops are going to continue to happen. I've also crusaded on behalf of wrongfully convicted police officers many of whom are still sitting behind bars because of the social justice mob mentality that helped put them in prison. There are a number of police officers who have been exonerated, whose stories I've also told in my columns and documentaries.

Let's talk about national politics in terms of the Republican party. Obviously, we noticed multiple types of Republicans right now, but let's talk about the ones who sometimes support the president, sometimes they don't, and they're constantly trying to morally preen in front of the public. What's your take on them? 

I think I apply the investigative mantra of my latest book to all of my work and it helps us understand why these elected officials make the decisions they do and that is to follow the money to find the truth. What will happen is you'll see that many of the special interest lobbies—the corporate interests that are donating lavishly to many of these Republicans who are fair-weather friends of the President do things not out of any of principle or allegiance to the Constitution or to their constituents, but allegiance to their donors and that's the Beltway swamp mentality. And that is why the American people sent President Trump to Washington to clean it up. It's incredibly difficult for him to do. So, when at the same time, he's battling all of the forces on the usual suspects on the other side like the media, Hollywood and the Washington Democratic establishment, it's the Republican never-Trump people who are conniving usually behind his back but sometimes right in front of him. If you tune in you see a lot of these Republican tools on CNN or MSNBC, they're doing it right in front of our faces. And so, you know, I don't agree with President Trump on everything, but I understand what he's up against and when he's fighting to secure our border, for our military, our cops, our angel families, and American sovereignty, I'm right there with him.

Fake news. How vast is this problem in America? 

Well, you can trace fake news all the way back to the New York Times and its lying Commie propaganda stool, Walter Durante. We've always had it, but it's definitely been exacerbated by the cable news cycle and the social media cesspools in which these people inhabit and basically what we have now is an outright resistance movement. For example, the Russia collusion hoax occupied most of their time until that reached a dead-end and so they hopped onto a different train, which we're seeing, being written right now with impeachment. You’ve got these partisan operatives that have a shield around them—an immunity shield—that allows them to defame and to lie and to obstruct while they claim some sort of mantle of neutrality; people are sick of it and that's why I think it's been one of President Trump's most effective campaigns to go after the fake news. And to try to undermine as much as possible their influence by using their own tools. A lot of these never-Trump types and establishment types hate that he uses social media and that he's tweeting constantly, but that's exactly the kind of Jiu-Jitsu that we need from someone outside of the Beltway. Many of these candidates especially the loser Republicans that we see owed their very existence to leaking to these reporters at the Washington Post and the New York Times, and Donald Trump doesn't have to play that game, thank God.

There are people who feel that if you're so far to the right, at times you're not intellectually honest. Are there any issues on the left that you agree with?

When you bend the arc, it's really interesting. And that's been one of the biggest delights of a lot of the work that I've done over the years. When you can have a meeting of the minds with people who are on the other side because you share the same values. On education issues and issues of autonomy, for example, medical kidnappings fighting the nanny State abuses of power are something that principled people on both the left and the right agree on. Especially issues that deal with fighting Global Elites, trans nationalists and corporatists. A lot of the issues that they are right about with regard to immigration.... There are honest progressives that agree with me on the abuse of the H-1B program, for example, or the Eb-5 program as specific programs. They’re both big businesses, and the Democrats are using the issue to pursue their own gain and their own interests, but at the expense of ordinary American citizens,

Any major party platforms from the left that you feel the right should also work on and improve, rather than always have an “us versus them” mentality? 

Well, I wish that more on the right would take up the mantle of crusading against wrongful convictions, and they certainly seem to understand prosecutorial abuse when it came to the Russia investigation, but that happens on local and state level every day in this country. And so, the left has always targeted, a certain demographic when it comes to people who have been wrongfully convicted, and I think there's more room for looking at wrongful convictions of police officers or people in the military and to the extent both sides can come together. I think that would be helpful, but I think that there's a danger with some of these criminal justice reform types because they can't get over their hatred and blind collective hatred of cops—that's why that area has been frustrating to me because I work with a lot of retired NYPD, for example, that work DNA cases or cold cases or cases where confirmation bias and sloppy investigation have led to wrongful convictions. But there are some people on the left who won't work with people like me because they can't get over their politics.

Any issues on the right that you're uncomfortable with? 

I guess it depends on how you define, “right,” because I would say that a lot of Beltway swamp Republicans do not have American sovereignty as their foremost concern and they're willing to sellout. I've called them to the carpet on that many times. I've always gone after both sides if I feel they're endangering the public. I did that with my first book where I went after amnesty republicans as well as identity politics democrats and talked about how that alliance helped pave the way for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. And so, the left did not want to hear one part of my critique and the right didn't want to hear the other and that's what's led to the paralysis that we've had, and I think conditions that could pave the path for something that's even worse than the 9/11 attack. We have so much paralysis. We haven't implemented many of the core recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 commission. And again, you have to look at why this is happening and who's funding the obstructions that are leading us to be less safe.

We all have things we can improve upon as journalists. What can you improve?

I've got dozens of cases that I'm investigating all at once just trying to juggle them all, so, sometimes I let things fall behind but that's like a good thing. I mean, I think that's a good problem. I think that there are too many journalists who wake up and they're bored with life. They're bored with the news cycle. They really don't have much to say and it shows. I think the airwaves are filled with so many people who have nothing to say and my problem is every day it's about juggling all the balls that are in the air and never feeling like I have enough time.

How does your day start as a journalist? What do you do every day to advance yourself? 

I couldn't do what I do without caffeine; a very good brand of coffee and I do not drink Starbucks. Black Rifle coffee or Dunkin Donuts will do it for me. In terms of like my daily routine? I’m plugged into social media like an IV, but I use it in a different way. A lot of times what you see is journalists and writers’ sort of turning social media into an echo chamber and using these forms to validate their own life experiences and opinion. I recommend following people that you really detest or that you really disagree with to use as a foil and as a devil's advocate and in fact, I've actually made friends with people on social media who are completely on the other side and I like that. It seems to hardly ever happen. And in terms of daily writing, I have to write every single day. Even if it's just 150 words because practice is everything. I write a weekly column as well as freelance pieces, and I've written seven books, and I think you just have to be extremely disciplined and organized and that's not something I am by nature, but deadlines are very clarifying. And I don't have external deadlines. You have to set internal ones and stick by them to be a successful journalist.

How big is the problem of censorship? Do you foresee censorship getting worse or improving in terms of freedom of speech silenced by people who disagree with the tech giant's political preferences? 

Our freedom of speech is under assault in an unprecedented way. This has a huge effect on law enforcement, because look at the huge double standard I've been reporting on for the last couple of years. Silicon Valley will allow ANTIFA to post graphic calls of violence against police officers and ICE agents. Kathy Griffin is allowed to dangle the simulation of President Trump's bloody head. Yet, I've got friends who are patriots who simply stood up for secure borders and getting control of the refugee resettlement—people who are nationalists—wiped off the face of Facebook and Twitter; people who can't ride Uber anymore plus people who can't sell t-shirts. And so, what is the future going to hold for people like me and for law enforcement supporters and for ICE agents who are doxed on these very platforms—they've got to worry about the safety of their families every day. I think a lot of people are looking for social media alternatives, but there's another segment that is staying and fighting and I think that's where I am. I have been censored. I have been shadow-banded. I have been blacklisted by Google, by Facebook, by Twitter, but somehow I still have some two million followers on Twitter and two million followers on Facebook. I'm able to get my message out to whatever limited extent they still allow me.

In your book, you highlight how the senseless murder of Corporal Ronil Singh had an impact on you personally. Can you tell our readers why?

Singh was the epitome of the American dream. He was a corporal at the Newman California Police Department, had a newborn child, a young wife, and was an immigrant to this country legally like my parents. He came here from Fiji, and it was Christmas Eve a year ago when he was brutally gunned down by an illegal alien gangbanger who had been in and out of the justice system through the sanctuary revolving door and I have told so many of these stories over the years. My first book is filled with stories just like Corporal Singh’s. I also highlighted a sheriff's deputy, David Marsh who was similarly gunned down by an illegal alien fugitive during a traffic stop. Just like Ronil Singh was, Ronnie Johnson in Houston, Texas also had been gunned down and the common thread among so many of these cases is that you had officers who were needlessly murdered and needlessly sacrificed their lives because the cities, counties, and states that they lived in had implemented these illegal alien sanctuary policies that protected the criminals and endangered law enforcement. This is what outrages me.

You've been involved with BBO. What do you think of their mission as well as organizations like them in regard to the impact they have as support groups in today's law enforcement environment?

I love what they do, and they really put boots on the ground to demonstrate their support for law enforcement. It's one of my favorite charities, and I was so happy to have Rob and his colleagues joined me when so many other people were too busy to go march on the White House. I appreciate everything that they do to support law enforcement families so I will always be there for them because I know they're always there for the men and women in blue.

George Beck is a police sergeant, award-winning journalist, and managing editor of TheBlue 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.

Rob O’Donnell is a 28-year law enforcement professional beginning with the NYPD, now serving as a Director of Public Safety in Pennsylvania. He currently volunteers as Director of Business and Media Relations with the national law enforcement support charity Brothers Before Others, and is a National Law Enforcement Contributor for Law Enforcement Today, WBAL Baltimore, WMAL DC, “The Larry O’Connor Show,” Town Hall Media’s “Hot Air” and “Bearing Arms,” the American Conservative Union CPAC, NRA TV, NewsMax TV, and MichelleMalkin.com

Tribute

Detective Sergeant Thomas Trommelen

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Detective Sergeant Trommelen was a kind human being, and he is the definition of what a police officer stands for. During his 30-year career with the Paterson Police Department, he worked in several divisions but spent about 22 years in narcotics. When he retired in 2016, he continued to do volunteer work by giving back to the community of Paterson as the vice president of the Paterson PBA Local 1 Charitable Organization. Patterson started building a community center four years ago which should be completed early in 2020 to continue his legacy in community outreach.

In 2012 Detective Sergeant Trommelen began the PBA Local 1 Annual Coat Drive. He started with eight Paterson public schools and a total of 80 coats were distributed. He was very passionate about the coat drive, seeing how much coats were needed. The best part for him was watching each child’s face light up as they smiled. Since then, the number has increased each year, now reaching 1000 coats. The brand-new coats are purchased with funds donated through payroll deductions from the Paterson police officers.  The coats are distributed to the Paterson public schools, shelters, fire victims, the homeless and to churches. In addition, during the last three years on Christmas Eve, police officers, Detective Sergeant Trommelen and other volunteers drove around the neediest parts of the community looking for anyone in need of a coat.

To honor him, the coat drive is now named the Detective Sergeant Trommelen Annual Coat Drive. His legacy will live on through his philanthropy and his spiritual guidance.

American History

Jesse James A.K.A Robin Hood?
By George Beck, Ph.D.

When one thinks of Jesse James, initial thoughts are usually of the legendary Robin Hood-type gunslinging rural outlaw of the Old West during the post-Civil War period. Thoughts of Jesse as a larger-than-life folk hero depicted in hundreds of books, newspapers, magazines, dime novels, films, radio programs, storytelling and television shows come to mind. Synonymous with Jesse are the old western outlaws—their epic battles with law enforcement, the drama of avoiding capture and the ultimate showdowns on the deserted frontier street with the sunset high in the sky. Additional images of Robin Hood-like characters traveling across the developing nation—making camp in the vast openness, frequenting saloons, houses of fast women and other dens of inequity, are readily and easily envisioned as the prime recollection. “Jesse James, Oh yes, he was that guy who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor,” are typical responses. This imagery and belief has been honed and sharpened over years of representation and misrepresentation in popular culture.

The legend of Jesse James as an American outlaw has been front-page news since 1869. Coincidentally, this was the first time he was publicly labeled an “outlaw” when Missouri Gov. Thomas T. Crittenden set a reward for his capture. Since then, the legend of Jesse as the social bandit/Robin Hood—which many still find relatable and usable, regardless if the historical record is clouded with myth and falsehoods—began.

However, the assumption that Jesse and his James-Younger Gang were Robin Hoods of their time suffers from a lack of evidence. Take for example the fact that there is no evidence that the James-Younger Gang, which included notable outlaw Cole Younger, rescued a poor widow or starving child. Furthermore, there is no evidence any ill-gotten proceeds were divided up to anyone other than Jesse and his gang members.

There is evidence to support Jesse James being homicidal. When he made the front-page news in 1869 for robbing the Daviess County Savings Association Bank in Gallatin, Missouri on Dec. 7, the then 22-year-old Jesse killed the cashier. Yet, this homicide has been marginalized as a sort of mistake; several accounts indicate Jesse killed the cashier mistakenly thinking he was Samuel Cox, commander of the pro-Union militia troops who killed Bloody Bill Anderson in October 1864.

Therefore, the link between Jesse and Robin Hood is partly discerned from loose-ended similarity: both were outlaws, who lived outside the protection of the law, and in essence, were a law unto themselves. Moreover, Jesse’s elevation as a Robin Hood-type character really came about after his death when the James Gang appeared in dime novels that depicted them as pre-industrial models of resistance. It was during the Populist and Progressive era when Jesse was cemented as the quintessential Robin Hood, standing up against corporations in defense of the small farmer, robbing from the rich to feed the poor. Albeit, as previously mentioned, this ideal lacks evidence.

Also, of the seemingly endless accounts of Jesse James as the legendary Robin Hood figure, perhaps the best dramatic exploration of idolization of him was depicted in the most recent film, “The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.” This 2007 western drama is the visual adaptation of Ron Hansen’s fiction book by the same name. Actor Brad Pitt portrays Jesse in the last year of the James Gang at the final train robbery in 1881. It goes on beyond his untimely death in 1882 at the age of 34. The title of the film, coupled with history, tells the plot, so there is not much surprise in that respect. The film, as riveting and entertaining as it is, is predictably another visualization as to why Jesse is the quintessential American outlaw Robin Hood still thriving in contemporary popular culture. This movie is also an excellent example to illustrate the time in which Jesse heavily ascended into the records of folklore and legends—after his death.

There are over 29 motion pictures portrayals of Jesse James, again, mostly depicted as a Robin Hood-like character including “Jesse James Under the Black Flag,” 1921, and “Jesse James as the Outlaw,” 1921, star Jesse James, Jr. depicting his father in the films. As the decades pass, there seems to be an even interest, most visible by the number of productions per decade. In the 1920s, three movies were produced, 1930s saw two, 1940s had four, 1950s five, 1960s four, 1970s only one, 1980s and 1990s both two each, and the 2000s finished strong with four.

The historical representation of Jesse James is also found in ballads. Many of the ballads involve imagery of Jesse being larger than life. Take for example, perhaps, the most famous ballad appropriately titled “Jesse James.” This American folk song, first recorded by Bascom Lamar Lunsford in 1924 and subsequently covered by numerous artists, to include Van Morrison, Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen, is all too telling. In this ballad, Jesse is portrayed again as a Robin Hood character who is larger than life.

Jesse’s legend as a Robin Hood-type character and symbol of the Confederate defiance of Reconstruction took off after his death on April 3, 1882, in Saint Joseph, Missouri. In the aftermath of Jesse’s death, Ford brothers Charley and Robert did not attempt to hide their role in Jesse’s death. They were indicted on first-degree murder charges, pleaded guilty, were sentenced to death by hanging and granted a full pardon by Gov. Crittenden all in one day. They went on to profit from Jesse’s (and their) celebrity later, starring in a touring show in which they re-enacted the shooting.

Thus, the catapulting of Jesse James into the forefront of thought on American consumers of popular culture accentuated on the pages of the dime novels, the sympathetic descriptions on radio shows, the imagery of motion picture plots and the like, transformed this criminal into one the best known Robin Hoods of his time. The historical reception of Jesse James supports this trajectory, through stories of legendary and epic proportions.

However, Jesse’s characterization is not based on fact, rather sympathetic accounts of his criminality, and whitewashing of his evil deeds of the past.

Editor's Point of View

Welcome to another excellent issue of Blue Magazine! We have so much information to share with you. As you can tell by our cover, we spotlight Michelle Malkin for her strong stance in support of law enforcement. Malkin takes significant risks to stand out front supporting our profession. Malkin discusses a wide range of issues affecting law enforcement. Thank you, Michelle, for championing justice and for fighting for the men and women of law enforcement. We appreciate you.

Blue Magazine partnered with Brothers Before Others (BBO) and Moment of Silence to host a night for law enforcement like no other seen before. Nearly 1000 officers from all over the country gathered in New Jersey to unite and strengthen our profession. If you were there, I am sure you will agree, Night to Unite was powerful and demonstrated what is possible when passionate and dedicated active and retired law enforcement officers come together with a common purpose to unite our profession. On behalf of Blue Magazine, we thank everyone who made this event happen, including our loyal sponsors and supporters. Thank you to BBO’s leader Michael Burke, and Moment of Silence’s leader Steve Olimpio. Thank you to Daniel Del Valle, the leader of Blue Magazine, who works endlessly, and prefers to stay in the background turning the gears. Over the years, these leaders have enhanced the quality of our brother and sisterhood. Thank you for all you do for law enforcement. Your work is noticed and appreciated.

2020 is quickly approaching. 2019 moved at breakneck speeds. Over the year, Blue Magazine was again out front advocating and promoting awareness to keep officers safe and alive. We’ve stood up against those attacking our profession for votes, personal gain, ratings and such. As much traction as we have gained, there is a tremendous amount of work to do, and we are looking forward to 2020!

Thank you, President Trump for your support of law enforcement and the Blue Magazine. President Trump was given a copy of Blue Magazine to read and another copy he autographed and returned to us. We have since heard he enjoyed reading our magazine. Thank you to all our writers, staff, and supporters who make Blue Magazine the premiere national law enforcement publication. We are reaching new levels of success together.

Have a safe and happy holiday season. Take this time to spend with family and loved ones—the ones who deserve your time and attention. In our busy lives we can easily become distracted and forget the ones who love and appreciate us. Therefore, refocus and make this holiday season a memorable one. You deserve it!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Lessons Learned

10 Tips to Get Published
By: George Beck, Ph.D.

There’s a misconception that it’s easy to become a published author. All you need is a well-written manuscript and overnight you’re collecting an advance and the publisher is editing your book, and producing it, then sending you a royalty check. It’s that easy, right? Nope. Not even close. The road to becoming a published author is cumbersome, bleak, and will test your endurance and resolve. You either have the mettle to push forward after tons of rejection letters, or you don’t. And if you don’t, the road ends there. Literary agents or publishers will not come looking for you. Nobody will.

So, if you want to become a published author, it all begins with a commitment to never giving up. Understand the wonderful masterpiece you’ve spent the past year or two fine-tuning will be turned down regularly. How could that be? You put the time in to polish it and offer these people a real gem. Maybe it’s you they don’t like? But how could that be? They don’t even know you! Nobody does. (That’s part of the problem, and we’ll address ways to solve that shortly.) But for now, let’s focus on the disappointing aspects of the rejection process … I mean the submissions process.

Rejection letters come in different forms. They arrive in your home mailbox with the publisher’s name embossed on the envelope and you’ll believe you’re holding the break you’ve been waiting for. After all, not since trying to get into college have you had a rejection letter or two waiting for you in your mailbox. You open the envelope and sigh. Damn. Letter after letter, you’ll cringe when you retrieve your mail. You may even growl at the postal carrier.

“Beautiful day,” the postal carrier says. “High seventies and getting cooler later in the day.”

“Yeah. Whaddya got for me? More of the same?”

“Huh?”

“Nevermind.”

It gets better … Each time you sit down to write your new book, you’ll have the delightful distraction of firing up your computer and finding that your email inbox is stuffed with no, no, no, and yeah, no. Being an aspiring writer is such a pleasing experience. But at least email rejection letters sting less. Simply realizing somebody only took a moment to write no and click send is comforting rather than knowing they dressed your disappointment eloquently in a fancy envelope, applied postage, and then this joy took days to reach you. After over 800 rejection letters, I learned to see the rejections for what they are: motivation to keep moving ahead.

Keep in mind that most rejection letters will come to your inbox from literary agents and publishers who’ve never read a single sentence of your manuscript. Yeah, there will be a handful of kind souls who want to see a chapter or two of your work. And if you’re lucky you could wait three or four months to find out it wasn’t what they were looking for. Yep, go ahead and flush another prospect down the toilet. Happy submissions, everybody!

But I get it. There are tons of aspiring authors banging on their door every minute of every day, and literary agents are busy peddling the manuscripts they’ve already got, publishers are busy producing books and marketing them, and there are not enough hours in a day to stroke your tender ego with a nice long explanation why they won’t take a chance on you. And while all of this is going on, you need to navigate the minefields and booby-traps set by predators who troll to take your money. Con artists and scammers will try to charge money for publishing your book while trying to sell you the illusion they’re publishing you as a traditional author. Save it. You can find a list of these wonderful folks on Predators and Editors at http://pred-ed.com Aspiring to become a published author is such a blast. Tip # 9 will discuss how to avoid these wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Therefore, try to look at it like this: for every rejection letter, you’re one step closer to being published. Sometimes, you’ll come across a publisher with a sense of humor who’s been in your shoes and truly understands what it’s like to be told no over and over again. Take, for example, the time I sent a short story to a popular publisher who publishes volumes of short stories and wasn’t too keen on my submission. The rejection letter arrived with some reasons why it wasn’t right for them, and then at the end, it said they’re open to future submission and in the meantime, “We’ll go fuck ourselves.” Finally, somebody who gets it.

Of course, we’ve all heard success stories of a writer getting published after their first or second query letter. Take for example my friend Bill Brooks, whose talent was noticed out of the gate. He’s gone on to publish over thirty titles with the big publishing houses and has a model writing career. But even Bill will tell you, luck was involved with landing an agent so early in the process. Bill’s speedy rise to the top is the exception, not the rule.

So, here are the ten tips for improving your chances of getting published:

1. Write short stories and submit them to print and online publishers. Sure, you’ll get some rejections here, too, but the odds are far better at getting a shorter piece published because the publisher is taking a minimal chance on you. Getting short stories published is a skillful way to get noticed. This will transform you from a no-name-nobody to a writer with publishing credits. As popular writer and Gutter Books acquisitions editor Joe Clifford once told me, “It’s all about building a platform.” You must show prospective agents and publishers that you’re serious about being a writer and this is not some flighty result of a dream you had in high school or a discussion you had with a date you tried to impress after a few too many beers. So submit everywhere. As writing professor and award-winning author Damon DiMarco rightly put it, “Any audience is better than no audience.”

2. Meet fellow authors and become friends. There are a lot of good people out there who’ve been in your shoes and can offer tons of guidance and support. Purchase their books and find out what they did to get published. Their success will prove to you that becoming a published author is possible. And when you become a published author, these same people will sometimes offer a blurb or review of your work. You’ll do the same for them. The sharing of blurbs is an ancient rite in the Cabal of the Published. Ignore it at your peril.

3. Keep writing. Sometimes the rejection letters are correct. Writing is like playing a sport. Athletes who exceed all the limitations of practice make it to the pros. You must be willing to practice your craft and storytelling and develop your skills every day. I glance back at some of my first unpublished pieces and cringe. It’s normal. Writing gets better with practice. Put the time in and invest in yourself.

4. Read every day. Chances are you write in a specific fiction genre. You should constantly be reading authors in your genre. Develop a love for your genre and the writing process will become a true joy. We all love working on stuff that interests us. Find yours and own it.

5. If you struggle with grammar, take a writing class at your local college, or writing school. The class will help develop your writing ability and build your confidence. You can only benefit from the process. Another option is to join a writing club and work with each other to improve your skills. Writing clubs often have writers at different skill levels, and helping each other is part of the club’s socialization. Find one that you’ll enjoy being a part of and relish the experience.

6. Pay close attention to query submission rules. It’s better to spend time getting it right than sending fifty queries that all get deleted. Think of it this way: The more that is required for query submission, the fewer people who will go through the process; therefore, your odds are better. Take a moment to make each query personal. Tailor your submission to speak directly to the person you’re querying. Yeah, it’s a pain in the neck when you’re trying to send out as many queries as you can, because your belief in more is better is usually right. I mean, after all, you learned this years ago when you sought a date for the high school prom. You asked dozens of girls, and one of them said yes. Successful query submission is like that but getting personal could increase your odds. Could you imagine if you addressed these prospective prom dates as “dear prom dating professional?” Your chances of landing a date would submarine instantly. Get personal. Address each person you query by their full name and make them feel like you know them. Hire a private detective and gather details about their lives. Join clubs they belong to and show up unexpectedly at their houses. Then enjoy your new genre: Prison fiction.

7. Don’t waste your time submitting to publishers who do not publish the genre of your book. If you write chick-lit, don’t submit to a publisher whose lineup is full of crime fiction authors. These folks are not seeking to reorganize their business model to accommodate you. They’re looking for manuscripts that work best for them. Think of it this way: Would you take your car to your local bicycle shop to get the brakes changed?

8. Save your hard-earned money. Submission software that promises to blast agents and publishers with your query is a waste of money and time. Some of these software programs tag the query with their company name, and anybody receiving them will pick up on this and click no faster than then you blasted your query. If you’re going to interest a literary agent or a publisher, again make it personal, make them feel like you’re submitting to them, and not a software program from out in no-man’s land.

9. Be mindful of your time. You’re a writer, and a writer writes. Therefore, when receiving responses from queries and requests for your manuscript, quickly research the agent or publisher to see what others are saying about them. If you come across web postings about agents or publishers who have been accused of misrepresenting themselves or anything else negative, evaluate it in a minute or two and then move on. Don’t waste your time. Even if there’s one heck of a rebuttal against complaints from aspiring authors, ask yourself if you’re willing to burn your time taking a chance with somebody who’s already pissed off enough people to publicly report their malcontent. I get it. You’re desperately seeking the recognition you deserve. So move ahead and seek the reputable folks who will complete your dream and not stomp all over it.

10. NEVER GIVE UP. You may never make it on the New York Times bestseller list, and that’s a reality you should never settle for. I once saw something that said, “Do today what your future self would be proud of.” In other words, play this game to win. Understand every year there are a handful of breakout writers who make the bestseller lists and are featured front-and-center when you walk into Barnes and Noble, but take comfort in knowing there are many other writers out here getting their work published without the massive fame and fortune, and having a blast while doing so. Much of it is perception. If you believe a successful author is only those spotlighted in Barnes and Noble, then you also believe the only car worthy of the title automobile is a Rolls Royce, yet you probably don’t know anybody who drives one. Good luck. Never give up!

Operation Rebound

A Devil With A Halo: The Kyle Palmieri Foundation
By Michael Boll

For the last few years, the Operation Rebound Racing Team has been trying to build strong relationships with our professional teams. Our goal is to have our uniformed challenged athletes speak to professional teams and share their incredible journey on how they overcame countless obstacles to achieve greatness.

It’s somewhat difficult dealing with professional teams because of the constant coaching and staff changes. Also, another huge factor is sometimes the corporate side doesn’t really comprehend the importance of a partnership. Having a challenged athlete speak to a professional team can be one of the most empowering moments in a person’s life.

Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting Ashlee Palmieri, from the Kyle Palmieri Foundation, a charity benefitting veterans. The foundation was started by both New Jersey Devils hockey player Kyle Palmieri and his wife, Ashlee. I told Ashlee about the challenges working with professional teams and how aggravating it was to get a team to allow one of our team members to speak at a practice. Almost immediately, Ashlee teamed up with our charity and began inviting us to some amazing events. It’s refreshing to be able to join forces with another charity that puts our uniformed heroes first.

Kyle Palmieri is from a military family and has always loved and supported our men and women in uniform. So, in 2016, Kyle and Ashlee decided to give back by creating the “Squad 21” project from Kyle’s number on his jersey. The “Squad 21” project provides free tickets to active duty military and veterans at home games. After the game, all the ticketholders are given “Squad 21” T- shirts and invited to the locker room for a private meet and greet with Kyle and Ashlee. During the meet and greet, Kyle has the opportunity to show each guest his deep gratitude and personally thank them for serving our country.

“Squad 21” is just one of many of the amazing projects and charity events Kyle does. The Kyle Palmieri Foundation has grown dramatically in the last few years and is committed to not only helping our uniformed heroes, but other veteran charities and organizations. This charity is currently working with the New Jersey Veterans Network, Service Women’s Action Network, National Military Family Association and Pets for Vets.

Recently, the Kyle Palmieri Foundation invited our team to the North Trust PGA tour, where six team members were able to caddy for some of the professional golfers and spend time with the Palmieri family. A few weeks ago, our team was invited to a “Squad 21” game. At this game, we brought disabled veterans from the Lyons Veterans Home and Operation Valor, a veteran homeless shelter. After the game, every veteran who attended couldn’t have been happier with the “Squad 21” experience. The next day I received numerous phone calls asking me to thank the Palmieri family and the NJ Devils. It’s such an honor to work with this amazing charity, and our team is looking forward to doing some amazing things together.

Inside Perspective

Vote for US(A), not Party
By Patrick J Ciser

NEWS FLASH! We are losing the war! We are losing the war on public perceptions/opinions, of us. And who is driving this war against police officers in our country? People and politicians with an agenda, that’s who. Who wins when Democratic politicians and the liberal media spew lies, and then constantly reinforce those lies about our law enforcement community across the country?  Certainly not the victims of crime, and certainly not us. If YOU are a Democrat, I challenge you to find any Republican politicians in the national spotlight today, that has pandered to certain groups of people, like BLM, ANTIFA, and others while spouting vitriol against our LEO community. I’ll save you the trouble, there are none. Who ran with the bullshit “hands up don’t shoot” lie, that was perpetuated on the American people? It was Democrats in Congress who continually raised their hands up, surrendering on the House and Senate floor. It was leftists in the media who did the same on CNN, MSNBC, and other liberal broadcasts.

Journalists, if there are any left, have either gotten lazy, don’t care, or have ulterior motives.  They have no interest in doing a simple internet search to report the facts accurately on police shootings in America. A Harvard University study two years ago came out with a comprehensive review about white police officers killing black suspects in the line of duty, and totally debunked the liberal narrative. I invite you to check out national police advocates such as Heather MacDonald, Michelle Malkin and former Sheriff David Clarke, among others, on YouTube. You’ll then have command of the facts when confronting a misinformed, anti-police liberal.

We’re basically losing the war because most of our college campuses across the country are liberal, and they continually brainwash our children with their lies and propaganda. Yesterday’s “Hippies” with their anti-police bias became our college professors, unfortunately, with disastrous results. We don’t even have free speech on our campuses anymore as conservatives are banned, or booed off stage when they arrive. Many young people return from college believing in socialism while reading the works of, Karl Marx and Saul Alinsky. A study recently came out showing that 7 out of 10 millennials would vote for a socialist! Maybe they should vacation in Venezuela to further their education, and wake the f--- up!   

Democrats today seem to have completely lost their minds, as some are calling for the dismantling of ICE, (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) which is doing outstanding work for all law-abiding people in these United States, regardless of party. Check out their stats on drugs, illegal guns and human trafficking arrests. (Check out last month’s issue of The Blue Magazine for the Tom Homan, former ICE director, interview.)

OK, time to get to the “meat and potatoes!” As LEOs, what have we always wanted to make our jobs more rewarding, less stressful, and more productive? Bosses who have our backs from the top down! Well, I’m not sure if everyone noticed, but our president, Donald J Trump, has been the most pro-police president I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime! Period! If that isn’t leadership from the top, I don’t know what is. Have any of you seen his speech in Chicago on Oct. 26, at the IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police) forum? He received thunderous applause several times throughout, and that’s with a mixed political crowd, not a Republican KAG (Keep America Great) rally. Those rallies host 50,000 people or so wherever he goes. Forget party! Vote for “US” in 2020! Who the hell cares if Trump bloviates from time to time! It’s actually what a lot of us like about him. He’s not a professional politician who has a focus group on every issue to see what he should say; it comes from his heart in an unscripted manner. He doesn’t see black or white, he’s like us, he see’s right and wrong. And he knows in his heart that it’s RIGHT to support the men and women in blue. He’s also very fair, as is evident in his efforts on criminal justice reform. Between jobs, Black Enterprise Zones, and Criminal Justice Reform, he’s done more for the black community in less than 3 years than President Obama did in 8. And don’t forget, when he sticks up for cops, he’s sticking up for ALL cops regardless of race or party affiliation. But if he’s going to help us, we all need to help him, help us.

We, the LEO’s across America are a big voting block and also have the ability to influence voters around us. Whether family, friends or anyone else who will listen, drive home the need to vote Republican across the board in 2020. WE ALL need to fight against the liberal agenda and Sanctuary cities. We need stricter gun laws and harsher sentences for people who use guns in the commission of a crime.  We need to take back the House and retire many anti-cop Democrats who still spread hate and fallacies about what we do, and who we are. Do you know that Donald Trump wants the death penalty for cop killers? I’m on board with that! Do you know that he brought back the program of giving us military surplus equipment that Obama quashed, in order to keep us safe? He released $600 million in equipment since bringing back the program, and is spending $29 million on training for us to use it all effectively. I invite you to juxtapose his support for us to that of the Democrats running in the primaries. Bernie Sanders told a black audience recently, “Respect police officers during a motor vehicle stop, so you don’t get shot in the back of the head!” WTF? We arrest thousands of blacks across the country each year for possession of illegal firearms, and very few get shot by comparison. If the police wanted to kill African Americans don’t you think we’d start there? Mindboggling and absurd! And Joe Biden told a young black girl recently that cops don’t pull over white girls! Is this guy serious!  We’ve been pulling over “lead footed” white females for years! Not to mention cell phone violators, DWI, and a whole host of other motor vehicle violations.

White cops have helped, and saved black lives by the thousands in our inner cities over the years. From Police Athletic Leagues across the country to pulling children from burning buildings to helping kids stay away from drugs and gangs, the numbers are staggering.   

So do your homework, know your representatives, and where they stand on issues that are near and dear to our hearts. Vote for us, and vote for America.

Around California

SAY A PRAYER FOR SKID ROW TONIGHT
By: Officer Deon Joseph

Please keep the Skid Row in your thoughts and prayers. It has truly become a health and safety issue. There have been many stabbings. Some were reported and others not, because the people are afraid to do so.

I’ve seen too many bloody victims. I had to try to stop the bleeding of a man who was stabbed in the lung and liver over a question about a tent. A young woman and her boyfriend were beaten with a tire iron. A man got into an argument with some gang member and was stabbed in the back.

A woman was robbed by two female gang members, and as she reported it to the police, a male gang member allegedly pointed a gun at her to try to keep her silent. She told me she was so afraid to leave her hotel room that she had not bought groceries for two weeks or been able to wash clothes because she feared retaliation for coming forward. I had to buy her detergent and two weeks of food to last her until she could be relocated.

That same criminal allegedly beat another woman and held a knife to her throat because she did not want to be with him anymore.

Fights are breaking out over tents. Women are being sexually assaulted in tents when they try to buy drugs, and because of the restrictions in enforcement now, we can’t stop the tents that are the breeding grounds for these kinds of crimes.

A 60 year old man was found dead in a tent. Maybe if someone could have seen him, they may have been able to save him. To add insult to injury, as he was dead, others ransacked his tent, and stole his property instead of calling for help.

As I was leaving work after a long work week, I see a woman bleeding from the back of her head, from being struck with an unknown object over a verbal dispute. She was a new face. There was blood on the station walls, and all down her shirt and neck. The shock in her eyes was telling of how bad things get when the homeless become above the law.

There must be order. With no order, there is no recovery zone. If there is no recovery zone, there is no recovery. We have to put teeth back in the laws so we can create a safer environment. What is happening now is failing them, and many other communities as encampments begin to spread in other parts of the city and county. Not because of the weather. (We have always had nice weather. That is not what the draw is). But because Skid Row has become so dangerous and unpredictable, many homeless don’t feel safe there, even thought there are resources there like shelters with services. This is why encampments are popping up in other communities because skid row is too dangerous to be homeless. Many were told that now you can come to LA and be homeless, and no one could touch you. Instead, they come to skid row and get touched by the criminal element.

People are beating each other with whatever they can get their hands on. And there are a plethora of weapons available based on the conditions.

The mentally ill population is growing, and they are becoming more unstable due to the environment and dual diagnosis (being mentally ill and addicted). It is incredibly difficult to watch the conditions of the “old faces” exacerbating right in front of my eyes, as well as the lost and bewildered new faces that will be the perfect victim for predators, and sadly suspects, to survive.

To other cities in the county and places across this nation, please do not dump your homeless or mentally ill problems in Skid Row. It is not safe or humane to do so.

If you have a loved one in Skid Row, please go find them and get them out. Skid Row is truly no place to be homeless.

I cannot begin to tell you how frustrating this is as a first responder. When you know you can fix this, but your hands have been tied so, that all you are left with is being visible to try to stave off the crime, but cannot be there all the time because the level of criminality won’t allow you stay in one place for a long enough period of time to make any impact.

California has emboldened criminals like I have never seen it before. They know we can’t send them back, and as a result, they know they have almost free reign over the community members they victimize. This is not a message about me giving up, I won’t ever do that. It’s just showing you what many don’t want you to see and won’t report so you will know what to pray for tonight.

I just wish I could just have two hours on the state capital floor to inform them on what is happening. That is my biggest prayer. Not to accuse them, but to inform them on the reality of skid row and homelessness. We have to stop politicizing this issue and do the real work from a truth based foundation.

I at least thank you all for listening. God Bless!

Corrections

Changing the way information is obtained and where we obtain it.
By Detective/Corporal Efren Almodovar, Gang Unit Passaic County Jail

As a detective in an intel unit, being able to work with all the new high-tech systems like inmate email, inmate Kiosk, inmate phone system and even your old-fashioned regular mail all are still valuable sources of obtaining information. Most young officers don’t really understand how important it is to communicate to the person you are about to arrest or the inmate being housed in your jail. For some, it takes a few years to recognize how much information he or she is really sitting on that could help open a cold case or help with a current case being worked by the local police department. Depending on the intel and how we interpret it, one must be able to share it with the proper authority in order for it to work.

The gang member’s activity does not stop because he or she is locked up, and just like intel, it takes a special person in dealing with and getting all the information on current events; real true intel. How many intel officers have a supportive team on their phone where they could just make a call and verify that intel? Mentors like Lou Savelli and Joe Viola are pioneers in the game of gangs and intel sharing, opening the path on how to either work a gang member or gather the missing pieces to a case. The importance of identifying and combating gangs on the streets or within correctional facilities places a high importance on your intel. An example that I want to mention is that when major drug cases are conducted and executed, not all the money and drugs are recovered during the search. The very first thing these individuals do is get on the jail phone and reach out to the streets to move the drugs or money that wasn’t recovered during the search, and that is where the personnel inside the jail play an important part. No matter where you work, every facility is a pot of gold with intel and we have people dying to talk because no one really wants to do hard time. Reach out and ask the questions that are missing in your case to get the job done.

While investigating crimes occurring within the facility, gang-related or not, it became clear to me that the willingness of the inmates to share information, and the information they were providing, would also be beneficial to local police and federal enforcement agencies to assist in current criminal investigations and become the catalyst for new investigations. The unit was receiving information relating to gang activity, narcotics sales, burglary, homicide, and a host of other criminal activities. With information in hand, the unit was supplying leads regarding crimes to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Based on the amount of information the unit was regularly supplying, these agencies began to rely on the unit more and more for help in solving crimes. These agencies included the New York Police Department, FBI, various prosecutor’s offices, New Jersey State Police and others.

I feel obligated to stress the value that the good intel can provide local law enforcement agencies in the fight against terrorism, street gangs, and all crimes committed for which there are few leads. However, it is imperative that other law enforcement entities and corrections departments realize the importance and the vast amount of valuable information that exists within correctional institutions. In fact, corrections officers may be the first law enforcement officers gang members or terrorists will approach with information. Law enforcement trainers must place a greater emphasis on training new officers to be alert and receptive to these inmates, as well as actively facilitating the elicitation of information. The old stereotypes of criminal and cop must be put aside. We are living in a new world where attention must be paid at all times. Most importantly, attention must be paid to these incarcerated individuals if we are to make any strides in the war against crime and terror.

Detective Corporal Efren Almodovar has been in law enforcement since 1996. He is a Gang Detective for the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office. He holds an associate’s and bachelor’s degree and is proud to serve as a police academy instructor.

Featured Story

“THE SHERIFF” JOE ARPAIO: Toughness Personified
By: Joel E. Gordon

“The only real boss I have is the public and that’s whom I served.” – Joe Arpaio

The media originally gave Joe Arpaio the title “Toughest Sheriff in America.” The story of "The Sheriff," as he likes to be called, begins on June 14, 1932 the day that Joseph Michael Arpaio, the son of Italian immigrants is born; his mother dies during childbirth. “They came through Ellis Island legally,” he said of his parents. A young Joe Arpaio grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts where his father ran a grocery store.

By 1950, Arpaio enlisted in the Army at 18 years old, almost coinciding with the beginning of the Korean War. He served in the Medical Detachment Division, “Where report writing skills and interviewing techniques were critical,” he later wrote.

It was 1954 when Joe Arpaio became a police officer in Washington, D.C., where he served three years as a patrol officer. He then had a short stint in the sheriff’s department in Clark County, Nevada where he is said to have once stopped Elvis Presley for a traffic violation.

Arpaio’s next venture was joining the U.S. Bureau of Narcotics, the precursor to the Drug Enforcement Administration. “The bureau was in need of Italian Americans willing to work undercover and arrest fellow Italians,” he later wrote on a campaign website, adding, “I was up to the task.” He worked around the world in locations including Turkey, Lebanon, Central America and Mexico.

After a career spanning more than two decades, Arpaio retired from the DEA as the agency’s top official in the states of Arizona and Texas, where he had gained invaluable insight and experience on border issues and enforcement.

Following his retirement, Arpaio and his wife opened a travel agency in Phoenix which they ran for the next decade.

By 1992, Arpaio was ready to return to his law enforcement roots and decided to run for Maricopa County Sheriff in Arizona. He successfully defeated the incumbent who was embroiled in controversy. Within two years, Arpaio started winning the national spotlight for his techniques. He mobilized a 2,200-member volunteer posse, which included lawyers, doctors, politicians, corporate executives and retirees, to patrol for prostitutes and mall crime. His “get tough” policies for his county’s jails holding up to 10,000 inmates included bans on smoking, coffee and movies. One of his most notable moves as sheriff was erecting the nation’s largest tent city jail for some of his inmates surrounded by a wire fence. He also started the first-ever female and juvenile chain gangs in the United States. “I’ve got a method to my madness of publicity; I want to send a message to the bad guys,” he said in a Los Angeles Times front-page story. “I want them to know that it is so bad in my jail that they won’t want to commit crimes here,” he added.

Arpaio is credited with establishing several other unique programs under his leadership.

When soldiers began returning home he placed veterans at the front of his recruitment list, hiring over 150 individuals with military backgrounds. A special housing unit in his jail was also established which was only for veteran convicts with special programs to assist with PTSD and other related issues.

He began “HARD KNOCKS HIGH,” allowing juvenile offenders to continue their education while being incarcerated. He also implemented a drug treatment/rehabilitation program in his jails.

The Sheriff began an animal cruelty unit, locking up offenders while simultaneously rescuing animals from abuse and neglect. He then gave select inmates an opportunity to care for the animals.

His administration is credited with building two new jails, a sheriff’s academy, food factory, firearms range and a headquarters equipped with a state-of-the-art 911 communications center.

In one of his most famously questioned directives, The Sheriff in 1995 began the pink underwear program. When he learned that inmates were stealing jailhouse white boxers, he had all their underwear dyed pink for better inventory control. The underwear contrasted nicely with the black and white striped uniforms that had been introduced over 20 years earlier. As a result, the U.S. Justice Department began investigating jail conditions under Arpaio’s watch.

By 1996, polls were indicating that Arpaio, who was running for the first of his many reelections, was the most popular elected official in the State of Arizona. He then began to win the attention of national Republicans, including presidential candidate Bob Dole, who visited the tent city jail and praised it. “This idea may spread in other sections of the country,” Dole said. “I talked to one of the inmates who said, ‘I don’t want to come back here. I’ve learned my lesson.’” Two months later, hundreds of inmates rioted in protest of the conditions at the camp. One year afterward, the Justice Department sued Maricopa County, alleging the use of excessive force and mistreatment at the jail, but the suit was later dropped.

Despite the favorable polls, Arpaio decided not to run for governor of Arizona in 2002, saying, “I just want to go out into the sunset as a law enforcement officer.”

Four years later, with help from his posse of citizens, Arpaio used a state human-trafficking law to start going after smugglers bringing immigrants into Arizona illegally — and also to arrest the immigrants. A Mexican citizen visiting the U.S. legally sued Arpaio after he was detained. The litigation would eventually become a class-action lawsuit, one of several legal actions to be taken against Arpaio in the following years. Following a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union, a federal judge ruled that the conditions in Arpaio’s jail were unconstitutional.

The Justice Department again sued Arpaio in 2010, saying his department was refusing to cooperate with an investigation of whether it discriminated against Latinos while trying to catch illegal immigrants. Reports note that some deputies and volunteers were stopping people for minor infractions and then asking them for their citizenship status. The next year, a federal judge ordered him and his deputies to cease and desist from racially profiling. The Justice Department then sued Arpaio once again, alleging a pattern of illegal discrimination, specifically against Latinos.

In response to a class-action lawsuit filed by the ACLU, a federal judge ruled that Arpaio’s deputies did illegally profile individuals of Latino descent. Then, in a 2017 criminal bench trial, the now former sheriff, who lost his bid for reelection in 2016, was found guilty of defying a federal judge’s order. He planned to appeal, saying he was wrongfully denied a trial by jury, which he believed would have found him innocent.

President Donald Trump stepped in to pardon Arpaio, sparing him a possible six-month jail sentence. In a brief statement, the White House praised Arpaio's career. "Throughout his time as sheriff, Arpaio continued his life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration," the statement read. "Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now (then) 85 years old, and after more than 50 years of admirable service to our nation, he is (a) worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon." Arpaio thanked the president on Twitter. "Thank you @realdonaldtrump for seeing my conviction for what it is; a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department!" he posted.

Joe Arpaio has been featured in over 4,000 newspaper, magazines and television news programs during the course of his long career. He is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades and is also author of two books Sheriff Joe Arpaio, America’s Toughest Sheriff and Joe’s Law, America’s Toughest Sheriff Takes on Illegal Immigration and Drugs.

The Arpaios, Joe and Ava, have been married for over 60 years and have two children and four grandchildren.

"The Sheriff" remains outspoken and on the front lines for public safety and against unlawful entry by individuals into the United States. Having been elected to six four-year terms his 24 years in office makes him the longest-serving elected sheriff in Maricopa County, Arizona history. He is again a candidate in the 2020 election in a bid to once again become the elected sheriff. “I just have a desire to get back into the fight and do what I can do to finish my career. Watch out world! We are back!” Arpaio is quoted as saying.

Regardless of the final outcome of the 2020 election in Arizona, “The Sheriff” Joe Arpaio has certainly already forever cemented his legacy in the annals of the history of American law enforcement.

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 2020 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

Out-Front

Baltimore City PD: DO I STILL WORK HERE?
By: Joel E. Gordon

Thought you heard it all? The Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police took the concept of a “Vote of No Confidence” in the Baltimore City Police Command a step further in releasing a 28-page report entitled "The Mismanagement of the Baltimore Police Department and its Impact on Public Safety," in which the union describes a department in ruins.

Baltimore City FOP Lodge President Mike Mancuso begins the report by writing “They say that change is gradual, and that trying to accomplish too many things at once is what leads to frustration and failure; however, the City is suffering, and people are dying. To that end, I present you with the 2019 Baltimore City Lodge #3, Fraternal Order of Police report on The Mismanagement of the Baltimore Police Department and Its Impact on Public Safety. This report details some of the current deficiencies preventing the Baltimore Police Department from having an effective crime reduction strategy.”

The report goes on to point out that Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison's plan has zero specifics or promises on how to fix the problems, but instead focuses on political correctness. A major concern the union raises in the report is the mishandling of staffing and personnel. The FOP says the department's human resources section uses two databases to track employees, and that each one has differing information and is inconsistent with the other.

In its research, the union says it found several examples of how the databases can be misleading on what staffing resources are actually available to the department. According to the union, one of the databases shows two convicted former officers are still active and employed with the agency. The database also says 70 other officers who have left are still there, and 200 who are employed aren't even recorded in the database, including Harrison himself. Meanwhile former commissioners Darryl DeSousa and Kevin Davis are still listed as active acting commissioners. According to the FOP, the larger problem is lack of communication, real time data entry and information sharing, all of which Harrison pledged to improve.

This all led to a flurry of Facebook comments on the department’s apparent inability to know who’s working there by former Baltimore police personnel:

• The more things change, the more they stay the same. SNAFU.

• So they can manipulate the numbers like they always do! This shows that they look pretty whole for officers instead of proving that they are truly under staffed

• If I’m still listed as active, does that bump my pension up? Asking for a friend

• Corporate mismanagement of IT services.

• I got notified that one of my guys had a urine test, but he had been retired for over 6 months. Also I had access to email for close to a year after I retired.

• This points out the fact that there hasn’t been consistent leadership and management in the police department for many years. This is an issue that is critical for so many reasons a few of which are in jail now.

• When I retired tried to turn in my cell phone...they didn't want it??? I was curious so I charged it and guess what? It still works and I can still make calls with it...WTF!!!

• I want back Pay

• Can someone check and see if I'm still working? :)

• 10-18 (Report to the station to which you are assigned)

• Not surprised...I’m probably still active...hell for that matter u too... lol

• ALWAYS PLAYED WITH THE NUMBERS AND NEVER TOLD THE FULL TRUTH.

This is no laughing matter. In the report, the FOP says practices like this have caused patrol to be severely understaffed. The FOP says it found that 20 percent of officers hired since 2018 have left the agency, while 15 percent hired in 2019 have already gone. In those cases, the department has been unable to keep up and replace those officers, which will mark the second straight year that the department has lost more officers than it has hired.

Union officials say 1,100 officers are needed in patrol, and they're currently 450 short of that number, forcing officers to work exorbitant amounts of overtime. The union thinks the problem can be fixed with different allocation of sworn and civilian staff members. The FOP says out of all the new civilian hires, they know of none that resulted in any administrative officers being placed back into the patrol division. Twenty two percent of the civilians have been reportedly placed on Harrison's executive team instead of where they are truly needed.

All of this while the city is averaging one murder per day with homicides up 23 percent while non-fatal shootings increased 24 percent, and with gun crime overall up 23 percent.

The time has come for someone to right this ship. It is sinking fast.

The full report is available @ https://fop3.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Mismanagement-Report-October-2019-Web.pdf

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 2020 candidate for Preston County West Virginia Sheriff. An award-winning journalist, he is the author of the book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer's Story and founded the Facebook group Police Authors Seeking Justice. stillseekingjustice.com

Straight Forward

Once a Lion
By: Kirk Lawless

I’ve always liked the phrase, “Everybody wants to be a lion, until it’s time to do lion shit.” It’s good to be a lion.

I used to be worth more dead than alive. For most folks that’s true. For cops, it’s definitely true. If you get killed in the line of duty, there’s the Federal Death Benefit. Obviously life insurance helps, and here in the St. Louis area we have an organization called Backstoppers that takes care of the family of the fallen. It’s a great organization; most large cities have something similar in the form of a PBA or welfare association. That’s a great relief for the family of the cop who dies or gets killed in the line of duty. Knowing that your family will be taken care of takes a load off the mind.

However, if you happen to be forced off the job, as in my case, I am worth more alive than dead. Backstoppers doesn’t come in and do their thing when a PTSD diagnosis puts a cop off the job. That’s not what the organization is set up to do. An ensuing farce of a legal battle left me without any income for nearly five years while the Worker’s Comp process played out and the Social Security Disability process, and a lawsuit against my former agency was initiated. There was no pension, per se, as ours was basically a 401k. During the initial legal action I became very suspicious of information I was being spoon-fed, and as such, I avoided filing for long-term disability. As a parting gift, my city held my money hostage from our separation date in January 2012 until May of the same year. When I was able to get my money, we were in the hole five months. By the time the feds caught wind of the early accessing of the 401k, they were on deck to get their share of the taxes and penalties that took a bite out of the money we needed to survive. If I disclosed the amount we survived on divided by as many years, you probably wouldn’t believe how we survived. In fact, I often wonder how we did.

I also did not apply for life insurance benefits while seeking counsel because of similar suspicions. My department was poised to “separate” from me and I knew eventually we were getting divorced. By the time I found an attorney who would give me a green light for the life insurance, the window to submit the paperwork had closed, so no life insurance.

I did eventually win my Worker’s Comp case, was accepted by SSD, and won a Worker’s Comp 2nd Injury Fund award. I paid the feds. What nobody tells you about this stuff is that when you receive a WC award and are on SSD, you have to repay SSD a hefty portion of the award, so you end up pretty much at square one. Most of my debts are paid. I’m above ground and as long as I’m alive, I’m getting paid. Were I to die, my wife would continue to get my SSD money, but the 2nd Injury Fund payments would end. So the master plan is to stay alive as long as possible! And, folks wonder why cops turn to self-destructive behavior or take their own lives?

Nobody talks about this. They don’t teach it in the police academy. The politicians put on a show like these benefits are best thing they do for us. They lie, and they don’t care about us. If something goes south for one of their “boys,” you’ll see how fast the rules are changed. You may find yourself alone, in the fight of your life, without backup, but you dig in and fight. It’s what lions do. Lions are fearless.

I like to say (and I know others say it as well), “I never lose. Either I win, or I learn.” When Michelangelo was 87 years old he said, “I am still learning.” And that’s a good way to look at things. It works for me. I learn something new every day.

This journey is close to the eight-year mark. Here’s some of what I’ve learned along the way. I’ve had to offload personal possessions to pay bills. I’ve had to lean on family and a few close friends to survive. As a point of pride, I suppose, I was not going to lose our house.

My horse I sent to live with some other horses. Selling my horse trailer and saddle wasn’t as tough as giving up my horse. Guns, jewelry, guitars, anything tangible became expendable. Remember, it’s just “stuff.” It can be replaced someday. I tell police recruits that investing in items that could be liquidated in tough times worked for me.

I won’t bore you with a list of things I no longer own, but I will share with you some things not taken from me:

My faith: Lean on God. He will never abandon you. He’s not finished with me. He’s done all of the heavy lifting for me!

My family: They are blessings. Lean on them. Ultimately, they need you!

My friends: Some have stood by my side since the beginning and others I’ve met along the way. Remember this, “When things get out of control and everybody around you is screaming and losing their minds, look for the quiet one and stick to him. He’s about to cut fence and sort some bastards out.” Clean house and get rid of dead weight!

My reputation: A no-nonsense cop, afraid of nothing

My integrity: Doing the right thing, even when nobody is watching

My word: If you say you’ll do something, back it up! My number one rule, “Don’t be a dick!”

My sense of humor: As bad as my situation has been, I still find things to laugh about. It’s good therapy.

My compassion: I’ve learned what friendship and brotherhood are all about. It can be hard sometimes, but be a true friend and brother to those who need you! Be kind!

My sense of wonder: Something amazing happens every day. Something amazes me every day. Therefore I am amazing every day!

My legend: I had a stellar 28-year-career as a police officer. Pretty sure I have attained bona fide “real deal” status in police circles (a brother told me this, so I know it’s true).

I’ve accumulated a lot of hate and that’s a heavy burden, but I’m turning it into positivity; Anger is my engine, Hate is my fuel! By sharing my story, I hope it helps other cops who are in a similar spot, so I’ll keep sharing it. I survived my fight!

My plan is to live forever and so far, it’s working out just fine!

I’m still a lion!

Feel free to friend me or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or email me at kirklawless@yahoo.com. My cell number is 314-302-0511 (does anybody else put their personal contact info out there? I’m not hiding from anyone. If you call, leave me a message and tell me how you found me. I’ll call you back as soon as I can - horrible reception where I live. No lie, there’s a spot on the map near my house called Possum Hollow!). I’ll help you if I can.

Rational Thought

New tactics for law enforcement… a recipe for disaster?
By: Kirk Lawless

Not much surprises me anymore, but there are plenty of things about modern policing that disturb me.  When Mayor de Blasio announced his new incentive to encourage criminals to appear in court, I cringed.  It is apparent the inmates are running the asylum, and it’s not just in New York, it’s happening across America.  Criminals get arrested, booked and released, in most cases without meeting any bond requirement, unless it’s a “serious” felony (I imagine that will be open to interpretation).  The criminals are back on the street before the cop’s paperwork is barely started.  Now the plan is to entice the criminals to appear in court with gift cards and tickets to a Mets game.  Ladies and gentlemen, the shot-callers have reached a new level of stupidity, and the level is about as low as it can get.

Not long ago, the normal path to avoid jail was to obey the law.  The adage, “Crime does not pay” made sense.  We even learned it in grade school.

Now, the politicians, the media and anti-police factions have convinced criminals and those who aspire to become criminals that the police are the enemy.  The police have been demonized, and nobody wants to be held accountable for their actions.   Government agencies and police departments are so quick to pay off anyone who makes a claim that the police arrested them without reason, assaulted them (even while arresting them for committing a crime, or if the police happen to be defending themselves and a criminal gets injured in the process) or hurt their feelings.  The behavior is encouraged.  Michael Brown’s family was paid before all the facts involving the case were known.  When the false narrative was proved to be exactly that, the money was already gone.  His family didn’t pay it back.  In fact, they’re trying to dip into the same well a second time.  Eric Garner’s family was also awarded money before the facts were in.  When the accusations against the police were proved to be lies, that money was gone, too.  His family didn’t pay the money back.  De Blasio and his henchmen, knowing this, fed Officer Pantaleo to the wolves after Garner’s family got the cash as what, a sacrifice?

The shot-callers, by paying off these families while damning the police at the same time, have been making thugs into heroes one at a time.

I have had conversations with folks on the street and have been told that if they were to be shot, killed or grievously injured while committing crimes by the police officer who shows up to arrest them, they will sue the police. In fact, some have told me while I was on the job that they welcomed it, given the opportunity.  If they survived, they’d get paid.  If they died, their family would get paid.  They would become heroes in the eyes of their family members and it was worth the risk to engage the cops in an altercation that could prove deadly.  A Pavlovian response was again proven to be accurate. No need to ring a bell, just open a checkbook and they will begin salivating.  It’s payday, everybody! Name your price, we’ll pay it, and the bonus is we’ll fire the cops who were doing their jobs.

Who wants to be “the cops” with this nonsense going on?  Wonder why there’s a shortage of police officers?  They are going off the job in droves, and it’s not just the danger and the potential for injury or death on the streets.  It’s the fear they will be served up as a sacrifice, be terminated or worse, imprisoned. 

So, the lunacy continues across the United States.  Most departments are understaffed, thereby working their officers to near death.  The tragedy currently taking place is that some departments have contemplated hiring convicted felons as police officers.  Others, so eager to put bodies in uniforms, are willing to lower hiring standards to include speeding through the background process, overlooking serious character flaws that create nightmares and raise the potential for additional payouts resulting from new lawsuits.  Similarly, some departments have promoted officers through the ranks at breakneck speed, without them meeting educational requirements and not having much in the way of street experience, to be in command of platoons of officers who are probably unfit to do the job.  Folks, this can be happening in your neighborhood right now and you won’t realize it until it’s too late. 

Policing in some areas have gone from proactive, to reactive, to inactive.  That means the cops aren’t doing much of anything.  In some neighborhoods, you’ll rarely see cops on patrol.  The brains of the outfits have “dummy” police cars parked in shopping centers and on convenience store parking lots.  They’re usually blacked out, aren’t equipped with computers and not a uniformed cop within miles of them.  Hell, I’ve seen hand-to-hand drug deals take place right in front of these cars.  The dope peddlers might as well cut their dope on the hood of the marked police car.  Everybody knows there aren’t any cops around when they see a police car parked somewhere for 12 hours.  The taxpayers are paying for this, and it is as sad as it is heartbreaking.

So this is the state of affairs right now, and it’ll probably get worse before it gets better.  Someone asked me what could be done to curb some of this behavior.  First take Skinner’s rats off the payroll.  Stop paying them!  At least if you have to pay out, wait for the case to be fully adjudicated and all of the evidence weighed.

In the old days, you’d be lucky to file a complaint against a police officer, much less a lawsuit.  Think of the old-time beat cop (maybe in the 1920s or 1930s). Suppose he walks by and sees a group of troublemakers hanging around his area and he’s pretty sure they’ll cause problems if they stay.  He would tell them to leave by the time he makes his next round, and if they were still there at that time, somebody would get a bump on their head.  When he came around and the order had obviously been ignored, he’d make good on his word and somebody would end up with a bump on their head, and in most cases, a valuable lesson was learned.  Now, to some, that just sounds so “abrasive.”  I can hear the words “police brutality.”  I’m not saying that it would ever go back to that, but could you imagine that same cop opening his wallet and offering that same group money to leave his beat and into someone else’s?  Absurd?  That’s pretty much what’s going on right now.  The rewarding of bad behavior makes no sense.  There’s no accountability. Why not just open the jailhouse doors and let them all out and release everyone from all of the prisons? 

Right now, when the riots pop off and everybody is “gettin’ their clown on,” whether they are paid agitators or dogs just waiting for that bell to ring, someone is going to start writing checks and the taxpayers will ultimately be on the hook.  Just imagine if for one year, folks could file complaints against police officers, but there would be no more lawsuits, no payouts to avoid trials, no out-of-court settlements, nothing.  One year, complain all you want, but no money, not one dime.

There would be no reason to “take one for the team,” no pay to fight the cops.  No incentive to risk bodily injury or worse because someone was looking for a payday, their chance to be Robin Hood.  Crime wouldn’t stop, but I bet it would slow down.  Of course, we’ll never find out because this is just a hypothetical scenario.  It’s just something to think about.

What is not hypothetical is the pay-for-play trend.  The old adage has gone right out the window because, “Crime does pay” and for the most part, it pays well.

Legal News

Disability Pensions and Pre-existing Conditions
By Timothy Smith, Esq.

Suppose an officer is injured on the job due to a traumatic event not caused by the officer’s willful negligence and that officer becomes permanently and totally disabled from the performance of the officer’s regular or assigned duties as a consequence of that injury? Isn’t that officer clearly entitled to receive accidental disability retirement benefits? The answer is maybe. Even under these facts, one more hurdle has to be cleared in order for the injured officer to retire with such benefits. Specifically, that officer must demonstrate to the Pension Board that his or her disability was a direct result of the workplace injury, and not the result of a pre-existing disease alone or a pre-existing disease that was aggravated or accelerated by the work effort.

This additional hurdle is built into the pension statutes. N.J.S.A. 43:16A-7 states: any member may be retired on an accidental disability retirement allowance; provided . . . the member is permanently and totally disabled as a direct result of a traumatic event occurring during and as a result of the performance of his regular or assigned duties.

The New Jersey Supreme Court has stated that through the use of this language, the Legislature intended to remove from coverage any “disabilities that result from pre-existing disease alone or [from such diseases acting] in combination with work effort.” The Court reasoned that the Legislature only wanted to permit coverage “for the kinds of unexpected injurious events that have long been called “‘accidents.’” The Court further explained that an injury that resulted from a member’s pre-existing condition, even if combined with an injury caused by a work effort, was not an injury caused by an external force, and thus was not, in the language of the statute just quoted, a traumatic injury.

This language seems very strict. But it is not true that the mere existence of any pre-existing condition will automatically disqualify an officer from receiving an accidental disability pension in all cases, no matter what the underlying facts might be. Rather, where the work effort contributed to the permanent and total disability along with the pre-existing disability, the question the Pension Board must answer is this: Was the work effort that helped to give rise to the disability “the essential significant or the substantial contributing cause of the resultant disability?” If the answer is yes, then the officer will receive an accidental disability pension. If no, the officer will receive only an ordinary disability pension.

For example, in one court case where an officer had the underlying condition of osteoarthritis which was aggravated or ignited by a workplace trauma, the resulting disability was considered “ordinary,” not “accidental.”

On the other hand, there are court cases where applications for accidental disability pensions were granted for persons with pre-existing conditions. In those cases, those applicants could show that prior to their workplace injuries, they were asymptomatic. That is, those applicants were able to show that while they had pre-existing conditions, prior to their workplace injures they had not had any health issues. There had been no restrictions of their daily lives or their work lives prior to the work accidents that led them to seek accidental disability pensions.

Of course, every case will turn on its individual facts. Often, the matter will be decided by a so-called “battle of the experts.” The Pension Board has the difficult job of identifying officers truly deserving of such pensions while protecting the fiscal integrity of the pension funds. To safeguard that integrity, the Board must grant enhanced benefits only to those applicants who truly fit the statutorily mandated qualifications.

Behind Bars

The Death Row Unit: An Inside Look
By Eddie Molina

·       As of summer 2019, capital punishment is legal in 29 states.

·       In 2018, 25 people were executed and 42 people were sentenced to death

·       As of April 2019, there are 45 women on death row

·       Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976 by the US Supreme Court, 1,499 people have been executed (as of May 2019)

·       As of April 2019, there are 2,673 people on death row

These statistics are no secret -- it is all public information.

They are basic facts brought to you by Google. It is information any of you can acquire by simply pulling out your phone and typing in some key words and phrases in the search bar. It took me about 2 minutes.

But there is information out there regarding death row that is not easily accessible. Questions like “What’s it like working a Death Row Unit (DRU)” and “Do the correctional officers feel any emotion after an inmate is executed?”

I set out on a mission to find someone who could answer those questions. And with the power of social media, I was able to find that very person (thank you, Mark Zuckerberg).

My contact, who wishes to remain anonymous, worked for the Delaware Department of Corrections. He spent over 10 years in the DRU and was able to give Blue Magazine an inside look into what it’s like to work with DRU inmates. Some of answers were expected, others were shocking.

And Blue readers get to read it all here.

Blue: Where have you worked?

Anonymous: I have worked at two facilities, James T. Vaughn Correctional Center and the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution since I started with the Delaware Department of Corrections over 14 years ago. A large majority of that time was spent on the DRU.

Blue: How would you describe the inmates who were housed in the DRU?

Anonymous: In a word -- nice. I’ve worked in many housing units, some inmates were aggressive, had bad attitudes, and were disrespectful. The inmates in the DRU were simply nice. In all the years I’ve worked with those inmates, I’ve never had any significant disciplinary issues. I think it’s because they made peace with their situation, but who really knows. I had a job to do, be fair, firm and consistent and make sure they get what they’re entitled to, nothing more, nothing less.

Blue: Have you ever looked into an inmate’s crime to see why he was sentenced to death?

Anonymous: I made it a point not to look. Nothing good would come of it. If I knew the specifics of why an inmate was sentenced to death, it could change the way I see the inmate and change the way I treat them, too. 

Blue: Correctional officers spend a lot of time in prisons so it is normal to build some rapport with inmates. Have you or any of your co-workers become emotional after an execution?

Anonymous: Absolutely. We are human. You can tell which officers were affected because they seem sad and upset. No one speaks about it publicly, they just keep to themselves and go about their day, but you can still tell.

Blue: Can inmates really order anything they want for their last meal, or is that just Hollywood?

Anonymous: Yes, they can order anything they want. The most common orders were cheesesteaks, lobster and pizza.

Blue: Did they have to order from approved vendors nearby?

Anonymous: No. If an inmate wants a Pat’s or Geno’s Cheesesteak, the warden will make sure he gets it.

Blue: Does an inmate’s demeanor, attitude or mentality change as his execution date gets closer?

Anonymous: Yes, they get friendlier. Perhaps it’s because they are continuing to make peace with their situation. Or maybe it’s their last attempt to earn our approval, as if we had any control over their execution.

Blue: Are family members of the victims or family members of the inmate allowed to observe the execution?

Anonymous: Yes. Both the family of the victims and only the immediate family of the inmate are allowed to attend. They are all, however, kept in the same room.

Blue: Is there anything else you think our readers need to know?

Anonymous: It’s nothing like you see on TV or the media. The DRU is mellow and low key, as long as officers are fair and firm, it’s pretty uneventful.

Mr. Anonymous took his job and his responsibilities very seriously. He is a true professional and is a testament to correctional officers everywhere.

This interview reminds us all what people are capable of, both good and bad. Remember that and always stay vigilant and most importantly, stay safe out there!

Hear Me Out

Escape from New York 2020
By Joseph R. Uliano, Ed.D.

Following the recent Twitter remarks made by Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who praised a group of over 1,000 anti-NYPD protesters for toll jumping at a Brooklyn subway station, made me think of the 1981 “futuristic” movie “Escape from New York,” which was said to take place in 1997.

Here is what @AOC had to say:

“Arresting people who can’t afford a $2.75 fare makes no one safer and destabilizes our community. New Yorkers know that, they’re not having it, and they’re standing up for each other.”

It’s been nearly four decades since director John Carpenter wrote the plot about New York City turning into a maximum-security prison, because the criminal element outnumbered law-abiding citizens, which made it easier to just lock down the city and incarcerate everyone than fight a losing battle.

Sound a little farfetched? Not so fast! One articulation of avoiding a losing battle came in 2017 when the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office indicated that it wouldn’t prosecute most fare jumpers. Kind of sounds like “If you can’t beat them, then join them,” to me. Now the D.A.s office might lead you to believe that it took this position because it’s a “petty” offense and that most toll jumpers don’t have serious criminal records. But I think the truth is more than obvious. According to a 2018 New York Times report, the city lost $215 million due to toll jumpers, which accounted for 208,000 subway violators and another 398,000 bus violators. That’s more than a half-million offenders. What justice system has the time or resources to prosecute an additional half-million people? I would imagine not NYC. As you can see, this is a clear case of “If you can’t beat them, then join them.”

This is where John Carpenter’s plot comes into play, because what’s next? Non-enforcement for shoplifting? Or how about simple assault or worse? We already know New York won’t prosecute for assaults on law enforcement, as seen during the multiple incidents where uniformed officers had water and milk poured on them, and when the buckets went dry, they were thrown at the officers with no consequences. Do you non-believers see where I’m going with this? If you relax enforcement in one offense you’ll see an increase in other offenses, because one, the criminal element likes to test the water and two, reducing punishment will have a profound negative affect on preventive measures that act as a deterrent. Isn’t that what a criminal justice system is designed to do; deter crime and rehabilitate offenders through punishment, and if need be incarceration?

In 1764 Cesare Beccaria, the Italian-born philosopher and founder of criminology authored “On Crimes and Punishments,” outlining what is perhaps the first literary piece on criminal justice reform. Beccaria’s main focus was advocating against the death penalty and torture as a way of punishment, but he also understood the importance of consequences for criminal behavior. Simply put, Beccaria suggested that all crimes should be addressed, as long as the punishment meets the crime and does not exceed it. He also advocated against discretionary prosecution. According to Beccaria’s 1764 literature, I don’t believe the founding father of penology would be happy with prosecutors and judges exercising their discretion by coming out and saying they will no longer prosecute toll jumpers. He also suggested that punishment should be in a close proximity to where the offense occurred, as it should serve as a deterrent to not only the offender but to those contemplating criminal acts.

If our prosecutors and judges continue to exercise their power of discretion by decriminalizing established laws as seen in the 2017 announcement made by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, what will serve as a deterrent? I believe Beccaria would say that allowing toll jumpers to continue their criminal behavior sets a dangerous precedence that has the potential to illicit more criminal activity, because when the observation of punishment is removed there is no observable deterrent.

Who is going to rescue the law-abiding citizens of New York and the millions upon millions of people who visit the city each year from this potentially dangerous precedence? Well we know it’s not going to be Snake Plissken because he is a fictional character, and we know it’s not going to be Mayor Bill de Blasio, because like John Carpenter’s characters, he too can be likened to a fictional character, because sometimes the things he says are truly unbelievable, such as quoting the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, a key player of the Cuban Revolution, which ultimately handed Cuba to Fidel Castro.

In an ironic twist, if I were to write a 2020 edition of the 1981 “Escape from New York,” it wouldn’t have Snake Plissken rescuing the president of the United States from behind the prison walls that surround Manhattan, but rather President Trump leading the way to defeat the “Duke of New York,” the controlling warlock who runs the island through his anarchy and barbarism.

Sometimes the use of satire and even a little humor, as seen here, evokes a thought process that is sometimes overshadowed by the overwhelming opinions of the masses. But is this satire? The truth, as I close this out with my finally thoughts, is I don’t find any of this humorous. I find it to be sad that we have elected officials such as AOC and Bill de Blasio who are willing to decriminalize offenses to gain further political support. After all, who wouldn’t want to be able to just do what they want and face no consequences? It’s kind of like a free-for-all when the substitute teacher fills in for the regularly assigned rigid and authoritative teacher. However, they are called “substitute” for a reason, because order needs to be restored upon the teacher’s return. It’s truly time to restore order in NYC, not reduce it. Turning Manhattan into a maximum-security prison is in fact farfetched, but can NYC become another Chicago? Without a doubt it can. Convince me otherwise and you can sell snow to an Eskimo, my friends.

Giuliani Times Square

How a young mayor cleaned up an “eternal heap of slime”
By: Eddie Vega

At 15, I made my first solo foray into Times Square. It was the first of many.

After exiting the subway stop at 42nd Street & Broadway, I hurried past the military recruiting station that was bombed and rebuilt and bombed and rebuilt, then past porno film houses with variations of X, XX and XXX on their sooty marquees, some with the additional letters L-I-V-E S-H-O-W; then past a man with a furry hat, two-tone jazz brogues and a three-piece suit, sitting with an open photo album set atop a fold-out table that contained photos of young women and any interested man could pick the one he wanted and his assistant, a boy my age, would take him to her nearby apartment; past sidewalk women in long open coats and fishnet stockings, and nothing else, calling men baby and sugar in appeals to go upstairs but calling them tricks when talking among themselves; then past the 25¢ peep booths with a view of a round rotating platform of pillows, blonds, brunettes and paper wipes, and across the turning platform, through slots with timed shutters, open for only a minute, a feverish exchange of dollar bills and hands. That was street level. On upper floors,velvet-draped windows showcased wigged women in bikinis with warm smiles and come-to-me eyes waving men up.

I was dragged through there by a powerful need that could be satisfied by only one thing: a visit to guitar row on 48th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues. Manny’s and Sam Ash, which had several stores there, Rudy’s Music Stop, which sold and repaired guitars, and Alex Musical Instruments, the mother of repair shops that could fix intricate 100-year-old accordions. It was an orgy of guitars and more guitars and drums, cymbals, trumpets and flutes and of those who play them. I was there for the guitar picks, strings, capos and tuning whistles needed to perform in the folk group that played the Sunday night youth Mass at a Brooklyn church.

So the trips to Times Square, what the Redemptorist priest at my parish called an eternal heap of slime, had special importance for a church boy. It offered the vision of a human mess in need of cleansing and redemption, which are what the Mass and the other sacraments offer. The area suffered more than spiritual malaise, though. It was defined by open and unchecked brutality, unprovoked knife attacks by psychotics released en masse from overpopulated psychiatric detention centers—the blood and detritus quickly washed away by firefighters with powerful hoses or by store keepers with buckets; overdosing heroin addicts and the syringes they left in alleys and bathroom stalls; public beatings of women for holding back on their pimps or badmouthing them or not being sufficiently grateful or effusive in their praise of their daddy. And there were the girls and boys my age and younger with the look of death in their eyes that turned to living fear when a pimp approached, or worse, perhaps, when that look was not of fear but of familial love.

I saw it all and feared it would never end.

But if there is one person who can take credit for taking eternal out of the Redemptorist’s Times Square epithet, it is former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Although the now-infamous term Giuliani Time first made its appearance in news stories about rogue police officers who sexually abused a detainee, suggesting erroneously that the mayor’s strong support of police had given them license to act in that way, it means for me bold leadership.

It is not the kind of leadership practiced by those who profess the tenets of liberal democracy where before every action there needs to be an impact study. It is a loud get-it-done now leadership unhindered by self-doubt or any concern for anyone but the hardworking taxpayers of New York City who show up to vote.

In 1995, two years into his mayorship, Giuliani pushed new zoning laws through the City Council that barred sex-oriented businesses, theaters, bookstores, massage parlors and nude dance clubs and topless bars from operating near private residences, houses of worship, schools or each other. Every prior effort at cleaning up Times Square had failed to pass First Amendment challenges. But however late he came into the game, he used these new laws to quarterback an end-run around those legal defenses.

As the smut shops left, Disney, MTV, ESPN and other media companies moved in. And the cleaning up of Times Square, what no one thought remotely possible, not only became possible, it became a continuing reality.

Since then, his reputation has suffered what may be irreparable damage for his legal work on behalf of the sitting President of the United States Donald J. Trump. His conduct is being investigated by federal prosecutors in the same city he once led, according to media reports.

But whatever one may think of this recent history—is it damning? Or is it merely zealous legal representation of a client and friend?—by cleaning up Times Square in the 1990s, Rudy Giuliani saved lives, he saved families, he saved souls.

COVER STORY: BLUE-ON-BLUE : The Not So Friendly, Friendly Fire

Blue-On-Blue: The Not So Friendly, Friendly Fire
By : Joseph R. Uliano, Ed.D.

An acceptable loss is in most cases an undefined number of deaths inflicted by enemy combatants, as a military formation advances to meet a specific objective while tolerating the loss, with the anticipation of a successful mission. 

However, beneath the overtness of an acceptable loss is the reality that lives will also be lost at the hands of their own. Accidental loss, inadvertent loss, or the most commonly referred “Friendly Fire,” are coined phrases utilized to make these unthinkable acts sound more acceptable. In an eerie coincidence that can be related to law enforcement friendly fire, the military boots on the ground refer to friendly fire as “Blue-On-Blue.” Historically, blue represents friendly forces on the battlefield, whereas red is used to identify enemy forces. A phrase that has a greater significance to law enforcement, because when holding the “Blue Line,” often under the most extreme conditions, the notion of “Blue-On-Blue” is unfathomable. Unlike a military campaign, an acceptable loss does not exist in law enforcement and if were to exist in the minds of some, friendly fire would not be included. 

Every leader under fire is aware of the reality associated with friendly fire, but they do their best to suppress it, as to not breach the morale of their troops as they advance into harm’s way. 

When applying the words “accidental” or “inadvertent,” the implication is that mistakes have been made. Mistakes that can be blamed on modern technological warfare or even human error. As unpleasant as it is, blaming friendly fire on flawed technology, such as a failed GPS when deploying an airstrike behind what was believed to be enemy lines comes up a mile or so short killing “friendly” forces, is an acceptable risk, because we know technology is never foolproof. However, blaming human error on friendly fire in most cases is an unfair statement to make when resulting from a hostile and combative situation. Don’t misconstrue the sentiments here, because accidents do happen during training exercises within the military and law enforcement communities, and unfortunately, negligence is often proven as many of these deaths are deemed preventable. The point being made here and a separating variable between military and civilian law enforcement friendly fire is the placement of blame. 

In times of war, friendly fire is not as identifiable as it is in the civilian world and when it is identified it is truly viewed as an “acceptable loss” often lacking media attention and political insight that prolongs the pain and suffering from not only the families of the fallen, but also the pain and suffering of the individual(s) that actually pulled the trigger or dropped the bomb. 

Out on the streets, the media jumps all over stories involving law enforcement and friendly fire, almost as if they are seeking to prove what they perceive as a level of incompetency, shifting blame away from the assailant and onto the responding law enforcement officers. Make no mistake about it, when an officer is killed in the line of duty resulting from a combative situation the blame should always be placed on the assailant, even when friendly fire is proven. A concept that sometimes lacks emphasis when a politician stands in front of a podium and announces the unthinkable, perhaps for a political agenda that creates the illusion that our streets are safer than they appear, because “human error” took the life of a police officer and not a member of the criminal element.

Moving forward, it would be an injustice to interject any further politics into this, as most readers understand the agenda mentioned here. What needs to be focused on is how we care for the families of the fallen, the officer(s) that pulled the trigger, and how we can work to prevent future acts of friendly fire. I believe every member of service gets brought to their knees for a few moments when the announcement comes that a brother or sister was killed by friendly fire. For a moment time seems to freeze, as we first feel sorrow the fallen officer and their family, and what often follows is the sorrow for the involved officer(s), as we place ourselves in their boots knowing that it could have been anyone of us pulling that trigger or even on the receiving end for that matter.

Today, law enforcement is plagued by post-traumatic stress disorder, leaving many of our brothers and sisters struggling with the sights, sounds, and smells of an unthinkable act, an act that the human mind was not meant to observe or be part of. I previously mentioned placing yourself in the boots of an officer who acted in good faith responding to volatile incident. One that is responding with one goal in mind; rescuing a brother or sister who is in the fight of their life, as the words “Send Me, I Will Go” are played over and over until they arrive at the footsteps of hell, a fire fight if you will. Then in the blink of an eye, seconds, a trigger is pulled in good faith and the intended target is missed. Quickly, the unfathomable becomes a reality and our responding heroes realize that they unfortunately took the life of one of their own. 

 In law enforcement the term co-worker is replaced with “brother or sister,” and it’s not a job, it’s a family. Taking the life of an officer, a family member, when you believed you were there to give life back, is irreparable and I don’t know how anyone could ever live with that. This requires an explanation from someone with a higher pay grade than my own, so I won’t even begin to try and explain it, perhaps only God knows this answer, but what I do know is that we are our brothers keepers and when the unfathomable occurs we must embrace not only the family of the fallen but also the involved officer(s) who were acting in good faith as they will need us too; forever. 

In the New York City Police Department, friendly fire can be traced as far back to 1905, a year that took the life of Officer Ira B. Kinne at the hands of Officer John Clare during a training exercise at the Ninth Regiment Armory. As previously mentioned, we know that these unfortunate deaths sometimes do occur during training, and as grim as they are, we later use them as learning experiences for the betterment and safety of law enforcement. In the case of Clare, the investigation suggested that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident and violated departmental rules by entering the training area with a loaded revolver, thus taking the life of Kinne, during a preventable and negligent act. That was 1905 and today we don’t hear of officers showing up to training exercises while impaired, handling firearms and negligently injuring their own. However, what can be related to the 1905 incident is that officers, more so recruits, are sometimes observed entering a training exercise with a loaded weapon when advised not to, but are quickly corrected without incident, which brings us to training and how there is a need to work to prevent friendly fire within the law enforcement profession. 

The New York City Police Department is the largest law enforcement agency in the United States, the size of a small army. Their officers courageously work in some of the most violent and toughest areas known to law enforcement, putting them at a greater risk of injury and unfortunately death, but law enforcement friendly fire is still not and should not be considered an acceptable loss as seen in the military. However, law enforcement cannot elude the substantial risk of “Blue-On-Blue” incidents, specifically because we live volatile society, and in some cases our law enforcement officers are patrolling areas that can be likened to warzones, in fact some of these areas have taken more lives of law enforcement officers than soldiers on foreign lands. 

Tragically, 2019 has claimed the lives of Detective Brian Simonsen and Officer Brian Mulken both of the NYPD just seven months apart from each other as a result of friendly fire, while they heroically fought to make their communities safer by taking on the evil that lurks among the good. In a response to Officer’s Mulken’s untimely and tragic death, the NYPD announced that they would increase the training for plain clothes officers by subjecting them to live fire exercises and training simulators. 

Increased training is a step in the right direction and should always be available to law enforcement officers, but it needs to encompass one’s frame of mind and not be exclusive to physical and practical training as seen in well-orchestrated and “safe” live fire exercises or in front of a simulator. One frame of mind that is in question during friendly fire incidents is how one reacts to the sight of a gun or the sound of gunshots during a violent encounter. I have spoken to SWAT team members and military special operators over the years and many of them agree that nobody knows how they will react under fire until they are confronted by it. They of course also agree that training is key when developing the warrior mindset, but then again, these highly trained operators, have a greater opportunity to receive the proper training than those assigned to patrol or in a plain clothes unit, specifically because training is part of their routine duties. 

In the academy, recruits are taught to be hypervigilant to the words “Gun, Gun, Gun” when on motor vehicle stops or dealing with a street encounter, but then a few years later, they are faced with reacting to the silent killer; complacency, narrowing their hypervigilance and reducing it to a reaction without thought, relying on muscle memory, point and shoot. For those of us out there instructing firearms, we teach the recruits to scan for threats and they do a fine job completing this critical task. Yet, when it’s time to requalify some of the veterans, instructors are heard yelling “scan, scan, scan” before holstering. How about coming up on target and aiming for center mass before pulling trigger? The recruits do a fine job completing this task as well by the time they are ready to qualify, but with some of the veterans, we see point and shoot, thankfully in those cases it’s a “Q” target and not a friendly. 

Taking a more preventable approach to reducing friendly fire is in fact training, I think we can all agree on that, but are we training enough to rid our minds of complacency? Are we doing enough to assist in developing the warrior mindset during shoot don’t shoot scenarios? Some believe the warrior mindset cannot be taught, citing, “Either you have it, or you don’t.” With twenty years of service, I won’t completely disagree with that notion, as I have witnessed the difference between “flight or fight,” and sometimes its surprising to see who rises to the occasion and who does not. What I won’t agree with is that we should accept “Either you have it, or you don’t,” as unprepared, perhaps even untrained officers hold the responsibility to recognize areas that need improvement, specifically the handling of firearms, as the majority of officers, as seen in New Jersey only shoot 100 rounds bi-annually in order to carry their service weapon. Where are the tactics? How can the warrior mindset be developed through firing 100 rounds at a stationary target? I think anyone qualifying under these conditions knows the answers. They are non-existent. So, I ask, who will step up to the plate and train to prevent further acts of friendly fire? I don’t necessarily mean departmental training either. I think many of you reading this know how unavailable training of this nature is to all of you. I’m talking about training on your own if it’s not provided to you or if you continuously walk away from training lacking confidence; the kind of confidence that you know will keep you in the fight, while making sound decisions. If your agency is not providing it, look for it, there are plenty of courses being offered. Now, this might cost you a few bucks out of your pocket, but how can you place a value on the life of your partner or even yourself? 

When tragedies of this nature strike everyone pays a price. The deceased is gone, and their family is forever without the in-person and up-close love and support of their dearly departed. The officer(s) who fired the fatal shot(s) must live with the trauma and aftermath of knowing that a life was taken of a fellow brother or sister by their own hands. These are happenings of consequence which impact lives forever, so we must work harder to prevent them. We must find ways through constant assessment and training to limit, if not eliminate, “friendly fire.”

In the meantime, when all is said and done and critical incident reviews have been completed, in our hearts, we should find forgiveness and healing through togetherness. Afterall, we are all in this life or death battle together. No life greater than the other. 

Let us not forget the sacrifices that Detective Brian Simonsen and Officer Brian Mulken made for their communities while out on their beat and may they teach the warrior mindset from up above, as they forever look down upon their brothers and sisters in BLUE…

STAND DOWN ?

STAND DOWN?
By: Joel E. Gordon

Another ordered stand down…

An on-duty Baltimore police officer was on routine patrol around 0119 hours on August 17th when he noticed a silver SUV sitting in an intersection. The vehicle, reportedly bearing no license plate, matched the description of a suspect vehicle that just three minutes earlier tried to strike another officer conducting a traffic stop of another vehicle.

The western district officer went up to the vehicle as the SUV was stopped. The driver of the SUV got out of the car and began shooting a 9mm handgun at the officer and his police cruiser.

The officer backed away and was not struck by the bullets. The suspect then fled the area, taking police on a chase through the city. As the chase was deemed to have become more dangerous due to speeds reaching an estimated 95 miles per hour, the high-speed chase was called off when it reached southbound I-295 approaching the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

The police commander ordering the chase to be terminated was reported to be Major Mark Howe the midnight Commander known as Unit 41. Initially checking to see why officers were pursuing, he acknowledges and says 10-4, In the meantime, recorded radio traffic reveals that officers requested air support but were told that the request would need to be made on a different radio channel by the police dispatcher. Keep in mind that the officers were involved in high speed driving and were likely unable to safely switch frequencies on their radios. It is shortly thereafter that the termination of the pursuit was ordered with the requested air support likely never achieved. 

In a subsequent press conference, Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison called the incidents against officers “very brazen.” "It just got to be high speed. It was through neighborhoods. As we encounter a danger factor with following the car, the pursuit was called off because of the danger factor to citizens and officers," 

“Whether or not they have any regard for law enforcement or law at all or any regard to consequences — whether real or perceived — we want to make sure we’re doing our part to find the people who are doing this and holding them accountable,” Harrison said.

Sergeant Mike Mancuso, Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police President, had harsh words for department leaders Tuesday evening, saying on Twitter, “The brave men and women of the Baltimore Police Department were told to stand down during the riots. Now we are being told to stand down on an attempted murder of a police officer. #CityinCrisis”

Baltimore is indeed a city in crisis. In the recent past, at least seven people connected to law enforcement have been attacked in Baltimore, including Sgt. Isaac Carrington, a 22-year veteran who is recovering after being shot multiple times during a robbery attempt outside his home. Also robbed were civilian police employees, a deputy police commissioner, an off-duty corrections officer along with a school police officer  

Determined to get the dangerous suspect attacking police, on August 18th Baltimore police encountered a vehicle and subject that they believed to be the same as the one involved in the August 17th incident. Another armed encounter ensued where the suspect was shot and killed. An officer was also shot suffering non-life threatening injuries during this encounter.

The question remains: How many of us old-timers would have backed off during the initial pursuit? Being a cop first and a soldier second, I am reminded when the Baltimore County Police Department chased a vehicle, carjacked at knifepoint, into the city and the Western District back during my time there. A young rookie, city officer, joined the pursuit, taking the lead and the suspect vehicle crashed into a retaining wall in a turn into an alley. Of course, the police car the rookie officer was operating then rear ended the suspect vehicle (I was directly behind him, but was able to stop in time). After successfully taking care of the matter at hand, I handled the accident investigation. Despite a no-pursuit policy I was able to justify the pursuit while also getting the accident deemed non-preventable. After all, what were we supposed to do?  Let an outside agency, lost in West Baltimore, be on their own?

Many believe that some of the best lessons and improvements in policing can come from critical incident reviews, particularly when such reviews are completed with independence. If there was ever a case requiring a critical incident review this latest incident ordering another “stand down” and then the subsequent deadly encounter the following day is certainly on the top of my list.