THIRTY-SIX YEARS AGO … How can that be?

THIRTY-SIX YEARS AGO …  How can that be?
By: Dale Gabriel

I embarked on a journey like no other, a journey that cannot be defined, a journey that only a very small percentage of people are able to take, a journey that would take me places and show me things that NOBODY should ever have to see, a journey that would bless me with unbreakable bonds, a journey that would give me pride and jubilation, a journey that in the end, is ultimately life-changing!

I left my job that I absolutely loved as a radio announcer/news reporter, packed up my old yellow Firebird, kissed and hugged mom and dad, my then-girlfriend (now my wife of over 35 years, said goodbye, and began the long and lonely 2 1/2 drive across the state, to PA State Police Academy in Hershey.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  Other than being 20 miles away at Saint Vincent College, and coming home most weekends, I had never even been away from home. The next five long months seemed like a lifetime for this college boy, being about as anti-military as they come. I never did learn to march or salute very well, something that would haunt me over the next 25 years.

The Academy classroom work was simple. Learning had never been difficult for me when I put in the effort.  Pool time was easy since I had swum nearly every day possible for the past 12 years or so (although we did not have "pool duty" long because of a problem with the pool) The REST of the academy time was NOT easy.

My knees could NEVER withstand the morning run of up to 5 miles, regardless of the weather. Physical training had its ups and downs. There was fight class, actual LIVE hand-to-hand combat. Sometimes you were lucky enough to get the weak; other times, you were the weak. The shooting range, working details, and much more filled the days.  My parents and troopers I knew lied to me!  This was nothing like college! What had I gotten myself into?  And then, there were the constant inspections. They certainly were not my friend, especially considering I did not have my mom to make my bed or do my clothes.

But after that long, hard five months and finally passing the required tasks, including the obstacle course at the exact time I needed (I still think they shaved a few seconds off my time.  Just a week earlier, I was still far off.), I would become a full-fledged Pennsylvania State Trooper. Trooper Gabriel. Just like the Angel. That had a nice ring to it. I probably said that a thousand times over the next 25 years, pointing to my name tag. My coworkers can attest to that. In fact, some of them started doing it FOR me.

Other than being a father, this was easily one of most important and proudest accomplishments in my life.

I would spend the next 25 years doing what I still consider to have been very important work, taking me from Shippenville in Clarion County, to Greensburg, then home to Kiski Valley for the last 20 years.   I was proud of the work I did. Proud to be a "Road Dawg" for the entire time. I was punched, kicked, bitten, spit on, run down by a car, dragged by a drunken driver, and even attacked off duty, resulting in a fractured skull and severe facial injuries. Yet, like Buford Pusser, I kept "Walking Tall."

I kept plugging away, going from wide-eyed rookie to grizzled veteran in what SEEMED like a very short time.  Several times, I was among the top 10 in DUI arrests in my troop, receiving the High DUI award. For about 18-20 of those years, I had the most DUIs at my station. I probably took part in taking a thousand drunken drivers off the road, and I absolutely hammered underage drinkers. Many thought I was wrong hunting them out the way I did.  Right or wrong, these were things I despised.

My very favorite thing, however, was simply the interaction with people when they were NOT at their worst, not victims, not the accused.  I loved seeing kids out in public and the excitement in their eyes at seeing a policeman, still a hero to most of them. I would let them sit in my patrol car, blow the siren, just talk to them, let them know we are there when they need us, and a friend when they don't.  I absolutely loved being like Superman to them.

I thoroughly enjoyed the hundreds of programs I put on at schools, old folks' homes, town meetings, scout troops, 4-H Clubs, PTA meetings and many more. I was extremely proud to incorporate, then put on for five years, "Camp Clelian," a one-day police camp for the students at Clelian Heights, a school for persons with special needs, the first of its kind to my knowledge. Each year, it got bigger and better. After the last one, I received a personal call from Governor Corbett and our PSP Commissioner. Great memories.

Unfortunately though, as only those of us IN law enforcement know, the job eats at you. It takes so much out of you, changes you. My outlook on life changed. We see a multitude of things the average person does not see. I had so many ups and downs over the years, hundreds of dead bodies, mostly fatal accidents and suicides, drug overdoses, fatal fires, even a few murders. I saw a man die screaming while trapped in his tractor-trailer, as fire raged around him, and caught his dog as he threw it out the window. I found my daughter's best friend and other kids I knew dead in a triple-fatal crash. I held an elderly woman's hand as she expired along the side of the road while awaiting an ambulance, talking to her for what seemed like hours. Delivering death messages to people, telling them they had just lost a loved one, was very difficult, completely draining you.

Over time, it hardens you. I saw people at their worst, injured, hurt and scared. Very often, however, I feel I was able to provide them some kind words, some comfort, which I believed helped them deal with whatever situation they were in.

And I was blessed to work with and become friends with so many great people along the way. Unlike a "normal" job, your co-workers become more than just your friends. They become your lifeline. They are guys and girls you know you can count on when the shit hits the fan. Brothers and sisters that you know will have your back, just as you have theirs.

It's not just those in your own department, but many of those in the neighboring stations, local police officers you work with regularly. Unfortunately, some of these brothers and sisters were taken from us at the hands of murderers. It does not matter if you know them personally or not; each and every one are family. May they all rest in peace.  And now, I see many of my old law enforcement brothers' and sisters' KIDS wearing the uniform. I am as proud of them as if they were my own kids.  And I pray for them as I do ALL police officers. Thank you for carrying on the tradition!

All in all, it was a great career for me. I am proud of my body of work. I am proud to have set an example in my neighborhood, someone people knew they could count on, and someone the kids could look up to. In addition, I was able to work midnight shift for much of it, which allowed me the time and ability to stay active in my three daughters' lives, which I think helped them turn into strong and successful adults.

Those of us IN law enforcement know the truth... but to those not in law enforcement, it's much different than you think. It's not like what you see on TV. It's a calling, not a job. When others run for safety, WE run toward danger. Today's world disgusts me. There is so much blind hatred for law enforcement. So much disrespect. But we are still out there doing the job every day, much of the time for people who do not appreciate it. I cannot believe it's been 36 years, and I have been retired for 11, but I still hold my head high.  I am still proud to be part of a fraternity that most of the world could not or would not do.

Dale Gabriel is a retired patrol and community services officer with the Pennsylvania State Police. After 25+ years of service, in retirement, he has been working on a book of his many PSP memories. He also coaches a baseball team in a Miracle League for those with special needs. He holds a communication degree with English minor from Saint Vincent College in Western Pennsylvania.

Be the Change You Want to See in Agency Culture

Be the Change You Want to See in Agency Culture
By: Lt. Robert Spano

A recent issue in law enforcement is the ability to recruit and retain employees in this particular climate. There are some departments out there that are at full staff, however many are not. A major part of the equation to try and fix this issue is agency culture. Agency culture has a direct and profound effect on recruitment and retention. Departments should strive to have an agency culture where the focus is on strengthening and empowering our employees and teaching them to go out and be the best version of themselves.

Providing Customer Service
In most police departments in the United States, the common and best practice is to give outstanding service to the public. We do not sell a product. Our product is customer service. As leaders, we instill in our subordinates to always give outstanding customer service and to treat the public better than we want ourselves and our family members to be treated. This is nothing new for most of us who are in leadership positions. I think that it is safe to say that this is the common best practice.

Treating Employees Well
Money is not everything. Employees want to be treated well and work in a positive environment where they feel they belong and share a common purpose. We need to make sure that our agency culture creates a positive environment where employees feel supported. How we treat our employees will have a direct impact on this. Employees also need to feel that they have growth opportunities within their organizations. 

The problem I see is that most police departments treat the public better than they treat their officers. This is a major problem when it comes to retention. It also affects the agency’s ability to recruit. Imagine if we as police leaders could change the culture of our agencies and make it common practice to treat our employees the same positive way that we treat the public/members of our community. Imagine the impact this would have on most departments’ retention levels, as well as recruitment efforts.

Empowering Employees
Our goal should be to strengthen and empower our people and put them in positions where we know they can win. We should be using tools like mentoring and coaching to promote this type of positive agency culture where our people feel supported and feel like they matter. This will give them a sense of purpose and will give them more buy-in to the mission and to the organization as a whole. This makes it easier for all of us to achieve the police mission, which is to serve the public. We promote the environment where we expect our officers to go out and give outstanding customer service, to always go the extra step. We lead by example. We set clear expectations. To support all of this, we must give our employees the same great level of customer service that we expect them to give to the public. In most cases, this costs us nothing but time.

Think about how much time and money we invest in onboarding a new employee. Why would we not want to protect our investment? Well, in order to do this, we should be treating our people well, strengthening and empowering them and putting them in positions where they can win. This produces happy, loyal, and productive employees. We should be out there leading from the front, establishing or reinforcing our positive agency culture. We should be just as employee-focused as we are focused on giving outstanding service to our community members.

In addition to agency culture, employee-focused mission statements, mentoring and coaching, is the new initiative for agencies to have peer support teams and be concerned with employee wellness. This is another step in the right direction where we show our employees that they matter and that we are concerned about their well-being. I am happy to see our profession move in this direction where we are more concerned about our employees’ health and well-being. This is truly a well-rounded approach to retention, which in turn improves our ability to recruit.

Conclusion
In conclusion, we need to treat our employees the same way we treat the public. We need to mentor and develop them, and we need to be concerned with their health and well-being. People will tell you money isn’t everything. It’s true. Most employees want to feel a sense of belonging, accomplishment and to feel that they matter to their agency. What better way to do this than to strive for an employee-focused agency culture where we expect excellence from our employees and we give them the best in return by strengthening them, empowering them and place a major emphasis on their health and wellbeing. Be the change you want to see in your agency.

Robert Spano currently serves at a University Police Department in Northern Virginia, where he has served as a Detective/Background Investigator, Police Lieutenant/Patrol Watch Commander, and Police Captain/Patrol Operations Division Commander. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Widener University in 2000 and is attending the FBI National Academy, Session 287

Are Corrections Officers Law Enforcement Officers?

Are Corrections Officers Law Enforcement Officers?
By Lt. Joseph Pangaro

This question, on its face, is simple to answer, but there always seems to be some kind of controversy around it, some kind of mysterious set of qualifications and unwritten rules that will define the answer and cause problems between the services. And quite frankly I’m tired of hearing all the drama, so I thought I would investigate it and come to a final conclusion and end the discussion once and for all.  

As investigations go, we look at facts, make comparisons, discern what the facts tell us and come to a conclusion. As a starting point one has to look at the requirements of the jobs to see if they are similar in any way or completely different; so, let’s go.

First, both groups of officers go to an academy for specialized training, both mental and physical. Both groups are trained in the use of weapons and hand-to-hand fighting tactics. Both groups deal with criminals, both groups are responsible for the safety of others as well as prisoners. Both groups are trained in the laws of their state or our nation. Both groups deal with the worst members of society, people who took advantage of others, brutalized others and robbed people of their innocence.

So far, they seem pretty close in mission, education and dedication. I wonder if there are more similarities.

Both groups can get killed or seriously injured at work at the hands of criminals. Both groups are dedicated professionals who give their all every day to keep the public safe. Both groups have families at home that worry about them because of the nature of the work they are engaged in.

Let’s look at the surface, then, for differences.

Both groups wear a uniform, but some wear plain clothes to do their work. Both groups have investigators tasked with investigating crimes in their jurisdiction. Both groups charge people with crimes based on what they see people do or as a result of an investigation.

Both groups use informants to solve crimes and incidents. Both groups have a hierarchy within each organization. Both groups have to train constantly and both groups can aspire to supervision or leadership of their organization. Both groups have a brotherhood and sisterhood among their members. And both groups are ridiculed by the public for doing their very dangerous and difficult jobs under sometimes horrific circumstances.

Seems to me both corrections officers and police officers are very close in all aspects of their careers. Other than the place in which they do their work, they are dealing with the same people, the exact same people in fact.

Now I wonder what the differences might be that are the real determining factors that separate the two groups of officers and create all the difficulty. Let’s see.

OK, well corrections officers work mostly inside a facility and police officers work mostly outside a facility- there’s that, but I don’t know if that distinction is enough to separate them, let me keep looking.

Police officers drive vehicles a lot and corrections officers don’t drive around that often. Police officers carry guns with them at all times when dealing with dangerous people and corrections officers do not, now we’re getting somewhere. Corrections officers are trapped inside a facility in close proximity to very dangerous people, police officers are as well, sometimes, but much less of their time is spent like this. This is not as easy as it sounded, is it? Seems to me both groups do almost exactly the same kind of work.

Police officers make arrests out in the street while corrections officers make arrests inside a facility. If a police officer arrests a robber, a rapist or a killer, they process them and place them in a cell in headquarters where they have to be watched and monitored. They can be suicidal and have to be closely watched 24/7. Does this make the police officer a corrections officer or are they a police officer with corrections officer responsibility at times?

Our corrections officers have to walk among the killers, rapists and robbers. They process these same criminals and lodge them in a cell and have to monitor them, even suicidal ones, 24/7.

Both groups have to deal with gang members and hidden weapons, ambushes, and threats, drug use- oops sorry, I’m back to similarities again.

We have come a long way on this investigation to find the answer to the original question: “Are corrections officers law enforcement officers?” And like any good investigation once we have the facts, we have to discern what the facts tell us, we make comparisons and judgments based on those facts and come to a conclusion that is actionable. In our case here, the action is to answer the question.  

Seems to me that there are a few identifiable differences in the work of the two groups in question as well as where they do their work and the tools they have on hand as they do the work. We have chronicled those differences here.

As for the similarities, they go deeper. Both groups are highly trained and specialized individuals with serious responsibilities. Both protect society from some very bad people. Both investigate crime, process criminals, interact with criminals and can get seriously injured or killed at work by those same criminals. Now these similarities also include, shift work, working holidays and anniversaries, and kids’ birthdays, but I didn’t really review them too closely as I seek to answer the main question at hand, “Are corrections officers Law enforcement officers,” but there are, nonetheless, more similarities in the professions.

Where, then, does that leave us in answering that burning, divisive and uncomfortable question?

Like I said in the beginning, the answer is simple; it’s right in front of us if we just look for it. But there had to be something else, some other thing that causes such consternation and division between corrections and police officers, either real or imagined.

I believe my investigation made it clear: It’s not the work, that just takes place in different locations, it’s not the people we deal with, they are exactly the same people, only we deal with them at different times- pre-arrest and post arrest. It’s not the danger; both groups bleed and die when dealing with these same people- dangerous criminals. It’s not really weapons; both groups have them and use them, when necessary. It’s not dedication or professionalism both groups are made up of highly dedicated professionals.

The difference then is as simple as the answer to our question. The difference is a matter of respect.

Respect is given and deserved because of the nature of the work that both groups do. That work is vital for a safe and secure society. A place where it’s safe to raise a family, where it’s safe to walk the streets, and a place where we can all achieve whatever we desire. And it’s time for all of us to put aside old, outdated thoughts and beliefs about what makes a law enforcement officer, which I believe I defined quite clearly, and come together under the Blue banner. We may be brothers and sisters from other mothers, but we are all in the same family, the law enforcement family.

So, yes, corrections officers are law enforcement officers.

We have now walked through it and come out together on this end of the question. Let’s all respect the individual duties and responsibilities we have on both sides of the fence and stand together.

Let me know what you think.       Email: joe@PangaroTraining.com

Joseph Pangaro is a 27-year veteran of law enforcement. He retired in 2013 at the rank of Lieutenant and currently serves as the Director of School Safety and Security for a large school district in NJ. He is also the owner of Pangaro Training and Management, a company that provides training to the public and private sector on a host of topics.
Email: JPangaro@Yahoo.com

The Leadership Crisis

The Leadership Crisis
By Heather Glogolich, Ed.D.

We are losing members of this profession at astounding rates, and it is harder than ever to find quality people who want to be a part of this thin blue line family. We will never be able to recruit the right people if we are not retaining our current team members. It is critical that we create a culture people want to be a part of because we sacrifice so much of ourselves to succeed and serve. How do we lead a team of people who are overworked when we are understaffed? Where should the priorities shift? Can we deliver effective services to our stakeholders while also working to support our officers through resiliency and heart-led leadership?

I don’t know the right answers for you, because it relies directly on your specific agency, its leadership, its team members, its internal dynamic and the current culture. As you read this article and think about all the issues facing your agency, self-reflect and ask yourself - Are you a part of the problem? The honest answer is yes - because we all are. That answer of “yes” comes down to us all having different levels of motivation, self-discipline, experience, and perspective. The balance between the needs of your people and the needs of the community you serve is forever teetering back and forth. There is no finite solution for balance, much like that of work and home life. It is a constant give and take for which area needs you and your attention more without completely ignoring the other.

So where do we start as leaders of our respective organizations to build a culture of retention and resiliency in order to help with the recruitment aspect of qualified people?

Get to know your people. All of them. Help them understand the needs of the agency on an administrative level so they can fully work up to their level of internalization regarding the mission and vision. Understand what motivates them. Figure out how they learn best. Help them develop their own “why” as an individual and as a part of your team. Learn their strengths and utilize those strengths to enhance the agency’s professionalism. Understand where they have areas that are in need of improvement and help them without the fear of being mocked or ridiculed.

Lead by example. Continue to do the work that you expect your team to do. I understand that as you promote through your career many added responsibilities and collateral duties are placed on your task lists. Don’t forget where you came from, and while you may feel as though you have put in the work throughout your career and earned the right to not complete the same details as newer officers, the best way to earn trust and buy-in is by walking the walk.

Adapt and display a positive growth mindset. To constantly look for positives while also understanding we need to address the negatives takes a lot of work in a profession like ours. If we expect to be seen as law enforcement professionals then we need to be professional and have that expectation of our entire team. Create and share your goals with everyone and have your officers create and share their own goals. Allow your officers to know that failing is OK and we will never be perfect. The focus should be on failing forward. Try to adapt the mindset that nothing is truly a failure if you learn from it and grow. You succeed or you learn.

Treat your team how you want them to treat others. There is no room for yelling and berating people. Again - professionalism. Para-military or not, we as leaders have to employ empathy toward our people. They need to feel that you are approachable, balanced and fair. Without these three leadership traits, are you really an effective leader or are you gaining compliance through fear? Fear-based leadership may be effective in ways that get the job done to standard, but it is also effective in maintaining a culture within your agency that leads to citizen complaints, excessive use of force, resignation, burnout and unfortunately officer suicide.

Be the leader you would want. This is the simplest aspect of how to address the leadership crisis and is also self-explanatory while encompassing all the previous points. Be the example so that others get rid of their excuses. Be the best version of you in order to allow for the best versions of them.

You will not see change overnight and, depending on your current relationship with the people in your agency, it may take a lot longer for them to trust the process of redefining the culture. Gone are the days of continuing to do things one way because that’s the way they have always been done. The world is changing constantly and asking more from law enforcement than ever before, and we need to adapt our models of leadership to respond in a way that is inclusive, respectful, and effective. It starts with you as the leader by focusing on your team so they can deliver on the front line.

Heather Glogolich is a 20-year NJ law enforcement professional. She recently transferred from the Morris Township Police Department at the rank of Lieutenant. Heather is currently a Captain with the New Jersey Institute of Technology Department of Public Safety and holds a Doctorate of Higher Education from Saint Elizabeth University. She is an instructor for the NJ Chiefs of Police Command & Leadership Training Course, and is a PTC Certified Police Academy Instructor.

Live to Work? Work to Live!

Live to Work? Work to Live!
By: Monica Eaton Crawford

Do you have a good work/life balance?

Is your job constantly running your ass into the ground with being held over, mandatory overtime, or just constant stress and a less-than-positive work environment?

If it's not mandated, are you your own worst enemy by constantly picking up voluntary extra shifts and overtime?

Here's the thing. We all need a paycheck. We do have basic needs to cover for ourselves and our families. But at some point, you reach diminishing returns and that paycheck comes at a cost.

A cost to your mental health, physical health, your time away from work, your time with your family, missed events and milestones with the people you love, etc. Sure, some of those come as a part of the job and it's tough with a 24/7 job to make it to everything.

But, where do you draw the line? At what point is sacrificing yourself for work not worth it anymore?

We work to live, not live to work.

We work to enjoy our income with family, some luxuries or a vacation. We work to enjoy our time off with loved ones, where we can actually be present with them and in the moment. We work to fulfill our career goals and to find fulfillment in the work that we do and impact that we make.

We don't work to destroy our mental health. We don't work to destroy our physical health. We don't work so many hours that all we do at home is sleep, or be so mentally absent we can't hold a conversation with our spouse. We don't work a 20+-year career to be so unhealthy that we become disabled only a few years into our retirement.

Monica Eaton Crawford is the owner/ CEO of Five-0 Fierce and Fit which creates online nutrition and fitness programs designed to help female first responders lose fat, gain strength and take back their confidence in 90 days because “your family depends on you to be fit for duty.” Using her six-year Oklahoma law enforcement experience along with her 15-year background in fitness and nutrition she helps female first responders reach their full potential in life and career. Look her up on Instagram @five0.fierce.and.fit.

If the scales have tipped too far in the negative direction, it's time to fix it. It's time to start setting boundaries. It's time to prioritize your mental and physical health. It's time to cherish your free time and make the best of it. If that means finding another employer who can support you in ALL of your goals (not just career), then it may need the positive change you need to make.

You are in control. What's important now? What's important in your future? What is your legacy going to be?

Set those goals. Make them happen. You can do it.

Monica Eaton Crawford is the owner/ CEO of Five-0 Fierce and Fit which creates online nutrition and fitness programs designed to help female first responders lose fat, gain strength and take back their confidence in 90 days because “your family depends on you to be fit for duty.” Using her six-year Oklahoma law enforcement experience along with her 15-year background in fitness and nutrition she helps female first responders reach their full potential in life and career. Look her up on Instagram @five0.fierce.and.fit.

Skid Row: I’ve had to change from crime fighting to death prevention

SKID ROW
I’ve had to change from crime fighting to death prevention
By: Deon Joseph

I tell these stories not to brag about myself, but to open people’s eyes to the realities I see. The things I do are done by many cops and firefighters, even regular citizens, so I don’t need or desire applause. I just need your ears.

So the past few weeks in Skid Row have been tough. I’ve had to change my strategy from crime fighting to death prevention.

Two weeks ago, I literally brought a man back to life from a fentanyl overdose. He was literally knocking on the doors of the pearly gates. It took me seven minutes to bring him back. When I got tired, I tagged in a citizen. When I saw he was not using enough strength with his chest compressions, I took over again.

I gave the dying man Narcan, but it wasn’t working fast enough. Now I really began pumping his heart. I feared as strong as I was, I would crack his ribs, but I couldn’t let him die.

As I’m continuing, several people surrounded us, some teasing and taunting the poor soul. Others were praying for him. One walked up and bent down and told the man, “That’s what you get you stupid ‘ninja’”

He continued scolding the dying man until I looked up with sweat pouring from my head and said “Bro. Is that really what he needs right now?”  When he saw the look on my face, he backed off while the others continued praying and calling out to the man.

Finally, after minutes of trying, he came back to life. Watching his eyes go from dull to normal in an instant gave me a rush of relief. The paramedics came for him. As they took him, I took the time to educate the public about what to do when someone is dying from what the streets call “FEDDY”.  I then left.

Throughout the day, I saw paramedics pumping on the chest of more fallen victims. I hoped the next few weeks would be better. They weren’t. I had to try to bring back two more. One I was successful with, another, I wasn’t so sure if he made it when he was taken to the hospital.

I went to a community meeting at a shelter and gave a passionate speech about the dangers of fentanyl and how it is killing so many of them. The hands went up. Some with questions. Other statements like, “It ain’t nothing you can do. These people want the shit. They know it’s going to kill them. So who cares.” Another chimed in in a more respectable tone “He is right, Jordan. They actually want it.”  A third man started to talk, and broke down, stating, “I just lost my sister two months ago. I know she didn’t want to die. I’m an addict. And I don’t want to die. I just want to get high. But with every hit, I fear I’m not going to wake up but I can’t stop it. I can’t …”.

He broke down and cried. He mourned his sister as well. I couldn’t pray for him in uniform, but I promised I’d pray for him at 8 p.m. if he would set an alarm and do the same.

I left feeling emotional, and as I left, I got flagged down for another man who was dying. It never seems to stop. The only time it seems to stop is when I show up and disrupt it. But like many, I can’t be there all the time.

I get to the station, and I get a phone call from a mother desperately seeking her daughter. The mother hears reports of fentanyl killing so many, and fears her daughter is one smoke away from being one of them. As soon as I hang up the phone, I get another from a father. I know both of their children. Being a father myself, I went to look for them. But with the tent being up, it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

It’s not just those without housing. Over the radio I hear call after call of “ambulance overdose” inside the area hotels. So many people who just got off the street and housed did all of that to die alone from the same deadly production in their home.

I look at the reduction in tents out there. Yes, some of it is people being sheltered and housed. But most of it is because people are dying. There are times I feel like this is the actual plan to reduce homelessness. I know that’s not true, but how could our government allow such a horrible drug to thrive here. How can we not consider serious consequences for those who sell it.

Why do we have county-funded agencies giving meth pipes to people for them to destroy themselves. Then they want to show up as the heroes with Narcan to bring people back that they gave the tools of destruction to.

I got 4 1/2 years left. I wanted Skid Row to be better than when I found it. But with every dragon we slay, another gets created. And fentanyl is one of the worst I’ve ever seen.

I’ve come to this conclusion: 

·         Harm reduction is evil. 

·         Allowing drugs to flow freely across our borders is evil.

·         Removing consequences for those who sell it is evil.

It’s beyond wrong. It’s beyond poor judgment. It is just plain evil.

Deon Joseph is a 28 year veteran of law enforcement in Southern California - 24 of those years working in the homeless community to create an environment conducive to change for those in recovery, as a Lead Officer. He’s been recognized for his work locally and nationally, and news stories and documentaries surrounding his work in crime fighting and community relations, featured him. www.deonjoseph.org

Turning It All In

Turning It All In
By: Kimberly Stratman

Is my identity really my uniform? The actual uniform? The hat? The badge?

Part of leaving a job, or in my case retiring from the Dallas Police Department, is returning your employer’s property.  Maybe it includes a computer, an ID card, a set of keys or even a vehicle. Some employees might have to give back expensive or high-tech tools. I would imagine many individuals have emotional attachments to the “tools of their trade.” Some items are synonymous with a particular field.

I had to relinquish my pants. (I turned in the exact same size pants I was originally issued 30 years earlier.  Is it awful of me to be pleased about that? After 2 C-sections. They didn’t fit exactly the same, but still). Historically, items in good condition were inventoried and reissued to other officers. I hit the jackpot about 20 years ago when the beautiful Carol Wilson retired.  I was issued all of the pants she turned in!  I know this because her name was written in fancy silver ink script inside each pair. The Quartermaster clerk actually searched the women’s inventory for this identifier. I wore those couple of pairs of pants until they fell apart. It was extremely difficult for women to get pants that actually fit back in the day. And to be honest, they didn’t fit great.  They were somewhat comfortable. I could get in and out of the squadcar and also run while wearing them. Of course, falling down stairs and getting caught on chain-link fences was rough on the pants.

In addition to the pants, I had to turn in everything else, too. This included shirts, jackets, hats, leather wear, ballistic vests, medical kits, radios and weapons. Due to the pandemic, everything except the weapons and radios were thrown into the garbage. Thrown into the garbage while I stood there. That hurt! In a city with major budget shortages, throwing away thousands of dollars of equipment made zero sense. I did retrieve, with permission, some of my leather gear, 2 tourniquet kits and a medical kit, and gave it to some younger officers.

The department made it very simple to turn in my equipment.  All I had to do was gather all my stuff and turn it in. My “check out list” would be signed and I would be done. I would be eligible for my final paycheck.

It took me three trips. I did it in stages. This totally goes against my “get it done” way of living.

My first trip I turned in everything except 1 full uniform and all of my “tools.” I did honestly turn in a bunch of stuff! But I needed my armor in case something big happened.

My second trip, I turned in everything but my pistol and my radio. If you think about it, in a true ****storm, that was all I needed. I had to be prepared.

My last trip to the Quartermaster- I gave back my gun and radio.  That was very difficult. I cried a few tears as I drove away.

At first, I felt weak and foolish for tearing up about handing over an object that I only carried for about three years. (I purchased my original pistol that I carried the first 28 years.) Then I acknowledged that I felt a deep sense of loss. Without any pomp or circumstance, without any celebration, without any select words, I gave up a very important part of my career.(Full disclosure- my SWAT husband was very displeased that I did not purchase my newer pistol.  I think I was more overwhelmed than I realized and did not even think about it.)

I had earned the right to wear and carry each piece of my Dallas Police Department Uniform. 

I had earned the privilege to retire and to turn each piece back to the department.

Kimberly Stratman retired as a Lieutenant from the Dallas Police Department after an exciting and fulfilling 30-year career. She and her husband, an active SWAT officer, have two grown sons and two dogs that get lots of attention. Kimberly is the owner of To the Point Coach, a Certified Retirement Life Coach and Certified Life Coach service that focuses on first responders. Her goal is to ensure our law enforcement community thrives. She can be reached @ tothepointcoach.org

Eagle Scout Project Institution Provides 9-11 Memorial

Eagle Scout Project Institution Provides 9-11 Memorial
By: Cynthia Scott, PIO and Ted Freeman, Executive Undersheriff Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office 

Eagle Scout Yusef Shehat was first exposed to the world of correctional police officers in 2018 as a recruit with the Marlboro Township Police Department’s Youth Academy. The Youth Academy had a tour of the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, a 1,328-bed direct supervision facility in Freehold Township, New Jersey. During that tour, Yusef and the members of the Youth Academy learned of the training required for correctional police officers, the challenges that they face daily and the high standards that correctional police officers are required to maintain. It was during that tour that Yusef began to envision his project to become an Eagle Scout, and that project would be to provide a 9-11 Memorial for the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office located at its largest division, the Monmouth County Correctional Institution. When asked why he selected that location, Yusef replied, “After learning about corrections from the tour in which I participated with the Marlboro Township Police Department Youth Academy, I recognized that this area of law enforcement lacked the well-deserved professional recognition of other areas of law enforcement and that this project might help change that perception.

Yusef Shehat is a member of Old Bridge Troop 219 of the Monmouth Council of the Boy Scouts of America. His Scoutmaster is Paul Hurley, and his Eagle Committee Chairman is Michael Mahon. After completing all the prerequisite requirements, Yusef’s Eagle Scout Project was approved on Aug. 13, 2021.

To raise funds for the construction of the 9-11 Memorial and surrounding grounds beautification, Yusef sold patriotic socks of which 70% of the funds required were raised. The H.T. Hall Monument Company in Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey, worked with Yusef to create a meaningful monument with an attainable budget. The results were stunning. Yusef is still in the process of fundraising as he still must meet his set fundraising goal.

The biggest obstacles that Yusef faced were the delays caused by COVID–19, which delayed the completion of the project for several months due to transportation and other related issues caused by COVID-19. The 9-11 Monument was delivered in mid-October. 2022.

Yusef’s largest supporters have been Garden State Law Enforcement Officers Association, PBA Local #240, FOP Lodge #30, the H.T. Hall Monument Company, surrounding local town community days and social media.

While actively engaged in fundraising for the Eagle Scout 9-11 Project, Yusef had the opportunity to meet with many people who shared their personal stories of Sept. 11, 2001 with him. Yusef said, “It was an honor to meet them, share in their stories of loss, and of heroism, and to commemorate the legacy of all of our heroes.”

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To date, Yusef has logged more than 400 hours and has expended approximately $16,000 for the completion of the Eagle Scout Project.

Yusef Shehat is a graduate of Old Bridge High School and will attend Rutgers University. Yusef remains a police cadet in Marlboro Township, where he attained the rank of cadet captain. He is a graduate of phases 1, 3 and 4 from the New Jersey Law Enforcement Explorer’s Youth Academy, the New Jersey State Police Trooper Youth Week, and has garnered personal achievement awards throughout these experiences. He looks forward to starting his law enforcement career as a Special Law Enforcement Officer (SLEO) with a goal of becoming a New Jersey or New York State Trooper or a Federal Law Enforcement Officer.

During the span of Yusef’s Eagle Scout Project, Warden Victor Iannello, Capt. Shawn Reece, Capt. Jason McCauley, Capt. Thomas Campagnolo,and Lt. Raymond Paul offered invaluable assistance in coordinating county resources and onsite activities. Warden Iannello presented Eagle Scout Shehat with a commemorative award at the Eagle Scout Ceremony on behalf of the men and women who faithfully serve the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division as professional correctional police officers and supervisors.

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said, “We are grateful to Eagle Scout Yusef Shehat, Old Bridge Troop 219, Boy Scouts of America, Michael Mahon of Monmouth Council, Boy Scouts of America, Scoutmaster Paul Hurley and Yusef’s parents, Stefanie and Mazen Shehat, for the selection and approval of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office as the beneficiary of this Eagle Scout Project. Thanks to Yusef’s Eagle Scout Project, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office has a lasting monument to the memory of those who died on September 11, 2001. Let us never forget.” The monument is in the circle in front of the main entrance to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, 1 Waterworks Road, Freehold, New Jersey.

The Eagle Scout Ceremony was held at the Old Bridge Civic Center in Old Bridge, New Jersey and attended by local and state dignitaries, Troop 219 of Monmouth Council, Boy Scouts of America, family, friends, and the administrative staff of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office - Correction Division.

Blue Life Support

Blue Life Support
By: Chris Amos

I am Pastor Chris Amos, a member of the team of LEOs put together for the sole purpose of encouraging and supporting our brothers and sisters in Blue. I’m a retired police officer. I worked almost 27 years for the Norfolk Virginia Police Department, retiring in 2014. My youngest son, Jesse, is currently on Norfolk’s SWAT or Special Operations Team. My oldest son, Seth, was also a Norfolk police officer before dying in 2018 from complications of an infection he received while training for SWAT School.

I’ll share more about Seth in the future but today I just wanted to say thank you, offer a quick word of encouragement and extend a challenge. 

In 1999, I was ordained as a pastor. In fact, I spent the last 15 years on the NPD as a bi-vocational pastor. That simply means I made a living bouncing between the frying pan of police work and the fire of pastoring.

I’ll never forget the shortest sermon I ever preached. It went something like this: “Good morning folks. Glad to see you. If you have your Bibles turn to …” before I could finish my sentence I was interrupted by a call from work. I was needed at a domestic-related homicide suicide scene not far from the church. After getting the message, I turned to the congregation and said let’s pray. A couple minutes later I was out the door headed to a gruesome crime scene and my folks to the Greasy Spoon café.

Seriously, though I as a pastor I have officiated more LEO funerals both active and retired, than I can count. I was struck by one I conducted just a few days ago. A good man and retired NPD officer named Willie had just passed away at young age of 68. While preparing for his funeral service, his wife told me his favorite Bible was his Archeological Study Bible. It was a Bible filled with study notes, graphs, maps and pictures of archeological sites and important historical excavations and findings.

I couldn’t help but smile. Think about it: Is there an occupation where an individual is lied to more than that of a law enforcement officer? “ain’t my car”, “ain’t my gun”, ain’t my jacket”, or my favorite right after pulling crack out of a suspect’s pockets, “Officer, these ain’t my pants.”

After years of being lied to who can blame you if you don’t believe most of what you hear?

That brings me back to Willie and his love for his Archeological Study Bible. Willie was able to not just read words on a page and choose to base his life on those words. No, he found a way to dig into the archeological and historic record to find supporting evidence on the reliability and truthfulness of The Bible. Even more importantly, on the claims of Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God. His final conclusion as a veteran Cop and detective, “Yep, Jesus is the real deal.”

Friends, I just want to encourage you to conduct your own investigation about Jesus and His claims. While much of what He stated MUST be taken and accepted by faith, there is a boatload of evidence that corroborates His life, death, and resurrection from the dead! The very foundation of the Christian faith.

How important is corroboration?  On Jan 3, 1996, at 1931 hrs, I was shot twice before returning fire and killing my attacker. Our homicide investigators spoke to me while still in the hospital. I told them what happened. A year later I looked at the file of my shooting and saw that a 19-year-old young woman was on the street at the time of my shooting. I never saw her. As I read her statement I discovered it corroborated everything I had said. Would the facts have changed had she not been out there that night? Nope, but her first-person eyewitness account that corroborated my statement sure didn’t hurt.

I had the opportunity in 2005 to go to Israel. I can tell you my first-person eyewitness account is simply this: The vast archeological records in Israel, from the Sea of Galilee in the North to Jerusalem in the South, and everywhere in between corroborates what I have been studying in the Bible for 32 years. 

Friends, I challenge you to do a little digging. The Bible can withstand even the greatest of scrutiny. Trust me, if on trial Jesus would be more than able to withstand the most aggressive of cross examinations. In the infamous words of Detective Willie, “Yep, Jesus is the real deal.”

If you want additional information please check out Bluelives.Support. That will take you to The Cornelius Project; a goldmine of resources to support and encourage you, your marriage, and family. The best part, it’s by LEOs for LEOs.

God Bless, be safe, and Lord willing, I will see you at the Finish Line!

Chris Amos is a retired officer and former spokesperson for the Norfolk Virginia Police Department. He is currently the pastor at Chr1st Fellowship Church in Norfolk. He is married for over 30 years and is the proud father of three children, two of whom are police officers. He serves as the volunteer Chaplain for Norfolk Police Dept. and Norfolk Sheriff’s Office.

Remembrance: Police Officer Darrell Cunningham

Remembrance: Police Officer Darrell Cunningham
Article & Artwork by Jonny Castro

On November 4, 2023, off-duty Los Angeles Police Officer II Darrell Cunningham was traveling in Northridge when a drunken driver disregarded the red signal and collided with the passenger side of his vehicle. It’s estimated that the 20-year-old suspect was traveling in excess of 100 mph at the time of the crash. Officer Cunningham and the front seat passenger were killed instantly. An off-duty San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputy was a rear-seat passenger in Darrell’s car, and also suffered severe injuries. All three of them were described as lifelong friends with each other. The unconscious suspect was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He’ll be charged with gross vehicular manslaughter and related offenses.

Officer Cunningham served the LAPD for just under five years and was assigned to overnight watch at the West L.A. Station. He leaves behind a fiancée, two young sons, his mother and two brothers. Darrell was described by the Chief of Police as hardworking, honest and the person you can count on to get the job done.

Publisher's Point of View

As the publisher of the Blue magazine, I am proud of our accomplishment of interviewing a former president of the United States. This pinnacle of success is a first for our publication. I thank everyone on President Trump's team who made it happen. I also thank our team, who tirelessly work to make our publication the best independent voice in law enforcement.

While I reflect here on our success, at the same time, I am angry because once again, the current climate in law enforcement is horrendous. I am seeing firsthand that many officers, now more than ever, are experiencing anxiety, depression, and instability. What angers me is the cause of their troubles is not because of the routine transactional part of their duties serving and protecting; rather, the culprits are the corporate media, so-called law enforcement administrators, and slimy politicians. Turn on the news and you will see violence en masse in all of our major cities — I am talking old ladies walking with canes being beaten by lunatics, and yet, where are the administrators, chiefs, sheriffs, or whatever leader titles they hold — Where are they? They know what's going on. They have all the intel and resources, yet they are sitting on their hands while victims are stacking up like cordwood. So let me be direct: Stand up, so-called leader, do something! Tell your political cronies and the phonies in the corporate media the truth!

It would be nice to hear a talking head with a white shirt and whatever bedazzle they have on their uniforms, that in many communities, it's the politicians and the corporate media who are behind the curtain, either offering tacit approval of violence or whistling past the graveyard, to knock it off. Tell them their foolish policies that hug criminals and hate cops are destroying our communities. Handing out hugs and kisses for criminal behavior is a slap in the face to crime victims and all law-abiding Americans. But you won't hear that coming from these frauds who call themselves leaders. The system itself is rigged so that politicians control their so-called leader to the point that usually, the one chosen to occupy that big desk is the one who is easily controlled. Tell me I am wrong. We all know it.

This is why when the opportunity arose to interview President Trump, I was excited. Here's a man who dares to speak his truth to the corporate media and the loathsome politicians who've forgotten why they were elected and who they serve. Trump speaks out against his party. Nobody owns his thoughts or words, and we need that courage in our law enforcement leaders.

Also, you would need help finding another president of the United States who supports law enforcement as much as Trump does. This is also why he is on our cover. Trump respects and honors law enforcement, and therefore, he is most deserving of our cover.

Allow me a moment to speak directly to our officer struggling with mental health issues. Listen, I get it. Why wouldn't you be? Not only do you have to do a job that puts you at risk of losing your life, but you are also just moments away from being incarcerated because of a mistake. Many of you risk your lives in communities without respect for what you do, nor do they value your life. We get it. That is why we have many organizations, including our nonprofit Moment of Silence, which is here to help you through any struggles you may have. No matter what you're facing, we are here for you. Your life is worth far more than any “mistake” they say you've made. This is our purpose. So please stay strong. Times will get better. Stay committed to your life. Your mindset is everything. Protect it. And do not let any negativity set you back. Look at what Trump endures daily. He's attacked, slandered, accused, indicted and arrested for bullshit. No person deserves this. Yet, Trump continues to stay positive and inspires us all. I find true inspiration from a president like him. Therefore, our prayers are with him. Our law enforcement community supports and respects him. May God be with President Trump, and may God be with our country and all of you.

MANAGING EDITOR'S POINT OF VIEW

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going” is a popular American English proverb meaning “When the situation becomes difficult, strong people are able to step up and handle it.” Attributed to both John F. Kennedy’s father and the American coach K. Rockne, it was also popularized by a Billy Ocean song.

Those who are lacking in toughness are individuals who give in to fear and their own insecurities. It has been said that God has not given us a spirit of fear or timidity but of power, love, and a sound mind. The definition of a sound mind is “having the capacity to think, reason, and understand for oneself.”

The best in law enforcement among us are the last people to cut and run but instead are known for running (often lights and siren) into danger as protectors of our society for the greater good.

It must be no different in our response to cut and run cancel culture. It is those who choose to indoctrinate rather than seek information leading to educated reasoning that are seemingly disingenuous in cries for change and reform. Growth in neither knowledge nor remedy occurs without the ability to gain insights to facilitate our own individual critical thought abilities in search of best outcomes for our tomorrows.

As we have grown to emerge as one of America’s leading recognized magazine publications, BLUE magazine has been afforded many opportunities for interviews with numerous law enforcement leaders and advocates. In this issue you will find fascinating interviews of two people who, among others we know, represent toughness personified to an extreme level… President Donald Trump and also My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell. 

We continue to share the thoughts of some of the best intellects known to us. Check out the list of our all-star team of writers which comprises some of the greatest people we know who take the time to share their knowledge, actions and best practices. In the spirit of the unity we experienced on the heels of the unconscionable terrorist attack on 9/11/2001, let's keep reaching out for one another as we continue to promote, peace, safety and the best possible outcomes both now and ahead of us.

Joel E. Gordon, Managing Editor

BLUE MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: President Donald J. Trump: America’s Foremost Broad-Shouldered Leader

BLUE MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: President Donald J. Trump: America’s Foremost Broad-Shouldered Leader

Donald J. Trump was a peacetime president, a skilled negotiator on the world stage with allies and foes alike, who had the American economy running on all cylinders. We unequivocally believe he was the best president in modern memory, partly because he wasn't a politician, and mostly because he always had America's best interests at heart. America's first policies were long overdue in a country that for many decades was taken advantage of on multiple levels and by many actors. Trump championed law enforcement, our military and veterans, and the common folk who often felt cast aside. When hostile foreign adversaries threatened America, he took them to task — avoiding war and the loss of lives.

Why would a law enforcement publication surface this seems counterintuitive and vacuous. However, if you need to ask this, you have not been paying attention to Blue Magazine and why we exist. For well over a decade, Blue Magazine was the loudest (and at times lone) voice speaking out against the abuses of power — the injustices levied against good officers by loathsome, self-serving politicians and their coconspirators in the corporate media who scapegoated law enforcement for political expediency and profit. Consider how many officers over the last decade were wrongfully investigated, indicted, arrested, jailed, or had their livelihood destroyed for doing their job. We are not naive. These same corrupt politicians and corporate media ilk attacking law enforcement did not disappear; they simply turned their artillery on President Trump in an all-out war to destroy him. Sounds familiar to us.

In this exclusive interview, you will see a family man — husband and father of five children - whose incredible toughness, determination, and resolve are unmatched. You will also see how the weaponization of our two-tiered justice system is neither novel nor a fallacious concept, rather continuous, unabated, and seemingly prospering. We as a nation deserve better.

Yet, while Trump endures personal and professional attacks of massive proportions, he continues to push forward and succeed. Let this serve as an example for everyone, including all officers in our great nation, that overcoming great adversity is possible with true grit, determination, commitment and clarity of focus.

Blue Magazine thanks President Donald Trump for having this needed conversation.­­

Blue Magazine: We feel honored and grateful to have you here with us today. We really appreciate all the important things you have done for this great country, and we thank you very much for all your hard work.  We are here to support you, just like you have supported us.

President Trump: Thank you very much. I appreciate it. These are bad times in our country, really bad times. We're allowing so many criminals to come in.

Blue Magazine: Many in our country know of your true admiration and support for law enforcement, no other politician in modern memory comes close to you in this regard. Can you tell us when and how your admiration and support for law enforcement began?

President Trump: I watched how New York was doing when New York was run by America's Mayor, Rudy Giuliani and of course the great Bernie Kerik and all of the different people that did such a great job. The city was plagued by numerous issues and was considered a dangerous place. Under Rudy's administration, New York became the safest big city. Now that's leaving, but it's not because of law enforcement, it's the leadership. They refuse to allow law enforcement to do their job. The police are great in New York, the greatest. They refuse to allow them to do their job. And you see the crime statistics … (Similarly) I'm dealing with it right now. They are going after Trump.  Murderers and drug dealers and everything else they have no problem with, they go after me on something that everybody says is not even a crime. They're spending millions and millions of dollars going after me, and in the meantime, murderers are walking all over the streets. It's just incredible. So, I've always admired law enforcement. I've always understood just from a common-sense standpoint what can be done. The best example that I can think of is what Rudy and his leadership did in taking over New York because New York was really bad. It was really dangerous, and he made it a different place.

Blue Magazine: President Trump, I would appreciate your insights on the factors contributing to the prevailing negative sentiment towards law enforcement and your perspective on potential solutions to address this issue.

President Trump: Well, I can only think it’s people that hate our country. I mean, why would somebody want open borders where prisoners by the thousands, tens of thousands, are being released from other prisons all over the world, into our country? They're being released from mental institutions and insane asylums all over the world. They're being poured in. These are not stupid people, look at the way they cheat in elections. They want to defund the police and they still want to defund! You know, they try and play that down a little bit because it doesn't exactly play well in polls. I watched what happened when they tried to defund the police in Minnesota, they're still trying it. It's incredible. Remember when they took over the police department in Minnesota, they literally took it over the Minneapolis police department. The whole thing is crazy. And we have to be very strong. And, you know, the press plays into it because the press tries to turn everything into a major bad effort. And we can't allow that to happen. We have to bring back our police. We have to bring back law enforcement. You're not going to have any cities. The country itself is going bad because this is now moving into the suburbs. This is spreading. This is like cancer, what is happening. I stopped it and I will stop it again.

Blue Magazine: Mr. President, how do you think President Biden has handled this increasing resentment against law enforcement?

President Trump: - I don't know that he knows what's going on. I really don't. I mean, I hope he does, but I don't know that he knows what's going on. He keeps the border open and then he says to everybody, the border is secure. 

I think we'll have 15 million people come in this year. It's bigger than New York State. I had the safest border in history and now we have the most unsafe border in history and that's in the world. That's not just New York, that's in the world because there's never been a country, third world or not, that allowed people to come in like they're coming in here. We had the safest border in the history of the United States, and now we have, I believe, the most unsafe, the worst border anywhere in the world ever. There's never been anything like this.

Blue Magazine: Regrettably, the politicization of certain law enforcement agencies, particularly at the federal level, is exceedingly remarkable in numerous aspects. As law enforcement officers, what measures can we take to prevent this? Furthermore, if you are re-elected as President, what actions would you undertake to curb this issue?

President Trump: Well, you have to complain. Look, we're losing our country and people are afraid to complain and speak up. You're allowed to, under the Constitution, to object. People are afraid to object. You know, what they've done is they've silenced everybody. They silenced them in fighting for the election. The judges don't want anything to do with it. They're afraid. The judges are afraid. The Supreme Court was afraid they were afraid to do what was right. It's incredible. I see it all the time. The people must object and that includes law enforcement. They're allowed to make their points. When you watch a policeman stan-

ding outside a store where you have hundreds of people, largely young people, and they're running out of these big stores with all the merchandise literally stealing it and the cops are standing there doing nothing and they're there because they don't want to lose their job. They don't want to lose their pension. They know if they did anything at all, their job is gone, their pensions gone, and maybe they end up in jail. We can't have that. We have to protect our law enforcement.  The police could do the job very easily. They know how to do the job. They even know the bad ones from the good ones. I mean, I know the people in Chicago. They're wonderful. They're just not allowed to do their job. New York, I know the best, New York's finest and they're not allowed to do their job. If you look at the crime statistics in New York this year everything's up 40%, 50, 60, 70%. And then you have Alvin Bragg trying to get Trump for non-disclosure agreements and spending tens of millions of dollars.

Bernard Kerik: Mr. President, considering the events that transpired on January 6th, specifically, the targeting of individuals engaged in peaceful protests, as well as the controversies surrounding the 2020 election. No one is more aware of these matters than yourself, yet I personally witnessed the affidavits, the compelling evidence, and the instances of voter and election fraud, along with various improprieties. The question then arises: How can we prevent a recurrence of such incidents in the upcoming 2024 election?

President Trump: You gotta go to paper ballots and we have to have voter id! We have to stop mail-in voting. Mail-in voting is a disaster. Some of these elections never end and mail-in voting goes on for weeks and weeks. Our elections are full of corruption. Bernie, you know that because you were a part of it. We have affidavits from the people, high-quality people swearing with their lives on the line, and nobody wants to even look at it.

Bernard Kerik: People have asked me if Attorney General Barr was going to investigate or if he did investigate or if the GBI in Georgia investigated. It seems nobody investigated. The concern is that it doesn't happen again in 2024.

President Trump: Barr was a disgrace. Barr was a coward. The Democrats wanted to impeach him, which they could have done easily. Many of these people are very dangerous, and they stick together, and they wanted to impeach Barr. As soon as that happened, he became an amoeba. He became totally unable to do his job, in my opinion, and I should have fired him, but it was very much toward the end.  Ultimately, I did say get out, but he really became a very ineffective guy. He didn't want to be impeached, but he was a coward. He looked at the situation in Georgia he looked at all of that evidence with the voting that night, remember the water main leak, Bernie? All of the things that went on with the water main and everybody ran out and then these people came back in. He looked at that and he said there was nothing wrong. I said, really? What about the water main break? He said, oh, I didn't hear anything about that. Well, that's how they got everybody out of the room. How could you not have heard about it? He didn't want anything to do with any of it. He had his U.S. attorneys  not do any work on it. Barr  was a disgrace. He was well; (…) he was a pathetic, weak guy. Now I see him on television sitting back and explaining to people what to do, he had a chance to do it. You know, we had a great administration, the greatest economy ever, the greatest everything.

The same thing happened in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, the U.S. attorney in Pennsylvania wrote a letter that Bill Barr would not let him do his work. He wouldn't let him do his work and ruined his reputation over that.  Take a look at the letter that was written by the U.S. attorney in Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia. It was mind-boggling. He didn't want to be impeached. And he was a coward.  It's a shame. When I see him on television, I mute him. He was a coward. He had a chance to do something. He should have looked at the Hunter Biden stuff. But they go after me for a non-disclosure agreement? My worst enemies are saying this case is ridiculous!

This is election interference. This is another form of cheating. They cheat in many different ways. They stuffed the ballot boxes. Look at the FBI the FBI cheated when they called Twitter and Facebook and essentially told them not to do anything with the Hunter Biden stuff. If you want, do some bad stuff to Trump, you know, that made a 17-point difference, according to McLaughlin and pollsters.

So, you know, there's so much there; there was so much cheating and in so many different ways. Our elections are third world. And frankly, our country right now is third world, including its airports that don't work. We had the greatest country ever and then COVID came in and we fixed it, we did a great job on that. We didn't get credit for it whatsoever. The stock market was actually higher than it was pre-covid.

­Blue Magazine: The issue of active shooters persistently poses a threat to educational institutions and other designated gun-free areas. What measures should be taken to mitigate these devastating incidents, and how can we effectively address and prevent such tragedies?

President Trump: Well you have to put proper people that know how to handle weapons in the schools. In my opinion, you could take 5% of the teachers, some of whom are veterans and know guns very well and you wouldn't have a problem. I mean, they would do an incredible job. They love the students. They want to protect the students. But you have to, you could do that, and you could put armed guards in. But good ones, you know, we have great vets. We have great people. And there's always a downside to everything, no matter what you do. But I've always liked the idea of a small percentage of teachers having guns. Those that are capable of handling guns.

Blue Magazine: One of the topics we were discussing pertains to the fact that we are unaware of anyone who encounters a greater influx of hostility and criticism than yourself. This occurrence appears to transpire on a substantial scale. Given that you are persistently subjected to attacks, including those presently emerging, how do you personally manage to overcome these challenges?

President Trump: It's very interesting. It's the question I get asked more than any other, they say, sir, how do you do it? First of all, I'm not guilty and I fight. I fight so hard and so much, I don't have enough time to think about it, probably because if you did think about it, you'd go put yourself in a corner, put your thumb in your mouth and say, Mommy, take me home. But I get that question so much "How do you do it?" I have a bunch of thugs coming after me all the time. Dishonest thugs. Look at this Bragg. He campaigned on the fact. He campaigned on the fact I'm going to get Trump. He knew nothing about me. He never saw me. (…) They looked at over a million documents and they say remember the tax returns and they came up with a charge of a non-disclosure agreement that was totally legal, they do them everywhere, non-disclosure agreements, they're the standard. And they will probably spend 100 (million?), by the time this is over. I hear New York is like an armed camp right now. By the time they spend all the money, they'll spend hundreds of millions of dollars on this, and they could have spent it going after the murderers and killers and rapists all over New York who are walking the streets where people don't want to leave their apartments anymore.

Blue Magazine: Mr. President. Blue suicide, Is a major issue in law enforcement. Every 72 hours an officer takes his or her own life. Could you speak directly to that suicidal officer, what message or advice would you give them?

The BLUE Magazine 2020 Man of the Year - President Donald Trump

President Trump: Look, I say this. You're in one of the most noble professions. It's an incredible profession. I saw it in New York, and I've seen it in other places. And I've seen it when they're really down and out where they're not allowed to do their job and they're almost embarrassed at what they're doing in their profession and by their profession.  The problem is it's getting so bad now, the crime is so bad. I don't know if you remember this, but a few years ago when these kids, these wild kids were throwing water on the heads of cops, they were standing there dumping water on their heads. And I thought that might have been the lowest I've ever seen, you know, and it's gotten worse! That was in New York. They were throwing water on New York's finest, and I watched these police, and they weren't allowed to do anything. They just stood there, and these wise guys were coming up with, you know, big bottles of water, dumping it on their heads and screaming at them and laughing at them. And I said, boy, we've gone down a long way. And so, we have to give the respect and we have to give the backing to law enforcement, and we'll solve the crime problem. But we're not there yet because you have people in the White House who have no idea about it, or they want to destroy the country. I mean, it's just not believable that anybody could be so stupid. So, they must really want to destroy the country.

Bernard Kerik: That's what it looks like. Mr. President, we're going to wrap up and I want to tell the listeners two stories, two quick stories. And you may not remember this. I was a young cop. It was a 1987 or 1988, and I was sent up to FAO Schwarz. Michael Jackson was going shopping on a Sunday. It was an early Sunday morning, I think, and we were standing out by Trump Tower and you came out and there were a bunch of us guys standing around in plain clothes. And you walked up to me and you put your hand on my chest. You said "you got your vest on?" I said, yes, sir. (Trump) says, "all right, you guys stay safe." And every one of us, as you walked away thought, this is a hell of a guy like to come over and be concerned about our safety, you know, checking to see if I had a vest on. I thought that was pretty slick, but I don't think there was anything better for me than in the aftermath of 9/11.

A lot of people have no idea that in the aftermath of 9/11, on day one, in the aftermath, you were down at Ground Zero and you were walking around talking to every cop, every fireman, every construction worker, anybody that was down there on the pile. You were down there to support everybody, every first responder there, and you stayed. And then on top of that, I don't know the numbers. You know the numbers. You must have sent 250 or 300 people down to ground zero to help us. On behalf of every cop and every fireman that was working that day, we owe you a debt of gratitude that it's just its unexplainable. Like nobody gets it, nobody understands it. And when I've tried to tell people these stories, you know, the mainstream media, the fake news, they don't want to hear it. But the bottom line is, you've been a supporter of law enforcement for 30, 40 years that I know of that I've been in the city and on behalf of every cop out there and on behalf of the magazine, I just want to say thanks.

President Trump: Well, thank you, Bernie.

Daniel Del Valle: Mr. President, thank you so much for your time on behalf of the Blue Magazine and the law enforcement community and May God bless you through these times and you will overcome.

President Trump: Well, thank you all very much. It's an honor. And say hello to everybody. You have a lot of great people you can say hello to and say hello to everybody and thank you very much.

"This issue has been made possible in part by Caesar DePaço. To read Caesar DePaço's message to the President, click here"

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Sheriff David Clarke: Re-Imagining Policing Goes Up in Smoke

Re-Imagining Policing Goes Up in Smoke
By: Sheriff David Clarke

Ever since the war on cops began in earnest nearly ten years ago, cop-hating activists masquerading as sociologists have begun deconstructing American policing by turning the profession into something that was bound to fail. Reform panels began popping up in every major urban city across America. Even former President Barack Obama convened a Task Force on 21st Century Policing that produced a work product of recommendations that were supposed to solve all the problems within policing. These panels included people who knew nothing about the science of policing, including what works and why. Notorious anti-police members of local Black Lives Matter chapters sat on the reform panels as they deconstructed decades of proven methods that enable officers to keep the peace and protect law and order. The things they suggested were inane, and I predicted that this would lead to an increase in crime and get officers and civilians killed and injured. Nonetheless, city leaders and elected officials moved forward.

We are now witnessing a byproduct of this reform effort. De-policing is occurring. Cops are not being as assertive as they need to be. Adding to that are state prosecutors who are on their own capitulation jihad to criminals by refusing to charge career violent offenders. A recent study showed that 69% of criminal cases have been tossed out by New York State prosecutors. That’s right, outright dismissed. And to top it off, legislative policies are being enacted like no bail for some serious criminal behavior. New York Mayor Eric Adams has lost all control of the subway system and then blamed the media for paying too much attention to crime. This as his soft on crime Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Adams finally admits that even he is fearful of crime on the New York subway system as rape, aggravated assaults and turnstile jumping have become a part of the experience for the tens of thousands of strap-hangers using the system daily.

The cluelessness from these elected officials just keeps finding new lows. In Chicago, the newly elected Mayor Brandon Johnson is failing miserably in his responsibility to keep his city safe from crime and disorder. In his infinite wisdom in dealing with a spate of mobs of out-of-control youths, instead of ordering Chicago police administrators to crack down on this untenable behavior, he decided to rename what we all know is unacceptable and criminal behavior. At a recent news conference after what is becoming the norm in the Windy City as weekend street violence reaches staggering levels, he scolded a reporter who referred to these roving bands as a mob. He said, and I am not making this up, “it is important to speak of these dynamics in an appropriate way”. He called them “large gatherings”. He then commended the Chicago police for “attempting to engage with our young people and give them as much warning as they possibly could”. Mass looting occurred and store owners said that this was the second such incident in as many weeks. Police reported that they made 40 arrests. What will happen with those cases remains to be seen in light of this decriminalization era we are in. In Washington D.C., over 60 percent of arrests lead to no charge being issued by the prosecutor’s office. Now, let’s dissect some of that.

So now the plan is to just rename criminal behavior so that it is no longer unlawful. The left tried this previously in calling riots “peaceful protests.” Mayor Johnson participated in this re-imagining by calling mobs, “large gatherings”. Heck, why stop there, mayor? Instead of calling the theft of a retail businesses’ property looting, why not just call it a form of reparations for slavery? This is leading business owners and employees to take matters into their own hands. Several videos are going viral where employees move in to stop the thieves with physical force. Law-abiding people are fed up with the lack of police response to crime and disorder and so they feel that they have no recourse but to take matters into their own hands.

Governments at the state and local level have as their most important responsibility to ensure the personal safety of citizens. Today, they are failing at it and failing miserably. You can’t go one day without reading a newspaper story or seeing on television news or an online account of the out-of-control criminal chaos going on in every large city in America. If the government is not willing to live up to its most important responsibility, then they have to allow and provide the means with which the individual can protect themselves. A few suggestions are to pass stand your ground and castle doctrine laws and make it easier for law-abiding citizens to arm themselves for their protection. Instead, these liberal elected officials are making it more difficult for people to protect themselves and their families, and when they do get into a scenario where they confront a threat to their survival, woke prosecutors look for ways to charge the victim instead of the perpetrator. Ask Daniel Penny, the strap-hanger on a New York subway car who felt, and reasonably I might add, that he and fellow passengers were being threatened by a crazed lunatic. The perp died from a chokehold during the encounter. Penny is facing several serious felony charges including manslaughter. This wasn’t reckless, it was an accidental death. He performed in a way that his military training taught him. Prosecutors cannot hold citizens to a standard we do with trained law enforcement officers. An Illinois sheriff issued a stern warning to prosecutors urging them not to be overzealous in targeting victims who use force to defend themselves. I second that motion.

Law-abiding people have had it being murdered, raped, threatened, assaulted, and having their property taken with no recourse. I am with them. Enough of this lawlessness.

Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. is former Sheriff of Milwaukee Co, Wisconsin, President of Americas Sheriff LLC, President of Rise Up Wisconsin INC, Board member of the Crime Research Center, author of the book Cop Under Fire: Beyond Hashtags of Race Crime and Politics for a Better America. To learn more visit www.americassheriff.com

Moment of Silence: We’re Here For You

Moment of Silence: We’re Here For You
By Daniel Del Valle

For over a decade, Moment of Silence has been saving lives by raising mental health awareness and preventing law enforcement suicide, which we call blue suicide. One thing that we've always believed is that the community has a big influence on our profession and a big attachment to it as well.

For over ten years, during Christmas time we've been giving toys to hard-hit neighborhoods like Paterson, New Jersey. Santa comes to Paterson is an event we've been doing for over 10 years. Each year, we would go to the schools and give out toys from kindergarten through fifth grade. We would bring Santa Claus and his elves alongside many organizations and police unions. It's a beautiful time to bring a smile to the faces of so many children. In the last three years, since COVID-19, when the schools closed down, our organization continued and took it to the next level.  We brought Santa Claus and his elves to share joy directly to the streets of Paterson.

Our brothers and sisters in blue take days to volunteer their time to wrap toys and on the big day, which we normally do before Christmas Eve, we go out to the streets of Paterson and deliver gifts to children and their families. This is what we've been doing as an organization, and we've never publicized ourselves to the news because we've always believed in doing it for the right reasons. This is something that we strongly believe in.

Paterson is one of the roughest cities in New Jersey as far as low income and underprivileged kids. We drive through the city starting at approximately 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a convoy of officers, trucks and toys, and we give out over 6,000 toys to all the kids right in front of their houses. We tour the city while playing Christmas music announcing to the kids to come out. Santa Claus and the elves hand out gifts and you’d be amazed how it looks and feels like a Christmas in wonderland.

Each year, many officers dedicate their time and their passion to help the kids. These are the same officers who have at some point either set the tempo to help Moment of Silence save lives or at some point Moment of Silence has touched them in such a positive way that now they want to give back to the community and to everyone because of their healthy mindset.

As a charity, we are building a team and alliances that are helping us develop, become stronger, smarter and better prepared to bring mental health awareness and conversation to a different level. We have broken this down by starting “10-13 officer needs assistance” to help officers deal with the threat of blue suicide. In some cases, law enforcement officers have to hide their emotions for so long. Many times they can't even trust their department, their coworkers or their unions. So often they reach out to other organizations.

We have been one, where we have quarterbacked officers to a safer mindset while being able to keep their jobs through their hardest times, their darkest times and at the same time making sure that mentoring means bringing them back to mental stability.

We all know that in our profession, if you have a problem with mental health and ask for help, your gun may be taken away and it spirals into something very bad, that makes things much worse mentally and physically.

Our initiative with “10-13 officer needs assistance” is to be there for the officer when they need us and to help get them right back to where they need to be.

Our charity Moment of Silence comes together with mental health awareness by bringing together people from different places through dinners and events. We take the opportunity to advocate for people to be outspoken about their incidents. We believe that when more officers speak the truth about their mental health challenges, it actually helps many more officers open up about their problems. Because of this, we encourage officers to be there for one another, be sincere and be real.

We always aim to expand our initiative of helping our brothers and sisters in blue who face challenges that can lead to them ending their life. We recently had a beautiful dinner event in Florida where we had over 500 people in attendance. Our plan is to expand the passion of helping our first responders.

On a national level, we are now in the process, for the first time ever building a law enforcement progressive index chart. This index chart is going to be a tool. This chart will help guide officers from the moment they graduate the police academy and the possibilities where their career will take them.  This information will be gathered through data that we collect on a national level from officers all across the nation, which will give us a play-by-play. Through this first-ever index chart, we will be able to give the officers a sneak peek of the future. Therefore, we’ll prepare and guide them by providing them with the proper tools; mental health tools that they would need to offset any future problems. It's just like if you knew that it was going to rain tomorrow, then you would prepare yourself with an umbrella in the morning and therefore would prevent yourself from getting wet. This is how this progressive index chart is going to work for an officer from  one to 30 years in the profession. We will identify what could happen, what has happened, and how to fix it.

Here’s one example of the progressive chart: When you graduate the police academy, you come out in top-notch physical shape. In the first one to three years, you will have the choice after the academy to keep on by eating well and exercising, or you have the option not to. Your weight will not reflect your choice until probably the fourth or fifth year. This is why we believe that we have to tell the officer to be careful. The problem may start by not taking care of your health, and then you will see it four years later in how you will look and feel. We believe by that one example that if you put this together this way, the officer might think twice on weight and so many other situations.

If you have an issue or something that you feel that you cannot handle, please reach out to us. And although we might not have all the answers, we have the passion to really want to do the best for you. So we will mentor you, find whatever we can do and help you in any way within our capacity. We care about you. We're here for you. And if you want to join this coalition and this movement to save law enforcement lives, please reach out to us. We must stop blue suicide. We're here for you.

For more information please visit our websites momentofsilenceinc.org and bluesuicide.org

Exclusive Interview: Cynthia Hughes Founder of the Patriot Freedom Project and her mission to help her nephew Tim, and the J6 families torn apart in the aftermath of January 6th.

Cynthia Hughes Founder of the Patriot Freedom Project and her mission to help her nephew Tim, and the J6 families torn apart in the aftermath of January 6th.
By Daniel Del Valle

The Blue Magazine’s publisher Daniel Del Valle recently sat down with Cynthia Hughes of the Patriot Freedom Project to have an open and honest discussion on the events and myths surrounding the events that took place at US Capitol on January 6th.

Hughes' mission was started after her nephew Tim and a host of other defendants were being held in a 23 hour per day solitary confinement in a DC jail. Cynthia started the Patriot Freedom Project to help the many people who were arrested in the wake of the January 6 protest. On January 6th, these demonstrators gathered at the Capitol to peacefully protest after what they believed was a fraudulent election.

As you read on you will discover Cynthia’s passion for not only her nephew, Tim, but for the many others and their families who have been torn apart in the aftermath that followed the events of January 6th.

Regardless, if you believe January 6 was a protest or a riot there is no denying the human travesty that followed the events of that fateful day.

The BLUE Magazine: Tell our readers a little bit about how you are attached to January 6th.

Cynthia Hughes: I have a loved one, my adopted nephew, more like my son, he went to the capitol on January 6th and was arrested and treated incredibly unfair in the days that followed that painful day.

For someone who doesn’t have a full understanding of what took place on January 6th, can you describe that day from your perspective for our readers?

January 6th is described in many ways, a protest, a riot or some will say an insurrection. In my opinion January 6th was a 4 or 5-hour protest that got out of hand. Some people did some bad things that day but that’s not the majority. Most were entirely peaceful. January 6th was an important day to many Americans who wanted to go to the Capitol to support their commander in chief and show their gratitude for a President so dearly loved by his supporters. Sadly, there were infiltrators, provocateurs and bad actors embedded in the crowd to make the President look bad.

How did your nephew get caught up in this?

Tim was an entirely peaceful protester that day. He was not charged with any violence or assault but because he was there, he is guilty by association. Tim has great love for President Trump and after a long 12-hour shift at work he made his way to DC, to the ellipse to listen to what he felt was a historic speech made by President Trump. Tim describes the events of that day as harmonious at the ellipse. Trump’s supporters were connected in those moments, hugging and singing, praising the President for his leadership while in office.  As people were making their way to the Capitol you could feel something very sinister happening, I have heard that from many people. There was already chaos unfolding as people were arriving at the Capitol. Tim witnessed a lot of what he describes as police brutality. He said there were a lot of people already hurt, senior citizens, elderly people laying on the ground bleeding.

Do you think Tim got a fair trial?

No way did Tim get a fair trial, none of these defendant’s will, neither will President Trump. Look, Tim did in fact go into the building there is no tippy toeing around that fact and because he did this government egregiously overcharged him for going in looking around, and encouraging others to come in. Tim like many believe there were many inconsistencies in the 2020 election. He was charged with a bogus charge called obstruction of an official proceeding. This charge is basically being used as a way to weaponize our DOJ, it is way for these prosecutors to ask for a serious amount of time in prison and give the judges the pathway to sentence these defendants to many years in prison. Nobody will get a fair trial in the city of DC, it is impossible.

What are your thoughts about January 6th? What do you think happened that day?

I believe something very sinister was taking place long before January 6. I believe that when the President asked his supporters to come and peacefully protest and those that oppose him wanted what happened on January 6th, the powers that be knew exactly what they were doing leading up to the events of that day. President Trump offered to send the national guard multiple times and Speaker Pelosi denied his requests so did the Mayor of DC. I truly believe this could have all been avoided if there wasn’t this constant effort to take out President Trump. You know I feel very strongly those that oppose this President have forgotten about the American people. They cannot do their job effectively because they are truly so governed by hate and bias, it is truly so sad that the democratic party and some republicans refuse to let the people choose. We are in dangerous times in this country.

What did your nephew get charged with?

Tim was charged with felony obstruction of an official proceeding. This charge is used when government documents have been mishandled, altered, destroyed etc. This charge has nothing to do with J6, it is being used in a very weaponized way. This DOJ is saying that J6ers obstructed the electoral vote count and therefore they obstructed an official proceeding. This is a way for the DOJ to charge people with a felony and get substantial prison time. This felony carries a prison term of up to 20 years. This charge is currently up on appeal and hopefully SCOTUS will take this petition up.

Is that the only charge that he had?

Tim was also charged with several misdemeanor charges such as entering or remining in a restricted building or parading or picketing on Capitol grounds. Almost every J6 defendant is charged with the same misdemeanor charges.

What was the recommended sentence for Tim?

Tim was originally offered a plea deal and the government was offering 8 years, we quickly turned that down. He has no criminal history and committed no acts of violence that day so to ask for 8 years was beyond outrageous. Then at sentencing the prosecutors were still asking for 8 years, fortunately for us we had a great lawyer and ultimately Tim was sentenced to 48 months in prison. He is currently serving his time here in NJ.

Do you feel that Tim did anything wrong that day?

I always feel like this is a trick question when I am asked this. Of course, I want to say NO, but I guess you could say if he in fact did do something that day, maybe he trespassed but even that is a stretch. He definitely did not obstruct anything; congress was not even in session when Tim was in the building. Tim did not commit any violence, he did not break anything, he assaulted no one. Tim should be home getting on with his life but instead he is being used as a pawn in a very serious game of political theater by a weaponized department of justice.

So to reiterate and for the record Tim did not assault anyone on January 6th?

Nope!

What would you say to our readers that are not following the events surrounding January 6?

I would say EDUCATE yourselves, don’t jump to conclusions without doing your due diligence. There are almost 1200 people caught up in the events surrounding January 6th and most, the majority were entirely peaceful that day. Many did not even enter the building. Yes, there are some that did really bad things and they should face a jury of their peers which won’t happen in DC by the way. Everyone is entitled to Due Process, and we just do not see that in these cases. I wish the American public would do their homework on these cases and not just blindly follow what the media is saying. If you live in close proximity to DC, go sit in on a trial and see the bias that is obliterating Americans, speak to people like me and get educated about January 6th.

How many people are in jail today for January 6 charges?

There are more than 400 people in jail or prison. Some are still sitting in pretrial detention, which is unacceptable. Some are serving their time. Some are still in jail waiting to be transferred to prison and some are waiting to be sentenced.

What do you want our readers to know about Tim? Can you clear up any pre-misconceptions about Tim?

Tim is a good kid. He doesn’t have a criminal history; he didn’t commit any acts of violence on January 6. He did not assault anyone that day. He helped people who were hurt, bloody and lying on the ground. When he was asked to leave the building, he left. He didn’t go in the chamber or the state rooms, he stayed in the crypt and was skipping around for a few min, he didn’t touch or harm anything or anyone. He didn’t wear a costume that day, he wore a suit and tie and his MAGA hat. Tim’s suit and tie and a flag he found on the ground inside the Capitol were used against him during trial. Tim was entrapped by his own roommate. A roommate he lived with for more than 4 years who is African American set Tim up by wearing a wire. This same roommate that Tim spent four years with, going to the gym, eating out with, podcasting with, loaning money to, the list is long. Tim comes home from the Capitol and shows his roommate some video and the roommate goes to NCIS because they were both in the military and over the course of several days the roommate wore a wire.

Tim has been to hell and back in his life. His parents let him down over and over throughout his life. He was abused mentally, physically, and emotionally. Tim has slight Aspergers, he is incredibly bright and smart. He loves history. He loved serving his country. Is he perfect not at all, he is flawed like the rest of us. He is very bombastic, likes to tell offensive jokes and is a shock jock and loves it. Tim has lived a very hard life and I believe when someone lives a hard life they may turn to drugs or alcohol but not Tim, he is an ardent book reader, he loves to read. He is an incredible artist and poetry writer. This is how Tim copes in life. Sometimes Tim writes and draws or tells a joke that’s not funny to some and be that as it may you don’t jail people for this, and I believe this is the real reason Tim got 48 months in prison. I encourage your readers to go buy our book Due Process Denied The Detained The Families The Fallout and learn more about Tim before anyone jumps to a conclusion. Tim is a good kid with a heart of gold. I don’t know what would have become of this kid if I was not in his life. I have always been the constant in his life. I thank God I was able to be here for him these past 3 years..

How is Tim doing today? How is he coping with this?

Tim is holding his own. He has a lot to deal with when he comes home. He is still incarcerated and has been behind bars for 32 months now, almost 3 years. So, heartbreaking. We hope Tim will be home any day now.

Tell us a little more about Patriot Freedom Project and why you started it? What do you hope to achieve with your organization.

I started PFP after Tim landed in the DC jail. When Tim was arrested, he had a few thousand dollars saved, not a lot but some. He would always cal me and say can you help this one or that one and I finally had to say no, you need this money when you get home. I told him I would figure out some ways to help that he could share with the men he was in jail with. Many of these men are husbands and fathers.  I started looking into some things and talking to different journalists and family members and Tim and I came up with an idea to organize support groups on the outside with family members. It grew rapidly and was gaining some attention and I eventually got a phone call from Dinesh and Debbie D’Souza and they sent us an incredible gift and the Patriot Freedom Project was born. We started doing media appearances and raising more funds. We started helping the families immediately. Many men in the different jails around the country couldn’t provide for their wives and children so we stood in the gap for them and started helping with mortgage and rent payment, utility bills, holiday grants and even helping with cobra payments for families who lost health insurance, and so much more. Additionally, we have helped many defendants with their legal fees, we are assisting many of the lawyers too.

I had a rough upbringing myself and struggled a lot. I believe in paying it forward and I had a lot of good people in my life who helped me at some of the hardest points in my life. I was in a bad marriage, and I know what it’s like to have to figure it all out. I saw a need for so many of these families and just acted. I am a helper; I truly love helping people and seeing others succeed. Its God will. I truly love helping these families and many of them have become family to me.

There is a lot of political persecution happening in this country. We have a complacent mainstream media and without people like you and me talking about these things this country wouldn’t have another perspective to ponder. I hope my organization can become a place to help those struggling to get their voice heard, to assert themselves in this negative political climate we are currently living in. I hope we can continue to help where no help is being given. There is so much sadness in this mess and we have had 4 suicides, we must be a voice for those who cannot find theirs. There needs to be a place of hope and I hope that place will be found at PFP.

Proverbs 19:17: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done."

President Trump has supported your cause. How did that occur?

In June 2022 I organized a press conference with several members of Congress on Capitol Hill. I also brought in several January 6 families and lawyers. President Trump saw the presser and he had someone reach out to me. I met with him and had a really good and profound meeting with him. I asked him if I could bring some of the families to Bedminster and have a fundraiser and he was very accommodating. President Trump cares very much about the American people. His heart is broken for these families and the defendants, especially the children. He supports our cause because he knows we are doing great work and sees how much we have helped on multiple fronts. President Trump is an extremely charitable man. He cares deeply about what is happening in this country and despite all that he is enduring he still puts that aside and fights for us all, he is that amazing! His heart is so big, he has great love for his supporters and the people of this country. It sickens me what they are doing to this man and his family. I have seen him with his family, and I can tell you the Trump family is full of love and regard for each other they have so much class and elegance, just a profoundly incredible family. They are rock solid despite the nonsense the media wants us to think. And if I may, President Trump is not even slightly responsible for January 6. If anyone went to the Capitol that day and did something bad that is on that person not this President or his family. President Trump does not condone violence against ANYONE ever. He is the President of Law and Order and loves all his first responders. It’s a disgrace what they are doing to this man. May God Bless and Keep President Trump and his family.

What would do you want to achieve with your organization?

Oh, well, I want to raise millions of dollars and I want to have a really successful reentry program. I want to help in the appeals department. I want to make sure we see some of these cases being brought to the Supreme Court. And the biggest thing of all for me is the children. That's the biggest thing of all for me. We can't fail children, right? So we need to make sure that these children know that, OK, your life is hard, this bad thing has happened to you. And these children are suffering and we need to help them.

What do you want to be remembered for and why?

As a good person, a good American, a Patriot. A good wife and mother, a woman of great faith. For my work and good deeds, my efforts. I had a great father to emulate, and I am proud to be his daughter. I learned about this good stewardship from him. My father served this country and was also a police officer in the Garden state. He was a juvenile detective for more than 25 years. He was always bringing kids home who had sad home lives. He was always buying gifts for the kids in our neighborhood, always helping anywhere he could. He was a great organizer and planner. Christmas was a big deal in our home, and he made it a big deal for lots of kids who had nothing. My father was a great man and loved being a police officer. I miss him so much. I know he is always shining a big bright light on me. I know he is proud of me.

Tell our readers how they can help and where they can learn more about your organization.

Please visit either of our websites: PatriotFreedomProject.com or DueProcessDenied.org

You can learn about our work and how you can support us and get involved by visiting the PFP site or you can learn more about our book and docuseries on January 6th and how you can help us crowdsource by visiting dueprocessdenied.org

Mike Lindell The American Dream: From Rock-Bottom Addict to Successful Businessman

Mike Lindell The American Dream: From Rock-Bottom Addict to Successful Businessman.
By Rick Vanderclock

Blue Magazine recently sat down with Mike Lindell, 62, the owner of his successful My Pillow Company. In this interview, you will see a success story of a man who rose from rock bottom to build a tremendously profitable business, overcome serious drug addiction, and stand up for issues and causes he believes in. The title of his book, “What Are the Odds, From Crack Addict to CEO,” speaks volumes.

Lindell’s success, however, is not without complications. As you read on, you will learn how Lindell and his business have become targets of political adversaries of Pres. Donald Trump. He’s been attacked on many levels and, yet, continues to stand firm in what he calls a “never back down” mindset. Lindell’s ability to overcome addiction and face the challenges ahead is testament to his strong Christian faith, which has sustained him throughout his years.

Lindell’s story of upward mobility in pursuit of the American Dream is worthy of focus and admiration. Lindell is living proof that everything is possible with a strong work ethic, commitment, determination, and most importantly, trust in Christ.

The Blue Magazine: How did you start My Pillow? Where did that idea come from?

Mike Lindell: It came from a dream. If you read my book, it's kind of strange because when I was 16, my first job at a grocery store, I remember, I took my first paycheck, the whole paycheck back then I think it was like $60. I'd worked this whole week, $60 and I went out and bought the most expensive pillow you could find. At that time this was a down pillow. And I think I paid about $60 back then. It'd be like paying $500 for a pillow now. But I always had problems with pillows. My whole life I was trying different ones. And, then I had one once that I liked where you could move it. I think it was just so worn out you could move it and set the height and it wouldn't go down. But then I had this dream and it just, it just kept coming. In 2004, 20 years ago this month, it's a 20-year anniversary. It took me almost a year to invent, about ten months. 

Mike Lindell, how is he when he gets home at night?

If you’d ask me before the last couple of years, it probably would have been a different answer. Now, I've got so many different silos. I've got my My Pillow company that I'm always doing, you know, things for being the CEO. I've got my Lindell Recovery network, my online platform to help addicts. I used to be a crack cocaine addict. I've got my biggest silo right now is to fix our elections in our country. I work with tens of thousands of people weekly in all 50 states. By the time I get home at night, it's kind of a, you know, I don't sit and watch TV. It's usually 8 or 9:00 and I'll get on my phone. I'll be about 200 text messages behind and maybe a thousand emails behind. But I do have people that go through them. But the texts I've got to get to. I'll spend 2 to 3 hours answering emails and it starts over the next day.

I'm sure it is very difficult to escape from what's going on a daily basis. So if you enjoy what you're doing, then it isn't work, correct?

That's right. A lot of it came with this election stuff and these machines . You throw in billions of dollars worth of lawsuits and all this battle that we're in; it's challenging. I enjoy the challenge, and I enjoy being on the right side. I get overwhelmed at times… When I do, my faith, my Christian faith, I turn to the Bible and we do that every day. That's usually the first thing I do when I get up.

Did you ever consider running for political office?

I did. When Donald Trump ran for president. I had never met him before and I had never voted before, I didn't think politics affected me. Once I met Donald Trump in the summer of 2016 and I thought, wow, this is such a common sense thing. If he does all these things he says he's going to do, he'd be the greatest president. I started learning what a conservative was, and a liberal was. And then I started to see where politics had affected, especially my home state of Minnesota.

When did you start using crack cocaine? And more importantly, what was it that made you just stop? Was it God? Was it your business?

Remember, drugs mask pain, they give you false courage. They give you those two things that are probably the biggest things. And when I go back I'm not to blame where my addiction came from. My parents divorced when I was seven years old.  I was put into a new school and I didn't know anyone. I became very withdrawn, or I would show off. It was one or the other because it was like I was out of my skin. When I went to college I dropped out. When I got to the five-year high school reunion, all of my classmates had either started families, finished college, or they had the whatever job they had, and they advanced their career. Then I prayed for—I wanted a family. I thought that was the answer.  I got a great girl, raised four kids, but we were functioning addicts. I want everyone out there to know addiction affects everyone, not just what you see on the street, homeless and down and out. Well, I've been there, too. 

I was a very functioning addict. And then with cocaine and alcohol and gambling and you name it, then it switched to crack cocaine in the early 2000s, and it's a different drug. But it was one that it's not a social drug. You're tweaking… 

Well, anyway, I got divorced in 2007. 

By January 16th, 2009, I knew I had lost everything. My Pillow was just a dot. 

We all have callings. I knew it'd be gone forever. So I sat there. Here's the prayer I made to God. I said, God.  I'll do this. You know I'm going to do this. You know this platform. I said, you'll be given a great platform. I know. I always hear that in prayer. We go, I'll do this calling. You know, I'm going to quit. But I said, here's the deal. I said, I want to wake up in the morning and never want the desire ever again for the alcohol, the crack, the cocaine, whatever it was. I want the desire to be gone. That's what I prayed for. I quit that night. I woke up in the morning and I'm going, wow, something's different. The desire was gone. But two months later, I went to our church and I went to an outpatient treatment just to find out why I was an addict in the first place. Then years went by and I went to write this book…

When I wrote the book about one of my biggest miracles, things started happening to me. I'll give you an example. All of a sudden I'm sitting with the president of the United States, Donald Trump. He had called for a manufacturer’s summit.  I get there and I'm going, wow, I can't even believe with my record I could even get in the White House. We go around the table and there's all these people sitting there for these other manufacturers.

How does it feel that the president of the United States trusts you?

I feel we have a trust between us. That is probably even stronger than most of my friends I have. It's really amazing. From the first time I met him, he's so transparent. It was like meeting someone I've known all my life. I think it goes both ways where we encourage each other. 

I think the one thing maybe that he relates a little bit he likes my marketing. He'll say to people, here's the best marketer. I say, no, you are, sir. He's the best marketer in history. I want to tell people this: You know he's never asked me since from the first time we met, he never asked me for any donations or any campaign money. He called a meeting with me. It was one-on-one on August 15th of 2016. By the way, you can all look it up. He was the lowest he was in the polls that day. It was August 15, 2016. They said to me, whatever you do don't tell him you were a crack addict. Well, if you read my book through a series of little mini miracles, I walked into his office just like I had seen in a dream in 2015, before he even ran that I'd get to be in this office. I walked in there and it was just him and I. He says, Mike, you always wear your cross on TV. He said, “Are you a Christian?” I said, “Yes, Mr. Trump,” and this is a divine appointment and then after that, it was just so natural talking back and forth. He asked me about how it was to make my product here in the United States, and he said, he wanted to bring the manufacturing back. 

So we do a press release, and this was my first taste of evil beyond anything I had seen at that time. There are these guys, this media, they were friends of mine. They called me everything under the sun. I was a racist. I was this, I was that. Then they're saying I was a drug dealer. My dealer stuck up and said he was never a drug dealer. He tried to save the state by doing all the drugs. But it was a taste that I felt and then we had PR control and trying to control this, but I went all in. When that happened, I went all in. You know what my reward was? A couple of months later, the Better Business Bureau, The Crooked Better Business Bureau, we had an A-plus rating, their highest rating. We were there. We were up for their highest award for their best company in the country. That was that summer. Now, just a few months after I went all in and went to the debates for Donald Trump, they took me from an A+ to an F and they did a national press release. By the way, everybody, is still in F, you know what I call it? That's fantastic.

Do you regret being part of this questioning of election integrity? If you had to do it again now that you've lost millions of dollars and obviously you have the public scrutiny, do you regret being where you are?

Absolutely not. I, I don't regret one thing. I would be the same way, because it's all going to unfold the way it should be. 

Orange County: Sheriff Paul Arteta: Man on a Mission

Orange County: Sheriff Paul Arteta: Man on a Mission
By Holly Finley, Detective Inv. BXDAO (Ret.)

Orange County New York Sheriff Paul Arteta is on a mission to revolutionize his agency through modernization, morale and team building, leadership and vision. Orange County is in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley area. The Sheriff's Office staff of 500 dedicated public servants is responsible for the protection and service to the county's 839-square mile area with a population of just over 400,000. The ambitious 55-year-old sheriff has a lot of ground to cover and has thus far been very productive. In the exclusive interview, you will find out more about Arteta’s professional plans as well as expose the human side of policing. Blue Magazine thanks Sheriff Arteta for speaking with us about many pressing law enforcement issues.

Holly (Blue Magazine): Who is Paul Arteta as a person? What are your values? What's important to you?

Sheriff Arteta: My family, foremost, that means a lot to me. I'm half Spanish, half Italian — the Italian side, you know, we did Sunday dinners with 30 or 40 people in the family. And then the Spanish side, it was the same thing, just a little bit different. And after that, I love this community. I worked here for now going on 30 years, first working 28 years in the sheriff's office. I retired, went to the village of Montgomery Police Department as deputy police chief and was fortunate enough to get elected. And now I'm here as sheriff.

Holly: Tell us more about your career in law enforcement.

Sheriff Arteta: I started out in corrections as a correction officer. I did two years in the old jail that no longer exists. And after the two years, I took the test for deputy sheriff and I was a deputy for a number of years and then worked my way through every rank, I was an investigator, investigative sergeant, sergeant of the patrol and lieutenant. I was a captain before I retired.

Holly: What made you succeed in winning the election to become sheriff?

Sheriff Arteta: I think my demeanor and control. I'm just a regular guy. And it doesn't get to my head that I am the sheriff or that I was running for sheriff. I can relate to people. And I actually talk to people and I go out to different events. Some people say I'm all over the place. I do like to go to a lot of different events and just speak to the people and get ideas from them because they're the ones that are seeing what's missing out there. So I try to be attentive to that, and I think that's what won the election.

Holly: How do you see the relationship you have within the community?

Sheriff Arteta: I believe I have a great relationship with the community. During the campaign, I ventured out to every single community, even some that, you know, they maybe they don't like law enforcement or don't want to see their presence. I want to hear what they have to say, because even though there are folks out there that may not like law enforcement, they need us. And without us, there'd be chaos. But we're not forcing ourselves on the different communities. We just want to help where help is needed.

Holly: How have you created these bonds?

Sheriff Arteta: One of them was throughout my career, I would go out to all different businesses, introduce myself on a personal level. I patronize a lot of the different businesses, love going out to dinner, love going to different new places, and that's what we do. And that's how you help your community get stronger. Other than that, it was just my interactions with each different business that I can get in touch with. I just go around and speak to people and, you know, sometimes they have a little bit of information to give you and other times it's just, how's the weather?

Holly: What is leadership to you?

Sheriff Arteta: Leadership is the ability to see into the future and help those around you achieve in a positive manner. We have a lot of accreditations which tell us how to do things right now, but we always have to predict what's going on in the future. For example, the artificial intelligence, that's to me, it's going to be our biggest nightmare in law enforcement because they can mimic any one of us and make us look like we're saying something. So that's looking into the future, trying to help prevent anything that occurs in that manner. So just keeping ahead of the times as law enforcement, we're expected to know what's going on at all times. And that's what the general public feels that we should know, and we try to stay ahead of the times.

Holly: What would you say your best traits are as a person?

Sheriff Arteta: I'm honest, sincere. When I tell you I'm going to do something, I do it.

Holly: Worst traits, what are your character flaws?

Sheriff Arteta: I don't have enough time to get a lot of things done. So, I don't know if it's necessarily a flaw. It's a flaw that I try to do as many things as possible.

Holly: What, if any, are the challenges that you face as the new sheriff?

Sheriff Arteta: Some of the challenges are the previous administration ran things in their manner, and I'm running things in my vision of the sheriff's office and how it should be run. It's not that far off, but there's a lot of things moving into the 21st century we wanted to do. And bringing the morale up within the agency.

Holly: How prepared is Orange County for a crisis?

Sheriff Arteta: I think Orange County is very well prepared. We work well with our emergency operations center, with the county executive, the district attorney, the county clerk. We're ready for just about anything that that comes to us.

Holly: How do you deal with officers in distress with obvious depression or substance abuse? Do you have infrastructure to help them?

Sheriff Arteta: Yes, we have our first-line supervisors and supervisors above those hopefully identify an issue before it's too out of hand. And then we'll address it with some of our members as from the county unit. Or we may just advise them to contact EAP and they can go to an outside entity, and they have great health insurance in the sheriff's office. They can go to the doctor of their choosing and speak to somebody. And that's what the bottom line is. They have to speak to somebody. They can't hold it inside.

Holly: What's your feeling on how Blue suicide has affected your department, if at all?

Sheriff Arteta: I've lived through quite a few just from my own agency that committed suicide and some from other agencies. And it’s something that we need to pay attention to. It shouldn't happen.

Holly: what would your message be to someone within your department who was contemplating suicide? What would you say to them if you were able to grab them by the shoulders?

Sheriff Arteta: Come talk to us … Don't do it. It's not worth it. You have too much to live for. You have friends and family that love you, that you're not seeing clearly right now. And if you look at all of those different variables in your life that love you and want you; just don't do it.

Blue: Can you tell me how you deal with an issue where there is a disciplinary action to be taken? How do you work that out with your deputy?

Sheriff Arteta: When the disciplinary process starts out, first-line supervisors and then it works its way up the chain and all the disciplines are handled at the chief level and the undersheriff level. In certain circumstances, they may involve me with the discipline where it's a discipline that might include termination, but for the most part, most of the disciplines are handled at the undersheriff level where he is a very levelheaded person. The undersheriff has a lot of insight into a lot of things. He worked a number of years at the state police, and then he worked as the chief investigator for the district attorney.

Holly: What is still on your to-do list?

Sheriff Arteta: We have quite a few things. We're looking at a couple of capital projects, one for this building. This building is almost 25 years old and we're having growing pains. So, we're looking at building up on the building so that we can make nice locker rooms for all of our people. We want to build a state-of-the-art K-9 facility on the grounds. The current facility is over by the Orange County Airport, and we need to expand. We had a number of dogs just graduate from the academy and K-9s coming from as far as Brandon, Vermont, to train at our academy. It's such an asset in the entire community that we need to build a state-of-the-art facility for that. We want to do a lot a lot of training here for our own folks. There's a need on some of the county roads for more traffic patrol, especially for heavy trucks and different problems that are going on, such as speeding violations of the traffic law. So, we're encouraging our folks to go out on these different roads. One of my biggest wish lists is we're looking at starting a motor unit for ceremonial purposes. I think that would be quite an asset to have in the event that there is some parade or possibly a funeral. I'd like to have a well-presented motor unit that can help assist with that.

Holly: What do you want your legacy to be?

Sheriff Arteta: I want to be remembered for making this office better before I finally retire. We want to do a lot of things here, and we're going to keep striving forward to make this the best sheriff's office around. And I just want to be known for the guy that spearheaded that. I want my colleagues and staff to remember me as the sheriff that made the most positive change in the county. We've brought in the local law enforcement agencies, and we're working very well together with them, as well as the state police. And we are accomplishing a lot in a short period of time, and we hope to accomplish a lot more during this period of time that I'm fortunate to be sheriff.

Holly: How do you want your children, wife and family to remember you?

Sheriff Arteta: I want them to remember me as the guy that is not only their dad, but I did a very big job in the county and I did it very well to my best potential. And I want them to do the same thing and everything they do.

The lost art of developing positive work relationships

The lost art of developing positive work relationships
By: Ron Camacho, PhD.

Early in my policing career, the leadership principles and philosophies I followed were taken directly from my time in the Army and by studying the great leaders in military history, i.e., Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, etc. As I moved into different leadership roles outside traditional policing, I was exposed to many management concepts and ideas from the corporate world. One of the most effective lessons I learned outside my time in policing was the value of developing and building relationships. Unfortunately, maintaining and growing relationships is a skill that many law enforcement leaders do not value, embrace or fully understand.  

All of us need help; those words also apply to leaders. I have yet to meet a leader who is a master of every facet of leadership, training, or management. That is where relationships come into your leadership “equation.” The ability to reach out and obtain guidance or advice from a trusted confidant is invaluable. It surprises and shocks me when a leader or manager cannot access successful, experienced persons to help them solve issues, develop ideas or manage projects. This is a symptom of the lack of time and effort dedicated to relationship building. Always look for opportunities to build meaningful relationships!

Another mistake leaders make is being overly selective in which relationships they choose to develop. Early in my time as a police executive (the lieutenant and captain ranks), I only concentrated on those work relationships that were fully loyal and aligned with my vision. In other words, if you were on “Team Camacho,” I did everything possible to protect and grow that relationship. However, that was only twenty percent of the organization. This is not an effective or efficient method to lead an agency. To make matters worse, I was the king of “burning bridges.” My default status was to destroy a relationship if major conflicts or disagreements occurred. Due to this bad habit, many of my relationships suffered, and my ability to effectively lead the organization suffered greatly. To this day, I am still mending or rebuilding relationships I broke over ten years ago. Do not be selective in your relationships; build as many relationships as you can. Become the person in your agency with many fruitful relationships.

Finally, many people view relationships as transactional, “If you do this for me, I will do this for you.” Do not follow this line of thinking. Treating relationships as transactional does not build confidence or trust in your interactions with that person. Most transactional relationships are shallow or artificial and often lead to frustration or dissatisfaction when you most need assistance or guidance. Additionally, many people in transactional relationships waste energy “keeping score.” For example, “I helped Jim ten times, and he has not done anything for me,” or “All the hours and effort I spent on helping Jim does not equal the five minutes he spent on my issue.”

Helping others with the mindset or expectation that their aid or advice will be reciprocated is a guaranteed recipe for disappointment. You should cultivate an unselfish attitude when developing relationships. It should not matter if a person can assist you in your endeavors. Your ability to provide support or guidance is an asset to the relationship, resulting in stronger bonds and connections. I believe “karma” exists and have found that the more “good” I push into the world, the greater the blessings that return my way. Much of that “good” revolves around helping those with whom I have established relationships and the new ones I am building.

Additionally, I follow a couple of simple rules to build solid and meaningful relationships:

·         Be Honest - False promises and lies will quickly kill a developing relationship.

·         Be Committed - If you say you will do a task, do it.

·         Practice Empathy - Learn and understand others' points of view. Realize they may not be in the same place as you in their journey to discover empathy.

·         Make Time - We are all busy, but you must make time to develop relationships. Setting aside a specific amount of time is sometimes necessary to build and strengthen relationships.

·         Prioritize - In certain instances, time is of the essence, and actions must be taken promptly.

·         Return the Call or Email - Respect the relationship by returning phone calls and emails in a timely fashion.

·         Work on the Relationship - Some relationships must be worked on constantly, but this will be easy if its development is important to you.

·         Stay Connected – Relationships need not be exercised daily, weekly or monthly. However, do not let so much time pass before contact is made; check in.

·         Have Patience - Good, robust and positive relationships take time to develop. Have patience when developing and building the relationship.

If building relationships is not your forte, but you recognize that you need to develop this vital skill set, here are some additional suggestions:

 1) The easiest thing you can do is Google “How to build relationships” and read the articles and other resources you discover in your search.

 2) If you are looking for an excellent example of relationship management from modern history, check out the many books written about President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower’s time as Supreme Allied Commander during WWII was a master class in building and managing effective relationships under stressful circumstances. In Eisenhower’s numerous biographies, there are countless lessons and examples of his ability to successfully manage his relationships with some of the biggest egos of World War II (Patton, Montgomery and Churchill).

3) Finally, Ed McManus created an online course based on his book, Relationship Leadership: How New Leaders Harness the Power of Leading with Relationships. Ed’s course and additional resources can be found at relationshipleadership.net.

I now make it a point to build, strengthen, expand and cherish my relationships. Following the rules I outlined above, my ability to lead effectively has grown exponentially, and I have grown into a leader known for having numerous positive and productive relationships.

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, has earned his doctoral degree from the Penn West 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. Camachoconsulting.net

The History and Evolution of SWAT

The History and Evolution of SWAT
By Tony Ureña

Special Weapons and Tactics,  SWAT as it’s commonly referred to, is an integral part of the law enforcement community. It is a unique unit of trained officers responsible for  specialized and dangerous  assignments.

Born in the 1960’s, SWAT was first implemented by the Philadelphia Police Department in response to riot control and violent confrontations. The next police department to adopt the unit was the Los Angeles Police Department. Most people attribute the birth to the LAPD as they popularized it in the media. Think  SWAT television  shows in the 70’s, as well as recent  shows and movies.

LAPD wanted to use the moniker Special Weapons Attack Teams but decided to go with the more professional term of Special Weapons and Tactics. I guess for politically correctness, even back then? It has now become  a standard term across the nation.

Law enforcement in the 1970’s found themselves outgunned by criminals who had more advanced weaponry than the police. At the time the unit was primarily manned by Vietnam veterans who had experience with armed conflicts. They were also outfitted with M16’s and a variety of more advanced weapons of the times. The name says it all, “Special Weapons,” officers as there was a need for proper use of more advanced weaponry to deal with the myriad of armed suspects. “Tactics,”  is where more advanced training paired with the weapon gave more of an advantage to the officer in an armed conflict. A common tactical concept is “surprise, speed and violence of action.” This allows for an overwhelming, surprising the suspect toward a successful conclusion. What gets lost by the public though, is that this is  about saving lives, not taking them. Proper utilization of the tactics and equipment have a greater chance of success without anyone getting hurt. Unfortunately, we see that this isn’t always the case due to   the poor choices and actions of the suspect(s).

As we progress, more and more police departments have adopted this model or a variation thereof. For example, NYPD calls their specialized unit the Emergency Services Unit. As they do more than just SWAT-like assignments. For example, they also specialize in search and rescue.

Several things have occurred that made SWAT the premier units you see today. One, was experience. As more  SWAT call outs occurred, they adapted and learned from the scenarios and  learned from their mistakes. Unfortunately, sometimes at the expense of officers getting hurt and/or killed. Two, there has been great sharing of knowledge from law enforcement to military and vice versa. Since we’ve been through  wars some of the tactics that the military learned have been brought home, taught, and implemented by SWAT units.One incident dramatically changed policing… Columbine. Up until then if there was an active shooter, responding officers did not engage and waited for the SWAT Team to show up. Tragically we learned that this procedure did not work. Now you are seeing patrol officers learn SWAT like tactics as well to engage in active shooter incidents. Depending on agency staffing, budgets, and even politics a team may be part time or full time members of a SWAT unit.

What does it take to become SWAT? . Every agency is different, but for the most part at least a few years on the department before applying and a desire to want the assignment. Then there’s a selection process which may include, but is not limited to, written test, physical test, demonstrate firearm proficiency, background investigation, and oral interview. From there may be a probationary period before becoming a fully fledged member of the SWAT Team.

SWAT Teams have  become synonymous with some of the “best of the best” in law enforcement. They are a unique and elite group of individuals in law enforcement who go through rigorous training to become able to do what they do. With due respect to all of our law enforcement brethren, here’s a common saying amongst those on the specialized teams “You’re either SWAT or you’re not!”

Tony Urena is a United States Navy Veteran as well as a Veteran Law Enforcement Officer with over 25 years of experience.  He was part of the SWAT Team reaching the level of Assistant Team Leader as well as Sniper Team Leader before retirement.  Also a high level martial artist, with well over 30 years of training experience he was a NJ certified Defensive Tactics Instructor.  Tony is now the Director of Training for Gun For Hire, Woodland Park Range, located in Woodland Park, NJ.