Frank Voce: Sober living for success

By Frank Voce

 Frank Voce graduated from the police academy in July 2015 and has spent the last six years of his life as a law enforcement officer in New York State. However, my drive to serve the community began as an Eagle Scout and a volunteer firefighter during my late teenage years. I played football in both high school and college, where I majored in Criminology.

Additionally, I spent much of my time in the gym training for powerlifting competitions. In 2014, I graduated and went on to pursue my personal training certification as a way to help other people reach their fitness goals. Yet few people knew that as a police officer I was enduring my own private struggles with sobriety.

When I first started drinking it was on the weekends… you know, ‘normal,’ social drinking. Just out with the boys after a shift for a few cold ones that sometimes went to three or four in the morning. It’s what young people do in their twenties, and it’s especially what young cops do. Drinking culture is practically threaded into the career of a law enforcement officer. I thought my drinking was just what guys like me did. I didn’t see anything wrong with it for a long time.

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

I wrestled with my demons in 2018 and 2019, and have been sober since September 2019. Yet I was not just content to address my own demons; I wanted to help other first responders find a safe haven to face their anxiety, depression or addiction. From that calling, I founded Reps For Responders (RFR). One of the first people Voce helped was his own father, a true public servant and volunteer firefighter for over 40 years. Voce’s father has been sober since November 2019. The mission of Reps For Responders is to support the mental health and wellbeing of all first responders, whether they are active or retired. First responders are at greater risk for anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance abuse and suicide than their civilian counterparts. As a result, RFR focuses on spreading awareness about mental health in the first responder community through its social media channels and community events. 

The group promotes three pathways to “recovery,” which include (1) physical activity, (2) proper nutrition and (3) peer support. When needed, referrals are made to a specialist who is trained to work with first responders. Through fitness, support groups, addiction peer recovery coaching and live/virtual group events, first responders have a family within the RFR community.

The myth that a cop can’t have a career and live sober is now a relic of the past. I give people so much credit for being sober and facing their problems head on, rather than masking them with drinking. For myself, living sober has taught me that I don’t need to impress anyone, I only need to be better than the ‘Frank’ from yesterday.

Reps For Responders is a Non-profit 501c3. If you are struggling with addiction, or wish to make a donation, feel free to learn more at repsforresponders.org

Frank Voce has always felt called to give back to his community. His service to others began as an Eagle Scout and a volunteer firefighter in his late teens. In July of 2015, Frank graduated police academy. After battling with personal struggle in 2018 and 2019, he finally reached out for help and support. Once Frank improved mentally and physically, he felt called to help other first responders who struggled the way he did, and provide them a safe space to face their anxiety, depression or addiction in an environment that had brought Frank so much mental and physical strength once before. From that calling, Reps For Responders was born.

Pure Psychosis: A World Turned Upside-Down

By: Lt. Patrick J. Ciser (ret.)

How is it possible that our country has changed so dramatically, in only a few years? How did so many fringe ideas that we thought were ludicrous for decades suddenly become mainstream and pervasive throughout our society? The answer would seem to be in the insidious indoctrination taking place within our educational system. Yesterday’s liberal “hippies,” (think of the 1969 Woodstock era) became many of our college professors who, apparently, fed our children Marxist ideas over time. Suddenly, the 1970s Critical Theory, which evolved into CRT, now has wide acceptance in academia today.

Most Americans for years basically believed that America was a good country, with core values and a strong Constitution that ensured freedom and basic human rights for all. Duh! It’s 2021. Nowhere did we see this more than when a young, charismatic, African American got voted into the White House, twice! And we all know that Barack Hussain Obama, wouldn’t have stood a chance without the majority white vote. Today, there are countless Black millionaires across the country, and millions more earning 6 figure-plus salaries. In fact, America has more Black millionaires than any other country in the world. These men and women range from businesspersons to entrepreneurs, athletes to entertainers, political figures and so much more. So often many of our largest cities are run by Black politicians; from the Chief of Police, to the District Attorney, to the Mayor; but somehow, they are still “racist” cities! WHAT?! Do people realize that 60% of the NYPD is made up of minorities? American companies over the years have bent over backward to hire capable Black workers while also embracing affirmative action. Blacks in Hollywood are represented by a much higher percentage than 13%, although Blacks make up only 13% of the U.S. population. Although

many inner-city Blacks may have few white friends, suburban whites and Blacks hanging out together is very common, and many form close friendships. So why do so many want to ignore all the progress America has made in the last 50 years, and pretend we’re suddenly back in the Jim Crow era? Jim Crow laws came from the Democrats, as did the Ku Klux Klan, after the Civil War. Democrat politicians over the years have done a good job distorting our history, however, since a Republican president freed the slaves. Blacks became Republicans in droves after the Civil War, and even Republican politicians.

Hey look, slavery was a horrible thing, and believe it or not, still goes on in other countries today. But none of us, both Black and white, had anything to do with that horrible time in American history. Also, the population of the United States in 1800, at the height of slavery, was 5,308,483. Today, with a population of 330 million, our country barely resembles that long-ago state. People have immigrated to America for over two centuries since, and today have no ancestors alive that were here back then. Are they still responsible because of the color of their skin?

Blacks on the west coast of Africa in 1619, when slaves first started to arrive here, at King George’s 13 Colonies, kidnapped their own people and sold them to white Europeans with their massive ships. There were many tribes in Africa and many rivalries existed. Had Europeans gone into the jungle, they surely would’ve been overwhelmed and slaughtered. So, forget “The 1619 Project” about America being founded then, as the United States of America was not yet even a dream, and the “Founding Fathers” weren’t even born yet.

As a teenager in 1968, I witnessed racism first hand. But playing basketball with my best friend in 8th grade, who happened to be Black, I didn’t pay it much mind. I did witness; however, things dramatically improve over the last 53 years since. So why do so many want to lie about the state of race relations in America today? The Democrat/Socialist party has an agenda, and unfortunately, there’s a lot of useful idiots around to propagate their lies. Maybe now we should look at some truths?

Black males in America make up approximately 6% of the population and Black females make up about 7%. Black males, however, are responsible for almost 50% of violent crime, including homicides. That’s a crazy number to be sure, yet the “left” thinks it’s a good idea to defund the police to get us off the backs of these criminals. But polls show that 80% of Blacks in America do not want to defund the police, and would actually like to see more cops in their neighborhoods. Remember, every time a dopey white liberal wants to save a criminal, they simultaneously throw their countless victims under the bus. Fourth of July weekend 2021 saw over 400 shootings across the country, with 150 fatalities; that’s ONE weekend! Congratulations BLM, and their enablers, you got what you wished for.

Body Count Rises: Reimagining the police is a complete failure

By David A. Clarke Jr., Sheriff (Ret.) Milwaukee County

 As crime and violence rises in major cities all across the United States, all under the spell of progressive soft on crime policies, the casualties continue to mount in the form of human carnage stacking up like cordwood.

 All of this is preventable. The problem is that this new age of police executives have either gone soft or on the way up the ladder to their current positions, they have gotten a case of amnesia about crime control strategies. It’s embarrassing and untenable.

 Front-line cops are frustrated about a lot of things. Chief among them is that they know what to do to suppress crime, but they have been turned from crime fighters into security guards. That is not a knock on security guards. It’s that security differs immensely from police work.

 There seems to be a renewal in a push by police chiefs about this call for more community policing. I have heard numerous times in the last several months where police executives have held a press briefing relative to the rise in violence by saying we need more of an emphasis on community policing. What, I asked?  What the hell exactly does that mean?  Are they suggesting that community policing will lead to a reduction in crime and violence at street level? Seriously?

I started in policing with the Milwaukee Police Department in 1978. That is when this new form of policing was introduced. It was called community policing. Millions of dollars in federal grants were passed out to local police agencies to embrace street cops “getting to know the people on their particular beat.” It was a flop from the start. Front line cops abhorred the thought of this idea that was hatched in some think tank and recoiled that it was being shoved down their throats. It was a social engineering experiment that had no front-line officer’s input. I know cop behavior.

 So for the next 40 years of my working in policing, executives have been on this fantasy that community policing was the ticket to crime prevention, suppression and reduction. So here we are today still on this antasy about community policing.

 Here are a few thoughts on this nebulous, elusive esoteric concept of community policing. When have the street officers never worked with the community to keep neighborhoods, businesses and schools safe? That is the only way police could have achieved the success that they have. Imagine that! Additionally, police in the past had more time for a tactic called preventive patrol where a good part of their tour was spent being a visible presence in the neighborhood. That no longer exists. It made street crime tough for criminals to pull off. It is why much of the violent crime occurred when streets got dark. It offered crooks the advantage of concealment.

 Now much of the street violence occurs in daylight hours. Why? Because police ranks are so thin and 911 calls keep them going from assignment to assignment with no time to spend on preventive patrols. There was actually a strategy implemented after that said a particular assignment should only take so long to handle. If a cop was on assignment and exceeded an artificial time for that type of assignment, a sergeant would show up to see what was taking so long. I am not making this stuff up.

In a Newsmax TV interview recently, I was asked to opine on the rise in street crime and violence across America and what could be done about it. My response was simple, just like I like to keep things.

 First of all, I said that I am not hearing from chiefs, a comprehensive CRIME REDUCTION STRATEGY. They keep taking about more community policing. This is irresponsible. People are dying while they engage in progressive initiatives that tie the hands of officers on the front lines. We don’t need more community policing, we need a crime reduction strategy with metrics so they and we can see how they are doing. How do you measure community policing? We need a return to what worked. Quality of life enforcement as defined by broken windows strategies would be a good start. This led to historic reductions in violent crime all across America. Think of the lives and misery saved with fewer crime victims. 

 Recently in Chicago, Superintendent David Brown introduced yet again a new crime plan.  It is the same leftovers from last year that resulted in nothing. It targets the gun and goes after gun manufacturers. That’s right, gun manufacturers are committing the gun violence. That is akin to going after automobile manufacturers for drunken driving deaths. That’s stupid. So is Superintendent Brown’s idea. He should announce that he is going to allow his officers to engage in the strategy of stop, question and frisk, increased traffic stops in high crime areas and quality of life enforcement. This along with warrant sweeps and working with probation and parole to do searches of residences and cars of people out on probation and parole. Anyone arrested should be intensely debriefed to collect info to develop intelligence that can be passed onto front-line officers. Brown needs assurances from the Soros backed Cook County States Attorney Kimberly Foxx that people arrested for a violent crime will be held on high bail and charged.  The goal is to keep them off the street for the longest time allowable by law.

 The objective has to be to target the criminal and their violent behavior, not the tool they use.  This is not new. We did before.

 In 1994 then-Sen. Joe Biden authored the Clinton crime reduction bill. It went after violent offenders and utilized the federal code to punish career violent offenders. It didn’t go after gun manufacturers. As I said previously, it led to historic reductions in crime and violence.

 Let’s stop listening to nonsense about reimagining and reinventing police and let’s get backed to what worked.  Identify, arrest and lock up career repeat offenders.

Strength: Captain Salerno shows vigor & courage in cancer battle

By Catherine Angel

LODI, NJ - Police Capt. Robert Salerno has served the Lodi community for over 30 years. He has consistently demonstrated his commitment to the community not only through his work as a police officer, but also by serving on the Hasbrouck Heights Board of Education for three years, and with the Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department for four years. Capt. Salerno also volunteered as a baseball coach and lent a helping hand to the Junior Aviators football program. He is happily married with three children.

Recently, Salerno’s simple life was turned upside down with the unfortunate diagnosis of Stage 4 liver cancer. However, his story is not one of sympathy — it is a testament to his strength and courage. While faced with tremendous adversity, Salerno continues to work, and maintains his normal routine, keeping a positive outlook while many other people would have crumbled.

Capt. Salerno is a true inspiration — a stable ship in a storm, and a role model for everyone facing challenges. Blue Magazine wishes Capt. Salerno much success ahead as he continues the fight.

Catherine Angel: Tell us about yourself and your career.

Capt. Salerno: I've been a police officer here for 32 years with the police department. I was hired on January 2nd, 1990. I was promoted to the rank of sergeant, January 4th of 1999. I was promoted to lieutenant in 2014 and last year I was promoted to the rank of captain. I've been assigned to patrol for 19 years before currently being assigned to the records division where I'm in charge of records. I process firearms applications. I do a multitude of other things from grants to telephones. I assist with the IT stuff. So, I have a broad spectrum of responsibilities that I do here.

What was the proudest moment in your career?

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I think probably the proudest moment of my career was when I attained the rank of captain last year.

Have you had any negative experiences?

There's nothing really negative. There are things that come with the job that cause you to go on—negative things that affect you for a while. All cops deal with many of the negative aspects of our careers. But, you know, you deal with them and you move on and work through them.

Can you tell us about your health condition?

Sure. Recently I went to the doctor because I was having some pain in my side. He sent me to the hospital for a series of tests. And he told me that I had Stage 4 liver cancer. I'm currently being treated up at Sloan Kettering for liver cancer. I have a few spots on my lungs that metastasized from the liver. So that kind of created a little bit more of a situation than I was really expecting. And when I received the news, I was actually devastated and so is my wife. I couldn't believe it and it's still hard to process it because I'm still trying to think, you know, ‘how?’ and ‘why?’ and ‘where?’

Can you take us back to the day of your diagnosis? What was that experience like?

Well, I thought I was having some pain in my side here by my ribs. And, at first, I had thought that I had pulled a muscle. But my doctor said there may be something more to it. So he poked around my abdomen and said something didn’t feel right. He said I needed further tests and ordered a series of them at the hospital. So I went to the hospital on a Tuesday afternoon around four o'clock, after I left work. I had a CAT scan of my liver, my abdomen, and my chest to see what was going on. After I was in the emergency room for a number of hours, they came back and they told me they were going to admit me overnight, and the next day my doctor wanted to come see me around six o'clock in the morning. The next morning my doctor came knocking on my door, kind of woke me up, and said the news wasn’t good. I've developed a relationship with my doctor that is very good so he was straight with me and said I have liver cancer. After that, we did a biopsy. We did a couple of other tests including an MRI of my brain to make sure the cancer didn’t go to my brain. My doctor ordered more tests and told me we’re going to get through this. He set me up to go to Sloan Kettering for treatments. I remember he asked me if I wanted to call my wife. I said, I really didn't think I could do it so he called my wife and informed her of my condition. And after that, you know, we dealt with it. And that's the morning I spoke with my chief, who also gave me hope that we will get through this. He said 'we're going to work through it.' And that's exactly what we're doing now. He told me I have the support of everybody here. Also, everyone in my family has been extremely supportive. The number of friends I have supporting me is unbelievable. The outlets I have right now make it so much better for me to deal with what we're dealing with.

You mentioned something about support from the officers here. Can you elaborate on that support?

Sure, they call me constantly. There is a sergeant who works in my office who continually hounds me to make sure I drink water, making sure I eat something. He’s a wonderful friend. Everybody that I work with here, including the guys that are behind me here, they constantly reach out. They check to see how I am doing and how they can help. How can they help my family. And for me, that's huge. Even with the support from the people in the borough hall that know that I have this. They ask what they can do to help. ‘What do you need?’ ‘Can we get your food?’ ‘Can we get you this?’ ‘Can we take you for your treatment?’ Just those things, in general, are like amazing things that when the chips are down, you see who actually comes out and who is going to help you. And for everybody here, we have 46 cops, and they will do whatever they have to do to help me.

Is there a message you want to tell your kids today?

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Well, I actually have three children. One daughter, who lives in South Carolina and is currently a dialysis nurse, and I’m constantly on her to ‘make sure you take care of yourself ,’ ‘make sure you're doing what you have to.’ I have another son who lives in South Carolina. He's a state trooper. So I constantly tell him some of the things that I just told you. ‘Be on the street and be respectful to the people.’ ‘Do what you have to do again.’ He was a football player. He played college football, great high school football, so he knows how to maintain his health. So he's always doing it. I have another son who lives in Pennsylvania who is an IT guy. He's a part-time college football coach. And I tell him the same thing. You know, ‘make sure you take care of yourself— go for walks, lose weight, eat a good diet’, so they never end up in the situation that I am in. And again, they're all far away, but I talk to them every day, sometimes four times a day, so we constantly have communication.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I have been here for 30 years. My biggest legacy is to know that when I do leave here, I leave the place the way I wanted it to be. And the people that I worked with will always remember me. And, you know, I think, ‘oh, yeah, he did that’ or ‘he put this into place.’ So that's important to me.

A Hero Remembered: Chicago Police Department Officer Ella French

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Article & Artwork by Jonny Castro

On August 7th, Chicago Police Officer Ella French and two other officers assigned to the Community Safety Team were conducting a traffic stop on Chicago’s South Side. During the vehicle investigation, the passenger pulled a gun and opened fire, striking two of the three officers. Though gravely wounded, they were able to return fire and hit the gunman. Officer French suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head during the attack. Her partner remains in critical condition, fighting for his life after being shot multiple times. All three suspects involved have been taken into custody.

Officer French is remembered as one of the good ones. She was a bright, charismatic young woman who joined the Chicago Police Department back in 2018. She was proud to wear the badge, and brought honor and distinction to what it stands for. Officer French was a person of integrity and always believed in doing the right thing. Most importantly, she took this job to help people. Officer French was assigned to the 10th District, but respectfully requested to be detailed to the Community Safety Team to try and make a difference in a city plagued by gun violence. Officer leaves behind her mother and brother, and would have celebrated her 30th birthday at the end of August.

My, Oh My How Things Have Changed: Harness the power of Christ

By: Chris Amos

Perhaps one of the characteristics about Jesus that I am most grateful for is found in Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” As I watch everything around me change at a frightening pace, I am so thankful Jesus Christ does not.

Many reading this may have experienced the pain, the emotional heartbreak from the ever-changing affections of a loved one. Maybe your spouse has fallen out of love with you. His or her feelings for you have changed. They aren’t what they once were. Divorce soon follows. Or maybe your dream job has changed, becoming more and more like a ball and chain around your ankle. Maybe your best friend in all the world has died, or perhaps even worse, moved on no longer having the time or interest in keeping your friendship going. Things inevitably change, for better or for worse.   

As we recognize the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11, 2001, I remember watching this scene play out on television from the comfort of my office while serving as a Norfolk Police Officer. In the days and weeks that followed I remember the wave of patriotism that swept the country. I remember that while in uniform my money seemed to be worthless, as people would eagerly pay for my meals as a sign of support and appreciation. I remember the cards from elementary school classes that were made by the kids and mailed to the Chief’s Office. I remember being stopped everywhere I went by folks just wanting to shake my hand and thank me. I remember the pride I had, not a personal pride, but a much greater pride I had just for the uniform and the countless men and women willing to sacrifice all, in service to their respective communities. 

Well that was then and this is now and my, oh my, how things have changed. Twenty years after first responders could do no wrong, now seemingly, they can do no right. In New York City where police officers and firefighters were once hailed as national heroes, now they are racist, intolerant, incompetent buffoons who are good for nothing. Not just in NYC but in many parts of the country, but none more so than in our major cities. A profession, once revered as being professional, noble, and one of great integrity has been reduced to a job fraught with minefields that no one in their right mind desires to pursue.

The era of proactive policing has given way to officers who operate under a constant state of fear and second guessing. Oh, they are not afraid of doing the job. They are afraid of what would happen if they don’t do the job perfectly, 100% of the time! They are afraid of becoming the next headline, forced to take a life because of the criminal actions of another. They are afraid of renegade Commonwealth and District Attorneys wanting to make a name for themselves. They are afraid of chiefs and sheriffs that might abandon them in their greatest hour of need. They are afraid of losing their jobs, their homes, their freedom all because of decisions they are forced to make in seconds, without the luxury of knowing the full story. They are afraid of making mistakes in good faith, realizing that they are no longer afforded good faith. Ironically, according to the recent Gallup poll, police officers are still one of the most trusted professions in the country, and yet they are operating in an environment, where far more time is spent coddling the guilty, while ignoring the victims of crime.

I personally find tremendous peace, comfort, and hope in knowing that while the society in which we live is constantly changing, and many of those changes are not for the better, I can rest in knowing Jesus Christ NEVER changes. His love for me is as great, as deep, as wide and certain today as it was yesterday, and as it will be tomorrow, for all the tomorrows of my life. I rest in knowing that no matter how society changes with its attitude toward law enforcement officers, Jesus does not. His calling does not change. His need for, and love of police officers does not.

I am reminded of Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the shouts of praise by all of those in attendance knowing that within five days the shouts of praise would be replaced by shouts of condemnation and “crucify Him!” And yet Jesus stayed the course. He did not allow the fickle and feckless mob dictate how He would fulfill His own calling. To my Law Enforcement Friends, so too I encourage each one of you to stay the course! Jesus knows what you are going through; in fact the promise of His never-changing nature is only surpassed by one more promise, the promise to never leave you nor forsake you. You are not alone. Look to Jesus for peace, comfort, and for the assurance that this world has long since abandoned.

Spineless Law Enforcement Leaders Castrate Themselves For Cop-Haters - By Sheriff David Clarke Jr

By Sheriff David Clarke Jr. (Ret.) Milwaukee County

Police chiefs have reached a new low in being accomplices in the War on Cops with the revelation that law enforcement officers all across the country are being disciplined, up to and including suspensions, demotion and dismissal from the service, for expressing on their own time and on their own social media sites, posts expressing a dislike for the cop hating scumbags from Black Lives Matter (BLM). I called them scumbags, not the officers who posted.

Here is a sample of what officers have posted on social media about Black Lives Matter according to a Washington Times news story. Two officers in New Jersey have been fired or demoted for calling BLM, terrorists. In one post, one of New Jersey’s finest was investigated by her agency for denouncing BLM tactics and called them terrorists. Another officer from the same agency “liked” the post and offered support for her colleague’s post. Even though the agency took no action, a town committee fired one of the officers and demoted a sergeant for calling out local politicians who sided with rioters. The chief did not back the officers. The chief should have exercised leadership here and refused to carry out the town committee’s obviously retaliatory firing and offered his own resignation instead. Now that would have been an act of courage, but I digress.

In another instance, an officer from the Bellevue, Idaho Marshals’ Office was suspended for a week for a posting calling out NBA basketball star LeBron James after he put out a tweet regarding an Ohio officer who used deadly force on a knife-wielding suspect who was attempting to stab another girl. James posted the officer’s picture in the post with the sentence, “You’re next, #Accountability.” He deleted the post from his account that has fifty million followers. The damage had been done and he knows it.

And in yet another incident, a Norfolk, Virginia police lieutenant anonymously donated to a defense fund for a man, who in an act of self-defense, shot and killed two suspects and wounded another during a riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin last summer. The man was charged and is awaiting trial. The lieutenant did use a city email address but did not identify himself or the agency. He wrote that the rank and file were behind his claim of self-defense. After what the police union said was a cursory investigation, the officer was fired.

A Los Angeles Police Dept. officer shared a meme on Valentine’s Day that had a picture of George Floyd with the caption, “You take my breath away.” He didn’t create the meme, he shared it. Should he have used better judgment? Of course. Should he be fired? Absolutely not, but LAPD Chief Michel Moore wants the officer fired. A reprimand would be in order here but again, Chief Moore’s moral preening and virtue signaling is more important to him than having his officers’ backs. George Floyd unfortunately has been elevated to icon status. This is the creep who held a loaded gun to the stomach of a pregnant woman in a home invasion robbery looking for drugs and money. He served eight years in prison. George Floyd’s death has caused enough damage and destruction all across the United States. He was involved in a criminal act, geeked up on fatal levels of fentanyl and not complying with an officer’s lawful commands to take him into custody. Chief Moore using the career of one of his officers as cannon fodder is disgraceful.

One defense attorney was quoted as saying, “You shouldn’t have officers sounding off on political issues.” He went on to say that, “Officers, have to represent and protect everyone in the community, and how are you going to be able to do that effectively in a majority-black city if you’re posting anti-Black Lives Matter stuff?” He cites no example where police have refused to serve and protect. He also does not point out that BLM is a Marxist movement that advocates for the killing of police officers.

Now let me stop there for a moment to sound off on that claim by a defense lawyer. As to whether or not officers will protect everyone in the community regardless of their personal feelings, this defense lawyer needs to be reminded that five, count them five Dallas police officers were ambushed and killed with another nine wounded in 2016 while working to protect Black Lives Matter sympathizers at a protest. They were killed by a Black Lives Matter sniper. How is that for protecting everyone in the community?

Two New York police officers were assassinated in a New York City borough as they sat in their cruiser, serving and protecting a very diverse population. In Los Angeles, two LA sheriff’s deputies were ambushed and shot as they sat in their cruiser serving and protecting a very diverse community in Los Angeles. They were rushed to an area hospital and were met by a group of BLM sympathizers who blocked the emergency entrance at the hospital not letting the ambulance through while shouting anti police slogans.

There have been no reports or accusations that police are refusing to serve minority communities in spite of this hateful BLM movement. Officers have been spit on, have had rocks and bottles thrown at them along with urine- and feces-filled balloons and shot at as they are ordered to “stand down” while protecting a diverse group of people as they protest and even riot. There is obviously a need for law enforcement executives to be able to set standards for off-duty conduct. In fact, there are court cases allowing it. As a former elected sheriff responsible for the good order of the service, a balance needs to be struck on this, however. It should be narrowly applied. I read all the posts referenced in the previously mentioned cases. None of what was posted in my view was over the top nor did it discredit their agency. In fact, I feel the same way about BLM that they do. If this was brought to my attention, I would not have ordered an “investigation.” This didn’t warrant an “investigation.” I would have called the officers in and told them to be careful what they post on social media. I would have ordered that a memo to go out to the entire agency reminding them of the good order of the service because the cop haters are on the prowl and looking to take them out through internal discipline. The end. A verbal warning would be appropriate. Suspension, firing and demotion for this is overkill and unnecessary. It is nothing more than virtue signaling trying to appease the cop-hating goons. It doesn’t work.

Our officers are under tremendous stress. They are working long hours due to riots, defunding efforts and short staffing due to retirements and resignations. It is affecting their mental health and quality of life outside work. These are human beings, not drones. Don’t these spineless police chiefs realize that? Do they even care? Our cops need a release from time to time and some empathy from their top commanders. Maybe if law enforcement executives said something that pushes back against the cop haters of Black Lives Matter, rank and file cops would not feel a need to spout off in their own defense.

Sheriff David Clarke Jr. is former Sheriff of Milwaukee Co, Wisconsin, President of AmericasSheriff LLC, Board member of the Crime Research Center, author of the book Cop Under Fire: Beyond Hashtags of Race Crime and Politics for a Better America. To learn more visit www.americassheriff.com

In a World Gone Crazy: Politicians Abandon Police and Citizens

 By: Lt. Patrick J Ciser (Ret.)

 When I was a younger man, 30-40 years ago, I saw division on many political issues. Sure, we had both extreme left and right groups, but they were certainly in the minority, and few people took them seriously. I remember a time, believe it or not, when Democrats believed in and supported law enforcement and the rule of law. And for the most part, I always saw some wiggle room for reconciliation on both sides.

A few months ago, we saw a radicalized party, against all odds, take the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate, at the end of a very tumultuous year. I’m struck with deep sadness that we find ourselves in this position. Democrats seemed to be on the wrong side of so many important issues facing our nation, yet still won. Let’s take a look at a few of these extreme positions one by one.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

There was a day, as I said, when ALL politicians wanted to protect our citizens from crime; especially violent crime. We all have loved ones we wish to protect, and most of us have repeatedly supported victim advocacy groups over the years. We’ve seen the strengthening of domestic violence laws and the increased prosecution of sexual assaults. So why are many Democratic politicians doing everything in their power to assist criminals? Sounds extreme, right? But it is happening in all of our Democrat-run states coast to coast. We’re suffering from bail reform on steroids! Even some violent criminals are immediately let out so they can terrorize their victims again. Witnesses are being threatened and are now scared to death of testifying, even more so than before. Why do you think that half of the homicides in our inner cities aren’t solved? “Warn a Brother” and “No Snitchin” are some serious shit to be sure! Victims learn quickly that our feckless judicial system isn’t going to save them or their kids any time soon. Why do we parole cop killers who should’ve gotten the death penalty? Why do Democrats turn a blind eye to the destruction caused by BLM and Antifa, and even support bailing them out like Vice President Harris has done? Why are Democrats not in favor of deporting criminal aliens and passing “Kate’s Law?” And there’s so much more!

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

At the DNC primary runoff last year, all the candidates from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris were asked, raise your hand if you’re in favor of giving free health care to illegal immigrants. Every hand on that stage went up! There are an estimated 18-22 million illegals currently living in America. That admission alone could entice a million more to cross the border in the coming four years of the Biden administration. And you know who gets hurt the most, even more than the taxpayers? The illegals who are already here. If an illegal farm worker goes from $5 to $8 or $10 an hour over a few years, he/she will now lose their jobs to the new immigrant willing to take $5. Some Democrat governors curtailed interstate travel from certain states because of COVID, while the Biden administration is welcoming all immigrants regardless if they’re bringing in any disease from COVID to tuberculosis. He’s actually sending out letters to illegals who were deported by the Trump Administration to come back for a new hearing. Many gang members, like MS-13, are no longer in jeopardy of deportation under Biden’s rules.

TRANSGENDER RIGHTS

I never understood bias against gays/lesbians in America. Ultra-religious groups, unfortunately, seem to have disdain for them to the extreme. I always thought, even decades ago; who are they hurting? Certainly not me. So why don’t we simply wish them well and move on? But today, this “group” has grown to be called the LGBTQ community. Now I, like countless others, definitely have a problem. You see, gay rights never infringed on other people’s rights, but transgender “rights” absolutely do! None of us want a man, who believes that he’s a woman, to share the same bathroom with our teenage daughters. No one wants to see their little girl dreaming while growing up, of competing in the Olympics one day, suddenly beaten by a transexual. When your rights trample another’s rights, that’s where we have a problem! We have “Special Olympics,” perhaps we need “transgender” sports.

FIRST and SECOND AMENDMENTS

Censorship; did you ever think that in America we would see such a thing? The CCP, Russia, North Korea, among many others, have always had Government Controlled Media. For you old guys like me out there, remember during Watergate, when we actually had investigative reporters who looked out for the people? Today, we have liberal media that actually acts like an arm of the DNC. Progressives have infiltrated our media outlets and universities to a point where they’re able to snuff out free speech at every turn. Why is it for years now you can’t hear a conservative lecture at our top universities? And now we actually have censorship on all social media platforms. Mao would’ve been proud.

Biden and company also have BIG plans for our Second Amendment; how do they win with this stuff!!

Pat Ciser is a retired lieutenant from the Clifton Police Department, and a 7th Degree Black Belt. He was a member of 5 U.S. Karate Teams, winning gold medals in South America and Europe. He is the Author of BUDO and the BADGE; Exploits of a Jersey Cop (BN.com/Amazon), and is a guest writer for Official Karate Magazine.

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