The Good Old Days: A Pennsylvania State Police Memory

By: Dale Gabriel

Today's PSP Memory takes me back 33 years. March 18, 1988 -- A day I will NEVER forget; my graduation from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in Hershey. It was a TOUGH five months for me, but seeing the huge smile on my dad's face that day made it all worthwhile. I was just a kid. Look at this picture. I did not even know how to wear the "big hat" correctly.

To those of you NOT in law enforcement, it's much different than you THINK. It's not like what you see on TV. It's a calling, not a job. It's a way of life. It's what we ARE, not what we do. When others run for safety, we run TOWARD danger. Yet, there is so much hatred, So much disrespect. But we are still out there doing the job every day, much of the time for people who do not appreciate it.

Here is MY story

Going back five months earlier ... it actually all started on Oct. 19. 1987. That day, I embarked on what would be perhaps the most difficult, but also one of the most rewarding journeys in my life. I packed up my canary-yellow Firebird, kissed and hugged my girlfriend (now my wife for 33 years, and my parents goodbye, and headed east. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Other than being 20 miles away at Saint Vincent College, and coming home most weekends, I had never even been away from home. The next five long months seemed like a lifetime for this college boy, about as anti-military as they come. I never DID learn to march very well. The classroom work was simple. Pool time was easy since I had swam nearly every day possible for the past 12 years or so (although we did not have it long because of a problem with the pool) Sure, the ONE thing I would be good at, and it was gone! The rest of the academy time was NOT easy.

My knees could NEVER take the morning run of up to 5 miles. If you could not make it by a certain time, you were punished, forced to do push-ups. I had become a push-up machine! Physical training had its ups and downs. There was fight class, actual live hand-to-hand combat. Sometimes you were lucky enough to get the weak; others you WERE the weak. Range, working details, and much more; this was NOTHING like college! NOTHING!! And then there were the constant inspections. They certainly were not my friend, especially considering I did not have my mom to make my bed or do my clothes. I wondered every day what I had gotten myself into, and if I was going to be cut out for it.

But after that long, hard, seemingly IMPOSSIBLE five months, and finally passing the required tasks including the obstacle course at the exact time I needed (I still think they shaved a few seconds off my time), I would become a full-fledged Pennsylvania State Trooper. And we were here on this day celebrating. We had lost about a third of or original cadet class to grades, discipline, being unable to complete necessary tasks or just plain giving up! Other than being a father, this was easily one of most important accomplishments in my life.

I would spend the next 25 years doing what I still considered to be very important work, taking me from Shippenville in Clarion County, to Greensburg, then Kiski

Valley. I was proud of the work I did. Proud to be a "Road Dawg" for the entire time. I was punched, kicked, bitten, spit on, run down by a car, dragged by a drunken driver, and even attacked off duty, resulting in a fractured skull and severe facial injuries. Not your routine 9-5!  I kept plugging away. Several times, I was among the top 10 in DUI arrests in my troop, receiving the High DUI award. For about 18-20 of those years, I had the most DUIs at my various stations. I probably took part in taking a thousand drunken drivers off the road, and I hammered underage drinkers. Hard! Fair or not. Right or wrong. These were the violations that I despised.

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

Unfortunately, though, as many do not know or cannot understand, the job eats at you. It takes so much out of you, changes you. My outlook on life changed. We see a multitude of things the average person does not see. I had so many ups and downs over the years, hundreds of dead bodies, mostly fatal accidents and suicides, a few drug overdoses, fatal fires, even a few murders. I saw a man die screaming while trapped in his truck as fire raged around him. I found my daughter's best friend dead at a crash site. I sat and held a woman's hand as she expired along the side of the road while awaiting an ambulance, talking to her for what seemed like hours. Delivering death messages to people, telling them they had just lost a loved one, was very difficult, completely draining you. You have to be direct and honest, yet compassionate in giving them what is likely the worst news of their lives. Over time, it hardens you. I saw people at their very worst, injured, hurt, and scared. Very often, however, I was able to provide them some kind words, some comfort, which I firmly believe helped them deal with the situation.

And I was blessed to work with and become friends with so many great people along the way. Unlike a "normal" job, your co-workers become more than just friends. They become your life line. They are guys and girls you know you can count on when the shit hits the fan. Brothers and sisters that you know will have your back, just as you have theirs. It's not just those in your own department, but many of the neighboring police officers you work with. Unfortunately, some of them were taken from us at the hands of murderers. May they all rest in peace.

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

I just cannot believe it's been 33 years, and I have been retired for almost nine.

An Open Letter to LeBron James: The Division and Hatred Must Stop

By: Deon Joseph

Dear LeBron:

I am not going to come at you from a place of hatred. There will be no name calling. I was raised to see the whole of a human being. Not to hyper focus on their flaws or make said flaws the whole of who they are. I’m an honest man.

What you do for children, and other acts of charity, shows a huge heart. You show to be a family man, and that’s to be respected. You play for the team my family has cheered for since the 1960s, then myself since 1979. But… Your current stance on policing is so off base and extreme. Your tweet that targeted a police officer in Ohio who saved a young woman’s life was irresponsible and disturbing. It showed a complete lack of understanding of the challenge of our job in the heat of a moment. You basically put a target on the back of a human being who had to make a split-second decision to save a life from a deadly attack.

It was a decision I know he and many others wish they never had to make. Especially when it involves someone so young.

Instead of apologizing, you deflected. You said you took your tweet down because you did not want it to be used for hate, when the tweet itself was the embodiment of hatred, rooted in a lack of understanding of the danger of the situation.

I don’t know if this will ever reach you, but my hope is that one day I can sit down with you and talk. As a man of faith, I can have no hatred toward you. But I do feel I can help you understand the reality of the profession of policing, and that there is another side you need to hear. You are tired of Black folks dying? So am I. You hate racism and police brutality? So do I. But you cannot paint 800,000 men and women who are of all races, faiths, sexual orientations and are also mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, preachers, coaches, community members and just human with such a broad and destructive brush.

Unlike some who have dug their heels in the belief that police are inherently evil, I think if you yourself actually sat down and had a real honest and open conversation with a cop, there is a strong chance you may discover we are not the monsters you have come to believe we are, who deserve the hate and disdain you have.

And even if you come away feeling the same way, I could respect it, because at least you gave the other side your ear instead of only hearing one narrative.

The offer is on the table, LeBron. I know it’s a long shot. But this division and hatred must stop. It’s clear based on rising crime in marginalized communities that cops and the community need to build bridges to save lives on all sides. That cannot be done through the demonization of any group of people.

Just putting it out in the universe, brother. Even if not me, please take the time to talk to a police officer instead of judging them. No shade. Thanks for all the positive things you do.

Deon Joseph is a 25 year veteran of law enforcement in Southern California - 21 of those years working in the homeless community to create an environment conducive to change for those in recovery, as a Lead Officer. He’s been recognized for his work locally and nationally, and news stories and documentaries surrounding his work in crime fighting and community relations, featured him. www.deonjoseph.org.

Police are not the problem: Police are the solution.

By: Joel E. Gordon

“The police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.” - Robert Peel

This is the message that we MUST get out.

Why are the police paid? Training, knowledge plus the fortitude to deal with enraged, often chemically altered individuals in life and death situations are a primary reason that paid professionals are necessary to carry the burden of keeping the peace, often under impossible circumstances.

As someone who has served as an inner-city police officer, I can unequivocally state that cops do more good for their communities than anyone else yet often don't even have a seat at the table while non-experts work to “reimagine” policing. While the untrained armchair police proffer tactical advice based upon emotion their suggestions actually can further elevate risks. It is obvious who has never been actively confronted by an enraged individual who is in a violent and often chemically altered state of mind impervious to pain.

I am particularly reminded of the time that I was confronted by an enraged individual I was tasked to attempt to keep from harming himself or others, later revealed to be under the influence of PCP. Phencyclidine works primarily as an NMDA-receptor antagonist. Behaviorally in humans, its effects are broad-spectrum and can induce hostility, delusions and hallucinations - psychotic effects somewhat related to the positive symptoms seen in schizophrenia. While no evidence exists that PCP can increase strength per se, it does act as a dissociative analgesic, producing a sense of non-connectedness neurologically and a general decrease in pain sensation peripherally. The combination of properties -- with delusions, hallucinations and aggression -- can produce a physiological state where it appears the person is capable of superhuman feats, whereas the reality is only that they are more capable of/willing to commit self-harm and harm others. This particular individual was so powerfully violent in a hospital emergency department that it took six officers to control his violent physical movements until he could be medically “knocked out” to gain control. Imagine the lone officer encountering this individual or someone like him in an uncontrolled setting.

You’ve heard some of the “recommendations” of those who have never experienced such an encounter in a variety of other situations:

Warning Shots: Warning shots are prohibited in just about every jurisdiction in the U.S. Any discharge of a firearm by the police is typically classified as a use of deadly force incident. The officer is responsible for where the bullet goes and any damage it may cause. It should not be too difficult to understand that a warning shot could easily result in an errant bullet lodging somewhere that it does not belong and at the very least, if shot in an upward trajectory, what goes up must come down.

Shoot them in the leg: If struck in a lower extremity this may not stop a threat in a timely manner but it is still a potential actual deadly force by severing a femoral artery or other area causing a person to ultimately "bleed out." If the bullet completely transected the artery, the person would likely lose enough blood to be severely compromised within a minute or two, and they'd bleed out in under five minutes without prompt treatment and transport to a hospital.

Shoot any weapon out of their hand: Maybe on television or in a movie, but in real-time real world scenarios even the best marksman could not be assured of a clean shot in a frantic uncontrolled environment except perhaps in the rarest of circumstances.

Use of Chemical Irritant, Taser or Less Lethal Weapon: Level four or five on the use of force continuum (below). Designed to temporarily incapacitate, confuse, delay or restrain an adversary in a variety of situations but are not necessarily reliable to stop an active threat in all instances such as with an individual who is “feeling no pain,” for example.

Rather than a theoretical hypothesis of what could stop a threat law enforcement professionals use a force continuum, a scale of force alternatives, to mediate the level of response used in a given situation. This continuum has been professionally developed in collaboration with those who possess real knowledge and expertise in a variety of disciplines including behavioral science, defense tactics, anatomy and physiology, ballistics, the law and real-world experience.

The force continuum is typically broken down into six broad levels. Each level is designed to be fluid as the need for force changes as the situation develops. For example, it is not uncommon for the level of force to go from level two, to level three, and back again in a matter of seconds.

·       Level 1 - Officer Presence: The mere presence of a police officer in uniform or in a marked vehicle is often enough to stop a crime in progress or prevent most situations from escalating. Without saying a word, the mere presence of a police officer can deter crime by the simple use of body language and gestures. At this level, gestures should be non-threatening and professional. This "zero" level of force is the best way to resolve any situation, if possible.

·       Level 2 - Verbal Commands: Used in combination with a visible presence, the use of the voice can most often achieve the desired results. The content of the message is as important as your demeanor. It’s always best to start out calm but firm and non-threatening. Your choice of words and intensity can be increased as necessary or used in short commands in more serious situations. Police officers receive extensive training on how to use verbal commands most effectively.

·       Level 3 - Empty Hand Control: Some situations will arise where words alone will not reduce the aggression. This is the time police officers will need to get involved physically. This is a level of control employed by police officers minus the aid of equipment or weapons. There are two subcategories called, “soft empty hand techniques” and “hard empty hand techniques.”

·       Level 4 - Pepper Spray, Baton, Taser: When the suspect is violent or threatening, more extreme, but non-deadly measures must be used to bring the suspect under control or affect an arrest. Before moving to this level of force, it is assumed that less-physical measures have already been tried. Pepper spray, once thought an effective street tool for police officers has lost popularity over the years because of its ineffectiveness, especially on intoxicated persons. A blow with a baton can immobilize a combative person, allowing officers to affect an arrest. The Taser discharges a high-voltage spark (50,000 volts) at very low amperage. The Taser fires two small darts, connected to wires, which drops a suspect at non-contact distance. They can be especially useful for controlling non-criminal violent behavior, such as persons who are mentally impaired.

·       Level 5 - Less Lethal: This is a newer, acceptable and effective level of force that numerous police agencies have added to their use of force continuum policy and procedure. Less-lethal weapons were developed to provide law enforcement, military and corrections personnel with an alternative to lethal force. They were designed to temporarily incapacitate, confuse, delay, or restrain an adversary in a variety of situations. Less-lethal weapons can be valuable when: lethal force is available as backup but it is determined that lesser force may subdue the aggressor or when lethal force is justified but its use could cause serious collateral effects, such as injury to bystanders.

·       Level 6 - Deadly Force: If a police officer has probable cause to believe that a suspect poses a significant threat of imminent death or serious physical injury to the officer or others, then the use of deadly force is justified. It is obvious from all of the news about misuse of power by police, that this is easier said than done.

By the very nature of law enforcement, officers can be confronted with a potentially lethal threat at any given time. In many of these instances, officers may have no other reasonable option, given the totality of the circumstances, but to discharge their firearm in order to protect their life or the lives of others.

The use of force is an integral part of a law enforcement officer's job, particularly when arresting criminal suspects. While most reasonable people believe that police should be permitted to protect themselves and others from threats to safety, what is often disputed is an officer's assessment of a threat and the level of force selected to counter it. The level of force used must be tailored to the nature of the threat that prompted its use. In other words, a response is fully dictated by the actions and threat level of a perpetrator.

Although central body mass is the most reliable and accessible target proven to be likely to stop a threat, even a center body mass shot or shots does not necessarily guarantee an immediate stop to aggression. Case in point: In February of this year a Montgomery County, Maryland, sheriff’s deputy was seen on a widely viewed internet video firing 12 rounds, striking an attacking individual at close range, after the deputy backed away, tried de-escalation, and attempted Taser deployment before the subject finally stopped his forward aggression and the attack ceased. A nearly identical situation, in the days before Tasers, was famously taught in the Baltimore City Police Academy of the ‘80s where a hostile aggressor failed to cease attack quickly after being shot numerous times center mass. Police are taught never to take anything for granted and always remain flexible in their response because in real-world scenarios there is no guarantee that any one technique will immediately stop an enraged aggressor. These life and death situations are not taken lightly.

Is it ever OK to use deadly force?

While there is always room for improvement, more tools and deployment training, it is not realistic to completely eliminate the use of deadly force by the police ... nor should it be in cases involving imminent danger in the maiming or death to innocent members of the public or to the police. There is no license for the police to kill, only a responsibility to stop a threat, to protect oneself and the people who need protection from those who are causing catastrophic harm to those around them. Who has their finger on the pulse of a community more than a front line community cop on the beat who has a sense of obligation toward the community in doing what is best for the overall safety and common good of the areas served? The answer lies within each dedicated and good-hearted law enforcement professional. May the protectors of our society always be the ones to prevail.

Joel E. Gordon is a former Field Training Officer with the Baltimore City Police Department and is a past Chief of Police for the city of Kingwood, West Virginia. He has also served as vice-chair of a multi-jurisdictional regional narcotics task force. An award winning journalist, he is author of the book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer's Story and founded the Facebook group Police Authors Seeking Justice. Look him up at stillseekingjustice.com

'Spirit-of-the-Law' vs. 'Letter-of-the-Law': What It Means for Alabama Guardianship Legislation

By Bernard Kerik

One early memory of my law enforcement career was the day I learned the concept of the-letter-of-the-law versus the-spirit-of-the-law.

Simply put the-letter-of-the-law means the law is applied exactly as written. For example - the speed limit on highways is 65 mph, any vehicle traveling at 66 mph or greater is in violation of traffic law and shall be issued a speeding ticket.

The spirit-of-the-law leaves room for officer discretion. This means I could consider other factors when deciding to issue a ticket, give a warning, or ignore a violation all together. Following the spirit-of-the-law allowed me to apply the law as the legislature intended, especially in situations with extenuating circumstances or a warning was more appropriate.

I think we would all agree, darting across the middle of a busy street can create a dangerous situation for all and could be grounds for a jaywalking violation, but casually walking across the middle of an empty street would not warrant a ticket. Endangering others by driving under the influence is not the same as not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign.

Sometimes, however, the enacted version of a law does not quite hit the mark. The spirit is clear, but the letter of the law leaves room for interpretation - a loophole. We all know, just as water follows the path of least resistance, if there is a loophole in the letter of the law - there’s a lawyer who will take advantage.

Terri LaPoint, an investigative journalist with RealNewsSpark, has written extensively on the exploitation and civil liberty destroying nature of Alabama’s guardianship laws.

In early April of this year, LaPoint testified before the Alabama House Judiciary Committee on the need for guardianship reform.

LaPoint gave a powerful speech in which she pointed out the guardianship and conservatorship system started out as a way to protect the most vulnerable among us - our elderly. However, LaPoint has seen the system fail even though the 5th Amendment’s guarantees that no person shall be “deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”

She went on to say some who have been trusted to look after our most vulnerable have used loopholes personally benefit from the way the current laws are written. In her reporting, LaPoint has also found a system, which uses fear tactics and a lack of accountability to exploit seniors and drain their estates of assets meant for their families to inherit.

She said so many seniors have been victimized by the current system that something must be done. At this moment, violent criminals in Alabama prisons have more rights than a senior put under guardianship. LaPoint closed by saying this could not have been the intent of the legislature and called for reforming this system.

I too do not believe Alabama’s guardian and conservatorship laws were intended to be abusive, but as written, the letter-of-the-law permits exploitation. If a loophole can be exploited for financial gain or billable hours, we all know there will be more than a few attorneys who will take advantage.

In most situations, the spirit-of-the-law is sufficient to protect most people, but as seen in Terri LaPoint’s excellent reporting on Alabama seniors, Joann Bashinsky, Marian Leonard, and Marguerite Trent Caddis - it isn’t always enough.

This is why I support Alabama Representative Joe Lovvorn’s (R-District 79) House Bill 603. Rep. Lovvorn’s bill will bring much needed reform to Alabama’s guardian, conservatorship, and probate court rules and procedures.

Among the many improvements proposed in HB603:

•            “undue influence exerted on a person is not, alone, adequate grounds for determining that person is incapacitated and in need of a guardian”

•            bill would prohibit the appointment of a guardian or conservator when a valid power of attorney or health care directive exists and the person chosen is willing and able to perform needed functions.

•            HB603 would declare a guardianship void if the due process rights of the alleged incapacitated person were determined to have been violated.

The American Bar Association Rules of Professional Conduct states, “The legal profession is largely self-governing” and the “legal profession's relative autonomy carries with it special responsibilities of self-government.”

When there is a loophole in a poorly worded law, we expect people to do what is right, not what is what is allowed. Unfortunately, history has shown us, especially in Birmingham, we cannot leave the fox to guard the hen house and expect it to “self-govern.”

Predatory attorneys across this country know exactly what they are doing…and it is disgusting. They are pillaging the hard earned wealth away from their victims, sometimes leaving their heirs with pennies (as in the Marguerite Trent Caddis case – link).

I trust the Alabama legislature will do the right thing and pass Alabama HB603 into law.

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.

Stay Switched On: Five Keys to Survive

By: Eric J. Caron

During my 25-year career as a U.S. government agent investigating terrorism, I became all too familiar with the chaos and destruction that can be caused in attacks by terrorists and other criminals. One of the most deadly and heinous types of attacks is the attack by an active shooter. Because they have the element of surprise on their side, they hit us when we’re unprepared and often blindside us in public places where we feel safe and our defenses are down. The cold reality is that active shooters have become a daily occurrence in the workplace, in entertainment venues, at parades and even in places of worship. Sadly, anywhere people gather to play or pray can become a target of a terrorist or other active shooter. The good news is that there are five very simple tools we can use to make sure we are Switched On and ready for the bad guy.

Before we proceed, let me answer a question I am often asked: “So, what does it mean to be Switched On?”

Being Switched On is a daily decision, a moment-by-moment choice, a constant awareness and mindset. It can become part of our very DNA and act as a coat of armor that protects us from all types of threats, in all aspects of life. When it comes to an active-shooter situation, it can literally mean the difference between life and death.

Those who are Switched On have a high-functioning internal compass and GPS system. They have emotional equilibrium and dexterity. They recognize nuances in their complex environments, and are guided as to when to turn just a few degrees to the left or right, go forward full throttle, back up or come to a dead stop.

We’ve all seen news reports of people innocently going to a concert or theater only to be ambushed and gunned down by some maniac with an AK-47. Sadly, some of us have narrowly escaped such situations, known someone who has or lost a loved one who wasn’t so lucky. So, we must be in the habit of being Switched On every time we are out in public. We must train our brains like a muscle, no different than our biceps. Train the mind and the body will follow. Don’t, and we could lose our lives during an active-shooter event.

Think of your favorite athlete in whatever sport. They develop muscle memory in executing a particular move or play by practicing and visualizing that move or play hundreds of times before you or I ever see them use it in their sport. That repetition is what enables them to make what they do look so easy. It is second nature to them.

By training your most important muscle — your mind — you will increase the likelihood of surviving an active-shooter event. So, take the time to prepare like an athlete. And remember that the event you’re preparing for has much higher stakes than a sporting event — life and death! The following five to survive tools can empower us all so we can enjoy life as God intended us to. Train yourself to:

1. Engage your senses and trust your instincts.

• The essence of being Switched On stems from our minds. Our minds control our bodies, including sight, hearing and smell, as well as our God-given instincts. When we are Switched On, we listen as acutely as an owl, see with Clark Kent vision and sniff out danger like a bloodhound.

2. Scan the environment and devise a worst-case scenario plan.

• Keep in mind that, during stressful events, the mind automatically scans the memory bank for a predetermined plan. If no plan was put into place then none will be retrieved — and without preplanned instructions to follow, the body will freeze or make a fatal decision. The plan should be threefold:

4 Identify a primary and secondary exit. It is good to make a mental note of the locations of the exits but even better if we can physically walk our escape plan before we need it. In this way, we are like the elite athlete practicing a certain move a thousand times so it becomes muscle memory;

• Identify safe havens or places to which we can escape; and

• Identify objects to use for cover and concealment. It’s important to know the difference between concealment (hiding under a table, for example) and cover-and-concealment (hiding behind a refrigerator or thick metal object capable of stopping a bullet, or in a locked room). Whenever possible, cover-and-concealment is preferable because it provides greater protection and safety.

3. Train yourself to scan the crowd, read people and identify potential threats such as a lone individual dressed inappropriately for an event.

And if you see something that doesn’t fit or seems off in some way, say something to authorities. Never be afraid of being wrong and embarrassing yourself. It’s better to be safe than sorry. It could save your life and maybe even the lives of others.

4. Listen to and focus on your breath when you’re in close proximity to an active shooter or any violence.

As simplistic as that may seem, it has a major twofold effect:

• It breaches tunnel vision on the shooter and widens your perspective and eyesight so you can see and identify other threats; and

• Just as importantly, it helps you focus on your previously identified exit-and-escape plan.

5. Memorize this fact, repeat it over and over, and make it your mantra: “My main focus is to identify the threat, avoid the threat, and escape the threat.

Period! Every time I am out in public, I will be Switched On.” Our instinct in times of crisis is to call loved ones or the police — but it’s not the time unless you’re out of harm’s way. As we escape the chaos, we must prepare to encounter police (their response time is typically two to four minutes) by putting our hands up in the air. When they arrive, they will be expecting us to give a description of the shooter or shooters. With active-shooter incidents confronting us on a regular basis on the news, many people become scared and feel helpless. Some even avoid going out after dark or leaving the house at all. But we must not surrender to thoughts and fears of violence. Our minds can be put to much better use. In fact, they can become our best protection for avoiding active-shooter incidents and for protecting us if we should find ourselves facing an active shooter.

Your mind is your best protection and your best weapon! Train it well. Practice often. Remain Switched On. And live your best life.

Eric Caron is a Special Agent (Ret) with 25 years of service. He is the author of "Switched On - The Heart & Mind of a Special Agent." His website is: Switchedonlife.com

Police Chaplains Perspective: The Day to Choose a Side Has Come

By Chris Amos

As the sun was setting on the life of Joshua he delivered an impassioned message to the Children of God. He concluded with an ultimatum: “Choose you this day who you will serve. Either the gods of your fathers or the idols of the land in which you now dwell. But as for me and my house we will serve The Lord.” Jesus nailed home the point even further. “You cannot serve two masters…” This reminds me of a story from during the Civil War. A man lived in one of the border states between the North and South. He was not sure which side to support. One day he came up with a brilliant idea. He would wear a Confederate military shirt and Union military pants. Inevitably, the war came to his small town. The Union soldiers shot him above the waist and the Confederates, below. The moral of all of these points, we all must choose a side.

I choose the side of Jesus Christ and His claim to be the one and only way to God the Father. I choose to believe law enforcement officers are called by God, most do not realize this, to maintain law and order. To protect those unable to protect themselves. To stand in the gap between the sheep and the wolves that seek to prey on them. I do not believe police officers are infallible, far from it. No, they are men and women, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, just like the rest of us who have chosen to pursue an impossible job, not for fame or fortune, or certainly the applause of the masses, but because they simply want to make life better and safer for their families and communities.

The mainstream media, at the urging of their handlers, have made it their life’s pursuit to indict and ultimately undermine policing as we know it. They obsess over the occasional misuse of force, even attempting to paint legal and necessary uses of force by officers with the wide brush of racism, intolerance and hate. The countless stories of personal sacrifice, compassion, heroism and selflessness by men and women serving as law enforcement officers rarely sees the light of day.

During my own, almost 27-year career, I fired my weapon three times, in one incident, while in the line of duty. And this was only after being shot twice while trying to make an arrest. Off the top of my head, I can think of over half a dozen times when I felt in fear for my life or the lives of others and yet did not fire my weapon. This is not unique to me. If you ask any police officer who has served over two or three years, they will tell you the same thing. The point being 99% of those serving in this most noble and honorable profession demonstrate tremendous self-control under the most stressful of circumstances. The attempt to paint police officers as a bunch of racist, trigger-happy, disrespectful bullies just is not true.

Imagine if every interaction of our politicians, schoolteachers, doctors, lawyers, salesmen, nurses, construction workers, ministers, fill-in-the-blank, was recorded. Imagine if those recordings where then put on social media, at times out of context with the omission of particularly important facts. Imagine the field day that we would have. The truth is that at times we do see these kinds of interactions, but usually it is done by anonymous sources and “leaks.” Not so with police officers. Their actions are recorded and released, giving no thought to the context, the stress, the very reason that led to the officers being present in the first place. And often, important facts are intentionally and completely omitted. Facts like the individual shot was armed with a knife or gun and after being told repeatedly to drop the weapon chose rather to turn toward the officer or another person in an aggressive manner.

Do officers make mistakes? Absolutely. At times, those mistakes are in fact crimes so egregious those officers should be in jail if not under the jail. At other times, their mistakes are just that: mistakes. Tragic though they may be, they were still mistakes. Mistakes that do elicit consequences. Consequences that must be experienced by the individuals involved. And yet Jesus reminds us that he who is without sin, aka having never made a mistake, should throw the first stone of accusation and condemnation. Unfortunately, we are living in a time of such unrighteousness and self-righteousness that there is little room for the true righteousness found in Jesus Christ. As a result, the stones are flying from every direction and law enforcement officers are a popular target.

And so where do we go from here? The band-aid to our problems is to support the men and women of law enforcement. Tell them when you see them. Tell your local police chiefs, city council members, city managers and mayors that you support your police officers, deputies, state troopers ... Tell your representatives at the state and federal level that you support law enforcement, and while recognizing the few bad apples you stand in solidarity with the vast majority of officers who do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason. Voice your strong disapproval of politicians attempting to strip law enforcement officers of the very tools they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. Police officers are being assaulted and killed at an alarming rate. This must not be allowed to continue. Ironically, the greatest critics against the police, those serving in the public sector demanding the defunding of police, also demand and often receive, law enforcement details to protect them.

The real change is that of choosing this day whom you will serve. The Lord Jesus Christ or Satan, the Prince of this world, and the worldly system he is seeking to establish by any means necessary. The United States of America, while by no means perfect, is the greatest obstacle standing in the way of his desire and design for this world. America may be damaged beyond repair, only time will tell. But until the fate of America plays out it is imperative for those of us blessed to be born in the greatest country in the world to choose this day whom we will serve. “Either the gods of your fathers or the social idols of the land in which you now dwell. But as for me and my house we will serve The Lord.”

See you at the finish line! It is closer than it has ever been.

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

Are Their Wildest Dreams Coming True? Be Careful What You Wish For. The Body Count Grows Higher.

By: Kirk Lawless

Recently has been nothing short of disastrous for cops across the United States. Police Memorial Week will add 362 names to the wall of cops killed on the job. As of 05/12/2021 we have had 124 cops killed and 57 have committed suicide at only 133 days into the year. And yes, there are folks to blame.

The embracing of terrorist organizations like Black Lives Matter, by politicians and folks with messed up moral compasses are adding fuel to the fire, those who coddle criminals, and those who glorify criminals and their behavior are to blame. “Influencers,” sports figures, Lebron James and Colin Kaepernick are two who come to mind as folks who can just screw right off. I can’t get fired for exercising my First Amendment Right to free speech. I don’t work for anybody and I’ve already been worked over by the cop-hating system, so I don’t care and I will not be quieted.

The folks spoiling for a civil war are to blame as well. The media “If it bleeds it leads” mentality are getting cops and civilians killed. We recently had four cops murdered in one week. We, the police are now officially the enemy.

Missouri U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D), Black Lives Matter supporter and activist appeared on the news here in St Louis on May 5. “Today’s decision to defund the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is historic. It marks a new future for our city.” What she said is true, except the future is dismal because of her way of thinking. Within days of applauding the decision that was made to not fill 200 vacancies in the SLMPD, 20 folks were shot and three killed in one night. Keep it under your hat, but the police didn’t kill them. Folks like Bush find it easier to condemn the police in general when it fits the Marxist agenda of BLM, but they’re not protesting the black on black crime that plagues this town.

St. Louis is home to some 300,000 people, who are protected by 1,343 cops soon to be 1,143. Yay! You’re getting what you wanted! Except, it’s more dead bodies, and sadly, most of them will be people of color, and killed by other people of color.

On April 30 the city’s 2nd District (its largest) was protected by five, count ‘em five, cops. That left one cop responsible for the area that includes Forest Park and its 1,326 acres, so four to cover the rest of the district. It’s dangerous for the cops, it’s dangerous for the citizens, but the folks like Bush want less police. I’ve chased bandits all across this area and the last thing the folks of color trapped in low-income crime-infested neighborhoods need is less police protection. That’s fact. The media barely touches on that during the nightly homicide montage. Not to worry, though, the 62 square miles of St. Louis City proper will be better off with 200 less cops!

President Biden chose Police Memorial Week to get a dig in on us, by saying the police were the reason there is such distrust in this country, implying that police officers were randomly killing folks of color. That is as unforgivable as it is insulting. He literally slapped every cop in America right in the face with his political double speak.

They also gave Mrs. Obama more facetime where she had to attack us again implying she is scared to death that the police will target her girls and the outcome would be devastating. I think she’s upset that they had to have “the talk” with their daughters. Here’s a clue, all parents should have “the talk” with their kids regarding possible interactions with the cops. It’s nothing new. All the cool parents are doing it, even the white ones! I had “the talk” with my kids. My dad gave me and my brother, “the talk.” My grandfather gave my dad and his five brothers, “the talk,” so singling out the notion that only people of color have “the talk” is such BS. Personally, I’m sick of it. I won’t be shamed into feeling guilty for something I didn’t do. And I won’t get shamed or discounted for the color of my skin. Wait what’s that called? Oh yeah, racism, and it’s a two-way street.

Systemic racism. It always comes back to that, doesn’t it? The thing that shocks me is that those who hold some sway, or can create a media frenzy by weighing in on something they know little about, stops right there, by creating conflict and bitching that this should have been handled differently and then they disappear. They offer zero solutions. They stir the pot, then leave.

These folks don’t volunteer their time to go into what they say is “their” neighborhoods and make a difference. Do they go into the schools and tell kids how they should act during a car stop? Do they preach the ills of drugs and gunplay on the streets? I did it every damned day. It’s not just a job for most of us; it’s a calling.

I’m serious. I’m not sure how many parents neglect to tell their children how to cross the street without getting hit, let alone how to conduct themselves during an interaction with the police.

So Colin, LeBron, Cori, Joe, and Michelle stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution. I will continue to do what I do. I have solutions; I have insight. I talk to many police recruits. Trust me, when we part ways they have a greater understanding of the difficulties of the job and what will be asked of them. And, I have never met one who said, “I can’t wait to hit the street and kill someone for absolutely no reason!” It’ll never happen. It doesn’t work that way.

By leaps and bounds, you are changing things by defunding the police and demonizing us. You’re getting more cops killed. You are directly making cities like St. Louis more dangerous than we already were. We’re number one in murders and again, it ain’t the cops doing the killing. Keep it up. Keep draining the citizens of the only protection they have and need. You’re just going to end up with a higher body count.

Your dreams may be coming true, but be careful what you wish for.

Kirk Lawless is a 28 year, decorated, veteran police officer from the St Louis area. He’s a former SWAT operator, narcotics agent, homicide investigator, detective and Medal of Valor recipient. Off the job due to an up close and personal gunfight, he now concentrates on writing. He’s a patriotic warrior, artist, poet, actor, musician, and man of peace.

Officer Nearly Killed: Justice System Yawns

By: Lexie Bell                                                     

"I'm going to fucking kill you, bitch."

These were the words said to me by John Pugna on Aug. 18, 2019. He then proceeded to punch me in the face and head over a dozen times. He threw me on the ground and tried to gouge out my eyes. He violently attacked me in an attempt to end my life. All of this was captured on my body camera. His wife threw herself on top of me to get him to stop hitting me and while she was there, he said, "This is my wife, and she's the only reason you're still alive." I thought I was going to die that day. However, I fought like hell, I was able to get up, hold him at gunpoint, and he was arrested.

He was indicted for attempted murder, felonious assault, assault and three counts of aggravated menacing.

In typical Cuyahoga County fashion, they let him plead to felonious assault and aggravated menacing, even though he legitimately tried to kill me. I argued against it but I knew I wouldn't win that.

At the sentencing, Judge Daniel Gaul said some wonderful things about the police, how he supports us and how we are being unfairly treated by the media. He went on to say how terrible Pugnea's actions were that day and even called him out several times when he tried to make excuses for what he did because of substance abuse and a history of mental health issues.

Let me address that for a minute. The defense for him is that he had a workplace accident that caused him to suffer severe chemical poisoning in 1993 that put him in a coma and has thus ruined his life. OK, fine. But how about the fact that he tried to kill another North Royalton police officer back in 1982? What's his excuse for that? Judge Gaul brought that up in court and Pugnea got defensive saying that should have been expunged and was not relevant. Judge Gaul was apparently upset by this and called him out. This proves that he has a violent history prior to this accident. His history prior to the accident, to me, completely invalidates his argument that the accident is what caused his problems. Plus, everyone that I have ever met that knew Pugnea, going back to his high-school days, has said that he was always violent and aggressive and nobody was surprised by what he did.

Another argument is that he was given a book to read that suggested he go off his medications, and so he did. The combination of him being off his meds and him starting to drink again is also why he did what he did and that somehow mitigates his responsibility. At the end of the day, HE made the decision to go off his meds and HE made the decision to drink, therefore HE is solely responsible for his horrific actions.

Judge Daniel Gaul seemed to agree with the prosecution, given his nice speeches and apparent disgust for Pugnea. However, in a shock to everyone in the courtroom on sentencing day, this judge gave him the MINIMUM sentence for the felonious assault. 4 to 6 years in prison. Time served for the aggravated menacing since he had been in the county jail for about 10 months. I was floored and extremely upset. He basically got four years for the attempted murder of a police officer. The judge pulled me aside after his ruling and told me that Pugnea would serve his whole sentence and that if I ever needed anything, to call him. What I needed was for him to give him a fair sentence, but obviously I wasn't going to get that. I left court that day completely dejected but at least relieved that it was over.

That is until I got a phone call from a prosecutor saying that John Pugnea was just granted a judicial release by Judge Daniel Gaul after serving just nine months in prison. I was hysterical. I couldn't even talk.

The judicial release hearing was never put on the docket, so nobody other than the judge, defense, and prosecutor knew about it. Because it wasn't on the docket, the fail-safes they have at county where the victims would be notified completely failed. The prosecutor, who is actually a nice guy, is another overworked prosecutor at county and he was given this case with no knowledge and failed to realize its significance. He dropped the ball and never called me as I'm sure has happened many times, which is why they have the "fail-safes.” Why wasn't the original prosecutor assigned? I fully believe the judge tried to do this in silence so I would never find out. The only reason I did was because the prosecutor called me and admitted his mistake in not notifying me. A lot of people never own up to their mistakes, and I thank him greatly for that.          

As of now, they put a hold on Pugnea's release because a lot of people are angry and have been putting pressure where they can. There has been a motion for reconsideration filed. The county violated the law by not notifying me of the hearing. Also, the judge did not give proper findings at the release hearing. Judge Gaul had to justify his reasons for judicial release under ORC 2929.20, part of which is by him justifying that "a sanction other than a prison term would not demean the seriousness of the offense." I'd really like to hear his justification on that one.

I don't know the reason. What I do know is that this whole thing is absolutely disgusting. This is a slap in the face to all police officers. Nine months in prison for the attempted murder of a police officer. Seems fair.

Michelle Malkin: America's Media-Poisoned Well

It's springtime in America. In halcyon days, we'd ring in the new season with fresh starts and fragrant flowers. But in 2021, the arrival of spring now ushers in yet another cycle of destructive urban riots — stoked and coddled by toxic journalists downplaying left-wing violence and demonizing all who dare call out the ruinous, race-based chaos for what it is.

As vandals and looters tore apart Minneapolis again in the wake of a cop-involved shooting, a suburban police chief tried to report on the dangerous conditions outside his station.

"Just so that everybody's clear, I was front and center at the protest, at the riot," Brooklyn Center (Minn.) police chief Tim Gannon told the media. He was there. They were not. This did not, however, deter the know-it-alls from castigating Gannon for using the word "riot." Cue the collective outrage and the ululations of the aggrieved.

"Don't do that!" one journalist exclaimed. "There was no riot," another propagandist retorted. "It was not a riot!" another indignant media wag chimed in.

Gannon did what reporters are supposed to do: Report. In a rare show of public courage by an elected official in these hellish days, Gannon remained undeterred. Several officers were injured; 40 demonstrators were arrested, and 20 businesses were invaded and robbed. "The officers that were putting themselves in harm's way were being pelted with frozen cans of pop, they were being pelted with concrete blocks. And yes, we had our helmets on and we had other protection and gear, but an officer was injured, hit in the head with a brick… so we had to make decisions. We had to disperse the crowd because we cannot allow our officers to be harmed."

Outraged journo-activists apparently disagree. These same types of professional word massagers who bark at police not to call riots "riots" are the same types who've been calling the deadly conflagrations of every major American city since George Floyd's death last May "mostly peaceful protests." Our airwaves and newspaper pages have been saturated with loaded language and warped narratives about every high-profile police encounter exploited by Black Lives Matter and Antifa from George Floyd to Ahmaud Arbery to Jacob Blake and now Daunte Wright.

Not only are these "protests" immune from criticism about their violent criminal nature, but they are also miraculously immune from COVID-19. When citizens in flyover country have gathered to resist lockdowns and mask mandates, the national media pounces on these peaceful protesters as selfish, reckless menaces to public safety. When inner-city thugs burn down auto repair shops, firebomb courthouses and police precinct offices, cart off diapers from Walgreen's, and raid liquor store shelves in the name of social justice, pandemic paranoia and condemnatory headlines suddenly evaporate.

Rigged media coverage. Rioters run amok. The threat of violence hanging overhead like thick cumulonimbus clouds. How is it possible for anyone accused in a riot-triggering incident from obtaining a fair trial? In a remarkable act of self-delusion, the presiding judge in the ongoing trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin rejected a defense request to immediately sequester the jury in the aftermath of this week's new bumper crop of riots. Stating the gobsmackingly obvious, defense attorney Eric Nelson argued that the violent outbreaks would be at the "forefront of the jury's mindset."

Judge Peter Cahill, however, shrugged off the threats and ruled that the jury doesn't need to be shut off from media and social media exposure until closing arguments began. Never mind the barricades and barbed wire outside the fortified courthouse. Never mind the half-billion dollars in damage already done by George Floyd's vigilantes. Never mind the blaring, front-page stories about shopkeepers preparing for bloody chaos if the jury doesn't rule the "right" way.

Instead, Cahill nonchalantly advised the jury to simply avoid the news during the trial. Sure, just ignore the acrid smell of anarchotyranny permeating the air. Take no notice of wall-to-wall coverage of Gannon's resignation After he pushed back against the media. Pay no attention to the journalists raging at police officials calling out rioters. Tune out the black-clad militants screaming "All Cops Are Bastards" and "No Justice, No Peace." Pretend away the pretrial publicity and nightly news jeremiads from racial demagogues Al Sharpton and Benjamin Crump painting Chauvin as an evildoer on par with Ted Bundy or Adolph Hitler.

With the media acting as relentless co-prosecutors and character executioners, the well of fair and impartial jurors who can weigh evidence without fear of retribution has been irreversibly poisoned. Like Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center, Portland, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Detroit, St. Louis, Ferguson and so many other cities before them, the Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights to an impartial jury, fair trial and due process have all gone up in choking flames. This is what the twilight of a once great and free country looks and smells like.

Source: www.creators.com

Michelle Malkin is an American conservative blogger, political commentator, author, and businesswoman. Her weekly syndicated column appears in a number of newspapers and websites. She was a Fox News contributor and has been a guest on MSNBC, C-SPAN, and national radio programs. Malkin has written several books. She founded the conservative websites Twitchy and Hot Air. E-mail: MichelleMalkinInvestigates@protonmail.com

Operation Rebound: Helping Our Heroes

By Michael D. Boll

Memorial Day weekend is one of the most challenging for the New Jersey Veterans Network and its team of volunteers and mentors. This is a difficult time for many veterans because they reflect on their brothers and sisters who didn't make it home. Every day our nation loses 22 veterans to suicide, and it seems that number isn’t coming down. If you are a veteran, or a family member, who is feeling alone, or are in need of assistance, we are here for you. Please reach out to us.

Our team focuses on helping our veterans and first responders have a better way of life through our volunteer mobile outreach mentoring program. We believe by aggressively seeking out veterans in need and contacting them before they are in crisis, we can really have some positive results. Contacting a person in need first is a great way to build trust and make it easier to begin a friendship. People will do better when they have human contact in their lives, too many programs are automated and lack the empathy and compassion needed to help someone in crisis.

We are not afraid to tell our veterans and first responders that they are loved, and we strive to give them purpose. The team immediately empowers and gives its members a new family unit to be part of again. Nearly everyone who joins the team wants to help others and make a difference in someone else's life. Helping others definitely is a medicine that will make you become a better person, and you’ll feel really good about it.

New Jersey Veterans Network is constantly keeping active thru our Operation Rebound Racing Team which hosts numerous hikes, runs, bike rides and all other types of physically challenging events. However, we also focus on non-athletic events like hosting a BBQ, comedy show, tailgate, camping trip and several other fun outings throughout the year. But it doesn’t stop there, the team works well with other charities and hosts numerous food drives and clothing events which normally take place at our veteran hospitals and shelters. If you would like to help, there is something for you to contribute.

Most recently, in April, our outreach director Frank “Doc” Schupp spearheaded our “Helping Heroes” program, and “Hero Day.” These two programs were responsible for providing over 3,000 veterans and National Guardsmen throughout the state with food, PPE and personal items.

In the last few years New Jersey Veterans Network has grown and has been able to save lives, provide cars, employment, housing, clothing, food, toiletries, and so much more to heroes.

Soon we will be launching a statewide anti-suicide and PTSD awareness campaign. We have joined forces with the NJ VFW, NJ American Legion, NJSPBA, NJ FMBA, NJ FOP, NJ Veterans Affairs, State Legislators and numerous other groups and organizations.

How you can help

Financial donations are great, but we mostly rely on volunteers and donated resources. Our charity allows donors the opportunity to choose where their funds go and the volunteers get to play an active role in changing someone’s life.

If you are interested in joining the team as a volunteer, would like us to speak at your event, contribute to our mission or are a veteran in need of assistance or comradeship, please contact us at NJVN1775@gmail.com or emailmdbollio@optonline.net. or call 973-332-1556. To learn more, visit njvn.org

About New Jersey Veterans Network: We are a group of veterans and volunteers dedicated to helping our veterans and their families live better lives. Our team is raising awareness of our veterans’ needs by organizing public speaking engagements, meeting with business and political leaders across the state and sponsoring fundraising events. Our mission is to identify veterans and connect them with resources and programs designed to meet their unique set of needs. To ensure that EVERY single one of our veterans, who have sacrificed so much for this great country, receives the resources that they require and deserve.

Michael D. Boll is a retired police sergeant in NJ. He previously served as a United States Marine and is a Gulf War veteran. He is the founder of Operation Rebound Racing Team, a nonprofit organization that helps wounded veterans and first responders enjoy a better quality of life.

The Blue Line Flag: A Force for Good, Peace and Protection

By Lt. Joseph Pangaro, CPM, CSO

Blue is the color of many things. Like all colors, blue moves us, intrigues us, motivates us and is imbued with meaning. “True Blue” is a term and connection to the color that has stood the test of time. True Blue means loyal, respectful, honorable, just, and sincere. These may not have been the intentions of nature when she created the colors of the rainbow, but they have been adopted by people to describe a feeling or belief and how it is characterized by the color. When we think of colors, we can see a connection to other feelings and concepts.

Red is a powerful color and has a completely different meaning than and represents different feelings than blue. Red is fiery, sexy, aggressive and strong. We have the red power tie for men to express this connotation of power. Yellow, on the other hand, is a weaker color, yellow can say “caution,” slow down and a host of other things, but we don’t think of yellow as powerful or loyal, do we?

How about the little black dress or the pink bow, or the dark blue suit, they all send messages that we humans recognize, seemingly naturally. We don’t really think about it until we have to.

I teach a course on courtroom testimony. In that class I cover how to use your reports, the tone of your voice, the way you take the oath, where you look in the room, how to treat the judge and the lawyers and I talk about the clothes you wear to testify, because colors reflect feeling and emotions.

I say if you are a witness in a multi-day trail, on day one and on direct examination from the prosecutor, you as a law enforcement officer should wear a dark color suit or dress with a blue tie. This color combination expresses strength, control and with the blue tie to accent it, integrity because blue gives that impression.

On day two, or whatever day you will face cross examination, I suggest wearing a brown suit or dress and a light brown tie. Brown is a nice color, neutral, calm and does not scream control and power, instead it is softer and when the defense attorney is grilling you, you want to appear honest and calm, even a bit vulnerable to the jury so they will see you as a person they can connect to as the big bad lawyer attacks you.

These color examples make the point; we do see colors as a way of defining something, expressing something and making a statement. So, did these implied characteristics come from me? No, they have been with humanity for thousands of years for reasons we may never be able to definitively say why, but colors move us, they speak to us and they do have power.

That being said, and with some understanding now of how color defines a thing, let’s look at the Police blue line flag. First we have to define it. It is not an American flag with different colors; it is a different flag altogether. If it were the American flag, then it would represent our country, and arguably the police blue line flag does not represent the USA, it represents the men and women of law enforcement. The stars, stripes and configuration may look similar to the American flag, but that is just on the surface. The police Blue Line Flag, its meaning and what it represents goes much deeper than just representing law enforcement. It represents what law enforcement means to the members of the service.

The colors of the Blue Line Flag were chosen to highlight the blue line which represents every man and women that has ever donned the uniform and walked a beat or patrolled the tiers. All of us are that blue line. No matter where we work, what size of our agency or our mission, job title, assignment or the color of our skin, where we were born or who we love we are all blue, and we walk the line of service to others. We protect the weak and defend the innocent; we chase the demons and run toward danger at our own peril. We suffer and sacrifice to the point of death to accomplish these goals and complete our mission.

The Blue Line flag does not represent hate directed toward anyone, nor does it stand for oppression, or stand for one group’s dominance over another. What it does stand for is duty, honor, fidelity, service to community, courage in the face of evil, dedication to principles of the greater good, and brotherhood and sisterhood bonded in a belief that there is right and wrong, good and bad and that those who stand on that Blue line are one.

A force for good in a free society; a force for peace in a time of chaos and a force of protection for everyone.

Ours is a noble profession and one deserving of our pride. Law enforcement at any level is built on a foundation of sacrifice and service to others with an undertaking that starts when we are young and makes demands of our time, our skills, our families, our hearts and souls. It is a profession that demands our respect and commitment to things greater than ourselves and it is a responsibility that cannot be disregarded for one second even after the years of active service are over. When you take the oath, you are part of the law enforcement family forever and you are committed to the ideals of justice for your entire life.

When I see the Blue Line Flag I see that pride, that nobility, that commitment, that dedication, that honor, and I see the blood that has been spilled by those represented by the blue line flag that have made the ultimate sacrifice for others. That is what I see when I see that flag, because that is what it represents because we, the men and women who walk the blue line, say that’s what it means. It is our creation, our expression and our representation of the essence of the blue line and the profession we belong to.

Others may disparage it, give it false meaning and assign to it false expression or hidden meaning but none of that is true. Our Blue Line Flag is blue for a reason and for all the things that the color blue represents. We must not allow anyone to define who we are or what our flag stands for. We are true blue.

Lt. Joseph Pangaro retired after serving 27 years at a police department in Monmouth County, NJ, having served as the Lead Training Officer. Pangaro is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickenson University’s Certified Public Managers Program (CPM). He’s a newspaper columnist who writes about the rigors and joys in law enforcement. Joseph Pangaro is the CEO and President of Pangaro Training and Management, and Pangaro Global Training, an online training company. E-mail at: JPangaro@TrueSecurityDesign.com, www.TrueSecurityDesign.com

Police Must Stop Beating Themselves Up: The Toll of Trauma

By: Joel F. Shults

There is nothing but regret in the Chauvin case. Regret that the officer didn’t get George Floyd medical attention earlier. Regret that the looters and arsonists think they had a hand in achieving justice. Regret that the shadow of the threat of riots can never be separated from the guilty verdict. Regret that this event is represented as evidence of routine abuse by police officers. Regret that Floyd’s criminal activity was disregarded as irrelevant and minor, not even justifying an arrest. Regret that the science of forensic pathology is inexact enough to send someone to prison with conflicting assumptions about a cause of death. Regret that the public fails to see the multiple millions of contacts and arrests by police officers in unfathomably complex situations that are accomplished flawlessly.

We like to ask angry and confused citizens to wait for the system to work. Now we question whether the system worked. Many, if not most, police officers were just as disturbed by the Floyd video as other citizens. But they have all had to deal with arrestees screaming bloody murder for the crowds. Officers watch these videos with vicarious adrenaline as they relive their own struggles with drug-infused suspects who don’t feel pain, can’t think straight enough to stop resisting, surrounded by bystanders rooting for the arrestee while filming the event with the intent to post it with their own vile and false narrative. We want to accept the jury verdict, but we also know that perhaps, but for the grace of God, there go I.

Would Chauvin have been criminally charged without the civilian video and outrage? We want to think so, since we know an in-custody death would have been closely investigated. What we do know is that the assumption that this kind of thing happens a lot and is generally swept under the rug behind the blue wall of silence is not our experience. Cops get in trouble. They get sued. They get charged. They get fired. They lose their careers. They get chastised by their peers and admonished by supervisors. The old days of attitude adjustments in the alley have passed. We’ve gotten so much better, but in the era of community policing we somehow plowed ground where adversaries planted seeds of mistrust and separation. Maybe all the familiarity bred contempt. Maybe in making everyone Officer Friendly, we did a disservice to the public by masking the reality of being an armed government agent confronting genuine evil and chaos.

Nothing should change solely because of George Floyd and Derek Chauvin. It was a case for a jury, and a jury spoke. We give it due solemn regard and take from it the lessons it offers. The case should not be the center of the universe for whatever gets labeled as police reform. I was asked to comment on what changes in training should result from the verdict. My answer is that this was a human performance and decision error. It was not a training or policy failure. No one teaches prolonged neck compression, and no one teaches delaying medical care when a person in custody is in distress.

If an agency proclaims that it will be changing training and policy, it is tacitly admitting that what happened in the Floyd encounter was normal police behavior. It is like answering the question, “Have you stopped beating your wife?” Were trainers’ eyes suddenly opened to make them stop teaching neck-knee techniques and to ignore signs of medical distress? No, because we’re already there. Agencies are well-advised to state that their policies were reviewed, and to make those policies public. What the public needs to hear is the truthful statement that this highly publicized event was an anomaly, with statistics and documentation to affirm this reality. We are much better served by each agency doing their own research into their interactions with the public to assess their department’s training and culture and apply corrections where warranted.

This is not a call to disregard the verdict or the events that led up to it. We acknowledge the trauma that the nation has vicariously suffered. But like any other trauma, we cannot measure all future encounters by the emotions stirred while in shock. We sort out the real threats, the real solutions, the real perspective, then we stop living in our trauma.

A retired police chief Joel Shults is an award winning writer, college professor, trainer, and first responder chaplain. He is the author of several law enforcement related books and numerous articles. He serves as a municipal judge and a coroner’s investigator in rural southern Colorado. He can be found on twitter @chiefshults, and online at joelshults.blogspot.com and streetsmartforce.com

Easy To Snap: Maintaining Your Professional Composure During These Troubling Times

Chief Rich Rosell

A young cop I know recently lost his job last over some unfortunate social media posts. Ten years ago, nobody would have cared, but today, his posts made him look like the devil. Of course, it was self-inflicted, and could have been easily avoided. The problem was not the fact he made social media posts, rather it was his inability to deal with the subject matter which prompted the posts. He took the daily beatings by the enemies of law enforcement to heart and was unable to accept them for what they are; nonsensical grandstanding by people who just hate cops. None of us like being the brunt of constant attacks. While the attacks on our collective character over the past year or so are as bad as I have seen in the 39 years since I took my oath, this certainly is not the first time law enforcement has found themselves being attacked.

In the 1960s, President Johnson created the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice, which was meant to bring about sweeping changes in police departments. Police officers nationwide were painted with the same brush, made to look as though we were all actively involved in systemic police brutality. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was open hunting season on cops. Groups such as the Black Liberation Army, the Weather Underground and other radicals attacked law enforcement (and other targets) with impunity. I can remember asking my father what lye was after I heard that someone threw it into the face of a New York City cop. In the 1990s and early 2000s, national drug traffickers found sympathetic shoulders on which to cry, and, by leveling accusations of disparate treatment, shut down many major drug interdiction initiatives throughout the country. In the past, we have weathered these attacks, as we shall now in the future. But unlike my friend, we need to take a step back and decide when and where to pick our battles.

This article is not about posting something stupid on Facebook, rather, it is about how an officer can avoid finding him/herself on the brink of ruining a perfectly good career by simply taking a step back before acting irrationally. Had my friend had the ability to handle his emotions, he still would have a job.

Emotion can be difficult to handle. I would be lying if I said I have never lost my temper. We all have. I can remember some advice from senior troopers on how to deal with stressors. “Don’t sweat the small stuff” was my favorite. Another saying I recall was “It’s nothing but a game, so play the game until it’s done.” The most predominant advice in the State Police was “Shut up, stop whining, and do your job.” But these days, we need more than just a saying to make it through our day. I admit throughout most of my career it has been easy to shrug off the day and not take the job home with me. But now, the attacks on my brothers and sisters are omnipresent. They seem to follow me wherever I go. The multiple times per day people come to me and thank me for my service are nice, but they also serve to remind me of why they are doing it. They feel sorry for me; for all of us. I am not pitiable, and neither are you.

There is a book called Meditations, translated by George Long from the writings of Marcus Aurelius. Aurelius was a Roman emperor who reigned almost 2000 years ago. His writings are philosophical, in the Stoic tradition, and are grounded in morals and ethics. It is basically a 2000-year-old self-help book. Aurelius provides level-headed advice on how to deal with most of life’s problems. I must admit that some of his suggestions are just not actionable to the hectic lives of contemporary police officers. It is arguably clear that Aurelius had neither kids nor a first wife. His mother-in-law never came to visit for a few days and stayed for five years. He never worked rotating shifts. His favorite football team hasn’t missed the playoffs for the last 10 years. But there are several lessons in this book which I think provide valuable guidance, arguably more valuable than “Shut up, stop whining, and do your job”. There are three lessons which I would like to share with you.

Lesson 1:

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it;

and this you have the power to revoke

at any moment.”

What Aurelius is saying is let it go. The state of the world today, whether it is political strife or anti-law enforcement, is not our fault. Do not feel responsible for it. Cops have made errors and we are all taking the blame. There is little you can do about that. Let it go.

Lesson 2:

“You need to avoid certain things

in your train of thought: Everything random, everything irrelevant…”

Bingo! Do you really care if ANTIFA thinks All Cops are Bastards? Does it matter to you that Mayor DeBlasio told his children to be afraid of the cops? It should not, because none of it is part of your mission. It is all irrelevant.

Lesson 3:

“Everything that happens either happens in such away as you are formed by nature to bear it, or as you are not formed by nature to bear it. If, then, it happens to you in such way as you are formed by nature to bear it, do not complain, but bear it accordingly. But if it happens in such way as you are not formed by nature to bear it, do not complain, for it will perish after it has consumed you. Remember, however, that you are formed by nature to bear everything whose tolerability depends on your own opinion to make it so, by thinking that it is in your interest or duty to do so.”

This lesson is a little deeper and a little less obvious than the two previous. Aurelius postulates that nature forms your being to be able to handle or not handle a particular situation. Aurelius lived during a period of polytheism, and in his time, nature was blamed or credited with having effect on mankind. Today, many of those effects are attributed to God, so if you feel more comfortable replacing the term nature with God, by all means, do so. For those of you who might be a slight bit offended by that suggestion, I would refer you to Lesson 1.

So, when something occurs in your life that is troubling or traumatic, and you are of the consistency to live with it, Aurelius recommends that you do not give it a second thought (complain) and drive on accordingly. Accordingly is a key word in this lesson, because it implies that while the event might be traumatic, even life-changing, you can still live with it and accomplish the mission by keeping on task.

Part two of this lesson suggests that should you not be of the consistency deal with a traumatic event, complaining is not an option. He opines that if you cannot handle the issue, your option is to allow it to ruin you, for once you are at your lowest that event will go away.

Let’s apply this rational to my friend who lost his job. Had he been equipped to handle the onslaught of attacks on law enforcement, he would have met them with his head held high and not allowed them to deter his evenhanded application of the law. But he was not equipped. Instead, he allowed these attacks to consume him. He dwelled on them; tried to fight them as if they were an enemy with whom he could stand toe to toe. He allowed himself to be consumed with his angst. And in the end, just like Aurelius says, after losing his job, the mindless attacks by our enemies disappeared for him, as he was no longer a cop and no longer their target.

The final part of this quote is a bit harsh, as it suggests that everyone has the ability to overcome anything if he/she is of the proper mindset to do so. I do not necessarily disagree with this assertion. This third point renders the second point moot, for if he is correct, a proper attitude toward adversity will always enable one to deal with it accordingly.

It would be senseless for me to recommend you stop letting these attacks bother you. I could never allow myself to accept them, therefore how could I expect that of anyone else? But I can tell you that you are stronger than you think, and you can bear these attacks on our character accordingly without succumbing to detrimental responses. You don’t have to be consumed by the words and actions of our enemies. Rise above them for the sake of the communities and people we protect. Always maintain your professionalism. Our enemies can’t take away that which we are unwilling to give them, especially our professionalism. And always remember, you are not alone. We outnumber those who would do us harm.

Chief Rosell is currently the Police Chief and Public Safety Director for the Town of Indian River Shores, Florida, the former Director of Public Safety for the Town of Dover, NJ and Township of Springfield, NJ, and a 27-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police, retiring at the rank of Captain. He has a very diverse skill set with vast operational, training, policymaking, homeland security, leadership, management and administrative experience.

Hero Down: Remembering Police Officer Jimmy Inn

Article & Artwork by Jonny Castro

On May 11th, Stockton Police Officer Jimmy Inn responded to a residence for a report of a domestic disturbance. Jimmy walked up, knocked and stepped to the side. A voice on the other side could be heard saying “Hey, police.” In a cold and calculated act, the man opened the door and shot the officer numerous times at point-blank range. A backup unit pulled up just as the gunman was standing over the fallen officer. The suspect raised his weapon and began shooting at the patrol car, which prompted that officer to return fire from the front seat of his vehicle. The suspect went back in the house, emerged moments later with his 8-year-old son and started to violently strangle the boy. A civilian bystander heroically tackled the suspect, which allowed the boy to free himself from harm’s way. The officer then shot and killed the male, ending his rampage. Jimmy was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.

Officer Jimmy Inn was a 6-year veteran of the Stockton Police Department and leaves behind three children, including a 7-month-old son. Officer Inn was assigned to the Field Operations Division and was also a proud member of the department’s honor guard. The well-liked and highly respected officer was remembered for having a heart of gold and was the very definition of what a police officer should be.

Jimmy was 30 years old.

Violent crimes is skyrocketing: President Biden’s Crime Commission

By: Leonard Adam Sipes, Jr.

The White House is putting the creation of a national police oversight commission on hold.

I covered the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement (under President Trump) but it seemed to indicate a lack of definitive research addressing crime and police practices. Nevertheless, it remains an interesting read. President Obama’s and Vice President Biden’s police and crime commission is entitled President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Crime task forces go back to the 1930s.

The problem with crime control and/or police practices is that it remains a guessing game, with advocates inserting their favorite philosophy without proof as to what works.

To my knowledge, proactive (self-initiated) policing is the only crime control endeavor that works. Proactive Policing Reduces Crime per the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Advocates continue to propose violence interrupters or social programs, but the available evidence as to feasibility is limited or doesn’t exist per the US Department of Justice’s Crime Solutions.Gov.

After spending decades in the justice system, my biggest disappointment is that crime and criminal justice practices have such limited research to guide us, breaking the promise of previous crime commissions that data and evidence-based programs could and would partially solve our problems.

From The Crime Report

The White House is putting the creation of a national police oversight commission on hold, nixing a campaign pledge made by President Joe Biden to establish one within his first 100 days, reports Politico. Before coming to the decision, the White House said it consulted with national civil rights organizations and police unions.

Both entities made clear to the administration that they thought a commission was not necessary and likely redundant. Biden first promised to set up an oversight commission last June, roughly one week after Floyd’s killing, calling for reforms to policing, including a national database of police misconduct and a ban on the use of chokeholds, but refraining from endorsing the biggest policy demands from the Black Lives Matter movement on issues like police liability, and declining to embrace their call to “defund the police” and reallocate funding to social programs and community priorities.

Civil rights advocates were especially concerned that a commission would be used as an excuse by lawmakers in the Senate — both Republicans and skeptical Democrats — to stall action on the House-passed police reform bill.

There was clear “commission fatigue” in all the meetings the White House held with civil rights groups and police unions in the wake of task forces established by both Obama and Trump that recommended and defended much, but resulted in no viable policy changes.

Conclusions

Law enforcement and crime control practices are consistently in the news, yet the conclusions of “experts” make it clear that promising practices are little more than conjecture.

Cities are throwing much against the wall in the hope that something sticks. Most focus on social work endeavors. Where I believe that everything should be on the table for discussion and examination, my fear is that violent crime will continue to grow and that citizens living in high-crime communities will suffer the most.

Violent crime and fear of crime are going through the roof because people want officers to back off and not be aggressive (proactive). Firearm and security equipment sales are skyrocketing. People are moving out of cities - US Crime Rates.

Have people accepted a new level of violence? Seems so. Thousands are dying or injured via violent crime but it’s negative encounters with cops that get the bulk of the attention. It’s African American communities that are being hurt the most, but again, no one seems to care.

News reports suggest that the cities where protests and or riots have occurred are being hit the hardest - Governing.Com.

It’s African American communities that are bearing the brunt of the violence - NBC News.

There are articles linking police defunding and lack of proactive policing to increased homicides and violence - Washington Times.

There were 722 more homicides in nine U.S. cities last year, according to police data. More than 85% of the increase was in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods - The Marshall Project.

In my opinion, President Biden’s decision not to proceed with a national commission is an admission that we do not have a clear, proven path to improved police practices and crime control measures.

Leonard Adam Sipes, Jr.is a retired federal senior spokesperson. A former Adjunct Associate Professor of Criminology and Public Affairs - University of Maryland. Former advisor to the “McGruff-Take a Bite Out of Crime” national media campaign. Past police officer. Aspiring drummer. Operator of CrimeinAmerica.net. His book based on thirty-five years of criminal justice public relations,” Success with the Media: Everything You Need to Survive Reporters and Your Organization” is available at Amazon and additional booksellers. He can also be found @ leonardsipes.com

Savoir the Years: Life flies by in a flash

By: Major Wesley R. Wise (Ret.)

Time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of its passing. The years sail by unchecked by time. It seems like only yesterday that I was young, embarking on my dream job as a newly minted Baltimore City police officer, a freshly married brand new homeowner looking forward to starting a family. Yes, it seems like yesterday even though it was eons ago, and I can’t but wonder where all those decades went.

I remember savoring the years as they passed, and I know that I lived them well. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams as they flew by. And so it is that I sit here now looking at the winter of my life, with many more years behind me than in front of me, and it catches me by surprise. How did I get here so fast? Where did all the years go? Where did my youth – and my health – go? I remember seeing old people and thinking that their time was years away, far into the future. I remember thinking that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or even imagine fully when it would get here or what it would be like.

But, here it is, the time has arrived. Most of my friends and family – those that are still with us – are retired and getting gray – and surprisingly, so am I. I see that old person in myself now. They move slower and more cautiously. Some are in better shape than I am, and some are clearly not. Like me, their age is showing, and we are all looking like those old folks we used to see and never thought we'd be. And of course, some – too many – have already passed on to a better being.

Each day now, I find that just getting a full night’s sleep is my target for the day. And taking daytime naps is not a treat anymore… it’s mandatory, and at the most inconvenient of times, I just fall asleep where I sit, no matter the time of day!

And now… as I enter this new season of my life, ill-prepared for the aches and pains of age, ill-equipped to deal with my loss of vigor, youth and strength, and without the ability to remember or to do things I used to do effortlessly and enjoy immensely.

And I look at all the things that I wish I had done differently over the years. Some I regret immensely, and some I will never forget or feel bad about. But at least I know that though winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last ... this I do know – that when it's over on this earth… it's over. No getting it back. But then a new adventure will begin!

So yes, I have regrets; a few of them. I think about the many things I wish I had done but didn’t… as well as some things I should have done but didn’t, but there are also many things I'm happy to have done. A lifetime of challenges faced and met – and some unmet. But little regret other than having not taken better care of myself.

If you’re like me, some of the things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do – or no longer can do. You sleep better, if at all, on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. What used to be freckles are now liver spots. Everybody for some reason seems to be whispering, and I say “Huh?” way too often. Why don’t they speak louder so I can hear them?

So, if you're not living in your winter yet… let me remind you that it will be here faster than you can imagine. And whatever you would like to accomplish in your life, do it now, sooner rather than later! Don't put things off too long!! Life goes by too quickly. So, do what you can TODAY, as you can never be sure whether this is your true winter or not! There is no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life one more time ... so, say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember… and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done to, with, and for them in all the years past!!

Remember, life was a GIFT to you, and the way you lived your life was your gift to those who came after. I hope you made it a fantastic one, as I mostly did. Navigate the time you have left carefully because whatever you yearn for in life, that’s all you have left.

Just sayin’

A thirty-six-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department, Wes retired in 2006 as the Commander of the city’s 911 System. While recovering from a stroke in 2014, he wrote two books about his experiences as a Baltimore cop. Wes has also self-published fourteen books for other writers. Need publishing help? Contact Wes at weswise78@gmail.com. A father of two and grandfather of ten, he and his wife of 49 years live near Baltimore, Maryland.

Law Enforcement is Not Racist: Stand Up and Fight Back

“Policing in our country is inherently and intentionally racist” - RashidaTlaib

Can you believe a U.S. congresswoman tweeted this rubbish with all sincerity to her followers? She actually believes that we are “violent” and “aggressive murderers”! This is a woman who can influence others to transform our profession.

If her tweet doesn’t make your blood boil, you should turn in your gun and badge and quit. What’s pathetic is that her tweet is common thinking among numerous politicians and others in positions of power. Our careers are under attack. I, for one, will not remain silent. I will not sit back and just take it. If you consider yourself to be a part of the “Brotherhood,” then you need to rise up and fight too!

It’s time to sound the charge.

So, how, you ask? What can we do? Well, here is one simple task that ALL law enforcement officers can do to counterattack these imbeciles.

Step 1:

Look up elected officials within your municipality. It’s not difficult to find county supervisors, mayors, county executives, school board members and others who have been put into positions of leadership/power. Go to the city/town/village/county webpage and look for the “contacts,” or “emails” tab.

Step 2:

Cut/paste this to each elected official:

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Democrat from Michigan, recently tweeted:

“It wasn't an accident. Policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist. Daunte Wright was met with aggression & violence. I am done with those who condone government funded murder. No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can't be reformed.”

I want to know where you stand on Tlaib’s tweet. Please choose from the following:

1. I strongly agree with her.

2. I agree with her.

3. I somewhat agree/disagree with her.

4. I disagree with her.

5. I strongly disagree with her.

Please do not respond with a long, politically correct answer, just a number.

Thank you.

(Sign your name and title)

Step 3:

Email each one individually and wait for a response. Give them at least two weeks to respond and tally all responses. Be ready for the usual politically correct crap that typically ensues when you’re trying to ask a politician a question. Stick to your guns! Always be respectful and politely ask them for an answer (1-5). If they beat around the bush and don’t give an answer, mark it down as a “Refused to Answer”.

Step 4:

Once your deadline has passed and you have collected/tallied responses, let the world know! Start with your local labor union. Send out the questionnaire and results to every member of your union. Expose the law enforcement-hating schmucks to our own brethren and explain why it’s so important to vote them out. Send out mass emails to newspapers, radio talk shows and blogs. Expose them, expose them, and expose them.

I’m not going to sugar-coat this. The Democrat party, liberal snowflakes and American-hating commies are our biggest threat. They can ignorantly shoot their mouths off and send whatever social media posts they want to, but they better be ready for some payback from us when they do!

You will notice almost immediately the uncomfortable responses from many Democrats. Based upon my experience, several will refuse to answer, or not even respond. Stick to your guns, continue to push and record everything.

It will be obvious who defends and supports law enforcement. I have found that Republicans and conservatives will typically respond right away with an astounding “5” and thank you for your service. Make sure to thank them for their support.

A warning for all who will follow my advice. Do all of this on your own time, and on your own personal email, and on your own personal computer. If you sign your name and disclose your title, be prepared to explain yourself within your Internal Affairs Division. Some coward politician(s) won’t have the guts to respond to you directly, but they will anonymously send a complaint to your supervisor (happened to me).

I still believe that the overwhelming majority of Americans love law enforcement and support their local PD, or Sheriff’s Office. But, there is a growing, loud minority that wants to see us de-funded, or abolished. If we remain complacent, they will advance in their cause. If we unite and fight, we will win. Your call.

Dave Willoughby is a Marine Veteran, former Firefighter/EMT and is currently a Milwaukee County Deputy after serving as a Juvenile Corrections Officer. He has earned degrees in Developmental Coaching and Communications as well as Fire Science and Emergency Medicine. He is married and is the proud dad to five daughters, six sponsor children, and two dogs.

UPDATE: On May 20, 2021, Deputy Willoughby received a call from a Lieutenant in the Internal Affairs Office of the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office. She informed him that he was going to be suspended.

Editor's Point of View

Spring is finally here! After a long winter with, at times, brutal cold and grueling weather across the country, we pray the warmth of spring continues and for longer days of sunshine!

Speaking of prayer, you may be wondering why our cover story is about God. Has the team at Blue Magazine suddenly become bible-thumping holy-rollers? What happened to their hardness, their aggressive in-your-face activism against self-serving politicians, scapegoating law enforcement leaders and others seeking to throw officers under the bus for personal gain? Trust us — we still have all of that. We are merely offering another example of how important it is to take a public stand on matters of deep principle.

We are very aware of the ideological hair-trigger environment we are in. We know many will attempt to censor and silence our cover story. Even some of our own may take offense, call us soft and poke fun. Go for it. Our message is too important to worry about naysayers and those who placate the PC mob: God is the source of everything we are about.

We are continually enduing horrendous attacks against our profession. Just turn on the corporate media for 10 seconds to hear the lie that bad cops are lurking everywhere, ever at the ready to attack innocent civilians. This falsehood is hyped as are politically divisive theatrics that make for good ratings and corporate profit. Many politicians blow cheap anti-police whistles for personal gain while laughing among themselves about defunding and reimaging the police or replacing cops with civilians who would handle every encounter as if human behavior—often difficult to predict and impossible to understand—took place in a utopian world where 1 + 1 always equals 2 and is just as easy to calculate.

It is clear from what we see regularly in the corporate media that our profession can trust very few outsiders.  So who do we trust in times of adversity? We often turn to our families and our brothers and sisters in the rank and file. But, there is another layer of support that we all too often ignore or take for granted: God.

Define that as you will — our nation came about because of the need to hold, proclaim and celebrate different views. But for us at Blue Magazine, it is the source of what is best in all of us and what sustains us in moments of deep crises, personal danger and political betrayal.

For that, we place God first. Everything else follows.

God Matters in Cops Lives

By: Master Police Officer Chris Amos (Ret.)
With George Beck, Ph.D.

We are living during a time when everyone has both an opinion and the luxury of their own subjective truth to support that opinion. As law enforcement officers, this has produced an exceedingly difficult and challenging environment to operate in.

In a profession built on the foundation of truth and fact, such an environment can be frustrating, if not deadly. Think about it. You have been trained to distinguish between right and wrong, legal and illegal, lawful and criminal. In those gray areas, you have been afforded the use of discretion. It was not that long ago there was a consensus that certain acts were crimes, and it was your duty to take action to enforce the law. Times have changed.

But what if you were told there still are absolute truths? Truths that cannot be changed at the whim of politicians, mainstream media, Silicon Valley or even the Supreme Court. What if you were told that everything we are experiencing today was foretold thousands of years ago?

Therefore, as investigators in our search for Absolute Truth, let us address three truths that we believe to be true, yesterday, today, and forever:

1. There is a God.

2. God is for you.

3. God is in control. 

If embraced, these truths will create a significant understanding of our modern times and will provide a level of peace and sanity that will make your job a whole lot easier.

There is a God

As officers, we all have that mindset that drives us to question what we are told and, if interested, we will investigate its veracity. And so it is with the existence of God. Can we produce evidence of God's existence in a laboratory? Can we prove He exists with our five senses? Well, yes and no. There are "general revelations" of God's existence all around us, perhaps the most obvious being creation itself.

In the Book of Genesis (1:27) written thousands of years ago, the author tells in the creation story that men and women themselves are a type of reflection of God. "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

We are created in God's image with a God-given conscience. We do not need a state law to convince us that killing someone for $20 is wrong. Holding up the neighborhood convenience store is a crime, or raping a woman, or physically abusing a child is despicable. We innately know these acts to be wrong. In a perfect world, the perpetrators would be arrested, prosecuted, and thrown in prison for a very long time. Why? Because they have broken the law, most of which can be traced back to the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God Himself.

I knew much about God having been raised in the Church. I knew God in the same way I knew George Washington. I believed he existed, but I was not looking for Washington to do anything in my life. I did not trust our first president to impact or influence my life in any way. I certainly was not involved in a personal relationship with him. Ditto when it came to God.

I was 24 when all of that changed.

As a Norfolk Police officer with three years of patrol experience, married, and the father of a newborn son, life was good except for a secret addiction to porn that had consumed me. Today pornography is winked at, if not fully embraced. Not too many years ago, it was looked down on; it was viewed as something to be avoided. It was seen as harmful to a marriage and family. It is.

My silent addiction and our profession's stresses had me wrongly concluding that my wife and newborn son would be better off without me. I was young, and it pains me to think about what I had done one summer afternoon. But truth be told, I did the only reasonable thing I could think of to escape. I put my city-issued .38 revolver to the side of my head and began to squeeze the trigger. I was a fraction of an inch from death when I heard what I perceived to be an audible voice say, "There is hope." Three months later, I met the source, author, and very essence of hope, Jesus Christ, and my life radically changed. The God of whom I knew about intellectually, with little to no impact, I began to know personally. He saved my life that day. He would transform it in the weeks, months, and years that followed.

Seven years later, I heard that audible voice again. While pursuing a suspected drug dealer, he suddenly turned, gun in hand, and shot me twice. After falling to the ground, I heard the words, "Chris get behind me." Within seconds I had drawn my gun and returned fire. By the grace of God, I survived. By the wrath of God, my attacker did not. These are just two of the many stories of how God intervened in my life as a police officer. After taking that first step of faith, I went from the realm of general revelations about God to very insightful special revelations on who He was and who I was in His eyes.

Throughout the Old and New Testament, God's followers are found repeatedly sharing their personal stories about and experiences with God, from Moses and the burning bush to Paul on the road to Damascus. Ultimately, the absolute truth of God's existence will be a matter of faith on your part, but I assure you it is not blind faith.

God is for You

This truth is good news. You have been demonized and vilified by nearly everyone, including many who claim to be preachers or ministers of the Word of God. Quite frankly, their position is not supported by the Bible. On the contrary, the Bible makes it clear that God appoints all authority. No exceptions!

The attacks against you by those who are using God and the Bible as a weapon to vilify you are unfounded and not according to Scripture. In fact, Jesus commended the faith of a Roman Centurion as the greatest in all of Israel. The Romans were the occupying law enforcement force in Israel during the time of Jesus. They were simply the cop on the beat in their day. Evidence of this is found in the Gospel of Matthew 8:5-10: 

"Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented." And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard it, He marveled and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"

The Roman Legions were much like officers today, looked down on and despised by many, and yet the New Testament tends to show them in a favorable light. John the Baptist baptized several Roman soldiers. When asked what they should do following their baptism, John did not say lay down your weapons and become pacifists. Quite the contrary, John responded in Luke 3:14: "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

In another account recorded in the New Testament, it was the Roman Centurion overseeing the crucifixion of Jesus who declared at the time of Jesus' death in Matthew 27:54: "So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

The Bible speaks of a time of great tribulation that will come upon the entire world. Satan will be permitted to move unhindered and bring about much destruction. As the ultimate counterfeiter, he will give rise to his Antichrist. This man, who may very well be alive today, has many names in the Bible. Perhaps none more telling than the name, "The Man of Lawlessness."

Who among us would be more invested in demonizing and vilifying officers than the "Man of Lawlessness"? Why such hatred toward officers? Because officers are God's servants. It is not an accident, or mere coincidence that engraved beneath one of the Lions at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. is the Bible verse Proverbs 28:1 "The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion."

Friends, God is with you and for you.

God is in control

Finally, and perhaps one of the most perplexing mysteries in the world is this notion that God is in control. This leads many to ask if God is in control, why does He allow so much suffering, injustice, and evil? This is a question that has been asked since the beginning of time. For example, Habakkuk asked this same question approximately 600 years before Christ was born into our world. Habakkuk was in grave danger. He was alone with the world around him crumpling quickly—there was bloodshed everywhere, and evil was overcoming nearly everything. He called out to God, and nothing changed; instead, it got worse. However, everything inside him changed, and he now found himself filled with hope, assurance, and victory. You see, we cannot control the world around us, but we can control the world within us, and all things are possible with trusting God.

In our personal lives, we have similar experiences like Habakkuk. Two years ago I was standing at my son Seth's bedside, disconnecting him from life support, when I asked why and how this could happen. My son was only 30 years old. He was a faithful husband, a good father, and an excellent Norfolk police officer. He helped everyone, yet he still died so young from an infection. Why? Sometimes the answer is beyond our grasp. However, it is during these times when we have a choice. We can curse God and His lack of control; His refusal or inability to act; and His weakness and indifference. Or we can have faith and remember God is in control, and embrace the many promises from the Bible like Proverbs 3:5-6 to help us see our way through even the darkest, most difficult of days.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

I have made Proverbs 3:5-6 my life's verse. I have been able to navigate many difficult circumstances relying upon this promise. A few years ago, a good friend and fellow Norfolk Police Officer Brian Jones was shot and killed while getting out of his patrol car. A second officer, off duty, heard the gunshots and ran to Brian's aid. He, too, was shot but survived. I rushed to the hospital. I spent the next several hours bouncing between the third floor where I tried to comfort a mother of three young kids and now a widow, and the first floor where I joined another wife so grateful, so thankful that her husband's life was spared. At times like this, I have found great peace in trusting God, understanding that He knows what He is doing even when I do not.

Through all these circumstances, I have come to understand God was, is, and forever will be in control. Horrific things happen not because God is distant, indifferent, or callous to our trials. The exact opposite is true. God has given us free will and permits each of us to choose our path.

So I implore all of you to seek God as did a retired police officer named Willie, who recently passed into eternal life. I spoke to his wife in preparation for the funeral service. She told me Willie's favorite Bible was his Archeological Study Bible. Willie found a way that afforded him the ability to objectively investigate the words on the Bible's pages he was reading. Through study notes, maps, graphs, pictures of detailed excavated sites, and the many treasures unearthed, Willie found historical and archeological evidence to support the Bible's claims. His conclusion, in his words, "Yep, Jesus is the real deal."

As officers, you often are thrust into dangerous, at times deadly, situations through no fault of your own, but because of the choices of others. During these times, remember, God is with you, God is for you, and God is in control even when it seems as though all hell is breaking loose.               

CUOMO: The Fall of the Anointed One

Lt. Patrick J. Ciser (ret.)

Credit: Facebook

Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York since 2011, was well known by his constituents, but not yet a national figure. All of that changed in March of 2020 as he started daily televised briefings on COVID-19. New York and New Jersey were getting hammered more than the rest of the country, as Cuomo took the lead, with other Democratic governors following. Cuomo took well to the cameras and actually developed a following as he was covered nationally and even internationally by CNN. Andrew’s brother Chris Cuomo, a left-wing activist who masquerades as a journalist for CNN, fawned over his big brother while using studio props during interviews. But it wasn’t only Chris who elevated his brother to stardom. Countless Democrats seemingly were captivated by him nationally, also elevating him to sainthood as he became a divisive Trump antagonist for the left. Initially he, along with California’s Gavin Newsom, thanked President Trump for the help he gave them during this tragic health crisis. After all, Trump ordered two very large medical ships to NY/NJ and California to help with the overflow of COVID patients. Trump even had 1,000 beds made available at New York Cities Javits Center in a bipartisan gesture, but interestingly, they remained mostly empty. Unfortunately, party bosses from the DNC perhaps have told Cuomo not to give Trump any credit in an election year, because their relationship somehow went downhill shortly afterward. Nationally, anyone with TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) cheered Gov. Cuomo with every partisan briefing. Many wondered why he wasn’t running for president in the Democrat primary while the daily press conferences continued for a man who apparently liked to hear himself talk.

Police officers throughout the state, but particularly NYPD officers, weren’t happy with him, or state legislators, that were responsible for bail reform. This, an idea that originally was supposed to involve low level crimes, or misdemeanors, but ultimately saw alleged felons also walking out the door within hours of their arrest. The revolving door was only putting cops’ lives and that of witnesses in danger with, ostensibly, no benefit to the general public. Fortunately, the governor saw what havoc it was creating and cut back on crimes covered. Any violent and some repeat offenders were required again to post bail. Problems persisted, however, as NYC saw a 96% increase in shootings by the end of 2020. NYPD, rightfully so, pointed to bail reform as a big part of the problem. Gov. Cuomo also endorsed releasing thousands of prisoners due to COVID concerns. I always thought, if you can’t quarantine prisoners, who can you quarantine? Hey, if they go back out on the street to further terrorize their victims, no problem, so long as they don’t get COVID while doing it. The NYPD told the New York Post that out of 3,793 perps arrested for crimes involving firearms, from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, only 450 of those remain in jail. A whopping 3,345 criminals, according to NYPD data were let go. I’ll never understand the soft on crime policies of the left. According to news reports, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea confirmed that nearly 90% of suspects who were arrested on gun charges this year returned immediately to the streets. Looting over the summer was a big problem for NYC, as well as other major cities in the U.S. but not to worry, bail reform allowed them all to walk after receiving a summons, and again, be at it the very next night thanks to Gov. Cuomo and his Democrat cohorts.

So here we are in 2021 as Cuomo’s fortunes have taken a sudden nose dive. It would seem that the Emmy Award that he received was given a bit prematurely. According to New York State Attorney General Letitia James (D) the Cuomo administration underreported the death toll in NY nursing homes by a whopping 50%.

Credit: Diana Robinson

James and the U.S. Department of Justice are currently conducting a criminal probe into these deaths. Cuomo’s decision last March to allow hospitalized COVID patients to return to nursing homes apparently led to high numbers of infections and deaths that were underreported. It appears that Cuomo’s reckless decisions led to many deaths, and that Cuomo wanted to stay under the radar from the feds. With approximately 13,000 deaths, Cuomo and his staff only reported 8,677. These numbers didn’t quite add up as states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania were reporting much higher numbers. According to The Albany Times, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn have reportedly launched a preliminary investigation into how Cuomo and his COVID-19 task force handled the nursing home data during the pandemic.

Credit: Diana Robinson

New York State Assemblyman Ron Kim (D) recently became aware of the undercount during a private virtual call where a Cuomo aide, Melissa DeRosa, said that they withheld data on the deaths because the information could be used against us, by then-President, Donald Trump. “Cuomo called me directly on Thursday to threaten my career if I did not cover up for Melissa DeRosa and what she said,” Kim told CNN. NY State lawmakers have called for the legislature to revoke Cuomo’s expanded emergency powers that were granted to him in the early days of the pandemic. Impeachment of the governor is also being floated, as the criminal investigation continues.

And if all of this isn’t enough, the Democrats’ “paragon of virtue” was just accused of intimidation and sexual harassment by a former aide, Lindsey Boylan (D). Many of us remember how Cuomo beat up Judge Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing in 2018, with a 30-year-old questionable case. Even NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio weighed in, claiming that Cuomo “has always been a bully” and sided with Lee and his account of events. Stay tuned.