AN OLD ROOKIE COP_Read It._08-14-2016

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“Knowledge Is Definitely Power”
II

III

& COMMUNITY RELATIONS:
Recent headline tragedies involving the shootings of African American
men, women and teenagers, by (Caucasian) law enforcement officers,
across the nation have compelled me to speak out on the subject. You see, I
feel I have a unique perspective on this particular subject matter because
first, „I am a black man‟ and secondly, I am a „former‟ law enforcement
officer. In my early twenties I became a corrections officer and was sworn
in as a (special) deputy sheriff for a medium size county (Jefferson) in
Northeastern Ohio. I worked for the sheriffs‟ department for approximately
two and one half years, was laid off due to budget constraints and was soon
hired on by the county seats‟ city (Steubenville) police department where I
worked for just under two and one half years as well. I‟ve always considered
myself a rookie cop because my law enforcement tenure is really only a
“drop in the bucket” compared to officers who have ten, fifteen and more
years of service under their belts.
However, that work experience has impacted me from then to now. Despite
my brief tenure wearing a badge, being a police officer was and still is the
all-time best j.o.b. I ever held! Growing up in the 1960‟s and 1970‟s was a
period of time I vividly recall, most people „looking up‟ to law enforcement.
We were taught to respect a police officer. If in trouble, go to a police
officer because most police officers were considered „respectful‟ pillars of
the community whose duties were to “ and ” the citizens of
that community. Even in schools, teachers would instill in students, that if
a stranger bother’s you, shout “help”, “run” and “find a policeman”. Television
and other media outlets did the same thing, in frequent public service
announcements. Personally, as a youngster, I was always enamored by
what the stood for with their authority, influence and power to make
certain wrong things, feel right again.
As a youngster, during those years, to see officers in their blue uniforms,
and gun belts with nightsticks, was an impressive sight.
Officers were assigned to conduct foot patrols in neighborhoods and when
they would walk down the streets, many people would take notice, speak to
them and thank them for the sense of security they conveyed to residents.
These beat patrol officers „engaged‟ residents and business owners in conversation,
establishing a powerful community spirit and rapport, that
was highly effective on many levels. If someone “got out of line” or committed
a crime, the would have a pretty good idea of who, what, and

how to address the matter. Heck, parents were even known to “threaten
to take” and did “actually take” unruly kids to the
to
get the kids‟ attention by showing them where they could „end up‟ if they
didn’t straighten up. [Some people may ask, “where did you grow up”?]
My own Grandfather actually worked part time at the ,
doing maintenance and custodial work and was very „well liked‟ and
respected by the patrolmen. I‟ve always believed that it is due in part to my
Grandfathers‟ close ties to the
and his friendship with
many of the patrolmen, that “I am alive today”. My Mother and
Grandparents would tell me years later, that when I was just a toddler, I
went through a brief phase where I would occasionally become so
„stubborn‟ that I would hold my breath if I didn‟t get what I wanted. I would
perform this „tantrum‟ of sorts until the point of almost passing out! On one
such occasion I actually did „pass out‟. My Mother and I were at my
Grandparents‟ home when this happened to me and everyone was frantic
because, I‟m told I appeared to have stopped breathing altogether.
This was in the mid 1960‟s and there was no system established yet.
The police and an ambulance were called and as it would turn out, a patrolman
who recognized the name and address given in the emergency call,
arrived on the scene first. This officer just happened to be a good friend of
my Grandfather and immediately upon seeing me lying on a blanket on the
floor, he grabbed me and began administering „
‟ on my small limp body. His short breaths into my mouth and chest
compressions quickly revived me and I was rushed to the hospital to be examined.
I came through the ordeal just fine and without any complications
occurring. What a true blessing! Many years later and when I was old enough
to better understand what happened to me, I got to meet this “life
saving”
and he remembered „just‟ who I was.
So you see, I‟ve pretty much, had a deep connection to law enforcement
since before „I even knew‟ what a „ ‟ was. So please understand me
when I say it was truly an honor, a huge sense of pride, an accomplishment
and many other accolades, when I succeeded in becoming an officer in my
own hometown my first swearing-in as a deputy, in front of the
county sheriff and the county court judge…to my second swearing-in
ceremony as a patrolman, in front of the city police chief and municipal
court judge. this day, I‟ve always had a deep respect and admiration for
what law enforcement is supposed to represent. This is why today (2015), I
am really saddened, disappointed, frustrated and even somewhat

embarrassed over the current “view” and “attitude” towards law enforcement
by segments of our society. I took great pride in carrying my badge
Yes, it is really
to see people (the BLACK community in particular),
experience a wide spread resurgence of feelings of fear and mistrust
for law enforcement. Feelings that are reminiscent of a and
period (not all that long ago) in the history of this nation and its‟ African-
American culture. That period of time saw the birth of the civil rights
movement which fought tirelessly and painstakingly for equality and justice
for , under the law. The iconic name „most‟ synonymous with this
historic grass roots effort is undoubtedly Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
who was, himself the very pinnacle of a systematic and prejudiced law
enforcement establishment of yester-year. Many baby boomers may argue
the „past tense‟ reference, citing “not much has changed”. This is most
unfortunate because we surely the but, we also certainly
need the police to know that “ ”!
Yes, it is really
to see, almost „on a monthly (if not weekly)
basis‟, an incident or report (by the media) of law enforcement engaged in
some level of clearly „questionable‟ and even illegal behavior as it pertains
to the treatment of citizens (particularly in the BLACK community) they
are encountering while in the line of duty. “Bringing to bear, the truth and
reality” of situations, are the strides in the ever growing fascination and
development of technology. Now, in many situations, it is no longer just a,
my word against your word type of case, where the only proof is „one
statement versus another statement‟. Cameras are everywhere, they are
taking „revealing‟ pictures and recording „vivid‟ video accounts of numerous
occurrences the time. Mobile phones and other technologically advanced
devices are also recording the audio and specific sounds of occurrences
that were once the of major disputes and indecision. In many
situations, it was obvious that the inability to effectively determine “who
telling the truth” and “who telling the truth” ultimately, led to countless
inadequate and consequences.
Yes, it is really to know those who , to not only
enforce the law but, to uphold the law and
the image of law
enforcement by obeying the law themselves… would resort to “
” and “ the power, trust and authority” vested in them. Law
enforcement officers do have a tremendous amount of power and
authority as it pertains to the average citizen and even to those dubbed

more „affluent‟. But regardless of the status, classification…etc. [minoritymiddle
class or whoever…] abuse of power and position is still abuse and
it is just “plain wrong”! Those in these positions, found of abuse
should be held accountable! Those in these positions, suspected or accused
of violating their oaths, should be fully and properly investigated (by
qualified independent authorities) and dealt with accordingly. Being a law
enforcement officer requires a totally different level of „mindset‟ then
almost every other profession! “Policing” others, is „unlike‟ any other
profession and definitely is not just a j.o.b.!
Yes, it is really
at times, because until recently, I have
always been a staunch defender of law enforcement and I stood up for
what the institution represents. Not so much for the individual wearing the
badge but, for the purpose and necessity for the enforcement of the LAW.
Think about it, without police authority and protection of the laws, it
would be worse then what is portrayed in the wild, wild west era of time.
Lawlessness would be “rampant”, it would be, in part like what we now
see on the evening news (& social media) happening in other regions of the
world. As far as „embarrassing‟…it‟s pretty darn hard to stand up for a guy
wearing a badge and clearly shown on „video‟ punching, kicking and
stomping on the head and back of a suspect who is already down on the
ground, complying with orders and handcuffed to boot. How can anyone
even open their mouth in defense of this type of behavior? How (in good
conscious) can these actions be justified by an organization‟s review board,
chief, sheriff, police commander or police commissioner…etc.?
This individual has clearly crossed over the threshold of enforcing the
law to clearly breaking the law thus, becoming a criminal himself.
Unfortunately and for „far too long‟, the standard for this type of behavior
(of law enforcement officers) has been viewed as “separate” from the
standard of behavior of the individuals (suspects) on the ground. Now, let
me get to the “ and ” of the reason why the duty of a law
enforcement officer is without a doubt, totally unlike any other
profession out there… the reason why the duty of a
is not
just a j.o.b. and why, not just anyone can „effectively' wear the badge of
authority. You see, a major component of enforcing laws, involves dealing
„up close and personal‟ with those individuals and groups whose ultimate
goals are to go against and break the laws. „ ‟ has to step in and
exert authority when this happens, that is the PO’-LICE. When a
law is broken, there is usually a tangible, recognizable Victim who needs to

e „served’ in the form of assistance from „ someone‟ (with the ability, power
and legal authority) to investigate on their behalf…the circumstances which
led to them becoming a victim in the first place, that would be the PO’-
LICE. The Victim will also need to be „protected‟ under the law (by
„ someone‟ with the ability, power and legal authority), from being victim-
ized further. Again, that would be the PO’-LICE. [
Yes! It is law enforcement officers who “
” and are charged
with the duty of investigating, tracking down and apprehending those individuals
and groups who prey upon innocent law abiding citizens, making
them victims of crime. “It can be a dirty, dangerous undertaking and no
can do it”!! I can tell you first hand, the police deal with the
type of people that you wouldn‟t want to come across in your „worst‟
! These people are the breathing „ scum and filth‟ of the earth and
their primary objectives are to brutalize others at all costs. I‟m talking
about those persons who rape, maim , terrorize and murder innocent, unsu-
specting people who are just trying to make it through their journey of life.
“I was once the one”, who was up close and personal with these types
of individuals. Which is how my stint in law enforcement first began.
I worked in a jail where they were housed and it was „my‟ responsibility to
bring them , , , , items and even
from what‟s known in correctional institutions as „ ‟.
Those who do what I once did for a living then, are even responsible for
making sure these individuals, themselves are not “harmed or victimized”
while incarcerated. It was not „my‟ duty nor my responsibility to
them, them or to them, “regardless” of how vile, of an act
they were accused of. I can vividly recall one case of a most despicable
inmate who was charged with the of a thirteen-year old girl, whom he
sexually brutalized „repeatedly‟ over several hours, during one night in her
own home. I came to work early one morning and reported to my assigned
section of the jail facility, it was where this inmate was being housed while
he awaited trial. On this particular morning, I noticed him glaring at me, as
]

he emerged from his individual (lock-down) cell and entered the common
area of the cell block. [This is an area where inmates are permitted to
congregate during the day. But at night or during high risk situations,
they’re placed back into their individual locked cells] I watched him
“stretching and patting himself on the chest”, he then shouted (loudly)
“ ”. He then snickered and
“smiled” at me as he asked, “
?”. I remember
thinking how „disgusting‟ of a human being he was and how he never once
showed one „ounce‟ of
for traumatizing (possibly forever) the life
of a young innocent child. The only thing he openly seemed to regret was,
getting caught. Could you do this type of work? Could „you‟ be the one
serving cornflakes cereal to someone like this?
Regardless of how a suspected criminal is thought of by those pursuing him
or her, by those who ultimately effect a capture or by those charged with
over that person while in custody… that suspect or prisoner
still
to something called due process. Now, when it comes to
criminal activity, whether one is merely „ suspected‟ or actually known to
have committed a crime, the due process is usually initiated during the
apprehension/custody phase. Those persons (typically, law enforcement)
effecting the apprehension are legally bound by specific laws, rules, regu-
lations and policies pertaining to the scope of their duties. Therefore, the
rights of the individual(s) must carefully be regarded as well. These duties
do not include being the judge, jury or executioner in any respect at all!
Even the
provides that; an individual is
presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of his
or her own peers.
It is the duty, obligation or the right of law enforcement officer
to administer or to inflict any type of retribution, punishment or revenge
on suspect or anyone else, ! NOW! Let‟s be perfectly clear and
also realistic, while reiterating that many of the people that
encounter, are “ persons far worse than in any nightmare” you can conjure
up! Therefore, if you are not affiliated „professionally' with the career of
law enforcement, please afford me the benefit of any doubt you may have
when I attest to you… there are most definitely extenuating and terribly
extreme circumstances. I‟m talking about situations where individuals
.

(and sometimes groups) and „ ‟ force the hand of
to take
in order to control a situation.
What‟s an extreme measure ? An
is a reaction
deemed as a [necessary] last resort response by law enforcement, to an
action(s) by a person(s) who have reached a “
” in their
minds and are determined to continue on a path of mayhem and destructtion.
Many times innocent, unsuspecting people are directly in this path of
mayhem and disregard (by the criminal element) for the wellbeing and
lives of others. Sometimes the police, “literally” have only a few seconds
(or less) to make a
to react to a threat they (or others)
are facing at that critical moment. This reaction could be an effort to save
the life of a known victim(s), innocent bystander(s), hostage(s), a fellow
officer(s) or the life of the officer, him or herself. It didn‟t take me five, ten
or fifteen years of service to witness first-hand or to personally experience
how a life, my life could be over in just a heartbeat! On three such occasions
while a rookie officer, I was truly blessed by God „almighty‟ to have
survived the shift, so please believe me when I tell you…“you just don‟t
know the feeling, until you actually feel it”!
One of these occasions involved a fellow officer taking quick action which
prevented me from being in the chest by a , mentally ill
patient. Another occasion involved my senior partner knocking a „loaded‟
rifle out of the hands of a suspect who, unbeknownst to me, was “aiming it
right at my head”. Outside of our esteemed military forces, brave fire fighters
and paramedics, I can‟t think of many other professions that even come
close to affording these types of experiences in the workplace. Also, there
are events so traumatic and so dramatic, that even with a camera
rolling and microphone recording, somebody observing it afterwards,
still cannot possibly or completely understand what those
involved in the event, were experiencing at various moments, as
it unfolded. Sure, in the sports world, it‟s easy to sit back and Mondaymorning-quarterback
details and highlights of a game played over the
weekend but, not in the real life of law enforcement!
The split-second decisions that police officers, sheriff deputies, highway
patrol, state troopers, detectives…etc. make are final and can be life altering
experiences on all levels. In law enforcement there are no do-overs in
cases of traumatic injuries and loss of life situations but, there can be
„fouls called on a play‟. In the realm of society [the split-second actions of
police officers] the Monday-morning quarterbacking is done by the media

and public but, ultimately ruled on within the judicial system. This can
take months and even years for results! Now obviously, every situation
law enforcement deals with is not so traumatically intense or life threatening,
so there must certainly be some differentiating as it pertains to the level
of a „perceived threat‟ to public safety or an officer‟s safety. Then
there‟s just plain „common sense‟, self-control and remembering (as a
sworn officer, what you took an oath to uphold) the right thing to do.
Let‟s look at some variables; Depending upon the venue and size of the population,
in the area in which police officers work, it can be the case of,
eight out of ten people, officers encounter are totally unknown to the officeer(s).
As it relates to vehicles & traffic related situations with the public, officers
typically never know „exactly‟ who it is, they are encountering. They
don‟t know for sure if it‟s a local school principal on the way home from
work, a soccer mom headed to pick up the kids from practice or a deranged
murderer who just killed people in. Every situation law enforcement
deal with, can be as unique as snowflakes therefore, officers can
let down their guard, as it can cost them their lives or the lives of others!
What I‟m attempting to emphasize here, are those cases where law enforcement
officers have been able to assess that a threat level is minimal or
even nonexistent and clearly have a situation under their control. Also, they
have been able to do so while exerting adequate (minimum) use of force
in. Now bear in mind, I‟m not just someone (on the outside, looking in)
speculating or guessing about these things. I was “actually” there and can
tell you from first~hand experience that things. can (and do) change in a
heartbeat! I mean escalating and spiraling out of control before anyone
even knows what is happening thus, becoming a matter of sheer self~survival
and or helping someone else to survive (a once )!!
Again, let‟s focus on those cases where the police are clearly in control of a
situation they are addressing and circumstances are relatively calm.
a subject is in police-custody and poses no immediate
threat to the safety of the officers, the public or himself/herself and is „
for the most part‟. It is inevitable this person is going to be relocated
to a place of detention, holding facility, jail or prison… This typically means
some method of vehicular transportation and can also mean a substantial
period of time where a person or persons in police-custody are completely
„out of view‟ of the public and in total isolation of anyone, except for
law enforcement elated personnel. This very scenario plays out each and
everyday in our country and places all over the world, has done so for many

years and will probably be a common practice for years to come. The point
here and „especially‟ in light of what is headlining the front page news
today in America, is now an issue of credence as it relates to “what really
happens to people who go through these scenarios?”. “Exactly How and
Why is the physical condition of an individual(s) sometimes
during and after, one of these ( police custody) scenarios, then
it was from the point of effecting the initial arrest and custody procedure”?
So how is the real truth in these types of cases ultimately determined and
brought to the surface for all to see and rely on as factual?
There is typically a constant common denominator in this equation and
that is, there is usually somebody who really knows all of what happened
or really knows part of what happened. These „knowers‟ are usually
the ones who , or were there as participants
in or are witnesses to . Once an
allegation is made, it is now a matter of substantiating it with proof & facts
pursuant to the claim. This can be done in a number of ways including, eye
or ear witness statements, electronic ( video or audio…etc.) devices and
secondary victim statements. Any one or all of these methods can support
or validate what has initially been alleged. Now please keep this in mind as
it relates to multiple eye witness accounts of the “same” incident…
!
There is also, the very real possibility of these methods disproving parts
or all of the allegations entirely. Several people can witness an event at the
exact same time, at the exact same location and under the same conditions
and circumstances, yet give differing (even conflicting) statements as to
what took place. This is why thorough investigations must take place and
be conducted by competent and qualified persons (preferably independent
of association), as it pertains to an organization whose member(s) may be
the one(s) who stand accused. The objective being getting to the truth of
the matter, while demonstrating transparency and exhibiting impartiality.
Then you have the one human factor, which is “honesty” and is
basically the whole reason and need for investigating what is alleged to
have happened…thus, being able to determine what actually occurred and
if someone shall be held accountable for their actions in the matter.
Since we do not live in a perfect world, we have relied on things like
polygraph tests, forensic science and various other forms of investigative
technology, to seek the truth. Even then, 100% of what really took place,
sometimes cannot be established. Innocent persons have been

while murderers, rapists and other criminals .
When individuals and groups are placed in positions of
and influence
over others, they are entrusted to abide by the oaths, laurels and
integrity symbolizing that position of office in which they‟ve accepted.
When that authority is willfully defiled, abused or misused by the beholder,
that person should
be held accountable for violating that
trust. “Especially” when there‟s been ample opportunity given, to rectify
any (statement discrepancies) appearance of improprieties afoot.
! If you allow yourself
to become embroiled in something like this, you only aid in perpetuating
one huge (conspiracy) web of lies…“you are dishonest”. In some cases,
this can even result in the actual truth “actually” becoming clouded and
uncertain. This is why a thorough, complete and unbiased investigation is
imperative, in order to reveal what really took place!
In law enforcement, once you have been found to be dishonest, you lose
credibility and this can haunt you throughout you career as an officer.
The truth on the other hand, can be “much harder to swallow” however, it
is also much easier maintained than the ! The truth is “what actually
happened” versus the , which is “what did not happen”. The truth can
be much easier remembered versus the , which must carefully be
recalled because its‟ details were fabricated in the ! The has to
keep track of , and a particular was told to. This is why
seasoned interviewers and investigators are able to extract crucial details
from people „simply‟ by asking the same question repeatedly but, in
different ways and at different times (also referred to as „tripping up‟). Most
often, the cannot successfully keep track of the lies!
! Not as much effort is required in remembering what you actually
witnessed, did 0r heard. The moral here is, just tell the truth in the
first place… somewhere it is written, “it‟s better to get caught telling a
truth, then it is to get caught telling a lie”. The consequences for you could
be equally, significant and then, maybe not. A typical
police

investigation, involving citizens who are victimized by street criminals can
be trying enough…let alone launching investigations that center around law
enforcement officers “themselves”. I can remember a fellow rookie officer
and friend whom I attended a police academy with, sharing some-
thing very poignant with me. Let‟s just call him „Eddy‟. Eddy and I were hired
at the same time and were partners during training, he became a detective
in a short period of time, we referred to that as „ ‟.
This meant no more working in the uniform, it was dress shirts, ties and
shinned oxfords, being on call and driving an unmarked patrol car.
It also meant investigating the cases that the
patrolmen responded
to. I ran into my detective friend Eddy one day during a shift change,
he was coming out of an interview room where he was going over a case
with a victim. Eddy looked pretty flustered, a tuft of hair lay across his
sweat beaded forehead and he had his eye glasses off and was rubbing his
eyes. I asked him „what was going on‟ and „why the glum look‟… he leaned
close and said, in disgust, “it‟s ridiculous how people lie”. I said “well you
know, that‟s part of why we get paid to do what we do”. His face turned
even more and he said “I know but, everyone lies, even the victims
of a crime lie to us”! This is very frustrating, especially when you‟re truly
trying to help someone whose been
by others and your heart
goes out to them, yet they won‟t be truthful with you. Do you remember the
following „age old adage‟?
“There‟s three sides to every story; ,
&
”. As it relates to trained professional
organizations, I believe integrity can be gauged and shaped by a groups‟
leadership. In this case, the subject is law enforcement therefore, those
leaders would obviously be the ones who bear titles such as; the
, , ,
, or
…etc. Set policies, tandard perating rocedures, rules and regulations
are typically instituted and enforced by these same individuals.
When a subordinate law enforcement officer is accused of violating a particular
policy or law, he or she would more then likely be
to one
or more of these authority figures. This is where the integrity and strength
of the leadership as well as department policy, rights, morality and state
and federal laws can come into play. This is also the time for those of authority
to “get in front” of a situation (sooner than later) that has potential to
spiral ! The aftermaths of recent and „ ‟ police-

involved events, demonstrate just how essential this is! Especially in cases
that have a high potential of becoming , it only makes sense to be
even more , more and more diligent in establishing
the facts (of what really happened), sooner than later. Obviously gone, are
those days of „putting off‟ the public, main stream media and social media
with a “no comment” or “this is an internal matter” response from officials.
Modern day society and sentiment, demands to know the truth, as it relates
to what is happening to friends, associates and loved ones who end up
for the worse, during or after encounters with law enforcement.
Growing public sentiment also demands
for those in law
enforcement who cross~the~line and become law breakers under the
guise of enforcing the law. I don‟t see this trend slowing anytime soon, and
rightfully so. People are really tired and fed up with being fearful of those
who are charged with the responsibility of protecting them! People are
and with those authority figures who use their positions to intimidate
and abuse them, simply because they can, then use the law and its‟
loopholes to justify their unjust behavior and actions. This is just plain
wrong and there must begin a collective and paramount effort to address
and „stamp out‟ this social menace!
I do not condone violence and I believe it is truly unfortunate that people
feel a riot is necessary before their pain and frustration over mistreatment,
is recognized. Violence certainly isn‟t the answer because it only beckons
more needless violence! When you allow a pressure cooker to exceed its‟
maximum potential to contain its‟ pressurized contents, it eventually “explodes”,
violently! Is society in the United States gradually becoming a
human pressure cooker over police misconduct? If you believe the answer
is yes, what do you feel can be done about it? Let‟s say the decision makers
and those at the top (brass) in law enforcement, immediately began to
take a much more realistic look and enact proactive measures as it pertains
to the root causes of identifiable problems within their respective departments.
Sadly, we‟ve seen that it only takes one police officer to set off an
„avalanche‟ of controversy and chaos…which can further ignite a wave of
mayhem and destructive behavior across an entire city, state and even
beyond! So what if, these higher-ups became truly adamant about addres-
sing the known root causes of trouble or the potential for trouble within
their organizations? You see, anything is possible but, I just don‟t buy that
out of the clear , a police officer simply, one day decides to beat an
already subdued, compliant suspect “to death” or “half to death”. Or

that an officer just picks one day to use deadly force on an unarmed,
fleeing suspect who no longer poses any immediate threat. Just go
back and look, at some of the investigative reports and histories of police
officers involved in recent cases of minorities who‟ve been killed or severely
injured during police encounters. You will find that several of these „particular‟
officers were no strangers to controversy or at least “
” in the minds of colleagues…even prior to making headline news. What
this means is, there‟s evidence and verifiable reports showing they were already
red flagged as potential candidates for „coming close to doing or
actually doing what they ultimately did‟ (even if they only a candidate,
for what happened, in the minds of their cohorts).
This also means that, “there were somebodies” who felt in advance, there
was a likelihood for what happened, maybe not on the scale that it did happen
but, nevertheless… was at least, aware of potential. Talk
about Monday-morning-quarterbacking in ones‟ mind, this is horrible!
Face it, we‟ve all, more than likely worked at a job where there was just that
one coworker who stood out to you (and others) as the one who will one
day “go too far”, “lose it” and “go off the deep end”! Law enforcement is no
different and neither am I (as thoughts go). Because I‟ve been there many a
time, in the capacity of a
and on more than one occasion
witnessed a fellow officer push-the-envelope a little “too far”. Thank God no
one died but, those could have been very bad days! Heck, there were a few
times when I even questioned „my own‟ actions in the line of duty.
, is part of being mindful of how far to go. Now I‟m
not here, all these years later, to point fingers at the past, it was a different
era then. And I‟m not here to suggest all be a Serpico, but I can‟t
help but to have respect for his morals. Furthermore, to any young rookie
officer, this is not forty years ago, there is nothing wrong with telling the
truth! These days, grand juries are indicting police officers, prosecutors
are prosecuting police officers, trial juries are convicting police
officers and judges are sentencing police officers to prison terms!
Even officers who played a role or conspired with the key defendant(s) are
getting time or probation. At the least, your law enforcement career is
„shot‟, then, there‟s your reputation, your family, friends and other loved
ones to think of. Do not allow someone else to help you ruin your life
and the sanctity of your family, you’re capable of doing that on your
own! Don‟t allow others to make you answer to their mistakes and misdeeds!
Especially when you‟ve been blessed with the ability to see it

coming! Because once you pass the , there‟s no do-over!
My first three months as a corrections officer at the county jail, convinced
me there was no way in the world I could ever be a criminal! Locking up
people and hearing those jail gates “slam” shut was surreal. Even though I
would have the key to the lock in my hand, there was just something
about that sound of the cell door slam and latch engaging. Yet for some
people, going to jail is like entering a second home (like Otis on the Andy
Griffith Show from the 1960‟s) and yet for others, it can require all of five
officers to place them in a cell. Believe me when I tell you that “
” or you should because it can cost you big time!
One summer evening while on duty at the county jail, I learned a very valuable
experience; Two city police officers brought in a little person, who in
those days was inappropriately referred to as a midget. This man was intoxicated
and very angry and it wasn‟t until one of the city patrolmen began
to remove his handcuffs in exchange for our handcuffs, that we found out
just how angry he was. The moment this prisoners‟ hands were free, he
“snapped” like a light switch on the wall! I mean he was „all over‟ the small
booking area, spinning like a human top. There were three of us deputies
and the two city officers, we were all trying to grasp and restrain this guy.
Despite his 4‟-10‟‟ stature, he was very elusive and his speed and strength
had all of us out done for several minutes.
We finally collared him and placed him directly into a jail cell. I remember
afterwards, we all just looked at each other (without speaking a word, at
first) and at the mess in the booking area. The molding around the surface
of the booking countertop was partially peeled off, chairs and files were all
over the floor and our uniforms were in various states of disarray. I couldn‟t
believe what just happened, in all of 5 or 6 minutes. I remember thinking to
myself, “what if that would have been just ME by Myself” Wow! I don‟t
know what I would have done or any other lone officer for that matter, because
all of the officers present, ranged in age from our 20‟s to 40‟s and we
all were physically fit for the most part. My lesson was that size and appearance
cannot always be a predictable factor in the outcome of a situation
and should never be taken for granted, in “any” respect.
This man was still there the next day when I reported to work and would
you believe, if not for his obvious stature, I would have barely recognized
him? He had apparently made a court appearance and was wearing a suit
and tie and his hair was neatly groomed. Practically a „totally‟ different per-

son from that of less than twenty-four hours earlier. He politely spoke to
me saying that he did not remember much at all, of what happened the
night before but, he said he knew he obviously did something he should not
have done. The man apologized for his behavior then we shook hands. Believe
it or not, this is one of those “
” situations, mentioned
earlier. Fortunately, there was „adequate‟ personnel present and
nothing close to
was even considered or necessary. Also a
true blessing and very amazing, was that „no‟ or the „ ‟ were
injured!
Now had this incident occurred out in the field, the outcome just may have
been drastically different. This is because it was obvious (and agreed upon
by several), none of us or even the two city officers would have been likely
to achieve the same results by themselves. The controlled environment,
available manpower and good judgement was definitely pivotal in keeping
this situation from escalating into something tragic! This is a prime ex-
ample of a relatively calm situation spiraling „out of control‟ in a heartbeat!
Always remember, every situation is different, especially in this line of work
because law enforcement professionals already know (before even going
into many situations) they‟ll most likely face „ or ‟ responses,
sometimes both. However, there‟s also many occasions where this does
not happen and people fully comply with what‟s requested of them therefore,
greatly reducing the potential (or need) for any serious escalation or
excessive force or worse.
Despite the established fact of
, in a given situation, there
can (still) be moments throughout that situation, which allow for progressive
assessment of the level of force necessary. That is,
. Again, remember, every situation is notably unique! So, just be
cause it took five officers to subdue and restrain an “out of control” little
guy under the influence of something „mind altering‟… does not „necessarily‟
mean it will take five officers with weapons drawn, to (subdue) or restrain
a compliant big guy under the influence of nothing mind altering.
Reminder: - - ?
Without any doubt, officer safety and public welfare are absolute constants
and top priorities however, common sense and good judgement must
also enter into the equation at some point… sooner then “too late”! Again,
this profession is not just for anyone, it‟s not a typical j.o.b. and everyone

is not built for what effective “law enforcement” can demand. If what you
are reading sounds a little contradictory, please slowly read it once more!
There is a tremendous difference in doing a j.o.b. versus professionally
handling a career obligation. There are countless jobs where you have the
option of doing something over, law enforcement is not one of them. If a
bricklayer uses excessive force in placing a brick into position on a wall
and it cracks, he or she simply grabs a new brick and continues.
If a
uses excessive force in placing a suspect into handcuffs,
then into a patrol car and that person is seriously and unnecessarily
“injured”, the remedy is not so simple. It‟s a „stinging‟ fact which is proven
on a daily basis, “
”! And more than likely,
they shouldn‟t have even been considered for placement there in the first
place. Do you know the phrase “
”? Sometimes those
cracks weren‟t cracks at all, they were “gaping holes that ended up being
very costly to many”! Employee background investigations (or the lack
thereof), are a major source of these cracks or gaping holes. There is a
vital reason for these background checks, investigations and for why it
is crucial they be conducted as thoroughly and as
as possible.
How many times have you heard of a terrible work related incident taking
place and at some point into an ensuing investigation, regarding what happened…it
is revealed that, the individual deemed responsible, quite possibly
shouldn‟t even have been there to begin with? This means that if certain
things would have been properly addressed and handled correctly, the situation
could have most likely turned out completely different! Another
prime „example‟ of “
” is the common knowledge
of that bad~apple in the bunch. This subject was touched on briefly a few
pages back (Pg.13)…and is about employees who have „knowledge of‟ that
one co-worker who‟s practically, on everyone’s radar! On radar as “an is-
sue”, a trouble-maker, the constant envelope-pusher and the usual source
of drama at work. Many times management and even those at the corporate
level are aware of these big ole‟ fat “elephants in the room” and do
nothing about it until one of them goes on a devastating rampage!
Usually by this time, it can be way too late! Again, I’ve been there, watching
as a coworker crossed the line with little or no regard for the damage
or consequences. Sound familiar to you? Only in my case, I‟m not talking
about casual (work place) harassment, watching someone steal office

supplies, cheating the time clock or using a work computer for something
illegal or immoral. I am talking about being a
and watching
a backup officer using his to repeatedly „ ‟ of the
suspect, I've already subdued and have under arrest. Or watching a high
ranking supervisor, aggressively
a harmless, intoxicated man,
( ) taunt him and
send him on his way. Now, I know everyone is different in the way they feel
about certain things and the way they decide to handle them. So, I feel it‟s
up to an individual as to , or they chose to take any „specific‟
action regarding something they‟ve „ ‟ and feel very about.
But, I can tell you, I do remember how deeply bothered & concerned I felt
about these things „I‟ witnessed and what „I‟ felt like doing afterward. Also,
I made it clear way back then, that “I was not going to jeopardize my-self
in any fashion, by stating something I know to be false”. But, what I cannot
tell you, is what my ultimate decisions were regarding any course of
action in what I witnessed long ago, as it would serve no constructive purpose
at this point. However, people must do what they know is the right
thing, especially when knowing that a decision to “
” could more
than likely be detrimental to themselves in the future. There‟s also the potential
„detriment‟ to others, as the result of one or more persons remaining
silent. As well as conspiring to conceal the truth, any tangible evidence,
even other vital elements in cases of others‟ .
wrong-doing ?
would you be willing to risk the potential consequences of being discovered
(later) of giving statements or testimony ( , )
when you had an opportunity to be truthful up front? Yeah, yeah I know all
about the bonds of loyalty, camaraderie, brotherhood, sisterhood…etc. but
what does all that truly mean when or if you should lose you and
good
? The impact from being caught up in something like this
can be devastating enough for just the average citizen, let alone, a public
official (law enforcement officer)! A whole plethora of “retribution” can
come raining down upon someone of this caliber and in this predicament,
because a much higher standard is expected of them! In these days and
times, the courts and other government entities have become even more fed
up with officials who abuse, misuse and dishonor their oaths of office.
District attorneys and prosecutors are “aggressively” pursuing prosecution
and conviction of rouge law enforcement officers and other public
officials, discovered of wrong-doing. These folks are going to pri-

son! Again, I ask you, “ is it worth it”? Worth it to have your entire life and
that of your family turned “completely upside~down”? Then, there‟s your
friends and associates who believed in you, probably thought highly of you,
probably don’t anymore. Many of these convictions stem from investiga-
tions which ultimately uncovered the initial then the . A
proper and “unbiased”, investigation can consume everyone in its‟ path
(from bottom to top), until it runs its‟ course. What I have always found extremely
irritating in these situations, is that during the course of these investigations,
there are those (the or ) who will stand
by watching, listening (
) and waiting for the dust to settle…
hoping they can squeak by, unscathed.
It is true that sometimes individuals involved in the cover up of a crime or
wrong-doing, do skate under the net, by the skin of their teeth. But you
know what? There are ironically, two old phrases I would often hear used
by veteran law enforcement officers and judges; “it‟s just a matter of
time” and “living on borrowed time”. Sooner or later, what we‟ve done
catches up with us all, in some measure… in this life or beyond. But for
some, I can only imagine, that living with certain secrets, life is like a
living hell, „wondering when they will be discovered‟. Discovered and
held
for the dark, evil deeds they‟ve managed to slip by on,
with that borrowed time… Now that is, “if they even have anything close to
a conscious in the first place”? If they do not have a conscious and make it
through this life as we know it and not be held accountable, I believe
there‟s a
they will not escape! Almost from the very start of
my brief tenure in the field of law enforcement, I can remember some very
important things that immediately caught my attention and have always
stayed with me.
, during the initial orientation class at the state highway patrol
(police academy), a veteran state trooper and instructor marched into the
classroom, „slammed‟ his file folder down on his desk and shouted…”welcome
ladies and gentlemen to the profession with the highest rate
of divorce”! He also said “if you think you‟re here to train for a job, you
better call your department chief or sheriff right away and let them know
you‟ll be home tomorrow”! Because here, we will hopefully train you, for
a long and successful career in law enforcement!
, there was
a series of incidents across the country and locally, where officers
had committed “suicide”. Some were on the job, recently relieved of duty
or in the retirement phases of their lives. The ages and service times varied

widely and so did speculation as to the reasons why these officers took
their own lives. These are tragedies, no matter what the reasons were because
they left behind, families, friends and various other loved ones whom
mourned the losses and most likely „still‟ suffer the absences! This can also
be a stark contrast, to young rookie officers who „most likely‟ have in
mind, some sort of vague course, this new career will lead them along. I‟ve
always heard talk in terms of the “25-year plan” and how they‟ll somehow
„advance‟ up to retirement. „Especially‟ veteran officers, who try to
point rookies in the right direction, from the probationary period onward. I
do know, I was helped „significantly‟ by older and who
served as field training officers and guided me around pit falls.
I enjoyed listening to the experiences they shared and I appreciated (some
of) the advice they would offer, „particularly‟ on how to stay alive and keep
my badge. Some of that advice and a lot of the academy training, centered
around truthfulness , merit, honor and being trustworthy. One
weekend while in training at the police academy, my partner (Eddy) and I
decided to go back to our hometown during the down time. On Monday
morning we were returning to the academy to “report in”, before the first
class started. „I‟ was driving and we were „running late‟, so I decided to pick
up the pace a little and I hit the accelerator. The speedometer read „way‟
over the posted speed limit and my partner kept glancing over at it and
glaring at me! He wore glasses and he just had this kind of piercing but,
subtle way of looking at you and without saying a word, spoke as if using a
bullhorn. Now we were warned on day one during the academy orientation
about several types of infractions, tardiness was at the top of that list.
Finally, my partner says “I think you better slow it down”, I just want to get
there…he leaned back and kind of closed his eyes. I did slow down but, it
was too late & not enough, my rearview mirror was “lit up with high beams,
red & blue flashing lights” and I could hear the siren bursts. It was a state
trooper (
), I pulled over
and tapped my partner on the arm. He had somehow managed to doze off,
probably out of fear. We immediately identified ourselves as police officers
and in training at the academy, the trooper was not happy at all, with
this information. He was a “former” academy instructor himself and was
„well aware‟ of the consequences I now faced. The state trooper expressed,
„
‟, his feelings and concern for my actions and I
felt terrible and embarrassed! “Especially” because I had involved my friend
and coworker (Eddy). You see, the trooper included us both because we
were partners. He didn‟t issue me a citation, but gave both of us stern in-

structions on what to do, upon arrival at the academy. In the meantime, the
trooper contacted the academy and informed them of the incident so, needless
to say, they were waiting for us to arrive. Upon arrival, we both reported
straight to the directors‟ office and were almost immediately taken
before the Commander to explain the situation. Unbeknownst to either of
us, they had used the time of the traffic stop, location and time we were released
(from the side of the road) to calculate my speed from the stop, to
the academy. Additionally, academy staff said they determined I “continued
to exceed the posted speed limit” even if it was by only one mile (especially
in light of the first violation). When I tried to explain, I was told „I
sounded like a violator‟ trying to avoid the consequences of my actions. .
They were right about the way it sounded, I really didn‟t have a leg to stand
on. None of the academy staff ever asked me how fast I actually drove, after
leaving the trooper and I „don‟t even remember‟ now. Even if I drove „only‟
56 miles-per-hour in the 55 mile-per-hour „posted‟ zone, „I‟ was in the
wrong. Just the speeding alone, could have been sufficient grounds for my
dismissal, lying in any way would have only sealed my fate. It‟s all about
honesty and credibility because if one or both of us would have told a lie, it
could have meant „immediate' dismissal from the training program. After
being ordered to prove ourselves and why we should be permitted to “remain”
at the academy, my partner and I both continued and proudly graduated!
You see, “I was clearly in the wrong” and I could „very well‟, have lost
my opportunity to have continue on, as a new officer.
Because, „had‟ I been expelled from the police officer training program at
the academy, I would not have been „certified‟ and my department would
have had no choice, but to terminate my employment. Although, I
never received a speeding citation, I still had to pay a serious penalty for
my “poor” judgement. The speeding was one issue but, “any” dishonesty
would have really tarnished my integrity, character and reputation! Please
believe me when I tell you, it was a very valuable lesson learned and
remembered. Some may say “this issue is small in nature” but, the fact is,
small things can be considered large, in the scope of character and ones‟
integrity. After all, part of my responsibility as a city police officer was to
issue citations to those “I stopped for speeding”. Remember, anytime you
are appointed to a position where you also “swear an oath" to abide by the
obligations and expectations of that position, you are obviously held to a
higher standard. Especially, a position empowering you to enforce the
laws over others, you cannot very well, go around breaking those very laws

„yourself‟ and expect not to be held accountable! The beginning of a
famous quote by
reads, “No man is above
the law…” and this vehemently includes those who write, implement and
enforce the laws of the land. This takes me back to the previous topic of,
“those persons in charge” of those who enforce the laws. Specifically, the
Police Chiefs, Sheriffs, State Police Commanders, Directors of
Public Services (over Police Officers), Police Commissioners…etc. It
is these individuals who, at the agency or department level, are the primary
sources of authority when it first comes to holding subordinate officers
accountable as it pertains to discipline (or the lack thereof).
They are largely responsible for initiating the process by which officers are
officially held accountable and made to answer to allegations and charges
of; conduct unbecoming an officer, violating department policy or just
plain breaking the law. In cases where it has been substantiated [following
a proper, thorough and unbiased investigation of facts in evidence]
that a law enforcement officer(s) has indeed violated a codified ordinance,
state or federal law… the accountability process should then transition
from the hands of the department head(s) and “systematically progress
through the normal course of the legal system”, so to speak. This could or
should mean, the levying of criminal charges, followed by routine administrative
leave or suspension (with or without pay). In some cases, immediate
termination could also be “warranted”, depending upon the nature
and severity of what is alleged of the officer(s).
It is during the investigative phases (or before), in these situations, the
department heads really need to „get out in front‟ of the matter, employ
and exhaust all resources at their disposal! This is the time to exhibit
that crucial transparency, true and unbiased leadership quality, as well as a
steadfast determination to see that justice is served! In the spirit of their
organizations‟ integrity, character and reputation with the public whom
which they are paid for and charged with the duty of “serving and
protecting”. This most certainly includes, “even if it requires them
(department heads) to protect the public from the very ones (officers) in
their employ and under their supervision”. Especially, in view of todays‟
(2015) news headlines involving law enforcement, it is imperative that
proactive measures be taken to avoid any appearance of bias or
attempts to cover up wrong doing. It is simply just not worth the potential
aftermath of internal and public sentiment „gone awry‟ [to the point of
utter chaos, civil unrest, resulting in widespread violence and destruction].

As mentioned previously (pg. 13 & 16), it can be common knowledge regarding
a person or persons within an organization who have been red flagged
as troublemakers. Again, law enforcement is no different, (except for
being more prominent) in that police officers are in the public arena
more so, then many other employees. From experience, I can also tell you
beyond the shadow of a doubt, it is extremely rare that (at least, by
word~of~mouth) the very existence of these “troublemakers” & “hotheads"
within this profession…
(department heads & beyond civil service boards,
city managers, mayors, county commissioners, attorney generals…etc.).
You see, love to talk, mainly among each other (and typically to significant
others in their lives) about what‟s going on and what they‟ve been
through. This includes “ ” they have been through something with and it
can also include
about the way a partner or fellow officers
perform his or her duties. officers ( )
know all to well that, they can unwittingly and unwillingly be drawn into
a set of adverse circumstances, as the direct result of another officer‟s
willful behavior, negligent or wanton actions. Thus, spinning the core
strands of silk ( )… for a web of deceit, dishonesty, concealment and calculated
omissions. All of which, can and has laid the groundwork for the
demise of promising careers for many aspiring law enforcement officers.
Sadly, many police officers fall victim to the terrible „misconception‟ that if
they just go along with „something‟ (on the surface)…in the spirit of
camaraderie blue-wall-of-solidarity they‟ll be alright, accepted and the
issue will ( ) just go away.
“ WRONG”! Yeah, maybe ten or twenty years ago but, not now! It really
needs to be carefully considered, by those pondering such a move because
when things hit the fan (and they usually do)…“
, the
first law of nature tends to kick in, which means
”. Prison time, criminal record, defamed character, „no‟
employment, life upside-down versus camaraderie. What do you think will
win out and what is the risk worth to you?? Times have changed! Society
has evolved into an ever advancing wave of people who thirst for knowledge
and justice. They utilize that knowledge along with growing technology,
which empowers them to turn the tide on injustice, oppression and
violation of the mind, body and soul. This is definitely something “the
establishment” is finding it increasingly difficult to turn a deaf ear and

lind eye to. In line with the
of this article, the establishment
obviously refers (in part) to the institution of law enforcement and
the overwhelming need for this profession to have a keen eye and audible
ear, not only internally (departmentally), but externally (publicly) as
well. So, when legitimate and genuine concerns are brought (internally) to
the attention of department heads, either by chain-of-command or
directly from the originator ( / / / …
etc.), it is very important that, they take the matter ! Especially,
when these concerns are widely and repeatedly voiced and have specifically
implied an imminent potential for harm to others.
Also, ignoring „
‟ or ultimately dismissing such concerns (prematurely)
can prove costly in „so‟ many ways, it‟s “impossible” to list
them all! The end consequences and liability alone can be insurmountable
and regrettable! Once something terrible does happen, it‟s too late to „prevent
it‟! And embarrassing to say “if only I would have”, “if only we
could have” or “someone should have… please just be quiet and keep that
to yourself! “Especially” if you were the one whom concerns were brought
to initially and you did „nothing or not enough of something‟! Why not just
do the right thing and take the proper courses of actions in an effort
to…officially identify a problem and then initiate effective measures to
resolve that problem in the first place?
most certainly does
begin at the top of an organization.
The level of that
and its‟ quality can be evident in the performance
of the lower ranks, from „the top to the bottom‟ of that hierarchy. This
is why in many cases, when something catastrophic happens within an
organization and at the hands of members (associates) of that organization
or at the direction (control) thereof… the frequent and general consensus is
to “get rid of” that person at the top. This goes back to “ ”
Because (from the outside, looking in) many people feel very strongly
that “whoever is running the store and is in charge of the store, should be
aware of and responsible for what happens inside that store”. And
rightfully so (sometimes) however, sometimes not because there can exist
“extenuating circumstances” that were in fact beyond the immediate control
of the person(s) at the top. For instance, situations that developed
instantaneously and without any obvious provocation or prior warning.
!!

Also, there are premeditated situations that involve secrecy and calculated
planning by an individual or by group effort. In both examples
given, there is little or no time at all, for
to be made aware of
what was forthcoming, much less take decisive action. Despite this, it is
still said „ignorance is no excuse‟ for impropriety and (above all) responsibility
must rest somewhere! With someone! As a leader, you „simply‟
cannot tell, imply or posture yourself (or your organization) in any manner
which may denote to the victim(s) of horrific events or the grieving survivors
of someone „lost‟ to a tragic event…“Its‟ not my fault because I didn‟t
know what was going on”. “Especially” when it was someone under
employ, direction or control who was party to or caused what took place.
This is really not the time for public finger-pointing, name-blaming or
saving-face. People don’t want any of that tomfoolery! It‟s the time for
getting down to business, determining what caused the event, who played
any role (who is culpable?) and bringing about justice! As well as, laying
ground~work for a path to some level of closure for those impacted.
Again, today‟s society is „evermore‟ vigilant of treatment of its‟ citizens by
public officials and the scrutiny of law enforcements‟ behavior is at an „alltime
high‟. The leaders and those decision~making entities, governing law
enforcement agencies are under the watchful eyes of citizens, citizengroups,
civil rights organizations…etc. Heck, even other law enforcement
leaders are closely monitoring fellow law enforcement leaders in their
handling of cases that reach headline news status.
Local and leaders are also staying abreast of developments in
other regions and jurisdictions experiencing situations that have recently
headlined the national news reports. I‟m sure several mayors,
city managers,
city council members, county commissioners…etc. have all experienc-
ed at least a few sleepless nights, trying to imagine, “what they would do, if
their own law enforcement entities were responsible for igniting a firestorm
of protest and civil unrest?”. I am certainly far from being a politician
in any facet but, I certainly believe that if there‟s ever a time to beef
up any existing proactive measures, it‟s before „something‟ happens!
And, if there are measures in place, develop the to
implement a (
) plan of action “sooner than later” and
hopefully before it‟s actually needed. What do you think about this? How
about? An in depth review of such things as;

Current department policies on detaining / restraint / arrest procedure.
Current department policy on recordings of arrests / report writing.
Current status of officers‟ qualifications for firearm & taser gun usage.
Current department policy regarding use of force / deadly force.
[Please bear in mind, there‟s no textbook, certification, training application
or training simulator which can adequately dictate, portray or even truly
prepare „ ‟ person or group of people, for what and happen out
in the field and in the “ ”]
Established procedure, by which employees may
Ethics concerns
without fear of reprisal or responses that are retaliatory in nature.
Failure to respond appropriately, on the part of those who oversee,
the individuals who are on the front lines of law enforcement, could very
well amount to dereliction of duty, if you really look at the big picture.
Whether „scuttlebutt‟ or an „official‟ complaint of conduct unbecoming
of an officer, it should (at the least) be documented and a „preliminary'
investigation be conducted… sooner than later. How many times has this
old “ stinky ghost ” come back to haunt an agency? ; A police officer
causes a major fiasco for an agency, department, jurisdiction…etc. And a
subsequent investigation later reveals this persons‟ employee jacket was
„riveted‟ with red flags signaling, clear warnings of the danger in letting
this person continue on, in his or her capacity as a (beat-patrol) officer…
etc. These are the kinds of juicy nuggets, seasoned (civil) trial attorneys
look for when retained by victims who initiate litigation against government
entities such as law enforcement departments, their specific officials and
their respective governing bodies.
These governing bodies can (and do) end up “seriously” regretting that
more was not done, at a time when there was ample opportunity to
head off a fiasco and the resulting collateral damage…by reining in
these types of (lose cannons) employees. Now, there is a reverse angle to
this which some may refer to as a sort of “ ” situation. So, in complete
fairness, it‟s only right to touch on this as well, especially in light of
some troubling reports now in the headlines as well [
]. This pertains to law enforcement agencies and in
particular , and “who do” initiate
preemptive or proactive measures and do follow protocol when it‟s clearly
warranted. One keyword here is
and they typically are not going
to take such consequential action unless a situation absolutely demands
( ) such a decision. ; This is in

egard to a few states across the country where the „very‟ officials cited
above, „did‟ respond with the appropriate courses of action (protocol)…when
their law enforcement agencies, brought their communities
to the attention of the and to the “with their actions and bad
behavior”.
That sentiment (for-the-most-part) proclaims a fear now, by some
officers to effectively perform their duties as law enforcement officers.
This is said to be fueled by their interpretation of the potential
consequences of simply performing their duties. It supposedly stems from
investigations which led to the filing of , &
of fellow officers involved in high profile cases of individuals
who regrettably lost their lives during interactions with these
officers. This alleged of (being penalized) „potential consequences‟
further implies, the impact is such, that these officers are intentionally
avoiding situations and circumstances that may result in „any‟ confrontation
and subsequent of those engaged in criminal activity.
Firstly, as a former officer, I see this as foolish, dangerous and
terribly „unfair‟ to the law abiding, tax paying citizens of those communities!
Secondly , I just cannot an “entire” police department would
all have this same ridiculous sentiment because of a few (or more) of
their brethren who “crossed the line”, “got caught crossing the line” and
“are being held accountable for crossing that line”. Come on now! As
cops, on the day of hiring or there about, we all raised our right hand (with
the left on a bible) pledged a sworn oath, to not only “up-hold” the laws
we were empowered to enforce, but to also abide by them ourselves!
Again, this goes back to (pg.16)
or a few, can make it bad for
the whole, bunch by ultimately involving, those (unwittingly or unwillingly)
who would not otherwise, have been party to a particular incident. For
the „umpteenth‟ time, law enforcement is not just a j.o.b.! It is a specialized
career requiring an open but, decisive mindset , keen perception, being
able to effectively communicate „people-skills‟ and the ability to follow orders!
It is no place for a tit-for-tat
way of thinking! And these are just a
handful, on a long list of „ should- haves’ for those empowered to enforce
laws over the masses. If you have gotten into the profession of law
enforcement for a way to pay the bills, the adrenaline rush, for socializing
.

or to just plainly ‟make a point‟ to others, by „powering-over‟ people…
you should really look into another line of work, quickly! If you are a law
enforcement officer who is „miserable‟ most of the time, „stressed out‟,
cannot do what is expected of you or you simply do not want to do what you
pledged an oath for, it is really time to get out! And do something else
(that you can be happier with), NOW!
It is frequently „just‟ assumed, that at the
level, the importance
of following orders, adhering to rules of conduct and trying to remain
„above reproach’ whether on duty or off duty, is realized. And for
the most part it is realized there, by the majority of men and women who
successfully complete the training programs. Because these elements are
in you daily, as a training recruit, by instructors and staff members…and
it is there, most law enforcement officers get a rudimentary
understanding of following orders, the chain of command and the possible
consequences for not doing what is expected of them. The
also serves as a „ - ’ phase for those who have (initially) met
all mandated background requirements and successfully completed the
minimum physical agility tests (
police
officer ). Nevertheless, nothing is „foolproof‟ and individuals who
shouldn‟t be there, often end up there. The one commonality I „will say‟
j.o.b.‟s do have with careers, is that YOU CAN BE “REPLACED”!!
I‟ve seen many people who have, had the sad misconception that “the place
just cannot function without them ”…Wow! What a pipe dream? The reality
of this is proven over and over each day, when some of these very same individuals
are escorted to the gate or employee parking lot (it’s their last
day at that job) by security staff or even the police. They‟ve been terminated
and can now or eventually be replaced! “
”. Now when situations like termination,
pertains to law enforcement officers, it‟s not so simple as an „escort to the
parking lot‟. Remember, there‟s a higher standard of behavior expected,
therefore a higher level of scrutiny and diligence is involved in response to
this same issue with law enforcement. When a officer is alleged to
be or is found to be derelict in his or her duty to perform under the oath in
which they were sworn, or is alleged to have committed or has committed a
chargeable offense, it‟s a different ball game! Depending on the nature and
severity of the allegation or charge, employee union guidelines, jurisdic-

tional issues…etc., the process can be much more in depth. A law enforcement
officer must do what they took an oath to do and dereliction of
that duty is a very “serious” matter! Failure of an officer(s) to carry out
her or his duties can have a devastating and cascading affect, encompassing
many aspects. Everything from, placing the public and fellow officers at
„ ‟ risk to consequently inviting or causing a state of lawlessness to
develop in a particular venue. This is indeed crossing the line, a disgrace to
the badge and a dishonor to dedicated men & women everywhere, who
proudly wear the badge of authority in law enforcement.
Look, when cops take an oath to uphold the law, there‟s no bargaining or
deal making clauses regarding if, when and how much they‟ll dispense their
sworn duties, discussed at the swearing-in ceremony! They commit to a
service to the people of their community and are for it. So how in the
heck can they (after being hired), one day decide “oh‟ now we can‟t do what
we signed up for because some of us have been chastised”? As a sworn and
commissioned police officer, you cannot bargain, make deals, or pick and
choose when you will dispense your authority, simply because you are
dissatisfied with decisions made by those above you. Some of whom
essentially may sign your “ ” or deal with issues that in fact are
pertinent to the continued „existence‟ of that department in the first place!
Again, when people in the profession of law enforcement reach a point
where they feel they cannot or will not do what is expected of them, it‟s time
to make room for those in a pool of qualified candidates who are eager to
step into the career of police work. I would just like to add, “there are a
number of avenues” (proper avenues unions) in which to air grievances,
dissatisfaction or disagreements. A
undermining of protocol,
its‟ effectiveness and the integrity within the organization to which you
belong and represent, is
. When enough people within a given
community decide to relocate to other communities because of issues like
the „inequality‟ of public services, crime, the way they are treated…etc.,
the tax base to support the infrastructure of that community begins to
diminish and can even disappear. This means „cuts‟ and those cuts can
begin in the public services departments and emergency services… police
& fire divisions are sometimes at the top of that list. Also, a bevy of lawsuits
and resulting civil penalties over time, can eventually take an economic
toll on municipalities and county governments who may have
already been struggling to maintain carrier coverage. You see, this is really
just the tip of an iceberg, that rears its’ ugly head, due to the cascading

effects of poor judgement, misconduct and irrational mindsets.
Although thirty years ago I can still recall, even at that time, giving what I
felt was helpful and necessary advice to family and friends. That advice was
in regard to some basic things to do and not to do when interacting with
law enforcement, in their official capacity. It went like this; [Obviously this
is going to pertain to those who haven‟t just shot or stabbed someone,
robbed a bank, “escaped” from a prison or a high speed police chase…etc.].
Firstly, if you are stopped by the police in a vehicle, it is extremely
important from the „very first‟ moment of contact with the officer(s), to
»»L I S T E N very carefully to “what is being said and instructed of you”.
Keep your hands in plain view
times, unless told otherwise and
of the officer(s) line-of-sight at all
! Even if the officer(s) know who you are, this
can be perceived as a „hostile action‟ or threat against their safety or life.
[ ]
This is a very delicate point during police interaction because typically
police officers don’t know who they‟re confronting or what the person(s)
could be capable of. Now, another side to this is, they may know
‘exactly’ who they’re dealing with and are prepared to take the
actions they deem necessary to protect themselves and or the public. The
one paramount aspect of citizen interaction that is a constant forethought
of law enforcement (everywhere), is the proven „fight or flight‟ dilemma
they face daily with people they encounter. People will either ‘fight the
Police or run‟ from the Police.
Let‟s face it, the police can just “out right” scare people, it‟s a proven
fact! Many in law enforcement know this, some don‟t realize it, some don‟t
care and yet others seem to take delight in it, by abusing their authority.
Police officers (especially in uniform and in large numbers) can exhibit
an „overwhelming‟ sense of authority and control which is an objecttive
or useful deterrent but, this show of force is not required in „every
case‟. It can also have an equally overwhelming,
, causing
or a feeling of in some people (again, a desired outcome
or
but, not necessary every time). This is largely
what the „fight or flight‟ dilemma refers to, yet another part refers to
criminals, evading arrest. However, being scared or really nervous is not
wrong and does not make you a criminal (

). This effect is especially true for law abiding individuals
who have never dealt with law enforcement before. [Please understand
that contrary to the use of the terms scare, fear, intimidate & psychological~effect,
it is by no means, my intent to portray the men and women
in law enforcement as the “
” because they certainly are not]
Secondly, your attitude, responses, condition, demeanor and level of cooperation
(compliance) all play a big role in how a law enforcement encounter
progresses and ultimately turns out. Do “ ” to be cordial,
respectful and honest. I learned a long time ago, that “yes Sir”, “no Sir”
and “no Ma‟am”, “yes Ma‟am” can really go a long away. After determining
you do not pose an immediate threat to them or the public, the
need to establish „who‟ you are, if you are not truthful (for whatever
reason) this can take the matter in a different direction. Being in
an attempt to hide your true identity (for whatever reason), concealing
weapons, illegal drugs, stolen items or contraband of any type, can immediately
escalate the interaction between a person(s) and the . Remember,
especially in todays‟ (2015) climate as it relates to community relations
with law enforcement, are in the ! But then, so are those who
the . Then, there‟s the most unfortunate cases of individuals,
who are (maybe) totally unrelated to todays‟ news headlines of racial issues
or legal injustices and social clashes between and law enforcement.
These are the cases of „ ‟ individuals who take their frustrations
directly to the police in the form of violent attacks on law enforcement
and their facilities, literally ambushing unsuspecting officers with gunfire.
And yet another unfortunate hazard the frequently contend
with, is where individuals “purposely” provoke officers into using
deadly force. Yes, provoking deadly force against themselves, in order
to end their own lives but, not actually at their own hands. In the
law enforcement and psychology communities, this is referred to as a “suicide
by cop”. So now, they (police officers), find themselves at an even
„higher sense of alertness‟ when dealing with people they encounter in the
line of duty. Seriously, “think about it”, wouldn‟t you? I mean, “really”…
what if you had a j.o.b. where „literally on a daily basis‟, you risked being
shot at, stabbed, bitten, spit on and even pricked by a hypodermic needle
harboring some potentially or ? Who outside
the arena of
and certain
work daily, with the threat of these possibilities always in
„the back of ‟ your mind?

Thirdly, and this really does belong at the beginning of this advice list, because
it is a top priority that I would tell people about then and now but,
we‟ll go in depth about it here. Let‟s just say that what you‟ve just read on
the last two pages is a true eye-opener and you „really‟ didn‟t understand
beforehand, why officers use certain procedures. You see, much
like our
and from basic training (boot-camp), law enforcement
officers are trained extensively from the
level, on
various topics and throughout their probationary period. Then there‟s the
field training by ( .‟s), field training officers who are seasoned officers,
typically with years of experience. They are designated by command staff to
teach newer recruits about specific policies and procedures. These .‟s
may even administer or training to other officers with
varying levels of experience and seniority.
The point here is, the primary focus of all this training, whether within the
, a small town or bustling metropolitan
police force, is on officer safety and survival! Remember, the may
or may not know „who you are‟ and that really doesn‟t matter in those first
few minutes of an initial interaction, unless you demonstrate even more of
an immediate cause, for things to escalate. Also, they may or may not
know what you have recently done. However, what they do know and
must „strongly‟ consider is, the all too real possibility, that you are in fact
an immediate threat to them and or others. This is an element of
survival training and acquired instinct.
Now there is also, the common sense factor that “ ” to be recognized
and should remain a constant forethought during and after the threat
assessment is over. It should prevail throughout a situation, especially a
situation that is not (or no longer) volatile. Now, this really does apply to
all parties involved but, focuses more so on law enforcement, because
after all, they are identified as the trained professionals in a situation.
And as the trained professionals, they should not be the ones contributing
(unnecessarily) to the „escalation‟ of an encounter with citizens!
Surviving The “Immediate Situation”- During a law enforcement interaction
between citizens and officers, it is extremely important to remember
that, no matter what the issue is…it sometimes cannot be resolved right
there on the street! So it only makes sense for everyone involved to and
remain civil and handle extenuating concerns , through more appropriate
channels & under more suitable circumstances. (See Pg. 67 for more)

; {Common-Sense}
‣ when a officer tells you to “slowly take your hands out of
your pockets, purse, container or „any‟ type of concealed area…etc.”,
you
“pull them out quickly, holding something
or anything”. Try to remain calm so you are able to focus and you are
able to “L I S T E N” clearly to what is being instructed of you!.... .
‣ when a person under arrest or being detained, is handcuffed or flexand
or shackled in leg~irons,
officers
cuffed
to , , , , or that person in
„any‟ manner, simply because the officers are angry, stressed- out, are
pumped on adrenaline, thinks there are no witnesses,
believes fellow
officers will back-up a lie or feels the person deserves to be punished
for making them have to chase them in the first place. officers
also,
to “intentionally” allow their canine
counterparts, to engage a suspect in excess (or beyond what is
reasonably sufficient for the police dog to contain or corral a person,
during a search or ‘hot’ pursuit) for the purpose of retaliation,
street~justice, revenge or just plain ole‟ anger…etc.
‣ if you are involved in a situation with the and you do have a
weapon of „ ‟ type (gun, knife, razor, hypodermic needle…etc.) and
you are ordered by them to drop what you have, the best thing
to do is immediately “
” whatever you have in your hands!
In most cases , as long as a person possesses an object or has immediate
access to an object which may cause harm or death to an officer,
other officers or other person(s), that individual is considered an
…until assessed to be, no longer threatening.
‣ if the are searching for suspects wanted in connection with a
violent ( ) crime and they have specific descriptions of these
suspects and or suspects‟ vehicle, it makes absolutely no sense
at all to stop, detain & interrogate persons whom obviously or, after a
reasonable period of time and investigating…it‟s clearly seen and can
easily be determined these persons are not involved and in no
way, shape or form, “fit the description or caliber” of the person(s)
sought in connection with the reported crime & particular search.

‣ as a home owner, property owner, business owner (or authorized
agent, thereof) who is legally licensed [certified, permitted…etc.] to
possess and carry a registered firearm for purposes of self-defense
and protection of others in proximity and whom find it necessary to
call upon law enforcement for assistance, should consider the following;
after stating the nature of any emergency or need for assistance
to „ 911‟ and if going to be (physically) present at the location where
officers will be responding to…“should” state to law enforcement
early on, they are armed (and with what type of weapon) and
also provide a physical description of themselves, for the ben-
efit of officers arriving at the location. This can alleviate confusion
and truly reduce the potential for serious injury or the accidental loss
of an innocent life. Victims can be and are mistaken for suspects.
s emphasized throughout this publication, law enforcement as a whole,
face daunting challenges and horrific situations each day, „somewhere‟
across this great nation…despite this fact, it is also true that police officers
encounter circumstances that are not always „so‟ grave in nature and
therefore, they must really be cognizant of and bear in mind (especially
now), everyone they encounter is not a “violent criminal”, “thug”, “escaped
felon”, “terrorist of sorts” or “anti~police”. Every situation is unique in
its‟ own make-up of events, location, facts, participants and nature.
[ Police officers see and pull over a vehicle with two young black males inside
and the vehicle does turn out to be reported stolen. The pair are arrested
on various charges. Now, does this mean the next vehicle they see
with two black males inside, will be stolen as well? Absolutely Not!! And
any “profile comparisons” and subsequent actions based on „an assumption‟
from any such comparison is unjust, unfair and could be construed as pre-
judicial or racially motivated.
Now, could the next vehicle they see with
Y A
„two black males inside‟, possibly be stolen? es! nd a small meteorite
could also, possibly drop from the sky, right onto the hood of the patrol car
the officers are riding in. A nything is possible but, is it
?? Does
the truly exist, as to warrant a stop??]
{Common-Sense & Good Judgement} !!!

COURTS: Judges, Grand Juries, Trials and The Sentencing of Criminals
The hard working men and women of Law Enforcement, risk their lives
on a daily basis to ensure that "we" the public are safe and secure, personally
as well as in our homes, businesses, places of employment
and in general. They do this by identifying persons who prey
upon and victimize innocent, unsuspecting and law abiding citizens.
Law Enforcement officers track down and apprehend
these dangerous criminals, many of whom cunningly find ways in
which to circumvent an already over burdened justice
system. Put another way, habitual offenders continually
'make use' of plea
bargains, amended sentences
and other
loopholes in our laws, to
turn the justice sys-
tem and correctional facilities
into a "revolv-
ing" door. This can truly
feel like a major disservice
or even an outright insult to
the very officers who risked
life and limb to bring these
dangerous "thugs" and “deviants” to justice in the first place!
I am reminded of a case involving myself and several fellow officers on the shift at the time; I had
just passed my "one year" mark on the department and was working third shift on a hot summer night.
I had also recently completed probation and mandatory time in the patrol car with a field training officer.
This night, I was alone and patrolling my assigned area when "all of a sudden" the police radio
erupted with an emergency alert code from another officer and then the dispatcher. The officer was in
"hot pursuit" of a suspect who had just tried to run him over during a traffic stop! All available units
were ordered to head in the direction of the pursuit, I was nearby and ended up being the second unit
“back from the lead unit”. The suspect led us up and down several surface streets at speeds almost
"triple" the posted limits and eventually onto the city’s main interstate where he eventually 'crashed'
into a wooded area. This guy ran into the thick woods at approximately midnight, myself and several
of my department's officers along with officers from adjoining jurisdictions captured the suspect an
hour later. This individual was already "wanted" by a neighboring state in connection to a homicide
and numerous other serious charges.
During the apprehension, he put up quite a fight which was evident by his condition when he appeared
in court hours later. I was still on duty and appeared in court as well. I recall the judge inquiring
as to the condition and physical appearance of the suspect, he wanted an explanation from me
and another officer who was present and who also participated in the chase, search and arrest. We
explained how evasive and combative this subject was just hours earlier and how he kicked, punched
and spit at us. The senior patrolman even showed the judge polaroid snap shots of our muddied, tousled
and briar dotted uniforms. The judge motioned us both to approach the bench, he leaned over
and sternly said "that all comes with the job, I dole out the punishment in here"! Despite being taken
'aback' by his choice of words, I pretty much 'got' what he was trying to convey but, I can honestly and
accurately attest this was by no means a case of brutality or street justice! Some of us officers looked
worse in appearance then the suspect and it was by sheer blessing that no one (even the suspect)
was seriously injured in the melee. The next "irony" came later, when we discovered this individual
was on the streets (in the first place) after being released "by a judge" in another state then allegedly
committing several crimes days later. This included the rape / murder of a school teacher in that area.

And then there is the detriment to the public, who
suffers even more in the cases where these repeat
offenders are prematurely (accidentally, haphazardly...etc.)
allowed "back onto the streets". These
offenders then continue the same criminal behavior
as before and in many cases, they even escalate to
much more serious crimes. Unfortunately, it is not
until one or more of these individuals commit something
'so' brutal and heinous in nature, that it begs
the question as to "why was this person(s) even out on the streets in the
first place”? Well, "it's kinda-sorta too late for this" at that point! It is typically
the law enforcement officers out on the streets, highways and in our
neighborhoods, communities & business districts who regularly deal with
these 'repeat-offenders'. These officers will be the first to tell you, "many of
these perpetrators should not even be out on the streets in the first place"!
Especially in light of their lengthy criminal records and proven propensity to
commit crimes against others, this is very frustrating to many in law enforcement.
As a former law enforcement officer, I can certainly attest to that
sheer frustration, after personally being involved (repeatedly) in the search
and arrest of a (known) habitual criminal only to see or learn this very same
individual is free only a short time after being arrested. I'm obviously talking
about beyond the typical preliminary hearing or arraignment and 'bail or
bonding' processes. Free to go out and 'wreak havoc' on more innocent
and unsuspecting citizens...sometimes these offenders even return and revictimize
previous individuals who are still suffering, grieving and trying
to recover from an initial encounter. I will tell you, it is "nothing really new"
for Sheriffs, Police Chiefs, State Police Commanders...etc. and even
some Prosecutors or District Attorneys to express their ‘dissatisfaction’ regarding
this subject of repeat-offenders, to judges and courts of law.
NOTE :
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S Definition of "judge";
Judge:
noun
law : a person who has the power to make decisions
on cases brought before a court of law.

You see, in a court of law, it is a judge who oversees the proceedings,
makes rulings and administers judgements. The
judge or a panel of judges can have an "extremely" wide margin
of latitude or discretion in many instances, yet he, she or
they are still bound by certain and specific limitations. In criminal case
proceedings, where the the public (society) can be at risk of
harm from a person(s) who've clearly demonstrated the ability,
the willingness and the potential to harm others...I feel very
strongly that many local and state courts need serious reevaluation
of their codified ordinances, statutes & penalty structure..
NOTE :
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S Definition of "jury";
Jury:
1 : a body of persons sworn to give a verdict on some matter submitted to
them; especially : a body of persons legally selected and sworn to inquire
into any matter of fact and to give their verdict according to the evidence.
NOTE :
MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S Definition of "grand jury";
Grand Jury:
noun
law: a group of people who look at the evidence
against someone who has been accused of a crime in
order to decide if there should be a trial.
Full Definition:
a jury that examines accusations against persons charged with crime and if
the evidence warrants makes formal charges on which the accused persons
are later tried.
You see, in a court of law, it is a grand jury who is called upon to render a
decision as to whether "facts in evidence" presented to them, warrant the
upholding or upgrading of charges (or additional charges) being brought
against a person(s) who is the subject of the criminal proceedings. Their
decisions are also known as "indictments" and are further described as a
‘True-Bill'- where evidence is deemed sufficient to continue with criminal
proceedings. Or a 'No~True-Bill'- where evidence is deemed insufficient

and therefore, criminal proceedings should not continue at that
point in that particular process. Charges can be dismissed” at
this time. Remember this, grand jurors are everyday law abiding tax
payers like you and I. They’re supposed to be "randomly" selected from
a fair "cross-section" of the community or jurisdiction in which the offense
occurred. Grand jurors are also the same candidates chosen from the
pool of trial jurors in a community. The indictment / decisions handed
down by some grand juries can appear as a total snafu and utterly "mind
boggling" especially in cases where there seems to be a "clear preponderance"
of evidence against the accused! In fairness, it can be equally mind
boggling when grand juries return a True-Bill in cases where evidence is
lacking or bleak at best! Trying to guess the outcome of a grand jury proceeding
has been compared to the 'wagering' on a horse race or lottery
drawing. You just "never really know" what that group will decide, based on
what they 'ultimately' perceive from evidence they've been presented with.
However, actual case history clearly demonstrates many 'eye-opening'
and 'jaw-dropping' decisions that have been handed down by grand juries.
Many of these decisions have left the public and even the experts
wondering "what in the heck were those folks (jurors) thinking?". Personally
speaking, I must admit that I've thought the same thing...because it
seems as though, some people literally "get away with murder"!! This question
has been posed to me on more then a few occasions; "what if those
jurors could truly feel just for five minutes, the pain, suffering and anguish
of a victim or survivors (of a victim who is no longer here), then how would
they look at their task [of deciding a verdict]?". "How would they feel if it
were them who were facing the rest of their lives with the void of a loved
one?". A loved one who was taken at the hands of or direct result of, the
very person, they are charged with the task of deciding a verdict against.
Personally, I have never served as a juror for, either a trial (of any type) or
in a grand jury proceeding. And quite frankly, based on what "I know and
how I feel", I wouldn't want to serve as one...especially if it were a criminal
case! Remember, "I use to be the one who brought in the criminals". I
would more then likely be considered biased, partial or even 'incapable' of
participating objectively...and possibly with good reason. However, I have
had conversations with people who've served as jurors and I’ve also follow-

ed the jury process for many, many years. Furthermore, I can
vividly recall as a rookie officer, senior and veteran officers constantly
reminding me upon arrival at "any" scene...that could "potentially
be determined" to be a "crime scene", to always proceed
with extreme caution! So as to maintain the integrity of the scene, protect
and preserve anything that may "remotely" be conceived later, as
evidence by seasoned detectives and other expert crime scene
investigators. My point here is, I can still recall (despite my brief
tenure in law enforcement), myself and many other officers, at
times finding ourselves questioning the effectiveness of our efforts
in the field. Let me clarify, firstly I am referring to uniformed beat or patrol
officers (like I was) who were then (and still are) typically the first "responders"
or "discoverers" of crime scenes, situations with extenuating circumstances
involving criminal activity and or foul play. We were then (and still
are) what I like to refer to as the front-line in law enforcement's
war on crime!
After an emergency call is placed to "911", it was us uniform
officers who were (and still are) the ones who usually arrive
first at the location of an incident or discover an incident during
routine patrol. We would then render or call for any necessary
“aid” to victims, obtain and document any witness information, detain
or arrest “any” suspects or perpetrators, record and document
all available information pertinent and relevant to any ensuing investigation.
All of this while remaining cognizant, the scene (most likely)
must remain secured for the arrival of specialized investigators.
All of what you have just read in the last two paragraphs is a clear reminder of what's repeatedly
emphasized in Part I of "An Old Rookie Cop”... and that is, the importance & absolute necessity
for harmony & accord between Law Enforcement & Communities. The
citizens of neighborhoods & communities can and do serve "effectively" as the
eyes and ears of their respective law enforcement agencies. This is even more
essential in today's environment!
Now, to why we would sometimes 'question' our efforts; Taking into consideration
what you've read on this page and the previous page, please bear

in mind, the mechanics of what police officers "can" and "do" encounter
on a daily basis. And how it is "even more" involved and
complex then what you are reading here. I wore a badge at a time
before technology allowed for the internet (world wide web) and its'
growing cyber crimes (which now reach the street level).
A time before cell phones-text messaging, digital cameras-SD
Cards..etc. So, even way back then, we could not help, at times
but to wonder why and despite considerable diligence and effort
at all law enforcement levels, why certain elements of tangible
and sometimes "circumstantial" (but crucial) evidence,
seemed to just elude the attention of grand juries.
And then, there was the 'extreme' opposite of this complicated
spectrum…that is, times when what would appear to be an
abundance of (riveting) evidence was in fact made available to a
grand jury and even trial juries, yet justice was not served or was
served inadequately. You see, our wonderment was simply this;
"What in the hell did we bust our butts for, at that crime scene"?
"Why did we risk our lives and possibly endanger the lives of innocent
bystanders during that 90-100 mile per hour chase of that
drug dealer suspect with a gun and driving a stolen
car"? "Why did we really invest seemingly countless
man hours into tracking down, arresting serial-burglars,
thieves, robbers and other deviants who
appear to only receive a 'slap on the wrists' and are right
back on the streets in no time, victimizing people again"?
Well, please know and rest assured, that regardless 'of ' and in spite 'of '
the typical responses 'of ' ; "well isn't all of that what you get paid for?" or
FUNDING LEGISLATION CRIME BILLS
EQUIPMENT GRANTS PENALTIES
16%
16%
20%
16%
"isn't that what you signed up for?" and
even "all that comes with the job, so
take it or leave it"...well, myself and
those officers [then] did not sway in
our oaths, diligence or commitments to
protect and serve our community. Just
as the majority of men and women in
law enforcement today strive and succeed
in doing the very same thing. And
16%
16%

this is regardless 'of ' the ultimate decisions reached on the judicial end of
their efforts. Because we knew then (and officers know now) that 'countless'
people depended (and still depend) on law enforcement officers to
adhere to what they took an oath to do. It is up to the judges, the
courts and our state legislative bodies to fix the "revolving door"
syndrome that is plaguing our U.S. communities from coast to
coast and border to border! The Federal Government and its’
various agencies could 'definitely' play more of a role (then it already
does) by working more closely with individual states in regard
to such legislation. Also assistance in the form of creative solutions for
resources such as; Funding, additional backing of state legislation and
crime bills, cutting edge crime fighting equipment, innovative grant programs
for law enforcement research and technology, joint state and federal
effort to re-evaluate current penalty phases for street level criminals.
You see, our nations' law enforcement agencies are now facing even
more challenges and greater responsibilities due to an increase of newer
and more sinister threats (against our nation) from outside our borders. So,
they certainly do not need the continued persistence of an age-old and
nagging issue of habitual offenders in addition to these newer, more complex
and dangerous threats to all of our welfare. "Come on politicians,
judges, courts"! "How about some relief here, for the extraordinary men and
women in uniform and carrying the badges"? What I'm talking about is, laying
the groundwork for “sweeping reform” in the laws and the mechanics
of the penalty phases of criminal cases involving persons who willfully
choose to ignore second, third (and beyond) chances for rehabilitation. Regrettably,
there has recently been a sharp increase of cases involving these
types of individuals as it relates to them committing more serious and
heinous types of crimes against citizens.

CRIME SCENE DEMEANOR: Officer Behavior & Public Appearance
This is simply a note, on a personal opinion of mine regarding a subject
that has always been something very important to me. Despite my brief
tenure in the field of a Law Enforcement, I was always mindful of the fact,
police officers are in the lime light more so, then most every other profession.
Since then and until this day, whenever observing (whether it's firsthand'
or in the "media"), activities involving Law Enforcement as it relates
to interaction with the public...I pay specific attention to how responding
officers conduct themselves while handling a matter". Crime
scenes and accident investigation scenes are primary examples.
Especially in today's world of the ever growing fields,
in technology and the insatiable thirst for accurate reports
of information on "what is happening"! Social
media and mainstream media play more of a role in
these vital reports, then ever in our history as a nation.
It seems 'everyone' has a camera, video or audio
recording device! Countless organizations, companies,
businesses, agencies and even private residences & facilities currently
have some form of camera or device, that have been proven, to capture
everything & anything!! Over the past few years, these devices have been
‘extremely’ instrumental in revealing "what actually took place" in situations
& incidents...which otherwise, would have relied (after-the-fact ) solely upon
audible or eyewitness accounts and or testimony, circumstantial, physical
and 'forensic' evidence. Many of these "recorded" revelations were and are
“stunning” and have resulted in landmark (legal) precedences being set!
One of the most notable cases is the Rodney King fiasco
which is indelibly 'etched' in the minds of many and will be
in the annals of law enforcement history, for years to come!
This March of 1991 case truly defined the essence of police
brutality and a total disregard for human rights and pure
common sense! And not to mention rules, regulations and
(clearly)department policy. Several Los Angeles, CA.
police officers were captured (on video) during the aftermath
of a vehicle chase of a 26 year old, African-American
man whom which they blatantly and willfully dragged and...

eat merciless with batons, fists. And kicked and stomped him so bad, that
he nearly died right on the pavement! Officers were fired, eventually jailed
and although some were "acquitted", the L.A. police department was disgraced
in front of the whole world. It was a "camera", manned by a citizen
whom without, we would not have witnessed the sheer brutality of what
took place during this infamous chase and traffic stop twenty-four years
ago. Despite being almost a quarter century ago, technology was 'budding'
even then, in the direction it has brought us to today. Furthermore, it only
underscores the fact that "we never know who or what (camera, monitor,
computer...etc.) is watching" our every move! Like that brave citizen
many years ago, countless people are armed with a variety of audio-video
recording devices and they aren't afraid to use them. Not to mention the
fact society in general, has become a virtual fish bowl...government agencies
are at the top of a huge list of surveillance gurus who are "watching".

So with all of this in mind and you have a job or career that puts you "front
and center" and right in the lime light, be very careful! Again, law enforcement
is one of those such careers and as such, the profession is under increased
scrutiny...and for obvious reasons. Growing up, we constantly
heard and used the saying "one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch"
and although used mostly figuratively, the analogy was clear and still
applies today! Instead of an apple, one rotten person can cast such
an obnoxious stink over an entire organization, that it can be unbearable!
Just by their behavior, actions and attitude (just to name
a few aspects). Have you ever thought much about the phrase
"known-by-association"? Well let me tell you, it's a truly "powerful"
phrase and can have incredible merit as far as many are
concerned. Even if that merit is somewhat 'misplaced' (initially)
it still means something to those who are firm believers.
Put another way; If you are known to constantly associate with a
group of people who wear red ball caps, drink wine and meet every
Saturday at the same lake to go swimming...well, you could most
likely be known (by some) as a "red cap wearing, wine drinking,
Saturday lake-swimming S.O.G.”! Even if nobody has ever "seen
you" wear a red ball cap, take a sip of wine or go near the lake on
any day of the week. You see, "it is, what it is"! And that can sometimes
really be unfortunate! Just because we belong, work, play or
simply associate with a particular person or organization, doesn't
mean we believe, support, agree with or do "every single thing"
they do. When a person or persons representing this organization
does something "bad", everyone affiliated can suffer. If you or I are
affiliated, people can and will think we're right on board with the one
or ones who screwed up, even though we ARE NOT!
The profession of law enforcement is really no different at all however,
the affects of the "known-by-association" stigma can be even more detrimental,
even devastating as it relates to a department and it's' community.
If one or two or more police officers do something terrible, many
people (who are on the out-side, looking in) will typically only see
the badge and uniform and associate it with negativity. This is sadly
unfair to the many decent, honest and hard working men & women

of that department. Uh' oh', here's where I'm about to get cut from
some Christmas card mailing lists! That's okay! You see, as I reiterate
throughout the "An Old Rookie Cop" series, I just don't buy
into the jargon of a police officer simply all of a sudden, out of the clear
blue just "beating a compliant suspect to death" or "fatally shooting
a fleeing suspect in the back". Can it just happen? Yes it can and
"so can " just about anything else! Now, I'm certainly no Dr. Phillip
but, I'm really more inclined to believe that , there were more than
likely, some precursor behaviors and other obvious red flags regarding
police officers who commit these acts. And they don't
keep it a secret because other people (co-workers) are aware and witness
what they do. Yes, that's right!...the “same” decent, honest and hard
working men and women these "red-flagged" officers work with.
Now, "here's the rub “; ➜ These decent, honest, hard working cohorts know
they have to work with their “red-flagged" counterparts [who usually
aren't literally "red-flagged", except for in the minds of their concerned
cohorts] and must try to get along with them. This is despite the fact
they are very much aware of the questionable, unacceptable and even dangerous
behaviors of these particular police officers. You see, nobody really
wants to be the one identified as the snitch, the rat, the narc,
the one who "made the waves that rocked the boat" and
broke the blue wall of silence! Well, let me remind you of
this...it is not thirty or forty years ago, that wall of silence has
been broken before and will continue to be broken even
more! The "boats" are being rocked (tipped
OVER) by prosecutors / district attorneys who are
charging corrupt police officers, by grand juries who are
indicting them, by trial juries who are convicting them &
by the “courageous” judges who are sentencing them to!
This is also applying to those officers and personnel who conspired and or
stood by silent, with knowledge of crimes being committed. These actions,
inactions or behaviors, could fall under the heading of dereliction of duty
or simply be considered out right criminal offenses on there own. Nevertheless,
the situation can be a 'career-ender' and a major life changer for those
who weren't directly involved! “I do believe” this is definitely something for

people in situations like this to seriously think
about. The point here is this, law enforcement is
a profession of honor, respect, trust and integrity,
whether you work as a police officer, corrections
officer, dispatcher, civilian file clerk, secretary or
receptionist. You have an obligation, a responsibility to uphold that in which
you 'pledged to' when you were hired. In the case of uniformed officers, it
constitutes an "oath of office" which is 'sworn to' and should be honored,
respected & abided by! Now as far as the obligation, responsibility & swornoath
aspects are concerned, many people 'totally' get these contexts all
jumbled. When we are hired or appointed by someone to complete a specific
task and we accept the assignment to do so, we are then obligated to
complete that task. When we swear an oath to carry out specified duties,
honor certain privileges and abide by all other guidelines set forth within the
oath, we are then bound by the oath we were ‘sworn to’ and its' integrity.
Whether "sworn" or "obligated", there is also what is known as a responsibility
to do the right thing. And then there is moral responsibility in the
context of "you" seeing or knowing that "others" are being harmed or there
is the potential for them, to be harmed. Do you take action or choose to do
nothing? This has to be a decision that is solely up to the individual in
the position of the choice, as there may be serious consequences no
matter what the decision is. Come on now, knowing what we already
know based on the context of this article as well as considering current
issues between law enforcement and communities, across our nation.

What Is This ?
Okay, let's say you are at work and you...
just happen to witness a co-worker stealing money from a cash
drawer and this co-worker doesn't know you saw them....
just happen to witness a co-worker stealing money from another coworker's
purse or wallet and this worker doesn't know you saw them....
over hear a co-worker talking on their cell phone and they're planning
to physically harm another co-worker at the end of the shift....
over hear a co-worker talking on the company phone to their
spouse and they are 'lying' to the spouse about having to work late
the next few nights & you know it's because of an adulteress affair
with another co-worker & this worker wants you to lie for them....
walk into the break room, no one else is in there but, you see
someone's partially eaten lunch is on a table, their jacket is on the back

of the chair and you spot a fifty-dollar bill about to fall from
a pocket of the jacket & there are no cameras around….
are a supervisor and a worker comes to you with a complaint
of another supervisor who has threatened & "sexually
harassed” them, the worker tells you they're now too afraid
to make the complaint 'official' for fear of serious retaliation....
are out in the field with a co-worker in the same company vehicle,
the co-worker gets angry and 'roughs up' a client over a
customer-service issue & instructs you & the client not to say
anything to anyone, the client agrees to it but, you don't....
are called upon by your employer to explain & submit an official
written statement of facts pertaining to "any" of the aforementioned
scenarios...
WHAT IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU ACTUALLY DO AT THAT POINT ??
Okay here we are again, "nobody" really wants to
be known as the 'big fat rat' who tells on everybody
at work. "I get that", loud an clear (and so do most
other people) but, just imagine it's you or someone you love and care
about...that's being stolen from, sexually harassed threatened and just
made to feel horrible while at work. What would you do?? Wouldn't
you or them want help, from someone brave enough to step forward
and do "something" to stop that horrible feeling inside? Sure you would!!
Well just stop and think about that for a few minutes, 'what if you are that
person'? That 'very person' on the previous page, witnessing your co-workers
steal, cheat, harass others for sex, find valuables, rough-up
customers...etc. Would you (do what you already know, deep down inside
is the right thing to do) be strong enough to step forward and maybe throw
someone a life line? Or would you simply standby in silence and watch

when you probably know you may make a difference. Again,
what if it were you on the receiving end of this misery? Here
is a another way you can look at this; by stepping forward, not only
could you help another person or two, you may actually be very instrumental
in helping to avoid a much bigger situation! You see, when incidents like
those described on the last few pages, occur at work and there's no actual
attempt at resolution...resentment, animosity and anger can fester into
tempers flaring and then one day, something very bad happens! These
are just 'some' of the ingredients that account for many workplace tragedies
in the United States & abroad. Now I'm not going
to kid myself and especially not YOU ! There is a degree
of risk involved in placing yourself in the middle
of an "unpleasant" situation. But guess what? Countless
people do it everyday! And they're called things
like Good Samaritans, do-gooders, concerned citizens,
guardian angels, and even HEROES!
Nonetheless, there's any number of reasons why
some people just don't want to get involved in workplace situations.
Some of those top reasons include;
A. They feel that if it doesn't affect them, it's none of their concern
B. They feel that getting involved, could mean retaliation against them
C. Some workers are only there for a paycheck and don't care at all
D. Some workers are eager to see "drama" at work and enjoy tension
E. Many workers are afraid of being demoted for reporting a co-worker
F. Many workers are afraid of being passed over for a promotion
G. Many workers may feel they won't be believed or taken seriously,
specifically because of 'who' the other worker is and 'who' that person is
associated with, good friends with or related to (family) at work
Alright let's go back to the subject of "MORAL RESPONSIBILITY"...
what it means and why it is so important in the workplace
and "especially" in certain professions such as,
LAW ENFORCEMENT

This virtue has been interpreted and defined
in “many different ways by many different
people” over the years. Lets take a close look
at the latest versions of the definitions of
each word and then an interpretation of the
two together. We’ll use that overall ‘meaning’
for the context in which this article is suggesting, as it applies to people
in the workplace, Law Enforcement and “simply doing the right
thing”…under normal as well as extenuating circumstances.
moral |ˈmôrəl, ˈmär-|
adjective
1 concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or
badness of human character: the moral dimensions of medical intervention | a moral
judgment.
• concerned with or derived from the code of interpersonal behavior that is considered
right or acceptable in a particular society: an individual's ambitions may get out
of step with the general moral code | the moral obligation of society to do something about the
inner city's problems.
• [ attrib. ] examining the nature of ethics and the foundations of good and bad
character and conduct: moral philosophers.
2 holding or manifesting high principles for proper conduct: he prides himself on being
a highly moral and ethical person.
noun
1 a lesson, esp. one concerning what is right or prudent, that can be derived from
a story, a piece of information, or an experience: the moral of this story was that
one must see the beauty in what one has.
2 (morals) a person's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is
not acceptable for them to do: the corruption of public morals | they believe addicts have
no morals and cannot be trusted.
This also brings to mind, “doing unto others, as you would have others,
do unto you”.

Responsibility |riˌspänsəˈbilətē|
noun (pl. responsibilities)
the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control
over someone: women bear children and take responsibility for child care.
• the mstate or fact of being accountable or to blame for something: the group
has claimed responsibility for a string of murders.
• the opportunity or ability to act independently and make decisions without
authorization: we would expect individuals lower down the organization to take
on more responsibility.
• (often responsibilities) a thing that one is required to do as part of a
job, role, or legal obligation: he will take over the responsibilities of overseas director.
• [ in sing. ] (responsibility to/toward) a moral obligation to behave correctly
toward or in respect of: individuals have a responsibility to control personal
behavior.
Moral Responsibility
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other types of responsibility, see Responsibility (disambiguation).
In philosophy, moral responsibility is the status of morally deserving praise, blame,
reward, or punishment for an act or omission, in accordance with one's moral obligations.[1][2]
Deciding what (if anything) counts as "morally obligatory" is a principal concern
of ethics.
Philosophers refer to people who have moral responsibility for an action as moral
agents. Agents have the capability to reflect on their situation, to form intentions about
how they will act, and then to carry out that action. The notion of free will has become
an important issue in the debate on whether individuals are ever morally responsible for
their actions and, if so, in what sense. Incompatibilists regard determinism as at odds
with free will, whereas compatibilists think the two can coexist.
Moral responsibility does not necessarily equate to legal responsibility. A person is
legally responsible for an event when a legal system is liable to penalise that person for
that event. Although it may often be the case that when a person is morally responsible
for an act, they are also legally responsible for it, the two states do not always coincide.
[ citation needed ]

Lets apply these definitions and the principles to the
“workplace” and remember, this can be “any” type of
employment but, we are referring to Law Enforcement in this
particular case. Again, this profession is one of high honor, respect,
trust and integrity! As a “sworn” law enforcement officer,
you have ‘access-to’ and are entrusted with powers and responsibilities
the average person in most professions can only imagine.
With this prestige comes ‘significant’ expectations to “do
what you took an oath do to”, “do the right thing at all times” and
to “maintain the image of respect and professionalism”. This is all because
you are held to a higher standard and a higher level of accountability! To
reiterate, this profession is not a typical ‘9am to 5pm’ or a justto-pay-the-bills
type of employment! Now these types of positions
are important and great ways to make a living but, there
are different experience capabilities for different people. And although,
(as a police officer) you just may handle ‘large’ sums of
money (and other greenery), this profession is not one where
you will become extremely wealthy. Being a police officer is a
career commitment and you really must have a genuine fervor
for what is required of you in this field. In practically ‘every’ other
profession except for first responders, employees don't get
paid to run into burning buildings, or stick around during gunfire.
Fire fighters, paramedics and other EMS personnel are
right there with police officers at the scenes of these situations.
But it is the law enforcement element who is charged with the duty of securing
these unpleasant scenes, investigating the cause and determining
any criminal aspects. A lot goes into this and it’s not a task for just “anybody”.
Again, it’s a position where you are very much in the lime-light and
people, cameras…etc. are watching, how well you perform also how poor-

ly you perform. This is why it is extremely
important and necessary for
police officers (and all first-responders,
for that matter) to always be
cognizant of their actions and demeanor while present
at the scenes of tragedies and catastrophic events. In
addition to media, onlookers and related personnel,
many times there are loved ones, family and friends
present at the scene. Now this is that subject (I reference
in the beginning of this section) that has always
been very important to me. And this is because of what
I’m about to share from my brief stint as a police officer.
You see, when I was a rookie, fresh out of the police academy I remember
a particular field training officer I was assigned to, (let’s just call him “D.J.”).
D.J. was a really good officer with several years of valuable experience under
his belt. He was a cheerful person who enjoyed being in law enforcement
“and” he wasn’t hard on the rookie officers. D.J. had a practical-joker
side to him as well and thoroughly enjoyed a good laugh! Despite being
known for this, he was always there for back-up and was a great training
officer, I learned a lot from him. One thing I definitely learned from him (and
have never forgotten) was indeed, his ability to joke about
and find a little humor in most things…even serious things.
One hot summer afternoon on second shift, he and I responded
to a call of possible “body parts” being discovered
by kids who were fishing from the river bank and their hook
‘snagged’ a garbage bag.
Upon arrival at the location, we were met by a group of
several youngsters and a few parents. They all appeared
pretty shaken up and one mother approached and said
they had been fishing off the river bank and her son’s
brand new hook got ‘snagged’ and he didn't want to lose
it. So he kept tugging on the line, gradually pulling the
debris close enough for him to wade out a little to free it.
To everyone’s shock what his hook snagged was a green garbage bag
which burst open, revealing its’ gruesome contents! It in fact was human

ody parts, mainly a severed head which was
badly decomposed. Well, we immediately radioed
in the situation, secured the surrounding area and
began taking witness statements. While waiting
for a supervisor, detectives and the medical examiner
to arrive, my partner, D.J. quietly begins to hum and sing the ‘Spencer
Williams ’ tune “I ain’t got nobody”. I just looked at him and the expression
on his face, it was sad yet he was singing. He noticed I was looking at him
and he just smiled. Now, no one except for myself was close enough to notice
any of this and I learned something very valuable from the experience
that day. I want you to really think about what you're about to read next, in
fact read it a couple of times and just imagine yourself in this situation. You
see, the valuable experience I learned was that different people have different
ways of handling things that happen to them and in their lives.

I’ve always believed we ‘can be’ and are products of
our own environments, we are like we are (for the
most-part) because of where we’ve been, what we’ve
been through, who we've been (around) influenced by
and ‘the things’ we've done in our lives. We sometimes wonder
‘why’ people are like they are and people wonder why “we” are
like we are. All of us are created differently and ‘nobody’, is perfect
except for our creator! From the time we are young, those
who raise us try to instill certain core values within us. But, as we
grow and mature we, develop our own set of intricate qualities,
that are unique to our own individual character. Sure we may retain
and even apply some or much of what was instilled
in us over the years however, we will still have our
own ways of seeing and doing things! This is why it is
‘so’ ridiculous for people (especially those) in intimate
relationships to try and control the thoughts and actions
of each other. It’s just not going to be conducive for anything
positive and lasting to exist between them.
Okay, what I witnessed from my partner that day on the river
bank, all those years ago, was just the onset of many lessons
learned. You see, there are some pretty obvious reasons why
the duties of first-responders are not just ‘jobs’ for ‘anyone’ to
perform. And aside from our esteemed military members,
dedicated medical and hospital staff, there’s not many
other professions that require the caliber of “individual”
that’s necessary to fill those shoes. Believe me when I tell you there
are people who will run or faint at the sight of blood, much less be
capable of tending to someone whose bleeding profusely! There
are people who can become a trembling bundle of nerves just at the
sound of a scream, sudden loud noise in another room, a squeaky
door or floor and even a vehicle 'backfiring'. So you can
“pretty much” just forget about these folks being in positions
to assist with gunshots being fired, something exploding or
someone screaming for help from a dark “scary” basement.

However, it is the Law Enforcement officers we call on
when we hear that erie loud scream from the basement,
shots fired, strange noises…etc. and they show up and
investigate. Now, just as with accident and crime scene
investigations, there is a certain skill-set these officers
should be exhibiting during the interaction with the citizens…now
that is, if they are afforded an opportunity to
do so from the very beginning of the interaction. Remember,
the officers are human too and have feelings just like you
do, plus ‘respect’ is like the “Christmas” holiday…give and receive!
Part of this skill-set is supposed to stem from professional
training, proper guidance and tutelage from “seasoned” field
training officers. This also includes abiding by department policy,
rules, regulations, the law itself and just plain old common sense!
Okay, here’s where this whole section should come full circle
for you… It is very important for people to know and hopefully
understand this. As the result of the many gruesome, horrible
and heart-wrenching things law enforcement officers (in particular)
come across & the frequency in which they do so…they
have to develop their own ways of dealing with the grief that
can and does build up in their memories. And, because the frequency
can be almost daily, these men and women definitely
have to master a means in which to prevent the horrific scenes
from replaying over and over in their minds. As with my partner
on the river bank, part of his way of dealing with the body parts
and decomposed human head, looking up at us from the bag,
was to sing and hum a tune. I eventually developed my own
method of handling afterthoughts from tragedies I witnessed.
Now despite how truly important this is, the public is pretty
much ‘oblivious’ to it and to what it really means. furthermore
there are those who could probably “care less”. Have you ever
watched an internet or television news broadcast of police at
the scene of a crime or accident? And you notice what appears
to be police officers laughing, smiling and socializing.
Yes, it ‘can’ look like that is just what’s happening but, every-

thing is not as it appears to the eye. And I firmly believe
their should definitely be more of a conscious
effort and priority of awareness for “all” law enforcement,
as it relates to their sensitivity, demeanor
& public appearance! Again, someone or
something is always watching it should not appear that professionals are
being less than professional, insensitive or at worst, disrespectful. No
friend, family member or loved one should feel that those who are investigating
or handling the tragedy of a loved one, takes the situation lightly.
It’s not like I've been to ‘thousands’ of crime scenes but, I have been
to enough of them and I’ve handled enough emergency calls to know
very well what typically occurs at such scenes. Law Enforcement is a
“huge” brotherhood with a tremendous amount of camaraderie between
its’ officers. Officers will know or will come to know fellow officers
in adjoining venues and jurisdictions…connections and friendships
are then established. Many times, emergencies and multi-jurisdictional
events like vehicle chases, fugitive searches, joint investigations…etc.
will bring these officers together at one scene or more.
Some of these events can be ‘emotionally’ charged and adrenaline is
peaked by highlights of the event. So, it is common place to see an
outpouring of that camaraderie in the form of hugs, hands-shakes
and other complimentary gestures. An elusive suspect(s) may have
just been captured and you may see officers expressing jubilance
and congratulating each other for a job well done by fist-bumping &
high-fiving. The news media has quite naturally captured this in news
footage and obviously the public & onlookers see these actions too.

It is ‘already’ tough enough, at times for
police officers and other first responders
when dealing with the degree of tragedy
and human suffering they witness everyday.
This is further compounded when
that tragedy involves one of their own!
Yes, it’s no real big ‘secret’ that when police officers, firefighters
and other ‘first responders’ themselves, are involved
in an emergency, those symbols of brotherhood and
that spirit of camaraderie is in full abundance! The acts of
care and support from fellow officers are obvious and highly
visible to the public. As well as to media outlets who
broadcast the event through “BREAKING NEWS” bulletins
and their social media affiliations.

With all of this in mind, there is still a level of decorum
and image that must be adhered to on the part of these
professionally trained men and women officers of law
enforcement! Donning a uniform, pinning on a badge and strapping
on a gun and taser does not give them ‘teflon’ or machinelike
qualities, they do have feelings just like you and I. However, because of
what they’ve “signed up for” and “pledged an oath to do” they many times,
have to set those feelings and emotions aside. Set them aside because
people are depending on them in dire times of need and desperation!
Furthermore, the uniform, badge and arsenal of tools and
weapons certainly does not entitle police officers to abuse,
mistreat, disrespect or take advantage of those who they’ve
pledged “sworn-oaths” to protect and serve! Times have
changed!! All but gone are those days when law enforcement
officers could simply “talk” to people just any kind of
way…even to suspects and known offenders. That’s right!
Modern society and its’ quest for political correctness,
sensitivity and detailed attention to moral, civil and human
rights, has shined a laser beam on the language that people
in the professional arena, spew from their mouthes!
Just ask any city, county or state, whose governing
body and or insurance carrier…has recently
reached a monetary settlement, due to
litigation stemming from one or more of their
law enforcement officers’ foul, defaming, racially
motivated and abusive language. See what they have to say
after knowing they had to ‘stroke’ that hefty $check$ and hand it
over to the attorney of the plaintiff(s) in the settlement. You probably
won’t get to hear how they “really” feel about having to pay out a
‘bunch’ of $cash$ money! All because one of their officers
exhibited conduct ‘so’ unbecoming an officer…legal
action had to be taken in order to
resolve the issue (and set a precedence).

That’s right!! More
& more city, county
and state gov-
ernments are having
to ‘cough up’ hundreds of thousands and even
millions of dollars because of the actions of their police
officers. And sadly, in many cases it’s their (the
agencies/local governments) own faults because they “knew
or should have known”, there was a huge potential for what happened!
And that is, the big ole’ fat elephant in the room finally going on a rampage
& screwing up things. Seasoned trial attorneys just love these types
of cases! Whether these governments use taxpayer funds or insurance
coverage to pay off these settlements, it’s really a lot money for something
that almost surely could have been avoided in the first place. I mean when
you actually consider how many of these cases come about in the first
place and to know there was a point in time when the issue could have and
should have been addressed, potentially preventing what took place!
These government entities and department heads, truly need to realize that
when an individual(s) within their employ, becomes the undo and repeated
focus of negative attention…such that has the power to disrupt normal operations
by creating a volatile or even hostile work environment internally
and or externally in conjunction with the line of duty (as with police officers),
“something needs to be done” sooner then later!!
Again, it’s usually no secret when a police agency or department has;
an “out of control” officer or officers
an officer who is always “pushing the envelope”
an officer whose been red “flagged” by cohorts as a
problem individual
an officer whose personnel jacket is riveted with misconduct
reports and various complaints
an officer who has a “bully-like” attitude & thinks nothing
is wrong with it
an officer(s) who other officers are reluctant to work
with because of their behavior and reputation and the
fact these officers are able to remain on the job “no matter”
how much trouble they get into
an officer(s) who literally believe their badge entitles
them to do just about “anything” they want to do.

…this list could definitely go on for another whole page or
more but, you get the point! And to reiterate, nine times out
of ten times, this information has already or will eventually
circulate to the top of an agency, in ‘some' fashion or another.
It’s just unfortunate (even ridiculous) that it takes
one of these red flaggers to do something ‘so’ outrageous
and attention-grabbing…that there is no alternative but to take some form
of action. Usually by this time, the DAMAGE is already DONE!!! And the
damage control is seen for what it really is and officials are left scrambling
to fix things that usually cannot be fixed or restored to what they once were!
That damage encompasses a multitude of factors and
areas within an organization, such as in a law enforcement
agency. MORALE is one key area in particular,
that suffers a ‘huge’ blow! You see, despite the
many workplace drama-mongers that seem to thrive
on tension and discord at their places of employment…You
have scores of honest, hard working
people who in fact enjoy their work, are
truly dedicated and strive to make a difference.
So, before all the damage mentioned above, culminated
into that ‘Funky ‘ cloud that eventually hits the fan, it is these
hard working folks who have been suffering all along. They are the ones
who knew long ago, of the red flaggers and their mischievous deeds.
But, for whatever reasons they deemed “justifiable” (in their own minds),
they remained silent and took no action. More than likely, hoping, wishing
and even praying that, the actions and behavior of these red flaggers
doesn’t affect them in ‘any’ way. Unfortunately, in a profession like law enforcement,
there’s really not such a luxury as “sitting back and
just hoping the ‘boogeyman’ goes away on it’s own”.
This is also know as the “OSTRICH-SYNDROME”. Although,
the sitting-back is done everyday, ultimately resulting
in cascading repercussions! This is, that STUFF
that’s hitting and bouncing off that FAN of LIFE.

A Closing Thought On Moral Responsibility;
As an employee you are literally ‘only’ responsible for “YOURSELF”, as
“YOU” have no actual control over another persons’ thoughts or ultimate
behavior. However, from a representational and “liability” standpoint,
you and the employer or entity you are employed by, can be viewed as responsible
and even held ‘liable’ for the actions of a fellow employee or
subordinate. Additionally, barring any extraordinary mental inhibiting
factors, a person basically knows ‘right from wrong’. As far as your place
of employment is concerned and without dissecting each and every line of
each and every policy, rule or regulation…”YOU” basically ‘know’ what is
the right thing and what is the wrong thing to do as far as your job is concerned.
And the very same thing ‘can’ probably be said for your co-workers.
Now, the number ONE favorite defense for people discovered doing
something wrong is, “I DID NOT KNOW”! Then you have, “NO ONE EVER
TOLD ME ABOUT THAT” and even “WELL EVERYONE ELSE DOES IT”.
Well, these are very poor defenses and usually don't hold up!
Okay, you're at work and “YOU” witness a co-worker stealing…”YOU”
know this is ‘wrong’! What do “YOU” do? Do you have a responsibility to
do “anything”? Okay, you're at work and “YOU” are the one who is stealing…who
has a responsibility here? Should someone, who may have witnessed
“YOU” stealing, do something? Okay, you are at work and witness
a co-worker aggressively harassing another worker in a sexual manner…”YOU”
know this is ‘wrong’! What do “YOU” do? Do you have a responsibility
to do “anything”? What if it is “YOU” on the receiving end of
this treatment? Wouldn't “YOU” be grateful if someone came to your defense?
Or not? Seriously think about this! Alright, you’re are at work and
“YOU” know that what a co-worker(s) is doing makes you and other
workers uncomfortable and actually has the potential to harm others and
or already has.
Do “YOU” have a Moral Responsibility to report what “YOU” know is occurring?
Well, just do a little research on ‘workplace history’ regarding
these types of situations. And see what can happen when people remain
silent and do nothing. Things CAN and DO eventually “hit the fan”!

SURVIVING THE IMMEDIATE SITUATION:
"Protest or Dispute later, what you may feel was an unfair Experience"
During the climax or "heat-of-the-moment " as it relates to
any situation, altercation, confrontation...etc. that shows a
clear and obvious difference of opinion between all parties
involved...it is absolutely not the time for any one party to
expect to 'simply' win-out over the other(s)! I definitely believe
this is especially true in cases where one of the parties
is an established figure of authority. Since this article is
about law enforcement, the authority referenced here will
obviously be the police. Unlike the story plots, themes and
intense scenes from countless Hollywood action movies, the
real world of the "public" and "law enforcement" is vastly
different! If you or myself are walking down a street or driving
along and we're stopped by a police officer, we just
don't 'immediately' begin shouting about our civil and citizen's
rights, demand our one guaranteed phone call or
have our attorney show up at the scene to "save us"!
For the most part, every situation involving police interaction with
the public is different to some degree. A pedestrian or vehicle
"stop" made by the police, could range in nature from a simple
public service message to a warning of a burned out headlight to
something much more serious. Yes the police could be stopping
you from walking into a dangerous area or situation, you may have
otherwise not been aware of. You or your vehicle may just happen
to resemble the description of a vehicle or particular person-of-interest,
or you may in fact be "just who" the police are looking for. In
any event, protesting the interaction or disputing the "stop" (at that
point) may more than likely 'escalate' things to another
level...especially if emotions and tempers begin to flare!
Please just do your best to try and remain calm and cordial,
even if the police officers “don’t" do the same. I know
this may sound difficult for many and even sound "ridiculous"
to some but, your behavior could actually be your
"trump" card later, during any subsequent investigation.

As emphasized in Part I of the "An Old Rookie Cop"
series, law enforcement officers, typically 'never know'
right-off-the-bat just who it is they're encountering. They
may have only a name, partial name, nickname or simply
a description to work with before actually interacting
with you, me or whoever! Additionally, they more than
likely don't know what caliber of individual they are confronting.
You and I may feel, we know ourselves and that
we are certainly "no threat" to police officers but, 'they'
don't know that! In fact, law enforcement practically
have to "assume" that we are indeed a threat to them,
at least until they can conduct the procedures they were
trained to apply. They should then, be able to assess a
situation and determine a "proper" course of action. "Right here" is where it
really becomes essential for cool heads to prevail and tempers, emotions
and attitudes to remain "in check" on all sides.
Because history, case files and records clearly demonstrate
that these are the precise moments when the "least" amount of
volatility can cause a situation to quickly spiral out of control!
A once (relatively) calm set of circumstances can escalate into
utter chaos and even tragedy, in just a matter of seconds. In
hindsight and most unfortunately, a thorough investigation of
facts in evidence, later shows the whole ordeal could have
very well, taken a direction, much more conducive to everyone involved. If
only "cooler heads" and tempers would have prevailed and parties would
have given more thought than action.
But, hindsight is just that, 'hind-sight' - which is our thought
process after an event...how about our thoughts before, or
maybe even during an event? "Thinking before acting".
Now, I know I'll probably catch some flack over this but,
everyone involved in these such incidents, definitely has a
level of responsibility which they are accountable for! In particular,
those who bear the titles of "trained professionals",
yes the police! They are supposed to be armed with not

only 'tasers', 'firearms' and 'ammunition'
but, also with professional training & knowledge
of techniques. Techniques which give
them an edge over the average person and
are meant to empower them with the ability
to (at least attempt to) diffuse or approach a
situation from the start, in a manner and in
an effort to avoid unnecessary escalation...
therefore, avoiding the potential for the use of excessive
force and most certainly, the use of deadly force.
Yes! Yes! Yes! There are "absolutely", situations
where police officers are left with no other
option whatsoever, then to take the life of
“someone"! These are 'extreme' circumstances
where "that someone" truly decided on a path,
to the point of no return. This "does happen"
and it is unfortunate for numerous/obvious reasons.
But, it would also be ‘even’ more unfortunate for police
officers to further risk their own safety and or that of
the innocent public or fellow officers...by delaying a decision
to use that final option of "deadly force". However,
I've seen (and so have you) numerous cases where the situation 'never
even came close' to a point where deadly force needed to
be considered, let alone used! And these cases, are the
ones in which myself and many others, can't help but to
wonder "what in the heck was that officer or officers thinking?"!
"Did that man or woman really have to die?" , "Was
there really, absolutely no possible alternative except for
deadly force?". Now remember this, the police
deal with people who "we" wouldn't want
to run across in our 'worst' nightmares, they
are the scum of the earth! And therefore, some people may
be of the opinion "let the police just kill them, good riddance"
and "who's gonna miss them?"...however, despite how vile,
evil and wicked these individuals may be, it is not up to the
police to act as executioners. Now my emphasis here, is on

those types of cases referenced in the previous paragraph.
Those blaring, unforgettable and heart wrenching cases that
have been plastered in the news headlines, in social media and
in news reports around the world...over the past thirty-six
months. These are the numerous cases of persons who "needlessly"
lost their lives, during interactions with law enforcement
across our nation! Blatantly obvious, is the fact that many of
these victims were 'persons of color'. And subsequent investigations
revealed (in some cases) elements including racial epithets, clear
disregard of department policy, excessive force and ultimately deadly
force. Additionally, in depth independent investigations also revealed patterns
of police misconduct, officer conspiracies, dishonesty, destruction of
evidence...etc. Ultimately and regardless of skin color or ethnicity, all lives
matter! And "especially" those innocent lives which could have been
spared, if not for the reckless actions of a handful of renegade individuals.
Individuals who, probably should have never been issued badges of au-

thority to begin with. I strongly believe that, these particular individuals are
definitely "not" representative of law enforcement as a 'whole'. And to reiterate,
it is even more of an insult to learn that people in positions that
could have made a difference, knew about these officers and did nothing
(beforehand) to rein them in...at least nothing effective.
This very issue is ongoing and continues to be "a thorn
in the side" of many law enforcement agencies in this
country. And as long as their department heads and
their governing bodies continue to ignore these "big ole
fat elephants in the room", pressure-cooker situations
will continue to boil! Until the day comes when one of
these officers causes things to boil over into a fiasco!
Like many, my question is "WHY"? Why let things get
that far?? Especially when there's common knowledge
(within an agency) that a huge potential problem does
exist within the ranks of its’ personnel. As you know, in
most organizations people "talk", people "complain"...they complain and
talk especially about that in which they do not like about their organization!
This also includes "who" within their organization they "don't like" and feel
are a detriment to them and their organization. Now
you know, as well as I know this "talk" rarely remains
a secret. Everyone from the bottom of the
organization to the top, knows or has heard about
the "water cooler" topics. This includes supervisors,
managers, administration and many times even
corporate! Come on now, think about it...with as
many snitches and dedicated "brown-nosers" that can exist
within a single organization. You mean to tell me things don't filter up to the
top? The field of law enforcement is no different! So when something
truly terrible happens within the lower ranks of an entity and I hear those in
charge stating things like; "I didn't know this was going on" and "We as
management would never condone or allow conditions like this to exist"
and “We are going to conduct a full investigation , leaving no stone unturned
until we get to the bottom of this”. It’s ambiguous, in that there are
usually those who already have a pretty good idea of what led up to things
hitting the fan, secondly those ‘initial’ claims by brass and above, can pri-

marily be, only formalities. This is the type of subsequent investigation
that is referenced on page one of this section. And
why it’s so vital for people to remain mindful at all times, of the
importance of doing their part to “survive” the immediate situation
of a law enforcement interaction. You will have plenty of
time “after” the police encounter to voice your protest, through
correct and more effective channels. That is, provided you are
capable of doing so! You must first, do your part to insure that
you are around and in fact capable of voicing what you feel
was unjust or illegal! That is “not” likely to happen if you
aid in your own tragedy or demise by reacting poorly!
And possibly giving a “red flagger” [an already ‘out-of-control’
officer / lose cannon who’s been waiting to push the envelope
a little further] just a “smidgen” of a reason to interpret
you are the ‘slightest’ measure of a threat to him or her.
Did you know that during a police investigation / encounter,
just the ‘slightest’ bit of (physical) resistance can result in a
“resisting arrest” charge filed against you by police? But, before
it even reaches the paper work stage, you are subject to
what can occur “during” the arrest procedure itself;
Severe injury from attempts by officers to subdue, restrain
& place you into handcuffs.
Severe injury or even death if you continue to resist, or assault
an officer, or attempt to take control of an officers’ firearm,
baton or taser…etc.
Severe injury or death if you attempt to escape police custody.
[fleeing & eluding either by vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle,
ATV, riding mower, boat, horse or on foot…etc.
If a police officer is injured while trying to place you under
arrest, whether “you” actually injured the officer or not, you
could face additional charges and hardship.
The majority of people are totally clueless when it comes to police procedure,
the law, citizen and civil rights. Again, hollywood and the real world of
law enforcement are vastly different. There’s a huge misconception as it re-

lates to what happens in the movies and reality television
versus “real life”! In most cases, immediately
‘challenging’ law enforcement during an initial interaction
can only tend to aggravate the situation. And
‘nine times out of ten times’, your protest is not going
to prevail right then and there on the street, in a
house or building…etc. Many years ago law enforcement
officers at the street level, had considerably
more discretion (when it came to arrests) then they do today. “Now” when
the police show up and it’s a matter of “somebody” going to jail, being taken
in for questioning or as part of an investigation…it is going to happen!
“Protesting”, “resisting”, “fighting” or trying to “escape” only makes an already
serious situation worse! You see, unlike many years ago, before
everyone had a computer in their hip pocket, cell phones & the
internet…law enforcement relied exclusively on tools like;
1. ‘land-line’ phones ☎
2. ‘fax machines "
3. ‘pagers’ #
4. ‘paper file’ records $ %
5. ‘typewriters’ ⚙
6. ‘notebooks’ '
I am part of that era, remember it well and how
“we made it work”! Today’s younger patrol officers
probably can’t even ‘imagine’ what it would be like
to work without an (O.B.C.) on board computer in
their patrol units, internet, “wi-fi”, cell phones and
text-messaging. In those days, police officers
would sometimes have to drive all the way back to
headquarters or a precinct to retrieve a sketch or
photograph of a suspect, confirm fingerprints or
visually verify an arrest warrant. This can all be
done now, by a ‘few clicks’ on a keyboard.

Because todays’ technology was not available
back then, police officers did have more discretion,
in particular where “arrests” were concerned.
Now days, if there’s even the slightest
‘question’ pertaining to the validity of an arrest
warrant, verifying identity, ‘charges on file’
or past offenses…etc. Now this refers to “on
scene” situations and to most cases but, barring extenuating
circumstances and matters beyond the control of the officers at
the scene and dispatch personnel. They all rely for-the-mostpart,
on a system that consist of computers and other people.
So, there’s always the potential for system glitches as well
as human error. But also for-the-most-part, this system is
“usually” spot-on! So when the police ‘show up’ or ‘respond’
to a situation and they determine (through their system)
that someone has to leave that situation with them, it
is basically a DONE DEAL! Again, Survive The Immediate
Situation!! Discrepancies can be addressed
at a later time and date, not at the scene!
Because of the SYSTEM that”s in place, in “nine
out of ten” cases, even if the police wanted to
consider an alternative to a physical arrest…THEY CANNOT do
so! Yeah, many offenses can be handled with a mere citation
and or ‘summons‘ to appear ! However, many offenses do require
an individual to be taken into custody and to be held for
appearance, until bond is set/posted and or for charges from another jurisdiction.
If “it is” determined the other jurisdiction “does” want an individual,
then extradition proceedings are arranged through a court of law. Or depending
upon the circumstances, a person could simply be turned “directly
over” to law enforcement officials in that neighboring jurisdiction.
Something else to remember is that “every” situation is unique in some
measure, as it relates to the charge or charges. Charges may have similar
titles but, vary in degree, nature and seriousness. Two persons may face
the same charge but, the degree of the charge may be different. This is
another factor that attributes to police procedure and the way in which

they decide to (or have to) handle a person and the situation at hand.
Again, some of the best ways to ‘survive the immediate situation’ during a
police encounter, field investigation or interaction ‘period ’ are to;
Do your best to remain calm, respectful, and attentive to what is being
instructed of you by the officer(s)…You must be able to hear and understand
what you are being instructed to do by the police officer(s)…………
Make sure you have “nothing” in your hands unless the officer(s) advise
you differently…”immediately” release any object from your hands
when instructed to do so…This can SAVE YOUR LIFE……………………
Do not reach quickly for “anything”, “make any sudden movements” or
give the officer(s) any reason to believe he or she must fear for the safety
of their life or the safety of a fellow officers’ life or the safety or lives of
the general public [This is the ‘number one’ defense used by police
officers to justify their decision to use Deadly Force]………………………
There is typically (and should be) a valid reason for interaction between
you and the police to occur in the first place. The most common valid reason
is known as probable cause. For the sake of simplicity here, let’s assume
that is the case. Okay, you’re “stopped” or “otherwise” come into contact
with law enforcement, in most cases they legally do have the right to;
attempt to determine if you are possibly ‘wanted’ by law enforcement
assess & determine that you don’t pose an immediate threat to them
assess & determine that you don’t pose an immediate threat to yourself
assess & determine that you don’t pose an immediate threat to others
question you about circumstances pertaining to, reasons for interaction
question you about the extent of your involvement of that situation
attempt to determine your true identity & your purpose for being there
detain you for purposes of further investigation, suspicion of committing
crimes, failure to comply with what’s asked of you / obstruction of justice
Please remember, law enforcement officers usually do not know just
who it is they are going to encounter, what type of individual(s) it may
be or what they are capable of. So, they have to rely on their training,
their experience and the rules, regulations and policies set forth by their
departments and agencies.

This all can fall under the heading of Police Procedure.
Which again, many people are clueless
about, don't like and find difficult to go along with.
And sometimes, with good reason because many
times these procedures are misused, exaggerated
and grossly exploited by ‘unscrupulous’ police
officers. Those are the “red flaggers”
who make all men and women of law
enforcement look bad! The sooner
those at the top, take a much more
realistic approach to these types of
officers within their employ…the sooner we all can
begin laying “crucial” groundwork!
Groundwork to reduce (and replace) the negative
sentiment, which unfortunately “does” exist (right
now) between many communities and their law
enforcement agencies, across this great nation. Hopefully replace
the negative with a positive and renewed sense of trust, respect
and understanding from both sides. One segment of that realistic
approach, is to greatly improve current systems and procedures
for entering employee data into the personnel files (jackets) of all police
officers. DATA in particular, that applies to updating, implementing newer
and more effective disciplinary measures. This includes the tracking and a
more frequent review of the accuracy of this information as it applies to;
Employee performance levels
Employee evaluations & behavioral reviews
Employee complaints (lodged internally / externally)
Employee information from previous employers / agencies
These steps and measures demonstrate a sincere effort in the spirit of
transparency, accountability and honesty. They also go a long distance towards
improving and or maintaining an agency’s reputation and image.
“Once people don’t trust you because you have proven that you can’t be
trusted”, it can take a very long time and a great deal of effort to regain
what you once had…and seemingly took for granted.

A huge amount of that trust comes directly from the
image that is portrayed by each individual who carries
a badge and represents a department or agency.
And as we all know very well, it only takes “one” of
these individuals (officers) to set off an avalanche of
“chaos” within that agency! Case in Point: A police
officer is investigating at the scene of a traffic stop (or another form of police
interaction) and this officers’ behavior is clearly ‘unprofessional’ and
unbecoming an officer. An official complaint is eventually lodged
against this primary officer, by the person(s) who was or were the
subject(s) of the initial incident. This ‘official’ citizen’s complaint is
also accompanied by a plethora of independent “eyewitness”
statements, from individuals who were present and clearly saw and
heard practically everything that transpired during the incident.
A preliminary investigation is begun by police officials
and even at that point, it is clear there’s many “blarring”
inconsistencies between what the police officer(s)
in this case reported, versus what the subject(s)
and witnesses report happened. And then, ‘low and
behold’ a revealing video or audio recording of the
incident surfaces.This is yet another reminder of why
it is ‘so’ important for people involved in initial police
encounters…to do ‘everything’ within their power to
maintain control of their emotions and demeanor.
“Your” very behavior and actions, later confirmed in
some type of “recording” could actually rebut claims
made against you! Therefore, demonstrating your
version of what took place is true and that you were
falsely accused. When this happens, it cast a shadow
over the officers’ credibility and integrity! It is truly
unfortunate but, police officers are caught in lies
and other forms of dishonesty everyday! When this
happens, they are then ‘no
better’ then the perpetrators
they apprehend or use to.

I n C l o s i n g…
When Police Officers Lie & Commit Other Acts Of Dishonesty
It can and does cause irreparable damage on a multitude of levels! From the
department or agency’s’ image and reputation, within the community to the image
and integrity of fellow officers to the character and standing with neighboring
jurisdictions and their law enforcement bodies. This is most certainly "something"
ALL police officers need to consider very carefully! But in particular, those
officers who have already embarked down a path of deceit and “worse”. They
know "very well" who they are. That ONE little white-lie to a supervisor or to a fellow
officer or on an incident report, ticket, accident or police report...etc. leads to
bigger, darker and uglier lies! Eventually that officer (and others like him or her)
find themselves in that one inevitable situation where they gamble on their track
record of deceit and LOSE big time! They GET CAUGHT telling that one lie that
can cost them everything and it can ensnare "everyone" who is even 'remotely'
connected to the whole house of cards!! Now for those police officers or other
law enforcement personnel, who made up ‘just one card’ of this flimsy house of
cards, the ‘wrecking ball’ can hit you as well!! You already know (or should) that
claiming ignorance or no knowledge of a crime is not a defense at all!
Especially when you know (or should have known) that once the stuff starts to
hit that fan of life, "it's every man and woman for themselves"! This is where that
blue wall of silence starts to slowly crumble and people began thinking about
their own hides. These are really times when police officers are “just like the
suspects and criminals they've arrested” in the past...start explaining to them the
true consequences of their actions and how much time they could spend in
prison and they start “singing" like Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes! In other
words, they start giving up names of others to use as bargaining chips.You see,
as mentioned previously in this article series, prosecutors, district attorneys and
even law enforcement agencies themselves, are becoming increasingly fed up
with corrupt police officers and the stigmas and chaos that ensues from their
cases. Many courts and the governing bodies of law enforcement agencies who
have these corrupt officers are coming down hard on them! Almost from the day
after some of these incidents and the presentation of tangible evidence (video/
audio recordings), department heads are placing officers on paid or unpaid administrative
leave, suspension and in some cases even terminating officers!

I n C l o s i n g…
When Police Officers Lie & Commit Other Acts Of Dishonesty…..
Now here's something else for All police officers to really think about and to
consider": Okay, even if you are placed on paid administrative leave, it's still not
the same as working the streets or on whatever detail you are normally assigned
to. You and whatever (violation, infraction or crime) you are accused of is now
under investigation, you know this, your fellow officers know this and loved
ones, family and friends are aware of it as well. You more than likely don't feel
like walking around with your head held high like you did before and you are
most likely wishing it all never happened in the first place...huumm!
[All of this also applies to those who were even one brick of your house of cards]
Now let's say the ensuing investigation results in findings that warrant charges
being filed against you, you are arrested and consequently indicted! You are now
facing a lengthy court trial (along with your family, loved ones & friends), not to
mention you've probably been terminated by the department at this point. What if
the trial ends in a conviction and you are sentenced to prison, as a former and
corrupt police officer? Was what you did, "worth losing it all"? Well let's back up
a little, let's just say things never even make it past the grand jury phase and you
are not indicted but, still there were charges filed against you, you were bookedin,
you were placed on administrative leave or suspension and then terminated.
Sure, you could probably pay attorneys and fight for exoneration, reinstatement
…etc. but, you also know “what you know deep down inside” about “what
really happened”! You see, we can always lie to others and even get lucky and
get away with it “temporarily”! But, lying to ‘oneself’ isn't always so easy! Because
when we do that, we’re the ones who face ‘ourselves’ in the mirror & deal
with the demons in the nightmares we created!! One more thing you know, is
that things will probably never be the same as before! So again, "was it really
worth it to do or to have taken part in what you did in the first place”? Worth it to
have put your family, loved ones and friends through the whole thing? Now remember,
this is just a scenario of not being indicted...not the scenario of you going
to a penitentiary as corrupt "ex-cop", that's even worse as you already know!

I n C l o s i n g…
When Police Officers Lie & Commit Other Acts Of Dishonesty…..
Yeah, there's a lot of cases involving police officers who've been charged, arrested
and even dismissed but, grand juries do not hand down an indictment. If
you are that officer, what do you do now? Everything is a total MESS! Can you
really see yourself going before another chief of police, county sheriff, state police
commander, civil service commission or human resource board in hopes of
becoming a police officer again? Most likely not! And even if you move away and
totally LIE about your past and SOME HOW 'snow' a whole bunch of people into
hiring you...how long do think that will last before “this” house of cards comes
tumbling down on you again? This time you just might actually make it to the
BIG HOUSE after all! Yes, there are numerous cases where disgraced officers
managed to beat the system through ‘loopholes’ in the laws and with other legal
technicalities! They are then able to conceal their checkered pasts, until by some
twist of fate or stupidity on their part, thrust them into the lime-light again…revealing
them (once more) for what they really are.
A Simple And Sincere Word of Caution to PARENTS,
GUARDIANS,
CARE GIVERS…etc.
One ‘painfully’ clear factor among the many, as it relates to the core inspiration
of the “An Old Rookie Cop” series [shootings of African-American men and women
by caucasian police officers] is the inclusion of young people in these tragic
cases. ➤Again, ALL LIVES MATTER regardless of age, race or skin color and
especially when needlessly and recklessly cut short by “any” member of Law
Enforcement! ➤TO Parents-Guardians-Care Givers; “Too Many” children have
‘ridiculous’ access to guns of all kinds and even toys and replicas that resemble
real guns! These children are killing themselves and are being killed by police
officers, some of whom, genuinely and rightfully feared for their own lives. We
adults, especially those of us in the roles of parents, guardians, care givers…etc.
certainly bear a level of responsibility here and we must accept even more now
… in an effort to save our children and teenagers!! “Please” become more involved
and do more to keep guns “out of the hands” of our young people”!!!

S U M M A R Y
084
As functioning, able-minded adults, we all have certain levels of the “responsibility"
you’ve seen mentioned throughout this publication. There are
times when we simply have to ‘man-up’ and ‘woman-up’ to things and situations
that “we” created, the initial circumstances for in the first place. Yeah,
sure there’s a lot of things that “we” can manage to blame others for and it
really does seem like it’s human nature to blame someone else for things
that happen to us. But come on now, there are times when we’ve just got to
own-up to the fact that certain things have happened to us because of the
right or wrong choices that “we” made. People just cannot go around
blaming others for every ‘single’ thing that goes wrong in their lives!
Sure, some really ‘crazy’ and ‘ridiculous’ things and situations can happen
to any of us! Sometimes, “we” create the ‘initial’ sequences of an event
or situation and further set them into motion, simply by the steps and the
path “we” chose to embark on afterwards. As it relates to the subject matter
of this publication, “we” just cannot go around blaming the police for every
little thing, stemming from an encounter! Yes! The police do SCREW UP and
Big Time at that! But, have you ever really, really, thought long and hard
about what actually makes some police encounters go bad and spiral out of
control? Okay, please imagine just for a moment that ‘you’ are a police officer…you’re
alone and you come upon a man & woman sitting in a car, in a
public park, just after closing hours. You speak to the pair who tell you, they
were talking & simply lost track of time and will leave the park immediately.
You had already observed a marijuana cigarette behind the ear of the
man and suddenly, you notice a handgun inside the open purse of the
woman and she’s trying to conceal it. You are still by yourself, it’s dark and
‘back-up’ is a few minutes away. You ‘instruct’ the woman and the man to
keep their hands where you can see them but, the woman keeps trying to
reach into her purse! What would you do? How would you feel? Think about
it! The scenario here is “made-up” but, similar events do happen ‘every’ day
in the real world of law enforcement. Most of the time, simply LISTENING
and DOING what you are TOLD to DO, can make a world of difference as it
relates to how situations and circumstances actually turn out! It’s that ‘r e s
p o n s i b i l i t y’ and the ‘a b i l i t y’, (most of us have) to recognize when to;
accept it own up to it and face the consequences for our own
actions, behavior and just plain failure to handle things the right way!!

. . . a d d i t i o n a l l y
085
In a sense of irony to this subject matter, we frequently hear that there
are just “not enough” police officers on the streets of our nation. This is
especially voiced the loudest during surges in a particular type of crime
and in specific geographical areas of states, counties and cities…etc.
Most of the time statistical information from calculations based on police
crime reports, demographics, media studies and citizen feedback make
up a large part of this material. Please try and understand what you are
about to read, from this Authors’ perspective and as someone who has
been in a position to know from firsthand experience…”Even if it were
remotely ‘possible’ to place one police officer on every street corner of
every city and town and even two or three more officers up and down
the blocks between each of those street corners”, there will still be
crimes committed!!! Firstly, this isn’t even remotely conceivable and
Secondly, it would not be foolproof or even close to feasible because
criminals prove everyday, their “profound” tenacity for circumventing
security features, most safe-guards and other forms of protection.
Now couple this with the unfortunate fact that many communities have
ongoing issues with their law enforcement agencies. You see, this is definitely
a sticking point because citizens within a community truly can and
do serve as the eyes and ears for their police agencies. Consider this;
you live in a city with a population of 50,000 people, your police department
is made up of 70 police officers and the county sheriff’s department
is comprised of 30 road patrol deputies. That is 100 law enforcement
officers who represent “50,000” residents and ‘not to mention’
facts like work shifts, coverage area & common knowledge that sheriff
departments are also responsible for those rural or “unincorporated”
areas outside of individual cities within a county. Those “100” officers
are not ‘all’ on duty at the ‘same’ time and could not ‘very well’ be every
place to stop every crime! This is why it is so imperative that the citizens
within in a community be able to get along & interact positively with their
police agencies. ’50,000’ versus ‘100’ come on, who really has the edge
when it comes to actual DETAILS and INFORMATION on CRIME?
“Obviously” the citizens do! Almost every time with almost every crime,
there is SOMEONE out there who KNOWS at least SOMETHING that is a
piece to a puzzle a police officer, detective or investigator needs to solve
a case! But that SOMEONE must be able to communicate with the police!
Criminals do make mistakes, show-off and brag to these SOMEONE’S!

Those “SOMEONE’S” out there [and there’s a lot of them], hold vital bits
086
and pieces of key information, that investigators desperately need in order
to crack many ‘cold’ cases wide open! This information would finally
bring many criminals (who walk among us) to justice. It would certainly
bring “some” degree of closure [‘or just knowing’], to the countless friends,
family and loved ones (of victims) who’ve been grieving and suffering
from the pain and anguish of whatever happened to someone close
to them. But first, people must feel a level of COMFORT and have a sense
of WILLINGNESS to speak candidly with the law enforcement agencies
within their communities. This cannot very well happen, when there exist
‘blatant’ animosity, tension & distrust (even fear) between the two groups!

A special and heartfelt “Thank You” to current Jefferson County, Sherriff
and former Steubenville Police Chiefs,
and
! These three men are icons in the history of law enforcement in
Jefferson County and Steubenville, Ohio. They gave the Author, his start in the
profession of law enforcement and he will „always‟ be grateful for the
opportunities that start afforded him. To this day, he continues to benefit from
those opportunities, life experiences and valuable lessons learned along the way.
Additionally, the Author would like to extend his sincere appreciation for
the help and guidance he received from the many law enforcement personnel he
had the honor and privilege of working with and learning from. Although many,
many years ago the friendships, bonds and
experienced during his
days in uniform left an indelible impression on him, from then to this day! These
men and women, some of whom are listed below, were the Authors’ initial
introduction to the true meaning of dedication, integrity and character in the
profession of law enforcement.
The compilation of these personnel, includes both the Sheriff‟s Department
and the Police Department. They represent administration and communication
staff members to correctional and command staff as well as the Sheriff
Deputies and Police Officers who worked diligently to serve and protect the citizens
of Jefferson County and Steubenville, Ohio. And whom which the Author
benefited immensely in “some” measure or „another‟, as the result of knowing and
being affiliated with each one of these individuals during that period of time in the
mid to late 1980‟s. From the perspective of „enforcing laws‟, those days were a
much simpler time compared to what
has to contend with today.
Nonetheless, the men and the women referenced in this publication, exemplified
the premise behind “ protect and serve”! At a time long before the inter-
net (world-wide-web), „wi-fi‟, cellular phones and „text-messaging‟ law enforcement
officers worked with what they had available at the time…and managed to
get the job done! This era of time was not without its‟ controversy and issues however,
it certainly was not on the scale of what we now see in the headline news today.
Would that be the case if we had the technology back then, that we have today?
Who really knows? But, one thing is certain, our modern day society could truly
benefit if only police and community relationships could “be today” what they
were once like, during those days (many, many years ago)…a much simpler time!!

JEFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT.
1. Emerson Brooks
2. Ronald Turner Sr.
3. Theodore „Ted‟ Maragos
4. Ronald “Ron” Miro
5. Darryl Miller
6. Thomas „Tom‟ Blackburn
7. Thomas „Tom‟ Basso
8. Tim Kelley
9. Olga Yates
10. Patricia Skipper
11. Bruce Palmer
12. Winston Narramore
13. Steve Osz
14. Ronald Turner Jr.
15. Robert „Greg‟ Roush
16. Stephen „Steve‟ Hummel
17. Butch Kosar
18. Robert „Bob‟ Davis
19. Jack Stevens
20. Frank Noble
21. Joseph „Joe‟ Thompson
22. Joseph „Joe‟ Nemith
23. Earnestine Brooks
24. Helen Carrocci
25. Paula Welch
26. Nancy Taggart
27. Bruce Milo
28. T. Mamula (O.S.P.)
29. V. Repella (O.S.P.)
30. K. Kamarada (O.S.P.)
31. S. Whitaker (O.S.P.)
85

STEUBENVILLE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT.
1. Robert Reeves
2. Thomas Kopras
3. John Mavromatis
4. Samuel „Sam‟ Murray
5. George Young
6. Ross Mike
7. Joseph „Joe‟ Myers
8. Gary Burchfield
9. William „Bill‟ Pilya
10. Anthony „Tony‟ Falbo
11. Lucinda Trayvick
12. Gloria Johnson
13. Connie Fithen
14. Edward „Ed‟ Lulla
15. Anthony „Tony‟ Andriano
16. Robert „Bobby‟ Gotschall
17. Mark Ensell
18. David Guy
19. Thomas Ferrell
20. Joseph McCullough
21. Donald Starliper
22. William Loggie
23. John Young
24. Andrew „Andy‟ Phsarce
25. Neil Sanders
26. Guy Lamantia
27. Anthony „AJ‟ DeSarro
28. Anthony „Tony‟ Pergallini
29. Fred Monroe
30. James „Jim‟ Shaffer
31. William „Bill‟ Magnone
32. Joel Walker
33. Charles Sloane
34. Carl Locasio
35. Mirko Macakanja
36. Mark Sweeney
37. Roger Badger
38. Paul Walker
39. Charles „Charlie‟ Conn
40. Richard Powell (M.C.J.)
41. Harold Russell (M.C.P.O.)
86

As you have seen, referenced throughout this publication, the duty of
working in the field of Law Enforcement is by far, totally ‘unlike’ most other
jobs and professions out there. Because it’s the men and women who carry
the badge of authority that are trained & experienced in dealing with the dark
side of society! That side of “people” in which most others are virtually
‘oblivious’ to. That is until they somehow and unfortunately fall victim to or
are drawn into some sort of tragic event! It’s the Police Officers, Sheriffs
Deputies, Highway Patrolmen, State Troopers…etc. who are;
a) There at a residence at 3:00am when things go bad or become violent
between individuals in some type of relationship.
b) Usually the first ones to arrive and summon medical assistance for
injured or sick persons at the scenes of accidents, in homes, places of
employment and at public venues where some type of emergency has
occurred.
c) Ready and willing to respond to the need of the public when they have
been victimized by violent criminals who prey upon unsuspecting
citizens.
d) There at schools, churches, funerals, civic events, retail establishments
and political functions…etc. to insure those persons in attendance are
safe.
e) There at scenes of structure fires and vehicular fires, these officers run
into these burning structures and make their way into burning vehicles
in attempts to save lives!
I like to refer to these brave men and women in uniform who work the
streets as the “first line of defense” in Law Enforcement’s war against
C R I M E. However, these officers are also a vital component in a ‘whole’
network of professionals that also work very hard, 24 hours & 7 days a week
in that war. From emergency ‘911’ operators to the office and administrative
staff to the ‘specialized’ crime units to the detectives that follow up on
investigations begun by the “beat patrol” officers. As a whole, they handle
matters such as; sex crimes against children and adults, ‘police
impersonators’, financial crimes, organized crimes…etc.
Right now in the United States the topic of GUNS is hot and on the
minds of ‘many’ people for various reasons. However, from a Law enforcement
perspective, we are currently experiencing an “unprecedented”
high number of children & young adults being shot by guns. Some of these
young people accidentally shot themselves and some were accidentally shot
by other youngsters with these “GUNS”! In many of these tragic cases, the
youngsters were severely injured or died! Also, in many cases, it would later
be revealed that an older ‘adult’ was responsible for the gun being
accessible to these kids in the first place. This has to STOP!! Us ‘grown-ups’
must take more of a responsibility!!

As with most organizations and many groups, the ‘high’ majority of
professionals, respect and adhere to an established form of rules, guidelines and standards.
At the top of the list of “written” criteria designed exclusively for police
officers is what is known as “
”. An ‘example’ of this
doctrine is provided on the following page.
Again, the highest majority of men and women who proudly wear the uniform and
‘ ’, respectfully and diligently abide by the mechanics of what is
outlined within the “
”. However, without fail and as in many
other organizations and various groups, there is bound to be those individuals or even
‘splinter groups’ who will rebel whatever is expected of them.
This rebellious behavior and attitude, can have an overwhelmingly (negative) impact
on a group [as a whole] and even those ‘remotely’ associated with an organization!
Also, it can unfairly cast an ‘ ’ reflection of an entire profession like that of
!
lease upport our ocal, tate & ederal olice gencies !!
We need our police departments! Can you even begin to imagine just
what it would like, if we did not have our Law Enforcement entities to
call upon when we’ve been violated by someone or something? Our
society as we know it, would cease to exist other than in chaos & doom!

Canons of Police Ethics
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Canons of Police Ethics
“In combination, these two documents, the Law enforcement Code of Ethics with the related
Canons of Police Ethics, set forth the broad basic concepts of professional police service. When
every officer abidesby these documents, Law enforcement will be a profession”
International Association of Chiefs of Police
Article 1. Primary Responsibility of
the Job
The primary responsibility of the police
service, and of the individual officer, is
the protection of the people of the United
States through the upholding of their
laws; chief among these is the
Constitution of the United States and its
amendments. The law enforcement
officer alwaysrepresents the whole of
the community and its legally expressed
will and is never the arm of any political
party or clique.
Article 2. Limitations of Authority
The first duty of a law enforcement officer, as upholder of the law, is to know its bounds upon
him in enforcing it, Because he represents the legal will of the community, be it local state or
federal, he must be aware of the limitations and proscriptions which the people, through thelaw,
have placed upon him. He must recognize the genius of the Americansystem of government
which gives no man, groups of men, or institution,absolute power, and he must insure that he,
as a prime defender of thatsystem, does not pervert its character.
Article 3. Duty to be Familiar with the Law and with Responsibilities of Self and other
Public Officials
The law enforcement officer shall assiduously apply himself to the studyof the principles of the
laws which he is sworn to uphold. He will makecertain of his responsibilities in the particulars of
their enforcement, seeking aid from his superiors in matters of technicality or principle when
these are not clear to him; he will make special effort to fully understand his relationship to other
public officials, including other law enforcement agencies, particularly on matters of jurisdiction,
both geographically and substantively
Article 4. Utilization of Proper Means to Gain Proper Ends.
The law enforcement officer shall be mindful of his responsibility to pay strict heed to the
selection of means in discharging the duties of his office. Violations of law or disregard for public
safety and property on the part of an officer are intrinsically wrong; they are self-defeating in that
they instill in the public mind a like disposition. The employment of legal means, no matter how
worthy the end, is certain to encourage disrespect for the law and its officers. Ifthe law is to be
honored, it must first be honored by those who enforceit.
Article 5. Cooperation with Public Officials in the Discharge of their Authorized Duties.
The law enforcement officer shall cooperate fully with other public officials in the discharge of
authorized duties, regardless of party affiliation or personal prejudice. He shall be meticulous,
http://cpa-usa.org/law-officers/canons-of-police-ethics/[7/28/2016 2:48:15 AM]

Canons of Police Ethics
however in assuring himself of the propriety, under the law, of such actions and shall guard
against the use of his office or person, whether knowingly or unknowingly, in any improper or
illegal action. In any situation opento question, he shall seek authority from his superior officer,
giving him full report of the proposed service or action.
Article 6. Private Conduct.
The law enforcement officer shall be mindful of his special identification by the public as an
upholder of the law. Laxity of conduct or manner in private life, expressing either disrespect for
the law or seeking to gain special privilege, cannot but reflect upon the police officer and the
police service. The community and the service require that the law enforcement officer lead the
life of a decent and honorable man. Following the career of a policeman gives no man special
perquisites. It does give the satisfaction and pride of following and furthering an unbroken
tradition of safeguarding the American public. The officer who reflects upon this tradition will not
degrade it. Rather, he will so conduct his private life that the public will regard him as an example
of stability, fidelity and morality.
Article 7. Conduct Toward the Public
The law enforcement officer, mindful of his responsibility to the whole community, shall deal with
individuals of the community in a manner calculated to instill respect for its laws and its police
service. The law enforcement officer shall conduct his official life in a manner suchas will inspire
confidence and trust. Thus, he will be neither overbearing nor subservient, as no individual
citizen has an obligation to stand in awe of him nor a right to command him. The officer will give
service where he can, and require compliance with the law. He will do neither from personal
preference or prejudice but rather as a duly appointed officer of the law discharging his sworn
obligation.
Article 8. Conduct in Arresting and Dealing with Law Violators.
The law enforcement officer shall use his powers of arrest strictly in accordance with the law and
with due regard to the rights of the citizens concerned. His office gives him no right to prosecute
the violator nor to mete out punishment for the offense. He shall, at all times, have a clear
appreciation of his responsibilities and limitationsregarding detention of the violator; he shall
conduct himself in such amanner as will minimize the possibility of having to use force. To this
end he shall cultivate a dedication to the service of the people and the equitable upholding of
their laws whether in handling of law violators or in dealing with the law abiding.
Article 9. Gifts and Favors.
The law enforcement officer, representing government, bears the heavy responsibility of
maintaining in his own conduct, the honor and integrity of all government institutions. He shall,
therefore, guard against placing himself in a position in which any person can expect special
consideration of in which the public can reasonably assume thetaspecial consideration is being
given. Thus, he should be firm in refusing gifts, favors, or gratuities, large or small, which can, in
thepublic mind, be interpreted as capable of influencing his judgment in the discharge of duties.
Article 10. Presentation of Evidence.
The law enforcement officer shall be concerned equally in the prosecution of the wrong-doer and
the defense of the innocent. He shall ascertain what constitutes evidence and shall present such
evidence impartially and without malice. In doing so, he will ignore social, political, and all other
distinctions among the persons involved, strengthening the tradition of the reliability and integrity
of an officer’s word. The law enforcement officer shall take special pains to increase his
perception and skill of observation, mindful that in many situations his is the sole impartial
testimony to the fact of the case.
Article 11. Attitude Toward Profession.
The law enforcement officer shall regard the discharge of his duties as apublic trust and
recognize his responsibility as a public servant. By diligent study and sincere attention to selfimprovement
he shall striveto make the best possible application of science to the solution of
crime and, in the field of human relationships, strive for effective leadership and public influence
in matters affecting public safety. He shall appreciate the importance and responsibility of his
office, and hold police work to be an honorable profession rendering valuable service to his
community and his country.
Developed and disseminated by police practitioners since 1956
© CPA-USA All rights reserved.
Christian Police & Prison Association - info@cpa-usa.org
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.“ ” .

Steubenville, Ohio
Ohio River →Market Street Bridge

JEFFERSON COUNTY COURT HOUSE

Downtown Steubenville→Fourth Street (facing South)

2

If you or someone you know & love, feel they’ve in some way been “wronged” by the police, there
are many effective channels you can pursue, to legally voice your anger or concerns.
If “you” or “someone” you
know are considering or planning some form of violent retaliation against anyone or anything ‘law
enforcement’ related…
There are several legal and more beneficial ways in which to make your point!
!!
!!