COVIDGATE Attack on Informed Consent

By Michelle Malkin

Patient rights and bioethics are impossible without truly informed consent. This fundamental concept has vanished from public view faster than paper towels and toilet paper from your grocery shelves. Informed consent matters more than ever because we are entering the most coercive era of medical tyranny in human history.

If the public health-industrial complex gets its way, you may not be able to work, travel, shop or go to school without proof of a COVID-19 vaccination. Who needs government to do the mandating when corporations, airlines and educational institutions will do all the dirty work for Big Brother? The unthinking surrender of our autonomy to global pandemic blackmailers is horrific. Can you really offer voluntary and thorough consent at "warp speed" with a figurative gun to your head?

Fact: Our right to self-determination cannot be protected if doctors fail to disclose all risks of treatments. The same holds true in medical research.

Ask yourselves this: In what sane world would we allow children as young as 11 to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine without parental approval — as the Washington, D.C., council decreed last month — while scientific experts are warning us that the adult subjects of COVID-19 vaccine trials were themselves inadequately told of the risks that the jabs "could worsen disease"?

Yes, you read that right. A review of COVID-19 vaccine protocols published in the October issue of the International Journal of Clinical Practice determined that an alarming phenomenon called "antibody-dependent enhancement" — which could worsen COVID-19 — "was obscured" by vaccine manufacturers. Timothy Cardozo of the New York University Langone Health and Ronald Veazey of the Tulane University School of Medicine concluded that the vaccine-enhanced disease risk "should have been prominently and independently disclosed to research subjects." The reckless omission "obviate(ed) truly informed consent."

Indeed, vaccine researchers hid the ADE risk "last or next to last" in their clinical trial consent forms and downplayed the risk as "theoretical," when evidence of the risk is in fact "non-theoretical" and "compelling." Burying adverse effects in the fine print is standard operating procedure for Big Pharma. It's exactly what they'll do with the package inserts for the shots, too. Speaking of which, did you know that the FDA's draft list of "adverse event outcomes" for COVID-19 vaccines includes: stroke, convulsions/seizures, transverse myelitis, encephalitis, narcolepsy and cataplexy; acute myocardial infarction; autoimmune disease; Kawasaki disease, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children, arthritis and joint pain; myocarditis/pericarditis, venous thromboembolism, other acute demyelinating diseases and death?

I'm sure D.C. grade schoolers will understand all that and be able to fathom the impact of Big Pharma's immunity from vaccine lawsuits. For true informed consent, they must also be made aware of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program's payouts to the vaccine-injured of more than $4.4 billion since 1989, not to mention boning up on the 30 different genetic mutations of SARS-Cov-2 and the troubling "inflammatory component" identified as "intrinsic to all mRNA vaccines." The kids also can't be fully informed without knowledge of the adverse outcomes reported by trial volunteers on Facebook, where screenshots I obtained showed members complaining they were "unable to lift anything" after their jab, experienced arm pain for several weeks, felt like they were "beaten with a baseball bat" and endured hours-long vomiting.

As the FDA prepares to meet Dec. 10 to consider emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine, I urge free-thinking Americans to read two expert petitions calling for suspension of all COVID-19 clinical trials in both the U.S. and in Europe. One co-petitioner, Dr. Michael Yeadon, happens to be a former vice president and chief scientific officer at Pfizer Global. He and his fellow signatories warn about the unreliability of rapid COVID-19 testing (RT-qPCR). They also amplify points made in my previous "COVIDGATE" columns about how the clinical trial design does not measure whether the vaccine actually prevents virus transmission or reduction in severe illness or death.

Wait, there's more.

Yeadon and his co-petitioners raised red flags about two additives in Pfizer's vaccine: polyethylene glycol (against which 70% of people produce antibodies that could provoke "allergic, potentially deadly reactions") and mNeonGreen (a bioluminescent ingredient derived from a marine invertebrate "of unknown antigenicity"). They also warn of potential fertility-specific risks involving antibodies against "spike proteins" that could disrupt development of placenta in vaccinated women. It is "unclear," Yeadon and his co-petitioners observed, "what if any instructions/information" that clinical trial subjects received regarding the risks of ADE, allergies, or infertility.

Still more: In response to Part Two of my series on blabbermouth crusaders informally unblinding themselves online, Dr. Peter Doshi, associate editor of the British Medical Journal, told me he is "quite nervous" that zealous research volunteers who believe they got the placebo will engage in "formal unblinding" by bailing out of ongoing experiments to get the vaccine. Thus, "the trials will not contain a placebo arm for enough time to learn where the vaccines can reduce the risk of serious outcomes like ICU use or death - what any real life-saving vaccine should be able to demonstrate."

The more you know, the clearer the choice: Do not consent.

THE BIG PICTURE OR COMPARTMENTALIZATION?

By: Joel E. Gordon

“In order to properly understand the big picture, everyone should fear becoming mentally clouded and obsessed with one small section of truth.” –XunZi

In psychology, compartmentalization is defined as a defense mechanism where someone suppresses their thoughts and emotions. It is not always done consciously, but this can often justify or defend a person’s level of engagement in certain behaviors.

There are serious disadvantages that come with compartmentalization such as becoming disconnected, isolated and emotionally unavailable. And compartmentalizing is often a tool used by individuals who engage in deviant behavior or actions outside decent and acceptable norms.

Can there be benefits to compartmentalization? Yes … A law enforcement officer, for example, may have a family that depends on them at home, but they must rush into life-threatening situations without hesitation. Being able to compartmentalize those two realities is what facilitates the ability to perform under intense pressure.

I believe one of the biggest problems facing our society today, however, is the compartmentalized thinking that we are seeing on a regular basis which is done without regard to how our decisions impact the bigger picture.

Look at all of the negative consequences of police defunding, such as lowered morale and the overworking of our brave men and women through tunnel vision for “reimagining law enforcement” in the name of social justice. Crime rates go up and safety takes an unnecessary nosedive.

COVID-19 shutdowns have largely contributed to business failures, increased rates of unemployment or underemployment, depression, substance abuse and suicide. Did the risks of shutdowns justify themselves through lower transmission rates of this serious illness during this pandemic? There are many schools of thought on this but it has certainly been a hefty price to pay.

Where did all of this limited thought begin? I have witnessed within our educational system the tendency to isolate subject matter so that it stands on its own without a complete view of cause and effect. Too many have been indoctrinated into a compartmentalized way of thinking, and now they as individuals seem truly oblivious to the reality of so many resulting unintended consequences.

In this day and age of specialists and professional specialization, for example, many only are able to focus on a singular area of expertise. Rarely do practitioners see the problem within their specialty as a symptom of a larger problem, making it virtually impossible to see the big picture.

Sometimes this ridiculousness is truly absurd. While general manager of the Alpine Lake Community atop Snaggy Mountain in snowy Terra Alta, West Virginia, I once had a discussion with a resident who was a nuclear physicist by profession and was involved in the design of nuclear power plants. He was complaining about icy roads within the resort over a particular winter (40 miles of roads traverse the 2,500-acre resort and residential community). Terra Alta routinely experiences 200” of beautiful white snowfall annually and even recorded two inches of snow one year on the fourth of July! I found myself attempting to explain the process of melting and re-freezing to him with temperatures above freezing during the day and snow melt re-freezing overnight. I finally said that my then-5-year-old daughter understood taking an ice cube out of a freezer, letting it melt on a counter, and then putting the liquid back into the freezer would create ice. I don’t believe he ever understood what I was telling him. A common sense thought process lost? How scary is it that this man was designing nuclear power plants and failed to understand a simple concept outside his way of thinking?

As we continue moving forward, if we can open our minds to the bigger picture in the world around us, I believe that bad decisions and injustices will be difficult to come by. If we can just stop compartmentalizing thoughts, we can improve our lives and livelihoods as we work toward the common good. Let’s all reflect on moments in our past and current experiences, as it would behoove us to identify how we ourselves compartmentalize.

As we move into 2021 and beyond, it’s time that we all work to see the big picture.

Children Suffer Without Strong Families

By: David Willoughby

The word “change” has been pounded into our brains and seems to rule the headlines. Protesters, politicians and the media are all screaming for “change”. But exactly what kind of “change” are people looking for?

I know … an end to “systematic racism and police brutality within the criminal justice system”. That seems to be at the top of the “change” list. But should it be? According to the people I have interviewed, racism and police brutality are not the biggest threat to the Black community.

Don’t get me wrong, we have all seen videos of police officers abusing their power. This is wrong and these officers must be disciplined. That absolutely does NOT mean that all police are racist or abuse their power. The vast majority of police are not racist and take great pride in protecting the very communities in which they work. That needed to be said.

Let me get to my point.

As a former youth corrections officer (YCO) for the Milwaukee County juvenile detention center, I was often staffed in a unit where every single child being held was African American. Most children, who are picked up and brought to the facility, are African American. This bothered me. So, I started to ask questions and conduct research as to why? Were the police targeting African Americans? That seems to be a common idea in many African American communities. Or are they targeting law breakers, regardless of color?

I developed good rapport with most children, which didn’t take long because many craved the opportunity to simply talk with someone who cares. Let me tell you something, these kids spilled their guts to me. I found myself teary-eyed on more than a few occasions because of their circumstances.

In October 2018, I was chosen to attend a two-day “Juvenile Corrections Officer Conference” in Central Wisconsin. Social workers, youth workers, counselors, community program staff, law enforcement officers, school administrative and support staff, juvenile court personnel, probation and parole staff, corrections officers, attorneys and others from around the state were in attendance.

Guest speakers talked about their programs and how they related to the juvenile justice system. I learned a lot about different resources, but I was anxiously awaiting to hear from someone with real solutions. At one point, a female social worker from Milwaukee, got most of the audience to repeat the following phrase several times: “Kids aren’t the problem, racism is the problem.”

Towards the end of the conference, about 20 young adults, ages 19-23 (mostly African American) who personally experienced juvenile justice took the stage. They talked about their experiences within the system. Then, the moment which I had been hoping for finally happened …

The host of the conference asked them: “What did you need, as a juvenile, that would have would have kept you out of the system?” Overwhelmingly, they responded: Support. Each one stated that they came from broken families where dad wasn’t present, or mom wasn’t present, or both parents were not present.

Not one person on the stage said anything about racism, or police brutality. I quickly looked around the room for the speaker that had everyone chanting “Racism is the problem.” I didn’t see her. Too bad.

Out of wedlock birthrates for African Americans in the U.S. is rapidly approaching 80%. Pre 1960s, the rate was closer to 20%. Research has shown that children raised without both parents’ involvement are more likely to drop out of school, exhibit behavioral problems, end up in the criminal justice system, suffer unemployment and are at greater risk of substance abuse. Without both parents’ support, kids are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime, nine times more likely to drop out of school and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. Don’t believe me? Look it up, or visit your local juvie and conduct your own research. I’m confident the results will be the same for you.

The biggest threat to the Black community is not racism or police brutality. However, the voluntary abandonment of children by their fathers in Black America just might be. Some Black men have abandoned their moral and financial responsibilities and children who are our most valuable resource pay the price. Ultimately … the community suffers.

We need dads to step up. We need strong Black families to produce and raise strong children. The answer is not always “racism.” Rather than de-funding or disbanding our police departments, how about we get to the root of the real problem? Kids need fathers and a strong family to teach them to stay out of trouble and out of the criminal justice system.

I am ready for “change” and want to help. Let’s make Black families strong again.

How to Get the Most from Your Officers

By: Lt. James Rotundo

The age-old question when it comes to leadership is how do leaders get subordinates to fall in line and do the things they want them to do? The answer is simple.

You never will.

You will never please everyone who works for you.

Once you understand this leadership fact, you will have clarity and can reward the ones who deserve rewarding. When great leaders find that, say, 95% of their subordinates fall in line, it becomes a downfall to focus solely on the 5% outliers. Build upon strengths and the outliers will eventually fall in line, too.

Of course, leaders constantly face challenges. There will be subordinates who feel slighted. There will be subordinates who feel forgotten about. There will be subordinates who will be jealous of other officers’ accomplishments or accolades. But this doesn’t mean you can’t obtain great and worthwhile work from everyone. Let’s have a look at some good and bad motivational techniques you can employ to get the most out of your officers. In this article, I encourage you to question yourself, and some of your go-to motivational techniques. Leadership can be a part science and part art.

Fear: You could choose to motivate with fear and instill a feeling of worry of sanctions such as losing their job, writeups or tongue lashings to make your subordinates fall in line and do the jobs you tasked them to do. I want to stress that this is by far the WORST way to motivate anyone. You will get the bare bones from your officers, as well as create an atmosphere of upset and angry people. In fact, you will see a dip in production; a rise in sick time usage, and overall fewer officers will perform the job to the best of their ability. Sure, tasks will be completed, but at what cost? Everyone knows the consequences of not doing our job. It doesn’t need to be held over their heads like a guillotine. Quite honestly, the ones who choose this route of motivation do this because they were never skilled enough to be a leader in the first place to understand what this would do to the work force.This motivational “technique” is plain wrong, incredibly insensitive and a recipe for complete departmental collapse.With your officers on edge all the time the effect could cause arguments between them lowering morale. On the other hand, officers might band together ... for a vote of no confidence against you.

Money: Ah money, the great motivator! Or is it? You could pay them more money to do a certain job you tasked them to do. The problem with this is that after a while, they will want more money to do the exact same job. If they don’t receive the pay raise they think they deserve, then production will surely decrease. Pay should be fair and equitable considering the task at hand, but not the sole motivator. In private sector careers, money could serve as a better motivator in the form of sales commission and bonuses, but in a public sector career such as law enforcement, the option to pay more is solely in the hands of the governing body. Even in private sector jobs that use this technique, problems could arise such as employees fighting between themselves for a sale. In a perfect world, if the right motivation is implemented correctly, job performance will rise exponentially and pay will rise with it.

Positioning: The act of putting your officers in certain positions and specialties they want to and should be in. This is my personal favorite motivational technique that is often overlooked by many leaders. How do you find out what your officers want to do? Just ask! It’s a simple concept, but many bosses simply don’t take the time to ask their subordinates what they want to do. Why? Because they are the boss and they think know better. But therein lies the problem. Most officers with some time on the job know what part of policing they enjoy more and are better at than other parts. Officers will flourish in positions and specialties they like and are important to them. When someone is excited about the specialty they are in, they tend to learn more about it. Their work will be better because of it. This, on a department-wide level, raises the bar of the department. Encourage officers to share their knowledge with other officers. Informational emails to the department from these officers could help serve as quick reference to officers in the field. Promoting this, officers will gain confidence in each other, in turn creating an environment of much higher morale and less mistakes.

An issue that could arise with this technique is the fact that in many departments these jobs are at a premium. Not everyone who wants to solve major crimes in the detective bureau, or wants to only write summonses in the traffic enforcement squad, or longs for the days they could ride around with a beautiful German shepherd with a K-9 sticker slapped on the door as their first choice, will be able to be assigned to those limited positions. Those officers will have to express their desire to work in another specialty, but should be considered when training is offered, and a position opens up in their most desired choice. While the limits of the amount of positions creates a problem, it also offers an opportunity for officers to work harder in their assigned field as a way to prove they could be a fit in their most desired field, when the spot is opened up. It also offers opportunities for you to create new specialties the department may have been lacking. An added benefit to this is that officers will feel heard and know where they fit in the bigger picture of the department.

Officer/Leadership Development: This goes hand in hand with positioning. Give your employees and leadership the tools to prosper. With your officers in positions that are important to them, they are going to need the education and support to help them do their job. Enroll your officers in classes and allow them to suggest classes they wish to take. It is a significant factor in motivation for your officers to be confident in their knowledge of their tasks in this ever-evolving career.

The importance of your lower-level leadership should not be underestimated. They are your voice and implementers in your motivational program. They should be guided, not just for the position they are in, but for leadership positions to come. Be open to questions and offer advice and provide constructive criticism when needed. They are also the future command of the department, and a delay in a qualified officer filling an open position could cripple a department for a period of time. Once they are trained and have experience of their position as a front-line supervisor, they should begin training with their superior in the position above them. Encourage your leadership to share their knowledge of their positions with their subordinates. Doing this will help tremendously in the event a supervisor misses time for any number of reasons. Also, when the time comes for them to fill the shoes of their supervisor, it’s not overwhelming. The idea here goes past police work and toward future functionality of the department. I see this most helpful when the task at hand goes beyond regular police work and enters budgeting and scheduling.

Motivation of your officers boils down to the kind of business we are in — the people business. Relationships with your subordinates matter. Empathy to their wants and needs that you could provide matters. A clear direction and plan for your employees matters. My last piece of advice is, if you are ever in a bind on what to do to, think about what you wanted when you were the patrol officer with a desire to get the most out of your career. Think about the things you disliked most in leaders you had. Think about the things you loved in other leaders you have served under. Think about the decisions they made that affected you directly and how they affected the officers around you. Don’t forget where you came from. The answers you are looking for are usually in your feelings and knowledge of your past. Look to make the environment of your department a place where officers want to want to come to work, where officers look to each other for the answers to their questions, and where opportunities to grow as an officer and a person are available.

The suggestions above take commitment, it takes trust, and it takes knowing the officers who work for you. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it sure toppled pretty quickly when its leaders bred low morale in its ranks, became comfortable with the status quo and stopped working toward the future.

Remote Police Training- Value added or a temporary fix?

By Lt. Joseph Pangaro

There was a time when the biggest concern a law enforcement officer had about training was if the instructor would bore then to death with a PowerPoint presentation and a droning voice for eight hours. 

Now, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, and its attendant lockdowns and shutdowns of in-person training options, we all get to sit in front of a computer screen for eight hours and do our best not to have our kids or pets walk into the room, or have our spouses yelling on the phone or participating in an online meeting of their own as we try to avoid death by video PowerPoint. The question then is clear; is this new world of remote, online training a value to us or is it just a temporary fix to a challenging situation?

The answer, from what I can see is a very simple … it depends.

It depends on who is doing the training, the topics, and how the classes are taught. All of these individual pieces of the puzzle will determine the quality of the online program, how interesting and engaging it will be and if the vehicle will have any longevity.

Let’s start with the instructor. If the instructor was a boring presenter during live training events, it’s a fair bet to say they will be even worse when it comes to presenting remotely online. That just makes sense. You can make lemonade from lemons, but if they are bitter lemons they will be hard to swallow no matter how much you mix them up.

The key here for online instructors to be successful is to always keep the student or audience in mind when preparing the class, using the right equipment to present and choosing the best digital platform to teach from.

My training company, True Security Design / Pangaro Training took this challenge on at the start of the COVID crisis. We saw the coming need for adapting to the changing environment and providing a dynamic alternative to replace the in-person training we have all become used to.

To do that we focused on these points for the instructor:

·      Be energetic and enthusiastic, upbeat and positive.

·      Ensure you engage the at-home audience by including them in discussion and question and answer periods.

·      Create interesting interaction segments in the training so they are not just sitting at home staring at the screen.

·      Make it fun by addressing the new dynamic and asking about any difficulties they are having with the format and explain the situation from the instructor’s point of view as well.  

·      Understand the platform you are using and spice up the presentation with videos, diagrams, pictures and other media to make the program visually stimulating. Being sure you know how to operate the features of the platform is crucial, so you don’t have delays or “dead air” as you flip between media.

·      Conduct a survey after each class to learn how you are being perceived and how to improve your delivery.

·      Take a presentation course if you haven’t already done so.

Next, let’s talk about the equipment we use to present online remote training. The right platform is critical as well as the cameras, speakers and monitors you use so your at-home students can see and hear you clearly. A slow platform or one with only a few features will limit your ability to be creative and make for a boring presentation.

A quality camera with a wide field is important so the audience can see you, your inflection and passion as you teach, just like a live in-person audience can. I use role-playing actors in many of our classes. Good cameras will bring that remote role play aspect to life and make for a good class.

Choose good media to add value to your program. Online remote training is a hybrid presentation that should combine live interaction by the instructor with multi-media to enhance the experience, think of yourself as a TV talk show host, teacher, video producer and director all at once. There are many elements to creating a good class that people will enjoy and learn from.

When it comes to the topics we can present successfully remotely online, we must consider our own abilities to present, our understanding of the material, our creative skills and most importantly our desire to create a great program.

Conducting a crime scene investigation course can be very difficult to pull off remotely online because of the hands-on nature of the crime scene work we are trying to teach. Things such as latent fingerprint dusting and lifting, evidence identification and recovery, crime scene photography and interview skills are difficult enough to teach and present live and in-person and almost impossible via a remote online program, but it can be done if you plan and execute it right.

The key is understanding how to make the students feel connected to the program, how they can participate in any skill development from their home and have success at it.

Here are a few planning items to do a class like this:

·      Provide a written guide for each skill taught in the form of a manual or booklet that the student gets before the class to become familiar with the skill.

·      Provide a list of materials the student will need to gather before the class, so they are ready to go on class day. These should be things like fingerprint kits, lifting tape and items to dust (Soda cans or envelopes etc.).

·      Be prepared to spend time with each student as they practice a skill remotely, that means having things for the other students to do as you work your way through the class.

·      Consider how many assistants you need to do this and if you can use “breakout rooms” on the platform you chose.  

·      The use of role players and how they will interact with the students, as a group or individually.

These things take a lot of prep work, but if you give them the due diligence they deserve, even a difficult class like crime scene investigation can be taught remotely. Besides, that might be the only way we can teach this for a while, so finding creative ways to teach is the goal and responsibility of the instructor.

And finally, for this piece let’s talk about how we teach remotely. Making the topics engaging and valuable takes effort on the part of the instructors. We have to look at this as an opportunity to continue to provide the officers we serve with quality training that will make them better at what they do and better able to serve the public we all sworn to serve.

Being an engaging personality can be confused with being funny or entertaining. Those aspects are important for a good presentation, but they should not be the main focus. Passion is the thing that makes a remote, online training program successful. Passing on our knowledge, skill and experience can come through in-person or remotely if we are genuine in our desire to teach.

Since this COVID era began, we have taught over 300 remote students in groups of 15-25 at a time. We are at the beginning of this new world of training and I have decided that it is an important process for law enforcement and many other industries for that matter. I took my energetic and passionate live performance to the remote world and so far it has worked. 

We conduct surveys after each class, and so far the reviews have all been great. The students say they have been engaged and felt like part of a real class. That is not easy to do, it takes all of the energy I can muster each and every class, but it is worth it. If you are going to conduct remote training or send your officers to remote training you should consider the positive aspects and how it will help your officers and agency.

Chiefs have said that COVID lockdowns aside, they like the idea of remote training because their officers don’t have to travel, they aren’t on the road for hours driving to and from a class, and they still get the training they want their officers to have. The students have said they like remote training for the same reasons and many of them have taken the training from the comfort of their own houses.

As I see it, remote training will be with us in law enforcement for a long time after the COVID threat passes us because it is the wave of the future. We are all online and living in a digital world. Police training is vital for the officers and the communities we serve. Bringing it to them in a convenient way like remote, online training is innovative and serves us all very well.

It all depends on how it is delivered, who is delivering it, and what we want to get from it. Using the guide points I listed should help you going forward to create great training or find a great trainer for your officers.  Either way, remote online training is the new paradigm and we should all embrace it!

THANK YOU FOR SAYING I’M ONE OF THE GOOD ONES, BUT I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE

By: Deon Joseph

In recent Facebook posts, where I try to bring logic and reason to an emotionally charged issue, I usually get this response “Yeah, but you are ONE of the good ones.” or “You are one of the rare ones.” I truly appreciate the love and complements. I really do. But the fact is there are thousands of us. They may not be as vocal or well known, but throughout my career, I have worked with some of the most caring police officers to ever wear our badge.

After a civic leader dehumanized my fellow officers, I tried everything in my power not to respond. But when I looked back on my 25 years of service. I thought about the incredible men and women I have worked with in three parts of the city I serve.

I thought about my early years. My training officer was a white man who was loved by a black community in Venice. He was almost worshipped there for his dedication and fair treatment of them. He is the man who showed me that you don’t have to be an asshole to be a cop. And that people of color understand we have a job to do, but just want us to treat them with respect when we do it. His name was Bill.

Another training officer, a thin white woman from the LBGTQ community who in the heat of a tense moment with a violent mentally ill person three times her size, told me not to shoot the woman, who wrestled with her over a large knife she tried to kill herself with. She did everything she could not to shoot her, though she had every right to and should have, especially after her gun fell out. She spared her life nearly at her own expense. Her name was Vicky.

Then there was a Black training officer who defused incidents by his mere presence. He was professional and respectful. Before you called it de-escalation, we called it verbalization (it’s nothing new, most of us have been doing it). He was a master at it. His name was McCool.

Another white training officer had a suspect cursing at him when he showed up, but had them laughing in tears by the time he was done booking them. His name was Officer Goode. He used humor to diffuse situations and never lost his temper.

I then came to Skid Row, and worked with a cop nicknamed Batman. Who showed me that my muscles would not save me when dealing with troubled communities but respecting them, while at the same time taking no shit from them, would. He taught me to slow down and talk to people even at their worst. His name was Officer Greg Bateman.

A classmate of mine of German descent who wore her heart on her sleeve, who prior to me making my mark on Skid Row, laid the foundation for an initiative that would save countless lives among the homeless. She never sought honor or recognition. I learned from her to come from the heart. Especially if it was made of gold. Her name is Kathy. She also helped veterans and held community meetings with the homeless in the street.

Two Black officers who made 257 felony arrests in one year, they took guns and large amounts of drugs from Skid Row hotels and still had the respect of the community. They were Officers Fierra and Prude.

An East Side detail officer and his entire unit, who had the worst job in the city, trying to improve the quality of life in Skid Row with impossible odds. Everywhere I patrolled all I could hear from the community was “Where’s Earl?” “Is Earl here today? Please tell him we said hello.” His name was Officer Earl Wright Jr.

I then worked one of the most dangerous areas in the city for a year. I was a juvenile investigator. People were dying nightly from gang violence. While some of the hardest-working officers on Central Avenue were trying to stop the constant bloodshed, I was partnered with two Hispanic officers who took me under their wing at one of the worst times of my life personally and we rescued more missing children than I could count. They were Officers Juan and Frank.

I came back to the Row again, and became a senior lead. There I worked with an officer who helped families in the projects get financial assistance. His name was Officer Mike Fernandez.

As time passed, I found my own calling. I helped house homeless people, mentored children and tried to empower homeless women on Skid Row, while simultaneously reducing crime using my heart more than my handcuffs, and helped make a place no one thought could ever be safe, safer. When I began losing the battle, 50 of the hardest-working men and women I ever saw helped bring sanity to a place that could easily be compared to Dante’s Inferno.

A legendary foot beat officer named Lenny stood on one of the most corrupt blocks in downtown and warded off drug dealers, and violent criminals by his presence alone. No officer stayed dedicated to the Main Street beat like Junior Davis did. The community loved him and they still miss him to this day.

Another incredible SLO who is trying unique and dynamic things to bring communities together in love and peace is a blonde white office named Julie Nony. Her ideas to build trust are incredible.

Several Black officers have taken mentorship to a new level, as they created a mentoring program and football camp for at-risk youth in one of the most dangerous parts of the city. The Watts Rams to this day are exposing Black youth to the reality that they can rise above adversity and live their dreams

Another white police officer who always finds a way to save the lives of people of color. Whether it’s stopping a woman from being strangled to death or delivering babies in the street, this man has a fire in him to help people. I’m proud to call Officer Popham a brother in blue.

Several patrol officers who embraced community policing over three years, rescued children and kept the dam from breaking in Skid Row as the unit assigned to that area was depleted due to injuries. Officers Linnear, Tapia, Brunsen, Hernandez, and another who later promoted and went to South LA and earned the nickname Dr. King for how he championed of a community in south LA. His name is Sgt Delano Hutchins.

My twin brother Cleon Joseph was in charge of a community relations office. He reinvigorated his unit to buy into dialogue with the community.

And currently, I work in the greatest senior lead office in the city, with twelve of the greatest officers, who drop everything with their busy schedule to engage in Trust Talks with the homeless community and open their hearts to them.

I can go on and on. These officers from all walks of life and so many others go above and beyond for their community with no desire for recognition.

Before any civic leader dehumanizes us to pander to people, they should open their minds to the reality that we save far more lives than we take, and share that with the public. Build more relationships than we break. We are not what you say we are.

If you told the public about us, maybe they would know that the honorable rule is just that, that they do not have to fear us when something happens hundreds of miles away and that most of us are doing the right thing.

Yes I acknowledge there is a negative exception, but that’s in any profession. Don’t ask me to judge you by the content of your character (which I always will no matter what), then turn and dehumanize me based on our surface.

If today’s media showed you the thousand of officers who care just like I do, you wouldn’t be so quick to judge us all when a select few fail us all. 

We Remember Police Officer Danny Faulkner 4699: EOW 12/9/1981

By Kirk Lawless

There are two names I hate to see in print, Wesley Cook (AKA Mumia Abu-Jamal) and Colin Kaepernick.

Colin Kaepernick, former football player-turned-political-activist is getting attention again with his racist, rabid, anti-police agenda, by calling for the release of Cook, a convicted cop killer. Why anybody gives Kaepernick any press is beyond my comprehension. To me, he is nothing more than an un-wiped ass (and anyone who knows me knows I would say that to his face). 

I try not to use Cook’s made-up name. I suppose it makes him a more colorful and exotic figure to rally behind and I will deny him that pleasure.

Let’s start with Wesley Cook, convicted murderer. On 9 December 1981 at 3:55 p.m., near the intersection of 13th and Locust, Philadelphia Police Officer Danny Faulkner, badge 4699, curbed a vehicle driven by William Cook, Wesley’s brother. The roadside encounter turned physical and Wesley, then a cabdriver, exited his cab and went to the aid of his brother, (as brothers often do). This was not a normal intervention. He did not try to separate his brother from Police Officer Danny Faulkner or attempt to calm the situation. He could have joined the physical melee in an attempt to help his brother get away. 

Instead, Cook ran up on the scene, produced a five-shot Charter Arms revolver, and shot Faulkner in the back four times. Danny Faulkner was able to return fire, striking Wesley Cook in the abdomen. As Faulkner fell to the cold, cruel Philadelphia sidewalk, Cook stood over him and fired his fifth and final round into the face of the young officer, killing him. Cook had just made Maureen Faulkner a police widow, and himself a cop killer. Cook also collapsed on the sidewalk near the young officer’s body. Faulkner’s bullet, while not finishing off Cook, kept him from escaping, and he was arrested where responding officers found him. Cook was wearing an empty shoulder holster. The revolver used to execute the young police officer (who was just twelve days shy of turning 26), was recovered near Cook. There is, as we say, a P.S. regarding this revolver that contained five spent shell casings: It was registered to Wesley Cook.

Ironically, this article was delivered to the editor on what would be the 39th anniversary of the murder of Faulkner. I remember this murder and will never forget it. Nor will Maureen Faulkner forget being robbed of her young husband, nor Danny’s police family, another void in their roster to be filled, but never replaced.

There is more to Cook than he was “just a cabdriver, who happened to see his brother fighting with a police officer and got involved.” He was a member of The Black Panther Party (BPP) and had been recruited into the terrorist organization at the age of 14. The BPP was responsible for the murders of some 35 police officers nationwide and the injuries of many more. Cook was born in 1954 and was close in age to the police officer he killed. He was indoctrinated in the BPP mantra of hate and racism, particularly when it involved the police, especially white police officers, but it did not discriminate. They had proven their willingness to erase black officers with equal zeal.

I hope Colin Kaepernick reads this, so he can learn some things about his newly discovered “victim of the system and political prisoner,” Wesley Cook. Note the lack of the words alleged or allegedly. There will be none of that. Why? Because, he did it! He is a murderer. A racially mixed jury convicted Cook. That same diverse jury handed down his death sentence and it didn’t take them long to reach that decision. The good people of Philadelphia had weighed the evidence, and sentenced Cook to die for the murder of Police Officer Danny Faulkner.

Oh, how the word spread about this “brilliant man, who was wrongly convicted of this terrible crime,” and now languishing on death row, a political prisoner. Folks of “celebrity” status rallied behind him. Liberal Hollywood types chanting “Free Mumia” because all the “cool kids” were doing it became all the rage. Money poured in from around the globe to support this murdering cop-killing savage, including some folks from the East Coast who make over-priced ice cream. It was a good marketing strategy. The support of a business openly promoting a cop-killer sold lots of ice cream to lots of liberal under-informed fools. It’s doubtful that the folks in Hollywood were making bank by supporting this POS, but it provided them with a little face time.

It did promote Cook to instant celebrity status. Publishers clawed at the door of his cell on death row to publish his books. He was allowed to broadcast radio shows from prison. He was invited to give a commencement address to graduating students from a high-dollar university. Thankfully, opposing students excused themselves from the ceremony or turned their backs to the speakers to express their disdain. Can you imagine, a convicted cop-killer speaking at a college graduation. What sort of wisdom could a murderer give to new graduates? “Get jobs. Don’t murder anyone. Eat your ice cream!”

Cook, with the support of his followers, continued to appeal his death sentence (he had nothing but time) and in 2011 now age 57, his wish being granted, he was released from his cell on death row and his sentence was commuted to life without parole. But his situation had some loose strings. A death appeal would mean a new trial. Memories faded, witnesses died, and the hellish nightmare would have to be played out again for Maureen Faulkner and the rest of Danny’s family at a new trial. The District Attorney Larry Krasner approached Maureen Faulkner with a compromise. If she agreed to life in prison without parole (meaning Cook would die in prison) they could avoid a lengthy trial that would probably have had the same results. Maureen Faulkner agreed and it appeared as though “that was that,” but apparently, not so. Krasner did the ultimate double-cross and has helped set the stage for Cook to get a new trial. 

Enter Colin Kaepernick, born in 1987, nearly six years after Danny Faulkner’s murder. Now Colin thinks Cook should get a new trial, and the papers let him talk about the “injustices,” the murderer has endured. Cook has successfully sued the department of corrections because he claimed he received inadequate medical care while in custody. He also sued and won the case that allows him to make money from the sales of books, interviews, so yeah, let’s talk about the injustice.

Cook is now 66. Danny Faulkner should be retired off the job, but instead he’s dead, and has been dead longer than he was alive. 

Colin Kaepernick has proven himself to be a racist, cop-hater. He played a big part in all the racial turmoil since he “took a knee.” He has blood on his hands, police blood, and that includes (after the fact) the blood of Police Officer Daniel Faulkner Badge 4699 EOW 9 December 1981. 

If Cook gets a new trial, I hope he gets the death penalty again and they fast track it and I get to see it. I’ll be in the front row with popcorn. 

Colin could redeem himself if he’d start to use some common sense and throw in behind a worthy cause (or causes) instead of getting my brothers and sisters shot and killed. If he’d like to discuss this issue with me in person, I’ll gladly make myself available. I’m easy to find.

Law Enforcement’s Dance with the Devil

By: David A. Clarke Jr., Sheriff (Ret)

I am watching sometimes in stunned disbelief as police executives order front line officers to participate with state governors, local mayors and administration officials as they use the heavy hand of government in enforcing questionable rules concerning the coronavirus. It’s a game of Russian roulette. Oftentimes it doesn’t end well.

 Law enforcement officers have only one remaining support group in the United States of America and it is the law abiding public. This profession has experienced over the past five years an unprecedented onslaught of hate and physical attack from cop hating groups like ANTIFA and Black Lives Matter. A host of politicians have chimed in with their support of these insidious bastards by trying to appease them and their calls to defund the police through massive budget cuts and other measure such as prohibiting the use of tear gas, rubber bullets and other less lethal options to keep themselves safe while fulfilling their obligation of protecting life and property.

 Cities such as Seattle, Minneapolis, New York, Chicago, Milwaukee and Los Angeles have already gone ahead and reduced the size of their police budgets. The NYPD had their budget slashed by one billion dollars. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett reduced the size of the police department by cutting 125 police positions. Los Angeles elected local officials approved a $150 million public safety budget reduction. Every one of these cities is cutting police budgets as the violent street crime is rising precipitously. And citizens are noticing and pleading for more police help. In Minneapolis a citizen group filed a lawsuit against the city for not fulfilling the city’s obligation to keep them safe per the city charter. A judge recently ruled that the suit can go forward after the city asked for a dismissal. That is a good sign.

 With that being said, you can understand my disbelief that law enforcement executives are ordering front line officers to be the bad guys in government’s attempt to use a pandemic to enforce questionable at best edicts that many find intrusive, offensive and a violation of their constitutional liberties. An Ohio woman was tased and arrest for refusing to wear a mask and then refusing to leave a stadium. In Oregon, a woman was arrested at a Walmart for refusing to wear a mask and then refusing to leave the store. A man in Maryland was arrested at a polling place for trying to vote without wearing a mask. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has ordered police officers to go along with city health officials to be the enforcers of outrageous COVID rules.

My advice and recommendation is that police not insert themselves into this fray. There is no upside. The cooperative relationship that remains with the law abiding public currently hangs by a thread. Once we lose them then we are finished. Law enforcement executives are always touting that they cannot succeed with the help of the public. Why then be the brutes in closing down a business for example when onerous capacity restrictions could very well mean the end for them? Most small businesses are operating on the margins to begin with and what about the employees who have to be let go due to business falling off? People are hurting all across America right now. Where is the compassion? Why would this profession allow itself to be used in this fashion? The public will long remember how we treated them when they needed understanding. I would not blame them if when moving forward and we need their help to say, get some dangerous person into custody or be a witness in some incident, if they turned their backs on us and refused to help.

When framing the Constitution that would limit government authority over people the Founding Fathers particularly spoke of people being secure in their houses, papers and personal effects against unreasonable searches and seizure without a warrant. It’s called the Fourth Amendment. Now Governors and Mayors are ordering state administrators backed by law enforcement to do home inspections to check for compliance on the limits of how many people can be in a home at one time and to check if they are wearing a mask and staying six feet apart. Some have even set up hotlines that encourage people to rat out their neighbors if they suspect someone has invited too many people over for whatever reason. This is untenable in a constitutional republic and the very thing the Founders feared.

This is why I am recommending that law enforcement stand down here. They do have discretion on how to handle these situations if they are called to the scene. Here is a chance for this profession to let the same government cutting police budgets to be pushed back against. Officers can demonstrate whose side they are on in this unprecedented time period by standing with individual freedom loving citizens. They should in a very public way, tell government officials, they are on their own. Abandon those politicians like they abandoned law enforcement.

Police Officers are called WHAT?

By: Allen Louis Hott                         

Without a doubt, there are many, many nicknames for law enforcement officers. Quite a few of these go back to at least the 1700s and some may go back even further.  Of course the most common and well known is “cop”. A very common belief is that cop came from the word “capere” meaning to seize. Cop has also always been thought to have come from copped (caught) by those who had the right to do so.

There are other thoughts, such as perhaps “cop” came from “Chief of Police” or even “Constable on Patrol” but there is nothing concrete to prove these thoughts. So instead of just thinking about where the name “cop” came from, here is another intriguing thought.  Many feel that cop was actually a shortened version of “copper” which identified their copper badges which they used for identification. But that is only one name that is used for the police officers. And to this day, many people feel that “cop” is an impolite or derogatory nickname.

Look at some of the names that have been used over the years, some still in use and some not. A quick look at England brings up the name “peeler” which comes from Robert Peel, who founded the British Police Service in the early 1800s.  During his term as prime minister, he created a new type of police officer who was either called a “peeler” or even more often a “Bobbie” after him and which still exists.

Other names used over the years include “beak runner” from the late 1700s which meant that the policeman’s job was to run information about those who broke the law. Another was “Elephant Ears” which meant a policeman’s job entailed listening to pleas of innocence so often, so long, and so hard that his ears grew longer and bigger and bigger.

“Fuzz” appears to have begun being used in the 1920s and actually was meant as a compliment meaning one who was “very diligent in enforcing the law”. However, about the same time a somewhat derogatory term came into being. They were called “Lizzie Lice,” which referred to the small autos (coupes) that they used in patrolling their beat.

Regardless of what they are or were called, it appears this basically began in Colonial America when “the Watch” walked the roads looking for fires and minor crimes. This group later was somewhat augmented by “slave patrols” who were organized to prevent slave revolts and even catch runaway slaves.

By the early 1800s, many large cities like Boston, Philadelphia, New York and others began creating police forces. Today there are close to a million police officers throughout the U.S. Records show that in 1890, Marie Owens from Chicago appears to be the first female police officer in the U.S.  However, more than 12 percent of today’s police officers nationwide are women.

The saddest part of many of the numbers is the amount of police officers who are killed in the line of duty. For some unknown reason, the year 1930 showed 310 officers killed. However, another terrible day for recording police officer deaths was September 11, 2001 when 72 officers died in response to the attacks that day.

Regardless of what they are called, police officers, sheriffs, constables or some other term that matches their work, all of them should be referred to with respect. Our enforcers do a great job in policing this country and keeping it safe for all Americans.       

Recruiting Quality Candidates in an Era of Police Reform is both possible and essential

By:  Sgt. Jon Greenawalt

 Chambersburg, Pennsylvania is a borough of approx. 21,000 people The 34-member police department has existed since 1818 and it continues to proudly serve a population which is growing in total number and diversity.  The events of 2020, which include a global pandemic and civil unrest directed toward law enforcement, should signal a clear mandate to law enforcement leaders that we must be responsive to the citizens we serve while working in the best interest of public safety. 

In order to accomplish our mission, two issues become critical for agencies, 1) community policing and 2) recruiting officers who are fitted to a service-oriented criteria which will enhance legitimacy of the police in the communities that we serve. Without quality people, the first item is a moot point. So, recruiting should become our initial focus. This begs the question, can we recruit in this era and are there still people who want to wear the badge in this society? The short answer is yes, don’t believe the pessimist.  But how? 

In Chambersburg, we believe that we have cracked the code on recruiting in terms of gaining applicants and finding diverse candidates from whom we can select for hire despite anti-law enforcement sentiment and the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2020 recruiting cycle, we received 314 applications for testing, 124 of which met diversity targets (women and minorities) that we sought to attract as part of our overall effort. This was accomplished through a multifaceted approach which included building a recruiting team from within the agency, advertising and social media, seeking diverse candidates and community relations, which should be the heart of all policing. 

Build a Recruiting Team and Develop Relationship with Applicants

In 2018, the department commissioned a recruitment team made up of three officers from within the agency. The officers were trained on recruiting and were then sent off to find recruiting fairs and events to build their contact list. It is not enough to simply compile a list of contacts, recruiters must continue their contacts with potential applicants through an ongoing process which occurs through the testing and hiring process.

Many reading this article might believe that you don’t have the time or resources to pull officers off the street for recruiting, which is an understandable problem.  At CPD we didn’t pull officers off the street, we simply offered a job enlargement opportunity to our officers and three of them stepped up to the challenge.

Advertising and Social Media

If you want candidates to apply for positions within your agency, you have to advertise and in doing so must reach a larger audience than your local area. At CPD, we used our department website in association with popular social media platforms and job sites such as Indeed and PoliceApp. We published ads in local newspapers and their affiliated websites along with radio advertisements on multiple stations throughout the region.  We also used billboard advertisements which were featured throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia. Much of the advertising that the agency did during the 2020 recruiting push came at very little or zero expense to the agency’s budget.  We found that many advertising entities were willing to support their community’s law enforcement by donating advertising. 

Seek Diverse Candidates and They Will Come

If any entity wishes to diversify its staff or agency, it must go out and find those diverse targets that it wishes to offer the opportunity. At CPD, we did this via advertising and we clearly stated that we were seeking and encouraging women and minorities to consider applying for a law enforcement career with our department. We placed ads in Diversity Magazine, which is marketed to a diverse audience including people of color and women. We also targeted minority applicants on college campuses through ads on their job boards. CPD has also developed a relationship with several diverse churches in the Chambersburg area. We are using these partnerships to enhance recruiting  

The evidence of the positive effect that this had on recruiting diversity was substantial as seen through the 124 diverse targets who applied to the department during this campaign. In most previous recruiting years, 124 candidates would have been beyond the upper limit of total candidates who applied for the Chambersburg Police Department.

Perhaps many might not think of community policing as a tool that goes hand in hand with recruiting.  If our strategy on recruiting can work for Chambersburg Police Department, it can work for your agency, too. In the era of calls for police reform, we cannot afford to fail in our efforts to recruit quality people who can provide quality policing.

Operation Russian Roulette

By: Eric Caron

 Black Lives Matter (BLM) posters are now hanging inside each city police station in San Francisco; in Austin, Texas, the mayor has suggested turning a police station into a BLM welcome center and in Providence, Rhode Island the mayor ordered the removal of the city flag while he raised the BLM flag at a public safety building. “Peaceful protesters,” many armed with weapons, shout a chant often heard in Iran, “Death to America.”   Violent crime is sweeping America and since January 2020, 186 police officers have been killed in the line of duty, standing between good and evil just as demonstrated on Sept 11, 2001.  Many politicians have begun alienating and demonizing LEOs within their communities, calling their own police forces “white supremacist institutions” before trying to dismantle them.  Unfortunately, for some officers, the psychological stress is too much. Blue H.E.L.P., an organization that offers comfort and honor to families of officers who have been lost to suicide, report 120 deaths to date, and 228 last year.  

 These “new normal” daily assaults on inner-city police officers by domestic terror groups such as BLM and ANTIFA, and these hypocritical politicians who openly disrespect and regularly expose our police officers to unnecessary risks in policing, have caused thousands of officers to retire or resign. Is this but the first step in the goal of these anarchist and liberal politicians?  

On Sept. 2, 2020, at 11 p.m., I watched as rioters and agitators in Washington, D.C. surrounded a police station and heard a chant to officers, “Take off the uniform, take off the uniform.”  Is it only a matter of time before BLM and Antifa members are welcomed and infiltrate the ranks of police departments at the demands of liberal politicians and the approval of progressives everywhere?  I believe we must take these domestic terrorists at their word; they want to wear the uniform, the badge and the guns ... the second and final step by BLM in hijacking the major cities of America.

We must not allow politicians to politicize our police. Our recruitment and hiring standards must be kept high, not lowered to allow persons associated directly or indirectly with criminal or domestic terror groups to infiltrate our law enforcement agencies. Police chiefs must now oppose political pressure to allow outside threats to enter their departments and become “insider threats.” The impacts will be devastating to our cities and country. I applauded the recent resignation of Seattle’s first female Black police chief, who said her resignation was about the, “overarching lack of respect for the officers, the men and women who work so hard, day in and day out” and the politicians’ decision to reduce the department by 100 officers. 

The number one job of our elected officials is to keep us safe but many, mostly Democrats, in America’s big cities have not!  We learned tragically on Sept. 11, 2001, that political correctness has no place in public safety and national security. 

While liberal politicians have conspired with the liberal media outlets and progressive organizations to overthrow America, “Operation Russian Roulette” is a deadly game being played with our lives. Many people including the president and myself have been victims of this overt operation, and countless have died including police officers who represent our core values and beliefs. 

Operation Russian Roulette is focused on brainwashing the American population into believing we are a racist apartheid country. Standing for the American flag and supporting law enforcement is seen as offensive, and your decision to not wear a mask is un-American and a criminal offense. This disinformation campaign is a distraction to the American people from the real threats to our civilization. Many are unaware they are even playing this deadly game.

Our liberal politicians and their cohorts have individual bullets loaded with socialist ideologies, criminals and terrorists on a table. We are told to load one bullet into an individual chamber within the cylinder of a revolver, and we even agree to spin the cylinder unaware of which deadly bullet potentially awaits us. The liberal politicians then actually hold the “weapon” to our temples, and tell us to pull the trigger. Look no further than the war zone of Chicago with 611 homicides to date.

Operation Russian Roulette has proven very successful in just these last six months. What was wrong is now right, and America could lose this deadly game!

Sir Winston Churchill, one of the most widely revered and iconic leaders in world history said it best: “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to put its pants on.”

Stand up, America and support the men and women in uniform or they will continue to take theirs off for good, and their replacements ... could just be ... BLM members.

Stay “Switched On” America!

WELLNESS; STRAIN & STRESS: FIGHT BACK

By: Joel E. Gordon

 “Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your day-to-day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important ingredient to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life.” – Marilu Henner

Feeling stressed? Reach out… you're not alone. 2020 has been a most overwhelming year. From the COVID-19 pandemic, health setbacks, to financial concerns, riots, destruction, breakage, needed repairs and a host of life and work challenges and changes, this year has been a whirlwind rollercoaster of life events sure to have had an impact on all of us.

How are you doing? See where you might fall ... The following information is adapted from: Watson, Gist, Taylor, Evlander, Leto, Martin, Vaught, Nash, Westphal, & List (2013):  Stress First Aid for Firefighters and Emergency Services Personnel - National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

THRIVING (I’ve got this):

·      Calm and steady with minor mood fluctuations

·      Able to take things in stride

·      Consistent performance

·      Able to take feedback and to adjust to changes in plans

·      Able to focus

·      Able to communicate effectively

·      Normal sleep patterns and appetite

SURVIVING (Something isn’t right):

·      Nervousness, sadness, increased mood fluctuations

·      Inconsistent performance

·      More easily overwhelmed or irritated

·      Increased need for control and difficulty adjusting to changes

·      Trouble sleeping or eating

·      Activity and relationships you used to enjoy seem less interesting or even stressful

·      Muscle tension, low energy, headaches

STRUGGLING (I can’t keep this up):

·      Persistent fear, panic, anxiety, anger, pervasive sadness, hopelessness

·      Exhaustion

·      Poor performance and difficulty making decisions or concentrating

·      Avoiding interaction with coworkers, family and friends

·      Fatigue, aches and pains

·      Restless, disturbed sleep

·      Self-medicating with substances, food or other numbing activities

IN CRISIS (I can’t survive this):

·      Disabling distress and loss of function

·      Panic attacks

·      Nightmares or flashbacks

·      Unable to fall or stay asleep

·      Intrusive thoughts

·      Thoughts of self-harm or suicide

·      Easily enraged or aggressive

·      Careless mistakes or inability to focus

·      Feeling numb, lost or out of control

·      Withdrawal from relationships

·      Dependence on substances, food or other numbing activities to cope

Stress First Aid is a course available at https://www.firehero.org/resources/department-resources/training/#stress along with other programs. This course teaches seven core actions to help in bringing individuals from the effects of stressors to healing and wellness:

Check - Assess, observe and listen.

Coordinate - Get help; refer as needed.

Cover - Get to safety ASAP.

Calm - Relax, slow down, refocus.

Connect - Get support from others.

Competence - Restoring effectiveness.

Confidence - Restore self-esteem and hope.

The seven C’s, as it is known, is designed to help responders provide more compassionate care to one-another. By following these seven components outlined in Stress First Aid, although geared toward firefighters and EMS personnel, all responders can benefit from these steps for helpful action.

I find that it is also helpful to realize that in many aspects of our lives we DO have a level of personal control. Of significant importance is the time we go to bed and get up in the morning, what we eat, how we exercise, how and when we will do our work or schooling from home, what we choose to watch on television, who we choose to speak to during the course of the day, how much time we spend on social media and how we respond to the challenges we face. It is easy to lose sight of how much of an impact to our spirit and wellbeing all of this has in our daily lives.

We must always be open to learning from each other and leaning on one another while seeking any help we may need; especially to get through trying times. It's never too soon to reach out to someone if you or someone you know needs support.  We can and will overcome with toughness and determination. NEVER SURRENDER!

New Jersey's Bad Boy of Comedy

By: Michael D. Boll

Recently, I had the honor and pleasure of meeting"New Jersey's Bad Boy of Comedy" Mike Marino.  Mike is a Jersey-born comic who has performed all over the world and headlined at some the biggest stages, clubs and theaters in the country.  This talented comedian has been on the stage with some of the biggest names in the business. Mike has appeared in over 200 national television commercials, received many endorsements and a Best Actor Clio Award Nomination. He has acted in many prime-time soaps and television shows including As the World Turns, One Life to Live, Becker, Nikki, Frasier and Party of Five. His film credits include Crooks, Pizza with Bullets, Hangin’ in Hedo and Steven King’s LuckyQuarter and Criticsized.

Adding to his great success in film, theater, commercials and soaps, Mike Marino began touring the world performing and selling out at countless clubs, theatres and casinos. His stand-up material ranges from cutting edge observations of everyday life to his Italian family roots, which recently spun into a TV pilot called Re-Constructing Jersey. His comedic style has landed him guest appearances on The Tonight Show as a regular sketch player, The Martin Short Show, Canada’s Comedy TV, The Boomer Show, Wild Pitch and Hand Held Comedy Radio. A clip of Mike’s appearance on Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed earned him over 7 million views (and counting). This led to his current web series Marino 2016 – an original comedy based on Mike’s road to the White House and wise guy attempt to become the first Italian-American president of the United States.

A few months ago, the Untied Brewing Company hosted a comedy show for our team in New Providence. Both Assemblyman Jon Bramnick and Mike Marino performed at the show and it sold out immediately. After the show, I was able to meet Marino and he explained to me how he always supported our uniformed heroes and wanted to really get involved with the team.  A few days later, I met with Michael in his Mom's Basement, (where he hosts his nationwide podcast show), and we began working on ideas to help the charity. Michael has always supported our uniformed heroes; he was a member of the USO comedy team and entertained the troops in places like Bosnia and Afghanistan.  After his comedy tour, Michael was awarded the prestigious Bob Hope award.  This award is only presented to performers who go beyond the call of duty. Michael has spent a lot of his time in Los Angeles. He has hosted and performed countless times for our brothers and sisters in blue.  After the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, Michael felt he was obligated to do something for the first responders’ families affected by that horrendous and devastating day.  He joined up with both the Los Angeles Sheriffs and Police Department where they do a comedy show every year that raises money for the 9-11 fallen families.   

Our team is very lucky to have Michael on board and we can’t wait to bring joy to these extremely difficult times.

If you are interested and would like to follow Michael Marino, please check out his website mikemarino.net and podcast – “Live from My Mom’s Basement.”

Information, Tour Dates & Merchandise:

www.mikemarino.net      

Latest Videos:

www.youtube.com/mikemarinolive

Like Mike:

www.twitter.com/mikemarinolive

Follow Mike:     

www.instagram.com/mikemarinolive     

Listen to Mike’s Podcast:

www.anchor.fm/mikemarinolive    

If you are interested in joining the team please contact Michael Boll at mdbollio@optonline.net . Also, check out our accomplishments on our website NJVN.org.

13 Reasons Why We Don't Need another Shutdown

By: Eddie Molina

With 2020 coming to a close, I’m starting to see more hope for 2021. But it seems like it’s going to get worse before it gets better. And quite frankly, I just tired of it all.

Even though we all saw increased cases and more restrictions coming, I can’t shake the feeling that it doesn’t have to be this way.

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say dealing with this pandemic is frustrating and the politicians in charge are part of the problem. More orders are emerging as to what needs to close, what restrictions need to be put back in place and so on.

But when I was told that my family and I couldn’t get together as we used to during the holidays- it hit a nerve.

Why?

I mean I get why. But what about everything that has unfolded since this started back in March?

A lot of progress has been made and it’s almost like the government isn’t recognizing any of it. Now it’s been over seven months since the heaviest onset of the virus and a lot has been learned and a lot has changed.

Here’s why we don’t need to shut down again (politicians pay close attention).

There has been seven months…

1) For citizens to understand the importance of social distancing and personal cleanliness.

2) For cleaning product and paper product companies to increase their production and improve their logistics to get it to consumers.

3) For supermarkets, restaurants and general supply stores to learn how to effectively deliver products to customers who prefer to stay home.

4) For the medical equipment companies to develop more ventilators.

5) For people to understand that toilet paper is not ultra-critical and hoarding products is not necessary because the world isn’t ending.

6) For the scientific community to better understand the virus.

7) For the public to see the progress of a vaccine and recognize how close it’s getting.

8) For organizations and businesses of any type to develop protective shields, protocols to promote social distancing and other safeguards for people.

9) For citizens to understand what steps they need to take if they do become symptomatic; contact tracing, quarantining, testing and recovery.

10) For testing facilities to streamline and improve their testing process.

11) For companies to continue developing more accurate COVID tests with faster results. (jamming something up our nose isn’t the only option anymore).

12) For the scientific community to clearly define who is really “at-risk” versus who will have a very high percentage of recovering.

13) For hospitals to improve logistics and operations to accommodate the higher demand of affected people that was expected.

… and a bonus one- for media outlets to understand why they shouldn’t sensationalize the pandemic and scare the s*** out of Americans purely for ratings.

There have only been two different occasions where we, as Americans, had our freedom and liberties trampled on; the Patriot Act after 9-11 and now this… COVID-19. And I’m ready to fight back.

Now understand I’m not heartless and have a lot of compassion for those who succumb to the virus. But there has been seven months for every person, company, entity, etc. to figure out what they need to do for themselves.

There is no way any restriction put in place by the government is going to stop the virus. It’s going to be around for the long term and I believe there is enough information out there that we, as Americans, should be able to move about as we choose. That is the true American way.

Walking the Walk

By: Michael D. Boll

For the last few years, our mobile outreach team has been extremely active and growing throughout the entire state.  Since there are so many veterans and first responders in need, we rely on volunteers to help with mentoring.  One of our team’s mentors, Robert Bouthillette, has really taken things to the next level.  Robert is a Navy veteran, one of our team’s event coordinators, and recently he started a charitable rucking team called the Raritan Bay Ruckers. 

I have had the pleasure of meeting Robert at our 22-hour anti-suicide and PTSD awareness ruck march event at the New Jersey Policemen Benevolent Association at Atlantic City.  While we were doing the walk, Robert said that he would like to do more to help our disabled veterans and their families.  After the event, Robert contacted me and joined the team.  Almost immediately, he began to help out and was always volunteering at our charity events as well. 

Sometimes the general public has a difficult time understanding how to interact with our first responders and veterans.  This is a huge problem, and Robert was extremely motivated to help and make a difference in so many lives and having someone like Robert on the team helps the other volunteers, as well.  Everyone can work together and focus on the first responder or veteran in crisis.   

When COVID-19 struck, a large number of charities and free service programs shut down.  Sadly, so many people were experiencing anxiety and having a difficult time coping.  This caused our mobile outreach program to expand and do whatever it could to help the increase in people in need.  There was a shortage of protective gear and cleaning supplies. A few days into this pandemic, Robert contacted me and stated his company, Ashland Inc, was making hand sanitizer for first responders, veterans and hospital workers.  At this time, we met up and coordinated a statewide distribution plan that would help countless people throughout the state. For nearly four months we were able to provide thousands of gallons of hand sanitizer to hospitals, veteran shelters, police/ fire departments, schools and other places that were helping people during COVID.  During this mission, Robert also volunteered to help with our “Feed the Hero” initiative.  The team began sending hot meals to veteran shelters, hospitals and the National Guard bases.  It was truly amazing seeing how hard Robert worked on doing whatever possible to help make this mission a true success.  The “Feed the Heroes” program fed over 3000 veterans and active-duty military members

Since, things have calmed down some and Robert really began focusing on amazing veteran/ military-friendly events.  The first event he started was when the Raritan Bay Ruckers met in South Amboy and each participant filled their backpacks with canned food for the South Amboy Elks Drive-Thru Food Drive.  Then a few weeks later, the Raritan Bay Ruckers and the Operation Rebound Racing team completed a 27-mile ruck march in the Henry Hudson Trail in Keyport.

There are a few people in this world who really stand out from the rest and dedicate their lives to help others, but Robert Bouthillette is that person.  We are truly honored to have Robert on our team and he has done amazing things with his Raritan Bay Ruckers. 

In these harsh times, it’s refreshing to have a man like Robert taking the lead and making a difference in the lives of our uniformed heroes.

If you are interested in joining the team or need assistance, please send me your name and phone number to Mdbollio@optonline.net

If you are interested in joining the Raritan Bay Ruckers please like their page on Facebook or send me an email at Mdbollio@optonline.net

An Open Letter to Law Enforcement/Correction Officers

By: Chris Amos 

Ladies and Gentlemen, you are serving during the most difficult of days. I am amazed at your commitment, your determination, your resolve to protect and serve during these times of great uncertainty and unrest. I wonder if I would have the backbone and fortitude to come to work after spending an eight-hour, twelve-hour, or even longer shift standing between “peaceful” protesters and their intended targets, which more times than not are the men and women in uniform standing directly in front of them. You are cursed, mocked, threatened verbally, and at times physically. Your immediate supervisors are often by your sides experiencing the same treatment as yourselves. They, for the most part, have your back. Unfortunately, higher up the chain of command the support you receive often becomes less obvious, more nuanced, driven by the winds of popular opinion and political agendas. This only makes a nearly impossible job that much harder. Fortunately, I personally know a few chiefs and sheriffs who are determined to place their responsibilities as leaders ahead of personal aspirations or self-preservation. So, they do exist and thank God for them.

Three years ago, I wrote of the dangers facing law enforcement and predicted those dangers would only increase as we drew closer to the 2020 presidential election. I drew an analogy between the law enforcement officers of our day and the Vietnam veterans in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.Back then, President Nixon was isolated and safe behind large gates, locked doors and security details. The Vietnam vets, not so much.

Fast forward to 2020; , the president, is safely tucked away behind, gates, doors and security details. Unfortunately, the law enforcement or corrections officer who slides by the grocery store to pick up diapers for his newborn baby on the way home has no such protection. No, you are on the front lines, both on duty and off. In fact, even in retirement, I have recently experienced a taste of the outrage, as I was on the receiving end of food that had been tampered with at a local drive thru. What was my crime? My license plate indicated I was a police officer.

As a retired police officer having served almost 27 years, and now as a citizen whom you have taken an oath to protect and serve, please allow me to share my expectations of you. I expect you to carry out your duties with professionalism, integrityand fairness to all regardless of race, sex, religion,ZIP code, etc. I expect you to do your job without fear or favor. I expect you to use the powers entrusted upon you, and great powers they are, in a fair, righteous and just way. I expect you to continue doing what most of you have done since taking your oath of office, policing the police. A corrupt, heavy-handed, falsely accusing, evidence-planting cop, deputy or corrections officer is a CANCER to law enforcement and must be removed, and when warranted, arrested. We have seen in recent weeks just how dangerous and destructive bad cops are to the 800,000+ men in women in law enforcement and correctionswho do their jobs to the best of their abilities. Keep doing the job to the best of your abilities, and if you cannot in today’s charged environment – get out. I, for one, certainly cannot blame you.       

Now, what I DO NOT expect from you, PERFECTION. You are imperfect human beings created by God. I do not expect perfection, despite the media mouthpieces and Monday morning quarterbacks who think otherwise. I do not expect you to know everything as you pull up to a scene. I do not expect you to handle a violent domestic, robbery suspect or drug dealer as if you were teaching a child’s Sunday School class. I do not expect you to walk away from a 12-hour shift on the front line of a peaceful protest turned riot, having been called everything in the book, and not be impacted. I do not expect you to be able to process in a split second, what your critics will take weeks, if not months, to second guess,investigateandevaluate before coming to their own conclusions from the safety and comfort of their air conditioned offices, behind their big desks, sitting in their leather chairs. In other words, I do not expect you to risk your own life out of an overabundance of fear that someone might be upset or offended by actions you take that are needed and necessary to protect yourself or others. I do not expect you to have to suffer life-threatening wounds or injuries before you take action to defend yourselves or others. I don’t expect you to surrender your vehicles, your precincts and blocks of your own cities to anarchists, rioters, arsonists and looters. I do not expect you to walk on water, give sight to the blind or raise the dead. Only Jesus could and did do such a thing.

Now what you can expect from me, and I believe, most Americans; support, respect, appreciation, and heartfelt thanks and gratitude for your service. I will pray for your safety and that of your family. I will pay my respects every time a member of the Thin Blue Line is killed in the line of duty. And I will continue to be available to the many police officers, deputies, and firefighters who seek me out just to unload the trials and troubles of the day. Anything I can do to help lighten your load I am committed to doing. Take care, be safe, and God Bless.

See you at the finish line!

Police Officer Cassie Johnson

By: Jonny Castro

On Dec. 1, 2020 Charleston (West Virginia) Police Officer Cassie Johnson responded to a report of an SUV parked in someone’s driveway. The driver of the vehicle got into a verbal dispute with Officer Johnson when she arrived on location. At some point during the confrontation, the suspect pulled a gun and callously shot her. Though gravely wounded, she was able to draw her service weapon and fire two rounds which struck the suspect in his chest before she collapsed. For two days, doctors worked tirelessly to save her, but it was eventually determined that Officer Johnson’s wounds would be unsurvivable. Succumbing to her injuries, she remained on life support long enough so that her organs could be donated to help save others. 

Officer Cassie Johnson was a three-year veteran of law enforcement. She served as a Humane Officer before joining the Charleston Police Department last January. Officer Cassie was a devoted daughter, sister, friend and lover of all animals. Her unit #146 was permanently retired with the Charleston Police Department. Officer Johnson was 28 years old.

Editors Point of View

Welcome to another excellent issue of Blue Magazine. As you can see on our cover, we fully endorse President Donald J. Trump for re-election, and have awarded him our most prestigious Man of the Year Award. Congratulations, Mr. President!

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s who is worthy of our votes. Politicians live and die for votes. Ever consider why they typically reach out during election cycles and then disappear? Power. Full stop. It’s all about obtaining and retaining power. Sadly, for many politicians, power is like an addictive drug that causes them to do whatever it takes, including being silent while cities burn and violence surges if it will bring them to or keep them in power. They will perpetuate false narratives against law enforcement, scapegoating the men and women who serve and protect our communities to gain an unfair advantage at the ballot box. They tacitly approve of the cop-hating mobs, the supposed peaceful protesters who are torching everything in sight and bludgeoning anyone brave enough to speak out against them. We at Blue Magazine are amazed at the great lengths of appeasement politicians will go to. We deserve better from our elected leaders.

The choice is clear. The political parties are diametrically opposed when it comes to their stances on law enforcement. We have had enough of the violence — the slaughtering of cops, the broken bones and assaults simply because they wear a uniform. We are tired of seeing the endless stream of images of officers with blood spilling from their faces, from being struck with bricks, frozen water bottles and anything else these lunatics can get their hands on.

So remember, as a profession, law enforcement votes are very precious, and we should not cheapen our voting power to assuage any unworthy politician or political party. We must stand with those who stand with us. President Trump had our backs long before he was president and has proven irrespective of the tremendous pressure by the cop-hating opposition, including their co-conspirators in the corporate media, that he unwaveringly stands with the men and women on the frontlines. It’s refreshing nearly every time Trump is in front of a microphone; he messages the American people to stand with law enforcement. Trump is worthy of our support.

At Blue Magazine, we implore officers and their families in our great nation to cast their votes to re-elect our great law and order President Donald Trump. Again, we congratulate Pres. Trump — Blue Magazine’s 2020 Man of the Year!

George Beck, Ph.D.
Editor-in-Chief

Blue for Trump: 2020 Man of the Year

Blue for Trump: 2020 Man of the Year
Trump endorsed by National Police Magazine

I was honored when asked by Blue Magazine to write an article about President Donald Trump and why he deserves the honor of being named Man of the Year. From the time I was a little kid, I always looked up to cops and I always knew that it was the right career choice for me. No doubt. I have a great respect for law enforcement officers whether they are city, county, state or federal officers. In my opinion, they are the finest 1% this nation has. My support for law enforcement is unwavering and we have a president who has supported law enforcement for his entire life.

On November 21st of 2019, I was honored as Man of the Year by Blue Magazine, Moment of Silence, and Brothers Before Others in a New Jersey ceremony called “Night to Unite.” Weeks before, when these organizations came together and announced that I’d receive the award, the first person to call and congratulate me was President Trump.

I’ve received many awards during my long career, but the most significant for me was being honored with the Man of the Year Award given by front-line cops at Night to Unite — a tremendous event, with nearly one thousand cops in the same room. The camaraderie was tremendous, but it’s always that way with police and firefighters. The men and women of the profession I admired as a child — and lived — took time from their busy lives to say thank you. It doesn’t get any better than that.

This year it is President Donald Trump being recognized as Man of the Year. In my humble opinion, he has been Man of the Year since his inauguration, because from day one of him sitting in the Oval Office, he has supported law enforcement and first responders like no other president in my lifetime. I have worked for six different presidents starting with Ronald Reagan and I respected every president I ever worked for. However, let me be clear, no president has done more for the men and women that carry that badge and gun than Trump. That is a stone-cold fact based on his words and actions. The person in the Oval Office greatly impacts the people on the front lines of law enforcement. The president sets the tone — either by what they say and do, or by what they don’t say and don’t do. No comparison, not even close.

The night of my award, much of my acceptance speech was about President Trump and his love and respect for the men and women who serve on the front line. Until you serve, you don’t realize what a thankless job it can be, and how much a thankful leader means.

That night, I heard numerous stories about Donald Trump, from his life before 2016. I learned that he supported law enforcement long before he became president. Bernie Kerik shared with me that Mr. Trump used to go down to ground zero in the dark of the night. He wasn’t looking for TV cameras or attention. He went down there among the debris and hazardous conditions to pay his respect for the lives lost, and to personally thank the men and women who were doing the incredible task of sorting through the carnage and respectfully recovering remains so family members could honor the deceased. Donald Trump also sent additional workers to provide assistance. A billionaire businessman went to that scene where so many perished, and so many got sick, simply to pay his respects — not once, but numerous times.

Another officer, Rob worked for the New York City transit police before they merged with the NYPD and was assigned to the midtown Manhattan area. He shared with me that he and other officers had numerous interactions with then-businessman Trump. He would always notice Rob and the other officers, stop what he was doing, and ask how they were doing. He’d tap them on the chest or back to make sure they were wearing their bullet-resistant vests, and remind them to “be safe.” Mr. Trump would also extend an invitation for them to use Trump Towers’ employee dining facilities for their lunch or dinner break.

I heard countless stories about Donald Trump that night — the man, not the celebrity or president. From showing up at police fundraisers in the late ‘80s and ‘90s to say thank you and hanging out with those in attendance, while quietly leaving five-figure donations, to everyday interactions with street cops.

Now, let’s fast forward to Donald Trump becoming the president of the United States. From day one he has had the six of law enforcement officers. He has had their backs. With the unprecedented attack on law enforcement this past two years, it was President Trump who never cowered. He strongly voiced his support for the men and women in law enforcement and his support never weakened, never diminished. In fact it grew stronger. It was the right thing to do for the men and women who leave the safety and security of their homes every day to risk their lives for people they don’t know and people they will never meet again. It helped that they knew they had the support of the most powerful person on the planet, the president of the United States. Again, no president has ever came out as boldly as Trump during the most trying and controversial times. He fought side by side with the American heroes and would not allow the false narrative of the left to vilify these American patriots who serve their communities and save lives every day.

As President Trump stated in September “America needs creation, not destruction; cooperation, not contempt; security, not anarchy; healing, not hatred; justice, not chaos. This is our mission, and we will succeed.” In that same month he signed a memorandum to hold local politicians accountable for refusing to protect their communities from rioting, looting and mass property destruction. The memorandum directs agencies to identify federal funds provided to Seattle, Portland, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and the authorities available to withhold funds. The Department of Justice, in consultation with other federal agencies, will consider a number of factors, including whether the city defunded the police or prevented local law enforcement from intervening to restore order.

Earlier this year, under the president’s direction, the Department of Justice launched Operation Legend to surge federal resources to cities and jurisdictions plagued by violence and crime. Upon the announcement the president said, “Today, I’m announcing a surge of federal law enforcement into American communities plagued by violent crime. We’ll work every single day to restore public safety, protect our nation’s children, and bring violent perpetrators to justice. We’ve been doing it, and you’ve been seeing what’s happening all around the country. We’ve just started this process, and, frankly, we have no choice but to get involved.”

Since the operation’s launch, there have been more than 2,000 arrests, including defendants who have been charged in state and local courts. Of those arrests, approximately 592 defendants have been charged with federal crimes. In addition, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has seized 587 firearms, more than 1.2 kilos of heroin and more than five kilos of methamphetamine; the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has seized almost 70 kilos of methamphetamine, more than 16 kilos of heroin, more than 7 kilos of fentanyl, more than 12 kilos of cocaine, 268 firearms and approximately $5.19 million in drug proceeds; the FBI has recovered 241 weapons; and the U.S. Marshals Service has recovered 169 firearms and made 1,810 arrests, including 163 for homicide and 120 for sexual assault.

Also remember in 2017, shortly after becoming president, he revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods to bring together communities and law enforcement at all levels of government to reduce violent crime.

In 2019, in further support of our nation’s cops, President Trump established a new executive Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice – the first commission on law enforcement in half a century. The commission will study key issues facing law enforcement – like substance abuse, homelessness and mental illness. The commission will look at best practices for recruiting, training and supporting law enforcement officers. He also signed an Executive Order to help prevent violence against law enforcement officers at the federal, state, tribal and local level.

The president has also shown unprecedented support for our federal immigration agents and stepped up efforts to stop crime and drugs from flooding across our border. In his 2020 State of the Union address, Trump stated, “We will always support the brave men and women of law enforcement, and I pledge to you tonight that I will never abolish our heroes from ICE. Thank you.” He also recognized the efforts of ICE officers to keeping our communities safe.

This campaign season, Trump has reiterated his support for law enforce-ment and underscored the threats to law and order posed by a Biden presidency. Prior to leaving on Marine One for Minnesota on Sept. 30, he stated, “I want law and order to be a very important part — it’s a very important part of my campaign. And when I say that, what I’m talking about is law enforcement has to — the police have to take care. And they should stop defunding the police like they’ve done in New York.”

At a rally in Middletown, PA on Sept. 26, the president stated, “The Democrat Party’s war on cops is putting our police officers at risk. As President, I will always stand with the heroes of law enforcement. We will hire more police, increase penalties for assaults on law enforcement.”

At another rally in Newport News, VA on Sept. 25, he said, “With your vote, I will preserve our Constitution and ensure law and order. We will hire more police, increase penalties for assaults on law enforcement, and we will ban deadly sanctuary cities. Ban them.”

At the Black Economic Empowerment forum in Atlanta, GA on Sept. 25, he was quoted as saying, “Including over 50,000 incredible black police officers who risk their lives every day to keep us all safe. You know, they protect people that they've never met before, and it's very dangerous. It's -- they're amazing.”

At a rally in Jacksonville, FL on Sept. 24, Trump stated, "Every year, dozens of courageous police officers lay down their lives for people that they never met, people that they don't know, people they never saw, in most cases. Right? They lay down their lives for people they never have met. They’re incredible. Law enforcement; let's give them a hand, please. As President, I will always stand - and I will always stand with the men and women of law enforcement. They’re great people. They’re very brave people. Not easy. And they don't get support. We have to give them back their dignity. We have to let them do their job. That's very simple. They're great.”

In a press briefing on Sept. 16, he doubled down by stating that, “The anti-police crusade from the Democrats and the radical left - and radical-left Democrats also - has to stop. The leftwing war on cops puts our officers in danger and our communities at very grave risk. Can't do this. Biden described the police as the enemy. They're not the enemy; they're the friend. They're our friend. They’re helping us. And if you go to - I just saw a poll - it just came out or recently came out - where African Americans, by 84 percent, wanted more police. They wanted safe neighborhoods. I'll always stand by our heroes of law enforcement, and we want to stop this horrible rhetoric and stop it fast."

I can go on and on but we don’t have enough pages to fully explain that President Trump says it and he does it. He talks the talk and he walks the walk when it comes to having the back of our cops. He has said it. He has proven it.

The police have taken notice, and President Trump has been endorsed by a record number of police agencies.

Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) – nation’s largest police union, representing 355,000 officers. FOP President Patrick Yoes stated: “Public safety will undoubtedly be a main focus for voters in this year’s election… Look at what the national discourse has focused on for the last six months. President Trump has shown time after time that he supports our law enforcement officers and understands the issues our members face every day.”

National Association of Police Officers, which represents more than 241,000 officers nationwide, stating “Our endorsement recognizes your steadfast and very public support for our men and women on the front lines, especially during this time of unfair and inaccurate opprobrium being directed at our members by so many.”

International Union of Police Associations, which represents more than 100,000 officers, said: “Every top Democrat currently running for this office has vilified the police and made criminals out to be victims. They seem to take any union’s support for granted. Many of them still refer to the tragedy in Ferguson as a murder, despite the conclusions of every investigative inquiry to the contrary. While his candor ruffles the feathers of the left, I find it honest and refreshing. He stands with America’s Law Enforcement Officer and we will continue to stand with him.”

National Association of Police Organizations, citing his “steadfast and very public support” for law enforcement.

NYC Police Benevolent Association, representing more than 24,000 NYPD officers.

Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police, characterizing endorsement as a “no-brainer.”

ARTWORK BY JONNY CASTRO

Texas Municipal Police Association, stating “Joe Biden is not capable of making any kind of commitment to law and order.”

New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association, stating "At a time when Democrats are calling to defund the very men and women who keep our communities safe, our campaign has chosen instead to stand beside them and make our support for men and women in blue very clear."

For those reading this article, there is no argument that President Trump has always stood, continues to stand and will always stand with our law enforcement heroes. He has consistently stood up for law enforcement and it’s time we come out in full force on Election Day to vote for the man who has our backs.

President Trump, let me be the first to say, you have truly earned this Man of the Year award! Blue Magazine appreciates and supports you. Congratulations to the finest president in my lifetime from the men and women of law enforcement.

Tom Homan grew up in West Carthage, New York. He is a career law enforcement officer. He was a police officer, then a Border Patrol Agent, then a Special Agent investigating criminal organizations that smuggle aliens or traffic in females and children. He was nominated by the President to be the ICE Director. He had a 34-year career enforcing immigration laws. He is now a Fox News contributor. He lives in Washington, DC.

DETROIT POLICE CHIEF JAMES CRAIG ON BLM, ANTIFA, CRIME AND MORE.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DETROIT POLICE CHIEF JAMES CRAIG
Cops Count, Leadership Matters
By Daniel Del Valle, Shai Carr and Catherine Angel

Police Chief James Craig has an impressive law enforcement career that began in 1977 as a Detroit police officer. In 1981 he became a Los Angeles police officer and worked his way up the ranks in our profession, serving as the police chief in Portland, Maine, and Cincinnati, Ohio, before returning to his roots at the Detroit Police Department where he currently serves as chief of police. 

Recently, Chief Craig has been making national headlines as a no-nonsense law enforcement leader who stands up for his officers, and serves and protects the community with integrity and pride. Chief Craig is a role model for many big city law enforcement leaders. We at Blue Magazine believe many law enforcement leaders can learn valuable lessons from emulating Chief Craig. 

Blue Magazine recently traveled to Detroit to sit down with Chief Craig and discuss many important issues effecting law enforcement.  We thank Chief Craig and all the fine officers we met at the Detroit Police Department for their hospitality and professionalism. Be safe out there!

The Blue Magazine: Let's get right into it. Attorney General Barr recently came to Detroit. He toured your city and promised to help you combat crime. How was this offer received?

Chief James Craig: I was excited. This was a continuation of what we already started. Let's be candid. People manipulate the narrative. They're sending federal troops into the cities to do what? In some cities, the statements are made that they're here to manage peaceful protesters. That was never the case here in Detroit, never. Factually, this department has been in a relationship with federal law enforcement now for 26 years. 1994, to be exact.

In December, AG Barr visited our city under a new operation that was being launched then to assist select cities in reducing violence. And while the department had made some great strides to drive violence down, one of the things that was clear, per capita violence was still higher than it should be.

Then in December, I stood with AG Barr and all the heads of the federal law enforcement entities, FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals, DEA, who came to Detroit. I remember AG Barr telling me then we like what we see, what's going on in terms of law enforcement. Innovative department, crime is coming down and we think we can be helpful and then your leadership, chief, and so I wanted to announce Relentless Pursuit here in Detroit and that's what he did. So, of course, after he left and they began to develop a strategy to assist the select cities, COVID hits and we know the impact COVID had. Then right after COVID, we transitioned quickly into the tragic killing of Mr. Floyd and in subsequent protests in major cities across this country, some of which were very violent. As a byproduct of this, the COVID, anti-police rhetoric, bail reform, just to name a few, a lot of our major cities, particularly those who saw tremendous reductions in violence, began to soar with crime. So the idea was that Operation Legend, which is what it is called now, is a continuation and enhancement, if you will, of Relentless Pursuit. And so that's what gets lost. I've talked about it nationally and locally, it's a continuation. Its enhancement and so clearly, the people of Detroit want effective and efficient law enforcement. They want to mitigate the violence that has occurred and they're very aware of the spike like in so many cities.

Is the spike in crime correlated with COVID and the Floyd incident?

Absolutely, and I can certainly go into that. So let's reflect on what's driving violence now. Why now, you know, COVID and then protests and bail reform. So we all know with COVID, there's been a tremendous push in many of the large cities to do what? Early release of some violent, predatory criminals now. But we understand that there could have been more thought as to who gets released. I mean, if it's a property crime suspect, a habitual offender who is a burglar, OK, fine. But when you start letting individuals out who have a propensity to violence, what do you think is   going to happen? That's what we're seeing in our major cities. Then let's talk briefly about bail reform. Does there need to be reform to our bail system? Certainly, but we're talking again same concept, violent predatory criminals historically engaging in violence. Is this someone you want to reintroduce back into our communities? So it's not a surprise when you see it. Then what we've also seen across this country is increased aggression of suspects against our men and women who wear the uniform, not just here in Detroit but across this country. And why is that? Because suspects today feel emboldened. They've embraced the anti-police rhetoric and in many of these cities, police officers are not supported. So it gives suspects this sense of I can do what I want.

Do you correlate a lot of this uproar, negativity and culture against law enforcement to the Democratic Party?

I'm not going to get into the politics of it. If I was in New York right now, I would probably have an answer for you. But here our mayor, who happens to be Democrat, is very supportive of law enforcement. OK? That's the difference.

You have a police chief and a mayor who are in sync on
reducing violence in this city.

I'm not the chief of police in New York or New Jersey or Portland or Seattle. You know, that doesn't mean that they’re individuals who serve in leadership, political leadership positions who have adopted this anti-police rhetoric like dismantle the police, defund the police. That's not a conversation being had by our mayor. It's not being had by the majority of our elected city council. There are few who have embraced the notion of defunding, but that's not the same. So again, as I've taken a stand that you cannot paint an entire party or all of these cities, some of which are run by Democrats, as not effective. Take it individually. Now, there are some cities… Frankly, what I see going on in my own home of Los Angeles is troubling. They've defunded the LAPD. The problem I find with this conversation, not your conversation, but with the conversation about the defunding and dismantling is a group of people who are speaking, they allege, are speaking for the people who live in that city. Well, I can tell you here in Detroit, these outsiders who've come into Detroit who have been protesting, they do not speak for Detroiters.

Detroiters don't want to defund the police. They don't want to dismantle this police department. And, of course, across the board, all of us in this business have denounced the tragic killing of Mr. Floyd in Minneapolis. But does that mean that every department across this country is in some way having problems? That's not the case here in Detroit. And so these outsiders have come into our city to hijack the message. It's a hijacking of the message. Then you have in some of these cities, people who sit in seats of leadership, who stand quiet because they lack the courage to stand up and take a position to support law enforcement, support their communities. Talking about safety and generally the people who claim to speak for people who live in these communities, they don't live in the cities. They don't live in the areas in many of our large urban centers that are populated by mostly persons of color. And when you talk to people who live in those communities, and I have whether it was L.A. and Cincinnati, I can tell you they want the police.

So let's discuss deeper how Detroit is different than other major cities. How did Detroit get to a point where, say, someone like AG Barr was recently received here without political interference? 

It's shameful that we got to think in terms of partisan politics. It's shameful. This is about fighting crime. I can tell you that I didn't get a lot of pushback and there were some who expressed concern about operationalizing in Detroit. Once, the message was hijacked by this mob mentality that put out the narrative that the feds are coming into these cities to control and manage peaceful protesters. Now, it is factual that there were some federal buildings being attacked. I think it was in Portland they were protecting federal property. That was not the case here. In fact, we know definitively we have never asked for federal support to manage the now week 12 of protests. Not one time. We didn't ask for the National Guard. We didn't ask for outside assistance because we didn't need it. And we were very clear that we had a few days of disruptions. The first three days following the Floyd situation, there were some cars attacked, police officers attacked. But in comparison to some of these other cities, I'm sure you're aware of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York City, where there was burning, looting, riot and civil unrest. We didn't have that.

Why? 

I'm glad you asked, because, frankly, as I've said to my colleagues in other cities, you cannot wait till something bad happens to then decide, well, I’ve got to work with the community. I had to get this relationship from day one when I got here. That's part, I guess, is part of my DNA. I understand the benefits of having a trust base, and I put emphasis on trust, trust-based relationships with people you're serving. That's very important. And it doesn't start when there's an officer-involved shooting incident. It's an everyday thing and it's institutionalized in this department. 

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I give a lot of credit to our community. I give a lot of credit to our police officers who rely heavily on their training, the execution and understanding to use only the force that is necessary. And so it's a combination of things. A false narrative was perpetrated where there was an allegation that we ran over peaceful protesters with one of our scout cars. False. What happened, several of the protesters became agitated, angry because the police officers were on scene wanting to redirect the path of the march and doing so, that core group of the angry mob surrounded our police vehicle. They began to attack the vehicle, got on the hood, started beating on the sides of the car and the officers you could see in the video that they were very carefully trying to move the police SUV, but it continued. And then at some point, one in the angry mob took out the back window of the scout car. And according to one officer, who was in it, he didn't know if he was being fired upon. So at that point, he had only one thing to do and to get out of there. Even then, he tried to do so in a very careful way because he knew there was a potential for some of these individual sustaining injuries. Yet the headlines and the story was these were peaceful protesters who were incited by Detroit Police Department. Conveniently left out was that some of these “peaceful protesters” were armed with long wooden-handle hammers. They left it out. So that's what we're dealing with, not just here in Detroit. Again, it's not the Detroiters that we're dealing with. We're dealing with the outside agitators; the domestic terrorists who have come into our city like they've come in to other major cities across this country.

But chiefs in your position are not saying anything. They're going along with it and we have to, at some point, understand that these chiefs are being controlled by their mayors. You obviously have a different type of approach. How are you handling that approach where others cannot?

Well, first of all, I'm sworn and obligated to protect. If a day comes where I cannot fulfill my obligation to this community and my obligation to the men and women who serve, then that should be my last day of working. It's just that simple. So, I'm going to make decisions. Our mayor  respects my experience and my decision-making. I'm keenly aware that I would be held accountable for a bad decision. I'm not perfect, but I've been doing it long enough to know what's important. The day I stop supporting the good work of our officers is a day that we will see what we see in other cities, and that's called de-policing. We don't de-police here in Detroit. In fact, despite the necessity to manage these protests, now week 12, our police officers are still every week going out every day and making arrests for individuals who are illegally carrying guns.

That's because you have their back. Is that safe to say?

It's safe to say. And they know that they come up to me and they say, chief, we appreciate you. Whether you sit in my seat or you sit in some other seat, it does take courage. And the problem today is that there are individuals who lack the intestinal fortitude to stand up, despite what the vocal minority is saying. There are people who sit in elected seats who refuse to stand up, but they call me, I need your help. Because what I've come to understand and we saw evidence of this in other cities, whether it was Portland, Oregon, or Seattle, the mob turned on the mayors.

As you know, some police precincts around the country were overtaken by criminals. How far would you go to stop this siege if it happened in your city? 

You use whatever force is necessary to overcome violence. I didn't say excess, not excessive force — the appropriate force that is necessary. Now, if the situation is you were overrun, outstaffed, I mean, there's something called officer safety, but that doesn't mean you go into a full retreat and abandon. So there's a strategy that should be in place. But one strategy, it's not retreat. For example, we had somebody wanted to set up a little mini no cop zone here in the city of Detroit. I got the call from one of my commanders on the ground. He said, we had the intel and they

just set it up. I tell you what, give them one morning. Not a lot of time, a few minutes and I want them gone. They were gone within the hour. They set up and within that hour they were gone. That's not what Detroit wants. I serve at the pleasure of the people, not some outside domestic terrorist, who wants to come into our city. What message is sent if you take over a police station and then I just abandon and say there's nothing I can do. Now tactically, things happen. We know that sometimes you might be in a situation where there may be a necessity to back off.

Black Lives Matter. Do you think they are a good or a bad group?

I'll tell you, black lives do matter, but I take it in that all lives matter because if black lives truly matter, then why are we not talking about black on black crime that happens to so many of our urban communities. We're not talking about the impact of managing daily protests and moving resources out of the communities. What about those lives? So in terms of messaging, I think initially that the movement, to bring light to police excessive force was proper. We don't disagree with their message. However, what's become of the Black Lives Matter movement cannot be and should not be about looting. It shouldn't be about violence against police officers. They say, well, violence works. I heard some well-known commentator who made the statement, well, America pays attention to violence, but I don't support violence. Why don't we digress and think back on the non-violent marches, Martin Luther King and the impact that had on change. So what's happened today, that under the guise of the banner of Black Lives Matter, the outside agitators call them anarchists, call them Boogaloo, Antifa, who have hijacked the message under their banner. They have no interest in Mr. Floyd. This is not about Mr. Floyd. Now, I got to believe there are some members, the original founders, who still believe in denouncing police excessive force or excessive force that results in the killing. We all agree with that. 

So what have they gotten right and what have they gotten wrong?

Well, what they got wrong, I think that the chief issue, in my estimation, is allowing individuals who had other agendas to get involved. Instead of denouncing the violence and looting, what good are we doing if we go into urban communities and there's looting that's inspired by the agitators? What does that do in promoting black lives? I mean, what about black-owned businesses? What does that do to promote the agenda? It undermines it. It just clearly undermines the agenda. So I’ve got to believe that they can take that leadership role like our local activists have taken here and said, oh, no, you're not bringing this to Detroit. And some of those local activists were courageous who support Black Lives Matter in its original form, but said, you folks got to go, you've got to leave Detroit. You're not going to engage in violence. It's just that simple.

Your thoughts about Antifa?

On what I know about Antifa. Domestic terrorists. What I've heard about, and I'm not actively investigating Antifa or Boogalos, uh, whatever, I understand they're anti-government. Let's face it, law enforcement is the face of the government to domestic terrorists. If it is your agenda to undermine local, state, US government and you do it by force of violence, you are defined in my definition as a domestic terrorist. I don't care if you’re Antifa, Boogaloo or whatever. 

President Trump has consistently mentioned Detroit and wants Detroit to thrive. Have you seen anything positive come out of his office for Detroit?

Well, I can tell you, he's been a staunch supporter of law enforcement across the nation. He said something recently I thought was kind of interesting. It was an interview and he was talking about Chicago and a few other cities. And then he got to Detroit, he said, but in Detroit and I hope I get the quote right. “He's a very, very good chief. They have a very, very good police chief,” and then probably within 24 hours, either before some point, Vice President Biden  was being interviewed and Detroit came up, I guess similar conversations about what's going on in the different cities. And in that conversation, “Detroit has a good mayor, but they also have a good police chief.” So when I talk about these issues, I don't get caught on issues of the left or the right, but focus right down the middle and do what I have to do. That's what most Americans want, whether they are on the left or on the right.  

Right now many police unions are endorsing President Trump, which is something that never really happened before. New York City PBA just endorsed President Trump. They've never, ever endorsed a president. Do you support President Trump?

I support the many things he has said regarding law enforcement. As I indicated earlier in this, I don't get into a partisan political conversation. I just don't.

Many in our profession are discussing the suicides we are having; now more than ever, people are having difficulties. We've actually now lost more to blue suicide than line-of-duty deaths. Please speak directly to the cop today who is in a dark place. 

There is hope and here's what I know in my many years of service. The vast majority of the silent community that you serve, they love, they revere and support you. Never forget who you work for. Those are the people who have driven me for 44 years. Certainly it does help when you have a leader who will come out, stand up with you and support you. That does make a difference. There are many communities across this nation that support the men and women who serve. I am part of this law enforcement family. I love each and every one of you. I support you. 

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What does your playlist sound like when you're driving home? What do you listen to?

Now you’re getting a little personal. So admittedly, I workout every morning. You don't have a small waist like this at 64 years old if you don't workout. And when I workout, I listen to hip hop because I am a little older and I need to get my blood going.

So are you a Biggie or Tupac fan?

Well, you know, because I spent so much time in California, I got to lean a little bit to Tupac, but also because I grew up in Detroit and I think Biggie had an affinity to Detroit. He would talk about Detroit in a very affectionate way. So I kind of embrace them both. And they were both creative in their own right.

You know, Eminem put Detroit on the map.

Yes.

Are you an Eminem fan?

I like Eminem and guess what? Eminem was birthed by who? Artists out of Southern California where I spent the lion's share of my professional career. So, you know, do you like New York hip hop versus middle Midwest, like here in Detroit, Chicago, which has its own sound? Or do you like the West Coast? If it sounds good and I can get through a workout, it's good for me. It surprises everybody. Not my staff. They kind of know.