Logistics

At a major incident a Logistics Officer is an important part of the command staff.  Major incidents can go on for days even weeks.  Even after the incident itself is resolved it may take more time to conclude the investigation.

Logistics Officers take charge of running the staging area.  Parking, and security are two of the first concerns.  Vehicles have to be able to get in and get out, and parking can be a huge nightmare at some incidents.  They have to direct the responding units to the staging area, including fire and mutual aid and even non-government agencies like press and Red Cross.

They need to set up the mobile command center, and determine how many officers are needed.  They need to coordinate with regular patrol and make sure there are enough officers for the incident.  They Logistics Officer needs to track officers as they arrive and depart, eventually everyone will want to get paid for their time.  Even the mundane things must be accounted for; that's what the SGT Says.

Good Police Work Memphis

http://wreg.com/2013/11/23/memphis-officers-help-grandfather-keep-holiday-tradition/

The City of Memphis, TN has certainly had it's share of problem officer stories in the last few years.  Many of their officers have been suspended, fired, arrested for various ethical violations or poor judgement in the past few years.

Still, behind the headlines, most of the officers struggle day by day to do a good job.  No one hates a bad cop more than a good cop.  Police work is difficult most of the time, dangerous all the time and usually under appreciated.

These Memphis officers responded to a different kind of public need.  An old man could not longer decorate his home for Christmas, because he was too infirm.  These cops responded and helped him get his Christmas displays up for the holiday.  In the spirit of Christ and in the best traditions of American police work these officers when above the call of duty and helped out a member of their community.  Not every good piece of police work involves a car chase, a shootout or even an arrest; that's what the SGT Says.

Disaster

http://www.backdoorsurvival.com/70-things-that-can-go-wrong-in-a-disaster/

69. Some EOC and Command Post personnel will become overloaded; some will not be able to cope with the volume of activity and information they have to deal with, and some will not be able to cope with the noise and distractions.

70. Things will get better some time after they have become considerably worse.

Good training is one of the best ways to insure that personnel will be able to handle the strain of command.  The more realistic the training the more value in the training.  Message traffic should start slow and build to a volume that is intentionally too much for one person to control or even read.

Part of disaster response it to triage the important information, just like you triage the wounded and the dead.  A good incident commander will have information filtered before it gets to him because his staff will also be well trained in how to separate the good information from the useless.

No disaster lasts forever.  Take a look at Hiroshima after the atomic bomb, it was flattened and is now a thriving city.  No matter how bad it is, it will get better, eventually.  It might require days, weeks, even months of work.  Chernobyl has taken decades and is still a disaster area, but in many ways it too is better.  Don't let any crisis take over your ability to deal with the problems.  How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time; that's what that SGT Says.

Tactical Efficiency

http://www.wmctv.com/story/24297537/is-mpd-tact-unit-prepared-to-keep-memphis-safe

Memphis, TN has reorganized their tactical unit.  They have had a few problems recently and like any organization with problems the first thing they did is, reorganize.  The next thing they did is ask for more money, just like any other government agency.

Times are tough and public agencies need to learn to do more with less.  They need to be able to operate at the same or higher level of efficiency as before with less money.  Some agencies use their tactical units as patrol officers part time and tactical officers only for training and call outs.  A core of full time tactical officers with the rest of the team as part time tactical officers can provide cities with staffing that is top notch and yet enough men to deploy when needed.

Training does not need to be expensive.  In house trainers can be sent out to become master trainers and they can return and train the rest of the team.  Local agencies can train each other.  Shifts can run short staffed during slow periods and those officers not on duty can then be trained on regular time, not overtime.  Sometimes surplus equipment can be obtained from the Federal government or even other local agencies, it's all about being innovative; that's what the SGT Says.

Car Upgrades

While watching Adam-12 with MRS Bunkermeister I noticed something about the patrol cars right away.  They are very uncluttered.  Sure, they have a radio, but it is simplicity itself.  There is the main frequency and a couple tactical frequencies and that's all.  They can't contact other agencies and they don't have a scanner to listen to nearby units either.

There is no computer.  They have to run everyone and every car by radio, which can be time consuming.  They have a hot sheet of recently stolen cars printed out and kept on the dashboard.  Still, the run a car with dispatch if they want to be sure a car is stolen or not.

They have a shotgun rack, and a ring in the door for their batons.  But they don't have a cage or a cup holder.  I don't know how you can patrol without a cup holder.  A cage is both a huge advantage and a huge bother.  It makes it harder to see out the back, and the cage takes up a lot of room inside the car.  Still, it does make a much more secure environment for the suspects placed there.  The cars have standard back seats and I do recall seeing Reed taking the seat out to check for contraband before going on patrol.  I like the molded plastic back seat better, much safer; that's what the SGT Says.

Shoot Consideration

Shooting must be reasonable.  If you shoot someone it must be because a reasonable person would shoot the same suspect in the same circumstances.  You must reasonably articulate why you shot the person.  That typically means you were in fear of your life, or the life of another person.

You don't have to employ other options if you can reasonably articulate why any other options would not have worked under the circumstances.  You have to take the full circumstances under consideration.  A giant suspect is more dangerous than a small one.  A suspect with a weapon, a gun, a knife, a bottle is more dangerous than an unarmed suspect.

You have to explain why you shot based on what you knew when you shot the suspect.  If you find out later that the suspect had previous murder convictions that is information that did not play a role in your decision to shoot.  Using force is a serious decision, think about it before hand so you are ready when you need to make the decision to shoot or not; that's what the SGT Says.

Merry Christmas

Bob Welsh – My Christmas Eve

www.youtube.com/v/WxjZB5S_g7s 

Snitches

While watching Adam-12 I was impressed by the number of times Reed and Malloy were turned on to good intelligence by informants.  It's a good idea to get to know the people who live and work in the area you patrol. 

Delivery people who drive around in your area often know what's normal, and they can provide you with information.  Petty criminals who you have arrested and who live in the area might be able to provide you with good intelligence in the future.  If you give them a break once in a while or at least treat them with a certain dignity and respect, maybe you can gather information from them in the future.

The more eyes and ears you have on the street the easier your job is to get done.  Sometime you can prevent crimes when you hear in advance of a major incident going down.  Other times you can capture criminals or recover stolen property if you have people who will contact you when they know something; that's what the SGT Says.

Foot Pursuit

While watching Adam-12 I notice they go in foot pursuit of suspects a lot.  I am not afraid on anything enough to run away from it and there is nothing I want bad enough to run after it.  Still, sometimes you may need to chase a suspect. 

Radio in the chase, we have hand held radios now, so we can do that even while we are chasing.  Don't lose sight of the suspect.  If they go over a fence or around a corner you are no longer in pursuit.  You are in tracking mode.  That means you stop running.  You start searching and tracking.  The suspect might be laying in wait.

In Adam-13, Officer Reed chased a suspect over a fence and ended up in a swimming pool.  You could jump a six foot tall fence that's 20 feet high on the backside.  Today, it's best not to chase much, if you don't get the guy in a few moments, set up a perimeter and track him down; that's what the SGT Says.

Code-3

Adam-12 shows a lot of exciting activities that police in real life often don't have happen very often.  One of them is rolling code-3, red lights and sirens. Only the most serious calls require that type of driving.  Pursuits of course require red lights and sirens.

They show driving in pursuit and in response to a major call as a two man operation.  Often driving with code-3 equipment is best when done with two officers.  The driver should concentrate on driving.  The partner has other, important work to do too.

The partner is the navigator.  He can check the map and give directions.  He should be the radio operator also.  The partner can take notes on what is happening for the report later.  The partner can look down the street and check the cross traffic.  The partner should have the shotgun or patrol rifle ready when the pursuit ends or they arrive at the location of the emergency; that's what the SGT Says.

Handcuffing

While watching Adam-12 with MRS Bunkermeister, I noticed that the actors have no idea how to apply handcuffs.  Whey they manage to handcuff someone in almost every episode, they really needed a couple real cops to spend an hour with them showing them how to slap on the cuffs.

Of course, slap on the cuffs is only a phrase, because slapping on a pair of handcuffs hurts.  You need to hold the handcuff and the suspects wrist and firmly push the single gate against their wrist so it swings around the clicks on the other side.  Then you adjust the handcuff and double lock it.  Always double lock the handcuffs.

Sometimes it is difficult to get the handcuffs on, so you need to get them both on before you do much adjustment or double locking.  Nearly anyone you arrest should be handcuffed.  It's hard to know how people arrested will react, so it's a good idea to handcuff everyone for your safety and really for theirs too.  You don't want to have to fight someone who you arrested who was compliant when you started the process; that's what the SGT Says.

Searching

While watching Adam-12 with MRS Bunkermeister, we noticed they typically search the suspects they encounter.  Since watching police search a procession of officers conducting careful searches of people gets dull quickly, they do a rather cursory search of people.

When you search people, do a careful search.  Start at the top and work your way down.  Do it methodically and completely.  If the suspect has a hat, start with the hat.  If you get interrupted, start over.  When you find something, keep looking.  If the suspect has one gun or knife, he likely has another one too.

When someone hands over a suspect to you, search them.  Just because your partner searched him does not mean you searched him.  If you hand over a suspect to your partner or the jailer, expect them to search him.  It's easy to miss something, so search carefully.  Searching is an important part of your job, do it well; that's what the SGT Says.

Shotgun

http://www.amazon.com/Adam-12-Season-One-Martin-Milner/dp/B0009UC80Q

The old Adam-12 TV show was filmed in the early 1970's.  It was before police were carrying patrol rifles, but they still had the old standby, the 12 gauge, pump-action shotgun.  Often when responding to dangerous calls, like a 211, robbery, in progress they take the shotgun out of the car with them.

Still, they too often leave the shotgun in the patrol car.  When dealing with armed suspects the shotgun is both intimidating and effective.  Everyone recognizes the sound of the shotgun round being racked into the chamber and that alone can frighten a suspect into surrendering.

A couple times, Officer Reed has the shotgun and Officer Malloy sends him back to the patrol car to put out a broadcast or to direct other officers.  In those instances, Officer Malloy should holster his handgun and take the shotgun from Reed.  Keep your firepower where you need it most; that's what the SGT Says.

Seat Belt

Watching Adam-12 I noticed that they make a point of showing the officers buckling and unbuckling their seat belts.  It is not unusual for half of the officer line of duty deaths in a year to be the result of traffic collisions.  Wear your seatbelt to keep that from happening.

Traffic collisions can happen almost anytime you are in the patrol car.  Even sitting at a red traffic signal a bad driver can crash into your patrol car and kill you.  Responding to an emergency call, another driver may fail to notice your red lights and siren and crash into you.

When driving a car you are often at the mercy of other drivers.  Your own excellent driving skills may not be enough for you to avoid a collision.  Erratic drivers, drunk drivers, can come out of nowhere and crash into your car.  Overconfident officers responding too fast to an emergency call can lose control and crash.  Every year a few officers kill themselves this way; don't let it happen to you; that's what the SGT Says.

One Adam Twelve

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam-12

My wife and I have been watching Adam-12 for the last couple weeks.  Watching that show is one of the reasons I became a cop and even today many of the adventures had by Officers Reed and Malloy are very much like police work is today.

I think part of the reason for that is that people don't change much.  So family disputes, robberies, burglaries, kids getting their head stuck in a wrought iron fence are all the kinds of calls officers get even today.  Police work is all about helping people, keeping a lid on the violence in the bad neighborhoods and doing what you can to make things better.

The officers generally follow good procedures but a lot has changed since then.  Officers in the show carry a straight baton, revolver, and a pair of handcuffs, with a shotgun in the car.  They don't wear body armor, they don't have handheld radios and they don't carry less lethal weapons like Mace, OC, Taser or similar weapons.  All these tools have made police work better, saver and more efficient, but it's the officers that make the most difference; that's what the SGT Says.

Disaster

http://www.backdoorsurvival.com/70-things-that-can-go-wrong-in-a-disaster/

66. Individual public safety officers will be asked to do the work of squads or companies; they will have to recruit volunteers on the spot to provide assistance to their efforts.

 

67. The message flow to, from, and within the EOC and Field Command Post will break down and become inefficient and unmanageable.

 

68. There will be an over critical desire to verify all incoming information. If it is received from a field unit, it should be considered as verified.

 

Individual police officers will need to deputize people and put them to work in the field.  They need to block traffic, move debris or search for survivors then they need to simply sweep up whoever is standing by and put them to work.

 

The command post can often have information overload.  Have a good ratio of people to send and receive information just like during normal times.  Don't overlook the importance of gathering and disseminating information.  Have people screen the information so decision makers are not overwhelmed with unimportant details.

 

When police officers or firemen make a report, they need to be believed, just like in normal times.  Don't try and verify information if it comes in from an officer, just act on it.  Dangerous situations can wait around for verification, that's why you already have officers there; that's what the SGT Says.

Sims Training

Recently, I went to the range and trained with the Surefire Institute.

When training with Simunitions or similar non-lethal marking projectiles, like paintballs, officers should wear the proper protective equipment.  In this photo the officers are wearing body armor, face protection and head protection as well as neck protection.  No one should participate in this type of training without proper protection.

Training with simulated guns that shoot a real projectile is an excellent method to depict the stress of actual incidents.  The officers have to use good tactics in order to win the scenarios.  This type of scenario is great training but it also requires excellent instructors to coordinate the actions of the actors and the trainees.  The closer training simulates real life, the better prepared the offices will be; that's what the SGT Says.

Drop the Gun

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/235684151.html

Police responded to a family dispute call and when they arrived they found a man with a gun outside the home.  When the man refused to put down the gun, and instead raised the gun as if to shoot, one of the officers shot the suspect.

Domestic violence calls are very dangerous.  They can be extremely emotional and both sides might attack the police.  A man with a gun on the lawn who refuses to drop the weapon is also very dangerous.  If the man appears to aim the gun towards police and refuses verbal commands then officers have little choice but to shoot him.

Always try and give verbal commands.  It's okay to give commands while actually shooting.  The suspect might be only wounded or you might miss him completely and so verbal commands would be helpful.  Consider the us of the public address system on your car, rather than just yelling at him.  The PA can be heard over traffic and other background noises and witnesses would have a better understand of why you had to shoot.  "Police officer, drop the gun."  Is an excellent phrase to use, it identifies yourself and gives a clear instruction to the suspect; that's what the SGT Says.

Standoff

On a major crime of violence in progress there are many tasks that need to be performed and dozens, even hundreds of officers may be needed to handle the call.  Determine what you have, a shooter running through a mall will require officers to go inside and hunt him down and stop him immediately.  A sniper holed up in a tower or a house will require officers pin him down and evacuate the area.

Move all responding units to a single tactical frequency if possible.  Establish an inner and outer perimeter.  Inner perimeter keeps people inside and screens them if they must exit, and the outer perimeter keeps people and vehicles out and screens those who need to be inside.  Officers on the inner perimeter should have rifles if possible.  Officers should evacuate anyone who is in the line of fire of the suspect or the officers.  Be aware of schools and hospitals that may require extra help for evacuation.  Notify bus lines and other rapid transit, they may need to detour around the incident.

Evacuate the injured as soon as possible and have the fire department and paramedics set up near the inner perimeter.  Tear gas or even the suspect may set a building on fire.  Have a pursuit team ready if the suspect has the ability to get to a vehicle and drive away.  Make contact with the suspect by phone if possible and ask him to submit to lawful arrest.  Call for a SWAT response and mutual aid if your own agencies patrol officers are not enough to deal with the incident.  Don't leave officers on the perimeter for hours at a time without rest and relief; that's what the SGT Says.

Disaster

http://www.backdoorsurvival.com/70-things-that-can-go-wrong-in-a-disaster/

 

63. Emergency equipment will not be able to reach some locations because of traffic jams. Tow trucks will be at a premium. Parked or abandoned vehicles will block streets, and emergency responders will be the worst offenders.

 

64. Even though there will not be enough people to initially deal with emergencies, many available personnel will never be identified and never used. After the initial shock, there will be too many volunteers.

 

65. General information will be offered in response to specific questions because field units cannot verify the requested information.

 

Traffic jams, downed trees and debris can all create problems for access. Tow trucks can be helpful for both moving vehicles, but also for pulling trees out of the road.  Civilian trucks with winches can be useful too for pulling vehicle out of the road too.  Make police and fire park in designated areas only and keep a lane open.

 

Neighborhood watch captains should have a list of who lives in their area and what skills they have for use in an emergency.  Reserve police and volunteer firemen are an excellent resource and every agency should have them.

 

Public Information Officers should not answer questions if they don't know the answer.  Give what information you can, and they say you don't know or will have a statement later.  Don't speculate and don't lie; that's what the SGT Says.

Mass Killings

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/mass-killings/index.html#title

The FBI says a mass killing is one where four or more people are killed at a time.  Mass killings happen every few weeks in the United States.  That means it is not unlikely that you might be involved in a mass killing.

These events are frequent enough that you might encounter one.  The first priority is to stop the killing.  Just like any active shooter, you must stop the killer.  That means you usually have to shoot the shooter.

Second priority it to tend to the victims.  Stopping the shooter has to be first, because every delay to help a wounded person just means more wounded people.  After the incident, take care of yourself.  Know that these things happen and they are difficult to prevent.  Know that it's normal for you to feel sad, happy, depressed and glad all at the same time.  Seek professional counseling if you have any post traumatic stress, that's what the SGT Says.

Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch can be a powerful tool against crime.  Officers should attend meeting with the people to offer suggestions, and keep them apprised of crime trends.  They can also explain police activities and procedures.  At your meetings insure everyone knows they have two jobs:

Observe threats to the community.

Report those threats to the police.

Tell everyone to stay inside their house or car.  Don't confront people.  Remind them they are not the police, they don't wear body armor, carry guns, or know the law or tactics as well as the police do.  A stolen car radio is not worth getting killed or hurt over.

Ask people to use their camera or cell phone camera to take pictures of people or vehicles that are suspicious.  They don't have to write down a license plate if they can take a photo of it.  The group should prepare reports at least monthly and report crimes and crime prevention tips to everyone.  Make a website, or Yahoo Group, for all your members to keep up to date on crime information.  Make sure the HOA has good insurance.  Crime drops when the community works with the police to stop it; that’s what the SGT Says.

Officer Prosecution

http://www.lawofficer.com/article/news/attorneys-claim-california-off

A group of officers beat a homeless man and he died a few days later.  The DA determined it was a crime and several of the officers are being prosecuted.  There is video and audio of some of the encounter. 

I have followed the case since the beginning.  The DA made a good case in his press conference when he announced the prosecutions.  Based on what he said, I thought he had a good case against the officers.  Of course, that's only looking at the evidence through his interpretation and without any rebuttal.

The man who died was homeless.  He had a history of drug abuse and of violence.  Some of his relatives said he was a good guy and others said was a problem.  The other problem is the officers said and did a few things that made them look bad.  Keep in mind when you talk to people that what you say or do, may be recorded or quoted later, perhaps even out of context; that's what the SGT Says.

Officer Down

http://www.lawofficer.com/article/news/odmp-remembers-dallas-officer

Officer J.D. Tippit was on patrol looking for a suspect in a shooting with multiple victims.  The suspect used a rifle to shoot at people in a passing car.  The officer noticed a man walking down the street near the scene of the shooting.  He looked a little bit like the shooter so the officer called to him to stop.

The officer got out of the car and the suspect pulled out a handgun and shot the officer three times, once in the head.  The headshot was the fatal wound.  The suspect ran away, and bystanders used the officers car radio to call dispatch for help.  Back up responded quickly but the officer died.  Other officers arrested the suspect in a movie theater nearby, without further incident.  Ironically, the suspect himself was murdered not long afterwards.

The suspect was Lee Harvey Oswald, who was suspected of shooting President Kennedy.  The officer approached a suspect, in broad daylight who had used a rifle in a shooting.  Since the officer saw no rifle, he probably believed the suspect was unarmed.  Just like us, suspects often carry more than one gun and he used his handgun to murder the officer.  In a shooting investigation, consider all suspects as being potentially armed with a deadly weapon until you know otherwise; that's what the SGT Says.

Protest

 

http://www.lifesitenews.com/horror-mob-of-topless-pro-abort-feminists-attacks-rosary-praying-men-defend.html

 

A group of pro-abortion protestors assaulted a Roman Catholic Church in Argentina.  A large contingent of Roman Catholic men stood arm to arm outside the church to protect the building.  The women were yelling, spray painting the men, taunting them by being topless, hitting the men and throw things at them.  The police response was that they could not do anything because the assailants were women!

 

I suspect the police or politicians were either pro-abortion and just don't want to get involved.  This was a planned event, that's why the Church was able to mobilize a large counter-protest.  This is not a difficult situation to deal with from a police perspective.

 

Form two lines of barricades all around the church building.  Put police inside the two lines of barricades.  The Catholic people stay inside the inner fencing and the women stay on the outside of the outer barricade.  Anyone who violates the inner or outer perimeter goes to jail.  Have a couple aisles for people who can legitimately enter or leave the buildings.  It's just a matter of being willing to take care of people, no matter who they are, that's the sign of being professional; that's what the SGT Says.

Knife vs Gun

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2012/01/anaheim_police_shoot_kill_man.php

An Anaheim police officer was in the department parking lot working on the computer in his unit.  A man with a knife approached him and the officer shot the man to death.  That's the initial outline of the incident as reported in the papers and on line.

The important thing here is to read the comments by the people.  Many were unsure why a police officer had to shoot a man with a knife.  They did not understand why the officer could not employ another, less lethal option.  We have done a poor job of explaining to the public the dangers of a knife wielding suspect and the uncertainty of using less lethal weapons against a lethal weapon.

There were also many complaint that police use excessive force against the people of their city.  Certainly officers need to use force that is reasonable, but again, we do a poor job of explaining to the general public the need to use force and the dynamics of use of force incidents.  Our public affairs officers often do a poor job of explaining what has happened and that makes all of our jobs harder; that's what the SGT Says.

DUI

People who drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs frequently kill people.  Get them off the street.  Don't drink and drive yourself either.  There are many signs to look for when working patrol.

Almost any erratic driving can be a sign of a possible driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  Weaving is the classic sign, but driving anywhere other than in the roadway is also a sign.  Sometimes they will stop well beyond the limit line because they are not paying attention or their reflexes are poor.

Sometimes they will even sit through a green light or at least have a delayed respond to the green from red signal.  Swerving badly or making poorly executed turning movements are also a possible indication that the driver is driving under the influence.  When in doubt, stop them and investigate; that's what the SGT Says.

No 2 D Cells Will Do

How many flashlights do you carry?  I carry at least two and typically one more on my patrol shotgun.  If your flashlight dies, it's hard to replace it with anything else.  A flashlight is imperative for illumination at night and while directing traffic at night.

The agency I work for is small and the station is close to all parts of the city.  I can return to the station and get a replacement if mine dies, but if I am in the middle of a call, that's not practical.  My second flashlight is the one I use for directing traffic or for searching a large location.  That way my primary light is kept fully charged.

I also have one of those yellow cones that goes over the nose of the light for traffic direction, it really helps at night.  Don't skimp on your light.  Carry a durable, quality flashlight.  Always have extra batteries in your gear bag if you don't use rechargeable batteries.  Get a good light, it may save your life, that's what the SGT Says.

Flash Mob Crime

http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/next-generation-flash-mobs-when-law-and-order-breaks-down_11072013

Some cities are having problems with a new flash mob problem.  It used to be that people would form a flash mob and a few dozen people would show up and dance or sing.  There might be a few people inconvenienced due to the mass of people or the traffic disruption, but generally it was harmless, if sometimes annoying.

Now flash mobs are being organized for criminal activity.  This was something I predicted a long time ago when the phenomena first started.  One criminal calls a few friends, they call all their friends and at a specific time 20 or 30 criminals converge on a store and begin stealing from the shop.  A couple shop keepers can't stem that tide.

The police respond, but the hit is just a grab and go.  The suspect are hardly there a few minutes, everyone taking a few hundred dollars worth.  So the shop loses thousands of dollars worth of goods and the cops get no one in custody.  This is a disturbing new development in crime; that's what the SGT Says.

Robot Police

http://tiny.iavian.net/1nxd

There is a company that is trying to build security robots.  Their initial plan is to have a 300 pound robot that is equipped with cameras and other sensors that sends data back to a central location for monitoring.  Their initial thought is to patrol schools in case of an active shooter.  I think this is a very poor idea for several reasons. 

Robots malfunction and can't go up and down stairs and other obstacles.  What happens when an active shooter stacks ten chairs in a hallway and the robot can't get around or through them?  The robot does not carry weapons.  So when the active shooter comes, the monitor can watch the shooter run around the school or mall and watch the shooter murder people but be unable to do anything about it.

At many active shooter incidents, police or guards arrived within a few minutes but by then there were many people killed or wounded.  I think a robot guard might work fantastic in a warehouse or a closed mall where it only has to drive around and look for problems, then on-site people can respond to clean up a spill, or capture the burglars.  Having them control active shooters is worthless; that's what the SGT Says.

Slavery

https://www.dhs.gov/topic/human-trafficking

California is in the top three states for human trafficking.  It is amazing to me that in the 21st Century there are still slaves in the United States.  It is a terrible crime for people to be owned by others in this enlightened age.  As officers we should be vigilant to stop this type of crime.

There are an estimated 15,000 slaves in the United States.  It seems to me that with a concerted push by law enforcement that number could be reduced to essentially zero.  While most slaves are aliens and many are illegal aliens, not all of them are non-US citizens.

There are also many Americans, usually women, who are enslaved by their boyfriends or husbands, typically as sex slaves for prostitution.  Slaves often are used by their masters for criminal activity.  Sometimes slaves are arrested but they typically don't trust the police and often will not indicate their status.  Homeland Security and INS can provide additional information and training on this problem; that's what the SGT Says.