SGT Says

Honor Killings

2012-01-27T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/03/honor-killing-islams-gruesome-gallery.html

In Islamic culture a woman who dishonors her family may be
murdered by a male member of the family. A woman who wants to divorce her husband could be murdered by her
father, a brother or even her husband. This is considered an Honor Killing. Her acts have “dishonored” the family and by her death, “honor” is
restored.

Women have been killed in the United States in honor killings in
increasing numbers. These are seldom
simple murders. They often involve the
victim being raped, or tortured. It does
seem counter intuitive that a father might rape a daughter because she has
dishonored the family by becoming too westernized.

Many of these crimes are also very violent, with women being
stabbed a hundred times or more. When
looking for a motive in the murder of a Muslim woman, it certainly is helpful
to look for a male relative who is a radical Muslim. They may have determined that they needed to
kill their sister, wife, mother or daughter. Other members of the community and family will often deny this was an
honor killing because they don’t want their religion to look bad. Murder makes your group look bad, interfering
with the police investigation makes it look worse; that’s what the SGT Says.

Arson

2012-01-26T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Deputy-Arson-Suspect-Arrest-Hollywood-Fires--136587418.html

An arsonist was setting fires all over the Hollywood Hills
recently. The area is steep; brush
covered, and has narrow streets. There
are multi-million dollar homes all over this area too. At this time of year we often have fire
alerts because the brush is dry and the winds can gust over fifty miles per
hour.

A Reserve Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy on patrol in the
area was able to arrest the arson suspect during a traffic stop. Reserve officers have the same arrest
authority as regular officers. Depending
on the agency, many don’t get paid or they get paid less than regular full time
officers.

Reserve officers are an excellent way for agencies to
supplement their regular officers. They
can be assigned to work special events, and are the perfect way to supplement
your regular force in a major emergency. Many Reserve officers’ organizations got started in California during the Second World War when
regulars were joining the military and there was a concern about enemy
attack. Situations that have not changed
that much in 70 years; that’s what the SGT Says.

Local Control

2012-01-25T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.policeone.com/patrol-issues/articles/4913061-Speak-your-mind-Are-todays-cops-too-militarized/

Some agencies are issuing their police exterior body armor,
Kevlar helmets, M-16 series rifles and putting their officers in military style
uniforms, even to the point of wearing goggles and balaclavas. Some people are concerned that officers are
becoming too militarized. I think there
are two aspects to this problem. The
first is that police are not soldiers and while during an active shooter
incident may play a role similar to that of a soldier; these incidents are
still rather rare. Officers need to
match their equipment and uniform to their duty. In general we don’t need to patrol around
dressed up like soldiers and we should not be hiding our faces.

The primary concern I have with this militarization of
police is that it is coming from the Federal Government. You take the Federal money to pay for
equipment, and you have to conform to Federal rules. For years LAPD and other agencies have been
forced to hire police recruits that were unable to meet their traditional
requirements simply because the Federal Government mandated more hiring of
minorities and women. Agencies should
hire who they want to hire, without the interference of the Federal
Government.

The Federal Government is mandating training, radios, and
hiring standards. Policing is a local
government function. It should not be
taken over by the Federal Government. Local control means that the local people can get the type of police
they want, not the type of police the Federal Government thinks they should
have. If you agency has the Federal
Government buying them armored cars and M-16’s how long before the Federal
Government requires your agency to use them all the time? Local police, local control, we should not
let the lure of Federal money take that away; that’s what the SGT Says.

Video

2012-01-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7YFKm9gnKo

When you are on duty, just assume that everything you do
will be on video tape. I have been
telling officers this since at least the Rodney King video more than twenty
years ago. Now cameras are just about
everywhere and with the Internet something that happens in a rural county in Arizona can be
international news within a few minutes, even carried live as the event
unfolds.

Many officers are on video because their patrol cars have
video feeds, some wear cameras and some have cameras mounded on their headgear
or on special glasses. Cameras are an
excellent tool, but the camera only records what the lens sees and the
microphone picks up. The officer has a
brain that will filter what he sees from a different angle and will interpret
the image differently than the camera will record. The camera may show a young man, the officer
may see a gangster. The camera may show
a knife but the officer may not see it at all.

The act of people filming police activity can be disruptive
as people try and get good camera angles. I am uncomfortable with citizens filming police actions when they are
close enough to be a part of the action. I would like legislation that prohibits people from filming the police
if they are within 20 or 30 feet of the officers. I like distance between myself the suspect
and bystanders. The guy filming me now
may become the guy jumping on me as I try and take the suspect into custody. I don’t mind being filmed; I don’t like being
interfered with while I do my job; that’s what the SGT Says.

Officer Down

2012-01-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

William
Coleman, Joe Arpaio Deputy, Killed On Duty

A deputy of Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been murdered in the line
of duty. Deputy William Coleman was
murdered by a suspect in two other murders. The suspect was killed by other deputies. The deceased deputy was fifty and had many
years experience. He and his partner
were approaching a van during a burglary call. The suspect jumped from the vehicle and began shooting a rifle at the
deputies. My condolences go to the
family of Deputy Coleman and to Sheriff Arpaio.

Burglary calls are often considered low priority calls. Many agencies don’t even bother to respond to
burglary alarms anymore. I think this is
a mistake. Agencies need to respond to any
type of call for service, barking dog, burglary alarm, UFO, tree limb in the
roadway or strange noises heard. Any of
these can lead to the discovery of a crime, an injury, an arrest or even an
officer involved shooting.

Every call should be handled as if there is the potential
for it to become a dangerous event. Only
after you clear the call can you know if there is no suspect present. Dispatch and police supervision can
prioritize calls so that the ones that seem the most important can be handled
first. Other calls can be handled in turn. Always be ready and never become complacent;
that’s what the SGT Says.

Residency Requirements

2012-01-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.policemag.com/Channel/Patrol/News/2012/01/10/Ill-Cop-Fired-for-Living-Outside-City-Limits-for-15-Years.aspx?ref=OnTarget-Tuesday-20120110&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter

A reporter discovered that an 87 year old officer was living
across the street from the city limits. He had been living there for the last 15 years. The agency has a residency requirement. The reported notified the agency and the
officer refused to move and so was fired for living outside the city
limits. How foolish.

The agency should have known where the employee lived when
they hired him. They should have done a
proper background check and determined where he lived. They should have known his present address;
they have to know where he lives to send him mail, paychecks, and tax
information. How ridiculous that they
did not know where he lived all this time.

A residency requirement is a stupid requirement anyway. What business is it of your agency where you
live? When you are off duty you are on
your own time and free to come and go as you please. You are obligated to arrive to work on time
everyday, but as long as you do that, who cares where you live? Even if they want you nearby in case of an
emergency does that mean you can’t go out of town when you are off duty? Can’t go on a camping trip in the wilderness
or go out of state? If you have a take
home patrol car I can understand placing a mileage limit on the vehicle, but
not where you can actually live. Unless
they are paying you 24/7 it’s none of their business where you choose to live;
that’s what the SGT Says.

Drive By Shooting

2012-01-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

This video shows a drive by shooting. A car full of young men drive, and murder someone standing on the curb and drive away. They video their crime. This shot clip has several lessons for us to learn. The first lesson is that these criminals perform their crime quickly. If you get a drive by shooting call chances are the bad guys are a long way away by the time two or three minutes pass. So don't send everyone straight towards the scene. Try and get a direction of travel from the reporting party and head there if you can.

The other learning point is the suspects are very cruel and vicious. They make sure the victim is dead. They have only one goal, and that's murder. There is no personal gain, this is not about robbery. It is about killing. These are very dangerous criminals. Use your patrol rifle or shotgun when you make the car stop. Have back up with you if you can. Don't go in foot pursuit of them if you can avoid it.

Finally, remember these people took video of their crime. When doing the investigation take every video chip, memory card, memory stick, cellular phone, computer, iPad that they have with them or in their car. It may have a record of their crime. Check social network sites like Facebook to see if they are posting about the murder. You may be lucky and find the criminals have convicted themselves, that's what the SGT Says.

Alabama Jihad

2012-01-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20120109/NEWS/120109840/-1/SPORTS02?p=all&tc=pgall

A radical Muslim man in Alabama wanted to provoke a shootout with
police. He got a gun and began shooting
at store windows. Police arrived and he
started shooting at them, at least eight officers were shot at during the
course of the incident. Eventually a
police negotiator was able to convince the man to surrender without hurting
anyone.

Radical Muslim terrorist attack in Alabama. That is a combination of words I would never have expected to write ten
years ago. The War on Islamist
Terrorists continues and it is being fought right here in the heartland of America in a small town in Alabama. This is no different that the streets of Bagdad or Kabul.

Even in the most rural of communities we must be mentally
prepared for the criminal who is not simply someone who wants to steal a car or
rob a store. In this instance the
suspect said he wanted to provoke a confrontation and murder police officers,
in a small town in Alabama. If it can happen there, it can happen
anywhere in the United
States, so be ready; that’s what the SGT
Says.

Search

2012-01-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

Cops
Believe North Carolina Inmate Hid 10-Inch Revolver In His Rectum. Luckily,
It
Was Unloaded. The Smoking Gun

An inmate was hiding a full size 10 inch long revolver in his rectum. When
you search prisoners or suspects remember that they will go to extreme lengths
to hide weapons, drugs, cell phones and other contraband. When you do a search,
do a really good one like your life depends on it, because it does.

In a jail environment, it is a good idea to use a wand or other type of
metal detector to catch metal objects that might be difficult to locate. A small
semi-automatic can be difficult to find on a person, drugs can be as small as a
pair of dice. A small weapon can be just as deadly as a big one.

We are responsible for the suspects we bring in. Every time you take
custody of a suspect you must search them again. Even if the suspect was just
searched. You don't even want them to smuggle in a razor blade in the jail, they
can kill themselves. Suspects are very clever, they know we don't want to search
the nether regions; that's what the SGT Says.

Training

2012-01-18T09:11:00.000-08:00

My agency does a pretty good job of training us, but it is important to get enough training. I try and make it a point to attend at least one full day training class from an outside company or agency. Last year it was Glock Armorer school. Don't know what it will be next year.

I think if you are doing this full time you need to make the commitment to train and you need to go even if you have to pay for it yourself. My resume is quite extensive because I have been to a lot of training classes. It has kept me productive and current. Laws change, tactics change, case law changes all the time.

When selecting classes, don't just take the really cool rapelling out of helicopters and shooting submachine guns on the move classes. Take classes on stuff you use every day. Search and seizure, report writing, and other mundane but necessary classes help you stay out of trouble and help you do your job better, that's what the SGT Says.

Small & Alone

2012-01-17T09:11:00.000-08:00

One of the things I remember doing is developing plans to
use all the armed personnel in a given area in the event of an emergency. We compiled a list of all the public and
private police and security guards in our jurisdiction. Then we contacted each agency and discussed
emergency planning with them one on one. Later we began to meet with them as a group to discuss what each
organization could bring to the table in the event of an emergency.

We also discussed communication with one another. We developed a fax network to communicate to
one another. If we had a major crime or
other incident we notified the others in the network so they would be aware of
what was happening. It did pay off. Police developed several good leads and even
made arrested based on Field Interview reports from private security guards who
had spoken to suspicious people on their property they contacted.

By networking with other agencies you get more eyes on the
ground and maybe a little help in a major incident. The biggest problems are communications and
bureaucratic resistance. Sometimes
developing this kind of network can take a long time, but it can really be worth
the trouble, that’s what the SGT Says.

Small & Alone

2012-01-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

When you work alone, keep in mind there are may be resources
you have overlooked. I used to know of a
resident sheriff who worked in a rural mountain area; his nearest other sheriff
was at least a 45 minute drive away. So
he looked for other resources to help in an emergency. There are many people who are ready and
willing to help. Small police
departments that may only field one unit on one shift for tiny towns are a good
place to start.

Game wardens and forest rangers often have police powers and
carry guns. State agencies like the
highway patrol, alcohol control, and special drug enforcement task forces may
be available for immediate back up or you may call upon them for special crimes
or raids.

Private security guards carry guns in many areas and some
work vehicle patrol. Their training may
be poor, but they usually are willing to be helpful. Fire department arson investigators often
have police powers and carry guns. Many
special districts have their own police, like transit districts, railroads, and
schools have police or security that is armed. There can be help out there, but it takes planning to use those
resources properly; that’s what the SGT Says.

Small & Alone

2012-01-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

When working alone and with little back up, try and take
extra precautions to keep yourself safe. Be aware of danger cues and try to use every tactical advantage you can
get. On traffic stops, keep people
inside their vehicle. It is difficult to
attack you if they are seated inside a car.

When stopping a motorcycle, keep the motorcycle between you
and the rider. Make them take off their
helmet and put it on the seat or on the ground. They don’t need either the weapon or the protection a helmet
provides. The same is true for a bike
rider. If the person is on foot, or
exits their vehicle, have them stand by your vehicle headlight in front of your
unit while you stand near the front tire. That way you are out of easy reach and they have to go around the car to
get to you.

Another place for suspects to stand is with their heels to
the curb, one slight push and they will fall over backwards if you are standing
in the street in front of them, or one quick pull and they will go backwards
too. If you need to search a vehicle,
make sure everyone is out of the vehicle, and seated or standing a distance
away, stop searching if they approach you. Check on them every few seconds to make sure they are not moving towards
you or drawing a weapon. It’s all about
control, position and distance. They
give you the ability to overcome your lag time in the event the suspect
assaults you; that’s what the SGT Says.

Small & Alone

2012-01-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

On a traffic stop, late at night, someone runs from the car
as you approach the vehicle. What do you
do about it? Chase them? No, don’t chase them. First call the information in to dispatch. Let them know someone has exited the vehicle;
give them a description and a direction of travel. Next, clear the car. Do this from a position of advantage. Move back to your patrol vehicle and deploy a
long gun, shotgun or patrol rifle. Using
the PA, command anyone inside the vehicle to sit up put their hands up and if
they do, then get them out of the vehicle. Prone them out, detain them for investigation and handcuff them.

Search them for weapons and if there driver is still there
try and obtain permission to search the car. Obtain identification on everyone and check them for warrants. Complete a Field Interview on everyone and be
sure to cite the driver if he was not the one who ran away and you stopped them
for a citable offense. Ask each of the
passengers who ran and why they ran away. Verify the vehicle registration and make sure it is not stolen. If you have the legal authority, search the
vehicle and tow it away.

You may not get the person who ran away, but you should at
least make a good effort to get their car. While waiting for the tow truck, keep an eye out often the person who
ran away will come back. Sit and wait
for them at a distance, even after the car is towed they will sometimes return
looking for the vehicle. That gives you
a second opportunity to detain and investigate them. Chasing after someone on foot is usually not
a good idea, particularly when you are alone, that’s what the SGT Says.

Small & Alone

2012-01-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

When making traffic stops alone there are several tactics to
enhance your safety. If it is night or
low light conditions, use all your lights, both side spotlights, the roof
lights and your headlights on bright. It
creates a wall of light that makes it hard for the suspect to see how many
officers there are in the unit. Consider
your unit exit and vehicle approach. You
can open your door quietly, close it gently and walk around behind the police
car.

Then approach the suspect vehicle
on the passenger side. By being quiet
you don’t reveal your location giving a degree of uncertainty to the
suspect. Walking around the back of the
patrol car keeps you from being crushed between the two cars if yours is struck
by another driver. A passenger side
approach may confuse the occupants and permit you to observe them without their
knowledge; they will generally expect you to be on the driver’s side.

Don’t turn your flashlight on until you are
right up on the vehicle, you may see more without it than with it turned
on. Keep the violator unsure about where
you are, how many there are and what you are doing. It gives you a tactical advantage, that’s
what the SGT Says.

Small & Alone

2012-01-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

My agency is small. I
remember years ago when I first started I had been there for less than a year
and I was the only one in the city on patrol for most of the shift. Everyone else had to write a major report on
an incident that happened the previous day and so it was just me. There are many things to do differently when
working alone.

Call off all your activity. Dispatch should always know where you are and what you are doing. Even if you are just patrolling around, check
in every 30 minutes with your status and location. Call off every traffic stop with your
location and the license plate number, call off a description of the vehicle if
there is not license plate.

Use extra caution to stop vehicles in well lighted areas
where it is difficult for the suspect to assault you without being seen. Make vehicle occupant or pedestrian contacts
where you can be seen by the public. You
may not expect much help if you are attacked, but most of the time someone will
make a phone call on your behalf if you get in trouble. High visibility is a good idea most of the
time when you are alone, that’s what the SGT Says.

Mental Illness

2012-01-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.policeone.com/edp/articles/4777758-What-mentally-ill-subjects-want-cops-to-know/

There has been a movement in the UK for mentally ill people to reach
out to the police and explain what it is they need from the police when they
are contacted in the field. This is a
valuable concept, but the communication must be two way. Mentally ill people ask for understanding and
that police accommodate their unique needs. Mentally ill people also need to understand police and accommodate our
unique needs too.

Much of the gist of their complaint is that police often get
too close to them, speak harshly to them and don’t give them enough
respect. Certainly when there is no
immediate risk of harm to anyone, we can stand off; speak softly and
respectfully to just about anyone. If it
helps an officer to reach the objective of keeping the peace and enforcing the
law, the certainly those are good tactics.

We can’t jeopardize the safety of ourselves, the public or
even the disturbed person however. We
still have to gain control over the situation, that often means patting someone
down for weapons, and handcuffing them so they can’t attack us or others. We have to put people into the cage in our
police car too. Be sympathetic and
caring to those who are ill, but don’t take chances with officer safety, that’s
what the SGT Says.

Dead Guards

2012-01-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

In 2011 at least 114 private security guards were killed in
the line of duty. Over 50 of them were
shot to death and another 30 were murdered in other ways. Private security guards perform a valuable
law enforcement function and it is often a very dangerous job. Too many of them are underpaid, undertrained
and improperly equipped.

Despite all these handicaps, most private security guards
try to do a good job. Many of them make
police jobs easier by preventing crimes or by reporting crimes. Guards handle many calls for service on their
own that police otherwise would have to handle. Guards in high rise buildings and large campus complexes monitor fire
and intrusion alarms and assist in fire fighting and evacuation. Their local knowledge and possession of keys
can be very helpful.

There is much that can be done to improve the
professionalism of private security. They should all be given FBI and state background checks, and drug
testing. They should require a minimum
amount of training and similar training to the police if they carry
weapons. Police unions should not oppose
greater professionalism of private guards; that’s what the SGT Says.

NYPD Officer Murdered

2012-01-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/12/12/officer-shot-during-robbery-in-cypress-hills/

A career criminal with arrests for drugs and assault has
been charged with murdering a New York City Police officer. The officer and his partner responded to a
home invasion type robbery and when he arrived the suspect shot him in the
face. The officers’ partner chased the
suspect a short distance and after a struggle arrested the suspect. The second officer was injured in the
struggle. A second suspect is still at
large.

Officer Peter Figoski had been with NYPD for over 22
years. He is the second NYPD officer
murdered in the line of duty this year. The first one was pushed off a stoop during a domestic dispute and fell
to his death. New York is a dangerous city, but everywhere
deserves good police protection. It’s
too bad the courts let a career criminal out on the streets to murder a
cop. New York City probably has the toughest gun
control in the nation; yet it failed to save this officer from a career
criminal.

I wonder why the partner did not shoot the suspect, rather
than chase him and tackle him. Certainly
having just witnessed the suspect shoot your partner is a good reason to shoot
someone. Perhaps the background was not
safe. Perhaps the partner did not
actually witness the shooting and was unsure which suspect pulled the
trigger. Maybe he saw the suspect throw
his gun down or felt sure he could arrest the suspect without having to shoot
him. A 22 year long career, over in a
muzzle flash, my condolences to the family and NYPD; that’s what the SGT Says.

Officer Down

2012-01-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.kron4.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2321

An officer with the city of Vallejo, CA responded to a bank robbery. He found the suspect vehicle and went in
pursuit of the robbers. Once the
suspects bailed out of the car the officer went in foot pursuit of the
suspect. The officer was shot and killed
by one of the suspects.

Bank robbers are generally very dangerous criminals. Two suspects are much more dangerous than one
suspect. Foot pursuits are very
dangerous activities. This officer was
rewarded for his bravery twice in the past. While I praise this officer for his bravery and I mourn his death, I am
concerned about his tactics as explained in this article.

One officer in foot pursuit of two armed bank robbery suspects
is not a good idea. I never go in foot
pursuit unless I have a good chance of catching the suspect right away and I
maintain sight of the suspect. One
officer chasing two suspects is rarely a good idea. In most cases a vehicle pursuit will bring many
officers to the scene. Use those
officers to cordon off the area and search carefully for the suspects rather
than run after them; that’s what the SGT Says.

Tough Sheriff

2012-01-07T09:11:00.000-08:00

Joe
Arpaio, Arizona Sheriff, Violated Civil Rights According To Justice Department
Report

The US
Justice Department is investigating Joe Arpaio the toughest sheriff in the United States. For years the liberal media have complained
that Sheriff Joe Arpaio is too hard on criminals. Now that President Obama is in charge of the
Justice Department they are investigating him to look for problems where in my
opinion there are none.

If a sheriff does something wrong it is the duty of his
state government to investigate the sheriff, it is not the role of the Federal
Government to investigate him. The
Federal Government has more important things to be doing that wasting their
time of what I believe are politically motivated charges to try and get a tough
sheriff to back down in his treatment of criminals and illegal aliens.

The Mexican drug cartels are active along the US / Mexican
border, they murder people everyday. They commit mass murder and try to corrupt government officials, the
media and bring drugs into our nation. The US Justice Department should be more concerned with this problem
than with a sheriff that has a proven track record and is reelected time after
time; that’s what the SGT Says.

Strange

2012-01-06T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_zRPWyATZw

One of the reasons police work is so interesting is that you
never know from day to day what exciting adventures are going to happen. In this instance there is an unusual
occurrence that happens to the officer. A
young cat keeps climbing onto the officer as he tries to write a ticket to a
violator.

I noticed several problems with this incident. The first problem is the officer is standing
in the open writing the citation, up next to the violators’ vehicle. If the violator were to attack him, the
officer would have no cover, and little lag time to react. The distraction of the cat would only further
distract the officer from the suspects attack.

The officer is trying to do three things at one time. He is writing a ticket, watching the violator
and dealing with the cat. I would
suggest he stop writing the ticket, move back to the passenger side of his
vehicle, open the passenger side door and take up a better position from which
to write the citation. Pet the cat for
about ninety seconds so it will go away, and then continue with his
citation. Perhaps even lock the cat in
the caged back seat of the patrol car for a couple minutes while he writes the
ticket. Just remember to take the cat
out of the car before you leave; that’s what the SGT Says.

Off Duty Carry

2012-01-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

UPDATE:
Two Dead After Attempted Robbery at Seaford Pharmacy [VIDEO] - Massapequa, NY
Patch

A robber hit a pharmacy and left with cash and drugs. He was confronted by two off duty police
officers and one retired police officer. They exchanged gunfire and the suspect was killed and one of the
officers was killed. I always carry a
gun off duty. I also carry or have in my
car, extra ammo, handcuffs, a flashlight, water and first aid kit and a raid
jacket with POLICE on the back and a stenciled badge on the front.

Even with all this gear, I try not to get involved in
incidents off duty. I don’t have body armor;
I don’t have radio communication with on duty offices. I don’t have a full uniform and equipment
readily to hand. All these things make a
big difference in a major incident, particularly a shooting. In this instance there may even been a
friendly fire casualty.

Generally, off duty it is better to be a good witness than
to confront criminals. Armed robbers who
are stealing drugs are very dangerous. The officers involved made a decision to intervene in the incident. There were three of them and only one
robber. They may have had other tactical
advantages; the robber may have threatened them without realizing they were
police. Sometimes you have to act, even
if it may not be the preferred option; that’s what the SGT Says.

Murder

2012-01-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

Pro-gun control liberals constantly tell us that the US is a violent place. It is, but not as bad as many other places. The murder rate for 100,000 population in Honduras is 82 as of 2010. In the US it is only 5. Our next door neighbor to the south has a murder rate of 18. We are doing much better than Mexico.

Mexico and Honduras are in such trouble because of the drug lords and drug violence. That's why it is so important to enforce our drug laws, and not permit corruption of our law enforcement. Most of Central America is bad off too, El Salvador is at 66 murders per 100,000 population.

We need to invest more in crime scene investigation, in prosecution, in corrections so that we can arrest, convict and house criminals. We need to have our police unions focus more on politicians that are tough on crime, not just politicians that will protect our pensions. It won't do us any good to retire to a city with a crime rate of 82 murders per 100,000 population; that's what the SGT Says.

Win

2012-01-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

'They're gonna kill you': One warrior's will to win

An officer was warned twice that local drug dealers were gunning for him. The officer had made many drug arrests and was hurting their business. Eventually the officer was shot in the chest; in his body armor yet continued to fight and overcame the suspect. There are several lessons in this incident for the rest of us beyond the encouragement to keep fighting even if the suspect shoots you.

The streets belong to the people, not the drug dealers, and the police are the representatives of the power of the people. When drug dealers start making threats against officers it is time for officers to make a concerted effort to clean up that part of town. Form a task force and close down those gangs once and for all. Partner with state and Federal authorities to break up the gang, and partner with the DA to insure harsh prosecutions to put the gangsters away. Have city crews paint over gang graffiti.

In the meantime, all patrol officers in the agency need to spend at least a little time during their shift patrolling that area. Make plenty of traffic stops for even minor offenses and cite everyone for those minor crimes. Have you motor units work traffic on those corners. Have your school truant officers pick the kids up during the day. Enforce the juvenile curfew and have your state alcohol commission hit all the bars and liquor stores in the area. Make life harder on the gangsters than it is on the police. Keep the pressure up, and bring it in from many directions. Have animal control cite their unlicensed pit bull dogs and cite them for unsanitary conditions. Don’t let the gang members threaten to kill a police officer without repercussions; that’s what the SGT Says.

Inattention

2012-01-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

Miami police car, up a pole? wtsp.com

One thing about police work is that it only takes one moment of inattention and suddenly there’s a problem. In this instance the officer dropped his pen, reached over to get it and was suddenly off the road and up the tension wire for the electric pole. The officer was not hurt but he made himself and the police department look bad.

There may have been damage to the pole, the wires, the police car or the curb. Certainly there was the call out for the fire department and other officers were taken away from their duties to tend to the collision. This could have ended in tragedy if he had jumped the curb and struck a group of children waiting for the school bus.

If an officer has a collision and the primary cause is his poor driving, as in this collision, then the officer should face time off without pay. If he has a third accident in a year that is his fault then he should be terminated. If you drive for a living you will eventually crash. Crazy and drunk drivers, night, wet, snow, ice, heavy traffic, rapid response to calls all contribute to the potential for a collision. If the officer was driving in broad daylight, with no traffic and no weather conditions that would cause him a problem, he needs some time off; that’s what the SGT Says.

Little Things

2011-12-31T09:11:00.000-08:00

Police: Man Arrested For Carrying 23 Pounds Of Marijuana On Bicycle « CBS Los Angeles

A grown man was riding a bicycle at night on a public street. There was no rear reflector and no headlight on the bicycle. These are two very minor violations of the vehicle code. It’s the sort of minor offense that most officers would simply ignore. In this instance it was the probable cause for the stop that lead to a major drug arrest.

The state vehicle code provides hundreds if not thousands of opportunities for police officers to stop vehicles. Not just cars and trucks, but bicycles too count as vehicles in most states. This bike rider was out at 2:30 in the morning. That is an unusual time to be riding a bicycle but is not criminal.

What matters is the stop has to be objectively reasonable. Since the person stopped was committing two crimes, no headlight and no tail reflector, the person can be legally stopped while the officer conducts an investigation into those crimes. If during the stop the officer discovers contraband that can be used as the basis for an arrest. Minor crimes often result in the discovery of major criminals; that’s what the SGT Says.

Don’t do This

2011-12-30T09:11:00.000-08:00

MORE: http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-michael-sinnock,0,6862826.story

I don’t want to assume that your training was complete so please let me state this for the record. It is very poor police work to purchase drugs for resale on duty in uniform. An officer working for Memphis Police Department tried to purchase a couple different types of drugs for resale, while on duty in uniform.

This type of corruption is appalling. An officer who abuses his position this way should do double the time of other criminals for the same offense. I understand that sometimes on duty officers can be over zealous and use excessive force or make a mistake of face and arrest the wrong person. We all make mistakes. This was not a mistake this was a cold and calculated evil act that brings shame and dishonor to all those who wear a police uniform, especially the uniform of Memphis Police Department.

In a city where this happens the command staff needs to take drastic steps to weed out those others who must surly be out there committing similar crimes. I would recommend immediate drug testing for every member of the department, and a refreshed background check for every officer from Chief to Dispatcher. The background check should be performed by an outside agency and should especially target the financial position of each officer to insure they are not earning an unreported income, particularly by illegal means. I would freeze all hiring until these to minimal steps have been completed and fire anyone who failed the drug screen or background check; that’s what the SGT Says.

Major Fire

2011-12-29T09:11:00.000-08:00

Often we are some of the first ones to respond to a fire and even after it is under control there is a lot for the police to do at the scene. Remember there could be someone killed or injured in the fire, it could be arson or even an arson set to cover a burglary or murder; your fire may be a crime scene. Notify your arson investigator on all major fires. Notify the Red Cross, they can provide food, clothing and shelter to people displaced when their home burns and can provide food and coffee to first responders too.

Notify the gas company, they need to shut the gas lines off and make sure they are safe. Call the electric company, the cable TV company and the phone company. Often their lines are down, or poles are burned and they may have service interruptions down the line, and the electric company may need to shut off and redirect power. Notify animal control or the humane society, if the home or business has pets or livestock they will need care and shelter too. Finding a spot for a half dozen horses after a 3 a.m. stable fire can be a challenge. Advise the water company too, you may be putting a lot of strain on their system and they may want to shut off water to the site.

Deploy reserve officers or Police Explorer Scouts or other non-sworn people to control traffic and set up a perimeter. You will need to redirect traffic for a time, and may have to change bus routes, truck routes, school bus pick up spots too. Your state highway patrol and city crews and state highway crews can be helpful if major routes have be rerouted or closed off. The Salvation Army can provide shelter to people and also help to feed people on site. Child services may be needed if children are left without parents who are in the hospital or even dead. You may need the county coroner too if you suspect a death as a result of the fire. There are many resources to use, make use of them; that’s what the SGT Says.

Active Shooter, Follow Up

2011-12-28T09:11:00.000-08:00

Twenty officers, five teams of four have arrived at the scene of the active shooter and you are officer number 21 to arrive, do you really need to form another team and go after the shooter? Maybe, or maybe not; if they have engaged the shooter or are chasing him away, then you may be of more help doing something else. Begin to set up a command post. Look for ways to coordinate the rest of the response. Get additional responding officers to escort EMS to the scene of the injured. Start a journal of what is happening on scene, and who is doing what.

Keep alert to additional suspects and the potential for bombs. Have additional responding officers start a slow and careful search of the location looking for additional suspects, suspicious packages, and even victims who are hiding in closets, under beds, or behind closed doors. Begin the triage of the wounded, have officers begin first aid on those with survival able wounds. Some injured can apply direct pressure to their own wounds if you just position them correctly and give them a bandage.

Make note of where wounded people were found and those hiding out too. It is hard to piece it all together later without at least a few notes. Make sure the chief of police and fire have been notified; begin setting up inner and outer perimeters to keep victims, witnesses and suspects inside and friends, parents and others outside. Coordinate with the press and assign someone to talk to them, keep it simple, there has been a shooting and we have one in custody with more information coming soon. Someone has to take charge of the scene so that the assets can be better utilized; that’s what the SGT Says.

Grenades, Rifle & Handgun

2011-12-27T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/usatoday/article/51865896

In Belgium a man with a FN rifle, a revolver and at least three hand grenades tossed the grenades at shoppers and opened fire on them with the rifle. He killed or injured well over a hundred people. An active shooter of that type has to be stopped immediately. You can’t wait for back up or even for another unit. You need to deploy your patrol rifle if you have one, or your shotgun, if you have one and go directly to him and shoot him until he is no longer a threat.

My concerns are that this shooter might also be a suicide bomber and could explode as you get close, or he may be working with others who could engage you with fire as you try to take him into custody. First call for all the back up you can get and EMS, with an estimate of casualties. Then move towards where you thing the shooter may be at, the crowd will often be pointing in his direction or moving away from him.

Suspects with this level of determination and planning will often be wearing body armor, so it is a good idea to consider a head shot, you would also avoid shooting explosives that may be on his body. Use cover when you approach and engage at the maximum distance you can. By distracting the suspect and letting him know police have responded, he may stop killing innocent civilians and either concentrate on you, or perhaps even kill himself at that time. Even if you bring the suspect down quickly, keep a distance from him, he may explode or other suspects may reveal themselves. Now it is time to wait for back up to arrive before you move in to take him into custody or give him first aid. Once the suspect is immobilized, time is more on your side; that’s what the SGT Says.

Protestors

2011-12-26T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.newswithviews.com/Kincaid/cliff569.htm

The Occupy Movement has created some problems for police. This is intentional; the protestors want problems with the police. They know they will get media coverage if they have confrontations with law enforcement. A group that is peaceful, stands around, makes a few speeches and leaves, picking up their trash behind them won’t get must air time, ask the Tea Party. The more you inconvenience regular people the more air time you will get on television. If you block a street at three in the morning no one cares. If you block a street at evening rush hour, many people care about that. If you camp out in a public park and deny others the ability to go for a walk, walk their dog, feed the pigeons then people care about that too.

Protesters want the police to react to what they do and no matter what the police do they and the media will say it was wrong. Protestors sit down and block a sidewalk. The police ask them to leave and they don’t. Police tell them to leave and they don’t. Police order them to leave or be arrested and they don’t. If the police pick them up and carry them away then the police were denying then the “right to protest.”

Police threaten to use pepper spray, pepper balls, batons, rubber bullets, bean bag projectiles, Mace, dogs, water cannons, or any other weapon then the police will be called brutal and repressive by the media. Remember a free society does not give people the right to do anything they want to do, whenever they want to do it. Even protesters have to conform to certain norms and can’t take rights away from others. In many nations police just show up and start shooting real bullets to end the protest; that’s real police brutality; that’s what the SGT Says.

Bullet Proof

2011-12-25T09:11:00.000-08:00

Human skin embedded with spider silk can stop a bullet Raw Replay

Various organizations are working to make a better set of body armor. In this case it’s the body armored. We need better body armor for police. We really don’t protect the head at all; even the ballistic helmets are of minimal value and are not practical for day to day police work. The area under the arms is a huge hole that leaves a big part of the body unprotected. The body armor stops at the top of the belt line, hardly covering the whole body.

We need a lightweight, cool, flexible garment that is bulletproof, fireproof and non-compressible. I have been shot at and I have run into burning buildings. Both are very dangerous activities and armor only provided limited protection. Armor must be comfortable or we won’t wear it. It has to be non-compressible so it will protect us when we are punched or in a traffic collision.

Armor must be flexible or we can’t move around and do our jobs. It must be lightweight or we won’t wear it because it will cause too much fatigue. Better armor has the potential of saving most officers killed in the line of duty, and even saving suspects. We don’t have to be as quick to shoot if we can survive an attack. Better armor, we need it, right now; that’s what the SGT Says.

Triage

2011-12-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

When Things Go Bad - Training - LawOfficer.com

In a major incident, sometimes there is multiple life threatening events happening all at the same time. So you have to triage. The first thing you do is stop more life threatening events from developing. In an active shooter situation, you deal with the shooter and leave the wounded for follow up officers and medics. Every moment you stop to render aid gives the shooter more time to kill and maim others.

Once things are stabilized you need to do triage. Some people can help themselves. A minor flesh wound to the arm and the victim can apply direct pressure and walk to the paramedic van unassisted. A major arm wound and someone may need to assist them. Victims that are obviously dead or nearly dead should be bypassed in favor of others that you can save. Your rudimentary in the field first aid will not be good enough to save everyone. Save as many people as you can, but don’t spend twenty minutes with one person while three others that you could have saved bleed to death.

Don’t rush into the kill zone to save a partner. Neutralize the threat first or find a proper way to move there with an armored vehicle or shield to protect yourself while you rescue the downed officer. Keep dispatch informed so they can continue to update paramedics, emergency rooms and other EMS personnel. The more they know the better they can help you. Consider body armor and shields and training with your paramedics so you can better respond to an active shooter or similar incident that’s what the SGT Says.

Interior Check

2011-12-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

You get a call of a burglary alarm and when you arrive as a small office complex you find a door ajar. No sign of forced entry to the door. What do you do? First you should have parked your car so it is not visible from the location and exited your vehicle without slamming the door to maintain the element of surprise. Once you find the open door, notify dispatch and ask for back up. A canine search dog is best, but certainly they are not always available. Wait for your partner from a position of cover where you can see the door and hopefully two sides of the location.

When your partner arrives, check the full perimeter of the location, the door may simply be an exit not entrance spot. Talk to your partner before you make entry about how you want to handle the search. Then make entry, with your loaded shotgun with a round racked into the chamber. Some say you should announce “Police” in a loud voice to warn innocent people and perhaps make hiding criminals give up. Others say you should not announce. I have done both, if I have a tactical advantage I prefer to announce, if I don’t have the advantage, then I would rather not give up the element of surprise. If I do announce, that’s a good time to rack the shotgun, loudly, just inside the door.

Check carefully, and look in any space that can hold a person. Small humans fit into very small spaces. Don’t hesitate in doorways, get into the room quickly. I like to turn on the lights as I enter rooms. It cuts the night vision of the suspect and allows me to see the whole room. Use your flashlight to see into closets, corners and even false ceilings. Don’t be in a hurry to search. If possible, check the roof, sometimes it’s used as a point of entry. A call of the fire department to bring a ladder may be needed if no air unit is available. I used to carry a folding ladder in my supervisor vehicle for just such occasions. Once you have determined the scene is safe, notify the owner. Someone should stay on site until a responsible party arrives. Offer to check the property with them before you leave. They may notice something out of place or missing that someone unfamiliar with the location might miss. Careful checking to catch the crooks and keep yourself safe, that’s what the SGT Says.

Value for Services

2011-12-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.policeone.com/police-jobs/articles/4537664-Minn-security-guards-to-take-on-police-tasks/

A city in Minnesota is using private security guards as their police. The guards will not carry guns and will have only limited abilities to perform police functions. They will not work 24 hours per day. They have the sheriffs department to call for incidents that they can’t handle. The guards are substantially cheaper than police.

This happens when people don’t perceive value for the services they receive. People also think that there need to police services is low. It is a low crime area with a very small population so police services were very expensive for them. As a result people felt it was safe and economical to go with private guards.

People want value for their dollars. If they perceive poor value they will look for alternatives. Most police functions will be able to be done by these guards. They can take reports, provide high visibility patrol and respond to minor incidents. All major events will be handled by regular sworn officers. Make your public aware of the value of the service you provide and save you job, that’s what the SGT Says.

TEOTWAWKI

2011-12-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Tw5LaEzEcJw

http://barnhardt.biz/

Someday The End Of The World As We Know It may come. It has been on the way for may entire life. In some ways it has come and gone several times. As a kid we worried about the Soviet Union striking us with strategic missile attack and atomic weapons. TEOTWAWKI came when the Soviet Union collapsed. We used to go to the library to borrow a book. Now the whole world of information, movies, television is right at our computer fingertips.

While I think preparedness is a good thing, I also realize that age, location, health, fitness and motivation play a role too. I am no longer willing to be a survivalist, roaming the wilderness fighting the invaders from Mars, Cuba, Iran, or an oppressive government. Instead I plan on being able to survive any short term disruptions in life. As a result I don’t keep a hundred thousand rounds of ammo, a hundred guns and tens of thousands of dollars worth of precious metals in the house.

I keep enough things on hand to survive a few months after a massive earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, riot, revolution, war, or other disaster. If it lasts longer than that, then I will just have to trust in God for either his protection or his mercy. I keep food in the house that stores well, but not freeze dried; I am not fleeing into the hills. I keep what I eat normally in large quantities that can keep me and the wife going for a long time. In my life I have had just about every emergency at one time or another and I have managed somehow, by the grace of God. I would rather have a big screen television than five new assault rifles. Not that there’s anything wrong with owning five assault rifles, it’s just a choice I have made; that’s what the SGT Says.

Virginia Tech

2011-12-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

Virginia Tech Shooting: Shots Fired At Virginia Tech, At Least 2 Dead

A police officer was murdered on the Virginia Tech campus. He was inside his patrol car on a traffic stop when a third party approached his unit and shot him to death for no apparent reason. The suspect then left the officer and after a little while shot himself. This is the same Virginia Tech that was the scene of the mass murder of 33 people only a few years ago.

This is an excellent example of how liberal reaction does nothing to prevent violent crime. This campus completely reviewed their procedures on security and crime prevention after the last event. As a result they continued their policy of a gun free campus. Students, teachers, administrators who had concealed firearms carry permits were denied their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms in the vain hope that this prohibition would keep bad men with evil intent from doing harm. While the specific motives of this suspect are not yet known, he certainly did have time to go on a killing spree had he wanted to do that, before the alarm was raised.

We saw the result when an armed man murdered a police officer for no reason. The gun free zone concept once again failed to protect a single victim from a criminal with no regard for the law. A little painted sign will not stop a criminal. Students huddled, unarmed in classrooms relying on locked doors for protection. Police swarmed the campus and while the suspect was seen alive by and officer he had killed himself prior to being confronted by the officer. Law enforcement is not just the job of the police. We need all good people to notify the law enforcement when they see suspicious behavior, protect themselves with lights, locks, fences, dogs and alarm systems. They also need to reserve the right to protect themselves with firearms; that’s what the SGT Says.

Crowds

2011-12-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

Crowd control in 2012: Are you prepared to face the great noise?

Back in the day, when police faced an angry crowd there was usually no camera coverage of the event. Certainly no live coverage and any news coverage that happened was delayed in its broadcast so that the incident was typically hours over before it was seen by anyone. Later as technology has developed, we are faced with instant communication all over the world. As a demonstration happens it seems everyone there has a phone with a camera there and many are streaming live video feeds to people all over the world.

This can cause tremendous problems for law enforcement. The first problem is that people interested in the cause may flock to the scene to assist the protesters. Others who are more interested in violence or looting or even just entertainment may show up to see what is happening first hand. That means a small group of only a few people can swell to thousands on only minutes.

Another new phenomenon is the professional protestor. People who travel the region, even the world to participate in protest, for or against any number of causes are becoming a greater problem. They train to fight the police; they come with equipment to protect themselves from batons and teargas. They are looking for ways to escalate the incident to make the police react. They don’t care about property damage, they don’t care if they get arrested or even hurt, they just want a “good” riot to occur. That means we as law enforcement need to be better equipped, better trained and more professional than ever; that’s what the SGT Says.

Technology

2011-12-18T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://jalopnik.com/5866678/the-secret-danger-of-safety-technology

In police work we are becoming more and more dependant on technological gadgets to help us in our daily work. We drive cars with computer navigation systems. We use the Taser to subdue combative suspects. We write reports on pre-generated computer forms. We collect and retrieve data from massive computer data bases. We use facial recognition and remote fingerprint readers to determine who we are contacting.

What happens on the day all that crashes? If a massive EMP were to happen all the computers could die. A huge virus could crash systems. Even sun spots could bring down network systems over large regions of the country. Sabotage by internal bad actors or even an attack on our systems by a foreign government or transnational group could bring down our computers.

Can your people function without all the gizmos? Do your officers know how to use a baton effectively? Can they find their way around without a navigation system; can they actually read a paper map? Are they able to write a decent report by hand, without a spell checker, and grammar checker? Can you function your dispatch, your jail system without external electricity or without computers? You have to find out some day; that’s what the SGT Says.

Son Dead

2011-12-17T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/06/darwin-butler-chicago-cop_n_1131860.html?ref=chicago&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk3%7C118073

A Chicago police SGT responding to a call of shots fired found his stepson dead of gunshot wounds at the scene. The officer himself had been shot in the same neighborhood over a decade ago. Some areas we work in are very dangerous. Some of them we call home. Sometimes home is in a dangerous area, sometimes crime happens even in nice places.

It is always a possibility that we may come across a friend or relative who has been killed or injured while we are at work. We respond to traffic collisions, domestic disputes, shootings, robberies and it certainly is possible one of the victims or even one of the suspects is a family member or friend.

It is important in those times to allow as much of the call as possible to be handled by other officers. We don’t want to taint a crime scene or be accused of excessive force against a suspect because we were personally involved. Certainly we have to maintain our professional demeanor as much as possible until the situation is stable, at that time we should take a break and become a grieving member of the victims’ family and not try to remain a cop. It is best to avoid doing things that may require us to testify later, we should avoid witnessing the autopsy, reading reports that would not be available to the general public. We need to maintain our distance so we can maintain our sanity; that’s what the SGT Says.

Shooting

2011-12-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/dec/07/memphis-officer-accidentally-wounded-his-own-gun-g/

A police officer came home from work, slipped and fell and accidentally shot himself in the wrist. Firearms accidents are rare but they do happen. My sympathies go to out to the office as well as my hopes for a speedy recovery. Perhaps we can all be reminding of the importance of safe gun handling. I don’t know any details about the incident apart from those in the article linked above.

One of the first rules of firearms safety is to treat all guns as if they are loaded, even if you know they are unloaded. That means walking around with the gun; you will keep it pointed in a safe direction. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are actually ready to fire. When we slip or fall our hand muscles often grab for something to hang onto and so if we have a firearm in our hand and our finger on the trigger, we may close our fingers and pull the trigger.

When you get home from work the duty weapon should be in a safe place. There are many safe places for the gun depending on your circumstances. Unloaded inside a gun safe is an excellent place for the gun. Unloaded and inside a locked gun box is another good spot. I don’t like to use my duty gun for home defense, because if I am at work the home defense gun is not there for others to use who may still be home without me. Before you start wandering the house with the gun, it’s probably a good idea to unload it. Keeping the duty gun in the duty holster is not a good idea; it should be inspected every day before going on patrol. Duty holsters can also allow a build up of moisture leading to rust, even on guns that are stainless or mostly plastic. Be safe with your guns, don’t fall to condition white until you know everything is locked up, put away and safe, that’s what the SGT Says.

Wow

2011-12-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.dailycommercial.com/News/LakeCounty/110411rifle

An officer has a take home car and keeps his patrol rifle in the trunk. The officer noticed after a few days that the patrol rifle was missing. He waited a few more days and eventually reported the loss of the gun to his agency, a couple weeks after he last saw the weapon.

An officer with a take home car should inspect his patrol car every time he enters the vehicle, just as he would in a patrol car that he uses at the station. The officer should not simply assume that nothing has transpired since he last saw the weapons. We do things and forget about it, or others may have access to the vehicle and do something to the equipment.

You should not trust your life and other people’s lives to a gun you have not touched in days or weeks. Every time you go out in that take home car you are in a sense on patrol. So you should be checking on that weapon every time. Make sure it is loaded, make sure it is functioning and make sure it is there. Check your gear, that’s what the SGT Says.

Huge Award

2011-12-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_19252740

Los Angeles Police Department failed to pay officers for overtime they earned as a result of working through their lunch. One officer was awarded over three million dollars because of retaliation against him that resulted in his termination. Three million dollars paid to the officer, millions more in overtime and attorneys’ fees too I am sure.

Police need to make sure that they conform to the wage an hours laws. These types of errors result in costs that don’t serve the public. I understand the nature of police work is that sometimes people have to work through lunch. As a good supervisor you need to take care of your people. That means making sure they get their breaks and their lunch and start and end their shifts on time.

As a field supervisor I used to keep a checklist and make sure that everyone got their lunch. Officers who are hungry will not work at peak efficiency. Even if calls are holding supervisors need to manage their officers’ time and make sure everyone is being taken care of, it’s part of managing your people; that’s what the SGT Says.

Glock, Smith & Wesson or Colt .45?

2011-12-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

This month I got to attend Glock Armorer School again. It is a one day class that teaches how to clean and repair the Glock. It is a very simple gun and is an excellent choice in 9mm for a police recruit. Over 60% of police agencies in the US use the Glock. I am often asked the question, “What would you choose, for yourself, if given the choice of any gun out there?” A complex question that can be answered many ways.

I work as a Reserve Officer for a small police department that borders Los Angeles. We issued the .40 caliber Glock 22 and recently started buying the .45 ACP Glock. For years I have carried the Glock 22 because as an agency firearms instructor I think it is reasonable that I set a good example and carry what the agency issues. I have asked for the .45 when it is available.

As my full time job I work for a major private security company as an armed guard at a Federal facility. It is an office building in Irvine. I carry the S&W 625JM, it's a large frame .45 ACP revolver, six-shot using moon clips. I carry 6 extra moon clips with a total of 42 rounds. I am very good with it, I can shoot 12 rounds in less than 10 seconds and that includes the reload time, starting from a holstered weapon.

As you can guess, I like the .45 ACP round for duty use. The 9mm Glock is good as an academy gun because it is inexpensive to feed, and because the Glock is easy to shoot. Since so many agencies carry it there is a good likelihood the officer will end up at an agency that will use it and he will be well trained in it from the beginning. Different weapons, different circumstances must be considered to find the best gun for a given task; that’s what the SGT Says.

Mind Reading

2011-12-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/post/were-closer-to-mind-reading-than-you-may-think/2011/09/13/gIQAy7RYYM_blog.html

Several researchers are working on methods to control devices by simply using your mind. They take a net of sensors and the subject wears the net like a cap. The sensors detect changes in the electrical impulses in the brain. Using this technology they have had subjects operate various controls just by using their brains. They operated the gear shift on a car in one test. They are also working to learn what a subject is thinking about and make a three dimensional image of those thoughts. Finally, they are working on techniques to determine what a subject is thinking about.

Ponder the implications for law enforcement if these devices become portable, reliable and inexpensive. Officers could hook witnesses up to machines and learn their story by watching their recollection of the event. This will minimize the need for a skilled interrogator and will insure witnesses are telling the truth.

When officers make an arrest, could suspects be required to wear this device and then made to think about the crime? Or would that violate their right to avoid self incrimination? Could officers involved in an on duty shooting be required to use this device on themselves to discover what they really think happened? Or would police unions argue that cops should be exempt? New technologies and new frontiers of law and investigation might make our jobs easier in the future. Or they may never work in our lifetimes; that’s what the SGT Says.

Wasp Knife

2011-12-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.waspknife.com/

There is a new product out designed for divers to use underwater. It is called the Wasp Knife. It is a large dive knife with a special Co2 cartridge affixed to the knife. The concept is that the diver will stab a big fish and then inject the fish with Co2 gas. The inside of the fish would be frozen by the Co2 and will float to the surface of the water.

This system used on a person would freeze the inside of the body and a strike to the body would probably result in almost instant death. Knife attacks on officers are always very dangerous and this particular knife is even more deadly. There is no real difference in how officers should respond to an attack by this type of knife. Any knife this size is very dangerous.

Officers who find this type of knife need to make sure they contain the knife and handle it carefully so they don’t accidently shoot themselves with the Co2. Officers who find knifing victims who have had a stab wound accompanied by frozen tissue should consider this type of knife as the possible weapon. At just under $500 each this is an expensive weapon and we are not likely to see them used much, but in diving communities they will be around and officers need to be aware of them; that’s what the SGT Says.

Street Gang, White Collar

2011-12-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/10/28/street-gangs-new-dirty-moneymaker-white-collar-crime/?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl24%7Csec1_lnk3%7C108215

Street gangs are adding to their criminal menu. No longer content with drug dealing, drive by shootings, spray painting walls and robbing people in the neighborhood, they are now involved in white collar crime. Rob a liquor store and get thirty dollars and risk getting shot by the owner or the police. Counterfeit a credit card and you can get thousands with very little physical risk. Gangsters who make a lot of money selling drugs have a problem. How do you spend all that money?

The IRS and other agencies are watching large sums of cash as they move about the economy. By performing banking fraud, credit card scams and other financial crimes they can hide some of their criminal gains. Officers who work with gang members should be aware of this move to white collar crime. Identification of while collar crime links can provide a method of stopping gang funding, solving large numbers of crimes and putting criminals away for a long period of time.

White collar crimes can take time to unravel, but often have a paper or electronic trail that can be followed by forensic experts. Look for gang members in possession of financial instruments with other people’s names on them. For in custody suspects, check on the status of financial documents in their possession to insure they are legitimate. Banks and credit card companies have fraud departments that can assist with that investigation. Those red or blue gang colors may indicate a white collar criminal; that’s what the SGT Says.

Firearms Safety

2011-12-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/oct/17/17/accidental-shooting-near-shooters-edge-piney-flats-ar-1388437/

A police firearms instructor took his girlfriend to the range and a hot ejected cartridge case went down her blouse. She was so startled that she fired a round through his wrist and into his chest. This is an excellent opportunity to review some safety rules. COL Jeff Cooper has four rules of gun safety:

All guns are always loaded.

Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.

Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.

Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_safety

In this instance it seems the girlfriend violated all of them when she accidentally shot her boyfriend. As a shooting instructor when working with a new shooter I try to stand behind the shooter and to the left or right of them. I usually try to keep my hands free in case I need to grab the shooter or the gun.

It is not unusual for a new shooter to turn around and face in the wrong direction, and point their gun at people. It is not unusual for a new shooter to get an expended casing down their shirt or around their neck and panic. As the instructor you need to be ready for that and either direct their gun downrange or take the gun from the new shooter. It only takes a moment of inattention to get someone hurt; that’s what the SGT Says.

Stun Cane

2011-12-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://budk.com/Self-Defense/ZAP-Cane-With-Flashlight

The free enterprise system continues to amaze me with the ability to identify and market products that I would never have considered worthy of purchase. This is a black cane with a flashlight in the grip. There is also a stun gun in the lower end of the cane. The idea is that the stun gun portion is hiding in plain sight. It is activated by a button in the handle of the cane.

There are many devices that look like something safe but are in fact something different and potentially dangerous if not actually deadly. A few years ago there was a company selling pagers and later cell phones that were actually .22 rim fire guns. They were inaccurate; they were probably a danger to the shooter as much as the target, but they were real guns.

I have seen guns that fit into a special wallet and can be fired from inside the wallet. I have seen belt buckles with a gun displayed on the front that can be removed and fired. I have seen flashlights with an electronic stun device on the non-lighted end. There are many strange, wonderful and dangerous weapons out there. Don’t let suspects hold things unless you are certain you know what they are holding. It’s the hands that will wield the weapon, control the hands; that’s what the SGT Says.

Alcohol Crime

2011-12-07T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/11/14/vodka-tampon-teens_n_1092594.html

There are reports that teenagers are using new techniques to ingest alcohol. They are snorting alcohol, using tampons to absorb alcohol through their vagina or rectum and they are using a plastic tube to give themselves an alcohol enema. All this activity is designed to avoid the digestive process and provide faster intoxication with less alcohol.

The body can absorb the alcohol faster and get the intoxicant into the bloodstream more rapidly using these techniques according to those who have tried them. They want to get drunk faster than by drinking the alcohol. They also think that the police will be less able to detect their intoxication because they won’t have alcohol on their breath.

This type of rapid alcohol intoxication can lead to alcohol poisoning. Since the person ingesting alcohol won’t vomit when they drink too much they may continue taking in alcohol long after they have reached toxic limits. This may lead to an increase in alcohol related teen deaths. It also makes pumping the stomach ineffective because the alcohol is not ingested that way. This is a dangerous practice and one that needs to be discouraged; that’s what the SGT Says.

US Davis

2011-12-06T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDd_TYotrxw

The video is a longer look at the recent pepper spray use at the Univeristy of California, Davis. As a result of this incident the chief and the lieutenant who used the pepper spray were suspended. They are shown on the short version of the video as using pepper spray with little provocation and the school acted without doing any significant investigation.

This longer version shows the officers were being surrounded and the protesters were calling for them to release several prisoners they arrested earlier. The officers tried to leave and the protesters would not let them leave. Several sat down on the sidewalk to block their path while others stood with arms linked together preventing the police from leaving.

Just watching the actions, listening to the protestors is appears to me the protesters actions were scripted. They seem very well organized. They also by chanting what their intentions were they communicate to the whole crowd what they were planning so the whole crowd could join in. They covered up with hoodies, hats and face scarves when the pepper spray was about to be employed and turned their backs to the police. Regular people don't know to do that. I suspect there are anarchists, communists, and others in the group who were there intentionally agitating to get the police to over-react. I think the Davis police very much under-reacted in this incident and I hope no disciplinary action is taken against them; that's what the SGT Says.

Riots & Protests III

2011-12-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

This checklist is not all inclusive but may provide a starting point for your planning when faced with having to remove protestors, rioters or even break up a large party. There is much to do to plan a riot response.

Have undercover officers in the crowd who can provide intelligence and watch for leaders, weapons and provide testimony about criminal acts.

Make certain crowds have an exit route to flee from police. Don’t box people in, desperate people often behave badly.

Notify local agencies and request mutual aid, make sure you brief them on what you want them to do at the scene. Make sure they have the proper equipment and use them to watch the perimeter, or as guards for infrastructure if they are not well trained or equipped for riot control.

Consult with the governor and ask for National Guard assistance if necessary, if it is a major on going incident. Liaison with the National Guard should happen early, even if you don’t think you need them right away.

Have officers train as a team before instituting a planned operation. If rioters or protesters have been in place for a week, there is no need to rush your plan and break them up this minute. Practice your plan a couple times so you understand what to do when you go in.

Make sure officers have food, water and rest, don’t plan on riot control officers to work 12 hour shifts, it is hard physical labor. Really four hours is a long time in all that gear, particularly if it’s very hot or very cold. Plan on relieving officers for restroom breaks, in a safe place away from the protests. Plan on relieving officers for food, water, and just to rest a few minutes. Plan on replacing officers who are tired, injured, who need to write reports or are psychologically stressed out. Don’t forget to provide proper transportation and keep the cars maintained and gassed up.

Don’t forget regular patrol duties need to be continued even during periods of unrest. You may have to consider going to two officer units or even three or four officer units to insure the safety of officers during unrest.

Riots and protests are dangerous for both an officer safety and liability standpoint. Proper advance training and preparation can do a lot to minimize problems; that’s what the SGT Says.

Riots & Protests II

2011-12-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

This checklist is not all inclusive but may provide a starting point for your planning when faced with having to remove protestors, rioters or even break up a large party. Confronting a group is always challenging, gone are days of one riot, one ranger.

Try to have female police to remove female protesters, it looks better on camera.

Plan for injured officers and injured protesters and have paramedics and teams standing by for first aid and evacuation.

Use pepper balls to target specific individuals rather than tear gas of the whole crowd. Try and make arrests for specific crimes not simple trespassing.

Consider the use of pepper foggers to disperse agent onto the crowd, there is less chance of injury than shooting tear gas grenades into a crowd.

Use apprehension teams to grab specific individuals and arrest teams to cuff them and move them to waiting transportation. Make certain to document their crimes.

Transportation must be willing to do the job; some unions have refused to cooperate with police during certain protests. Have police or jail officers perform the transport if possible.

Protect critical infrastructure, use guards to watch power stations, city facilities and other infrastructure so they are not vandalized while you are distracted with the main protest.

Make public announcement so everyone can hear them before moving in to make arrests. Record your public announcement and make certain the crowd has time and the ability to leave the area; don’t block off all the roads and expect people to be able to leave.

Insure you have an arrestable offense before moving in on a crowd, you want to be able to take people to jail if their behavior warrants such action.

Riots are unpredictable but having the proper training and equipment makes a big difference in your ability to restore order; that’s what the SGT Says.

Rioting & Protest Checklist

2011-12-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

There are many factors to consider when you have an illegal assembly. This checklist is not all inclusive but may provide a starting point for your planning when faced with having to remove protestors, rioters or even break up a large party.

When politics may play a role, have the mayor come to the incident to see for himself what is happening so they are more willing to authorize force and back force once it’s employed

Listen to people who live in the area to see what they want done to the protestors.

Video tape the protestors before the police move in to document protestors’ activity. Use several vantage points, from a distance if possible and even use an air unit to document the size of the protest.

Consult with your local jails and hospitals to insure they are ready for an influx of customers. Minor injuries to police and protesters are common in riot situations.

Consult with your local jail staff for tips on riot control. They often have specialized training in that and specialized weapons and gear that could be helpful.

Make sure you have plenty of less lethal weapons ready, tear gas, pepper foggers and pepper balls, rubber batons; whatever your agency uses.

Many agencies take away officers side arms when they are on the line so they don’t have their guns taken, don’t have to worry about protecting their guns and don’t get overly excited and shoot someone. They need to be covered by other firearms armed officers; your SWAT team is helpful in the cover role.

Video tape the police while they do the removal of protestors.

Controlling rioters and protesters is a complex task. Not all of these items will apply in every situation, but it’s something to think about; that’s what the SGT Says.

Active Shooter & Fire Fighters

2011-12-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2010/07/support-mass-shootings.html

According to this PowerPoint presentation not one schoolchild has been killed in a fire at school in over 25 years but over 200 kids have been killed by active shooters in the same time period. Do you train for active shooter response with your fire department? The fire department has many skills and tools that the police don’t usually have with them.

Do your firemen know how to handle an active shooter situation? Do they know how to recognize a bomb and what to do if they find one? Firemen may have to enter active shooter areas to render aid to gunshot victims, do they understand these are grab and go situations? They can’t set up and treat victims in place if the active shooter is still at large, but must take the victim to a secure area.

Fire departments have lots of useful tools that can help police responders. Ladders and bucket cranes to move officers to the roofs of buildings can give officers a tactical advantage. Various chain saws, pry bars and such can open doors and cut locks and open gates to provide police access. Do your paramedics and at least a few of your fire fighters have body armor or will police personnel operate fire department equipment? These are all situations to cover before the incident occurs, that’s what the SGT Says.

Taser II

2011-12-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

Officers who use the Taser on a suspect should explain why other techniques would have been more dangerous for the suspect or the officers and should explain any other reasons why other techniques or types of force either were not used or were not effective. Officers need to explain every time the Taser is applied. Too often I read reports in the news where officers use the Taser on a suspect, five or six times or more.

Each of those applications should be explained fully in the report. Two aspects that need careful explanation are why was the suspect not handcuffed after the first or second Taser shock? The second circumstance is to explain is why a handcuffed person had the Taser applied? I am not saying there are not good reasons for multiple Taser hits, but they need to be mentioned in the report.

The use of the Taser should be followed up by a rapid handcuffing of the suspect. I have also been in favor of having the Taser darts removed by EMS rather than officer and having EMS check each person Tasered so they are medically cleared as soon as reasonably possible after the Taser incident to reduce liability in the event of a later in custody death. The Taser is a great tool but we need to more carefully document when and why we use it; that’s what the SGT Says.

Taser Use

2011-11-30T09:11:00.000-08:00

The 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals has issued new rulings on the use of the Taser. In both cases the court seemed to indicate that they want a suspect to provide both active resistance to the officers and perhaps even pose some sort of threat to the officers involved in the incident.

The courts were vague in my opinion and I think that will cause officers to limit their use of the Taser. In the past when someone refused verbal commands to comply with an officers direction, say to put their hands up or behind their back to be handcuffed, the officer may have used a Taser to overcome the passive resistance.

Now the court seems to be saying the even active resistance may not be enough to use the Taser if the officer is not in any danger or the suspect is not trying to flee or there are no exigent circumstances. I would suggest that any use of the Taser be documented in a written report. The use of the Taser should be fully explained as to why the subjected needed to be Tasered, mentioning the suspects refusal to obey verbal commands, the danger the suspect posed to the officer or others and any exigent circumstances present. Continue to use the Taser, but explain it’s use more carefully so we can keep this excellent tool in the inventory; that’s what the SGT Says.

Solve Murders

2011-11-29T09:11:00.000-08:00

Cop's Book Says Sean Combs, Suge Knight Ordered Tupac and Biggie Killings - Page 1 - News - Los Angeles - LA Weekly

When major crimes go unsolved, when suspects are not identified and prosecuted then convicted the public becomes disillusioned with law enforcement. Major cases that involve celebrity criminals or victims are important to solve in a timely manner so that the public will retain confidence that the police are competent and the criminal justice system works properly.

Sometimes that means agencies need to put together a large task force to deal with the crime. Often that means that several agencies will have to work together to solve and prosecute the case. Such officers need special training so that they can be aware of the policies of their sister agencies and so they can provide the prosecution with the type of information they need to bring the case to a successful conclusion.

As a profession, we need to allocate more funds to detectives, and crime scene investigation. If agencies can’t close cases then they are missing a serious aspect to law enforcement. While funds for special equipment, training on such mundane topics as report writing, search and seizure, evidence collection and interrogation are often seen as less exciting as active shooter training they are essential for getting convictions. Bring the crooks to justice; that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-28T09:11:00.000-08:00

There is an old joke going around the Internet. I don’t know when it started but much of it certainly applies to law enforcement. When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

13. Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.

We all have different strengths and different weaknesses. Sometimes an officer just does not do well in the field. They can’t make quick decisions with limited information. In the field that’s the norm. There is little time for pondering and gathering information and reaching a consensus with your peers. Things happen fast and we usually have to react pretty quickly.

In an administrative position there is often time to reflect on the various aspects of a decision. You can launch a study to fully comprehend what could happen. You can do research about what other agencies have done in similar situations. You can write a position paper and get you colleagues to critique it for you. Sometimes promoting the person who can’t hack it in the field into an administrative position can be just the thing to make the organization run better.

Too often moving the dead horse into a supervisory position only solves some problems by moving them onto other people. The sergeant who can’t make a decision is carried by a long term staff of officers who have a corporal who jumps in and runs things, as if the sergeant was not even there. The sergeant will sometimes hide in the station and never respond to anything in the field expect the most extreme emergencies and then only when they are all but over. The worst however, is the incompetent sergeant who wants to run everything, sometimes by commanding the airwaves. They get on the radio and tell officers who are on scene how to handle a problem. They respond to calls and arrive late but immediately plunge in and ruin the deployment and rhythm already established. Most dead horses don’t deserve promotion, they deserve to be buried; that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-27T09:11:00.000-08:00

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

12. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses.

When you go to the academy you will be expected to qualify with the shotgun with a 90%. If you don’t qualify you can’t pass the academy. Recruit Smith failed the shotgun training and has to be let go. The brass says we can’t fire Recruit Smith. So we trained Recruit Smith some more and Recruit Smith still can’t pass the shotgun training. We can’t treat Recruit Smith any differently than any other recruit. By the present standard Recruit Smith failed shotgun training therefore Recruit Smith must be terminated.

New memo, shotgun training will now consist of shotgun familiarization rather than qualification. As long as the recruit is familiar with the firing, of the shotgun the Recruit will pass. Now under the new revised standard for all trainees, Recruit Smith will pass shotgun familiarization and will pass the academy. We revised the standard. We updated the standard. We changed the standard to reflect the new realities of law enforcement. We modified the standard. We improved the standard. That’s what the administration will tell you. We eliminated the qualification and lowered our standards to allow people who could not qualify to pass; that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-26T09:11:00.000-08:00

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

11. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.

Some things are just not worth doing. Doing them more efficiently does not make them worth doing, it just wastes less time. Years ago we had a captain who wanted us to track all the reports we wrote each shift. So we had to fill out a paper with all the report information on it. How many crime reports, how many were misdemeanor, how many were felony, how many equipment citations, how many moving violations, and so on for every shift.

The problem was we already compiled this information on the bottom of our Daily Log. The dispatchers also compiled this information and it could be sorted by the computer. So we were tracking the same information in at least three formats. The fact that the paper compilation was fast, easy, took only one sheet of paper was not the point. The point was the information was already there and it was a waste of time to report it at all.

Once the data was collected it just sat there. It was not used at all. There was no master report that told us which shifts were the busiest. We did not do reports telling us who wrote the most tickets, or what area or shift had the most crime reports in a given week. While the data was easy to collect, it served not purpose, we just did it that way because someone wanted it done for a long forgotten project. Don’t keep doing something because it is cheap, easy or not has difficult as other things that could be done. Do something that makes sense and accomplishes an important goal and forwards the mission; that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-25T09:11:00.000-08:00

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

10. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance.

Many agencies like to do studies. Large agencies in particular like to study problems. We are spending thirty million dollars to study the gang problem. We are studying the relationship between guns and crime. We are spending hundred million dollars and ten years to determine how drug abuse and broken homes leads to juvenile delinquency. Riding along with a patrol car in any large American city in a bad precinct will tell you all you need to know about any of those topics.

There are no magic bullets to solve crime. There are no special programs that will stop kids from joining gangs. There are no programs that will prevent drug abuse from leading to crime. It’s very simple, you do the crime, the cops catch the crook, the courts sentence them to a long stretch in prison, the prisons keep them locked up for a long time. Do that a couple times in a lifetime and the third time they go to prison forever; or they do a very bad crime and get the death penalty and are executed right away. That will solve most of your crime problem.

The next factor is the Ten Commandments. Don’t steal, murder or have sex outside of marriage. If people did those three things ninety percent of your crimes would never happen. Love God and love your neighbor as yourself, honor your mother and father. If you are filled with love then you don’t need to use drugs. You can’t love God and hate yourself because you are made in God’s image. We need more Bible based churches in our communities and we need to return to prayer in public schools, as we had for 150 years in this nation. Midnight basketball, free condoms for ten year olds are not working to prevent crime; that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

9. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase dead horse's performance.

Some jobs need to be done by people who have a calling to do those jobs. I want my priest to be a priest who believes that God has called him to the ministry. I want him to have a vision, a live experience, a moment in time when he knew that God himself told him to become a priest. There are certain jobs that require a level of dedication and lifestyle commitment that cannot be attained by pay or training.

My nurse, doctor, elementary school teacher, policeman and fireman all need to do the job because when they were kids they always wanted to be a fireman. They always wanted to be a nurse or always wanted to become a cop. You can’t take someone who always wanted to be a plumber and make them into a great nurse or fireman because you pay them well or give them a lot of training. Some jobs you have to do because you are dedicated to the job. Police agencies should hire the best people for the job, and part of that equation is how much do they want the job? Having a calling can make up for a lot a lack of pay or training. No on is a great cop because they are paid well or are well trained. We all have met cops that do a lousy job but get paid a lot of money, or have been very well trained and throw it all away on an ethical lapse. More money and more training seldom hurt an agency, but they don’t cure every problem; that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

8. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed.

Years ago the Army used to require two soldiers to carry a third soldier on a stretcher. The test was to simulate carrying a wounded comrade from the field under normal conditions. The concept was that each one of the two soldiers should be able to carry about 100 pounds on the stretcher. The Army found that female soldiers usually failed the test because generally female soldiers were not strong enough to carry that much weight.

Rather than face the fact that generally women are smaller and not as strong as most men, the Army changed the standard to allow four soldiers to carry the stretcher. In other words, lower the standard until everyone can pass. The reason that it was two soldiers is that you are taking soldiers from combat in order to care for a wounded comrade, using the fewest number of troops to do that leaves more men for the fight.

There are also times when the wounded must be moved over steep hills or through swamps or deep mud, and four men would be necessary to carry the stretcher. If four soldiers are required to carry the stretcher on flat level dry terrain, what will they do when there is deep mud or a steep hill? I suppose that those soldiers will have to die on the altar of political correctness. The Army structured the test to achieve the outcome they wanted, not to achieve the mission. Standards should be set to achieve the mission, not to enhance diversity, or increase self esteem. If you can’t perform the mission then lives are at risk and that’s unacceptable; that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

7. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.

Hiring contractors can be a cost effective method of dealing with some aspects of law enforcement. Sometimes hiring contractors to perform a task can be a good idea. It is especially good for short term tasks. That way you get extra bodies to perform a function but don’t end up with more full time staff in the long term for a short term project.

Some agencies contract jail services. Other agencies use contractors for canine tracking dogs. Some agencies use private services to perform parking control duties. Other agencies us contractors as security guards for public buildings. Some agencies have discussed using private patrol services to respond to burglar alarms. What does that leave for the police to do? Be careful that you don’t contract yourself out of a job; that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

6. Reclassifying the dead horse as living-impaired.

Changing the name does not change the subject matter. Hobos, bums, vagrants, transients, homeless people are all the same problem from a hundred years of police work. There has always been an underclass of people who are mentally ill, or alcohol or drug addicted who have no job and no place to live. Still the problem is no where near resolution and law enforcement still deals with these people every day.

Homeless activists constantly complain about how police interact with transients, but they never seem to be able to solve the problem of finding these hobos a place to live. When these bums are out urinating on peoples lawns, and defecating in public it is the police who have to respond and deal with the problem of vagrants.

Police need to have the authority to lock up people who cannot or will not find a place to live. We need minimum security jails that can house people long term. If the homeless are mentally ill or on drugs or alcohol then they need to be housed in a place not unlike an open bay military barracks. They can perform all the maintenance of the facility and can be kept locked up with a minimum number of staff. Start with a sentence of one day for each arrest and just keep doubling it until they are locked up forever. No matter what we name them police still have to deal with them; that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

5. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.

How many times have we seen standards lowered in the emergency services field? Los Angeles Fire Department had a requirement that all firefighter trainees had to be able to climb over a six foot tall wall. The city has a municipal code that limits the fences at residential locations to six feet tall. Female firefighters had difficulty climbing the wall so there was a serious suggestion that all the residences in the city of over two million people would have to lower their fences to four feet so that the requirement could be eliminated. All so a handful of women could become firefighters.

There are many tasks that we as police have to be able to accomplish in order to serve the public. Our job is one of public service. We are there to help others who need help. We are there to keep our communities safe. Political correctness has no place in this arena. The dangers we face will not provide us with special dispensation because we are Black or White, young or old, male or female. Criminals only see a uniform and a badge. They will kill us if we give them the chance. We don’t need to lower standards, we need to bring people up to standard and hire the best we can for the position; that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

4. Arranging to visit other countries to see how other cultures ride dead horses.

Going on a junket to another country, another state or even the agency across the county can be fun. It can also be expensive. It can also be a huge waste of time and money. Tactics and techniques that work in other jurisdictions may not work where you are located. Few parts of the world have the concerns with civil rights and liability we have here in the United States.

Visiting other agencies can provide useful insights, but you need to examine your own agency first. How do different people or different precincts within your own agency handle this problem? Often the answer to difficult problems can be right next to you but because no one is looking for the solution at home.

When command staff members are off visiting, who is minding the store? Visits, conventions, training conferences can be a method of delaying decisions. It can be a method for avoiding responsibility. Real leadership often means staying at work and resolving the agencies problems, that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-18T09:11:00.000-08:00

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

3. Appointing a committee to study the horse.

Appointing a committee can be a good way to gather information and make recommendations on complex issues. It can also be a good technique for giving the illusion of progress without actually having to do anything about the problem. Committees also are a good technique to avoid responsibility for a problem

The committee meets and issues its recommendations as a group. That way no one person is responsible for the decisions. Since the committee has no authority to implement their recommendations, then nothing has to change as the result of their work. Leaders don’t need committees to tell them what the right thing is to do; that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-17T09:11:00.000-08:00

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

2. Changing riders.

Sometimes getting a new perspective on a problem is a good idea. Sometimes it’s just a way to avoid dealing with a problem without having to fix the problem. Some agencies go through one chief of police after another. Every couple years they have a crisis and a new chief. Not every crisis is the fault of the chief.

If the officers are not well trained then when they go into the field they will make mistakes. They will fail to prevent crimes, fail to capture criminals and fail to put cases together that result in prosecutions. Training is expensive. Training must be on going. Training can be boring. A class on active shooter is much more fun than a class on gathering evidence, report writing or search and seizure law. How many times a day does your agency face and active shooter? How many times a day do they gather evidence, write reports and perform searches and property seizures?

If a chief constantly puts training time in his budget and the city council cuts it out, can we blame the chief for not training his people? If a chief budgets a training staff and the staff is cut, can we blame the chief for the lack of training of the officers. Chiefs have to solve problems, just getting a new one does not solve any problems; it just buys you a short honeymoon while they start implementing their solutions. Changing riders is not a solution to every problem; it’s only the solution if the rider is the problem; that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

1. Buying a stronger whip.

Some organizations think that whipping their employees will get better performance. Law enforcement officers need to be in organizations that hold their employees to high standards. Officers need to know what the standards are and if they violate the standards then they need to be subject to retraining or disciplinary action up to and including termination.

That does not mean that every infraction of the rules should result in termination. Not every interaction between management, supervision and officers needs to be confrontational. The goal of management should be to create an environment where employees can sometimes make a mistake and recover. The important thing is the employees’ intent, severity of the offense, and outcome of the incident. Not every employee error is a crisis, that’s what the SGT Says.

Riding a Dead Horse

2011-11-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

However, in many organizations more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

1. Buying a stronger whip.

2. Changing riders.

3. Appointing a committee to study the horse.

4. Arranging to visit other countries to see how other cultures ride dead horses.

5. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.

6. Reclassifying the dead horse as living-impaired.

7. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.

8. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed.

9. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase dead horse's performance.

10. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance.

11.. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.

12. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses.

13. Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.

Many agencies have dead horses as part of their inventory. It’s time to get rid of them; that’s what the SGT Says.

Invisible Cops & Robbers

2011-11-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://defense-update.com/20110905_bae-adaptiv_camouflage.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DefenseUpdate+%28Defense+Update%29

Several companies from Japan to the UK to Sweden are working on methods of making humans, vehicles, buildings and ships invisible. Some of the most advanced are making large objects invisible to heat detection. Just as we now use FLIR to find people on the ground from police helicopters these devices would mask the person so they would appear on the FLIR as the background.

Other technologies are trying to mask visible light. Criminals could throw on a cloak and be invisible to the naked eye unless you were very close to them. While these technologies are currently experimental, temperamental and very expensive you never know when a break through could happen.

Imagine drug smugglers in a truck in the Texas desert who can’t be picked up at night by heat detection sensors. Imagine drug smugglers in fast boats that were invisible to radar. Imagine a police car that can’t be detected when you are sitting on the side of the road on a stake out. Imagine a police helicopter that is so quiet that you can’t hear it at all from 100 feet away. Stealth technology is moving fast and there are applications for police work and for criminals; that’s what the SGT Says.

Home Security

2011-11-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

One of the best ways to fight crime is to teach people how to prevent themselves from being a victim. People are often most receptive to this information when they or a neighbor have already been victimized. Keep pamphlets on crime prevention in your clip board so you can distribute them when you take a prowler, burglary or auto burglary report.

A few tips you can pass on verbally. Every home should have good locks, including a dead bolt lock on every exterior door, the door between the house and garage if it is an attached garage, and at least the master bedroom door. Good exterior lighting is essential. It should be on a timer or on a light sensor switch. That way it comes on even if the homeowner is not home.

Keep bushes trimmed down away from doors and windows so suspects can’t hide from nosey neighbors or hide and ambush you for a home invasion robbery. Keep your car keys near your bed; you can use the car alarm as an emergency alarm. Push the button to set off the alarm and it will ring for a long time, wake up the neighbors and hopefully frighten off the crook. Have good house numbers, readily visible from the street, it can make an emergency response much faster if we can find the right house; that’s what the SGT Says.

Chemical Attack Response

2011-11-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/07/national/main20102925.shtml

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/15/mcdonalds-death-gas_n_963971.html

Despite a decade of warnings to American first responders we are still woefully unprepared for a chemical attack. I have been to classes on how to respond to a chemical attack as a police officer and I have some idea how to survive as a citizen at home when a chemical attack happens. Still, my agency has not issued any chemical gear to me, so in the even I have to respond to a chemical attack, I just have to be lucky. They are working to change that and I hope to have chemical protective gear soon.

In Georgia a fire department responded to a medical aid of an unknown chemical substance in a Mac Donald’s restaurant. Nine people were taken to the hospital, 20 decontaminated, including three firefighters and one lady died the next day. The investigation and autopsy confirmed that the carbon dioxide used to add fizz to the sodas leaked out and caused people to asphyxiate.

Something as mundane and simple as a carbon dioxide leak happened and we could not figure it out until the autopsy? How can we figure out an actual attack? Chemical weapons can be very small, transient and deadly. We need to be aware of what is happening and react right away, both to keep ourselves safe, but for the safety of the public at large and the rescue of the initial victims. The general public obviously also needs better training. In this case if they simply went outside they probably would have been better, maybe even recovered if they acted fast enough; that’s what the SGT Says.

OWS BOR

2011-11-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.bayofrage.com/

Before Occupy Wall Street there was Bay of Rage. The radical left in Oakland has been waging a low intensity war against the Oakland police and Bay Area Rapid Transit System police for several years now. Ever since the tragic accidental shooting of a man resisting arrest in a BART station was shot by a BART police officer who intended to use his Taser on the man the left has been staging events in the Oakland Bay area.

Now the most recent incident a protester received a head wound from a bottle thrown by a protester or a tear gas shell fired by the police, depending on which version you chose to believe. Either version is plausible; hopefully a careful investigation will reveal the truth and the man will recover.

When protestors refuse to comply with police orders to disperse there is a potential for injury to both protestors and to police. By having the proper equipment and training officers can minimize the likelihood of injury to themselves and to the protestors. Firing a tear gas canister into a group is not necessarily a good tactic; many types can be very dangerous. The use of a thrown tear gas grenade is safer, but you run the risk the protestors will throw it back at you.

Large fire extinguisher size pepper spray canisters and foggers are very good methods of deploying aerosol weapons too. Part of the key is to spray people in the rear of the crowd so they will leave first; you always want to keep exit routes for the protesters to use to escape, unless it is your plan to arrest all of them, that’s what the SGT Says.

Prisoners

2011-11-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

Never trust much to the honor of prisoners. Give them no liberties which might endanger your own safety or afford them an opportunity to escape. Nine out of ten of them have no honor. "By General David J. Cook in his book "Hands up, or Twenty Years of Detective Life in the Mountains and on the Plains"

Keep your relationship with prisoners professional. Prisoners don’t get special treatment for any reason. Don’t trust what prisoners say, they will lie, cheat, steal to gain advantage. Prisoners are masters of manipulation and they will manipulate their guards in order to gain favors and power. Don’t leave prisoners locked in cars for long periods of time. Cars are for transportation of prisoners not jail cells.

Don’t trust prisoners. They need to eat, drink and go to the bathroom but it needs to be done safely. Don’t let their sense of urgency replace your need for officer safety. Female prisoners should be handled by female officers. Prisoners are very good at creating circumstances where they can dispose of drugs, hid weapons, or try to escape or place you in a circumstance of liability. Don’t trust your prisoners; that’s what the SGT Says.

Prisoners

2011-11-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

After your prisoner is arrested and disarmed, treat him as a prisoner should be treated as kindly as his conduct will permit. You will find that if you do not protect your prisoners when they are in your possession, those whom you afterwards attempt to arrest will resist you more fiercely and if they think they will be badly deal with after the arrest, will be inclined to sell their lives as dearly as possible. By General David J. Cook in his book “Hands up, or Twenty Years of Detective Life in the Mountains and on the Plains"

Prisoners are your responsibility. It is your duty to protect them. It does not matter how guilty they are, what crimes they did or how evil they may be. It is your duty to protect them. Criminals are punished by the courts, not by the police. Once the fight is over, stop fighting. When the suspect submits to your authority, then stop fighting.

Once the suspect is in custody it is your duty to make sure they are safe. The have to be kept away from other criminals who would harm them. Prisoners that need medical treatment should get treatment right away. When I have a suspect in custody that makes almost any medical complaint, I call the paramedics and have them make an assessment. Take care of your prisoners and avoid civil liability; that’s what the SGT Says.

Arrest

2011-11-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

When you attempt to make an arrest, be on your guard. Give your man no opportunity to draw a pistol. If the man is supposed to be a desperado, have your pistol in your hand or be ready to draw when you make yourself known. If he makes no resistance, there will be no harm done by your precaution. My motto had always been. "It is better to kill two men than to allow one to kill you". By General David J. Cook in his book "Hands up, or Twenty Years of Detective Life in the Mountains and on the Plains"

If you believe a suspect may be armed, draw your weapon and point it at the suspect when you attempt to make the arrest. A suspect can draw and fire a weapon in only seconds and so you don’t have the reaction time to draw and fire your handgun. If a suspect is dangerous enough to draw you handgun, then point it at your suspect.

Keep your finger outside the trigger unless you are actually ready to fire your weapon. The finger can move from the trigger guard to the trigger almost instantaneously. Armed suspects are very dangerous. When possible confront them only with back up, when possible confront them when you have your patrol rifle. Armed suspects are very dangerous; take every advantage, that’s what the SGT Says.

Authority

2011-11-07T09:11:00.000-08:00

Never attempt to make an arrest without being sure of your authority. Either have a warrant or satisfy yourself thoroughly that the man whom you seek to arrest has committed an offense. By General David J. Cook in his book “Hands up, or Twenty Years of Detective Life in the Mountains and on the Plains"

If you are unsure you have the authority to arrest someone, don’t arrest them. Over the years I have had numerous situations where officers told me they were unsure why they arrested someone. They did not know the authority for their arrest, they did not know what crime had been committed, or they did not know who the victim of the crime was when they made the arrest.

Not every suspect needs to be arrested right now. Get good identification and you can always arrest him later. If you have a good knowledge of your authority to make an arrest, you can take people into custody with greater assurance that they will be tried. If you are unsure, you can observe the suspect from a distance or detain them while you review the information you have with a supervisor to see if you have the authority to make an arrest. Know your authority to arrest, its basic police work; that’s what the SGT Says.

Weapons

2011-11-06T09:11:00.000-08:00

Never hit a prisoner over the head with your pistol, because you may afterwards want to use your weapon and find it disabled. Criminals often conceal weapons and sometimes draw one when they are supposed to have been disarmed. By General David J. Cook in his book "Hands up, or Twenty Years of Detective Life in the Mountains and on the Plains”

We no longer pistol whip suspects. We do still have to worry that suspects may pull a gun on us at any time. Every person arrested should be handcuffed. They should be handcuffed with their hands to the rear. They should have the palms of their hands facing outwards. This is the ideal, getting the suspect handcuffed is more important than getting them handcuffed perfectly.

Handcuffs should be tight enough that they can’t be slipped off, but not so tight as to cut off circulation. Handcuffs should always be double locked so that they don’t continue to tighten and injure the suspect. Persons being arrested should be handcuffed first, and then searched. A handcuffed suspect is at a great disadvantage if they attack you. When you search, if you find a weapon, keep searching. Don’t assume the suspect only has one or two weapons; that’s what that SGT Says.

Afghan Guns

2011-11-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

Out of Afghanistan we are getting reports of what works and what does not work. The M-16 series continues to get mixed reviews. There are complaints about the knock down power and penetration of the 5.56 rounds. The 9mm handgun generates the same complaints as the 5.56 rounds.

The tried and true M1911 with .45 ACP rounds has proved itself again in close combat. Despite the long distance engagements from hilltop to hilltop there is a lot of time spent raiding houses. That requires a close in weapon and the M1911 has been a favored firearm. It has proven itself in two World Wars and many other wars with US forces and has never been found wanting. The mountains of Afghanistan often mean engagement ranges will be from mountain top to mountain top. The short ranged M-16 series has often been replaced by the M-14 series of rifles in 7.62mm. The longer range and greater knock down power has proven essential.

The use of air power and night vision devices has also been essential to American dominance of the battlefield. The ability to call in air support for reconnaissance, and medical evacuation are critical. The ability to see the enemy in the dark and move about at night has given soldiers ability dominate the night. We in law enforcement need to learn from their experience and put their knowledge to work for us here at home; that’s what the SGT Says.

Digital Danger

2011-11-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/09/06/123290/firefighters-balk-at-new-digital.html#ixzz1XDktJYle

Firefighters and police are rushing towards the digital future. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks everyone was worried that their agency could be faced with the inability to communicate with other agencies in a major disaster. With the help of the Federal and State governments, local agencies began buying digital radios to allow them to communicate better. Some parts of the nation had so many agencies and private companies working for them that frequencies were very crowded and it was nearly impossible to get a new frequency.

The new digital upgrades have been a problem. Many complain that the digital radios will drop calls. They also say that they often can’t get a signal. The agency I work for has decided to keep their old analog radio frequency and we use that for day to day police work. The analog signal seems to do a better job of penetrating large buildings and heavy concrete structures. We discovered this during a field test of the new equipment and a comparison with the old frequency.

We need communications that work the first time and every time. The call for help from a police officer or a firefighter often means a life threatening emergency is in progress and help is needed right away. No agency should transfer from a communication system to a new system until they are absolutely certain that their new system works everywhere their first responders are expected to work; that’s what the SGT Says.

Dual Force

2011-11-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

Watching a TV show recently and the folks were mounting a Taser on the bottom of a police shotgun. The concept was that an officer could pull out his shotgun and if deadly force was not needed but the officer needed to use force, he could employ the Taser. Some things work better in concept than they do in real life, this device is one of them.

Officers should seamlessly transition from one level of force to another. Each level of force should be distinct from potentially lethal force. The firearm should stand alone. We have learned this over time. It used to be common for officers to wear their Taser behind their handgun. So when they needed a Taser they could fast draw it just like their handgun.

After shooting a couple people that they intended to Taser, officers began wearing the Taser on the opposite side from their handgun, in a cross draw configuration. Now some officers are even wearing the Taser on the opposite side from the handgun in a left handed draw position to avoid confusion with the handgun. Mounting a Taser on the end of a shotgun is just a recipe for disaster, that’s what the SGT Says.

Ancient Wisdom

2011-11-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

1. Never hit a prisoner over the head with your pistol, because you may afterwards want to use your weapon and find it disabled. Criminals often conceal weapons and sometimes draw one when they are supposed to have been disarmed.

2. Never attempt to make an arrest without being sure of your authority. Either have a warrant or satisfy yourself thoroughly that the man whom you seek to arrest has committed an offense.

3. When you attempt to make an arrest, be on your guard. Give your man no opportunity to draw a pistol. If the man is supposed to be a desperado, have your pistol in your hand or be ready to draw when you make yourself known. If he makes no resistance, there will be no harm done by your precaution. My motto had always been. "It is better to kill two men than to allow one to kill you".

4. After your prisoner is arrested and disarmed, treat him as a prisoner should be treated as kindly as his conduct will permit. You will find that if you do not protect your prisoners when they are in your possession, those whom you afterwards attempt to arrest will resist you more fiercely and if they think they will be badly dealt with after the arrest, will be inclined to sell their lives as dearly as possible.

5. Never trust much to the honor of prisoners. Give them no liberties which might endanger your own safety or afford them an opportunity to escape. Nine out of ten of them have no honor."

By General David J. Cook in his book "Hands up, or Twenty Years of Detective Life in the Mountains and on the Plains"

Some things don’t change too much in law enforcement; that’s what the SGT Says.

Is Your Agency Ready for Occupation?

2011-11-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/26/occupy-oakland-veteran-critical-condition?newsfeed=true

When Oakland police moved in on a group of Occupy Wall Street protesters, one protester when down with a head injury. The protesters surge forward and remove him from in front of the police barricade and send him to the hospital. The media are portraying him as a victim of police brutality and stressing that he is an Iraqi War veteran.

The police and city government have done a poor job of responding to the media reports. The mayor says she was not responsible for the tactics the police used and that she was in Washington at the time. The Oakland Police say they did not use flash bang devices, when one is apparently seen in the video of the incident. Later, Oakland Police say that they may have been employed by another mutual aid agency.

The city and police department should speak with one voice in times of crisis. They need to have an official spokesperson that makes all statements. The chief and mayor need to keep their mouths closed and not say anything to reporters. Having one official spokesman for major incidents prevents people from contradicting each other and prevents people from trying to blame each other or shift responsibility back and forth between agencies. The people have a right to swift and accurate news about police activities. Having too many people talk to the media only leads to inaccurate and misleading reports. With social media covering so many events agencies need to get their version of incidents out quickly and accurately; that’s what the SGT Says.

Is Your Agency Ready for Occupation?

2011-10-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZLyUK0t0vQ&feature=share

The Occupy Wall Street group has spread out over many cities in the United States. While they are few in number, a couple thousand people protesting in a city as large as New York or San Francisco/ Oakland is not a very big group, they are getting a lot of news coverage. With social media the protesters are using video and the Internet to get their version of the story out as well as the information in the main stream media.

In this video we see a protester is apparently wounded and laying on the ground near the police lines. The narrator implies the wounded man was hit by a tear gas canister, but the video does not show how he was wounded. The police don’t appear to be making an effort to provide him with any aid. About a dozen of the protestors surge forward towards the injured man and police toss a device that explodes near them; driving most of them away. Some of the protesters pick up the man and eventually he goes to the hospital.

Is your agency ready for significant civil disobedience? Does your agency have policies to control the use of tear gas canisters or flash bang devices? How recently has your agency trained with these pieces of equipment? Does your agency have the equipment on hand to respond to any civil unrest? What is your training and procedure to deal with an officer or protester who gets injured? If you don’t have these in place and ready to go, it’s probably time; that’s what the SGT Says.

Tuck In Shirt

2011-10-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent me this video. I don't know where he got it from. It is not my intention to infringe upon anyone's copywrite, I show it here only for educational purposes. Certainly if anyone objects contact me a mcreek25@aol.com and I will take it down.

This video shows how easily it is for a suspect to hide a weapon from an officer and how dangerous it can be to allow suspects to reach into pockets or under their clothing. I have performed a similar training session, and I don't use any holsters or special techinques for hiding the weapons. Stay alert and stay alive, that's what the SGT Says.

FBI XII

2011-10-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

The FBI Agents who participated in the Miami Shootout in 1986 were good agents, and brave law enforcement officers. I commend them for the good job they did and for their candor in helping the rest of us understand a complex shooting incident. As a result of this shootout many agencies, including the FBI made significant changes to their tactics, equipment and training.

The .40 S&W bullet was eventually developed as a result of this shootout and many of us carry it today. Most agencies adopted high capacity semi-automatic handguns as a result of the lessons learned from this event. Many officers started carrying back-up guns and wearing body armor while on duty after what we learned from this shooting.

Finally, the most important thing to remember is that the robbers were not on drugs, but even with fatal wounds they both continued to move, to shoot, and to fight. The agents, even when wounded, continued to fight and ultimately prevailed against two evil and vicious criminals. As an officer your will to fight and to conquer evil is your greatest asset; that’s what the SGT Says.

FBI XII

2011-10-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

During the FBI Miami shootout nearly 150 round were fired. Only about 100 of those rounds were fired by the agents. Only two robbers versus eight agents and the robbers fired a third of the rounds fired! The agents had plenty of ammunition, but much of it was loose in boxes under the car seat, in the glove box, and in the car trunk. Agents had to try and return to their vehicles to obtain more ammo.

Officers should carry a minimum of two magazines and really should carry four. That assumes high capacity magazines of twelve rounds or more and a loaded gun. I recommend a minimum of forty rounds per officer on their person and at least another 40 in their gear bag. If you are working a detail where you can reasonably expect a shootout, then officers should have at least 60 rounds for their duty gun, a long gun and a back up gun.

If the long gun is a rifle or submachine gun, then you should have 5 magazines to include the one in the gun. If the long gun is a shotgun then you should have two full loads available, one in the magazine and one on a side saddle or butt pouch. Since an average shooter can fire off a full magazine in only a few seconds more ammunition just makes sense; that’s what the SGT Says.

Animal Patrol

2011-10-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-ohio-animals-loosetre79i0u7-20111018,0,6973271.story

A man who owned a private exotic animal collection killed himself and let all his wild animals loose. They included tigers, lions, and bears. These are huge, dangerous, man eating animals. There were over fifty of them released into the rural community and four officers responded to the call. When they arrived they were confronted by aggressive animals hovering over the body of the owner.

The officers had to shoot several of the animals just to get to the side of the victim. One deputy later was attacked by a bear and stopped the bear with one shot from his handgun from a range of only seven feet. The sheriff gave the order to shoot all of the animals that had escaped. He took an important political risk to keep his public and his officers safe. I am glad that he took the initiative to insure public safety and shoot these dangerous carnivores.

One of the reasons to have a patrol rifle is to be able to shoot wild animals. Few of use will have to deal with tigers or lions, but even here in Southern California, we get the occasional bear or mountain lion. While the sheriff called wildlife officials and zoo officials, it was hours before they could deploy and begin darting animals. A few of the animals were saved, but most had to be shot. It is sad that endangered species had to be killed, but public safety is more important; that’s what the SGT Says.

Glock Armorer Training

2011-10-26T09:11:00.000-07:00

www.glock.com

Glock is the most popular police handgun in the US with about 65% of agencies using the Glock. My agency has used the Glock for well over a decade and it has served us well. The Glock is inexpensive, lightweight, durable and easy to shoot. They make them in most police calibers and the small back up gun versions will accept the full size magazine. Most of the parts work in all the versions so that parts inventory is easy for the armorer.

There have always been a few things I did not like about the Glock. The grips were too big for small hands and the slide lock was too small to easily operate. The gun was a bit too smooth and I never liked either the standard sights or the night sights. The new Gen 4 Glock has a rougher texture so its better when your hand is wet or God forbid, bloody. The back strap now comes in three sizes so the gun can better fit smaller hands.

The slide lock is larger to facilitate using it as a slide release. They also have a reversible magazine catch for left handed shooters, and a dual recoil spring. Maybe the next generation will upgrade the sights. They are not bad; I just have trouble picking them up quickly but the night sights are fantastic when it very dark.

My agency has carried the .40 caliber Glock model 22 but in recent years we have purchased a few .45 ACP Glock model 21 handguns. We are in the market for a few more and I am hoping to get one of the new ones in .45 ACP. Glock supports the shooting sports and have a great buy back program. For less than $200 and your old Glock trade in they will give you a new gun. Too bad I can’t do that for my car, that’s what the SGT Says.

Glock Armorer Training

2011-10-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

www.glock.com

In mid October I attended Glock Armorer training. This was, I think, my fourth time at Glock Armorer School. It is a one day, eight hour training class. They use the full eight hours and don’t waste a minute. There is not a lot of registration, advertising, break time and other time wasting events, we worked on Glock pistols, learned how the function, malfunction and get fixed when they break.

The class was hosted by the city of Corona, California, Police Department. They have a massive and excellent modern police training facility. There were over thirty of us in the class taught by Dennis Tueller of Glock, a former police officer in Utah. His presentation was excellent and made great use of PowerPoint slides. The slides used color coded computer generated pictures of Glock parts to show the relationship between the parts and their functions.

Rather than tell us war stories all day long, we worked on taking the Glock apart and putting it back together. The Glock only has about three dozen parts and they go together easily. Everyone should have their Glock inspected and cleaned by an armorer at least annually to insure safe and proper functioning. The full Glock handgun is now made in the USA and they make over 50,000 per month! That’s a lot of happy shooters, that’s what the SGT Says.

Book Review

2011-10-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Catholic-Cop-Thomas-Fitzsimmons/dp/0978976215

I was given a free copy of the book to review. Confessions of a Catholic Cop, by Thomas Fitzsimmons, published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, New York, 2006. The book is a fictional story of a cop working in a very bad part of New York City, fighting a arson ring. Fire is always a terrible danger in big cities and arson is an especially terrible crime. The author was a New York cop so he writes about life on the streets and on the job with authority that you don’t get from civilian authors.

The author does an excellent job of weaving many tiny stories into the larger picture. Many characters appear in the book but there are no throwaway characters, no red herrings. Each minor character plays an important role in the story and helps to wrap up the story line. I like it when an author can take a seemingly minor player and give him the pivotal role later in the book.

While I work in greater Los Angeles and am no stranger to big city life, I have never worked in or even visited New York City. I imagine some of it as being the toughest place in the world to police with characters as strange and dangerous as anywhere in the world. I imagine the work takes a terrible toll on the cops who have to work there. In the book some find solace in alcohol, money, and women and in dedication to their jobs. Many cops in NYC have a multi-generational commitment to service to their department. All these aspects of the job are covered in this book as part of the larger story. The book was a good read, that’s what the SGT Says.

Local and International Crime

2011-10-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/170667/44/DC-Embassy-Terror-Plot-Foiled

The DEA uncovered a plot by Iran to use members of a Mexican drug cartel to murder both Saudi Arabian and Israeli officials here in the United States. This shows how much local law enforcement is involved with the War on Radical Muslim Terror. Local police contact drug dealers and drug uses on a frequent basis. This just shows that we must be open to the possibility that they may be involved in international terrorism as well as simple drug dealing.

An assassination of this type could have lead to war between Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Iran. This shows the importance of enforcing our border security and our drug laws. Illegal drugs are fueling these drug lords with money and that money gives them power and abilities to murder both other drug lords but now also international officials.

Local officers need to receive better training in drug recognition. They need to more actively look for users, unravel drug sales networks and make more drug arrests. Every time we seize drugs from a distributor we make it harder for drug cartels to make money and to do business. We need to do more of this and cripple these drug lords who cannot operate except for American money paid by drug users. Fighting the drug war is now also fighting the War on Radical Muslim Terror; that’s what the SGT Says.