Walk with God to Reach Your Destination

By: Joel E. Gordon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exclusive Interview
By: Lori Cooper

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

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

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

View fullsize

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

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

View fullsize

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Silent Epidemic Preying on America's Elderly

By Bernard Kerik

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why would King allow it?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s a shocking indictment of our society.

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

Tribute to Sergeant Ken Koeller: A Hero Remembered Never Dies

By: Kirk Lawless

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rest easy, brother Ken!

Operation Rebound Recognizes Brian Weiner

By: Michael D. Boll

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By: Ron Camacho

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend:" Time For Cops to Unite

By: Eric Caron

The “enemy of my enemy is my friend” is an ancient proverb which suggests that two parties can, or should, work together against a common enemy. In America we have several entities colluding to overthrow our democracy including Iran, Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Black Lives Matter and ANTIFA. Their common enemy…”America the Beautiful.”

Iran, Al-Qaeda and ISIS continue to publish propaganda to discredit the United States and recruit and motivate U.S. citizens, including BLM and ANTIFA members, to accept their violent extremism and encourage terrorist attacks.

On May 27, 2020, the leader of Iran, Sayyid Khamenei, posted a video exploiting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis two days earlier. He claimed African Americans are deprived of human rights, while dismissing Iran’s violations of civil liberties. The tweet accompanying the video stated, “If you’re dark-skinned walking in the US, you can’t be sure you’ll be alive in the next few minutes - #ICantBreathe #BlackLivesMatter.”

Al-Qaeda and ISIS continue to justify attacks by encouraging Western supporters to conduct attacks and target law enforcement personnel, exploiting U.S. social tensions. Their terror magazines and chat rooms criticize U.S. society by citing several high-profile deaths of young black men including Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old who died in police custody in Baltimore in April 2015. Al-Qaeda also claimed African Americans have more in common with them who are negatively portrayed by Western media and illegally targeted and arrested by racist U.S. government agents.

ANTIFA-affiliated members traveled to Syria to attend military training and fought for various

Kurdish factions including; but not limited to: Syrian Democratic Forces, Democratic Federation of Northern Syria and PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) an organization designated as a terrorist organization by the United States. In October 2017, a U.S. citizen in Northern Syria fighting with a PKK-aligned organization posted on an anarchist website seeking funds to return to the U.S. The individual wanted to return home to continue “organizing with the political tools and lessons'' learned. The funds raised would be used for travel and any unused funds would be “funneled” to Kurdish solidarity or ANTIFA efforts.

Politicians and organizations supporting BLM and ANTIFA are aiding and abetting terror entities publicly chanting, “death to America''. Their actions are in solidarity with Iran, ISIS and Al-Qaeda. The enemies of America, both foreign and domestic, have joined together and now we must all stand for our freedoms. “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Stay “Switched On” America.

Deon Joseph's Gift: No It's Not Magic

By: Deon Joseph

This is for my fellow first responders; cops, firefighters and others. It’s been a challenging time for us all. From COVID to riots and protest, I have talked to officers or their family members from all over the country who message me, advising that their hearts are heavy and are completely demoralized. I’ve been going through this with you, on top of backstabbing and slander from people who are too cowardly to say to my face what they spread behind my back.

As a man of faith, allow me to share a part of a prayer I have been praying for the past year that has helped get me through each day.

Every morning, before I leave my home and hit these streets, I anoint my head and stand on my porch (my special prayer place)

I pray to God, and within the prayer I ask the Father the following:

“Lord.  Please make me strong where I’m weak (As strong and confidently I am, in human. Every super man or woman has their kryptonite.)

Give me courage where I would fear (Yes. As powerful and brave as I am, I have fears. I’ve been afraid in the field before. Acknowledging that helps me to push past those fears. Which is what bravery is.)

Heal me where I’m broken in times of self-defense of myself, my partners and citizens (I admit, I’m not the 23-year-old monster who can break down doors with my bare hands, leap over fences and lift two grown men off their feet at the same time to stop them from escaping)

Protect me from my enemies no matter what form they come in (Evil comes in many forms. I’m not psychic. So, yes, I need the Lord to be ahead of me to see ahead, at my side to protect my 3 and 9, and behind me to protect my 6 from things I can’t see)

Let your will be done first and foremost. But if it’s in your will, show favor on me for the things I do that help my fellow man and give you honor and glory. (Self-explanatory)

Please allow me to see hope in a world that seems hopeless (I love it when God shows me signs that he is still with me in times of turmoil.)

Allow me to get home to my loved ones in one piece. But should you not be with me in the field, please allow me to be with you in heaven (I know I have a dangerous job. Even the greatest men and women of God met their demise in unfair ways. But I am comforted in knowing that if I die, I’ll be with him.)

Protect my fellow officers and the people we serve, as well as my family while I’m away.”

I’ve done this without fail, and I’m telling you, it has gotten me through this hell we are all in. My head is held high no matter what is thrown at me.

I’m sharing this with you, because in spite of what we are called by activists, political figures and celebrities, God still loves us, and when you have no one in your corner, he is the best friend to have.

To my LEOS and others out there giving it your all, I’m praying for you all. Don’t lose heart. Even if you don’t believe, just try this for a week.

No, it’s not magic. 

It’s a conversation with our creator. I believe God loves to hear from us.

God bless you all and be safe out there.

Workforce Crisis: Officer Safety in Peril

By: Joel E. Gordon

Lack of staffing is a serious issue for many law enforcement agencies nationwide. Departments are short-staffed not only in rural areas but in many metropolitan areas as well. In Baltimore, Maryland, a city known for murder and other violent crimes, while honest numbers are difficult to obtain, there is believed to be a vacancy rate of police patrol positions of about 26% without more recent “downsizing” adjustments. It's just one example of a trend occurring at police departments nationwide.

The challenge of recruiting and retaining sworn personnel with more officers leaving their departments and the profession even long before retirement age are among factors in what the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) calls a "workforce crisis."

PERF reports last year 63% of law enforcement agencies saw officer applications decrease significantly or slightly. 41% say it’s grown worse in the past five years. The lack of recruits has meant a financial cost as well.

In Portland, Oregon, for example, overtime nearly doubled between 2013 and 2018, much of that due to a staffing shortage. The impact of the officer shortage varies from place to place, from seeing increased crime to seeing delays in getting investigations completed. One trend is that most police officers find themselves working longer hours to do the job, tired with less resources and backup, and at the expense of officer safety.

The family of a slain sheriff’s deputy has recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Pierce County, Washington. The lawsuit alleges that deputies are not safe at work due to inadequate staffing. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Deputy Daniel McCartney’s wife, estate and three young sons and stresses the dangers of attempting to do more with less.

Deputy McCartney, 34, was shot in the line of duty on Jan. 7, 2018, while responding to a home invasion robbery. The lawsuit describes the dangers of two deputies covering 700 square miles highlighting the unrealistic and unsafe expectations that deputies had to endure. “For any given shift, Pierce County expected two deputies to patrol over 700 square miles — nearly 40% of Pierce County,” the lawsuit said. “Pierce County set minimum staffing levels approximately 16 or more years ago without increasing staffing minimums to correspond or keep pace with population growth. Pierce County knowingly put Deputy McCartney in the untenable position of responding without any immediate back-up,” part of the lawsuit said. “But for Pierce County’s failure to properly staff and train its deputies, Daniel McCartney would likely still be alive.”

Along with the great distances that deputies were expected to cover, the lawsuit also revealed unrealistic and unsafe work hours. Deputies were forced to work double shifts with very little sleep. Deputy McCartney returned home and had less than six hours of sleep before he returned to work for his regular swing shift,” the lawsuit said. “When a fellow deputy became ill, and with the agency understaffed, Deputy McCartney agreed to cover the fellow deputy’s graveyard shift on Jan. 7, 2018 to Jan. 8, 2018. Unfortunately, Daniel McCartney never made it home from that shift.”

“Pierce County knew the Sheriff’s Department was sufficiently understaffed and that as such, patrol deputies were not safe,” the lawsuit said. “… In 2009 and again in 2018, prior to Deputy McCartney’s death, consultants submitted comprehensive reports on Pierce County’s short-staffing. One of the consultants reported, ‘There are times when only one officer is available for a call, which, depending on the call, can be unsafe.” Two Pierce County deputies had been ambushed previously and one had died.

“Pierce County’s Council should have left staffing priorities to the elected Sheriff and Pierce County’s Council should have appropriated monies to bring staffing to sufficiently safe levels,” the lawsuit said. “Alternatively, Pierce County’s Council should have reconstructed its law enforcement obligations so that staffing was sufficiently safe.”

Moving forward officer safety must be a priority.

The lawsuit and tragic death of Deputy Daniel McCartney certainly demonstrate the dire need for sufficient staffing. May all of our brothers and sisters who have been placed in unnecessary danger and who have paid the ultimate sacrifice rest in eternal peace.

Is there hope for the future? After some members of the city council and numerous community activists have repeatedly advocated defunding or actually disbanding the Minneapolis, Minnesota, Police Department, the city is now planning to spend $6.4 million to hire more police officers.

The Minneapolis city council voted unanimously to approve additional funding for the police department, which currently only has 638 officers who are available to work, down 200 from normally authorized staffing.

The question that remains is will the best applicants come forth and be accepted? After all, who is going to want to apply to work under the current conditions there and elsewhere? The future of policing and safety are hanging in the balance.

America…what kind of cops do you want?

By: Ken Dye

The police, who have been wrongfully associated with bigotry and racism, are not thought-processed robots or automatons.  They’re men and women from your city or town.  They live down the street from you and your family.

Police often see the worst of people, at their worst.  They have been trained to soothe a tense situation to de-escalate and maintain the peace. One must realize that it takes two parties to de-escalate.  Officers may attend to a battered wife, but you best not attempt to take the abuser into custody.  Maybe this is one of those incidents that will make the evening or late news with no backstory.

In San Francisco, a city that’s infested with drugs, addicts, homeless and a police department paralyzed with fear of making a lawful and legal arrest, pity the poor cop(s) who do take a suspect into custody.  The “persecuted” soul whines to the local news media that gleefully takes up the cause of this poor and downtrodden man/woman who says that the police officers beat and harassed them all the while sobbing into the cameras.

What’s next?  The cops are put on trial via the local airwaves and print media.  They’re dox’d, harassed and a department investigation is launched.  They may be suspended without pay and an unnecessary burden is placed upon them and their families. 

No matter what the real circumstances are … the cop(s) are guilty until proven innocent.  Shouldn’t this be the other way?  After a period of time, the cops are found to not have been abusive or acted in any unlawful manner.  This is reported, not with the great fanfare of the original story, oh no.  It’s covered, if at all, on page 16 of the society column right next to the advertisement for extended car warranties.

Why are draconian restraints put on law enforcement?  The answer is simple.  As former House Speaker “Tip” O’Neill said, “All politics are local.”  Meaning you get the kind of government you vote for.  In the last mayoral election in New York, only 23% of eligible voters bothered to show up at the polls or vote by mail. 

New York is a mirror image of San Francisco, only on the other side of the country.  In these and other areas, police departments are being cut and the push to defund law enforcement is gaining steam. 

Back and work for the candidates that support a lawful and peaceful society. Many district attorneys have been thrust into office by a well-oiled and well-funded machine that has installed a number of “soft on crime” DA’s.  Multi-convicted felons are processed and released due to the no-bail laws in certain areas.  Is this what we want?

Do you want cops who don’t enforce the laws on the books when confronted by riotous fringe groups?  Cops who don’t enforce “quality of life issues?”

At some juncture, we will reach a tipping point where the citizens will rise up and say “enough.”  This after the police have been trashed and demeaned by the local politicians and officers are leaving in droves. Who on earth can blame them?

So the next time you hear of a DA releasing a violent felon that has killed or injured an innocent person just ask yourself … Is this the kind of law enforcement I want?  The next time you see a cop, forget about that ticket you got in 2014.  Tell the officer thanks for doing a job that’s not for everyone and you’re glad to see them.  If you haven’t needed a cop in your past, you’ll need one in the future.

Ken Dye is the author of 5 books about crime, cops and bad guys in the St. Louis area.  He blogs under “Cops Perspective” and has over 20,000 followers. Ken served with the St. Louis County Police Department for 13 years and finished his LE career with the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority as the administrator for the statewide MEG’s and Narcotics Task Forces.

Missing Marizela: Ten Years

By Michelle Malkin

March 5, 2011. I remember the moment like it was yesterday when my family contacted me in a panic to let me know that my 18-year-old cousin and goddaughter, Marizela "EmEm" Perez, had gone missing.

"Help."

It's the text you get in the middle of the night that doesn't seem real. Ten years ago this week, EmEm vanished from the University of Washington campus in the middle of a sunny afternoon. She was last seen walking away from a Safeway grocery store in the U District and into the dread void of uncertainty. Once again, as I have done faithfully and heartachingly for the last decade, I must report that there is still no news on her whereabouts. Nothing. In 2019, I finally received some Seattle Police Department documents in response to a public records request about her case. But nothing in the trove shed light on any potential investigative leads.

In my home office, I keep a bulging file called "Find Marizela." There are handwritten notes of conversations with police, carefully constructed timelines, social media archives and holiday photos gathered around the piano singing Christmas hymns and carols. There's also a stack of missing person flyers emblazoned with the headline, "HAVE YOU SEEN ME?" illustrated with screenshots from the Safeway surveillance video. Pale and fleeting, EmEm looks like a ghost—drained of the beautiful, bubbly energy she embodied as a child who loved baking cookies and playing board games with me.

The description on the flyer reads:

"Asian female, 5'5" tall, 110 lbs, skinny build, asymmetrical bob with short bangs and brown/red highlights hairstyle, tattoo on left inner arm with the words 'lahat ay magiging maayos' (all will be well), last seen wearing a dark jacket with hood over a light color sweater with hood, denim jeans, light brown suede laced boots, possibly wearing green eye contacts, carrying a denim drawstring backpack with rainbow butterfly screenprint, with a Macbook Pro laptop."

Ten years.

The first weeks after she disappeared are now mostly a blur, but a few memories are indelible. I remember breaking down while a teenage girl sang "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry at my then-7-year-old son's talent show on the night before I flew out to Seattle to be with Marizela's parents:

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

Lord make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother

She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors...

...Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket

Save them for a time when you're really gonna need them, oh

I won't forget the kindness of strangers and old friends who volunteered to help us search local parks and public streets. I remember feeling lost and desperate in Discovery Park, staring out toward Puget Sound, praying to God, asking: "Where? How? Why?"

For all the negativity that surrounds the reputation of the national media, I have nothing but praise and thanks for the local reporters — Christine Clarridge at the Seattle Times and Shomari Stone at KOMO, in particular — who covered Marizela's story with compassion and context. Clarridge highlighted Marizela's case, as well as the plight of other families with missing young adults, in a searing front-page feature on what parents go through in cases where the police have not found evidence of foul play. Suicide was a primary assumption on the part of the police. EmEm did have a history of depression. But the case of young Joyce Chiang — whose death in 1999 was reclassified as a homicide in 2011 by Washington police who mistakenly insisted the case was a suicide — shows the dangers of locking into assumptions without thoroughly exploring all leads.

Ten years on, the investigation into Marizela's disappearance has all but come to a halt. But if you live in the Washington area and have any relevant information about her whereabouts, please contact the Seattle Police Department at (206) 625-5011. And for those who have to go through this same hell, a hell I wish on no one, I leave you with five hard-learned lessons from a decade's worth of unknowing:

1) Document everything.

2) Take an immediate and full inventory of your loved one's internet footprint — every email account, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and social networking account.

Destructive Forces in The City: Remembering The Night Five Cops Were Killed in Dallas

By Jimmy Meeks

Do you remember the night five police officers were shot to death at a protest in downtown Dallas? It was Thursday, July 7, 2016. The protest was in response to a Black man who had been shot to death by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana two days earlier.

I’ll never forget it. I was there. I live less than 30 minutes from downtown Dallas. I went, not to participate, but spectate. I wanted to hear what they had to say.

Over a thousand people were there. The press would later report it was a “peaceful protest turned violent.” But that was not true. There wasn’t an ounce of peace in that place. There was, however, enough anger and hate to fill a coliseum.

One of the first speakers was a preacher, a white man: Dr. Jeff Hood. Surrounded by a cheering and angry crowd, he said:

I’m gonna say “God … damn white America.

God … damn white America.

White America is a f------ lie”... 

The crowd loved his words. They were convinced they were doing the right thing, caught up in a righteous cause. They had no idea they had provided a stage, and created the perfect storm, for a killer to unleash his plan.

As I sat in my truck listening, a thought flashed in my mind: 

There’s a lot of anger here.

There’s fixing to be a shooting.

I was alarmed by the thought. In a few minutes, about 500 yards from where I was sitting, an angry man was about to drive up, exit his car, and start killing police officers. When the smoke finally cleared, there were five dead police officers, and several more wounded. It was another dark page in the history of Dallas. It had happened right around the corner from where 19,221 days earlier the 35th president of the United States had been assassinated.

The courage, and compassion, of Dallas police officers was on full display that night. A woman who attended the protest with her children was also shot. When she fell to the ground, several Dallas officers jumped on her, shielding her from further harm. Let that sink in: They were willing to take any additional shots that may have been aimed at her. They were willing to sacrifice their own lives. The injured woman would later say...

“I'm so thankful for the Dallas Police Department.

They had no regard for their own life.

They stayed there with us... I've never seen anything like that.

The way they just came around us and guarded us like that.”

I served 35 years as a police officer. It was only six months after I retired that the tragedy in Dallas took place. I wanted back in. But who wants to hire someone only a few years shy of Social Security benefits?

So I got another idea. I will give my life to encouraging the officers who are presently on the streets. I just got back from a 6,200-mile road trip, visiting officers, speaking at roll calls, etc. I spent several days in Chicago, then over to Minneapolis: 1,700 miles west to Portland, and then 1,200 miles south to Denver.

I have no choice but to “pay it forward.” In my 35 years, I NEVER worked in the environment in which officers presently find themselves in. Thus, we must hurl all the encouragement we can in their direction.

That encouragement has taken the form of a brand new website we created for police (www.bluelifesupport.com). We also have a daily podcast for police and an app (BLUE LIFE SUPPORT MINISTRIES).

Yes – I have a spiritual approach to all this. I have no choice. King David wrote 3,500 years ago, “…I see violence and strife in the city…destructive forces are at work in the city” (Psalm 55:9-11).  These forces are alive and well and have you in their sights. I beg you; be careful.

Jimmy Meeks is a 35-year retired police officer, having served in Oklahoma and Texas. He has over 4,600 hours of training. He is the founder of The Cornelius Project (www.bluelifesupport.com). He is also the founder of Sheepdog Seminars. Jimmy and Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman have hosted over 100 such seminars.

We Need To Be More Resilient: Embrace Resiliency As A Concept

By Lt. Joseph Pangaro, CPM, CSO

Many years ago, when I started writing about police work and the rigors of a life as a law enforcement officer, it was clear to me that we needed to view ourselves and our work in a different way. In today’s world, that concept is even more apparent. In a world that wants to de-fund us, fire us, indict us and hate us simply for doing our jobs, we need to look inward to put all of this into perspective.

It’s no secret that law enforcement officers are under stress, not just the stress of doing our work as we kind of accept and get used to those stresses of answering calls, chasing criminals, working shifts and dealing with the worst people have to offer. No, I’m talking about the kind of stress that can kill us.

This stress comes from trying to do this very mentally and physically demanding job, and having to overthink so much of what we do so we don’t offend anyone, or appear to be indifferent to the suffering of the people in our communities. The stress from seeing the horror of what people can do to each other, the stress of seeing a child abused to the point of death, the stress of dealing with the hatred and lies that are thrown at us every day. That is the stress that can kill us, slowly and quietly.

The idea of police suicide is nothing new to the men and women of law enforcement, almost all of us know someone on the job who has killed themselves. It is a tragedy each and every time it happens, and we are in a tailspin as a profession trying to get a handle on this terrible specter that stalks us. Statistically, right now, some of the officers reading this article will take their own life in the next year.

Why is this?

Greater minds than mine are trying to figure it out, to save our people, to save ourselves. While I may not have all of the answers, there are a few things I know innately just from spending 27 years in the profession and many more on this planet.   

The first article I ever wrote was called “The Tragic Toll of Police Work.” It appeared on these pages as well as in the FBI magazine and several other international publications. It struck a nerve with many people because I identified what I thought was one of the factors that lead an officer to make such a dark decision. That factor was the cancer that grows from seeing human tragedy over the course of an entire career and not being able to vent it, release it, and expel it from our souls.

As human beings, we are creatures of light in many ways. We are made to love other people, care for other people and in our case as law enforcement, serve other people.  The action that built in a drive to love and care for other humans has a DNA to it and a contract. We expect to get that love back and have others care for us. When that contract is broken by seeing the horrors people do to other people it doesn’t fit, it feels wrong and those feelings linger and lurk in our hearts but we push them down, we ignore them and we pretend it is normal. This disengagement from what we see and live is a coping strategy that we develop so we can survive the job and so we can put the pictures of pain out of our sight and go on.

Unfortunately, this mechanism is something we create, but it is not natural, it is not part of the DNA of a healthy human being. It is this conflict that acts on us inside, in places we can’t always identify or see and where the cancer grows.

As a profession we must adapt to this new reality by developing new paradigms for coping with the ugliness we see and have to wander neck deep in for 25 or 30 years. We must take a proactive approach to combating these new concepts. We have to abandon the “gallows humor” and the “put on a brave face” and move away from strategies of the past. They don’t work. We kill ourselves sometimes years after retirement because the ghosts never go away and they live in us unless we find a way to exorcise them.

The good news is that we can!

We can change the way we see and deal with stress and the darkness of the work we do. We can become resilient. We can become better.

This does not mean we become touchy-feely snowflakes. In fact, to do this we have to be stronger than that, braver than that, and fearless in our desire to live. We must accept that seeing a horrendous crime scene can be emotionally draining and devastating, even if we seemingly move right through it without so much as an acknowledgement of the trauma in front of us. Because on the outside we can throw out a joke about the deceased in the old gallows humor mold, and we can put on that brave face that it doesn’t mean anything to us so we can deal with it or we can recognize that it really does mean something that it is horrible and ugly and painful and worthy of our sadness and pity. This is our true nature, to see it for what it is. This is how we become more resilient, this is how we purge it from our souls, by acknowledging its evil nature. 

It is getting to this new place that is the hard part. Change is always hard. Giving up old ways is hard. But think about one of the most hated phrases in all of law enforcement: “That’s the way we have always done it.” Don’t we all recoil at that statement when we want to do things differently than in the past and someone in authority says that to us? Yes, we do. Same thing here, if we want to change things up we have to buy into the changes.

Here’s my suggestions:  Every agency should have access to a mental health professional and every time there is a traumatic call or incident, everyone involved from the officers to the dispatchers should have a debrief with the mental health person. As a team we should vent the feelings and clear the pictures from our heads and put the incident into perspective. Our job is tough, we have to run into danger, we have to help the weak and the innocent, we have to document the blood, the mayhem and the actions of bad people, society needs us to do this. But by putting it into that light, by accepting that we are doing a valuable thing we can take the power away from what we see, we build our resilience. We save our lives.

Next, we have to change how we believe a professional officer deals with terrible things - it is OK to see them for what they are and acknowledge that it is hard to see them sometimes. I knew an officer who saw a young child killed in a car accident. The scene was particularly gruesome. That officer told me a few weeks later over beers that he saw his own child’s face when he worked that scene and it stayed with him. That is a normal response, pushing it down into our guts and not acknowledging it, that is not normal; and this is the model for change. Instead of seeing this officer as weak, we can see him as human and very brave for saying how it affected him, for coming to work the next day, for acknowledging that we, too, can have fears. This is the essence of the resilience movement, it makes us stronger and it empowers us.

Find a resiliency professional and bring them in on an in-service day, I know some people that do this, reach out to me and I’ll connect you. Together we take our profession where it needs to go.

Ours is a noble profession, we do good, we serve an important function in a civilized society, and we are good people. President Franklin Roosevelt said “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.”   This is who we are, we are human, with all of the human emotions that make us unique. Denying this part of our nature is what hurts us.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines resiliency as “an ability to recover or adjust easily to adversity or change.” This definition is the goal, we must embrace resiliency as a concept and create opportunities to enhance our resiliency so our people can bounce back, thrive, live healthy lives physically and emotionally, and enjoy the gift of life we all have been given. If we do this we can save our brothers and sisters… and ourselves.

OFFICER DOWN MEMORIAL PODCAST

By: Sheriff Scott Rose

In today’s era where anti-law enforcement rhetoric fueled by misguided movements and special interest groups seems to be the new daily narrative for national media and political leaders, we are losing more heroes than ever in our communities.  In 2020, including COVID-19 deaths, we lost 343 heroes across the country, compared to 149 the year before, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page (odmp.org). ODMP reports that in the first 45 days of 2021, we’ve already lost 44 as of this writing.

When we lose an officer, whether the officer was brutally killed or dies from COVID-19 complications, it sends a ripple effect through that agency, that community, that state and our country– in addition to the devastating effects on the surviving family.   When the funeral is done and the phone stops ringing, we often times stop talking about our fallen hero.  For some extended family members, they shy away from talking with the immediate survivor family feeling awkward and uncomfortable. Many officers stop visiting and stop talking for fear of upsetting someone.   These are natural human reactions to dealing with the stress of losing a loved one.  However, silence, more often than not, tends to re-victimize survivor families and agencies much more than even the most awkward of conversations.

Most states have law enforcement memorial associations and groups supporting survivor families and agencies that do a great job each year remembering our fallen heroes.  In Minnesota, the Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association does an incredible job of supporting the survivors and honoring the fallen. I currently serve on their board of directors as well as the board for the Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation of SE Minnesota – another group that is doing amazing things to honor our fallen. 

After growing up in SE Minnesota, and attending broadcasting school in Arizona, I worked as a production director and announcer for radio stations in Nebraska, Kansas, and Minnesota.  By my late 20s, I switched gears and ended up going back to school to earn a law enforcement degree, which landed me back with the same agency that my father was serving as a deputy – the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office.  He had worked his way up the ranks and was elected sheriff in November of 2014.

Fast forward 25 years.  Having worked with surviving families and agencies and learning more details about the heroes we’ve lost, I felt it was important that we start telling “The Rest of the Story” in a way that people could get to know and learn about that officer and that era.  This led to the creation of this podcast.

The Officer Down Memorial Podcast is an audio podcast sharing the stories of these men and women in a storytelling format.  In each episode, I set the stage sharing historical notes from that era, taking you back in time, and placing you there at the incident using data compiled from agency reports along with comments from the officers who were there, and the families who were left behind.  Older stories are compiled with data from various history archives, newspapers, agency data, etc.  The mission of this project is to tell the real stories of these men and women and ensure their service and sacrifice is never forgotten. 

In Minnesota, these stories are also being added to the state’s memorial website, giving readers an opportunity to hear the entire story of these heroes.

Another mission of this podcast is to help survivor families and agencies whose fallen officer’s killer is up for parole.  I work with fallen officer agencies and families to write and produce their hero’s story which can be used to educate their community and region on the history of their fallen officer - on how he/she was lost, and on the killer who’s up for parole.  The goal is education - to encourage support of the family and agency, and to encourage the community to get involved and send letters to the state corrections board in support of the fallen officer.  Recently, the Robert Lawson story was used to help generate several hundred letters sent to the Minnesota State Department of Corrections to help encourage the board to keep the Itasca County Minnesota Deputy’s killer in prison.  In that hearing 10 years was added to his sentence on Jan. 12, 2021.

This podcast started in November of 2020. I currently do the research, audio production, editing, and hosting.  Stories are released every other Friday with additional/related stories and interviews added, too.  In addition to Minnesota stories, I’m now working with agencies in Nebraska and Wisconsin. 

You can find more information about the podcast at www.officerdownmemorialpodcast.com and subscribe and download on your favorite podcast app. 

Sheriff Scott Rose is a second-term sheriff for the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office in SE Minnesota.He serves on the board of directors for the Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association and Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation of SE Minnesota.Prior to law enforcement he worked as an audio production director and announcer for broadcasting companies in Nebraska, Kansas, and Minnesota.

Battling Addiction: Showing Up For Ourselves

By: Frank Voce

To be sober…who wants to be sober? And being sober as a police officer? Nah, unheard of. Well, that was my old way of thinking from 2015 to 2018. It was a type of thinking that used to control me as an officer, a friend, and as an individual. When I first started drinking, it was on the weekends…you know, “normal,” social drinking. I went out with the boys after a shift for a few cold ones that sometimes went to three, four in the morning. It’s what young people do in their 20s, and it’s especially what young cops do. Drinking culture is practically threaded into the career of a law enforcement officer. I thought my drinking was just what guys like me did. I didn’t see anything wrong with it for a long time.

I felt invincible and totally in control until my drinking started interfering with my life, my relationships and my personal happiness. What I failed to realize was that I was not in control at all. My ego was at the wheel, and right beside it was fear. I was fearful of being judged by my coworkers, by others in the weight room, and even by friends and family. And I masked it with alcohol.

What I eventually came to realize shortly after my “drinking career” came to an end was the fact that I was the one who was judging me. Really, I was the only one. No one else gave a damn how much I drank, or lifted in the gym, or arrests I made. Hell, I was the judge, jury and the executioner. We as humans, especially cops, are so damned hard on ourselves. We are the ones who are supposed to make the “perfect decisions” every second of every minute of every day. I learned that having compassion for myself as an officer was the way to become a better one. I truly believe that once we accept that we are not “perfect” and that it’s OK to be human and make mistakes, we are one step closer to being a better officer. If we accept our decisions as a learning experience, it will only serve us on and off the job.

I fully surrendered on September 22, 2019, that’s the last time I had a drink. My sober date is September 23, 2019. Sober living, especially while on the job has been a blessing. I am no longer the judge, jury and executioner each day. I can think, act, react, listen and be aware like I’ve never been able to before. The myth that a cop can’t have a career and live sober is now a relic of the past. I give people so much credit for being sober and facing their problems head on, rather than masking them with drinking. Head strong can take on anyone, and it shows. For myself, living sober has taught me that I don’t need to impress anyone; I only need to be better than the Frank from yesterday.

As cops, if we are not focusing on ourselves and our health and wellbeing, channeling that focus into discipline based on what we eat, the way we think, the way we work out, the way we sleep, the way we accept what is, the way we sit and let ourselves feel emotions, even cry, we are doing ourselves a disservice. I think if we focus on ourselves, then things around us will change. Our thoughts will serve us better and will lead to better decision making skills which will lead to better habits, and to increased self-confidence and then we can really SHOW UP for ourselves and for those around whom we care about.

Just for today, I will control what I can control and I will not pick up a drink. We as officers can’t change the world but we can change ourselves. Don’t be another statistic. I refuse to be a statistic or suffer in silence. Sober living gives me the opportunity to break the cycle, because I know I am powerless to alcohol. I have surrendered, but I have not quit. If you can relate, you are not alone. Reach out; it’s why we are here. Stay safe!

In July of 2015, Frank Voce joined the NYPD. After battling with personal struggle he reached out for help and support. Once Frank improved mentally, physically, he felt called to help other first responders who struggled the way he did, and provide them a safe space to face their anxiety, depression, PTSD or addiction in an environment that had brought him mental and physical strength. From that calling, Reps For Responders was born. More information can be found at https://repsforresponders.org

Compliance Education is worth investing in!

By: David Willoughby

This past year is one most will not forget.  The virus, police/civilian interactions and the election captured most headlines. When it comes to law enforcement, it seems like mainstream media put most of the focus on police behavior and the result of their actions. Because the focus was mainly on police actions, emotions ran wild and protests, rioting, looting and destruction of property ensued.

But what about the behaviors and actions of the civilian prior to injury, or death?  Did the civilian(s) comply with the police? Nearly 100% of incidents involving police officer inflicted injuries and deaths, the answer is no.

Can you show me a video of a civilian who is fully complying with police and ends up seriously injured or dead?  I can’t. I don’t believe that they exist.  However, I can show you countless videos of civilians not in compliance and ending up injured or dead.

Police decision-making is heavily influenced by the behavior of the civilian.  A civilian’s disrespectful or hostile behavior and failure to follow lawful orders will increase suspicion and risk for police officers. Civilians are putting themselves at risk by not complying. Injuries or death from non-compliance can be prevented if civilians show respect to the officer, obey lawful directions and don’t resist or flee.

So, what’s going on?  Why are so many people not complying with police officers?

Law enforcement officers are required to maintain state certifications and continued training throughout their careers.  Much of their training is focused on civilian interactions.  What kind of classes or education do civilians receive when it comes to police interactions?  The answer is next to none. That is a problem. 

Parents should be teaching their kids from an early age how to interact with police.  The next logical step is to form a community partnership and develop a curriculum within the schools, like adult parenting classes and driver’s education.  Topics should include: How to interact with police, compliance education and knowing your rights and how to file a complaint if you feel you have been treated unfairly.

In 2021, let’s make police relations and compliance education a priority.  Now is not the time to defund the police.  Compliance education is worth investing in and will save lives.  Leadership within the community and law enforcement brass can make this happen.

LIEUTENANT EUGENE LASCO

ARTICLE AND ARTOWRK BY JONNY CASTRO

Lieutenant Eugene Lasco heard the screams for help from his colleague, Sergeant Padrick Schmitt. The Sergeant had just been violently attacked and was stabbed multiple times on February 21st by an inmate inside the Indiana State Prison. Without hesitation, Lt. Lasco heroically ran to the young sergeant’s aid. During the course of the unprovoked assault, that inmate also repeatedly stabbed Lt. Lasco before he was subdued by other officers and placed into custody. Both Sergeant Schmitt and Lieutenant Lasco were transported to the hospital in critical condition. Lt. Lasco succumbed to his injuries. The inmate responsible for the Lt. Lasco’s murder was serving a 130-year sentence in the maximum security prison for killing three people in 2002.

Lt. Lasco was a decorated correctional officer and had served the Indiana Department of Correction since 2009. Lt. Lasco was highly respected and was well-known among his colleagues as a true team leader. He was someone they could always count on; and he proved that again when he charged the armed suspect and gave his life to help save a fellow officer. Lieutenant Lasco was 57-years old. May he Rest In Peace.

Blue's Police Chaplain's Message: Keeping The Faith When It's Easier to Give Up

By: Chris Amos

To my law enforcement brothers and sisters, let me assure you while you are not perfect, you are not expected to be by the only one who really matters, Jesus Christ. He was perfect, despite what talking heads in the media might suggest. And He was the sinless, spotless, perfect sin offering clothed in human flesh to suffer the greatest injustice in all of history. Death, death by crucifixion, the most excruciating of deaths to have ever occurred in the history of the world. For you see He died for every sin, every crime, every vile and sickening act that has, or will, ever be committed by mankind. But more importantly than that He died for every sin, in thought, word or deed that you and I have or will ever commit. He took the proverbial bullet of sin and eternal punishment in a literal hell for us. But friends our deliverance from the consequences and punishment of our own sin, which the Bible says is death, physical and spiritual, will not come about because of the uniform we wear. While law enforcement officers are very much called by God, (Romans 13:1-4), we are saved by Jesus Christ, through God’s Grace and our faith in what Jesus did.

No doubt you have seen the signs, “No Justice, No Peace”. If given JUSTICE all of us, LEOs, protesters, rioters, criminals, politicians, media types, ALL of us would be damned to a sinner’s hell for ALL of us have sinned against God and fallen short of His Glory. If justice was given, the only just sentence would be GUILTY! And to hell we would go. NO, I for one would take MERCY over justice. Think of it like this: If JUSTICE is getting what we deserve, MERCY is not getting what we deserve in terms of judgment and punishment. But for those of us who put our trust and faith in the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus from the grave, God promises something even greater than mercy. He promises GRACE. What’s grace? Getting what we do not deserve and can never earn. Specifically, forgiveness of our sins, reconciliation to God our Father, Adoption into His Heavenly and eternal family, and strength to endure the wrath that is being unleashed on us right now.

The Apostle Paul had been beaten, shipwrecked, nearly stoned to death. He had been betrayed, abandoned, belittled, mocked, falsely accused, etc. and was no doubt ready to just throw in the towel (2 Corinthians 11:23-30). I suspect there is many a LEO who can relate. One night Jesus came to him in a dream. Jesus assured Paul all would be well. Jesus assured Paul that he would cross the finish line because Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you. For my strength is made perfect in your weakness.” (2 Corinthians 2:7-10)With newfound courage and a renewed strength in his spirit, Paul did in fact press on until he did finish his race and crossed that finish line, laying claim by grace to his place in a literal paradise called Heaven (2 Timothy 4:7-8).  

Friends, the Bible speaks of an individual that many believe is alive today. He is the Antichrist who will usher in a wave of chaos, injustice, brazen hatred, violence and death like this world has never experienced. His reach will expand the globe. One of his titles is “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). I suspect one of his greatest targets will be law enforcement officers. You are on the front line of a battle that is far greater than Marxism versus Capitalism or an election in November. No, it is chaos vs. order. Law vs. lawlessness. It is darkness and the spirit of Antichrist against Light and the Holy Spirit of Almighty God. The great news is, despite what you are experiencing in the flesh – what you see, hear, smell or touch – despite the spineless politicians who are folding like beach chairs and law enforcement heads who are doing likewise, the truth is there are more with you than against you in the Heavenly Realm.

The prophet Elijah was running for his life. One morning his servant went outside and saw that during the night an army of chariots, horses and foot soldiers had surrounded the small village in which they were hiding. The servant, certain of capture and death, ran back inside terrified. He told Elisha what he had seen. Elisha calmly told him to relax. He told him not to worry because “those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Elisha then prayed that God would open the servant’s eyes. The servant went back outside and saw an angelic army of fiery chariots and horses that had in fact encircled the earthly army. Elisha and his servant were safely delivered from that earthly army and death (2 Kings 6:13-16).

What I want to leave you with is that those who are with us, in The Lord, are far greater and stronger than those who are with the Antichrist and his lawless army. You are not alone, my friends. I pray the Lord will open your eyes that you too might see and sense the amazing power and presence of God in the midst of the battles you now face. And friend, if you have not put your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, “8 For it is by [God’s] grace you have been saved, through [your] faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.it is simply a matter of accepting the free gift of salvation.” Right now He extends to you that gift. May you have the faith to reach out and accept it as your own.

Editor's Point of View

2021 is off to a quick and promising start! At Blue Magazine, we continue to move ahead at breakneck speeds while ensuring we bring you the most current and vital topics every issue. We have many great ideas and initiatives planned for the year ahead. So as we say goodbye to 2020, we welcome 2021 and are glad you are here with us to continue to advocate for our profession.

The devastation from the COVID-19 pandemic and the shutdown has severely limited our ability to gather and continue our Blue suicide events, therefore, we are featuring this crucial topic again on our cover to promote awareness and keep the conversation going. Our profession has lost far too many great officers from Blue suicide. We must all work together to help reduce Blue suicide. Be sure to check out our cover story. And should you be that officer battling despair or contemplating suicide, you can always reach out to us (as many have in the past), and we will do our best to help you. Your life is worth it. We need you here.

Lately, I have received many calls to respond to the collapse of security at the Capitol Building on Jan. 6. Most of those asking for a response are slyly looking for Blue Magazine to condemn the Capitol Police Department’s leadership actions. Although we see many issues that are worth discussing, at this time, we choose to commend and honor the fine officers on the frontline who risked their lives to defend against the mob. They did an excellent job with limited manpower and resources. We know they are grieving the tragic loss of Officers Brian Sicknick and Liebengood. We offer our most profound and deepest condolences. We will hold off on commentary — the Monday morning quarterbacking — to allow the officers to grieve and bury their fallen officers. Not everything needs an immediate response. Those kind of click-bait insensitive motives are for the immoral folks at the ratings- and money-driven corporate media. We exist to support law enforcement. To each Capitol officer on the frontlines, we are with you!

Has anyone noticed how toxic social media has been lately? Unfortunately, the constant stream of meal pictures is now replaced with so-called friendly people acting like complete lunatics over politics. Many people are easily led by the corporate media’s news cycle and seldom think independently and commit to intellectual honesty. This creates a toxic environment where users are attacking each other over issues they have very little control over. If you fall into this distraction trap, take back your time spent on social media and enjoy life with your family and those worthy of your time. Your life is more important than spending hours a day arguing on social media. 

And lastly, remember there are two days of every week you should never worry: yesterday and tomorrow. Enjoy this issue of Blue Magazine.

Until next time!

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

DESPAIR AND BLUE SUICIDE

By: Daniel Del Valle and George Beck, Ph.D.

Despair — the complete loss or absence of hope — is what you see on our cover. This tragic scene plays continuously every day in our profession — the facts and situations are similar — the main difference, perhaps, is only the jurisdiction where it occurs. Nearly every officer knows this scene and some have seen the fatal aftermath up close. Many have seen signs and indicators of an officer in crisis and chosen to ignore them for whatever reasons. Some may have been the officer in the image holding that pistol to your temple. That's the reality. It's not comfortable to discuss, but to pretend like it's not true is not helping end Blue Suicide. We must have an open conversation. 

There are many causes of despair, some of which we will discuss here. First and foremost, the stigmas involving an officer's mental health are perhaps the most significant contributor to despair because stigmas block officers from getting the necessary help. If getting help was seen as a positive objective and not some 'broken officer mentality' that alone would go a long way toward lessening despair and reducing Blue Suicide. As the years go by, progress is made to eliminate mental health stigmas. However, we would only be fooling ourselves if we believed we have solved this issue.

Despair is also the result of many personal problems that officers can face. Spousal and family issues, financial issues, addictions, and depression are among the top contributing factors leading to suicidal deaths. Although these "secrets" in an officer's life are sometimes cloaked behind a forced smile, changes in behavior patterns are not hidden. For example, if an officer who is routinely punctual starts to come in late and use a lot of sick time, asking the officer if everything is okay can go a long way. Show the officer you genuinely care about their wellbeing and take a positive step to help the officer if needed. Be vigilant for other changes in behavior, and when something is not right, act. Don't wait until it's too late. It is far better to have an officer alive even if he or she is mad at you, than to allow them to make the ultimate mistake.

Despair can also come from job stress. How many times have we heard of an officer facing some form of disciplinary action commit suicide? There are many reasons disciplinary actions result—some of which are the direct result of the officer's actions—other times from the abuse and exploitation of the internal affairs bureau leveraging the guidelines for political expediency. Take, for example, the abhorrent unethical internal affairs officer who mails in that "anonymous" letter making an allegation against a good officer and then investigates it only to make the bogus claim somehow legit. Of course, there are processes to address this, but at that point, the targeted officer can face the reality of despair. Other job stresses that lead to despair involve co-workers or supervisors harassing an officer. Law enforcement is rife with megalomaniacs who get supervisory positions of power and influence and tend to believe that gives them ownership over subordinates' lives. As you are reading this, you probably already have the image of that supervisor in your mind. These lunatics with badges forgot where they came from and don't deserve the leadership responsibility.

So what can officers do when they or another officer is in crisis and feeling that lonely despair? Act. Commit to working toward making a positive change. If that includes going to a supervisor that an officer trusts, make that move. It may seem uncomfortable at first, but your bravery to act at that moment will be worth it. Also, seek a professional mental health expert who is trustworthy and knowledgeable. There are plenty of mental health professionals out there who have the experience and ability to help an officer out of a crisis. Put yourself and your mental health first. Commit to making your health your highest priority. And finally, don't make the ultimate mistake. There is hope.

Don’t Make the Ultimate Mistake: There is Hope
By: George Beck, Ph.D.

“I am sorry. I love you. You’re not going to have to deal with me anymore,” was the last text message a New Jersey detective sent to his wife during Christmas of 2018. 

The detective shut his cellphone off and drove toward a remote place where he would end his life. The area was a picturesque mountainous spot that overlooked the hustle of New Jersey life. Was it the peacefulness of this area that drove him there? The silence would soon be shattered with a gunshot that would echo through the mountains, a final call from a cop who had reached his breaking point. 

But the events that led up to the detective’s intended last day were not sudden. Years of alcohol abuse, compounded with the stress of the job, had caught up with him. He carried around falsehoods, thinking he was a failure, a weak link. He wrongly believed his coworkers hated him for his personal shortcomings — that his bosses despised him, and even the members on his SWAT team abhorred him. It was hard to look them in the eye because he was embarrassed and hated himself.  However, he showed up to work every day, shook hands, and faked the “I am OK” smile that many officers have perfected better than even the best Hollywood actors could. He had the traditional family, the big house, the white picket fence. On the surface, he looked like an American dream success story. Yet, behind the façade of a muscle-bound, stately man, who on the outside looked like a physical symbol of strength, he was in deep, dark despair.

Back home, the New Jersey detective’s wife and children had no idea how the specific frantic final moments of his life were unfolding. But his wife called the police — one of the most challenging things a family member can do because of the potential ramifications that come with it. That phone call for help in many departments can be career-ending. Who would pay the bills if the officer’s gun and badge were taken away while the departmental leadership moved to remove the “broken” officer from the force? To deny that mental health stigmas, coupled with poor departmental leaders, can sometimes cause more problems for the officer is foolish. The reality is these kinds of departmental failures lead officers physically to cliffs where there are no other options but suicide. This is a conversation had by many in law enforcement seeking to combat blue suicide, but it’s moving slowly.

Each year more officers kill themselves by their own hand than from being killed in the line of duty. The most common suicide method is with their handgun.  Researchers agree this is simply because officers have readily access to firearms. Many signs lead up to the suicide that officers routinely speak of after the death occurred. Yet while the officer is alive, depression and mental health issues are often shunned. Also, nobody wants to be that officer who sounds the alarm on his brother or sister.

Sadly, many cops and departmental cultures still believe police officers signed up for a life that would intimately bring them up close to tragedy — the horrific deaths of children, the horrid screams of victims that replay over and over in officer’s minds even years later, and that officers should become emotionally hardened to be effective cops. It’s the old par for the course mindset that hey you chose this profession, now deal with it. This systemic archaic mindset affords very little — if any at all training — on emotional health, hardly any requirements that put an officer in touch with mental health professionals for periodic checkups, and a culture that tends to shun officers who are considered weak. However, after thousands of officer suicides, the reality is our thinking and actions on this subject are wrong.

In the moments that led to the New Jersey detective’s intended final breath, he made one last move. Perhaps it was divine intervention that caused him to turn his cellphone back on. When he spoke to his wife, he realized he was exposed and entered into an alcohol and mental health treatment program that would change the direction of his life. He was saved, but with intense anger at that moment because he believed his life would no longer include law enforcement. However, sometimes as difficult as it is to see in these desperate moments, there is hope

After a 3-day blackout period at a treatment facility, the detective was allowed to again use his cellphone. He turned it on and found over 150 text messages from his coworkers who reached out to let him know they supported him. He was surprised.  Upon returning home from treatment, he went to his chief’s office, expecting to be terminated but found a leader with compassion who was committed to providing the best opportunity for him. The detective was stunned and then emotionally broke down in the chief’s office. The chief did what all chiefs should do in this situation — he led his officer back to become a competent and productive employee living a content life. The detective found his niche. While he’s not working his cases, he helps others who find themselves in similar dark situations.

For this detective, he learned had he pulled the trigger on that mountain during Christmas of 2018, it would have been the ultimate mistake.  This detective’s story is one of hope that all of us in law enforcement need to hear. Too often when we speak of blue suicide we hear of the harsh statistics and the gory details of the final suicidal act that supposedly stunned everyone. We hear of the tragic loss and learn of what drove the officer to make the ultimate mistake. We need more stories of hope. For everyone reading this that is in a dark place, know there is hope and the ability to overcome whatever adversities you are facing are possible. You are worth it.

As we look forward to 2021, let’s prioritize mental health in law enforcement. Let’s work toward success stories like the one featured here. Success is possible if our profession is willing to have honest and open conversations.

Stay tuned for more Blue Suicide events featured through our partnerships with Moment of Silence, Inc., and others. Together we can and will overcome blue suicide.