Are Their Wildest Dreams Coming True? Be Careful What You Wish For. The Body Count Grows Higher.

By: Kirk Lawless

Recently has been nothing short of disastrous for cops across the United States. Police Memorial Week will add 362 names to the wall of cops killed on the job. As of 05/12/2021 we have had 124 cops killed and 57 have committed suicide at only 133 days into the year. And yes, there are folks to blame.

The embracing of terrorist organizations like Black Lives Matter, by politicians and folks with messed up moral compasses are adding fuel to the fire, those who coddle criminals, and those who glorify criminals and their behavior are to blame. “Influencers,” sports figures, Lebron James and Colin Kaepernick are two who come to mind as folks who can just screw right off. I can’t get fired for exercising my First Amendment Right to free speech. I don’t work for anybody and I’ve already been worked over by the cop-hating system, so I don’t care and I will not be quieted.

The folks spoiling for a civil war are to blame as well. The media “If it bleeds it leads” mentality are getting cops and civilians killed. We recently had four cops murdered in one week. We, the police are now officially the enemy.

Missouri U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D), Black Lives Matter supporter and activist appeared on the news here in St Louis on May 5. “Today’s decision to defund the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is historic. It marks a new future for our city.” What she said is true, except the future is dismal because of her way of thinking. Within days of applauding the decision that was made to not fill 200 vacancies in the SLMPD, 20 folks were shot and three killed in one night. Keep it under your hat, but the police didn’t kill them. Folks like Bush find it easier to condemn the police in general when it fits the Marxist agenda of BLM, but they’re not protesting the black on black crime that plagues this town.

St. Louis is home to some 300,000 people, who are protected by 1,343 cops soon to be 1,143. Yay! You’re getting what you wanted! Except, it’s more dead bodies, and sadly, most of them will be people of color, and killed by other people of color.

On April 30 the city’s 2nd District (its largest) was protected by five, count ‘em five, cops. That left one cop responsible for the area that includes Forest Park and its 1,326 acres, so four to cover the rest of the district. It’s dangerous for the cops, it’s dangerous for the citizens, but the folks like Bush want less police. I’ve chased bandits all across this area and the last thing the folks of color trapped in low-income crime-infested neighborhoods need is less police protection. That’s fact. The media barely touches on that during the nightly homicide montage. Not to worry, though, the 62 square miles of St. Louis City proper will be better off with 200 less cops!

President Biden chose Police Memorial Week to get a dig in on us, by saying the police were the reason there is such distrust in this country, implying that police officers were randomly killing folks of color. That is as unforgivable as it is insulting. He literally slapped every cop in America right in the face with his political double speak.

They also gave Mrs. Obama more facetime where she had to attack us again implying she is scared to death that the police will target her girls and the outcome would be devastating. I think she’s upset that they had to have “the talk” with their daughters. Here’s a clue, all parents should have “the talk” with their kids regarding possible interactions with the cops. It’s nothing new. All the cool parents are doing it, even the white ones! I had “the talk” with my kids. My dad gave me and my brother, “the talk.” My grandfather gave my dad and his five brothers, “the talk,” so singling out the notion that only people of color have “the talk” is such BS. Personally, I’m sick of it. I won’t be shamed into feeling guilty for something I didn’t do. And I won’t get shamed or discounted for the color of my skin. Wait what’s that called? Oh yeah, racism, and it’s a two-way street.

Systemic racism. It always comes back to that, doesn’t it? The thing that shocks me is that those who hold some sway, or can create a media frenzy by weighing in on something they know little about, stops right there, by creating conflict and bitching that this should have been handled differently and then they disappear. They offer zero solutions. They stir the pot, then leave.

These folks don’t volunteer their time to go into what they say is “their” neighborhoods and make a difference. Do they go into the schools and tell kids how they should act during a car stop? Do they preach the ills of drugs and gunplay on the streets? I did it every damned day. It’s not just a job for most of us; it’s a calling.

I’m serious. I’m not sure how many parents neglect to tell their children how to cross the street without getting hit, let alone how to conduct themselves during an interaction with the police.

So Colin, LeBron, Cori, Joe, and Michelle stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution. I will continue to do what I do. I have solutions; I have insight. I talk to many police recruits. Trust me, when we part ways they have a greater understanding of the difficulties of the job and what will be asked of them. And, I have never met one who said, “I can’t wait to hit the street and kill someone for absolutely no reason!” It’ll never happen. It doesn’t work that way.

By leaps and bounds, you are changing things by defunding the police and demonizing us. You’re getting more cops killed. You are directly making cities like St. Louis more dangerous than we already were. We’re number one in murders and again, it ain’t the cops doing the killing. Keep it up. Keep draining the citizens of the only protection they have and need. You’re just going to end up with a higher body count.

Your dreams may be coming true, but be careful what you wish for.

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

Officer Nearly Killed: Justice System Yawns

By: Lexie Bell                                                     

"I'm going to fucking kill you, bitch."

These were the words said to me by John Pugna on Aug. 18, 2019. He then proceeded to punch me in the face and head over a dozen times. He threw me on the ground and tried to gouge out my eyes. He violently attacked me in an attempt to end my life. All of this was captured on my body camera. His wife threw herself on top of me to get him to stop hitting me and while she was there, he said, "This is my wife, and she's the only reason you're still alive." I thought I was going to die that day. However, I fought like hell, I was able to get up, hold him at gunpoint, and he was arrested.

He was indicted for attempted murder, felonious assault, assault and three counts of aggravated menacing.

In typical Cuyahoga County fashion, they let him plead to felonious assault and aggravated menacing, even though he legitimately tried to kill me. I argued against it but I knew I wouldn't win that.

At the sentencing, Judge Daniel Gaul said some wonderful things about the police, how he supports us and how we are being unfairly treated by the media. He went on to say how terrible Pugnea's actions were that day and even called him out several times when he tried to make excuses for what he did because of substance abuse and a history of mental health issues.

Let me address that for a minute. The defense for him is that he had a workplace accident that caused him to suffer severe chemical poisoning in 1993 that put him in a coma and has thus ruined his life. OK, fine. But how about the fact that he tried to kill another North Royalton police officer back in 1982? What's his excuse for that? Judge Gaul brought that up in court and Pugnea got defensive saying that should have been expunged and was not relevant. Judge Gaul was apparently upset by this and called him out. This proves that he has a violent history prior to this accident. His history prior to the accident, to me, completely invalidates his argument that the accident is what caused his problems. Plus, everyone that I have ever met that knew Pugnea, going back to his high-school days, has said that he was always violent and aggressive and nobody was surprised by what he did.

Another argument is that he was given a book to read that suggested he go off his medications, and so he did. The combination of him being off his meds and him starting to drink again is also why he did what he did and that somehow mitigates his responsibility. At the end of the day, HE made the decision to go off his meds and HE made the decision to drink, therefore HE is solely responsible for his horrific actions.

Judge Daniel Gaul seemed to agree with the prosecution, given his nice speeches and apparent disgust for Pugnea. However, in a shock to everyone in the courtroom on sentencing day, this judge gave him the MINIMUM sentence for the felonious assault. 4 to 6 years in prison. Time served for the aggravated menacing since he had been in the county jail for about 10 months. I was floored and extremely upset. He basically got four years for the attempted murder of a police officer. The judge pulled me aside after his ruling and told me that Pugnea would serve his whole sentence and that if I ever needed anything, to call him. What I needed was for him to give him a fair sentence, but obviously I wasn't going to get that. I left court that day completely dejected but at least relieved that it was over.

That is until I got a phone call from a prosecutor saying that John Pugnea was just granted a judicial release by Judge Daniel Gaul after serving just nine months in prison. I was hysterical. I couldn't even talk.

The judicial release hearing was never put on the docket, so nobody other than the judge, defense, and prosecutor knew about it. Because it wasn't on the docket, the fail-safes they have at county where the victims would be notified completely failed. The prosecutor, who is actually a nice guy, is another overworked prosecutor at county and he was given this case with no knowledge and failed to realize its significance. He dropped the ball and never called me as I'm sure has happened many times, which is why they have the "fail-safes.” Why wasn't the original prosecutor assigned? I fully believe the judge tried to do this in silence so I would never find out. The only reason I did was because the prosecutor called me and admitted his mistake in not notifying me. A lot of people never own up to their mistakes, and I thank him greatly for that.          

As of now, they put a hold on Pugnea's release because a lot of people are angry and have been putting pressure where they can. There has been a motion for reconsideration filed. The county violated the law by not notifying me of the hearing. Also, the judge did not give proper findings at the release hearing. Judge Gaul had to justify his reasons for judicial release under ORC 2929.20, part of which is by him justifying that "a sanction other than a prison term would not demean the seriousness of the offense." I'd really like to hear his justification on that one.

I don't know the reason. What I do know is that this whole thing is absolutely disgusting. This is a slap in the face to all police officers. Nine months in prison for the attempted murder of a police officer. Seems fair.

Michelle Malkin: America's Media-Poisoned Well

It's springtime in America. In halcyon days, we'd ring in the new season with fresh starts and fragrant flowers. But in 2021, the arrival of spring now ushers in yet another cycle of destructive urban riots — stoked and coddled by toxic journalists downplaying left-wing violence and demonizing all who dare call out the ruinous, race-based chaos for what it is.

As vandals and looters tore apart Minneapolis again in the wake of a cop-involved shooting, a suburban police chief tried to report on the dangerous conditions outside his station.

"Just so that everybody's clear, I was front and center at the protest, at the riot," Brooklyn Center (Minn.) police chief Tim Gannon told the media. He was there. They were not. This did not, however, deter the know-it-alls from castigating Gannon for using the word "riot." Cue the collective outrage and the ululations of the aggrieved.

"Don't do that!" one journalist exclaimed. "There was no riot," another propagandist retorted. "It was not a riot!" another indignant media wag chimed in.

Gannon did what reporters are supposed to do: Report. In a rare show of public courage by an elected official in these hellish days, Gannon remained undeterred. Several officers were injured; 40 demonstrators were arrested, and 20 businesses were invaded and robbed. "The officers that were putting themselves in harm's way were being pelted with frozen cans of pop, they were being pelted with concrete blocks. And yes, we had our helmets on and we had other protection and gear, but an officer was injured, hit in the head with a brick… so we had to make decisions. We had to disperse the crowd because we cannot allow our officers to be harmed."

Outraged journo-activists apparently disagree. These same types of professional word massagers who bark at police not to call riots "riots" are the same types who've been calling the deadly conflagrations of every major American city since George Floyd's death last May "mostly peaceful protests." Our airwaves and newspaper pages have been saturated with loaded language and warped narratives about every high-profile police encounter exploited by Black Lives Matter and Antifa from George Floyd to Ahmaud Arbery to Jacob Blake and now Daunte Wright.

Not only are these "protests" immune from criticism about their violent criminal nature, but they are also miraculously immune from COVID-19. When citizens in flyover country have gathered to resist lockdowns and mask mandates, the national media pounces on these peaceful protesters as selfish, reckless menaces to public safety. When inner-city thugs burn down auto repair shops, firebomb courthouses and police precinct offices, cart off diapers from Walgreen's, and raid liquor store shelves in the name of social justice, pandemic paranoia and condemnatory headlines suddenly evaporate.

Rigged media coverage. Rioters run amok. The threat of violence hanging overhead like thick cumulonimbus clouds. How is it possible for anyone accused in a riot-triggering incident from obtaining a fair trial? In a remarkable act of self-delusion, the presiding judge in the ongoing trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin rejected a defense request to immediately sequester the jury in the aftermath of this week's new bumper crop of riots. Stating the gobsmackingly obvious, defense attorney Eric Nelson argued that the violent outbreaks would be at the "forefront of the jury's mindset."

Judge Peter Cahill, however, shrugged off the threats and ruled that the jury doesn't need to be shut off from media and social media exposure until closing arguments began. Never mind the barricades and barbed wire outside the fortified courthouse. Never mind the half-billion dollars in damage already done by George Floyd's vigilantes. Never mind the blaring, front-page stories about shopkeepers preparing for bloody chaos if the jury doesn't rule the "right" way.

Instead, Cahill nonchalantly advised the jury to simply avoid the news during the trial. Sure, just ignore the acrid smell of anarchotyranny permeating the air. Take no notice of wall-to-wall coverage of Gannon's resignation After he pushed back against the media. Pay no attention to the journalists raging at police officials calling out rioters. Tune out the black-clad militants screaming "All Cops Are Bastards" and "No Justice, No Peace." Pretend away the pretrial publicity and nightly news jeremiads from racial demagogues Al Sharpton and Benjamin Crump painting Chauvin as an evildoer on par with Ted Bundy or Adolph Hitler.

With the media acting as relentless co-prosecutors and character executioners, the well of fair and impartial jurors who can weigh evidence without fear of retribution has been irreversibly poisoned. Like Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center, Portland, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Detroit, St. Louis, Ferguson and so many other cities before them, the Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights to an impartial jury, fair trial and due process have all gone up in choking flames. This is what the twilight of a once great and free country looks and smells like.

Source: www.creators.com

Michelle Malkin is an American conservative blogger, political commentator, author, and businesswoman. Her weekly syndicated column appears in a number of newspapers and websites. She was a Fox News contributor and has been a guest on MSNBC, C-SPAN, and national radio programs. Malkin has written several books. She founded the conservative websites Twitchy and Hot Air. E-mail: MichelleMalkinInvestigates@protonmail.com

Operation Rebound: Helping Our Heroes

By Michael D. Boll

Memorial Day weekend is one of the most challenging for the New Jersey Veterans Network and its team of volunteers and mentors. This is a difficult time for many veterans because they reflect on their brothers and sisters who didn't make it home. Every day our nation loses 22 veterans to suicide, and it seems that number isn’t coming down. If you are a veteran, or a family member, who is feeling alone, or are in need of assistance, we are here for you. Please reach out to us.

Our team focuses on helping our veterans and first responders have a better way of life through our volunteer mobile outreach mentoring program. We believe by aggressively seeking out veterans in need and contacting them before they are in crisis, we can really have some positive results. Contacting a person in need first is a great way to build trust and make it easier to begin a friendship. People will do better when they have human contact in their lives, too many programs are automated and lack the empathy and compassion needed to help someone in crisis.

We are not afraid to tell our veterans and first responders that they are loved, and we strive to give them purpose. The team immediately empowers and gives its members a new family unit to be part of again. Nearly everyone who joins the team wants to help others and make a difference in someone else's life. Helping others definitely is a medicine that will make you become a better person, and you’ll feel really good about it.

New Jersey Veterans Network is constantly keeping active thru our Operation Rebound Racing Team which hosts numerous hikes, runs, bike rides and all other types of physically challenging events. However, we also focus on non-athletic events like hosting a BBQ, comedy show, tailgate, camping trip and several other fun outings throughout the year. But it doesn’t stop there, the team works well with other charities and hosts numerous food drives and clothing events which normally take place at our veteran hospitals and shelters. If you would like to help, there is something for you to contribute.

Most recently, in April, our outreach director Frank “Doc” Schupp spearheaded our “Helping Heroes” program, and “Hero Day.” These two programs were responsible for providing over 3,000 veterans and National Guardsmen throughout the state with food, PPE and personal items.

In the last few years New Jersey Veterans Network has grown and has been able to save lives, provide cars, employment, housing, clothing, food, toiletries, and so much more to heroes.

Soon we will be launching a statewide anti-suicide and PTSD awareness campaign. We have joined forces with the NJ VFW, NJ American Legion, NJSPBA, NJ FMBA, NJ FOP, NJ Veterans Affairs, State Legislators and numerous other groups and organizations.

How you can help

Financial donations are great, but we mostly rely on volunteers and donated resources. Our charity allows donors the opportunity to choose where their funds go and the volunteers get to play an active role in changing someone’s life.

If you are interested in joining the team as a volunteer, would like us to speak at your event, contribute to our mission or are a veteran in need of assistance or comradeship, please contact us at NJVN1775@gmail.com or emailmdbollio@optonline.net. or call 973-332-1556. To learn more, visit njvn.org

About New Jersey Veterans Network: We are a group of veterans and volunteers dedicated to helping our veterans and their families live better lives. Our team is raising awareness of our veterans’ needs by organizing public speaking engagements, meeting with business and political leaders across the state and sponsoring fundraising events. Our mission is to identify veterans and connect them with resources and programs designed to meet their unique set of needs. To ensure that EVERY single one of our veterans, who have sacrificed so much for this great country, receives the resources that they require and deserve.

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

The Blue Line Flag: A Force for Good, Peace and Protection

By Lt. Joseph Pangaro, CPM, CSO

Blue is the color of many things. Like all colors, blue moves us, intrigues us, motivates us and is imbued with meaning. “True Blue” is a term and connection to the color that has stood the test of time. True Blue means loyal, respectful, honorable, just, and sincere. These may not have been the intentions of nature when she created the colors of the rainbow, but they have been adopted by people to describe a feeling or belief and how it is characterized by the color. When we think of colors, we can see a connection to other feelings and concepts.

Red is a powerful color and has a completely different meaning than and represents different feelings than blue. Red is fiery, sexy, aggressive and strong. We have the red power tie for men to express this connotation of power. Yellow, on the other hand, is a weaker color, yellow can say “caution,” slow down and a host of other things, but we don’t think of yellow as powerful or loyal, do we?

How about the little black dress or the pink bow, or the dark blue suit, they all send messages that we humans recognize, seemingly naturally. We don’t really think about it until we have to.

I teach a course on courtroom testimony. In that class I cover how to use your reports, the tone of your voice, the way you take the oath, where you look in the room, how to treat the judge and the lawyers and I talk about the clothes you wear to testify, because colors reflect feeling and emotions.

I say if you are a witness in a multi-day trail, on day one and on direct examination from the prosecutor, you as a law enforcement officer should wear a dark color suit or dress with a blue tie. This color combination expresses strength, control and with the blue tie to accent it, integrity because blue gives that impression.

On day two, or whatever day you will face cross examination, I suggest wearing a brown suit or dress and a light brown tie. Brown is a nice color, neutral, calm and does not scream control and power, instead it is softer and when the defense attorney is grilling you, you want to appear honest and calm, even a bit vulnerable to the jury so they will see you as a person they can connect to as the big bad lawyer attacks you.

These color examples make the point; we do see colors as a way of defining something, expressing something and making a statement. So, did these implied characteristics come from me? No, they have been with humanity for thousands of years for reasons we may never be able to definitively say why, but colors move us, they speak to us and they do have power.

That being said, and with some understanding now of how color defines a thing, let’s look at the Police blue line flag. First we have to define it. It is not an American flag with different colors; it is a different flag altogether. If it were the American flag, then it would represent our country, and arguably the police blue line flag does not represent the USA, it represents the men and women of law enforcement. The stars, stripes and configuration may look similar to the American flag, but that is just on the surface. The police Blue Line Flag, its meaning and what it represents goes much deeper than just representing law enforcement. It represents what law enforcement means to the members of the service.

The colors of the Blue Line Flag were chosen to highlight the blue line which represents every man and women that has ever donned the uniform and walked a beat or patrolled the tiers. All of us are that blue line. No matter where we work, what size of our agency or our mission, job title, assignment or the color of our skin, where we were born or who we love we are all blue, and we walk the line of service to others. We protect the weak and defend the innocent; we chase the demons and run toward danger at our own peril. We suffer and sacrifice to the point of death to accomplish these goals and complete our mission.

The Blue Line flag does not represent hate directed toward anyone, nor does it stand for oppression, or stand for one group’s dominance over another. What it does stand for is duty, honor, fidelity, service to community, courage in the face of evil, dedication to principles of the greater good, and brotherhood and sisterhood bonded in a belief that there is right and wrong, good and bad and that those who stand on that Blue line are one.

A force for good in a free society; a force for peace in a time of chaos and a force of protection for everyone.

Ours is a noble profession and one deserving of our pride. Law enforcement at any level is built on a foundation of sacrifice and service to others with an undertaking that starts when we are young and makes demands of our time, our skills, our families, our hearts and souls. It is a profession that demands our respect and commitment to things greater than ourselves and it is a responsibility that cannot be disregarded for one second even after the years of active service are over. When you take the oath, you are part of the law enforcement family forever and you are committed to the ideals of justice for your entire life.

When I see the Blue Line Flag I see that pride, that nobility, that commitment, that dedication, that honor, and I see the blood that has been spilled by those represented by the blue line flag that have made the ultimate sacrifice for others. That is what I see when I see that flag, because that is what it represents because we, the men and women who walk the blue line, say that’s what it means. It is our creation, our expression and our representation of the essence of the blue line and the profession we belong to.

Others may disparage it, give it false meaning and assign to it false expression or hidden meaning but none of that is true. Our Blue Line Flag is blue for a reason and for all the things that the color blue represents. We must not allow anyone to define who we are or what our flag stands for. We are true blue.

Lt. Joseph Pangaro retired after serving 27 years at a police department in Monmouth County, NJ, having served as the Lead Training Officer. Pangaro is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickenson University’s Certified Public Managers Program (CPM). He’s a newspaper columnist who writes about the rigors and joys in law enforcement. Joseph Pangaro is the CEO and President of Pangaro Training and Management, and Pangaro Global Training, an online training company. E-mail at: JPangaro@TrueSecurityDesign.com, www.TrueSecurityDesign.com

Police Must Stop Beating Themselves Up: The Toll of Trauma

By: Joel F. Shults

There is nothing but regret in the Chauvin case. Regret that the officer didn’t get George Floyd medical attention earlier. Regret that the looters and arsonists think they had a hand in achieving justice. Regret that the shadow of the threat of riots can never be separated from the guilty verdict. Regret that this event is represented as evidence of routine abuse by police officers. Regret that Floyd’s criminal activity was disregarded as irrelevant and minor, not even justifying an arrest. Regret that the science of forensic pathology is inexact enough to send someone to prison with conflicting assumptions about a cause of death. Regret that the public fails to see the multiple millions of contacts and arrests by police officers in unfathomably complex situations that are accomplished flawlessly.

We like to ask angry and confused citizens to wait for the system to work. Now we question whether the system worked. Many, if not most, police officers were just as disturbed by the Floyd video as other citizens. But they have all had to deal with arrestees screaming bloody murder for the crowds. Officers watch these videos with vicarious adrenaline as they relive their own struggles with drug-infused suspects who don’t feel pain, can’t think straight enough to stop resisting, surrounded by bystanders rooting for the arrestee while filming the event with the intent to post it with their own vile and false narrative. We want to accept the jury verdict, but we also know that perhaps, but for the grace of God, there go I.

Would Chauvin have been criminally charged without the civilian video and outrage? We want to think so, since we know an in-custody death would have been closely investigated. What we do know is that the assumption that this kind of thing happens a lot and is generally swept under the rug behind the blue wall of silence is not our experience. Cops get in trouble. They get sued. They get charged. They get fired. They lose their careers. They get chastised by their peers and admonished by supervisors. The old days of attitude adjustments in the alley have passed. We’ve gotten so much better, but in the era of community policing we somehow plowed ground where adversaries planted seeds of mistrust and separation. Maybe all the familiarity bred contempt. Maybe in making everyone Officer Friendly, we did a disservice to the public by masking the reality of being an armed government agent confronting genuine evil and chaos.

Nothing should change solely because of George Floyd and Derek Chauvin. It was a case for a jury, and a jury spoke. We give it due solemn regard and take from it the lessons it offers. The case should not be the center of the universe for whatever gets labeled as police reform. I was asked to comment on what changes in training should result from the verdict. My answer is that this was a human performance and decision error. It was not a training or policy failure. No one teaches prolonged neck compression, and no one teaches delaying medical care when a person in custody is in distress.

If an agency proclaims that it will be changing training and policy, it is tacitly admitting that what happened in the Floyd encounter was normal police behavior. It is like answering the question, “Have you stopped beating your wife?” Were trainers’ eyes suddenly opened to make them stop teaching neck-knee techniques and to ignore signs of medical distress? No, because we’re already there. Agencies are well-advised to state that their policies were reviewed, and to make those policies public. What the public needs to hear is the truthful statement that this highly publicized event was an anomaly, with statistics and documentation to affirm this reality. We are much better served by each agency doing their own research into their interactions with the public to assess their department’s training and culture and apply corrections where warranted.

This is not a call to disregard the verdict or the events that led up to it. We acknowledge the trauma that the nation has vicariously suffered. But like any other trauma, we cannot measure all future encounters by the emotions stirred while in shock. We sort out the real threats, the real solutions, the real perspective, then we stop living in our trauma.

A retired police chief Joel Shults is an award winning writer, college professor, trainer, and first responder chaplain. He is the author of several law enforcement related books and numerous articles. He serves as a municipal judge and a coroner’s investigator in rural southern Colorado. He can be found on twitter @chiefshults, and online at joelshults.blogspot.com and streetsmartforce.com

Easy To Snap: Maintaining Your Professional Composure During These Troubling Times

Chief Rich Rosell

A young cop I know recently lost his job last over some unfortunate social media posts. Ten years ago, nobody would have cared, but today, his posts made him look like the devil. Of course, it was self-inflicted, and could have been easily avoided. The problem was not the fact he made social media posts, rather it was his inability to deal with the subject matter which prompted the posts. He took the daily beatings by the enemies of law enforcement to heart and was unable to accept them for what they are; nonsensical grandstanding by people who just hate cops. None of us like being the brunt of constant attacks. While the attacks on our collective character over the past year or so are as bad as I have seen in the 39 years since I took my oath, this certainly is not the first time law enforcement has found themselves being attacked.

In the 1960s, President Johnson created the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice, which was meant to bring about sweeping changes in police departments. Police officers nationwide were painted with the same brush, made to look as though we were all actively involved in systemic police brutality. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was open hunting season on cops. Groups such as the Black Liberation Army, the Weather Underground and other radicals attacked law enforcement (and other targets) with impunity. I can remember asking my father what lye was after I heard that someone threw it into the face of a New York City cop. In the 1990s and early 2000s, national drug traffickers found sympathetic shoulders on which to cry, and, by leveling accusations of disparate treatment, shut down many major drug interdiction initiatives throughout the country. In the past, we have weathered these attacks, as we shall now in the future. But unlike my friend, we need to take a step back and decide when and where to pick our battles.

This article is not about posting something stupid on Facebook, rather, it is about how an officer can avoid finding him/herself on the brink of ruining a perfectly good career by simply taking a step back before acting irrationally. Had my friend had the ability to handle his emotions, he still would have a job.

Emotion can be difficult to handle. I would be lying if I said I have never lost my temper. We all have. I can remember some advice from senior troopers on how to deal with stressors. “Don’t sweat the small stuff” was my favorite. Another saying I recall was “It’s nothing but a game, so play the game until it’s done.” The most predominant advice in the State Police was “Shut up, stop whining, and do your job.” But these days, we need more than just a saying to make it through our day. I admit throughout most of my career it has been easy to shrug off the day and not take the job home with me. But now, the attacks on my brothers and sisters are omnipresent. They seem to follow me wherever I go. The multiple times per day people come to me and thank me for my service are nice, but they also serve to remind me of why they are doing it. They feel sorry for me; for all of us. I am not pitiable, and neither are you.

There is a book called Meditations, translated by George Long from the writings of Marcus Aurelius. Aurelius was a Roman emperor who reigned almost 2000 years ago. His writings are philosophical, in the Stoic tradition, and are grounded in morals and ethics. It is basically a 2000-year-old self-help book. Aurelius provides level-headed advice on how to deal with most of life’s problems. I must admit that some of his suggestions are just not actionable to the hectic lives of contemporary police officers. It is arguably clear that Aurelius had neither kids nor a first wife. His mother-in-law never came to visit for a few days and stayed for five years. He never worked rotating shifts. His favorite football team hasn’t missed the playoffs for the last 10 years. But there are several lessons in this book which I think provide valuable guidance, arguably more valuable than “Shut up, stop whining, and do your job”. There are three lessons which I would like to share with you.

Lesson 1:

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it;

and this you have the power to revoke

at any moment.”

What Aurelius is saying is let it go. The state of the world today, whether it is political strife or anti-law enforcement, is not our fault. Do not feel responsible for it. Cops have made errors and we are all taking the blame. There is little you can do about that. Let it go.

Lesson 2:

“You need to avoid certain things

in your train of thought: Everything random, everything irrelevant…”

Bingo! Do you really care if ANTIFA thinks All Cops are Bastards? Does it matter to you that Mayor DeBlasio told his children to be afraid of the cops? It should not, because none of it is part of your mission. It is all irrelevant.

Lesson 3:

“Everything that happens either happens in such away as you are formed by nature to bear it, or as you are not formed by nature to bear it. If, then, it happens to you in such way as you are formed by nature to bear it, do not complain, but bear it accordingly. But if it happens in such way as you are not formed by nature to bear it, do not complain, for it will perish after it has consumed you. Remember, however, that you are formed by nature to bear everything whose tolerability depends on your own opinion to make it so, by thinking that it is in your interest or duty to do so.”

This lesson is a little deeper and a little less obvious than the two previous. Aurelius postulates that nature forms your being to be able to handle or not handle a particular situation. Aurelius lived during a period of polytheism, and in his time, nature was blamed or credited with having effect on mankind. Today, many of those effects are attributed to God, so if you feel more comfortable replacing the term nature with God, by all means, do so. For those of you who might be a slight bit offended by that suggestion, I would refer you to Lesson 1.

So, when something occurs in your life that is troubling or traumatic, and you are of the consistency to live with it, Aurelius recommends that you do not give it a second thought (complain) and drive on accordingly. Accordingly is a key word in this lesson, because it implies that while the event might be traumatic, even life-changing, you can still live with it and accomplish the mission by keeping on task.

Part two of this lesson suggests that should you not be of the consistency deal with a traumatic event, complaining is not an option. He opines that if you cannot handle the issue, your option is to allow it to ruin you, for once you are at your lowest that event will go away.

Let’s apply this rational to my friend who lost his job. Had he been equipped to handle the onslaught of attacks on law enforcement, he would have met them with his head held high and not allowed them to deter his evenhanded application of the law. But he was not equipped. Instead, he allowed these attacks to consume him. He dwelled on them; tried to fight them as if they were an enemy with whom he could stand toe to toe. He allowed himself to be consumed with his angst. And in the end, just like Aurelius says, after losing his job, the mindless attacks by our enemies disappeared for him, as he was no longer a cop and no longer their target.

The final part of this quote is a bit harsh, as it suggests that everyone has the ability to overcome anything if he/she is of the proper mindset to do so. I do not necessarily disagree with this assertion. This third point renders the second point moot, for if he is correct, a proper attitude toward adversity will always enable one to deal with it accordingly.

It would be senseless for me to recommend you stop letting these attacks bother you. I could never allow myself to accept them, therefore how could I expect that of anyone else? But I can tell you that you are stronger than you think, and you can bear these attacks on our character accordingly without succumbing to detrimental responses. You don’t have to be consumed by the words and actions of our enemies. Rise above them for the sake of the communities and people we protect. Always maintain your professionalism. Our enemies can’t take away that which we are unwilling to give them, especially our professionalism. And always remember, you are not alone. We outnumber those who would do us harm.

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

Hero Down: Remembering Police Officer Jimmy Inn

Article & Artwork by Jonny Castro

On May 11th, Stockton Police Officer Jimmy Inn responded to a residence for a report of a domestic disturbance. Jimmy walked up, knocked and stepped to the side. A voice on the other side could be heard saying “Hey, police.” In a cold and calculated act, the man opened the door and shot the officer numerous times at point-blank range. A backup unit pulled up just as the gunman was standing over the fallen officer. The suspect raised his weapon and began shooting at the patrol car, which prompted that officer to return fire from the front seat of his vehicle. The suspect went back in the house, emerged moments later with his 8-year-old son and started to violently strangle the boy. A civilian bystander heroically tackled the suspect, which allowed the boy to free himself from harm’s way. The officer then shot and killed the male, ending his rampage. Jimmy was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.

Officer Jimmy Inn was a 6-year veteran of the Stockton Police Department and leaves behind three children, including a 7-month-old son. Officer Inn was assigned to the Field Operations Division and was also a proud member of the department’s honor guard. The well-liked and highly respected officer was remembered for having a heart of gold and was the very definition of what a police officer should be.

Jimmy was 30 years old.

Violent crimes is skyrocketing: President Biden’s Crime Commission

By: Leonard Adam Sipes, Jr.

The White House is putting the creation of a national police oversight commission on hold.

I covered the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement (under President Trump) but it seemed to indicate a lack of definitive research addressing crime and police practices. Nevertheless, it remains an interesting read. President Obama’s and Vice President Biden’s police and crime commission is entitled President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Crime task forces go back to the 1930s.

The problem with crime control and/or police practices is that it remains a guessing game, with advocates inserting their favorite philosophy without proof as to what works.

To my knowledge, proactive (self-initiated) policing is the only crime control endeavor that works. Proactive Policing Reduces Crime per the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Advocates continue to propose violence interrupters or social programs, but the available evidence as to feasibility is limited or doesn’t exist per the US Department of Justice’s Crime Solutions.Gov.

After spending decades in the justice system, my biggest disappointment is that crime and criminal justice practices have such limited research to guide us, breaking the promise of previous crime commissions that data and evidence-based programs could and would partially solve our problems.

From The Crime Report

The White House is putting the creation of a national police oversight commission on hold, nixing a campaign pledge made by President Joe Biden to establish one within his first 100 days, reports Politico. Before coming to the decision, the White House said it consulted with national civil rights organizations and police unions.

Both entities made clear to the administration that they thought a commission was not necessary and likely redundant. Biden first promised to set up an oversight commission last June, roughly one week after Floyd’s killing, calling for reforms to policing, including a national database of police misconduct and a ban on the use of chokeholds, but refraining from endorsing the biggest policy demands from the Black Lives Matter movement on issues like police liability, and declining to embrace their call to “defund the police” and reallocate funding to social programs and community priorities.

Civil rights advocates were especially concerned that a commission would be used as an excuse by lawmakers in the Senate — both Republicans and skeptical Democrats — to stall action on the House-passed police reform bill.

There was clear “commission fatigue” in all the meetings the White House held with civil rights groups and police unions in the wake of task forces established by both Obama and Trump that recommended and defended much, but resulted in no viable policy changes.

Conclusions

Law enforcement and crime control practices are consistently in the news, yet the conclusions of “experts” make it clear that promising practices are little more than conjecture.

Cities are throwing much against the wall in the hope that something sticks. Most focus on social work endeavors. Where I believe that everything should be on the table for discussion and examination, my fear is that violent crime will continue to grow and that citizens living in high-crime communities will suffer the most.

Violent crime and fear of crime are going through the roof because people want officers to back off and not be aggressive (proactive). Firearm and security equipment sales are skyrocketing. People are moving out of cities - US Crime Rates.

Have people accepted a new level of violence? Seems so. Thousands are dying or injured via violent crime but it’s negative encounters with cops that get the bulk of the attention. It’s African American communities that are being hurt the most, but again, no one seems to care.

News reports suggest that the cities where protests and or riots have occurred are being hit the hardest - Governing.Com.

It’s African American communities that are bearing the brunt of the violence - NBC News.

There are articles linking police defunding and lack of proactive policing to increased homicides and violence - Washington Times.

There were 722 more homicides in nine U.S. cities last year, according to police data. More than 85% of the increase was in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods - The Marshall Project.

In my opinion, President Biden’s decision not to proceed with a national commission is an admission that we do not have a clear, proven path to improved police practices and crime control measures.

Leonard Adam Sipes, Jr.is a retired federal senior spokesperson. A former Adjunct Associate Professor of Criminology and Public Affairs - University of Maryland. Former advisor to the “McGruff-Take a Bite Out of Crime” national media campaign. Past police officer. Aspiring drummer. Operator of CrimeinAmerica.net. His book based on thirty-five years of criminal justice public relations,” Success with the Media: Everything You Need to Survive Reporters and Your Organization” is available at Amazon and additional booksellers. He can also be found @ leonardsipes.com

Savoir the Years: Life flies by in a flash

By: Major Wesley R. Wise (Ret.)

Time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of its passing. The years sail by unchecked by time. It seems like only yesterday that I was young, embarking on my dream job as a newly minted Baltimore City police officer, a freshly married brand new homeowner looking forward to starting a family. Yes, it seems like yesterday even though it was eons ago, and I can’t but wonder where all those decades went.

I remember savoring the years as they passed, and I know that I lived them well. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams as they flew by. And so it is that I sit here now looking at the winter of my life, with many more years behind me than in front of me, and it catches me by surprise. How did I get here so fast? Where did all the years go? Where did my youth – and my health – go? I remember seeing old people and thinking that their time was years away, far into the future. I remember thinking that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or even imagine fully when it would get here or what it would be like.

But, here it is, the time has arrived. Most of my friends and family – those that are still with us – are retired and getting gray – and surprisingly, so am I. I see that old person in myself now. They move slower and more cautiously. Some are in better shape than I am, and some are clearly not. Like me, their age is showing, and we are all looking like those old folks we used to see and never thought we'd be. And of course, some – too many – have already passed on to a better being.

Each day now, I find that just getting a full night’s sleep is my target for the day. And taking daytime naps is not a treat anymore… it’s mandatory, and at the most inconvenient of times, I just fall asleep where I sit, no matter the time of day!

And now… as I enter this new season of my life, ill-prepared for the aches and pains of age, ill-equipped to deal with my loss of vigor, youth and strength, and without the ability to remember or to do things I used to do effortlessly and enjoy immensely.

And I look at all the things that I wish I had done differently over the years. Some I regret immensely, and some I will never forget or feel bad about. But at least I know that though winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last ... this I do know – that when it's over on this earth… it's over. No getting it back. But then a new adventure will begin!

So yes, I have regrets; a few of them. I think about the many things I wish I had done but didn’t… as well as some things I should have done but didn’t, but there are also many things I'm happy to have done. A lifetime of challenges faced and met – and some unmet. But little regret other than having not taken better care of myself.

If you’re like me, some of the things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do – or no longer can do. You sleep better, if at all, on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. What used to be freckles are now liver spots. Everybody for some reason seems to be whispering, and I say “Huh?” way too often. Why don’t they speak louder so I can hear them?

So, if you're not living in your winter yet… let me remind you that it will be here faster than you can imagine. And whatever you would like to accomplish in your life, do it now, sooner rather than later! Don't put things off too long!! Life goes by too quickly. So, do what you can TODAY, as you can never be sure whether this is your true winter or not! There is no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life one more time ... so, say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember… and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done to, with, and for them in all the years past!!

Remember, life was a GIFT to you, and the way you lived your life was your gift to those who came after. I hope you made it a fantastic one, as I mostly did. Navigate the time you have left carefully because whatever you yearn for in life, that’s all you have left.

Just sayin’

A thirty-six-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department, Wes retired in 2006 as the Commander of the city’s 911 System. While recovering from a stroke in 2014, he wrote two books about his experiences as a Baltimore cop. Wes has also self-published fourteen books for other writers. Need publishing help? Contact Wes at weswise78@gmail.com. A father of two and grandfather of ten, he and his wife of 49 years live near Baltimore, Maryland.

Law Enforcement is Not Racist: Stand Up and Fight Back

“Policing in our country is inherently and intentionally racist” - RashidaTlaib

Can you believe a U.S. congresswoman tweeted this rubbish with all sincerity to her followers? She actually believes that we are “violent” and “aggressive murderers”! This is a woman who can influence others to transform our profession.

If her tweet doesn’t make your blood boil, you should turn in your gun and badge and quit. What’s pathetic is that her tweet is common thinking among numerous politicians and others in positions of power. Our careers are under attack. I, for one, will not remain silent. I will not sit back and just take it. If you consider yourself to be a part of the “Brotherhood,” then you need to rise up and fight too!

It’s time to sound the charge.

So, how, you ask? What can we do? Well, here is one simple task that ALL law enforcement officers can do to counterattack these imbeciles.

Step 1:

Look up elected officials within your municipality. It’s not difficult to find county supervisors, mayors, county executives, school board members and others who have been put into positions of leadership/power. Go to the city/town/village/county webpage and look for the “contacts,” or “emails” tab.

Step 2:

Cut/paste this to each elected official:

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Democrat from Michigan, recently tweeted:

“It wasn't an accident. Policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist. Daunte Wright was met with aggression & violence. I am done with those who condone government funded murder. No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can't be reformed.”

I want to know where you stand on Tlaib’s tweet. Please choose from the following:

1. I strongly agree with her.

2. I agree with her.

3. I somewhat agree/disagree with her.

4. I disagree with her.

5. I strongly disagree with her.

Please do not respond with a long, politically correct answer, just a number.

Thank you.

(Sign your name and title)

Step 3:

Email each one individually and wait for a response. Give them at least two weeks to respond and tally all responses. Be ready for the usual politically correct crap that typically ensues when you’re trying to ask a politician a question. Stick to your guns! Always be respectful and politely ask them for an answer (1-5). If they beat around the bush and don’t give an answer, mark it down as a “Refused to Answer”.

Step 4:

Once your deadline has passed and you have collected/tallied responses, let the world know! Start with your local labor union. Send out the questionnaire and results to every member of your union. Expose the law enforcement-hating schmucks to our own brethren and explain why it’s so important to vote them out. Send out mass emails to newspapers, radio talk shows and blogs. Expose them, expose them, and expose them.

I’m not going to sugar-coat this. The Democrat party, liberal snowflakes and American-hating commies are our biggest threat. They can ignorantly shoot their mouths off and send whatever social media posts they want to, but they better be ready for some payback from us when they do!

You will notice almost immediately the uncomfortable responses from many Democrats. Based upon my experience, several will refuse to answer, or not even respond. Stick to your guns, continue to push and record everything.

It will be obvious who defends and supports law enforcement. I have found that Republicans and conservatives will typically respond right away with an astounding “5” and thank you for your service. Make sure to thank them for their support.

A warning for all who will follow my advice. Do all of this on your own time, and on your own personal email, and on your own personal computer. If you sign your name and disclose your title, be prepared to explain yourself within your Internal Affairs Division. Some coward politician(s) won’t have the guts to respond to you directly, but they will anonymously send a complaint to your supervisor (happened to me).

I still believe that the overwhelming majority of Americans love law enforcement and support their local PD, or Sheriff’s Office. But, there is a growing, loud minority that wants to see us de-funded, or abolished. If we remain complacent, they will advance in their cause. If we unite and fight, we will win. Your call.

Dave Willoughby is a Marine Veteran, former Firefighter/EMT and is currently a Milwaukee County Deputy after serving as a Juvenile Corrections Officer. He has earned degrees in Developmental Coaching and Communications as well as Fire Science and Emergency Medicine. He is married and is the proud dad to five daughters, six sponsor children, and two dogs.

UPDATE: On May 20, 2021, Deputy Willoughby received a call from a Lieutenant in the Internal Affairs Office of the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office. She informed him that he was going to be suspended.

Editor's Point of View

Spring is finally here! After a long winter with, at times, brutal cold and grueling weather across the country, we pray the warmth of spring continues and for longer days of sunshine!

Speaking of prayer, you may be wondering why our cover story is about God. Has the team at Blue Magazine suddenly become bible-thumping holy-rollers? What happened to their hardness, their aggressive in-your-face activism against self-serving politicians, scapegoating law enforcement leaders and others seeking to throw officers under the bus for personal gain? Trust us — we still have all of that. We are merely offering another example of how important it is to take a public stand on matters of deep principle.

We are very aware of the ideological hair-trigger environment we are in. We know many will attempt to censor and silence our cover story. Even some of our own may take offense, call us soft and poke fun. Go for it. Our message is too important to worry about naysayers and those who placate the PC mob: God is the source of everything we are about.

We are continually enduing horrendous attacks against our profession. Just turn on the corporate media for 10 seconds to hear the lie that bad cops are lurking everywhere, ever at the ready to attack innocent civilians. This falsehood is hyped as are politically divisive theatrics that make for good ratings and corporate profit. Many politicians blow cheap anti-police whistles for personal gain while laughing among themselves about defunding and reimaging the police or replacing cops with civilians who would handle every encounter as if human behavior—often difficult to predict and impossible to understand—took place in a utopian world where 1 + 1 always equals 2 and is just as easy to calculate.

It is clear from what we see regularly in the corporate media that our profession can trust very few outsiders.  So who do we trust in times of adversity? We often turn to our families and our brothers and sisters in the rank and file. But, there is another layer of support that we all too often ignore or take for granted: God.

Define that as you will — our nation came about because of the need to hold, proclaim and celebrate different views. But for us at Blue Magazine, it is the source of what is best in all of us and what sustains us in moments of deep crises, personal danger and political betrayal.

For that, we place God first. Everything else follows.

God Matters in Cops Lives

By: Master Police Officer Chris Amos (Ret.)
With George Beck, Ph.D.

We are living during a time when everyone has both an opinion and the luxury of their own subjective truth to support that opinion. As law enforcement officers, this has produced an exceedingly difficult and challenging environment to operate in.

In a profession built on the foundation of truth and fact, such an environment can be frustrating, if not deadly. Think about it. You have been trained to distinguish between right and wrong, legal and illegal, lawful and criminal. In those gray areas, you have been afforded the use of discretion. It was not that long ago there was a consensus that certain acts were crimes, and it was your duty to take action to enforce the law. Times have changed.

But what if you were told there still are absolute truths? Truths that cannot be changed at the whim of politicians, mainstream media, Silicon Valley or even the Supreme Court. What if you were told that everything we are experiencing today was foretold thousands of years ago?

Therefore, as investigators in our search for Absolute Truth, let us address three truths that we believe to be true, yesterday, today, and forever:

1. There is a God.

2. God is for you.

3. God is in control. 

If embraced, these truths will create a significant understanding of our modern times and will provide a level of peace and sanity that will make your job a whole lot easier.

There is a God

As officers, we all have that mindset that drives us to question what we are told and, if interested, we will investigate its veracity. And so it is with the existence of God. Can we produce evidence of God's existence in a laboratory? Can we prove He exists with our five senses? Well, yes and no. There are "general revelations" of God's existence all around us, perhaps the most obvious being creation itself.

In the Book of Genesis (1:27) written thousands of years ago, the author tells in the creation story that men and women themselves are a type of reflection of God. "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

We are created in God's image with a God-given conscience. We do not need a state law to convince us that killing someone for $20 is wrong. Holding up the neighborhood convenience store is a crime, or raping a woman, or physically abusing a child is despicable. We innately know these acts to be wrong. In a perfect world, the perpetrators would be arrested, prosecuted, and thrown in prison for a very long time. Why? Because they have broken the law, most of which can be traced back to the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God Himself.

I knew much about God having been raised in the Church. I knew God in the same way I knew George Washington. I believed he existed, but I was not looking for Washington to do anything in my life. I did not trust our first president to impact or influence my life in any way. I certainly was not involved in a personal relationship with him. Ditto when it came to God.

I was 24 when all of that changed.

As a Norfolk Police officer with three years of patrol experience, married, and the father of a newborn son, life was good except for a secret addiction to porn that had consumed me. Today pornography is winked at, if not fully embraced. Not too many years ago, it was looked down on; it was viewed as something to be avoided. It was seen as harmful to a marriage and family. It is.

My silent addiction and our profession's stresses had me wrongly concluding that my wife and newborn son would be better off without me. I was young, and it pains me to think about what I had done one summer afternoon. But truth be told, I did the only reasonable thing I could think of to escape. I put my city-issued .38 revolver to the side of my head and began to squeeze the trigger. I was a fraction of an inch from death when I heard what I perceived to be an audible voice say, "There is hope." Three months later, I met the source, author, and very essence of hope, Jesus Christ, and my life radically changed. The God of whom I knew about intellectually, with little to no impact, I began to know personally. He saved my life that day. He would transform it in the weeks, months, and years that followed.

Seven years later, I heard that audible voice again. While pursuing a suspected drug dealer, he suddenly turned, gun in hand, and shot me twice. After falling to the ground, I heard the words, "Chris get behind me." Within seconds I had drawn my gun and returned fire. By the grace of God, I survived. By the wrath of God, my attacker did not. These are just two of the many stories of how God intervened in my life as a police officer. After taking that first step of faith, I went from the realm of general revelations about God to very insightful special revelations on who He was and who I was in His eyes.

Throughout the Old and New Testament, God's followers are found repeatedly sharing their personal stories about and experiences with God, from Moses and the burning bush to Paul on the road to Damascus. Ultimately, the absolute truth of God's existence will be a matter of faith on your part, but I assure you it is not blind faith.

God is for You

This truth is good news. You have been demonized and vilified by nearly everyone, including many who claim to be preachers or ministers of the Word of God. Quite frankly, their position is not supported by the Bible. On the contrary, the Bible makes it clear that God appoints all authority. No exceptions!

The attacks against you by those who are using God and the Bible as a weapon to vilify you are unfounded and not according to Scripture. In fact, Jesus commended the faith of a Roman Centurion as the greatest in all of Israel. The Romans were the occupying law enforcement force in Israel during the time of Jesus. They were simply the cop on the beat in their day. Evidence of this is found in the Gospel of Matthew 8:5-10: 

"Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented." And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard it, He marveled and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"

The Roman Legions were much like officers today, looked down on and despised by many, and yet the New Testament tends to show them in a favorable light. John the Baptist baptized several Roman soldiers. When asked what they should do following their baptism, John did not say lay down your weapons and become pacifists. Quite the contrary, John responded in Luke 3:14: "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

In another account recorded in the New Testament, it was the Roman Centurion overseeing the crucifixion of Jesus who declared at the time of Jesus' death in Matthew 27:54: "So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

The Bible speaks of a time of great tribulation that will come upon the entire world. Satan will be permitted to move unhindered and bring about much destruction. As the ultimate counterfeiter, he will give rise to his Antichrist. This man, who may very well be alive today, has many names in the Bible. Perhaps none more telling than the name, "The Man of Lawlessness."

Who among us would be more invested in demonizing and vilifying officers than the "Man of Lawlessness"? Why such hatred toward officers? Because officers are God's servants. It is not an accident, or mere coincidence that engraved beneath one of the Lions at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. is the Bible verse Proverbs 28:1 "The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion."

Friends, God is with you and for you.

God is in control

Finally, and perhaps one of the most perplexing mysteries in the world is this notion that God is in control. This leads many to ask if God is in control, why does He allow so much suffering, injustice, and evil? This is a question that has been asked since the beginning of time. For example, Habakkuk asked this same question approximately 600 years before Christ was born into our world. Habakkuk was in grave danger. He was alone with the world around him crumpling quickly—there was bloodshed everywhere, and evil was overcoming nearly everything. He called out to God, and nothing changed; instead, it got worse. However, everything inside him changed, and he now found himself filled with hope, assurance, and victory. You see, we cannot control the world around us, but we can control the world within us, and all things are possible with trusting God.

In our personal lives, we have similar experiences like Habakkuk. Two years ago I was standing at my son Seth's bedside, disconnecting him from life support, when I asked why and how this could happen. My son was only 30 years old. He was a faithful husband, a good father, and an excellent Norfolk police officer. He helped everyone, yet he still died so young from an infection. Why? Sometimes the answer is beyond our grasp. However, it is during these times when we have a choice. We can curse God and His lack of control; His refusal or inability to act; and His weakness and indifference. Or we can have faith and remember God is in control, and embrace the many promises from the Bible like Proverbs 3:5-6 to help us see our way through even the darkest, most difficult of days.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

I have made Proverbs 3:5-6 my life's verse. I have been able to navigate many difficult circumstances relying upon this promise. A few years ago, a good friend and fellow Norfolk Police Officer Brian Jones was shot and killed while getting out of his patrol car. A second officer, off duty, heard the gunshots and ran to Brian's aid. He, too, was shot but survived. I rushed to the hospital. I spent the next several hours bouncing between the third floor where I tried to comfort a mother of three young kids and now a widow, and the first floor where I joined another wife so grateful, so thankful that her husband's life was spared. At times like this, I have found great peace in trusting God, understanding that He knows what He is doing even when I do not.

Through all these circumstances, I have come to understand God was, is, and forever will be in control. Horrific things happen not because God is distant, indifferent, or callous to our trials. The exact opposite is true. God has given us free will and permits each of us to choose our path.

So I implore all of you to seek God as did a retired police officer named Willie, who recently passed into eternal life. I spoke to his wife in preparation for the funeral service. She told me Willie's favorite Bible was his Archeological Study Bible. Willie found a way that afforded him the ability to objectively investigate the words on the Bible's pages he was reading. Through study notes, maps, graphs, pictures of detailed excavated sites, and the many treasures unearthed, Willie found historical and archeological evidence to support the Bible's claims. His conclusion, in his words, "Yep, Jesus is the real deal."

As officers, you often are thrust into dangerous, at times deadly, situations through no fault of your own, but because of the choices of others. During these times, remember, God is with you, God is for you, and God is in control even when it seems as though all hell is breaking loose.               

CUOMO: The Fall of the Anointed One

Lt. Patrick J. Ciser (ret.)

Credit: Facebook

Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York since 2011, was well known by his constituents, but not yet a national figure. All of that changed in March of 2020 as he started daily televised briefings on COVID-19. New York and New Jersey were getting hammered more than the rest of the country, as Cuomo took the lead, with other Democratic governors following. Cuomo took well to the cameras and actually developed a following as he was covered nationally and even internationally by CNN. Andrew’s brother Chris Cuomo, a left-wing activist who masquerades as a journalist for CNN, fawned over his big brother while using studio props during interviews. But it wasn’t only Chris who elevated his brother to stardom. Countless Democrats seemingly were captivated by him nationally, also elevating him to sainthood as he became a divisive Trump antagonist for the left. Initially he, along with California’s Gavin Newsom, thanked President Trump for the help he gave them during this tragic health crisis. After all, Trump ordered two very large medical ships to NY/NJ and California to help with the overflow of COVID patients. Trump even had 1,000 beds made available at New York Cities Javits Center in a bipartisan gesture, but interestingly, they remained mostly empty. Unfortunately, party bosses from the DNC perhaps have told Cuomo not to give Trump any credit in an election year, because their relationship somehow went downhill shortly afterward. Nationally, anyone with TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) cheered Gov. Cuomo with every partisan briefing. Many wondered why he wasn’t running for president in the Democrat primary while the daily press conferences continued for a man who apparently liked to hear himself talk.

Police officers throughout the state, but particularly NYPD officers, weren’t happy with him, or state legislators, that were responsible for bail reform. This, an idea that originally was supposed to involve low level crimes, or misdemeanors, but ultimately saw alleged felons also walking out the door within hours of their arrest. The revolving door was only putting cops’ lives and that of witnesses in danger with, ostensibly, no benefit to the general public. Fortunately, the governor saw what havoc it was creating and cut back on crimes covered. Any violent and some repeat offenders were required again to post bail. Problems persisted, however, as NYC saw a 96% increase in shootings by the end of 2020. NYPD, rightfully so, pointed to bail reform as a big part of the problem. Gov. Cuomo also endorsed releasing thousands of prisoners due to COVID concerns. I always thought, if you can’t quarantine prisoners, who can you quarantine? Hey, if they go back out on the street to further terrorize their victims, no problem, so long as they don’t get COVID while doing it. The NYPD told the New York Post that out of 3,793 perps arrested for crimes involving firearms, from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, only 450 of those remain in jail. A whopping 3,345 criminals, according to NYPD data were let go. I’ll never understand the soft on crime policies of the left. According to news reports, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea confirmed that nearly 90% of suspects who were arrested on gun charges this year returned immediately to the streets. Looting over the summer was a big problem for NYC, as well as other major cities in the U.S. but not to worry, bail reform allowed them all to walk after receiving a summons, and again, be at it the very next night thanks to Gov. Cuomo and his Democrat cohorts.

So here we are in 2021 as Cuomo’s fortunes have taken a sudden nose dive. It would seem that the Emmy Award that he received was given a bit prematurely. According to New York State Attorney General Letitia James (D) the Cuomo administration underreported the death toll in NY nursing homes by a whopping 50%.

Credit: Diana Robinson

James and the U.S. Department of Justice are currently conducting a criminal probe into these deaths. Cuomo’s decision last March to allow hospitalized COVID patients to return to nursing homes apparently led to high numbers of infections and deaths that were underreported. It appears that Cuomo’s reckless decisions led to many deaths, and that Cuomo wanted to stay under the radar from the feds. With approximately 13,000 deaths, Cuomo and his staff only reported 8,677. These numbers didn’t quite add up as states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania were reporting much higher numbers. According to The Albany Times, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn have reportedly launched a preliminary investigation into how Cuomo and his COVID-19 task force handled the nursing home data during the pandemic.

Credit: Diana Robinson

New York State Assemblyman Ron Kim (D) recently became aware of the undercount during a private virtual call where a Cuomo aide, Melissa DeRosa, said that they withheld data on the deaths because the information could be used against us, by then-President, Donald Trump. “Cuomo called me directly on Thursday to threaten my career if I did not cover up for Melissa DeRosa and what she said,” Kim told CNN. NY State lawmakers have called for the legislature to revoke Cuomo’s expanded emergency powers that were granted to him in the early days of the pandemic. Impeachment of the governor is also being floated, as the criminal investigation continues.

And if all of this isn’t enough, the Democrats’ “paragon of virtue” was just accused of intimidation and sexual harassment by a former aide, Lindsey Boylan (D). Many of us remember how Cuomo beat up Judge Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing in 2018, with a 30-year-old questionable case. Even NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio weighed in, claiming that Cuomo “has always been a bully” and sided with Lee and his account of events. Stay tuned.

Walk with God to Reach Your Destination

By: Joel E. Gordon

“There is only one religion, though there are a hundred versions of it.” – George Bernard Shaw

So says George Bernard Shaw and I have always felt that to be true.

Although I have never worn my religion on my sleeve and throughout my lifetime kept my spirituality, religion and relationship with God a largely private and personal matter, I did grow up in a Jewish home with a mother who kept kosher dietary laws.

Having grown up in a kosher household, I was taught to have great respect and compassion for my fellow man along with all of God’s creatures. Pain was something to be avoided. For example, kosher slaughter, at least in theory, teaches that animals are to be humanely and painlessly killed for our consumption by using a surgically sharp knife devoid of any imperfection to severe the animal’s carotid artery causing the animal to instantly lose consciousness without undue suffering before imminent death.  

Another aspect of Judaism that understandably affects officers of Jewish upbringing is the long historical need for Jews to question authority largely due to persecution throughout the ages. Blind allegiance was never my strong suit. More recently, the persecution of Jews by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis really hits close to home for many Jewish officers. Within my own family I have cousins who survived and escaped concentration camps after the loss of many other family members. Their stories and lifelong repeated nightmares of the horrors they faced and witnessed serve as a reminder that evil exists and that we must remain vigilant against man-devised controls that threaten our God-given rights. Personally, I was given orders on several occasions during my active policing years and resisted and questioned activities I felt went against my oath of office or moral compass. I can happily state that I never violated those principles which guided me.

My own story is one of assimilation. I was raised in a predominantly Catholic Baltimore neighborhood, did not attend regular religious services or activities (although I was Bar Mitzvahed at age 13), and do not consider myself to be a religious person although I remain a strong believer in God. While I may, as a Jewish person, still be waiting for the messiah to bring peace to our universe, my wife and children are all of Christian belief and accept Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior.

Over the years I have been exposed to the beliefs of many of the world’s great religious differences and have found value and commonality in many of the teachings. I am intrigued with great interest in concepts such as the Buddhist tradition of Karma referring to action driven by intention leading to future consequences. I always feel as though there is so much more to learn. 

In 2019, there were over 697,000 full-time law enforcement officers employed in the United States. I can only believe that the major worldwide religions are all represented among our ranks:

Do law enforcement officers bring the results of their religious upbringing, evolvement and beliefs to work with them? Perhaps, but it’s all good for I have heard it said that those who walk with God always reach their destination.

JASON HARNEY: HOW ONE COP TURNED HIS LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER INTO AWARD-WINNING LAW ENFORCEMENT FILMS

Exclusive Interview
By: Lori Cooper

Q. Please tell us a little about yourself and your law enforcement career with The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, retired Sgt. Jason Harney. 

A. I began my career with the LVMPD in 1991, having served as a member of the 72nd Military Police Company in Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Over the next 23-1/2 years, I worked a wide variety of assignments, including patrol, field training officer and detective. After a promotion to sergeant in 2002, I spent the final 13 years of my career as a first-line supervisor with assignments as a patrol sergeant, academy sergeant, recruitment supervisor and field training sergeant.

Q. Did you always want to pursue a career in law enforcement? What led you to becoming a filmmaker?

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A. The most significant influence in becoming a police officer was my father, Lt. Steve Harney, who retired in 2004 after serving 32 years with the Nevada Highway Patrol. Without his contributions to my life, I never would have had the direction necessary to become a police officer. I learned the technical side of filmmaking with members of the LVMPD Video Production Unit during my time off, resulting in opening my production company, Lightning Digital Entertainment, in 2003.  I worked part time doing commercials, training videos, and events, with the plan of honing my skills in preparation of taking on larger film projects after retiring from LVMPD. Becoming a filmmaker after retiring was always the goal. 

Q. In terms of law enforcement-related films, tell us about your filmmaking career as it relates to those titles.

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A. Since I began film production full time, I have been fortunate to produce, direct, edit, and write three feature documentaries and a six-part docuseries.  Aside from my debut film, the last three projects relate directly to my previous occupation.  In 2018, I met with author and LVMPD Detective Bradley Nickell, who had recently chronicled one of his biggest cases in a well-received true crime book called “Repeat Offender.”  After reading it, I contacted him and pitched the idea of adapting his book into a feature-length documentary film.  We made the film, also titled “Repeat Offender,” over a period of about six months, releasing the film in June 2019 across all of the major Video On Demand platforms.  Detective Nickell’s relentless effort in putting away for good one of Las Vegas’ most notorious career criminals is a story of exceptional detective work and unparalleled dedication to our profession. It was an honor to tell this story.

Also during 2018, I met with retired LVMPD Lt. Randy Sutton, who was in the early stages of creating a nonprofit to benefit injured and disabled police officers.  He knew I had become a filmmaker and wanted to explore producing a feature documentary that would tell the stories of injured cops throughout the country who were treated poorly by their agencies and workers comp, while also suffering from the devastating effects of PTSD. The resulting film, named after the nonprofit, was “The Wounded Blue,” the stories of six cops throughout the country involved in critical incidents who were left to cope alone by their agencies, often leading to tragic consequences. There is no question this is the most important film I’ve done thus far. Released in March, 2019, “The Wounded Blue” is also available on all of the major VOD platforms.  We followed up the film with a six-part docuseries called “Voices of the Blue” which premiered on YouTube in May 2020, with a deeper dive into police PTSD and cumulative trauma. 

Q. Why have you chosen to focus on documentary filmmaking?

A. Working within the documentary realm means the opportunity to tell stories that really matter and are important. Many times, we are helping to give a voice to the voiceless, while bringing critical issues to the forefront that would otherwise be ignored by the mainstream media.

Q. If you had one opportunity to work with anyone in the film industry, who would it be and why?

A. Many filmmakers have influenced my work. James Cameron tops the list, but having already had the opportunity to collaborate with Detective Bradley Nickell on “Repeat Offender” and Lt. Randy Sutton on “The Wounded Blue” has provided me the kind of film career highlight that won’t easily be surpassed.

Q. Please let our audience know how they can reach you.

A.You can find me on Twitter @JasonHarney72 and @LDE_Films or visit my website: www.LightningDigitalEntertainment.com.

The Silent Epidemic Preying on America's Elderly

By Bernard Kerik

They say one can judge a society by how it treats its most vulnerable. That’s bad news for America.

It has become increasingly and disconcertingly clear lately that American society as a whole treats its elderly as disposable objects, that is if it notices them at all.

On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo gave a half-hearted non-apology for his administration's appalling handling of the COVID crisis, specifically in regards to the elderly.

For readers who may be unaware of what is unfolding to be the biggest political scandal in New York’s recent history, the short version is that Cuomo apparently decided to force the elderly to stay in nursing homes where the conditions made them incredibly susceptible to COVID. As one with even a vague understanding of how viruses work would have guessed, a lot of New York’s elderly got sick and died likely as a direct result of that policy.

According to some, the Cuomo administration then withheld (some might say lied about) the true terrifying death toll from the public. As my own mother passed away from COVID in a nursing home I, perhaps more than most, would like to see accountability for the many victims and their families for any negligent leadership that occurred.

It would be easy to think of the New York nursing home scandal as merely another example of a politician lying to cover his own hide.

Unfortunately, it speaks to a larger trend of people in positions of power treating the elderly as expendable.

The scourge of conservatorship abuse has been in the news lately thanks to the ongoing struggles of Britney Spears. While the popstar is in her late 30s, the story certainly draws attention to how this legal maneuver impacts senior citizens.

The shocking case of the late Joann "Mama B" Bashinsky demonstrates that this problem, though rare amongst celebrities, is a silent epidemic preying on America’s elderly.

Bashinsky, who passed away in January, was a philanthropist and a shining pillar of an Alabama community.

The heiress to the sizable Golden Flake potato chip fortune, Bashinsky dedicated herself to improving the lives of those around her.

That was until she lost control of her own fortune and indeed life after Patty Townsend and John McKleroy, two disgruntled former employees, and a judge named Alan King used guardianship and conservatorship laws to strip Bashinsky of her assets and autonomy.

The day after they were fired, Townsend and McKelroy petitioned to place Bashinsky under conservatorship.

They claimed—baselessly—that Bashinsky was mentally incapable of making her own decisions. It was a complete lie, but that didn’t stop Judge King, who appears to have presided over a number of suspicious guardianship cases, from granting the petition.

King resigned abruptly during the Bashinsky proceedings, surrounded by suspicion about his tolerance in the unwarranted harassment of Mrs. Bashinsky.

 "I’m sure I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but none that I really dwell on," he said in his statement upon resigning.

As someone who sat with and interviewed Mrs. Bashinsky for close to four hours… it was clear to me, that this could not have been a mistake, as she was extremely alert, engaging, credible, and knowledgeable on dates, times, names, locations, etc.

So, the real question to me, was motive - why and how could Townsend and McKelroy get away with this?

Why would King allow it?

Bashinsky spent her final days in fear, fighting for control of what was rightfully hers. But perhaps more shocking than what happened to Bashinsky is the fact that what happened to her is actually quite common, not only in Birmingham, Alabama, but in Florida and other parts of the country.

Guardianship and conservatorship abuse is a serious problem of epidemic proportions in America.

According to a 2017 exposé in the New Yorker, roughly $1.5 million adults are under the care of guardians and/or conservators.

Those guardians control assets approximating $273 billion. Elder abuse in America is big business.

But it’s not just billionaire heiresses who fall victim to this kind of thing. In 2018, retired Alabama school teacher Marian Leonard was forced into hospice care against her will in an apparent scheme to steal 300 acres of land that had been in her family for generations.

One would think protecting the elderly is an issue that all Americans, regardless of their political party, geographic location, or social background, would support.

Yet, as evidenced by the Cuomo nursing home scandal and Ms. Bashinksy’s ordeal, preventing elder abuse doesn’t even appear to be on the government’s radar.

That’s a shocking indictment of our society.

As New York City’s 40th Police Commissioner, Bernard Kerik was in command of the NYPD on September 11, 2001, and responsible for the city’s response, rescue, recovery, and the investigative efforts of the most substantial terror attack in world history. His 35-year career has been recognized in more than 100 awards for meritorious and heroic service, including a presidential commendation for heroism by President Ronald Reagan, two Distinguished Service Awards from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, The Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and an appointment as Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Tribute to Sergeant Ken Koeller: A Hero Remembered Never Dies

By: Kirk Lawless

On 28 January 1987 at 2:11 a.m., the Jennings Police Department had one of its brothers stolen from them. He did not fall in the line of duty. We did not lose him! He was stolen! He was murdered! He was murdered because of what he was, a policeman. He was murdered for what he represented. He was an old school "policeman's policeman." He was a hero, a mentor and a friend. He is one of the reasons I became a policeman.

I saw what his attackers (multiple) did to him. I saw the spot where was murdered. I saw his life's blood spilled. It was a horrific scene for everyone who saw it. In my case I was a young police officer, just beginning what would eventually become a long, and exciting, and dangerous career. The images are burned into my mind. What impressed me most about the actual scene of his murder, (which I have studied at great length and with an equal ferocity), is that Sergeant Ken Koeller did not just lie down and die a natural death. In that grim scene there was evidence of a great struggle, a fight over life and death, a fight that he could not win, and ultimately ended in his murder. And yet, he fought, despite the odds.

He fought with all the strength he had. He was outnumbered and attacked from the back. He fought back. He attacked his attackers. His cruiser was dented from the driver’s door to the rear quarter panel. The police radio mic cord was stretched to its limit, nearly torn from the base mounted inside the cruiser. He never had the chance to call for backup.

He fought tooth, fang, and claw. He discharged his weapon as he fought, clearing it, in the event one of his many attackers gained control of it. Oh, the blows he endured as he went down! Several were severe enough to cause death, but his cowardly attackers executed him, regardless as, he lay on that cold hard ground. I am certain that Jesus took his hand and comforted him in those final moments and relieved him of the sting of the bullet that ended his life.

In my mind, Ken Koeller did not die completely on that cold January morning.

He lives on, through me and his brother officers, as we continued to fight the good fight. We fought the fight. We will fight to the death. We do not surrender our weapons. We do not surrender. We do not run away. We are not paid nor expected to do any of those things. We are policemen, and when you take one of us away, others stand ready to take over where the first was struck down. That is simply how it is supposed to be done. The Jennings Police Department has produced some of the finest officers known to man.

When you are a young policeman and you see firsthand a crime so heinous, perpetrated against a brother officer, the tone is set for how you see policing, and for which type of policeman you will strive to become.

There is only one goal, and that is to become a policeman's policeman, the real deal! Ken Koeller was, and is just that, "The real deal." I hope that he would have approved of my journey through my career.

This photograph was given to me by Ken's wife. It was taken on New Year’s Eve near midnight while he was working. When I moved to another department, it was the first thing that went into my locker and 25 years later it was the last thing to leave before I closed it for the last time. It still hangs in my office.

So for everyone who reads this, remember, while you are snug asleep in your bed, there are rough men ready to do violence on your behalf!

My apologies for the graphic detail. It was not meant to offend anyone. I just wanted to paint a picture of what "our world" consists of without painting it in actual colors and with "real" words. That will come at a later time.

Rest easy, brother Ken!

Operation Rebound Recognizes Brian Weiner

By: Michael D. Boll

When we created the Operation Rebound racing team, the New Jersey Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) was the first organization to join up and provide their full support. Since then, we have had a great partnership and work on some great programs together. Last year, during the state convention, our teammate Brian Weiner was elected as the New State VFW commander in Atlantic City NJ. Unfortunately, Brian was elected during the COVID pandemic and had to cancel countless programs and events. However, Brian was able to focus on helping veterans and their families get through these difficult times. He spent countless hours planning and working on necessary programs and proposed better legislation for our veterans.

During the pandemic, several veteran nursing housing facilities had extremely high COVID rates that resulted in numerous deaths. Immediately, Brian spoke out on this issue and did whatever he could to make sure our older veterans were safe and provided a better quality of life.

In the next few months, we are going to launch our statewide anti-suicide and PTSD Awareness campaign and the VFW will be playing a major role in implementing this groundbreaking program. Brian is a huge veteran advocate and will continue to help our veterans in New Jersey live a better way of life.

Brian’s life changed when he enlisted in the Navy in 1994, serving onboard the USS Shreveport in the Adriatic Sea in support of Bosnian operations and then later onboard the USS John F Kennedy in support of Operation Southern Watch in the Persian Gulf. Brian has been awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy-Marine Corp Achievement Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Sea Service deployment medal, and the Navy Good Conduct. Brian was meritoriously promoted to the rank of 2nd Class Petty Officer as an Electronics Warfare Technician and was later selected as the Senior Enlisted Intel Officer for the Commander Carrier Group Six in Mayport.

After being honorably discharged from the Navy, Brian became a member of the Atlantic City Fire Dept. Brian is a 20-year veteran with the department and has received numerous commendations and awards during his time there.

As a VFW member, he has held several offices from post chaplain to Department of New Jersey commander. He has held several positions in the organization to include department community activities chairman, state legislative team member, and national legislative team member to mention a few.

Brian joined the VFW at Brigantine Post 6964 in 2000 immediately upon being discharged from the Navy and is a member of Post 8098 in Egg Harbor Township.

He currently resides in Egg Harbor Township with his wife, Louanne , and their daughters Kelly and Jayla. Brian’s son, 2nd Lt. Collin Wiener, is a West Point graduate stationed in Fort Bliss, TX as an Engineer with the 1st Armor Division. His daughter, Breana, is a sergeant in the USMC serving currently in New Orleans with the United States Marine Corps Band. His father Norman was military police in the Army and served in Korea, his uncle retired from a Navy career as a senior chief and his brothers were in the USMC reserves.

Brian currently serves as the New Jersey department commander for the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

No More Mr. Nice Guys: The Need For Real Leadership In Law Enforcement

By: Ron Camacho

Recently, while speaking with a friend who is a fellow police chief, I asked how the new head of a neighboring jurisdiction was doing. I had not yet met this individual and knew nothing about him. After an extended pause my friend replied, with those famous, or should I say infamous words: "He's a nice guy, … a nice guy." I shook my head in disappointment. Another "nice guy" had joined the ranks as a law enforcement commander. Right about now, you are probably asking yourself: “What is wrong with being a "nice guy?” What’s necessary to understand about this topic is that being labeled a "nice guy" in that context is not an asset among law enforcement officers. It implies that you are ineffective, compliant, someone with no substance. When it comes to the demands of leadership, it simply means that you are weak. The law enforcement officer who says that someone in a command position is a nice guy is trying to be professional and courteous, while keeping his real, negative opinions to himself. A nice guy "goes along to get along.” Unfortunately, we have enough of those in our ranks, especially at the top. In fact, far too many. It is time for a change.

Now, more than ever, the police chief position is the most critical spot in a law enforcement agency. I did not always think that way. For years I remained prejudiced by my years in the 82nd Airborne Division, where the NCOs were the heart, soul and backbone of the unit. Unlike many other nations’ militaries, the U.S. is unprecedented in the degree to which much of the work, and the leadership, falls on the shoulders of the sergeants. When I joined law enforcement, I found great similarities with the military. Chief among them was my belief that the role of the sergeant was the most significant one in any police department, followed closely by the field training officer. However, events over the last five years have demonstrated that without superior top-level leadership the issues facing any department will continue to occur and may even worsen or multiply.

The police chief sets the tone and culture for a department. If the chief is new to the department, it is his or her responsibility to improve the culture where it is lacking. The chief's primary focus can simply be boiled down to two missions: (1) ensure the community is protected and served adequately by a professional, integrity-based and disciplined police force; and, (2) effectively lead, train, and take care of the officers under his command. Both of these missions are made up of many subsets or interrelated tasks and goals. However, if you are a law enforcement leader, you are on the right path if you follow these two maxims: Do not stop there and keep working on your craft.

Some of my peers think that once they have reached the upper management levels within their agencies, they can put their feet up on the desk and relax. One of the worst consequences that befall those who attain the highest positions of command is that they, then, develop a "survivor mindset.” That is one in which they do not make any waves, avoid controversy and confrontation like the plague, and just try to hold on to the position as long as they can. They do just enough to survive work week after work week with their only goal being to make it all the way to that retirement pension. They instinctively know that it’s harder to fire a “nice guy” than a hard charger who is working tirelessly to make change – even if that change is positive in the long run. It seems that change is usually difficult for human beings and seldom pleasant. Which is why it requires a warrior’s mindset to effect positive change; for the person who is the impetus behind it is often unpopular – at least at first. For these reasons, such feckless commanders become the "nice guy." Agreeable but ineffective and weak. They ignore problems inside and outside their departments, hoping they will just disappear.

This is a failing strategy, for when do problems ever disappear on their own? They only get worse, but these ROAD-minded bureaucrats (Retired On Active Duty) hope that the problems will remain in check until after they leave the profession to rest their patrol boots on a beach in Florida or their fishing cabins. Then the problems they ignored, or likely even created, become someone else’s. My friend and fellow tactical instructor, retired Special Forces Sergeant Major John “Andy” Anderson, wrote in his book The Green Beret In You: Living With Total Commitment To Family, Career, Sports and Life, that “Problems are like dirty diapers: they only get worse with age.” Those commanders who adopt policies of procrastination are selfish, and do the officers under their commands a great disservice. Failure to embrace leadership challenges is detrimental to those officers under anyone’s command, is detrimental to the department and breaks the public's trust. We can and must do better.

Police chiefs and other law enforcement leaders must develop a "thrive mindset" where they are continually reaching for excellence, not only for themselves but those around them. Crack open a book, listen to a podcast, go back to school, attend training, find a good mentor; there is no reason why you cannot improve your leadership skills. The law, society, culture and social problems are forever changing. Commanders must adapt to them, but the only way that can happen is by setting oneself on a never-ending path of personal growth, development, education and improvement. No matter how many years you’ve been in law enforcement, or how many command positions you’ve held, there is information out there that you do not possess and which could and would make you a better leader, a superior version of your current self. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable, be bold. That means getting out of your comfort zone. Nothing about being a police chief or commander should ever be “comfortable.” As a law enforcement leader, you owe it to the proud profession of policing, the men and women under your command and the communities you serve to master the trade and practice of leadership. And, yes, it is a practice; just as the practice of law and medicine. Law enforcement executives must cherish and honor their positions. Police leaders have a great responsibility entrusted to them. Earn that trust every day by becoming the best possible version of yourself. Self-improvement is infectious, encouraging and often emulated by the people around you. Constant and consistent leadership development is the way toward organizational and community success.

The path is there, but it takes courage to strive mightily to improve oneself and one’s department. That path is never to be found with, what President Teddy Roosevelt  called, “those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Those “cold and timid souls” are the “nice guys,” and there is no place for them in command of the fearless warriors we lead in our law enforcement agencies. It is, indeed, time for a change.

Chief Ron Camacho is an accomplished law enforcement executive who spent time as an advisor in Afghanistan and Mexico. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, has a master’s in criminal justice from Liberty University, and is the chief of the Chambersburg Pennsylvania Police Department. He is the owner of Camacho Consulting LLC, a leadership and management training company.