FEB. 2025. Blues Vol 41 No.2
FEATURES/COVER 90 MR PHILANTHROPY, ALAN HELFMAN: RAISES OVER $2-MILLION FOR HOUSTON AREA OFFICERS 102 HELL ON EARTH: OUR OWN JESSICA JONES BARELY ESCAPES LA FIRES 112 TRUMP: GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA BEGINS DEPARTMENTS PUBLISHER’S THOUGHTS EDITOR REX EVANS THOUGHTS LETTERS. READERS SOUND OFF GUEST COMMENTARY - MICHAEL BARRON GUEST COMMENTARY - BRIAN MCVEY GUEST COMMENTARY - DAVE SMITH GUEST COMMENTARY - TRAVIS YATES OFFICER INVOLVED - DANIEL CARR NEWS AROUND THE US MIGRANT CRIME BREAKING NEWS AIRBORNE AVIATION-BELL HELICOPTERS POLICE PRODUCTS - PEPPERBALL CALENDAR OF EVENTS REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN HEROES WAR STORIES AFTERMATH HEALING OUR HEROES DARYL’S DELIBERATIONS BLUE MENTAL HEALTH DR. LIGHT BULB AWARD ADS BACK IN THE DAY PARTING SHOTS ISD PD JOB LISTINGS NOW HIRING BACK PAGE
FEATURES/COVER
90 MR PHILANTHROPY, ALAN HELFMAN:
RAISES OVER $2-MILLION FOR
HOUSTON AREA OFFICERS
102 HELL ON EARTH: OUR OWN
JESSICA JONES BARELY ESCAPES
LA FIRES
112 TRUMP: GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA BEGINS
DEPARTMENTS
PUBLISHER’S THOUGHTS
EDITOR REX EVANS THOUGHTS
LETTERS. READERS SOUND OFF
GUEST COMMENTARY - MICHAEL BARRON
GUEST COMMENTARY - BRIAN MCVEY
GUEST COMMENTARY - DAVE SMITH
GUEST COMMENTARY - TRAVIS YATES
OFFICER INVOLVED - DANIEL CARR
NEWS AROUND THE US
MIGRANT CRIME
BREAKING NEWS
AIRBORNE AVIATION-BELL HELICOPTERS
POLICE PRODUCTS - PEPPERBALL
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN HEROES
WAR STORIES
AFTERMATH
HEALING OUR HEROES
DARYL’S DELIBERATIONS
BLUE MENTAL HEALTH DR.
LIGHT BULB AWARD
ADS BACK IN THE DAY
PARTING SHOTS
ISD PD JOB LISTINGS
NOW HIRING
BACK PAGE
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The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 1
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VOL. 41 NO. 2 FEBRUARY 2025
FEATURES/COVER
DEPARTMENTS
90 MR PHILANTHROPY, ALAN HELFMAN:
RAISES OVER $2-MILLION FOR
HOUSTON AREA OFFICERS
102 HELL ON EARTH: OUR OWN
JESSICA JONES BARELY ESCAPES
LA FIRES
112 TRUMP: GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA BEGINS
PUBLISHER’S THOUGHTS
EDITOR REX EVANS THOUGHTS
LETTERS. READERS SOUND OFF
GUEST COMMENTARY - MICHAEL BARRON
GUEST COMMENTARY - BRIAN MCVEY
GUEST COMMENTARY - DAVE SMITH
GUEST COMMENTARY - TRAVIS YATES
OFFICER INVOLVED - DANIEL CARR
NEWS AROUND THE US
MIGRANT CRIME
BREAKING NEWS
AIRBORNE AVIATION-BELL HELICOPTERS
POLICE PRODUCTS - PEPPERBALL
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN HEROES
WAR STORIES
AFTERMATH
HEALING OUR HEROES
DARYL’S DELIBERATIONS
BLUE MENTAL HEALTH DR.
LIGHT BULB AWARD
ADS BACK IN THE DAY
PARTING SHOTS
ISD PD JOB LISTINGS
NOW HIRING
BACK PAGE
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08
12
16
18
20
22
26
32
56
62
80
84
124
128
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136
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134 136
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BLUE MENTAL HEALTH
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 3
4 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
FOUNDER, PUBLISHER, EDITOR-N-CHIEF
MICHAEL BARRON
OUR TEAM
EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Chief Rex Evans(Ret)
SENIOR EDITOR
Dr. Tina Jaeckle
CREATIVE EDITOR
Jessica "JJ" Jones
COPY EDITOR
Lt. John King (Ret)
OUTDOOR EDITOR
Rusty Barron
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Lt. Daryl Lott (Ret)
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Sam Horwitz & Det. John Salerno (Ret)
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Doug Griffith
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Art Woolery
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Daniel Carr
FEATURE STORY
Michael Barron
Jessica "JJ" Jones
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
WARSTORY
Brian McVey
AFTERMATH
Sgt. Peterson
CONTRIBUTING COMMENTARY
Brian McVey, Travis Yates
Dave Smith, Michael Barron
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Joanna Putman
Matthew Hollaway
Jenna Curren
Steven Nelson
Diana Glenova
Ben myers
Greg Wehner
Kerry Breen
Kelley Kramer
David Spunt
Chris Pandolfo
Mike Stunson
Marth Bellisle
Andrea Klick
Thomas Tracy
Our Thanks to:
Fox News, Associated Press, Police Magazine
The Law Officer, Police 1.com
& Law Enforcement Today
The BLUES is published monthly by Kress-Barr, LLC, PO Box 2733, League City Texas 77574. The opinions expressed in some
articles, op-eds, and editorials are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of The BLUES or its parent company.
Rebuttals or submission of news articles and editorials may be submitted to: The BLUES @ bluespdmag@gmail.com.
The entire contents of The BLUES IS copyrighted© and may not be reprinted without the express permission of the publish-
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 5
FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK
VOL.41 No.2
Our Most Significant Issue in 40 Years
This issue of The BLUES is without
a doubt, the most significant
issue we have ever produced
in the 40-year history of this
magazine. As I began to write
this column, it began snowing in
Houston. That hasn’t happened in
over 21 years – last time was December
2004. Even Mother Nature
knew something had dramatically
changed in America.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF
AMERICA BEGINS TODAY
For the past four years, our
country had lost its way. We
were no longer the greatest
country in the world, but rather a
laughingstock around the world.
Hell, our commander-in-chief
couldn’t walk up the stairs to Air
Force One, got lost walking from
the Marine One to the West Wing
and had the mental acuity of a
10-year-old. This inept administration
created a new gender,
allowed men in women’s locker
rooms and tried to convince us
it was OK to let our kids become
transgender and even offered to
pay for their surgeries.
But all that changed on a cold
morning in Washington DC when
Donald J. Trump became the
47th President and proclaimed,
“the Golden Age of America begins
today.” Monday, January 20,
2025, will be remembered as the
day that America became America
again. All the non-sense of
the past four years just seemed
to evaporate with every word
our new President spoke. And
actions are louder than words as
President Trump began signing
Executive Orders almost immediately.
Over 100 in his first day. Our
border is CLOSED. They are only
TWO Genders now recognized
in America, Male and Female.
No more “pronouns” and other
such BS, and ICE began rounding
up illegals on Day 2. America is
back in ways we could have never
imagined. It is truly a new Day
in America.
MR PHILANTHROPY HITS
$2-MILLION MARK
Also on our cover is an old
friend that just keeps on earning
the title, “Mr. Philanthropy,”
Alan Helfman. Day after day, year
after year, he continues to give
back to our First Responders.
As of December 2024, he has
raised over $2-million dollars
for officers in need in the Greater
Houston area. His generosity and
genuine concern for his brothers
and sisters in law enforcement is
never-ending.
In fact there isn't a day goes
by that someone in law enforcement,
a local politician or
a sports celebrity, doesn't stop
in to his River Oaks car dealership.
Some to wheel and deal
on a new vehicle, others to just
visit with the MAN himself. Alan
and I have been friends for over
40 years and his support of The
BLUES dates back to that first
issue in 1984. His commitment to
serving his fellow man is what
earned him the titles of "Mr. Humanitarian
and Mr. Philanthropy"
and it’s an honor to call Alan my
friend.
ONE COMMUNITY TRIES
TO DEFUND THE POLICE,
AND IT ENDS BADLY
Remember when “Defund the
Police” was a thing across the
country? Well one dumb ass
city council in a city that shall
remain nameless, decided they
were going to fire the entire police
department and hire civilians
instead. Well, this month’s
Aftermath is a follow-up to that
6 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
Even Mother Nature knew it was a New Day in America, when for the first time in 21 Years,
“IT SNOWED IN HOUSTON”
failed experiment when one of
the town’s former officers decided
to record the first 12-hours
of the city’s new alternative to
policing. Follow along as the
former Sgt. takes us call-by-call
in the antics of these wanna be
cops. It would be hilarious if so
many innocent citizens hadn’t
been hurt and even killed that
first day. Just FYI, the entire city
council was replaced within a
year and all the former cops
have been rehired. Truly one of
the best Aftermath columns in
over 40 years.
BLUES EDITOR ALMOST
DIES IN CALIFORNIA
WILDFIRE
We almost lost one of our own
last month when our creative
editor Jessica “JJ” Jones barely
escaped death when her Palisades
home became a victim of
the raging LA wildfire. In the middle
of the night, she awoke to
someone beating on her door as
smoke alarms and alerts on her
phone were going off. Her neighbor
Mark, a true hero himself,
went door to door in the small
condo project located on Sunset
Blvd. in the Pacific Palisades
of LA, waking up his neighbors
and saving them all from certain
death. Today, that complex is
nothing more than a few concrete
walls and piles of ash. All
the residents survived but lost
everything they owned including
their vehicles. JJ recalls that
horrific night and the following
days in a heart-wrenching feature
story that took mountains
of courage to write. For the first
time in her life, JJ is now dealing
with PTSD and says she now
knows what First Responders
deal with their entire lives. Truly
saved by the Grace of God, we
thank our Heavenly Father for
wrapping his arms around JJ
and the other residents of lA that
barely survived the Hell on Earth.
I hope you enjoy this Special
Edition of The BLUES. It’s an
honor and a privilege to bring
you the Largest Police Magazine
in the World and more than
that, even better to do that as a
PROUD AMERICAN under President
Trump. GOD BLESS THE USA.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 7
FROM THE EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Keeping the public safe
The FBI defines terrorism as:
“violent criminal acts committed
by individuals and/or groups
who are inspired by or associated
with designated foreign terrorist
organizations or nations.” I
have a more personal and simple
definition: “A Terrorist is a psychotic
POS who doesn’t have the
intestinal fortitude or skills to go
toe to toe with another person.”
Anyways…with several special
events coming to Galveston
Island in Texas, I cannot help
but think of all my friends in
Law Enforcement, Fire, and EMS
there. And the extreme challenges
they will face in the wake of
the tragedy that just occurred in
New Orleans, on New Years Day.
Mardi Gras is fast approaching.
And for Galveston that is a huge
deal. Millions of people visit
the Island during the week long
celebration, with an economic
impact of 10-million dollars.
The challenge is keeping all
those visitors safe and secure
without breaking the bank accounts
of the city and the county.
Don’t kid yourselves. This will be
a daunting task given the world
we live in today. Especially since
the individual who perpetrated
the attack in New Orleans was
from the Houston/Harris County
area, local authorities have real
concerns about a copycat attack.
It is foolish for anyone to think
or say, “Oh that’ll never happen
here.” I can tell you anyone who
thinks or says that doesn’t belong
in the planning and logistic stages
of Safety and Security.
I have no doubt that the Elected
Officials of Galveston Island, as
well as local law enforcement,
along with their federal partners,
are working diligently to create a
safety and security plan not only
for Mardi Gras, but the dozens of
other events like the Lone Star
Rally and Dickens on the Strand.
Terrorism is nothing new. It
does however evolve and change
throughout cultures and various
geographic locations around the
world. And remember, with the
open borders we’ve had these
past four years, there are millions
of known and unknown
terrorists roaming the streets of
America. We must assume its
not if, but when they will strike
somewhere on American soil.
For those of us who work to
counter terrorism, it is incumbent
upon us to find these illegal
aliens and terrorists and remove
them from our country before
they have a chance to do us
harm. Don’t be dismissive of the
even the smallest of details. Every
tip or call from a concerned
citizen should be followed up.
In planning events like those
in Galveston, or anywhere else
in America, Law enforcement
needs to have a Plan A and B
and even a C and D. Along with
another Plan that has no letter
designation because that Plan is
your OS Plan. It’s so dynamic it
gets two letters! In other words,
you can not have too many contingency
plans.
Speaking of plans, I plan on
spending as much time as possible
in Galveston at many of those
events and enjoy all Galveston
County and Galveston Island
have to offer. The list of things
to do and see there is just about
endless. And the people…well
the people watching is off the
charts. The word eclectic doesn’t
even begin to cover it.
With a cup of coffee in hand
just sit and watch the crowds of
people in Galveston is an automatic
maker of hilarious and
sometimes endearing memories.
I will go there and feel safe because
I know those in charge are
working to ensure all goes well.
And I know they give everything
they have to keep everyone safe
all the while having a good ole
Galveston kind of time!!!
8 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
START SHOPPING
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 9
10 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 11
LETTERS
RISING FROM THE ASHES
It’s been one week to the day
that my life changed forever. For
the first time in my life, I am now a
victim of PTSD. I have relived that
horrible night in LA when I woke up
to find my condo surrounded by fire
and my neighbor banging on my
door. Only by the Grace of God did
we somehow make it out alive.
I cannot imagine what all the
firemen go through having to fight
fires in what was my hometown. I
said was, because my hometown
doesn’t exist anymore. The term
scorched earth is exactly what the
Palisades looks like today. Just lot
after lot of ash with a towering
fireplace here and there.
No, I haven’t been back, but
friends have sent me drone footage
of the entire community. At first it
was hard to watch. Now I watch
it over and over again to see if by
some miracle it would fly over my
condo and it would magically be
there untouched by this horrible
disaster. But nope, it’s ash just like
everything else.
As you read through this month’s
issue of The BLUES, you’ll read my
account of what it’s like to survive
a night in hell. I’m not the type
of person who shares a lot of my
personal life, especially with a
million strangers. But our publisher
Michael Barron encouraged me
to put my nightmare into words
so that people can understand
the pain and suffering that tens of
thousands are also experiencing. I
guess in a way, it was therapeutic
but nevertheless it was probably
the most difficult task I’ve ever
attempted.
The real reason I’m writing this
letter, is to vent over the stupid
politicians that were supposed
to protect the citizens that elected
them. Starting with our mayor
Karen Bass, who in my opinion is
a complete moron. How this bitch
got elected is beyond me. Why she
chose to leave the city with fire
warnings in the forecast is unbelievable,
to stand in a jet way and
refuse to say anything to a reporter
just doing his job just pissed me off
even more. She had a 14-hour flight
to prepare herself for that very
question the minute she stepped
off the plane and her decision was
to say nothing? How about you
could have said this:
“Yes, in hindsight, it was poor
judgment on my part to leave the
city with the possibility of wildfires
due to the extreme high winds that
were forecast. But the minute my
staff advised me of the situation
here at home and the wildfires that
were racing down the hillside, I
raced to the airport and caught the
first flight back. I can assure our
citizens that I have been in touch
with fire officials on the ground
and my first stop is the command
post to be briefed on the status of
the fire. I will also say that during
my extremely long flight, I used
the opportunity to contact President
Biden, and I’ve requested the
National Guard and all available
firefighting aircraft be deployed to
LA as quickly as possible. I’ve also
been in contact with governors in
all surrounding states and requested
their assistance as well. We will
throw everything we have at these
fires to bring them under control
as quickly as possible to minimize
the damage to our community.
For those citizens that have had to
evacuate their homes, I have set
up multiple temporary shelters
throughout the area to provide you
a safe place for your families while
we get this dangerous situation under
control. Now I see my luggage
has arrived, and I need to go, but
please join me again later this afternoon
at the command post and
I’ll provide our citizens with a complete
update on the containment of
the fires. Thank you for meeting me
here and giving me this chance to
brief our community.”
Fck, I should be mayor. I have
more common sense than this
stupid woman. And our ignorant
governor, he’s more worried about
the environment and his political
future than he is about our city.
And don’t get me started on the
Woke ass, DEI gay chicks that are
in charge of the fire department.
They are completely worthless and
should all be fired immediately And
what about the chick that’s paid
$750,000 a year to be in charge of
water and power. Where the hell is
the water you moron?
Yeah, my trauma has turned to
anger, and I’m pissed beyond belief.
My entire world had to change
overnight because these idiots
failed to do their job. Just unbelievable.
To end on a positive note,
I’d like to thank all my friends and
family for all their love and support
this past week. I could not have
survived without them. And speaking
of surviving, if it had not been
for my next-door neighbor Mark, I
would have died in that fire. I owe
him my life and I will be forever
indebted to him. And to our publisher
Michael, you are the kindest,
12 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
most loving person on this planet.
You gave me hope when I was
convinced my life was over. I’ll love
you forever for what you’ve done
for me. And as Michael would say,
stay relentless.
JJ
A TEACHER FROM PALISADES
HIGH SCHOOL WRITES
My Dear Students- It’s all too
much. It’s all too vast, too cruel.
The images flicker on our screens,
and though we see them—charred
ruins, smoldering skeletons of
what was—we can’t comprehend
them. Our minds refuse to stretch
that wide. We search for words,
but none fit, none hold the weight.
All we can seem to say is “Gone.”
Childhood homes…gone. Family
houses…gone. The sprawling mansions
and quaint bungalows, the
mid-century moderns, the Spanish
revivals, the Craftsman dreams…
gone, gone, gone.
But it’s not just the homes,
though their absence cuts the
deepest. It’s everything else, too—
the schools where we learned
and laughed, the stores where we
lingered, the churches where we
prayed. The market where we ran
into neighbors. The library. Oh, the
library. And the parks, the ballfields,
the trees—so many trees, their
branches once whispering secrets
into the Pacific breeze. All of it
burned, blackened, buckled. Even
the sidewalks—those steady, quiet
witnesses to a thousand strolls—
are broken.
We’re trying to wrap our hearts
around the absolute Goneness of
it all, but we can’t. We can’t fathom
it, can’t contain it. And so our
hearts keep shattering, over and
over again. Even if, like me, you
didn’t lose a house today, you’ve
still lost. We all have. Because we
love people who are homeless
tonight—people whose laughter
once rang through these streets,
whose memories are woven into
this town. And we’re powerless to
fix it. We want to pull them out of
this nightmare, to comfort them, to
rewrite this tragedy. But we can’t.
So we sit with them, hold them, or
simply cry alongside them, trying
desperately to find the right way to
love them through this devastation.
Yes, families and pets were
saved, and that’s everything. But it
doesn’t erase the ghosts. The objects
left behind—letters that once
whispered love, paintings alive
with color, books that held entire
worlds, necklaces that glimmered
against skin—all of them now lost,
transformed into fleeting phantoms
that will haunt their owners’ memories.
These things were more than
things; they were magic, fragments
of the soul made tangible. And
now, much of that magic is gone.
The truth, as I see it, is that this
Palisades life of ours has ended.
The destruction is too vast, the
losses too profound. Yes, one day
there will be shops again, and
houses, and even a library. But it
won’t be the same. It can’t be. The
soul of this town—the breezes that
carried eucalyptus whispers, the
feeling of safety, the deep-rooted
love—is altered forever.
This place we knew and cherished
is now a griefscape. And we
are mourning—not just the buildings,
but the stories they held, the
joy and love and everyday miracles
that happened within their walls.
We’re mourning for the lives built
here, for the people who loved so
fiercely, and for the version of ourselves
that lived in this haven.
I’m so, so sorry. So deeply heartbroken
for everyone who has lost
so much—for those whose homes
are now ashes and for the rest
of us, standing amidst the ruin,
clutching our grief and our memories
of this beautiful, irreplaceable
place. Our lovely town is gone, and
with it, a part of our hearts.
MAYOR KAREN BASS
Your plane ride home to California
from Ghana was 15+ hours
and after all that time, you had NO
RESPONSE to Reporter’s questions
upon arriving at Airport. Really!!
Was it too much for you to AT
LEAST show some compassion
for your Citizens who lost EVERY-
THING!!! As if your silence wasn’t
enough, what was truly sad was
when you FINALLY did speak, you
told Citizens if they needed help,
emergency resources, shelter, etc.,
it could be found via URL! As MAY-
OR, you should know the website
address for emergency services
with regards to City of Los Angeles.
URL is NOT IT!! Still trying to wrap
my head around that.
A Mayor is known as a LEADER.
Citizens should be able to count on
the Mayor no matter what. NEVER
should they feel abandoned, nor
should 911 responders receive pay
cuts!! Have you ever been on the
front lines of a massive fire, put
your life on the line for a stranger,
provided emergency medical
care to save lives? I would bet
my last dime the answer is NO!
911 responders are our Angels on
Earth and if there is anything they
deserve, its pay increases!!! There
are many stories as it relates to the
daily/hourly sacrifices 911 responders
make and never think twice
about it. To refresh your memory,
I suggest you watch videos of 9/11.
Responders ran into burning/collapsing
buildings without hesitation
to save others.
Isn’t a MAYOR the public face of
the City, much like a President is
face of the United States. During
natural and man-made disasters, is
it not the MAYOR’s responsibility to
provide updates to those impacted
by disasters as well as to local,
national and international press. Do
you feel as though you have done
so Karen?
DEBRA LARGENT. FACEBOOK
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 13
LETTERS
OLD SCHOOL COPS
You're out on day shift patrol.
Not too busy today. A few car
stops, a few citations "Sign here,
press hard, you're making five
copies." No AM/FM radio in the
dash of your Plymouth Fury Pursuit
so the only "music" you hear
is the loping of that 335 horsepower
camshaft inside of the
440 cubic inch Super-Commando
beneath its hood. It's banging
away like Gene Krupa on his
drum set. It leaves no question
to anyone in traffic alongside of
you who the boss is.
It's high noon and a rather
warm summer day. You are not
feeling too hungry but a frosty
beverage would be in order.
Luckily, your buddy operates a
Texaco filling station out on the
nearby dual highway so off you
go. Rolling down the asphalt
at 75mph right in your Plymouth's
cruising range. There is
his station just ahead. Their ad
says "You can trust your car to
the man who wears the star"
but you joke, you can trust your
safety to the man who wears
a star AND a .38! LOL. You roll
into the parking lot and gun the
440. Old Herbie looks out from
beneath a car in the bay lift and
gives you a nod. He knows he
can trust you alone in the station
office. You flip the toggle switch
to your PA system and walk
past the outside Coke machine.
Luckily, Herbie has a refrigerator
in the back of his office for his
"special" customers. You open
the door and gaze at the lower
shelf with its cool, frosty long
neck Lonestar and Schlitz beers.
However, it's no longer 1890 and
the division frowns upon on-duty
alcohol consumption. There on
the second shelf you see an array
of Dr. Pepper, Frostie, and there
it is! 7up. You drop 15 cents into
the old coffee can that serves
as an honor box. Then you push
your Stetson back on your head
and roll the cool, icy, can across
your forehead. Then you walk up
to the cigarette machine. There
are two things you left the service
with, your pair of "military
squares" and a hankering for
good tobacco. You reach into
14 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
your uniform pants and drop 50
cents into the machine and pull
the lever. A nice, fresh, pack of
Camels. You yell to Herbie.."I'm
off duty tomorrow! I'll bring my
ol' Road Runner by for a tune up!"
Just then an operator sees your
Fury idling in the lot. For reasons
known only to him, he gets the
"squirrel in the headlamps" look
and kicks his car in the ass. Off
he goes. You run to your Fury,
slide across the plain vinyl seat
and in a muscle memory series
of motions you activate your roof
rotators and flip the siren on, it
wails as it comes to life. A size
12 roper boot punches down
onto the throttle and the Sur-
Grip rear leaves a double rooster
tail of dirt and loose gravel
as you slide sideways onto the
highway. The 440 howling to
life like a Lion as its four barrel
goes to wide open throttle. You
reach for the Motorola mic to
notify Dispatch – "it's time to go
to work."
ALBERT PRÖPPER-WYSOCK
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The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 15
GUEST COMENTARY
Michael Barron
Hell on Earth
We almost lost one of our own.
The apocalyptic images of LA
are reminiscent of the wildfires
that consumed the Island of Maui.
Complete devastation of entire
communities. Neighborhoods
reduced to lot after lot of smoldering
ash and burnt-out hulks of
cars. If you ever wondered what
a city would look like after an
Atomic attack, this is it. Nothing
left but scorched earth with a
handful of houses that somehow
escaped unharmed.
All the news wants to talk
about are all the celebrities that
lost their homes. Regardless of
who you are, losing your home
is undeniably one of the worst
moments of your life. But for the
most part, celebrities that have
millions sitting in bank accounts
can rebuild anywhere they want.
Most have second and third houses
they can just relocate too. But
what about the non-celebrities?
Believe it or not, insurance companies
just recently canceled fire
coverage in California because of
all the recent wildfires, leaving
many of these residents with zero
coverage. These average everyday
citizens not only lost everything,
but they also still owe huge mortgages
on what is now just smoldering
ash.
This tragedy hit home when one
of our own editors lived in the
epicenter of the fires in the Palisades.
With only the clothes on
her back, she managed to escape
in the middle of the night only to
abandon her SUV and walk a couple
of miles through a fire-storm
of flaming embers. Her car was
eventually bulldozed out of the
street to make way for firetrucks.
Her condo was destroyed in the
fire. The law firm she worked at,
located only a few blocks away in
a bank building, was also destroyed.
With no home, no car and
no place to go, she managed to
Uber her way to LAX, buy a plane
ticket to Houston to stay with her
mom until she figures out what’s
next.
Wearing a “I love LA” sweatshirt,
I found her sitting on the curb
at IAH with a blank stare on her
face. She got in the car and started
crying. I parked at the Marriott
and listened to her recount her
horrible trip through what she
described as “Hell on Earth.”
Her life as she knew it, is no
more. She has nothing left to
return to and no money to rebuild
even if she wanted to. But she is
alive, she has family, and for that
she is thankful.
But what about the thousands of
others just like JJ that now have
nothing. Many with young children
and nothing left but the clothes on
their backs. Where are they today?
I suppose they are staying with
friends or relatives, just trying to
figure out what their next steps
are. And what about all the first
responders? They too lost their
homes. Many have been working
non-stop since the fires broke
out and haven’t even had time to
stop and think about their futures.
Where are they going to live?
I’m sure Mayor Bass and Governor
Newsom aren’t worried about
their homes. But they should be
worried about their jobs. Both
failed the citizens of California
and should both resign immediately.
Their Woke agenda and
climate polices aren’t working.
Taxpayers expect their government
to at least have water in fire
hydrants in front of their house
and when there isn’t, someone
needs to lose their jobs. Bass and
Newsom are complete idiots, and
both need to go.
So, I say to all the mainstream
media out there, how about focusing
on everyday working folks
and stop worrying about rich ass
celebrities. They will be just fine.
Read JJ’s story on Page 102.
16 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
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The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 17
GUEST COMENTARY
Brian T. McVey
The Power of Eight Minutes
How an Eight-Minute Call can make a difference for Law Enforcement Officers.
In an era dominated by smartphones,
the Internet, and text messaging,
we’ve lost many small joys
that once helped us unwind—from
the crazy and quiet moments during
a roll call, to the camaraderie of
the locker room. But for those of
us in law enforcement, there’s one
thing that stands out: the incredible
importance of checking in with our
colleagues and loved ones.
Now, you might be thinking, “I text
with my partner all the time!” But
research shows that it’s simply not
the same. In fact, a study conducted
in 2021, reported in The New
York Times, examined the effects
of brief, regular phone calls on 240
adults. The results were striking,
especially for those in high-stress
professions like ours. Those who
received calls a few times a week
experienced a significant reduction
in levels of depression, loneliness,
and anxiety—issues that law
enforcement officers are all too
familiar with.
This caught the attention of Dr.
Bob Waldinger, a professor of psychiatry
at Harvard Medical School,
who emphasizes the importance of
investing time in our most cherished
relationships. He argues that these
investments can yield tangible
effects on our overall well-being,
offering a hidden “gold mine of
vitality” that often goes unnoticed.
And this is where the “eight-minute
catch-up” comes into play. The
concept of the “eight-minute catchup”
is a practical application of this
research, and it’s something that
can be easily integrated into our
daily routines.
Whether you’re on a break between
calls or just finishing your
shift, dedicating short, focused periods
to connect with a colleague,
friend, or loved one can make all
the difference. This approach not
only cultivates a sense of closeness
and well-being but also addresses
the common issue of conversations
dragging on past their welcome or
abruptly ending—a problem identified
in another 2021 study.
By mutually agreeing to an
eight-minute time limit beforehand,
both parties can engage in a meaningful
exchange without overstaying
their welcome. This ensures that the
time spent together is both beneficial
and respected—crucial for
those of us who often work long
hours and irregular shifts.
In a recent discussion on “A Bit
of Optimism,” Simon Sinek delved
deep into this topic with his longtime
friend, chef, and author Christina
Tosi. They explored the significance
of asking for help and being
there for others—something that
resonates deeply within our line of
work. Their conversation highlighted
a simple yet powerful lesson: the
act of reaching out for support is
not only normal but also essential
for those in demanding roles like
ours.
Simon shared a moment of realization
when a friend revealed
they had been struggling with
depression. His immediate response
was, “WTF? Why didn’t you call
me?” This sparked an eye-opening
realization about the subtle ways
in which people, especially those
in tough professions, ask for help.
“There is no greater honor than to
send them a message that says, ‘Do
you have eight minutes?’” Christina
said.
This phrase has become a code
between them, symbolizing a
safe space where one can openly
express vulnerability and seek
comfort—a concept that could be
invaluable within our ranks. At the
end of the day, eight minutes of
a colleague’s or friend’s time can
make all the difference in the world.
Best of all, it’s only eight minutes.
“Eight minutes!
When somebody texts you ‘Do
you have eight minutes?’ Any of us
can pause for a moment, step out
of the squad car, or take a break
to talk to a friend in need for eight
minutes,” says Simon.
For those of us in law enforcement,
where the pressures of the
job can sometimes feel overwhelming,
this simple practice could be
a lifeline. So, the next time you’re
feeling the weight of the badge,
consider reaching out—because in
just eight minutes, you might find
the support you didn’t know you
needed. 8 minutes is 480 seconds,
as you read this, make that call!
Start sharing this phrase with family
and friends. I always have time
for you.
Brian T. Mc Vey, MAPP| Proud Dad,
Author, Former Chicago Police Officer.
Brian holds a Masters in Police
Psychology from Adler University in
Chicago IL. Reach me at btmcvey77@
gmail.com.
18 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 19
GUEST COMENTARY
Be More Than a Cop
Dave Smith
I am of the age where the vast
majority of my peers are now retired,
and many of my friends have
passed on. Those of us who are left,
sit and reminisce about life and our
careers, and there are some common
threads in our reflections. As
I enter the last quarter of my life, I
realize there are some things I want
you younger folks to think about and
act on.
All my friends who have retired
and living their best lives didn’t just
“retire.” A law enforcement life is a
life of adventure, service, and purpose.
Having a mission in life is a key
component of truly living and not
just existing.
In the early ‘80s, studies showed
the average police officer died
within five years of retirement. Holy
smokes! Living a life of service and
then dying shortly thereafter seemed
pretty unreasonable. Smoking, obesity,
poor nutrition, inactivity, and
stress were all culprits leading to
shortened lifespans of the average
crime fighter.
But there was another component,
a sense of loss and meaninglessness.
What had been a life of true
meaning, true service, with a sense
of mission, was suddenly gone. If
your whole identity is “I’m A Cop”
and suddenly you aren’t, but rather
are cut away from the camaraderie
and identity of policing, imagine the
sense of loss and loneliness. Often
divorced, with no hobbies or goals,
with no “mission,” these folks reported
a sense of feeling adrift.
During my career I saw efforts to
reinforce the concept of becoming a
whole person begin to take hold, led
by the likes of Kevin Gilmartin whose
historic book, “Emotional Survival
for Law Enforcement,” gained favor.
You are not just “a cop.” You are a
husband, wife, father, mother, son,
daughter, fisherman, skier, soccer
coach, football coach, softball
coach, and on and on.
This mindset shouldn’t start as
you get ready to retire, but rather it
needs to start today, whether you
have 20 in or are in your rookie year.
Trust me, I know of what I speak.
We used to kid about how every new
cop would suddenly find themselves
with a house, a spouse and a new
car, and debt up to their ears. Soon,
their hobby was an off-duty job.
They could relate only to other cops
and, like me, had been divorced a
couple of times. At one point, I was
stressed, divorced, overweight, had
high blood pressure, was in debt,
and wondered where I went wrong.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe this
profession is fantastic, honorable,
and a wonderful way to use the life
given to you, but become a whole
person now. There will come a day
when you will no longer serve,
maybe through regular retirement,
or medical retirement, or some
other life circumstances beyond your
control. You need another mission,
another reason to get up in the
morning, another identity to give
you resilience and strength. Often,
my friends have continued to serve
as court officers, school officers,
private security, substitute teachers,
ministers, and one even earned a
doctorate.
The goal is to have a long and
happy life, and this includes stopping
destructive habits like smoking
or lack of exercise. Easier said than
done, right? Don’t I know it, dipping
snuff since I was seventeen, I found
myself extremely addicted to the
stuff. When my youngest daughter
was born, I had a talk with myself. I
was working out like a madman, but
still had this very dangerous habit. I
cold turkeyed my way out of it, but
I must confess, when we are out on
the range shooting, I will still have
a powerful urge for what I used to
call, “my group tightener.”
What I’m trying to say is, be open
to new adventures, new hobbies,
new ideas. One of my good friends
has become quite the brew master
at a local brewery. He talks hops
and malts, and sterilizing this and
that and generally is quite the beer
expert. Another has become the RV
king of the road, traveling all over,
exploring, learning, socializing,
fishing, and generally living large. I
guess that is the idea: live large and
long.
Policing seduces you with the adventure
and excitement and purpose,
but your career is limited by time
and age. Keep growing, learning,
living, doing, and always reflect on
the future you. The goal is not that
you won’t have setbacks and suffering,
but that you will be resilient and
recover or adapt quickly, rebounding
to your best self. Take it from
someone who has made just about
as many mistakes as you can; I have
to say my life has been a wonderful
adventure. Just ask my wife, the
Sarge. It continues to be so even at
my age because I learned the lessons
I’m trying to teach you. Stay safe.
Dave Smith is an internationally
recognized law enforcement trainer
and is the creator of “JD Buck Savage.”
You can follow Buck on Twitter
at @thebucksavage.
20 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 21
GUEST COMENTARY
Travis Yates
Profile in Courage: Daniel Carr
Welcome to a new series where
we profile courageous leaders
across the country. This series is
hosted by Dr. Travis Yates, author
of The Courageous Police Leader.
Today, we discuss Albuquerque
Police Officer (ret) Daniel Carr.
With two decades of law enforcement
experience, Daniel did
something while on the job that
should be impossible. He obtained
a master’s degree in criminal
justice, and a law degree,
while working full time. Daniel
now brings his knowledge and
expertise to the masses through
his wildly popular Police Law
Newsletter. The foundational trait
with courageous leadership is
telling the truth regardless of the
popularity of that truth. Daniel is
an icon in this area.
THE SHIFT TO RETIREMENT
AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES
After retiring from the Albuquerque
Police Department in
2024, Carr has embraced the
freedom to express his thoughts
on policing without the constraints
that often come with
active service. He notes that
the transition to retirement has
allowed him to focus more on
his content creation, particularly
through his platforms like TikTok
and the Police Law Newsletter on
Substack. This newfound freedom
has enabled him to engage
more deeply with the public on
issues he believes are crucial
for improving law enforcement
practices.
THE IMPORTANCE OF HON-
EST CONVERSATIONS
One of the core tenets of Carr’s
approach is the need for honest
conversations about policing.
He emphasizes that to improve
law enforcement, it is essential
to identify and discuss errors
made by police officers, whether
they stem from individual actions,
departmental policies, or
training gaps. Carr argues that
without a candid examination of
these issues, meaningful progress
in policing will remain elusive.
His commitment to neutrality
allows him to critique both
police actions and the narratives
surrounding them, creating a
balanced dialogue that is often
lacking in the media.
THE CHALLENGE OF NARRA-
TIVE CONTROL
In the current media landscape,
narratives can be shaped
quickly and often inaccurately.
Carr points out that police
leaders frequently fail to counter
false narratives, which can lead
to public mistrust and unrest.
He believes that police leaders
should take a proactive stance
in sharing accurate information,
especially when high-profile
incidents occur. For example,
Carr highlights the need for
police departments to present
data transparently, allowing the
public to engage with the facts
rather than relying solely on sensationalized
media portrayals.
ADDRESSING SYSTEMATIC
ISSUES IN POLICING
Throughout the conversation,
Carr raises significant points
regarding systematic issues
within policing, especially in
the context of police reform. He
argues that while reforms are
often proposed with the intent of
reducing police violence, many
22 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 23
fail to address the root causes of
such incidents. Carr asserts that
no amount of policy change will
eliminate the need for officers
to respond to violent situations
where their lives are at risk.
Thus, understanding the context
of police interactions with the
community is vital for assessing
the effectiveness of reforms.
THE IMPACT OF POLICE RE-
FORM ON CRIME RATES
Carr points to the statistics
surrounding police shootings
and crime rates, noting that
despite years of reform efforts,
the data remains relatively unchanged.
He suggests that the
narrative of systemic racism
within policing has not shifted
the reality of police interactions
with the community. Instead, he
emphasizes the importance of
looking at crime data alongside
police use of force statistics to
paint a more accurate picture of
the situation. Carr argues that
without addressing the underlying
causes of crime, reforms
may not achieve the intended
outcomes.
THE ROLE OF ACCOUNTABILI-
TY IN POLICING
Accountability is a central
theme in Carr’s discussion of
policing. He stresses the need for
police departments to investigate
use-of-force incidents thoroughly
and transparently. Carr’s
experience in internal affairs
has shown him the importance
of robust investigative processes
to uphold accountability. He
believes that when officers know
they will be held accountable for
their actions, it fosters a culture
of responsibility within the department.
CONSENT DECREES AND
THEIR IMPLICATIONS
Consent decrees, often imposed
by the Department of
Justice, are a controversial
aspect of police reform. Carr
reflects on his experiences with
the Albuquerque Police Department
during its consent decree,
questioning whether the intended
reforms have truly resulted
in meaningful improvements.
He highlights not only the lack
of significant changes in crime
rates and officer-involved shootings
during the decree period,
but the data got worse in those
areas.
LOOKING AHEAD: THE FU-
TURE OF POLICING
As Daniel continues to engage
with the public through his content,
he remains optimistic about
the potential for positive change
in policing. He believes that fostering
honest discussions about
the realities of law enforcement,
coupled with transparent data,
can help bridge the gap between
police and the communities they
serve. Carr advocates for a balanced
approach that recognizes
the complexities of policing
while striving for accountability
and improvement.
CONCLUSION
Daniel Carr’s insights into policing,
accountability, and reform
provide a valuable perspective
in today’s discourse surrounding
law enforcement. By advocating
for honest conversations, transparency,
and accountability, Carr
aims to contribute to a more nuanced
understanding of policing
in America. As we move forward,
it is imperative to engage in
these discussions, seeking to improve
the relationship between
law enforcement and the communities
they serve.
For more of Daniel Carr’s
insights, consider subscribing
to his Police Law Newsletter on
Substack and following him on
social media platforms.
Travis Yates is the author of
“The Courageous Police Leader:
A Survival Guide for Combating
Cowards, Chaos & Lies.” His
risk management and leadership
seminars have been taught
to thousands of professionals
across the world. He is a graduate
of the FBI National Academy
with a Doctorate Degree in Strategic
Leadership and the CEO of
the Courageous Police Leadership
Alliance.
We encourage you to join the
Courageous Leadership Movement.
“Now open for walk-ins
Wed-Sat 12pm - 8pm”
NEW # 832.627.3729
24 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 25
GUEST COMENTARY
police law news
Daniel Carr
Officer Involved: Elijah Hadley
Driver charged with First Degree murder.
A Deputy in Otero County, New
Mexico has been charged with
1st Degree Murder for the fatal
Officer-Involved-Shooting (OIS)
of a 17-year-old.
As we dive into this case - I
want to highlight the concept
that:
Law enforcement officers must
“justify” every round that leaves
their weapon.
Every shot fired is a separate,
distinct, and individual use of
deadly force.
Every pull of the trigger must
be in accordance with the law.
Also, that it is possible in a
fatal police shooting for some
fired rounds to be reasonable
and some to be unreasonable, in
violation of policy, and against
the law.
WHAT HAPPENED
On June 25, 2024 just before
11:00 p.m., Deputy Jacob Diaz-Austin
(an Otero County NM
Sheriff's Deputy) responded to a
welfare check on a 17-year-old
named Elijah Hadley.
Deputy Diaz-Austin located
Elijah walking in the median
on U.S. Highway 70 near mile
marker 240 outside the town of
Mescalero.
Deputy Diaz-Austin stopped his
vehicle and made contact with
Elijah.
USE OF FORCE
During the initial contact Elijah
had a sweater draped over his
left arm and his right arm was
visible.
Deputy Diaz-Austin stated,
“Stop right there“ and “What are
you doing?” Elijah did not respond
and kept approaching.
Deputy Diaz-Austin then stated,
“Let me see your hand bro” and
“Let me see your other hand”.
At that point Elijah used his
right hand, reached under the
sweater and pulled out a handgun.
He moved the weapon
across his body and tossed it a
few feet away from him.
OIS #1
As Elijah was in possession of
the gun - Deputy Diaz-Austin
drew out his firearm and fired
four rounds - striking and injuring
Elijah.
The rounds landed just as the
gun had been tossed.
OIS #2 & #3
Deputy Diaz-Austin then went
to the passenger side of his vehicle
and began to collect medical
equipment - in order to render
aid. He then moved back to the
driver’s side of his police car and
positioned himself behind the
driver’s side door.
Deputy Diaz-Austin yelled at
Elijah to not move or reach for
the gun.
Elijah rolled to his stomach
and yelled that it was a “BB gun!”
Deputy Diaz-Austin observed
Elijah move towards the weapon
and fired more rounds at him.
The deputy did this in two separate
series of shots (OIS #2 &
#3).
The deputy informed dispatch
over the air, “I can’t render aid.
He is still moving and the gun is
underneath him.”
The deputy then asked dispatch
if he should “render aid” and he
was instructed to “stand by”.
Deputy Diaz-Austin fired twenty
rounds - fifteen of those were
26 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
as Elijah laid on the ground. Elijah
sustained fatal injuries.
The weapon ended up being an
air soft gun.
CHARGES
This case was transferred from
the Otero County DA’S Office to
the Bernalillo County DA’s Office
for review and decision to prosecute.
12th Judicial District in Alamogordo,
NM “conflicted out
this case” and asked the Bernalillo
County DA’s Office to accept
it and determine whether prosecution
was appropriate.
Last week The Bernalillo County
District Attorney’s Office led
by Sam Bregman submitted
first-degree murder charges
against Otero County Sheriff’s
Deputy Jacob Diaz-Austin.
ANALYSIS
In New Mexico (§ 30-2-1)
First-degree murder consists of
killing another person under any
of the following circumstances:
• A willful, deliberate, and premeditated
killing
• During the actual or attempted
commission of any felony
• By an act which is greatly
dangerous to another's life
and evidences a depraved mind
which has no regard for human
life
Deputy Diaz-Austin is not guilty
of 1st degree murder.
Here’s why: There is no evidence
that the use of deadly
force was “premeditated” as the
deputy did not use any force until
Elijah produced a handgun.
By conducting a “welfare
check” on Elijah - the deputy
was not in the commission of a
felony.
After the initial OIS - the first
action the deputy took was to
run to the passenger side of his
vehicle and retrieve a first aid kit.
This is evidence that the deputy
did have a regard for human life.
In New Mexico (NM Stat § 30-
2-6 (2023)), “homicide is necessarily
committed when a public
officer or public employee has
probable cause to believe he or
another is threatened with serious
harm or deadly force while
performing those lawful duties
described in this section.”
So, as usual, the legally relevant
question goes like this,
“Was there probable cause for
Deputy Diaz-Austin to believe
that Elijah posed a threat of
death or serious harm at the time
of the OIS?”
THE FIRST
Elijah produced a gun and
Deputy Diaz-Austin responded
with deadly force and fired four
rounds. Those first four shots
fired by Deputy Diaz-Austin were
reasonable.
Elijah produced a gun and
moved it across his body - crossing
the plane of the deputy. Any
officer would perceive that as a
deadly threat.
THE SECOND & THIRD
The second and third series of
shots fired by Deputy Diaz-Austin
are more complex. Without the
full body/dash cam video - it
is difficult to reach a definite
conclusion. And, I have several
questions:
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 27
After he was shot and once on
the ground - where was the gun
in relation to Elijah?
Did Elijah ever gain possession
of the gun once he was on the
ground?
Why did Deputy Diaz-Austin
not stay behind his vehicle and
utilize cover - until backup arrived?
What was the deadly threat
posed by Elijah after he was shot
and on the ground?
I understand that the answer to
many of these questions could
be - the deputy did not have a
duty to retreat to the rear of his
vehicle - doing so would make
the view of Elijah (and the gun)
more restricted and therefore
more dangerous and the deputy
would be giving up any tactical
advantage that he had.
At most - Deputy Diaz-Austin
could be accused of making an
error in judgment - when he
believed that Elijah’s possession/
proximity to the handgun represented
a deadly threat.
FINAL THOUGHTS
We know that Deputy Diaz-Austin
did not possess any
negative intent. He was trying to
assist a teenager that was walking
alone, in the middle of the
night, on a highway.
We do not know Elijah’s intent.
Elijah had the gun (concealed
under a sweater on his left arm).
If his intent was to drop the gun
- why not just drop it from its
position under the sweater? Why
transfer it to the right hand moving
it across his body - exposing
it to the deputy?
Reasonable people should
agree that the transfer of the
gun to Elijah’s right hand would
cause any officer to perceive a
deadly threat.
Also, I do believe that a reasonable
argument could be
made that once on the ground
and injured - the fact that Elijah
happened to fall near the gun
while he winced and squirmed
in pain - was beyond his control.
If Elijah was injured he couldn’t
move away from where the gun
fell and if he had reached for it
(even if to throw it further away)
that would have been perceived
as a deadly threat. So, once on
the ground and injured - what
was Elijah supposed to do?
This is a complicated case and
exactly the type of scenario that
law enforcement leaders should
be preparing their officers for.
NEW # 832.627.3729
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28 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 29
GUEST COMENTARY
police law news
Daniel Carr
Officer Involved: Miss Daisy
There are no magic words.
This one is hard to watch. I got
no joy from covering this case.
But the goal here is to discuss
the real things that law enforcement
officers experience.
WHAT HAPPENED
This occurred on 11/23/24 in
Greenville, South Carolina and
began with a call to 911 from a
woman we will call “Miss Daisy.”
Miss Daisy provided the operator
with her location, clothing
description, and then threatened
to “do something stupid” and
requested the presence of deputies.
The operator asked Miss Daisy
if she would harm the deputies
who responded and she stated,
“Yes, I would.”
Deputies arrived on scene and
located Miss Daisy outside of
a business and began to speak
with her.
Deputies asked Miss Daisy why
she called 911 and asked how
they could assist her. During this
contact they also:
• Offered her a ride.
• Offered to call a family member
or friend.
• Offered to get her shelter for
the evening.
• Offered to get a her a meal.
• Offered to get her out of the
“cold.”
The deputies also utilized light
humor and the conversational
tone displaying humanity - as
opposed to robotic commands
and orders that we so often see
in these cases. These deputies
cared what happened to Miss
Daisy and it showed.
I should also mention that the
deputies maintained their distance,
stayed near their patrol
vehicles, did not approach - as
Miss Daisy was armed with a
knife that she was gripping in
her right hand.
Multiple times during this interaction,
Miss Daisy did a “bluff
charge” towards the deputies -
while holding the knife. Where
she took a few quick steps towards
them and then stopped.
The deputies took these threats
seriously and responded by:
Backing up and using their
vehicles as cover. Issuing commands
and force warnings.
Deployed a Taser that did not
achieve the desired result
USE OF FORCE
Eventually Miss Daisy charged
at the deputies and attacked for
real. The deputies responded
with deadly force.
ANALYSIS
Law
Section 23-2-70F states, “a law
enforcement officer is justified
in using deadly force if the
law enforcement officer has an
objectively reasonable belief
that a lesser degree of force is
inadequate and the officer has
objectively reasonable grounds
to believe, and does believe, that
he or another person is in imminent
danger of being killed or of
receiving serious bodily injury.”
30 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
Miss Daisy was armed with a
deadly weapon (knife).
Miss Daisy threatened to harm
the deputies.
Miss Daisy was given instructions
and warnings to “drop the
knife” and not attack deputies.
Though not required to - the
deputies attempted deescalation
tactics.
Miss Daisy charged at the deputies
with the deadly weapon.
This use of deadly force was
objectively reasonable and within
South Carolina law.
Policy
The Greenville County Sheriff’s
Office completed an internal
review of this use of force. The
findings were that, “the deputies’
use of deadly force was justified
according to sheriff’s office use
of force policy.”
OTHER OPTIONS
Calls like this put law enforcement
officers in a terrible situation.
After a case like ends with an
Officer-Involved-Shooting (OIS)
- the inevitable criticism is that
the officers should have “just
left”.
If law enforcement officers, in
situations like this “just leave”
and the person walks into traffic,
freezes to death in the elements,
attacks a random citizen, or
commits su1c1de - the criticism
would be that officers knew that
she asked for help, knew that
she was unstable, and just left
because they did not care about
what happened to her.
The deputies in this case made
the correct decision to stay on
scene and attempt deescalation
tactics. Here’s why:
• Miss Daisy requested police
assistance.
• She was armed with a knife
and threatened to harm deputies
or “do something stupid.”
• By charging at the officers
- that resulted in a Taser deployment
- that was a criminal
offense.
The totality of the circumstances
would meet the criteria
for an involuntary mental health
evaluation - which would have
been the preferred resolution.
* If Miss Daisy was alone in her
home and did not want contact
with law enforcement - I agree
that deputies should not force
entry and use force to make her
get immediate mental health
assistance.
However, being in public,
armed with a knife, making
threats, and requesting the presence
of deputies is a completely
different situation. They made
the objectively correct decision
to remain on scene.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This one is going to sit with
these deputies long after they
leave this job.
Just remember. There are
no magic words. Sometimes
kindness and empathy are not
enough to overcome years of
anguish and mental illness.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 31
AROUND THE COUNTRY
IRONDALE, AL.
Lieutenant Mark Meadows was struck and killed by a motorist while
directing traffic at Grants Mill Road and Overton Road in Irondale.
IRONDALE, AL. – An Alabama
police lieutenant died on Monday
after he was hit by a car while
directing traffic at a church.
Irondale police Lt. Mark Meadows,
60, was setting out cones
at an intersection outside the
Church of the Highlands’ main
campus when he was hit by a
man driving a Chevrolet Colorado,
local outlet AL.com reported.
The driver immediately stopped.
The incident took place before
7 a.m. on Monday as the church’s
popular “21 Days of Prayer”
event, which runs from Jan. 5 to
Jan. 25, was preparing to end for
the day.
Meadows was taken to nearby
Grandview Medical Center,
where he died from his injuries,
according to Irondale police.
Irondale Mayor James Stewart
Jr., described Meadows as a
“treasured member” of the city’s
family for decades.
“He was a man of few words
but always led by example and
embodied the heart of a true
public servant,” Stewart said in
a statement. “Lt. Meadows will
be dearly missed by his brothers
and sisters at the Irondale Police
Department, as well as by all of
our City employees and citizens.
We are comforted in knowing
that he is with his heavenly
father, and we will continue to
cover his family in prayer as they
grieve this great loss.”
Meadows was an Army veteran
and had worked in law enforcement
for decades when he was
killed. (Irondale Police Department
/ Facebook)
Church of the Highlands lead
pastor Chris Hodges said Meadows
had worked with the church
since its main campus at Grants
Mill opened almost 18 years ago.
In a statement to AL.com,
Hodges said “our hearts are
heavy beyond measure,” adding
that Meadows was considered
family.
“All our thoughts and prayers
are with his wife, daughter, son,
family members, fellow officers
and the many who loved him,”
Hodges said. “Even in the most
difficult and trying times, we
know our God will provide comfort,
strength and reassurance
based on the promise of heaven.
We as a church will do all we
can to care for his family.”
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey expressed
condolences to Meadows’
loved ones and church
family following his death in a
LT. MARK MEADOWS
post on X on Monday.
“My heart is heavy as I have
learned of the tragic loss of
Irondale Police Lieutenant Mark
Meadows, a veteran and true
public servant. I join all Alabamians
in lifting up his family,
the Irondale Police Department
and the Church of the Highlands
community in prayer,” Ivey
wrote.
Irondale Lt. Mark Meadows
helped direct traffic at Church
of the Highlands since it opened
nearly 18 years ago, according to
lead pastor Chris Hodges. (Irondale
Police Department / Facebook)
32 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 33
AROUND THE COUNTRY
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA.
Deputy Sheriff Tim Corlew was killed in a motorcycle crash on
CA 91 east of La Sierra Avenue in Riverside.
RIVERSIDE, CA. – Deputy Sheriff
Timothy Corlew was killed in a
motorcycle crash at 5:30 a.m. on
CA 91 east of La Sierra Avenue.
While traveling westbound in
the HOV lane, Deputy Corlew’s
patrol motorcycle collided with
a vehicle, ejecting him from his
motorcycle. He was transported
to Riverside Community Hospital
where he was pronounced
deceased.
The incident occurred at approximately
5:35 a.m. on the
westbound 91 Freeway near La
Sierra Avenue in Riverside. Deputy
Corlew was operating his patrol
motorcycle in the HOV lane
DEPUTY TIMOTHY CORLEW
when he encountered stopped
traffic across all lanes. For reasons
still under investigation,
Corlew’s motorcycle collided
with the rear of a Toyota Lexus.
The impact ejected him from the
motorcycle, causing him to land
on a Hyundai sedan.
Paramedics arrived promptly
and transported Deputy Corlew
to Riverside Community Hospital,
where he was pronounced dead.
The driver of the Lexus sustained
minor injuries, while the Hyundai’s
occupant was unharmed.
The California Highway Patrol
Deputy Corlew had served
with the Riverside County Sheriff’s
Department for nine years,
assigned to the Jurupa Valley
Sheriff’s Station.
34 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 35
AROUND THE COUNTRY
HOUSTON, TX.
Deputy Sheriff Jesus Vargas was shot and killed while serving a
warrant at Stella Link Road north of Interstate 610 in Houston.
BRAZORIA COUNTY, TX.— Brazoria
County Sheriff Bo Stallman
was interviewed by TV station
KHOU about the death of one of
his deputies a day prior.
Deputy Jesus “Jesse” Vargas
was working with the U.S. Marshal’s
Gulf Coast Violent Offenders
Task Force when he was shot
while trying to serve a warrant
for Sean Christopher Davis’ arrest.
The shooting marked the first
gunshot death of a law enforcement
officer nationwide in 2025.
“There’s certainly a hole left in
the department after yesterday,”
Stallman said.
Vargas was a 17-year veteran
with the Brazoria County Sheriff’s
Office. He leaves behind a wife
and three daughters.
The incident began around
11:30 a.m. in a strip center off
Stella Link Road just inside the
South Loop.
According to authorities, Davis
was a passenger in a truck
pulled over in the parking lot.
When Vargas and his partner
got out and told Davis to get out
of the car, Davis opened fire and
ran away from the scene. Vargas,
who was shot in the head,
was rushed to a Houston hospital
where he was later pronounced
dead.
Stallman described Vargas as
a hero who protected the community
by apprehending fugitive
offenders.
“Jesse was a member, on behalf
of our office, as part of the
Gulf Coast Violent Offender Task
Force. That’s what he did -- was
apprehending these violent offenders,”
Stallman said. “Deputy
Jesse Vargas was a hero serving
our community, keeping our
community safe, by apprehending
fugitive offenders.”
The initial shooting sparked a
manhunt that lasted nearly six
hours.
A Blue Alert was issued for
Davis around 2:20 p.m., and then
around 5 p.m., U.S. Marshal K-9
Rocky alerted investigators to a
dumpster near the original shooting
scene. The dog alerted to the
dumpster several times. A U.S.
Marshal then released Rocky into
the dumpster. That’s when HPD
said Davis shot the dog at least
twice.
Deputies with the Marshal Service
returned fire, shooting and
killing Davis in the dumpster. A
deputy was hit in the arm in the
shootout. He’s expected to be OK.
Investigators said the K-9 was
rushed to an awaiting helicopter
and taken to an area vet. The dog
is expected to recover from its
injuries.
DEPUTY JESUS VARGAS
Stallman said the department
has received an outpouring of
support from the community as
well as law enforcement agencies
across the state in the wake
of Vargas’ death.
“You know, we’ve had people
reach out to us from everywhere,”
Stallman said. “Sending
their condolences and offering
any kind of assistance or resources
that they can.”
Stallman urged the community
to keep the Vargas family and the
law enforcement community in
their thoughts and prayers as they
mourn the tragic loss.
36 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
U.S. Marshal K-9 Rocky shot by suspect
hiding in dumpster.
HOUSTON, TX. — The U.S. Marshal
K-9 shot by a wanted killer
on Wednesday narrowly escaped
death, according to a Houston
veterinarian who is treating K-9
Rocky at Westbury Animal Hospital.
Dr. Jeff Chalkley said the heroic
K-9 was shot twice, through the
nostril and the neck.
“Narrowly missed his spine,
which was pretty amazing,”
Chalkley said. “God was there and
directed that bullet away from his
vital organs.”
K-9 Rocky is credited with saving
lives when he hunted down
the suspect who shot and killed
Deputy Jesus Vargas and found
him hiding in a dumpster. He
alerted other officers and jumped
into the dumpster where Sean
Christopher Davis shot him twice.
Other officers then killed Davis
in a shootout behind the same
strip center where Deputy Vargas
was shot hours earlier.
K-9 Rocky was loaded onto a
Texas DPS helicopter and rushed
to the animal hospital. Chalkley
said the dog might not have
survived if they hadn’t gotten him
there so quickly.
K-9 Rocky might get to go home
in two or three days. He’s already
been up and walking, eating and
peeing and pooping, which are all
good signs.
“He’s the luckiest dog I’ve seen,”
Chalkley said. “I don’t you know if
you call that luck or the hand of
God, but that bullet, I mean could
have ended his life instantly.”
Rocky’s handler stayed by his
side all night and won’t leave the
hospital until Rocky is released.
Our KHOU 11 crew saw several
other officers stop by the hospital
to check on Rocky and his partner.
“Everybody’s been supporting
him here and making sure you
know that he’s OK and the family,
you know, he’s got a family with
children and so this dog’s a part
of the whole family, not just the
trainer,” Chief T. Michael O’Connor
with the U.S. Marshals Service
said. “You know, we’re, we’ve
CLICK TO WATCH
got the machoness in us, but yet.
When it comes to children, innocents
and to animals, dogs, there’s
a heartfelt feeling.”
The veterinarians believe Rocky
will make a full recovery and return
to duty and “catch more bad
guys and hopefully get rid of evil
in the world.”
“Just an athlete. He’s, he’s an
amazing dog,” Chalkley said.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 37
AROUND THE COUNTRY
NAVASOTA, TX.
Sergeant Mark Butler was killed in a head-on collision during a pursuit
on Highway 6 near Farm-to-Market 3090 in Navasota.
NAVASOTA, TX. – Navasota
Police Sergeant Mark Butler
was killed in a head-on collision
during a vehicle pursuit on
Wednesday January 15.
The Texas Department of Public
Safety (DPS), said the incident
began in College Station just
after 3 p.m., when police responded
to a report of forgery at
Prosperity Bank. Officers confronted
a woman who reportedly
was attempting to cash a
fraudulent check. Police said the
suspect took off in a black 2023
Jeep Wrangler, leading officers
southbound on Highway 6.
Under agency policy, College
Station Police Department
(CSPD) officers ended their
pursuit after the suspect exited
Highway 6 south at the FM 2154
ramp, then began driving south
SERGEANT MARK BUTLER
in the northbound lanes of Highway
6, KBTX reports.
Texas DPS Troopers continued
to follow the vehicle as it entered
Grimes County.
At 3:30 p.m., Sergeant Butler,
who was traveling northbound,
maneuvered his marked patrol
vehicle and collided with the
suspect, preventing her from
hitting other motorists on the
highway. He was transported to
CHI St. Joseph Hospital – Grimes
Hospital, where he succumbed
to his injuries.
The suspect was killed at the
scene.
Sergeant Butler was a United
States Army veteran and had
served with the Navasota Police
Department for almost four
years.
Several witnesses to the incident
told KBTX how Sgt. Butler
prevented the Jeep from hitting
their vehicles and labeled him as
a hero who sacrificed his life to
save the lives of others.
38 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 39
AROUND THE COUNTRY
COVENTRY, VT.
Border Patrol Agent David Maland was shot and killed during a traffic
stop on Interstate 91 in Vermont near the Canadian Border.
A United States border agent
was gunned down during a
traffic stop in Vermont near the
Canadian border, officials have
confirmed.
It happened around 3:15 p.m.
Monday on Interstate 91 in Coventry,
20 miles from the Northern
border, according to the Department
of Homeland Security.
The agent was identified as
David C. Maland, a 13-year veteran
who was assigned to the
Newport Vermont Border Patrol
Station, federal law enforcement
sources tell The New York Post.
The FBI said in a statement
that one of the suspects was
killed and a second suspect was
injured and taken into custody.
There was no immediate information
on what prompted the
shooting.
Acting Secretary of Homeland
Security Benjamine Huffman issued
a statement saying that the
“incident is being swiftly investigated.”
“Today, January 20, a Border
Patrol agent assigned to the US
Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector
was fatally shot in the line of
duty,” he wrote. “Every single
day, our Border Patrol agents put
themselves in harm’s way so that
Americans and our homeland
are safe and secure. My prayers
and deepest condolences are
with our Department, the Agent’s
family, loved ones, and colleagues.”
The FBI announced the arrest
of a suspect Friday in the killing
of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David
"Chris" Maland near the Vermont-Canada
border.
Washington state resident
Teresa Youngblut, 21, was taken
into custody following the fatal
shooting on Monday, according
to the FBI’s office in Albany, N.Y.
"The United States Attorney’s
Office District of Vermont has
charged Youngblut with assault
on a federal law enforcement
officer," it said. "Our hearts remain
with our partners at U.S.
Border Patrol Swanton Sector
as they mourn this tremendous
loss."
BORDER PATROL AGENT
In a joint statement, Vermont’s
Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter
Welch and Rep. Becca Balint
sent condolences to the agent’s
family and said Border Patrol
agents “deserve our full support
in terms of staffing, pay and
working conditions.”
Coventry is close to the U.S.
Customs and Border Protection’s
Newport Station, part of the
Swanton Sector. The area includes
295 miles of international
boundary with Canada.
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FREE SUBSCRIPTION
40 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 41
AROUND THE COUNTRY
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The CROOKS have left the building, but not before
Biden pardoned the entire crime family.
By Steven Nelson and
Diana Glebova
WASHINGTON — President Biden
issued a pardon Monday for his
brother James Biden, effectively
burying the final details of a more
than five-year probe into the first
family’s influence-peddling to save
them from possible repercussions
under the incoming Trump administration.
Congressional Republicans subpoenaed
James Biden, 75, along
with first son Hunter Biden, 54, in
2023 to investigate their involvement
in the family’s domestic and
foreign business dealings — after
evidence emerged that both men
repeatedly involved Joe Biden in
their lucrative relationships.
Republicans accused James of
lying to Congress and requested
criminal charges. They also
suggested his dealings may have
amounted to unregistered foreign
lobbying, another crime.
“My family has been subjected
to unrelenting attacks and threats,
motivated solely by a desire to hurt
me — the worst kind of partisan
politics. Unfortunately, I have no
reason to believe these attacks will
end,” the outgoing president said in
a statement minutes before leaving
office.
“I believe in the rule of law, and
I am optimistic that the strength
of our legal institutions will ultimately
prevail over politics. But
baseless and politically motivated
investigations wreak havoc on the
lives, safety, and financial security
of targeted individuals and their
families. Even when individuals
have done nothing wrong and will
ultimately be exonerated, the mere
fact of being investigated or prosecuted
can irreparably damage their
reputations and finances.”
Biden added: “That is why I am
exercising my power under the
Constitution to pardon James B.
Biden, [his wife] Sara Jones Biden,
[first sister] Valerie Biden Owens,
[her husband] John T. Owens, and
[first brother] Francis W. Biden. The
issuance of these pardons should
not be mistaken as an acknowledgment
that they engaged in any
wrongdoing, nor should acceptance
be misconstrued as an admission of
guilt for any offense.”
It’s unclear why Biden pardoned
some of his relatives, though Sara
Biden was involved with some of
her husband’s business relationships,
and Biden’s brother Frank
allegedly used his brother’s name in
business dealings. The time frame
covered by the clemency grants
also was not immediately clear.
Biden previously issued an unprecedented
pardon on Dec. 1 spanning
11 years of his son’s conduct
— stretching back to 2014, when
42 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
Hunter Biden joined the board of
Ukrainian gas giant Burisma Holdings
— heading off sentencing on
gun and tax evasion convictions and
potential additional charges.
James Biden, unlike his nephew,
was not charged with committing
any federal crimes, though his conduct
was actively investigated by
House Republicans and the press.
The pardon of James Biden, who
struggled to manage his own finances
despite earning large sums,
indicates the president likely feared
the incoming Trump Justice Department
would further investigate
his family’s dealings, as James was
involved in many key initiatives that
included the president and Hunter.
The first brother for decades
monetized his proximity to power
— dating to Joe Biden’s 36-year
Senate tenure — and House Republicans
turned up records that
he sent $240,000 to Joe Biden in
2017 and 2018 from funds linked to
alleged influence peddling, which
James said were personal loan
repayments.
In one of the earliest known
instances of his dealings that
garnered scrutiny, James in 2006
allegedly crowed, “Don’t worry
about investors, we’ve got people
all around the world who want to
invest in Joe Biden” when he and
Hunter Biden were in the process of
taking over a New York City hedge
fund.
“We’ve got investors lined up in a
line of 747s filled with cash,” Politico
reporter Ben Schreckinger wrote
in a 2021 book.
Joe Biden was the top Democrat
on the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee at the time.
Law firm SimmonsCooper — associated
with wealthy asbestos
lawyer Jeff Cooper — invested $1
million in 2006 in that hedge fund.
The same year, Congress considered
asbestos reform legislation,
in which then-Sen. Biden (D-Del.)
played a pivotal role in blocking
a change that could have limited
funding for payouts after lobbying
by Cooper’s firm.
A Biden spokesman claimed in
2008 that the money was unrelated
to the bill and that the investment
was later returned.
Cooper subsequently partnered
with the Biden family on business
pursuits in Mexico during the
Obama-Biden administration — and
posed for a 2015 group photo with
Mexican guests and Joe Biden at the
official vice president’s residence
and riding aboard Air Force Two for
an official 2016 trip to Mexico.
James Biden was wiretapped by
the FBI in 2007 — when his brother
was still a senator — as part of a
bribery investigation of Mississippi
lawyer Dickie Scruggs, the Washington
Post reported in 2023.
James Biden, who was not
charged in the case, was in talks
with Scruggs and conspirator Tim
Balducci about setting up a law firm
that would have employed himself,
his nephew Hunter Biden, and
James’ wife.
Scruggs at one point flew Joe
Biden to a fundraiser on his private
plane, the Washington Post reported.
Then-Sen. Biden went from opposing
federal legislation to punish
tobacco companies for lying about
the addictiveness of cigarettes to
a supporter after Scruggs — the
architect of a multi billion-dollar
litigation plan — paid James Biden’s
lobbying firm $100,000 in 1998, the
Washington Post also reported.
“I probably wouldn’t have hired
him if he wasn’t the senator’s brother,”
Scruggs told the paper.
Another disbarred Mississippi
attorney, Joey Langston, who was
convicted in a different bribery
case, told House impeachment
inquiry investigators that he loaned
James Biden $800,000 in 2016 and
2017 during Joe Biden’s final term in
office, but only got $400,000 back.
The troubled attorney, who had
hosted fundraisers for Joe Biden,
ProPublica reported, was unsuccessfully
trying to overturn a bribery
conviction in court in 2016 —
raising questions about whether he
was also seeking a federal pardon
from Obama while Biden was his
No. 2.
James Biden was involved in an
armload of controversial foreign
ventures.
Corporate bankruptcy documents
say James Biden received $600,000
in loans in 2018 from rural hospital
provider Americore, including an
initial $400,000 that January and a
later $200,000 on March 1, 2018, by
pledging to “obtain a large investment
from the Middle East based
on his political connections.”
Politico reported that “one person
on the receiving end of Jim Biden’s
health care pitch recalled a phone
call in which Jim Biden said he was
sitting in a car next to his brother
Joe.”
James Biden in 2018 apparently
made a pitch to Qatar to invest $30
million into a troubled rural hospital
provider and directly mentioned
that he was the “brother” of
then-former Vice President Biden in
2018 in a presentation, according to
documents obtained by Politico.
James told impeachment inquiry
investigators that investor Amer
Rustom, whose corporate biography
describes him as having “strong ties
with many of the Middle East and
North African leaders and country
officials,” referred him to another
businessman, Michael Lewitt, for a
potential $20 million investment in
Americore, but that it didn’t materialize
in time to save the company
financially.
The Securities and Exchange
Commission in 2023 charged Lewitt,
a Florida resident, with stealing
$4.7 million from investors of his
own fund.
James Biden wrote his brother a
$200,000 check shortly after receiving
his final installment from
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 43
RY
Americore.
The first brother insisted the payment
was a legitimate loan reimbursement.
Democrats said bank
records showed that Joe Biden had
transferred that amount to James
previously; Republicans said no loan
paperwork existed and questioned
whether Joe Biden had actually
transferred the initial funds, which
flowed from a law firm associated
with the family.
James Biden also sent $40,000
to Joe Biden on Sept. 3, 2017, which
House Republicans said came from
“laundered” funds from CEFC China
Energy, a Chinese state-linked firm
that paid Hunter and James Biden
millions of dollars in a venture in
which one Biden family associate
infamously penciled in a 10% cut for
Joe Biden, whom they referred to as
the “big guy.”
The source of that $40,000 sent
to Joe was traceable due to the
near-empty balance of James’ account,
investigators pointed out.
James defended his work with
CEFC in his impeachment inquiry
testimony, though his description of
his duties drew questions about his
possible liability under the Foreign
Agents Registration Act, which requires
Americans to register before
lobbying for certain foreign clients.
“Relying on the extensive network
of contacts I had developed over
many decades, I quickly identified
a number of promising opportunities.
For example, I reached out to
a number of investors who were
friends and who expressed serious
interest in working with us,” James
said.
“In addition, I connected with
Richard Leyoub, an old friend and
the former long-term Attorney
General of Louisiana, who by 2017
was the state Commissioner of
Conservation. Mr. Leyoub directed
me to a number of projects, including
Monkey Island LNH, a property
off the coast of Louisiana with
opportunities for the on loading and
offloading of liquid natural gas.
“Of all the projects, this was the
one that proved most attractive
to CEFC, whose representatives
presented the opportunity to the
Chairman [Ye] and gave an informal
go-ahead for the project. We even
marked the occasion with a celebratory
lunch.”
Joe Biden allegedly met in early
2017 in Washington with CEFC
Chairman Ye Jianming shortly before
the company opened the spigot
of funds flowing to the family,
former Biden family associate Rob
Walker testified.
James said in his own testimony
that his brother “had no information
at all about the source of the funds
I used to repay him.”
“I never asked my brother to take
any official action on behalf of me,
my business associates, or anyone
else. In every business venture in
which I have been involved, I have
relied on my own talent, judgment,
skill, and personal relationships
— and never my status as
Joe Biden’s brother,” he said in the
testimony in February.
He insisted that the money he
transferred to the president was
all short-term loans that were for
tuition payments for his children,
unforeseen medical expenses and
storm damage to his house.
“The Committees have asked
about those loans from my brother.
They were short-term loans
that I received from Joe when he
was a private citizen, and I repaid
them within weeks … The complete
explanation is that Joe lent
me money, and I repaid him as
soon as I had the funds to do so.”
“What I can say is not that I’m
aware of,” White House press secretary
Karine Jean-Pierre said Dec.
12 about a James Biden pardon.
“But I just don’t have anything else
beyond that, and the president
certainly is going to as it more
broadly speaking, as we move forward
to the next couple of weeks,
he obviously is going to review
with his team about other clemency
decisions, and they’re taking additional
steps, and so that’s what I
can speak to at this time.”
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44 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 45
AROUND THE COUNTRY
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Biden sparks outrage with last-minute commutation of Leonard
Peltier who was convicted of killing two FBI agents in 1975.
WASHINGTON – President Joe
Biden has sparked outrage after
commuting the sentence of Leonard
Peltier in a last-minute move
before leaving office Monday.
Peltier, 80, has spent nearly 50
years in prison after being convicted
of the murder of two FBI
agents on South Dakota’s Pine
Ridge Reservation in 1975. He also
escaped from federal prison in
1979 while serving his sentence
for the two murders and had five
years tacked onto his sentence.
Peltier, a prominent Native
American activist before his arrest,
has always proclaimed his
innocence in the crime.
“This commutation will enable
Mr. Peltier to spend his remaining
days in home confinement
but will not pardon him for his
underlying crimes,” Biden wrote
in a statement announcing the
move.
The commutation came in
the same release, issued while
now-President Donald Trump’s
inauguration ceremony was getting
underway at the U.S. Capitol
Rotunda, that granted preemptive
pardons to five of Biden’s
family members, including his
brother James Biden, a target of
congressional Republicans.
Former FBI Director Christopher
Wray recently penned
a letter to Biden, warning him
against commuting Peltier’s
sentence. The letter was written
on Jan. 10, just days before Wray
and Biden left office.
“Mr. President, I urge you in the
strongest terms possible: Do not
pardon Leonard Peltier or cut his
sentence short,” Wray wrote. “It
would be shattering to the victims’
loved ones and undermine
the principles of justice and accountability
that our government
should represent.”
On June 26, 1975, FBI agents
Jack Coler and Ronald Williams
were killed by Peltier in a
shootout while they were on the
Pine Ridge Reservation.
“Peliter is a remorseless killer,
who brutally murdered two of
our own–Special Agents Jack
Coler and Ronald Williams,”
Wray wrote. “Granting Peltier
any relief from his conviction or
sentence is wholly unjustified
and would be an affront to the
rule of law.”
Wray said Peliter fled to Canada
after he “executed” the two
agents “at close range.” Peltier
was arrested in Alberta in 1976,
before standing trial for the
murders.
46 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 47
AROUND THE COUNTRY
LOS ANGELES, CA.
LAPD taking on additional roles of fire duty as Los
Angeles continues to burn.
By Jenna Curren,
Law Enforcement Today
LOS ANGELES, CA.- With fires
raging in various parts of Los
Angeles county over the last few
weeks, officers with the Los Angeles
Police Department (LAPD)
find themselves taking on a new
role to help keep their community
safe: fire duty.
According to NCJA, the Los Angeles
Times published an article
where experts discussed their
predictions for law enforcement
taking on a greater role with
new climate-related challenges.
Since the outbreak of the devastating
fires, officers have found
themselves in unfamiliar yet pivotal
roles in helping firefighters
save their neighborhoods.
For decades, police across
the country have been thrown
into crisis response duty during
wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes,
and tornadoes. Now,
some experts are saying that
officers will be faced with more
of those challenges. For the last
few weeks, the LAPD has been
grappling with how and when
to enforce evacuation orders,
and how to do their regular
work investigating crimes and
responding to 911 calls while
48 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
being short-staffed.
The department has deployed
about 750 officers to the fire
zones while still facing its own
staffing shortage with leaders
saying the department is
operating well below its optimum
staffing levels due to
long-standing issues with turnover
and recruitment.
Each of the LAPD’s 21 patrol
divisions has been expected to
send extra bodies, including patrol
officers, supervisors, and detectives
to the front lines of the
fires. As a result, most low-level
calls such as burglaries or other
incidents where a suspect has
already fled the scene are not
receiving immediate attention.
LAPD officials instead are being
pressured to focus on opportunistic
thieves suspected of
using the chaos of the fires to
burglarize the homes of people
who have fled the area. Within
one week, prosecutors charged
nine people with looting in areas
devastated by two major fires,
including a trio suspected of
stealing $200,000 worth of valuables
from a home.
Officers in Pacific Palisades
enforcing the evacuation zone
perimeter have faced criticism
from frustrated homeowners
who just want to return to their
homes. LAPD is part of a new
state and federal task force to
help combat wildfire-related
crimes, including home breakins,
arson and flying drones over
restricted airspace.
Chuck Wexter of the Police Executive
Research Forum said law
enforcement agencies across
the country are taking notice of
the LAPD’s performance. He said,
“Whether you believe it’s climate
change or not, Los Angeles will
be a wake-up call for everybody.”
NBC4 reported that on
Wednesday, January 15th, LAPD
announced that two more people
were arrested for allegedly
setting small fires in Los Angeles.
Police responded to Glenoaks
and Van Nuys boulevards around
5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, January
14th and found a suspect detained
by a resident for allegedly
setting a tree on fire. LAPD Chief
Jim McDonnell said the resident
was able to douse the fire and
call the police. He said when officers
arrived, the suspect admitted
to setting the fire, saying, “he
liked the smell of burning leaves.”
At 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, officers
responded to Santa Monica
Boulevard and Vermont Avenue,
where a suspect was setting fire
to piles of rubbish and trash. Mc-
Donnell said officers were able
to douse the fire and arrest the
suspect who told officers that
she “enjoyed causing chaos and
destruction.” McDonnell said,
“There are people out there who,
this is what they do.”
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The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 49
AROUND THE COUNTRY
NEW ORLEANS, LA.
Did the New Orleans police chief say ‘this was a tragic
event but there is a lot to enjoy...’? WTF is wrong with her?
NEW ORLEANS, LA. – The New
Orleans police chief and the FBI
agent who held a press conference
after a vehicle rammed into
a New Year crowd killing at least
10, came under massive fire over
their lack of clarity about what
happened.
Giving an overview of what
happened, New Orleans police
chief Anne Kirkpatrick said the
event started at about 3.15 AM
and it involved a man driving
a pickup truck down Bourbon
Street at a very fast pace and it
was very intentional behavior.
“This man was trying to run over
as many people as he possibly
could. It was not a DUI situation.
This is a more complex and more
serious based on the information
we have right now,” the police
chief said as she confirmed that
26 people were injured and 10
people killed. “That is why we
do not want anyone on Bourbon
Street today,” she added.
The perpetrator also fired on
police officers from the vehicle
and those two are in stable condition.
“Last night, we had over
300 officers here and because of
the mindset of this perpetrator,
he went around our barricades
in order to conduct this. He was
hellbent on creating the carnage
and the damage that he did.
Because of the nature and the indices
that we have on the scene,
the FBI will be taking over this
investigation,” the police chief
said.
Then the police chief said she
wanted the community and the
visitors to enjoy the city. “There is
so much to enjoy about New Orleans
and we are going to make
sure that our routes in the Superdome
are safe today for the game
and yet we had this tragic event
and we’re sorry again to everyone
in our community but we do
want you to go about the day, as
we say, just stay away from Bourbon,”
the police chief said adding
that she would not take further
questions.
X users were shocked that the
police chief wanted people to go
on about their day after 10 people
were killed. “Yeah, this was a
tragic event but the there is a lot
to enjoy in New Orleans and we
want you to go about enjoying
your day,” said the New Orleans
police chief. WTF kind of thing is
that to say right after 10 people
are massacred.” one user wrote.
“What a clown show of leadership
in New Orleans. Who in
the world says go have a good
time after a tragic event like this,”
another wrote.
50 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 51
AROUND THE COUNTRY
NEW ORLEANS, LA.
New barriers coming to Bourbon Street not designed to stop truck
attacks like on New Year’s Day. Where are the barriers from 2017?
By Ben Myers
The new bollards being installed
along Bourbon Street in the French
Quarter are not designed to stop the
type of truck attacks that have hit
cities around the world and claimed
the lives of 14 people on New Year’s
Day in New Orleans, according to
city design documents, meeting
minutes and people familiar with
bollard system design.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration
is replacing the protective
poles known as bollards that in 2017
were placed along Bourbon to help
prevent against acts of terrorism
involving large trucks. The project
got underway in November and
is not yet complete, which is why
bollards were not in place when
Shamsud-Din Jabbar turned onto
Bourbon from Canal Street to begin
his deadly rampage.
The 2017 bollards, manufactured
by U.K.-based Heald, are rated
to withstand a collision with a
15,000-pound vehicle moving at 40
miles per hour, according to Heald’s
website. That is roughly the weight
of a medium-size delivery truck.
When announcing the project, city
leaders referenced the 2016 attack
in Nice, France, where a cargo truck
was driven into crowds, killing 86
people.
To replace those bollards, the
Cantrell administration is installing
a system rated to withstand col-
lisions with 5,000-pound vehicles
moving at approximately 10 miles
per hour. The rating of the new
system, S-10, is at the lowest end
of the rating scale for protective
bollards. Jabbar’s F-150 Lightning
weighed approximately 6,000
pounds and appeared in videos to
be moving far faster than 10mph after
making it on to Bourbon Street.
S-10 rated bollards are typically
used to protect storefronts from
slow-moving vehicles or to guard
against miscues when drivers are
exiting parking lots, according to
Scott Rosenbloom, who has owned
bollard manufacturing companies
and worked in bollard sales for 40
years.
The rating of the new system “is
exponentially, far less than what
they currently have,” said Rosenbloom.
“The only time I see these products
used at this rating is for what
we call storefront safety, which is
pedal misapplication, not terrorism,”
Rosenbloom said. “You want
to protect the front of the store because
some guy hit the gas instead
of the brake.”
Why did New Orleans choose
this type of bollard?
The Cantrell administration did
not respond to questions on why
the S-10 bollards were chosen, or if
it is considering changes to its new
system after the New Year’s Day
attack. Explaining why the current
bollards were not in place before
the attack, Cantrell said during a
news conference on Wednesday
that the new bollard installation
was timed to be complete ahead of
the Super Bowl on Feb. 9.
“Because the city of New Orleans
was hosting the Super Bowl this
year, it gave (the city) an oppor-
52 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
CLICK TO WATCH
tunity to go further and deeper
with infrastructure improvements,”
Cantrell said.
Project details on the city’s website
say that the new system will
provide several benefits, including
“eliminating pedestrian tripping
hazards,” improving sidewalks,
improving pedestrian safety “by
extending pedestrian mall closure
intersection to intersection,” and
making the bollards easier to move
into place.
The project details don’t include
any mention of potential terrorist
attacks.
Construction of the new bollards
followed a study of the existing
system and meetings with French
Quarter residents and business
owners, according to a press release
on Wednesday to address
questions about why there weren’t
permanent barriers in place ahead
of the attack. The previous bollards,
which moved on tracks, were
difficult to maintain because they
frequently filled with gunk, and at
some point they became inoperable.
French Quarter residents and
business owners complained to the
city for years about the need for a
new system. Interfor International,
a security consulting firm, strongly
recommended immediate repairs to
the system in a 2020 report commissioned
by the French Quarter
Management District.
A crash rating scale for bollards
based on 5,000-pound vehicles was
deemed the best choice “based off
the worst-case scenario,” according
to December 2023 meeting minutes
for workshops at City Hall conducted
by Mott MacDonald, the project
engineering firm. The minutes do
not say who determined that rating
should be used.
Are other lines of defense coming
to Bourbon Street?
In addition to going with bollards
which offered protection on that
lesser weight scale, known as the
ASFM F3016, officials chose bollards
with the lowest designation on that
scale.
“It’s the lowest of the low,” said
Jeff Halaut, a security consultant
who advises governmental clients.
“I don’t know any consultant or
any engineering or design firm that
knows anything about crash ratings
that would put an S-10 in a target-rich
environment.”
Mott MacDonald meeting minutes
suggest the city was considering an
S-10 rating because bollards would
not be the only line of defense in
trying to secure Bourbon Street.
It’s not clear what other barriers
the Cantrell administration might
be considering for the Super Bowl.
A wedge barrier in the 100 block of
Bourbon Street was not deployed
on New Year’s Eve but has been
deployed in the aftermath of the
attack. In past years, the city has
also deployed archer barriers and
temporarily blocked Bourbon Street
with a large truck.
Rosenbloom said he was baffled
at the city’s decision to install a
bollard system with significantly
less protection, even if it is easier to
use.
“Why did they feel the need for a
lesser rating?” Rosenbloom asked.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 53
AROUND THE COUNTRY
SAN ANTONIO, TX.
Seven San Antonio Police Officers were shot while responding to a "suicide in
progress call." The suspect was later found deceased after a stand-off with SWAT.
SAN ANTONIO, TX. – San Antonio
police have identified a man
accused of shooting seven police
officers in Stone Oak during a
response to a suicide in progress
call.
The suspect, identified as
Brandon Scott Poulos, 46, was
found dead after the standoff on
Wednesday night, police said.
Poulos was out on bond for an
arrest the previous weekend.
The shooting happened at
around 8:30 p.m., when officers
responded to a report of a
suicide in progress. SAPD Chief
William McManus said a total of
seven officers were shot by the
suspect as they responded.
As of 12:25 p.m. Thursday, six
of those officers were released
from the hospital. The seventh
officer who is still in the hospital
is expected to make a full recovery,
according to a SAPD page.
The officers were dispatched
to a suicide in progress call
at an apartment complex in
the 18700 block of Stone Oak
Parkway just before 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday.
When they arrived, a woman
exited the apartment and said
Poulos was shooting inside and
he was coming out of the apartment.
Poulos exited the apartment
and opened fire, police said.
During a news conference just
after 10 p.m. Wednesday, SAPD
Chief William McManus said the
first officer arrived at the scene
and was shot in the leg.
At some point, Poulos went
back inside the apartment and
began shooting at officers, the
report states.
A second officer arrived and
was also shot, according to Mc-
Manus. A third and fourth officer
later arrived and were shot as
well.
The fourth officer suffered a
gunshot wound to their upper
body, SAPD said.
During an update at 2 a.m.
Thursday, McManus confirmed
that an additional three SAPD
officers had been shot.
As we went live, all but one
of the seven officers had been
released from the hospital.
McManus said that the suspect
barricaded himself inside the
apartment complex for several
hours.
McManus said Thursday that
officers found the suspect dead
in the apartment. It is unclear if
he died of self-inflicted gunshot
wounds or if he died by SAPD
gunfire.
The officers each have between
four and eight years of service
with the department. They will
be placed on administrative duty
until further notice.
54 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
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The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 55
AROUND THE COUNTRY
ROMA, TX.
US Border Patrol reportedly captured Russian mercenary
carrying drone, 2 passports and $4K.
By Greg Wehner,
Fox News
ROMA, TX. – A Russian mercenary
was arrested by U.S. Border
Patrol agents in January after
he illegally entered the U.S. near
Roma, Texas, according to reports.
ValleyCentral.com in Harlingen,
Texas reported that agents
encountered Timur Praliev after
he crossed the Rio Grande into
Texas, carrying two passports
and $4,000 on Jan. 4, 2025. He
was ultimately arrested.
A criminal complaint acquired
by the station shows that Praliev
was questioned about his
citizenship during the encounter
and stated he was a citizen of
Kazakhstan.
Another court document shows
Praliev appeared in court with
counsel and entered a guilty plea
of knowingly and unlawfully
entering the U.S. at a place other
than as designated by immigration
officers.
During the court hearing, Assistant
U.S. Attorney Amanda Mc-
Colgan reportedly told the judge
Praliev was also in possession of
a drone in his backpack when he
crossed into the U.S.
She added that when questioned,
Praliev admitted to being
a member of the Wagner Group.
The judge presiding over the
case ruled Praliev was guilty
as charged and ordered a term
of imprisonment plus a special
assessment of $10.
The station reported that when
Praliev was asked if he had anything
to say, he said “Nyet.”
In 2023, the U.S. Department
of Treasury designated the
Wagner group as a significant
transnational criminal organization,
which resulted in sanctions
against the group and its supported
network across multiple
continents.
The Wagner Group has operated
across several regions,
including the Middle East, Africa
and Venezuela, and has long
caused “no end of problems for
U.S. policymakers.”
Since its inception in 2014, the
group has been considered a
proxy group of the Russian state
abroad, according to the Center
for Strategic and International
Studies (CSIS). The group rose to
prominence during the Russian
invasion of Ukraine.
The group currently has approximately
50,000 personnel
deployed to Ukraine, including
10,000 contractors and 40,000
convicts, according to U.S. officials.
56 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
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The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 57
AROUND THE COUNTRY
REVERE, MA.
Dominican illegal immigrant arrested in ‘emergency shelter’ with fentanyl worth
over $1 million and carrying an AR-15.
By Matthew Holloway,
Law Enforcement Today
REVERE, MA. - An illegal
immigrant from the Dominican
Republic was arrested for possession
of over $1 million worth
of fentanyl and an AR-15 rifle
on December 27 in a state taxpayer-subsidized
hotel room of
Massachusetts’ emergency housing
program.
Leonardo Andujar Sanchez, 28,
as reported by Fox News, was
arrested by the Revere Police
Department and was arrested
on firearm charges, including an
alien in possession of a firearm,
and for possession of about 10
pounds of the lethal synthetic
drug.
According to a press release
from Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) Andujar Sanchez
is currently in state custody
and is under an immigration
detainer.
Enforcement and Removal
Operations Boston acting Field
Office Director Patricia H. Hyde
told reporters, “Mr. Andujar
has been accused of serious
crimes, and ERO Boston takes
its public safety mission very
seriously — which is why we’ve
lodged an immigration detainer
against him with Revere police.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
has charged him with
possessing dangerous weapons
and drug trafficking, and with
the Revere Police Department’s
cooperation, we intend to take
him into ICE custody upon his
release.”
The release noted that in a
Spanish language interview officers
with the ERO found that he
entered the United States illegally
in the past year, but were
unable to determine his point
of entry. In total, Andujar Sanchez
was arraigned on charges
for “possessing a firearm and a
large capacity feeding device,
possessing a firearm in a felony,
being an alien in possession of
a firearm, the unlicensed sale or
possession of an assault weapon,
and trafficking in 200 grams
or more of heroin, morphine,
opium or fentanyl.”
As The Boston Herald reports,
a Republican State Senator of
Massachusetts has demanded
that the court records in Andujar
Sanchez’s case be made public.
“If there’s anything I can do to
effectuate change it’s demanding
that the documents in this case
be made public,” Sen. Ryan Fattman,
told reporters Friday.“The
public has a right to know what
they’re funding.”
The outlet reported that the
Dominican illegal immigrant
was arrested at a Quality Inn
used by the state to shelter migrants
where he and his family
had reportedly stayed since
October 15th citing information
from the Executive Office of
Housing & Livable Communities
(EOHLC).
EOHLC spokesman Noah Bombard
told the Herald that the
suspect was evicted from the
shelter following his arrest. “We
took immediate action to terminate
this individual from the EA
system, and we confirmed with
federal immigration officials that
they have lodged a detainer.”
58 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 59
AROUND THE COUNTRY
CITIES ACROSS AMERICA
"Border Czar" Tom Homan says over 3000 Illegal Aliens have been arrested so
far in raids all across America.
CITIES ACROSS AMERICA — Federal
authorities have arrested more
than 3000 migrants, according to
President Donald Trump’s “border
czar” Tom Homan, who has carried
out deportation operations in nearly
10 major cities across the U.S.
Homan told The BLUES that as of
Thursday January 30th that of the
3000 arrested, at least 2,000 have
criminal records.
“The other ones are either fugitives
who’ve been through immigration
court, that became a fugitive,
or collaterals … in sanctuary cities
because they forced us in the community,”
Homan said.
The number of arrests in the first
three days of Trump’s presidency
represents about 10% of total arrests
made by Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) in FY2024.
Homan said the Biden administration
did not allow ICE to arrest migrants
unless they were convicted
of a serious crime, but that policy
no longer binds agents.
“There’s nothing in the Immigration
Nationality Act that says you
got to be convicted of a crime. If
you’re here illegally, you could be
removed,” he said. “Our focus is on
arresting public safety threats and
national security threats. That’s exactly
what we’re doing now.”
Raids have taken place in major
cities such as Boston, Denver, New
York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle,
Miami, Washington, D.C., and
Newark, N.J., according to media
reports.
Several of those, such as Newark,
are sanctuary cities, which are areas
that have refused to cooperate
with federal immigration authorities
in deportation proceedings.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said
in a statement Thursday that ICE
agents detained multiple people —
including U.S. citizens, a U.S. military
veteran and undocumented
individuals — without a warrant.
“Newark will not stand by idly
while people are being unlawfully
terrorized,” the statement read.
In Chicago, another sanctuary city,
Mayor Brandon Johnson launched
a campaign in conjunction with
the public transportation system
in which digital monitors at train
stations provide “know your rights”
information to migrants, reported
WLS-TV.
“Any of the measures that the
president is looking to execute
against working people in the city
of Chicago … ” Johnson said, according
to the outlet, “We will defend
our city. It’s just that simple.”
But Homan pushed back on sanctuary
cities, saying if they cooper-
60 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
ated by allowing ICE into local jails,
then federal agents wouldn’t have
to go into communities to arrest
people.
“They’re not letting us in the
county jail because of their sanctuary
laws, but if we can arrest the
bad guy in the safety and security
of a jail — which is safer for the
officer, safer for the aliens, safer for
the community — then it’d be a lot
less of the type of low-level offenders,
and be a lot less arrested,”
Homan said.
When agents are forced into the
community, “sanctuary cities will
get exactly what they don’t want:
more agents in neighborhoods and
more collateral arrests while we’re
doing this criminal operation,” he
said.
“I hope the sanctuary cities come
around,” he said.
Migrant deportation flights with military aircraft have begun.
WASHINGTON – The Trump
administration has started flying
immigrants who entered the
U.S. illegally out of the country
using military aircraft, a White
House spokesperson said Friday.
White House press secretary
Karoline Leavitt shared photos
on the social platform X of individuals
in handcuffs boarding a
military plane.
“Deportation flights have
begun,” Leavitt said. “President
Trump is sending a strong and
clear message to the entire
world: if you illegally enter the
United States of America, you
will face severe consequences.”
Trump made cracking down
on immigration his top issue in
the 2024 campaign, and administration
officials have sought
to aggressively tout any action
taken on that front in his first
few days in office.
The president took a slew of
executive actions on his first
day in office to limit the flow of
migrants in the United States.
Trump paused refugee admissions,
declared an emergency at
the southern border and increased
the U.S. military presence
at the border.
Trump’s Department of Homeland
Security also authorized
agents to carry out arrests at
sensitive locations including
schools, churches and businesses,
reversing a Biden administration
rule to not make arrests
in what was deemed as “sensitive
areas.”
“I said from Day 1, no one’s off
the table. If you’re in the United
States illegally, you got a problem,
but we’re focusing on public
safety threats first,” Trump’s
border czar, Tom Homan, told
NewsNation on Thursday.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 61
AROUND THE COUNTRY
ACROSS THE US
The Latest Breaking News as we go LIVE.
FLORIDA OFFICER FIRED AF-
TER SHE ACCIDENTALLY SHOT
A DRIVER WITH HIS OWN GUN
DURING A TRAFFIC STOp
By Kerry Breen
A Florida police officer has
been fired after she accidentally
shot a driver with his own gun
during a traffic stop.
Officer Shaun Lowry, of the
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office,
stopped driver Jason Arrington
for running a red light around
5:10 p.m. on December 13, 2024,
according to an internal affairs
report shared by the sheriff's
office. Officers Mindy Cardwell
and Austin Weippert assisted in
the stop.
Arrington, who police described
as "cooperative" during
the stop, informed Lowry that he
had a legal firearm on his body.
He complied with instructions
to step out of the vehicle, police
said on social media.
Cardwell then went to remove
the weapon, identified in the internal
affairs reported as a Glock
.45 semi-automatic pistol, from
a holster on Arrington's waistband.
According to the internal
affairs report, Cardwell "put
pressure on the trigger of the
firearm, causing the weapon to
fire a round into Arrington's right
leg."
Arrington told investigators
that Cardwell "jerked" the weapon
several times, causing the discharge,
according to the report.
Cardwell told investigators that
the holster was tight and "would
not come off" Arrington's waistband,
and said she had been
using her non-dominant hand to
remove the weapon.
Police released body camera
footage of the incident from all
three officers. After the gun goes
off, Lowry can be heard yelling
"Holy s---!" and Weippert can
be heard asking Arrington if he
is OK. Weippert and Lowry instructed
Cardwell to put the gun
down, and the pair then radioed
for help. Weippert can be
seen helping Arrington over to
the side of the road, and began
applying a tourniquet. Blood can
be seen on Arrington's pants leg.
Cardwell also helped provide
first aid.
Arrington was transported to
an area hospital in stable condition,
the internal affairs report
said. He told investigators that
the injury had made it harder to
do his job, which he said involved
operating equipment like
cranes and forklifts.
An internal affairs investigation
into Cardwell's behavior was
launched. A charge of incompetence
was filed against Cardwell,
and she has been fired, police
said.
Cardwell had been "working in
an off-duty capacity" under the
62 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
office's Group Violence Intervention
initiative, according to the
report. The initiative is meant
to reduce crime while fostering
relationships between law enforcement
and the public, local
media reported.
The incident resulted in new
policy from the sheriff's office
about how to deal with encounters
where someone is legally
armed, according to the internal
affairs report. Now, officers
should not seize a firearm if a
person is lawfully carrying it,
according to the report.
BIDEN COMMUTES 2,500
MORE SENTENCES IN FINAL
DAYS OF PRESIDENCY
WASHINGTON D.C. – President
Joe Biden commuted the
sentences of nearly 2,500 more
inmates in the final days of his
presidency. He previously completed
the largest single day
grant of clemency on December
12th when he commuted
sentences for 1,500 people and
pardoned 39 others according to
Fox News.
“Today’s clemency action
provides relief for individuals
who received lengthy sentences
based on discredited distinctions
between crack and powder
cocaine, as well as outdated
sentencing enhancements for
drug crimes,” Biden said in a
statement.
The president said now is the
time to “equalize these sentencing
disparities” as recognized
through the Fair Sentencing Act
of 2010 and the First Step Act of
2018.
The decision puts Biden thousands
of cases ahead of all other
presidents who have issued acts
of clemency during their terms.
“With this action, I have now
issued more individual pardons
and commutations than any
president in U.S. history,” Biden
said.
Biden has always looked to be
a legacy president, often comparing
himself to Eisenhower or
Lincoln but sadly, the commuter
in chief will be one of the few so
called “accomplishments” he can
boast about actually doing.
The problem is that the story
also began with Joe Biden. He
was the architect of the 1994
Crime Bill that launched the
“three strikes” mantra, throwing
thousands of black men in prison
for life for drug offenses.
He has never apologized or
acknowledged his role and that
lack of responsibility is the true
legacy of a failed president.
OKLAHOMA SENATOR REFUS-
ES TO PROVIDE ID AFTER AL-
LEGEDLY RUNNING STOP SIGNS
TULSA, OK. – Oklahoma State
Senator Regina Goodwin has
been a vocal critique of law
enforcement through the years
but a recent interaction with
CLICK TO WATCH
a deputy doesn’t exactly show
model behavior from a community
leader. Goodwin was pulled
over after a Tulsa County Deputy
allegedly observed her failing to
stop at two stop signs.
The deputy said that he intended
to give her a quick verbal
warning but that all changed
when Goodwin came out of her
car, began arguing, and refused
to give her drivers license to the
deputy.
The deputy asked for her license
over a dozen times and
finally places her in handcuffs to
take her to jail for the violation.
Once in the car, Goodwin’s
attorney and even the Mayor of
Tulsa showed up.
After finally obtaining her license,
Goodwin was written the
citation and released.
FBI ASSISTANT SPECIAL
AGENT IN CHARGE WHO SAID
NEW ORLEANS ATTACK 'NOT
A TERRORIST EVENT' REAS-
SIGNED
By Kelley Kramer, David Spunt,
Chris Pandolfo, Fox News
The FBI assistant special agent
in charge who told the media
and the public the New Orleans
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 63
attack was "not a terrorist event"
has been reassigned, Fox News
has learned.
Multiple sources tell Fox News
that FBI Assistant Special Agent
in Charge Alethea Duncan has
been temporarily reassigned following
her initial press conference
in which she stated: "This is
not a terrorist event."
It was terrorism. After the
original presser, the FBI put out a
statement using the word "terrorism."
Attorney General Merrick
Garland and President Biden
also used the word "terrorism" in
their statements.
No other details were offered
about Duncan’s position change,
but she is still with the FBI.
HOUSE PASSES LAKEN RILEY
ACT IN BIPARTISAN VOTE, BILL
HEADS TO PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
DESK
WASHINGTON, DC - In what is
a small measure of closure for
the family of Laken Riley, Jocelyn
Nungary, and other victims
of illegal aliens, the House on
Wednesday passed the Laken Riley
Act, and it will head to President
Trump’s desk to be signed
into law, Fox News reports.
The House passed the bill, with
all Republicans voting in favor
and 48 Democrats supporting it.
Earlier in the week, the Senate–
also controlled by Republicans–
passed the bill 64-35;
however, it added measures to
deport illegal aliens who assault
a police officer or who cause
death or “serious bodily injury”
of another person.
Most Democrats were against
the bill, claiming that by shipping
those accused but not
convicted of a crime out of the
country it would amount to a
“slippery slope.” However, supporters
of the bill said that people
here illegally have already
broken the law.
It should be noted that in 2024,
the bill garnered less Democrat
support than it did this month.
Last year, then-Senate Majority
Leader Chuck Schumer refused
to even put the bill up for a
vote. Now, with a “new sheriff
in town” in the form of a Republican
majority, the bill easily
skated through the House and
Senate.
“Nothing ever happens in this
town up here until the American
people demand it,” Rep. Mike
Collins (R-GA), the bill’s lead
sponsor, told Fox News Digital
about the shift in support from
Democrats.
“And they have been screaming
at the top of their lungs for
something to happen to fix the
border problem.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Randy Feenstra
(R-IA) led Sarah’s Law, an
amendment adopted within the
bill. He told Fox News Digital,
“Nearly a decade ago, 21-yearold
Sarah Root’s life was tragically
cut short when she was
killed by an illegal immigrant
who was driving while drunk.
Sarah’s Law not only delivered
justice for the Root family but
also ensures that any illegal
immigrant who harms or kills an
American citizen is swiftly detained
and prosecuted.”
Laken Riley was a nursing
student who was killed in broad
daylight by an illegal alien while
jogging on the University of
Georgia’s campus. The illegal,
Jose Ibarra, was sentenced to
life in prison for Laken Riley’s
murder. He had been previously
arrested but was never detained
by ICE.
Jocelyn Nungaray was a
12-year-old who was raped and
killed by two illegal aliens from
Venezuela in Houston. The two
illegals, Franklin Pena and Johan
Martinez-Rangel, are facing the
death penalty in connection with
Jocelyn’s death.
Laken and Jocelyn are but two
victims of the previous administration’s
open border policies,
which allowed over an estimated
twelve million illegal alien
invaders into the country.
CLICK HERE FOR YOUR
FREE SUBSCRIPTION
64 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 65
TRUMP PARDONS TWO DC
METRO POLICE OFFICERS CON-
VICTED IN DEATH OF MOPED
RIDER DURING PURSUIT
WASHINGTON, DC - In October
2020, a DC Metro Police officer
pursued a moped operated by
Karon Hylton-Brown, 20, according
to a release by the Department
of Justice from September
12, 2024. According to the release,
the pursuit was “unauthorized.”
During the pursuit,
Hylton-Brown was struck by an
uninvolved vehicle as he drove
out of an alley and died from his
injuries.
As a result, Officer Terrence D.
Sutton, 40, and Lieutenant Andrew
Zabavsky, 56, were charged
with his death and sentenced to
jail. Now, after former President
Joe Biden established a precedent
for unmitigated pardons,
President Trump has agreed to
pardon the two officers, NBC
Washington reports.
During a signing ceremony in
the Oval Office, President Trump
said he was working on pardons
for Sutton and Zabavsky, who
were sentenced to 66 and 48
months respectively.
“We are looking at two police
officers, actually, Washington
police officers, that went after
an illegal, and things happened,
and they ended up putting them
in jail,” Trump said. “They got
five-year jail sentences. You
know the case. And we’re looking
at that in order to give them, uh,
we gotta give them a break.”
The incident began when
Hylton-Brown was operating
a moped on a sidewalk in the
Brightwood Park area of Northwest
DC. Sutton attempted to
stop him, and according to the
DOJ release, the suspect refused.
Sutton then began chasing
the suspect “on neighborhood
streets for minutes, over more
than 10 blocks,” at what was
referred to as “unreasonable
speed,” including the wrong
way on a one-way street. The
suspect drove out of the alley,
where he was hit by the vehicle.
Prosecutors allege that Sutton
and Zavavsky, who supervised
the Fourth Police District’s Crime
Suppression team, conspired to
cover up the details of the pursuit
and subsequent crash.
The officers were accused of
not preserving the crash site and
allowing the driver of the vehicle
that struck Hylton-Brown to
leave the scene 20 minutes after
the crash. Both officers allegedly
turned off their body-worn cameras,
conferred privately, and
left, the release said.
Once at the station, the DOJ
alleges the two officers “continued
the cover-up,” claiming
they misled their commanding
officer about what happened
by “substantially downplaying
its seriousness, denying that a
police chase had even occurred,
and omitting any mention of Mr.
Hylton-Brown’s critical injuries.”
They wrote that Zabavsky also
claimed that the suspect was a
drunk driver.
The DOJ further claimed that
both officers “hid their direct involvement
in the incident” while
saying, "Sutton drafted a police
report that memorialized a false
narrative of the incident.”
Hylton-Brown died from his
injuries two days later.
The officers were arrested,
and following a nine-week
trial, Sutton was found guilty of
second-degree murder, conspiracy
to obstruct, and obstruction
of justice. The same jury found
Zabavsky guilty of conspiracy
to obstruct and obstruction of
justice. In addition to the prison
terms, both officers were
ordered to serve three years of
supervised release.
President Trump granted full
pardons to Sutton and Zabavsky.
Although sentenced to prison
last year, the two officers had
remained free on bond. Now,
their sentences have been expunged.
66 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
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The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 67
OHIO OFFICER SHOT IN
HEAD, SUSPECT, 4-YEAR-
OLD BYSTANDER KILLED IN
SHOOTOUT
By Mike Stunson,
The Bradenton Herald
ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP, OH. — A
4-year-old girl died after being
struck by a stray bullet during a
shootout involving police, Ohio
authorities say.
The incident began just after
2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22,
when officers in St. Clair Township
responded to a report about
a possible suicidal man, police
said. Within moments, the man
opened fire on the officers.
Officers returned fire, striking
and killing the 30-year-old
armed suspect, according to the
St. Clair Township Police Department.
But an officer and 4-yearold
girl were also struck during
the exchanging of gunfire.
Police said Detective Dakota
Wetzel was shot in the head,
and he was taken to a Pittsburgh
hospital in critical condition. In a
Thursday morning update, police
said he was upgraded to stable
condition.
“Detective Wetzel was able to
open his eyes and give family
members a thumbs up overnight,”
police said. “He remains
in intensive care at the hospital
but we are optimistic.”
The 4-year-old girl, however,
did not survive her injuries, the
department said. She was shot
when a bullet came through
a neighboring business, which
WTAE and WEWS reported was
a dentist office, and she died
after being taken to a separate
hospital.
Police identified the girl as Rosalie
Martin. She was shot in the
head, her grandmother said in a
Facebook post.
“This tragedy has left this family
in shambles,” loved ones said
in a GoFundMe.
St. Clair Township is in Columbiana
County, about a 45-mile
drive northwest from Pittsburgh.
FORMER ARK. OFFICER AR-
RESTED, CHARGED IN ASSAULT
OF HANDCUFFED INMATE
Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, AK. — A former
Arkansas police officer who
was caught on video beating a
handcuffed inmate in the back
of his patrol car last year has
been arrested and charged with
aggravated assault.
Former Jonesboro Police Officer
Joseph Tucker Harris, 29, was
arrested on Tuesday on charges
of felony charges of aggravated
assault, filing a false report, and
misdemeanor third-degree battery.
Harris was released from
a county detention center on
$15,000 bond.
Harris was fired in August after
he was caught on his patrol car
camera punching, elbowing and
slamming a car door against the
head of detainee Billy Lee Coram,
who was being transferred
from a local hospital back to
jail in Craighead County.
The federal lawsuit Coram
filed against Harris, the city
of Jonesboro and Jonesboro’s
police chief over the beating is
scheduled to go to trial in May
2026. Coram’s lawsuit claims
his constitutional rights were
violated.
In a roughly 12-minute video,
Coram is wearing a hospital
gown and choking himself with
a seatbelt wrapped around his
neck as the car is moving. After
the car pulls over, Harris opens
the door and punches and elbows
Coram several times in the
face as he unwinds the belt.
Harris later slams the car door
against Coram’s head. According
to the federal lawsuit, Coram
had been taken to the hospital
after ingesting a baggie of
fentanyl and had run away from
the hospital when he panicked.
He had wrapped the seatbelt
around his neck to try and gag
himself to dislodge the fentanyl
he believed was still in his system,
the lawsuit said.
68 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
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The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 69
WASH. OFFICER SENTENCED
TO 16 YEARS IN PRISON IN FA-
TAL SHOOTING
By Martha Bellisle
Associated Press
SEATTLE — A suburban Seattle
police officer was sentenced
Thursday to over 16 years in prison
for the 2019 shooting death of
a homeless man he was trying
to arrest for disorderly conduct,
marking the first conviction
under a Washington state law
that made it easier to prosecute
officers for on-duty killings.
A jury found Auburn police
Officer Jeffrey Nelson guilty June
27 of second-degree murder and
first-degree assault in the death
of Jesse Sarey.
King County Superior Court
Judge Nicole Gaines Phelps sentenced
Nelson to just over 16 1/2
years for the murder conviction
and 6 1/2 years for assault, to be
served concurrently.
Before sentencing Nelson at
the high end of the standard
range, Phelps chastised the
46-year-old officer for his violent
behavior in uniform.
“Respect for the law, here, goes
more beyond you, Officer Nelson,”
Phelps said. “This is the first
case in which a police officer
was charged and it in some ways
serves as a telescope for others
to view police conduct and for
police to remember to abide by
their training when engaging in
situations so that they do not become
lethal to them or to others
they are sworn to protect and
serve.”
Nelson, seated in a packed
courtroom in a red short-sleeve
jail uniform, his arms covered
in tattoos and his hair cut short,
showed no emotion as the judge
spoke. His wife and other Auburn
police officers sat behind him in
his support, while Sarey’s friends
and family filled the other side of
the courtroom.
Prosecutors had said at trial in
June that Nelson punched Sarey
several times before shooting
him in the abdomen. Seconds
later, Nelson shot Sarey in the
forehead. Nelson had claimed
Sarey tried to grab his gun and a
knife, so he shot him in self-defense,
but video showed Sarey
was on his back with his head
positioned away from Nelson
after the first shot.
King County Special Prosecutor
Patty Eakes, citing Nelson’s long
history of violence and disregard
for his training, asked the judge
to sentence him at the higher
end of the standard range: 18
years for murder and 10 for the
assault conviction.
FATHER, SON SAVE NORTH
CAROLINA DEPUTY AND K-9
AFTER PURSUIT CRASH
The Cleveland County (North
Carolina) Sheriff’s Office is
thanking a father and son for
helping save a deputy and
sheriff’s dog after a fiery crash
Wednesday night.
Sheriff Alan Norman said Deputy
Robert Taylor was pursuing
four armed robbery suspects in
a high-speed chase when his
patrol car hit a tree head-on.
Taylor was badly injured, and his
patrol vehicle quickly went up in
flames, WBTV reports.
Not far from the crash, Curtis
Blanton and his 17-year-old son,
Pete, were home listening to a
police scanner. They drove to the
scene, and found Deputy Taylor
on the ground outside his vehicle,
unable to move.
The Blanton’s pulled Taylor
away from the burning vehicle,
and rescued K-9 Thanos, as well.
Captain Justin Etters, patrol
commander with the sheriff’s
office said Deputy Taylor had
surgery on Thursday, is in good
spirits, and in stable condition.
WOUNDED RALEIGH OFFICER
IDENTIFIED, REMAINS CRITICAL
RALEIGH, NC. – The Raleigh
(North Carolina) Police Department
has released the identity
of the officer who was critically
wounded during a shootout in a
residential area on Tuesday.
Police said First Class Officer
Max Gillick is in critical con-
70 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
First Class Officer Max Gillick
dition after he was shot while
responding to a house where a
person started shooting at officers.
An officer called for backup
and the person continued shooting.
During the gunfire exchange,
Gillick was wounded and the
suspect was killed.
RPD said Gillick has worked
with the department since June
2022 and served in the Army as a
Captain in Field Artillery with the
82nd Airborne. He was honorably
discharged from the Army before
joining RPD, ABC11 reports.
HOUSTON RECRUITS TO RE-
CEIVE $1K STIPENDS TO HELP
WITH PURCHASE OF DUTY
WEAPONS
HOUSTON, TX. — Beginning in
2025, Houston Police Academy
graduates will receive a $1,000
stipend to help cover the cost of
firearms, a policy change aimed
at easing financial burdens for
new recruits, the Houston Chronicle
reported.
The Houston Police Foundation
is providing funding for the program,
which will benefit 64 cadets
in the upcoming graduating
class, according to the report.
Doug Griffith, president of the
Houston Police Officers Union,
said the stipend is a significant
step forward. He noted that a
new firearm typically costs between
$800 and $900 plus tax.
Despite the stipend, cadets
will still need to purchase their
firearms before qualifying for
reimbursement upon graduation,
according to the report.
Currently, cadets are required
to buy their own firearms at the
start of training, and officers
receive a $2,000 annual equipment
allowance after their first
year of service. This stipend can
also cover firearm expenses, but
it is not immediately available,
according to the report.
Cadets entering the academy
also receive a $10,000 hiring
bonus, paid in installments, with
$2,500 available upon joining,
which can be used for firearm
purchases or other personal expenses.
Houston’s approach to firearm
acquisition differs from many
other large police departments,
some of which issue weapons
directly or allow recruits to
make their own purchases without
specific requirements. In
Houston, officers must buy
their own firearms and adhere
to departmental guidelines on
acceptable models.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 71
‘I’M TOO OLD FOR THIS SHIT’:
BWC VIDEO SHOWS MAN
SHOOTING N.Y. OFFICER IN
BULLET-RESISTANT VEST
Joanna Putman, Police1
ROCHESTER, N.Y.— The East
Rochester Police Department
has released body worn camera
footage showing the incident
that led to an officer and a
suspect being injured by gunfire,
WHAM reported.
Raymond Noel, 52, was sentenced
on Jan. 15 to 35 years
to life in prison for the Jan. 14,
2024, shooting of East Rochester
Police Officer Brad Steve, according
to the report.
The incident began when
officers Steve and Walsh had
responded to a 911 call at an
apartment when they encountered
Noel in the driveway, according
to the report. The video
shows Noel refusing commands
to remove his hands from his
pockets and attempting to enter
a home.
When Steve ordered Noel
to come back outside, gunfire
erupted. Steve shot Noel in the
upper torso, while Noel returned
fire, hitting Steve in his bulletproof
vest.
“I’m hit…I don’t know if it’s in
my vest,” Steve can be heard
saying into his radio.
Both Steve and Noel sustained
non-life-threatening injuries.
“I’m too old for this shit,” Steve
can be heard saying as he walks
away from the incident scene.
“I commend [the officers] for
their courage and professionalism
under extraordinarily dangerous
circumstances,” East
Rochester Police Chief Michael
Brandenburg said in a statement.
“It’s not anything that anybody
ever wants to deal with…" Steve
said. “At the end of the day,
there’s really no good outcome
in this.”
Noel’s sentencing follows a
jury conviction on charges including
attempted aggravated
murder, attempted aggravated
assault on a police officer and
two counts of criminal possession
of a weapon.
FBI RELEASES INVESTIGA-
TIVE UPDATE IN BOURBON
STREET ATTACK
NEW ORLEANS – The FBI,
along with our partners, continue
to work around the clock
to determine what motivated
Shamsud-Din Jabbar to drive his
truck into a crowd of people on
Bourbon Street. Thanks to the
overwhelming response from
the public, the FBI is closer to
getting answers for those families
who lost loved ones and the
other victims of the New Year’s
Day attack.
FBI Victim Services has identified
at least 57 individuals who
were physically injured, in addition
to the 14 deceased victims,
during the New Year’s Day attack.
A total of 136 victims have been
CLICK TO WATCH
identified, including two businesses
that suffered damages.
Evidence obtained in the ongoing
investigation indicates Jabbar
became a more devout Muslim
in 2022. During this time, Jabbar
began isolating himself from society.
Around the spring of 2024,
Jabbar began following extremist
views.
On November 10, 2024, Jabbar
took a train from Houston,
Texas to New Orleans and returned
to Texas that evening on
a bus. While in the city, Jabbar
looked at an apartment for rent
on Orleans Street. Just days after
his travel he applied to rent the
apartment but later told the
landlord he changed his mind.
An initial review of his electronics
shows Jabbar conducted
many online searches. They included
how to access a balcony
on Bourbon Street, information
about Mardi Gras, and he researched
several shootings in the
city, as late as mid-November.
Just hours before the attack on
Bourbon Street, he also searched
for information about the car
that rammed into innocent victims
in a Christmas market in
Germany just ten days before.
72 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 73
To date, the FBI has reviewed
thousands of videos and photos
associated with this case. Many
of those images have come into
the FBI’s digital tip line. As the
investigation continues, we are
still asking anyone with information
or video of the incident
to reach out to www.fbi.gov/
bourbonstreetattack or call
1-800-CALL-FBI. The FBI will
not be providing any on-camera
interviews at this time.
MAN WHO TOLD DISPATCH-
ERS HE WOULD ‘SHOOT SOME-
BODY’ APPROACHES LEOS
WITH SCREWDRIVER BEFORE
OIS
By Andrea Klick Daily Breeze,
TORRANCE, CA. — Four officers
shot a man to death last
month in Torrance after he
refused to stop walking toward
them holding what they thought
was a knife, according to bodyworn
camera footage released
Wednesday, Jan. 15.
The video revealed the man
was actually armed with a
screwdriver, and that, prior to
the police encounter, he appeared
to be bleeding from
self-inflicted wounds. Audio
released by police also recorded
the man — for unknown reasons
— summoning police to his
location.
The man, later identified as
34-year-old Leonardo Diaz of
Los Angeles, called police dispatch
around 4:40 p.m. on Dec. 2
and reported a man was armed
with a gun in the 2900 block of
Oregon Court, south of Del Amo
Boulevard and east of Maple
Avenue, the Torrance Police Department
said in a Critical Incident
Community Briefing Video.
When a dispatcher asked
where the suspect was, the
caller said he was the one with a
gun, according to a recording of
the 911 call.
“I’m gonna shoot somebody,”
the caller said. “I’m gonna stab
somebody.”
The dispatcher asked the
caller why he wanted to shoot
someone, but the call dropped
or hung up, according to the
recording. A dispatcher tried to
call the man back, but the call
hung up again, police said.
Officers responded to the area,
and police used technology to
locate and identify the caller as
Diaz.
Police found Diaz in the driver’s
seat of a green Dodge Charger
on Oregon and planned to approach
him.
An officer told Diaz, who had
his driver’s side door ajar, to roll
down all of his windows, open
his door all the way and make
his hands visible multiple times,
body-worn camera footage
showed.
At one point, Diaz appears to
open the door further and look
back at officers before pulling
the door back again. Officers
said they believe he has a knife
CLICK TO WATCH
and is bleeding, according to the
body-worn camera footage.
Dispatch audio released by police
recorded someone summoning
less-lethal resources to the
scene, but it wasn’t clear if any
officer with a less-lethal weapon
was on scene or used such a
weapon.
An officer tells Diaz repeatedly
to open the door, show his hands
and drop the item. Diaz then exits
the car and continues to walk
towards officers while they tell
him to turn around and get on
the ground, which he fails to do,
the footage shows.
Four officers then shoot at Diaz
with lethal weapons. As he falls
to the ground, officers continue
to command him to drop what
they believed was a knife, according
to the body-worn footage.
After the shooting, police rendered
medical aid to Diaz and
contacted paramedics with the
Torrance Fire Department, who
pronounced Diaz dead at the
scene.
Diaz appeared to have multiple
wounds to his wrists and body
that police believe were there
before the shooting.
74 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 75
NYPD OFFICERS NOT AL-
LOWED TO PURSUE SUSPECTED
TRAFFIC VIOLATORS WHO FLEE
STOPS UNDER NEW POLICY
By Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News
NEW YORK — NYPD officers
will no longer be allowed to
chase after vehicles fleeing
car stops under a new department-wide
policy that only
allows pursuits when a felony
crime or a violent misdemeanor
is committed.
The new guidelines, effective
Feb. 1, come amid rampant criticism
over the last few years that
the department routinely engages
in unnecessary police pursuits
that lead to crashes and injure
other motorists and pedestrians.
Instead of following fleeing
drivers responsible for traffic
violations, the department will
rely on “advanced tools of modern-day
policing” to track down
and apprehend the suspects, Police
Commissioner Jessica Tisch
said, although she didn’t say
what kind of tools will be used.
Police already utilize varying
tracking techniques, including
the use of drones and GPS trackers
that can be fired and affixed
to a fleeing vehicle.
“The NYPD’s enforcement
efforts must never put the public
or the police at undue risk,
and pursuits for violations and
low-level crimes can be both
potentially dangerous and unnecessary,”
Tisch said Wednesday,
claiming that with these
advanced tools, many pursuits
will be “unnecessary.”
COUPLE WITH FAKE FIRE
TRUCK BUSTED FOR IMPER-
SONATING FIREFIGHTERS
NEAR PALISADES FIRE IN LOS
ANGELES
Los Angeles authorities said a
couple was arrested for impersonating
firefighters after they
attempted to enter an evacuation
zone with a fake firetruck near
the Palisades Fire area.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's
Office confirmed to Fox
News Digital that Dustin Nehl,
31, and Jennifer Nehl, 44, were
arrested for Impersonating a
Firefighter and entering an evacuation
zone.
Officials said an LAPD patrol
unit was driving through the Palisades
Fire area with fire personnel
and noticed a fire truck that
did not appear to be legitimate.
The officers reached out to
deputies and shared that the
individuals in the phony fire truck
attempted to enter an evacuation
zone.
Upon approaching the truck,
officials said deputies noticed
that both suspects were wearing
turnout gear.
The occupants claimed to
be from the "Roaring River Fire
Department" in Oregon. However,
deputies learned that the
department was not legitimate,
and the truck was purchased at
an auction. The fire truck was
impounded by authorities.
Officials said the two occupants
were also wearing CAL-
Fire T-shirts under the turnout
gear, and had helmets and
radios.
The couple admitted to deputies
that they had entered the
evacuation zone.
Authorities uncovered that
Dustin Nehl has a criminal history
in Oregon, including criminal
mischief and arson.
They have been charged with
fraudulent impersonation of specific
fire personnel, unauthorized
activities with respect to badges
or related matters, and false
representation, LA County District
Attorney Nathan Hochman said,
according to FOX 11.
76 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
SPONSORSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES
ODMP
SUPPORTERS
2,900+
RUNNERS
600K+
SOCIAL MEDIA
FOLLOWERS
90K+
EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS
3.8M
WEBSITE USERS
92K
MOBILE APP USERS
JOIN US IN HONORING
FALLEN HEROES
Each year in the week surrounding National Peace Officers Memorial Day, over 26,000
law enforcement officers and their families visit Washington, D.C. to honor fallen law
enforcement heroes. In 2025, the 18th annual National Police Week 5K (NPW5K) will be
held in Arlington, Virginia during Police Week. The NPW5K not only raises awareness
of law enforcement line of duty deaths and pays tribute to those who have made the
ultimate sacrifice, it also generates funds for the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP)
and Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), two organizations that honor fallen officers
and provide support to their survivors. Last year's event raised more than $200,000 for
these organizations.
Statistics over the last decade show that on average 168* officers are killed in the line of
duty each year. The Officer Down Memorial Page pays tribute to each of those heroes and
is ranked as one of the top law enforcement websites in the United States. ODMP also
partners with organizations that provide free bulletproof vests to officers, honors the
hundreds of police canines who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty, and works
with initiatives like Below 100 that aim to improve officer safety and awareness.
The National Police Week 5K is attended by nearly 3000 runners annually from all over
the U.S. and around the world. The virtual NPW5K option, which allows participants to
run their own race wherever they are in support of those who gave their lives in the line
of duty, adds hundreds of additional participants to this event each year.
PO Box 1047
Fairfax, Virginia 22038
www.ODMP.org
information@odmp.org
Sponsorship of the National Police Week 5K is an ideal way to demonstrate your support
for the law enforcement community and to promote your organization to a wide
audience of like-minded supporters. Sponsors and donors are recognized on the NPW5K
event website, and are also featured in specific email and social media communications,
potentially reaching millions of our combined audience of LEOS and supporters. The
following page outlines the possible 2025 sponsorship opportunities. Thank you for your
consideration — we hope that we can count on your support.
* This average does not include the extraordinary number of deaths caused by the pandemic in 2020 and 2021
Contact: Amy Herrera | 5K@odmp.org
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 77
FLORIDA DEPUTY USES VEHI-
CLE TO TAKE DOWN SUSPECT
ON BIKE
FLAGLER COUNTY, FL. – A
Flagler County Sheriff's deputy
used his patrol vehicle to take
down a suspect on a bike who
reportedly brandished a handgun
that was observed by the deputy.
Late on the night of January 4,
a Flagler County (Florida) Sheriff’s
Deputy encountered a man
on a bicycle in Palm Coast who
refused to stop and speak, fled
from the deputy, and brandished
a handgun, the sheriff’s office
said on Facebook.
Deputy Christopher Murphy
nudged the suspect with the
fender of his patrol vehicle and
knocked him off the bike. Murphy
then took the suspect into custody
with the assistance of Deputy
Michael Anderson.
The suspect has been identified
by law enforcement as
Michael McDermott. A 9mm
Ruger firearm was recovered
near McDermott, who was found
wearing a holster for the weapon,
the sheriff’s office said.
McDermott was arrested for
Assault or Battery on a Law Enforcement
Officer, Fleeing and
Eluding, Resisting an Officer with
Violence, and Possession of a
Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He
was transported to AdventHealth
Palm Coast Parkway due to a
minor injury to his right ankle.
After being treated and released,
he was taken to the Sheriff Perry
Hall Inmate Detention Facility.
McDermott has an extensive
arrest history in Flagler County
since 2013 and prior to his
arrest had been released from
the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate
Detention Facility on December
17, 2024, after serving a 90-day
sentence for Possession of Fentanyl.
DETROIT OFFICER KILLED IN
CRASH DRIVING HOME FROM
SHIFT
Detroit Police Officer Cameron
Richardson was killed in a
vehicle crash shortly after midnight
Sunday while driving home
from his shift. The other driver
reportedly fled the scene. Richardson,
was driving home in a
Jeep Wrangler after working a
shift when a motorist allegedly
attempted to make a turn into
an intersection and hit the Jeep,
causing it to roll, CBS reports.
The vehicle that hit the Jeep,
described by witnesses as a
white van, left the scene, but
was found a short distance from
the intersection, the Michigan
State Police say. A firearm was
reportedly found in the van.
The driver of the van, identified
CLICK TO WATCH
Officer Cameron Richardson
by authorities as a 28-year-old
man, is not in custody. Police are
in close contact with the man's
family, and asking that he turn
himself in.
Officer Richardson is survived
by two daughters, ages 12 and
14, and his parents John and
Mona.
CLICK HERE
FOR YOUR
FREE
SUBSCRIPTION
Delivered to your inbox every month.
78 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
VETERAN COLORADO DEP-
UTY RESIGNS OVER WORK IN
ADULT VIDEOS
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, CO – An
Arapahoe County, Colorado,
Sheriff’s deputy resigned last
week in the midst of a department
internal investigation into
her performing in adult videos,
jobs she says she took out of
economic “desperation."
Shannon Lofland, a 21-year
veteran of the sheriff’s office,
told CBS News Colorado she
started performing in adult videos
because "I was desperate, I
was drowning. I found a legal,
lucrative means for providing
that support for my family that
I needed at that time to save
my home for them and feed my
family."
The 44-year-old wife and
mother had been the sheriff's office
driver training instructor for
years, a job she said she loved
up until she submitted
her resignation on Tuesday
Dec. 3.
The sheriff's office
launched an internal
investigation into the
deputy after learning
she had been appearing
in online sex videos.
The department did not
say how they learned
of her online videos.
Lofland admitted she
had likely violated department
policies by
not obtaining advance
authorization from the
department for outside
employment, which she
says would probably
not have been granted.
She said her husband supported
her decision and she didn't
tell family members or friends
what she was doing to make
ends meet.
Former Deputy Shannon Lofland
ED-I'm sure you guys googled
her before you even finished
reading this. Videos are available
when you normally search for
XXXX. LOL
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 79
AIRBORNE
AVIATION
AROUND THE COUNTRY
BELL HELICOPTERS
Bell introduces the new "Police Aviation Unit Start-
Up Consulting" for police agencies.
In 1948, the world’s first police
helicopter, the Bell Helicopter
Model 47D, arrived at the New
York City Police Department. It
would change policing. Fast forward
to today, and public safety
helicopters are widely known as
one of policing’s greatest force
multipliers. It’s not about adding
more people – it’s about empowering
the existing force with
innovative technology to maximize
their impact.
When matched with innovative
helicopter technology and
specialized mission equipment,
today’s police helicopter crews
can respond quicker, establish
perimeters faster, search larger
areas, and work with all parts of
the force – more than perhaps
any other function in policing.
The result is more lives saved,
more apprehensions, and greater
overall officer safety. The question
is – where do you start?
Through listening to our customers,
Bell noted that there
were various police units interested
in launching an aviation
unit, but didn’t know where to
start. Because of this, Bell officially
launched the ‘New Police
Aviation Unit Start-Up Consulting’
option, which is a unique offering
that is focused not on just the
technology innovation side of police
aviation, but the operational
developmental side as well.
As the only American-made
company that offers a range of
five police helicopters options in
total - from single engine patrol
focused helicopters to twin
engine helicopters capable of
carrying 14 fully equipped tactical
police officers, Bell has emerged
as a global leader in the pursuit
of high-intensity airborne public
safety aviation.
Our New Police Aviation Unit
Start-Up Consulting option includes
two distinct focuses. First
is the potential “new start-up”
police aviation unit. Bell utilizes
a specialized cadre of segment
managers that come from the police
and police aviation industry.
Former police aviation operators,
managers and technicians that
are in place to directly assist the
operational development of the
new start-up or existing operating
alike. This consultant-based
service is free of charge to any
police agency. The second point
uniquely centers around the
world’s newest police helicopter,
the Bell 505, where we can physically
demonstrate the new startup
potential in the jurisdiction
itself. Collectively this product
and development stems directly
from customer demand and
direct referral.
SO WHY HELICOPTERS?
At the time of this interview,
Bell is working with no less than
17 agencies globally that are
in process of establishing new
police aviation units. This level of
new start-ups is perhaps unprecedented
as the number of existing
police aviation units has typically
been finite for the last 20+
years. We attribute this in part
to the introduction of the world’s
newest police helicopter, the
Bell 505, and the commitment to
supporting the new operational
startups with our Key Segment
Mangers.
Not only is airborne public
safety now expanding again, but
public safety is also enhanced.
Helicopters might seem complicated,
but they offer big advantages.
Perhaps most obvious:
the aerial perspective they provide.
On the ground, an officer
might see only a couple of sides
of a building. But from the air,
the crew can see every side, the
roof, and even behind fences or
around corners. One study found
80 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
NYPD'S FIRST HELICOPTER IN 1948 WAS A BELL 47D-1
that from a helicopter, an officer
can see 30 times more than they
can on the ground. Another study
showed helicopters can effectively
cover 7.6 miles, while an officer
walking around can only cover
0.2 square miles.
The view from the air most
directly contributes to the force
multiplier effect. Helicopters also
cover many law enforcement
missions: How does this aerial
advantage lead to better policing?
Here are some important
factors:
RESPONSE TIME – Helicopters
not only provide a birds-eye view,
but also the ability to respond,
“as the bird flies.” Generally, it’s
a straight-line direct response
versus a more complex groundbased
approach. In many cases,
the comparison is drastic. The
police air crew is often first on
the scene. This offers enhanced
situational awareness for all
responders and helps decrease
response time averages.
PATROL PRESENCE – While an
officer’s presence on the ground
is effective within a limited area,
typically just a couple of streets,
the helicopter can oversee a
much larger radius, often several
miles. Additionally, with its
distinctive noise and illuminating
searchlight, the show of force
presence is again multiplied. Live
images of ground-based activity
seen from the air can be downlinked
to ground commanders
and command centers.
PURSUITS –Departments that
use police helicopters report a
reduction in both the duration
and total number of pursuits.
One study found when subjects
realized they were under aerial
surveillance, they stopped
and surrendered. Even when the
subject does not stop, the police
helicopter has the advantage of
closely monitoring and reporting
pursuit activity and can better
direct ground units. Often, this
leads to a halt of ground-based
pursuits while the helicopter
stays overhead, later directing
ground units to final destinations.
Police helicopters not only make
pursuits safer, but they also lead
to a higher percentage of potential
arrests.
SPECIAL TEAMS – The effectiveness
of any specialty team
within policing is force multiplied
when rapidly deployed. For SWAT
and K-9 handlers, this typically
involves tactical insertion, such
as FAST roping or rappelling from
helicopters to areas inaccessible
by ground, like rooftops or
confined spaces. Sometimes, it’s
rapid egress from the landed helicopter
that expedites point-topoint
movement. For the HAZMAT
team, bomb tech, crime scene
investigator, or other special
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 81
team, it’s the rapidness of pointto-point
movement that becomes
the force multiplier. A diver is
more effective and has longer
station time when inserted overhead
an incident from a hovering
helicopter. A dignitary protection
team is less exposed when
transporting by helicopter versus
ground, not to mention time
saved. Regardless of the specialty
team, air support allows for rapid
extraction and relocation on
the fly as needed.
SPECIAL MISSIONS – The
force multiplier effect of policing
with helicopters also benefits
other public safety special
missions like search and rescue,
firefighting and casualty evacuation.
When the aircraft carries
specialty equipment, like hoists
or short-haul lines, the odds of
a timely rescue are further enhanced.
For the fire mission, it’s typically
a helicopter payload of water
that is used to rapidly suppress
flames that are threatening lives
and property. Even the smallest
of police helicopters have a measured
ability to provide initial attack
firefighting efforts. The same
eye-in-the-sky that provides
police command and control can
easily provide fire command and
control. And the same police helicopter
that is used to extract the
specialty team can also be used
for the critical casualty evacuation
mission.
OFFICER SAFETY –Hundreds
and hundreds of documented
cases illustrate how the presence
of a police helicopter has prevented
officer death or serious
harm. The same aerial perspective
used to locate criminals also
plays a crucial role in safeguarding
officers. For instance, a helicopter
crew spotting an armed
individual around a blind corner
can alert approaching officers,
potentially preventing an ambush.
The examples are numerous.
Police helicopters save lives,
including at times the lives of law
enforcement.
IS IT WORTH THE COST?
Enhancing public safety through
active policing is justified the
world over every day. Any aspect
that force-multiplies the public
safety effort is also justified.
Maybe a better question to ask is
whether the agency is willing to
invest in it? The force-multiplier
aspects of police aviation ensure
high levels of public safety. Helicopters
significantly amplify the
ability to protect and safeguard
communities. That’s why airborne
public safety is an incredible
force multiplier.
To learn more about police
aviation solutions, visit bell.co/
publicsafety.
82 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
Starting Police Aviation?
We can help every step of the way.
Starting a new police aviation unit can be daunting. With the right partner it doesn’t have to be.
Bell has been a proud partner for over 75 years with hundreds of police aviation units around the
world, including new police aviation units yearly. Bell understands that the road to policing’s
greatest force multiplier resource includes a strong focus that goes well beyond the acquisition
of a helicopter. Bell provides full SME consultation to assist agencies in their new start-up
endeavors and ultimately deliver higher apprehension rates, greater officer safety and greater
public safety as a whole. From reduced cost strategies, to safety concerns, to operational
integration, Bell stands alone in its unwavering commitment to airborne policing partnerships.
Visit bell.co/publicsafety to download our law enforcement aviation case study and to hear
from our customers.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 83
84 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 85
PRODUCTS &
SERVICES
AROUND THE COUNTRY
PEPPERBALL LAUNCHES BURST
A game-changing non-lethal tool for crowd control.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Pepper-
Ball, a leader in non-lethal
solutions for law enforcement
and security, is excited to introduce
the PepperBall BURST.
The BURST is a non-lethal area
saturation and diversion device
that combines advanced payload
dispersal with a powerful
130-decibel auditory deterrent
for maximum effectiveness. This
powerful tool offers a large,
fast-spreading powder cloud
and reliable performance, making
it perfect for crowd control
and tactical situations.
BUILT FOR REAL-WORLD
CHALLENGES
The BURST is designed to handle
tough situations, giving officers
an edge in crowd control
and tactical operations. More
than just a device—it’s a critical
advancement in non-lethal technology
that empowers officers
to do their jobs safely and effectively.
Once activated, it releases
a thick cloud of exclusive payload,
covering large areas quickly.
With four variants—officers
can choose the best fit for any
mission:
BURST STUN: Designed to
overwhelm and disorient threats
with a powerful auditory and
visual impact, ideal for immediate
area denial and distraction
in volatile situations.
BURST INERT: Contains a
harmless, non-irritant powder
for training exercises and crowd
management where minimal
force is necessary.
BURST LIVE-X: Features a
potent PAVA-based irritant that
causes temporary discomfort,
effectively dispersing crowds
and controlling aggressive behavior.
BURST LIVE-MAXX: Offers the
highest concentration of PAVA
irritant for maximum stopping
power in high-threat environments,
delivering rapid compliance
when it matters most.
WHY THE PEPPERBALL
BURST STANDS OUT:
• Wide-Area Coverage: Creates
a big cloud for maximum impact.
• Exclusive Payload: Designed
for consistent and effective results.
• Loud Deterrent: Emits a
130-decibel sound to distract
and deter.
• Mission-Ready Options: Available
in STUN, INERT, LIVE-X, and
LIVE-MAXX variants.
• Reliable Deployment: Consis-
86 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
tent fuse timing ensures dependable
use.
• Durable Design: Tough polymer
construction stands up to
tough environments.
• No ATF Restrictions: Simple to
use with no extra regulations.
RELIABLE IN HIGH-PRESSURE
SITUATIONS
The BURST reflects the PepperBall
dedication to giving law
enforcement safe and effective
tools. Its tough design and
consistent performance make it
ideal for managing crowds, protecting
perimeters, and handling
tense situations.
“The BURST changes the game
for non-lethal tactical control,”
said Carl Sims, PepperBall Senior
Director of Training. “In today’s
unpredictable environment,
officers need tools they can rely
on to manage high-stress situations
effectively. The BURST
provides law enforcement with
a safe, reliable option to gain
control of volatile conditions
without resorting to lethal force.
Its combination of a high-impact
visual cloud and a powerful auditory
blast helps officers quickly
de-escalate threats, protect
communities, and reduce the
risk of harm to both officers and
civilians.”
Learn more about the Pepper-
Ball® BURST at www.pepperball.com/burst
or reach out to
Katherine Riley at kriley@pepperball.com
for media inquiries and
product demo information.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 87
PRODUCTS &
SERVICES
AUTOMOTIVE
AUTOMOTIVE
4807 KIRBY DRIVE • HOUSTON, TEXAS • 713-524-3801
4807 KIRBY DRIVE • HOUSTON, TEXAS • 713-524-3801
RIVER OAKS CHRYSLER, DODGE, JEEP & RAM
Alan RIVER & OAKS Blake CHRYSLER, Helfman DODGE, are the JEEP named & RAM
and Alan primary & Blake sponsor Helfman of The are BLUES. the named For
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The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 89
Mr. Philanthropy,
ALAN HELFMAN
HITS THE $2 MILLION MARK IN FUND RAISING
WORDS BY MICHAEL E. BARRON
They say, third times a charm.
The charm is of course Alan
Helfman’s third time on the cover
of The BLUES.
Helfman, president of River Oaks
Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram in
Houston, was recently promoted
to Assistant Chief of Harris County
Constable Precinct 7 led by
newly elected Constable James
‘Smokie’ Phillips. Helfman has in
fact, been a certified peace officer
in Texas for over 37 years.
But Alan reached another milestone
this past year by surpassing
the $2-million mark for funds
raised for fallen and injured officers
and their families in the
Houston area.
90 The BLUES -- FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - - FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25 91 91
If you’ve been in law enforcement in
Houston for any length of time you know or
have heard of Alan. He’s donated and raised
literally millions of dollars to help the
families of fallen officers and those injured
in the line of duty. He’s earned the title Mr.
Philanthropy by numerous groups in Houston
for his generosity and support over the
years. If you’ve toured the upstairs hallway
at the dealership off Kirby Drive, you’ve
witnessed his efforts displayed in dozens
of photos and awards from various groups
throughout the years including the Lifetime
Achievement Award from The BLUES in
2021.
Then of course, there’s the Board Room
that’s more of a collection point for all the
memorabilia Alan gives away to customers,
as well as donations to organizations of all
kinds who use the priceless pieces to raise
money for their events and fundraisers.
And one of those groups he has given so
generously to over the years is the Astros
Foundation and therefore afforded him the
opportunity to throw out the ceremonial
first pitch at several games including the
one on the ‘back’ cover of this month’s issue
that earned him the award for the highest
kick ever in a pre-game pitchout when the
Astros played the Rangers in April of ‘24.
And while the rest of world might call
him Mr. Philanthropy, I simply know him as
a friend and a fellow law enforcement officer.
Fact is, I’ve known Alan since we were
both teenagers. My uncle “Flo” worked for
his dad for over 25 years at the dealership
as did my mom.
Soon after I graduated high school, I applied
for the Harris County Sheriff’s Department
and went to work for Sheriff
Jack Heard, while Alan went to college. A
few years later, Alan enrolled in the Houston
Community College Police Academy to
become a Reserve Peace Officer. (Much to
the dismay of his father if I remember correctly.
He said I was a bad influence on his
son.) I don’t recall the reason, but he had
to complete his training at the University of
Houston Downtown, and has been a Peace
92 92 The BLUES -- FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25
Officer ever since. In fact, Helfman is one of
only 36 individuals that continues to hold
a SPECIAL RESERVE peace officers license
today and as I mentioned, is now the Assistant
Chief Deputy for the Harris County
Constables Precinct 7 office.
Back in November of 2023, our Senior Editor
Dr. Tina Jaeckle had the opportunity to
meet Alan in person and here’s just some of
that Tribute article about Alan:
Like so many before me, I met Alan Helman
and was immediately drawn to his
kindness and unquestionable dedication to
helping others, especially law enforcement
The The BLUES - - FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25 93 93
and first responders. As a long-term member
of the Houston community, Alan has
raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for
those who dedicate their lives to protecting
others and for some, made the ultimate
sacrifice. When I asked him about his own
law enforcement service, he shared he
has always felt a calling to give back. That
pretty much sums up who Alan Helfman is.
For the better part of his life, Helfman has
dedicated himself to serving others, earning
the nickname “Mr. Philanthropy.”
On most days you’ll find him making deals
at his dealership on Kirby Drive, just off the
Southwest Freeway – River Oaks Chrysler,
Dodge, Jeep & Ram. But what you may
not know is that many of those ‘deals’ have
nothing to do with cars. The big deals going
on in that second-floor office of this
full-time salesman and part time cop, are
the deals that will raise hundreds of thousands
of dollars for charities, police and
fire departments, schools, parks and hospitals
and long-term care facilities. Truth
is, I don’t think there is a person or cause
that Alan hasn’t raised money for. It’s in
his blood and DNA to help others and he’s
damn good at it. So, when The BLUES staff
gathered in January of 2021 to decide who
might be the recipient of their first ever
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, Alan
Helfman was the first name everyone selected.
And here’s how it all got started.
94 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 95
THE HISTORY OF HELFMAN AUTO
The legacy of Helman’s entry into the
auto business dates back to 1959 when Alan’s
grandfather Samuel Helfman opened
a used car lot on Washington Avenue just
south of I-10 (The car lot was there for
the longest time under a variety of different
owners from W&R Auto Sales to Buddy’s
Used Cars). Alan’s dad, Jack Helfman,
worked alongside his father Samuel honing
his sales skills while at the same time
helping to build a successful used car
dealership. That experience gained over
13 years working with his dad laid the
foundation to what would become a successful
39-year relationship with Chrysler.
Fueled by the success of Helfman Motors,
Jack began looking into the possibility of
selling new cars. He had his eyes set on a
small dealership, inside the loop, owned
by a local businessman named Bob Ring.
Soon the papers were signed, and in 1972
the Helfman’s took control of River Oaks
Chrysler Plymouth. Unfortunately, Samuel
Helfman would pass away shortly after the
Helfman’s acquired the new dealership.
During Jack Helfman’s years of success
as a dealer, he had been very involved in
the community. For more than 30+ years he
had been a major contributor to the Seven
Acres Jewish Senior Care Services, a nursing
home in the Houston area. Contributing
not only money, but his time as well.
Throughout his years of service to Seven
Acres, he donated wheelchairs, walkers,
and other supplies as they were needed. He
also encouraged his children into the service
of the elderly, and on many occasions,
they would spend their time reading to the
residents. When it came time for the annual
Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care Services
Gala, he would donate a car or truck for
raffle, and personally make the calls necessary
to sell the raffle tickets. In 2001 Jack
Helfman and his wife Elaine were presented
with the 2001 Sprit of Life Award at that
year’s annual Seven Acres Gala. But this is
only one of many charities he had given
to. He annually, contributed to: The United
Jewish Federation, Muscular Dystrophy,
March of Dimes, United Way, and many others.
Seven Acres is simply the one believed
to have been closest to his heart.
Jack Helfman had been honored over the
years for many achievements. In 2004 he
was the recipient of the 2004 Time Magazine
Quality Award. That award was given
96 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
to new car dealers for their exceptional
performance in their dealership, and distinguished
community service. This award
was given to only 63 dealers out of nearly
20,000. It was the highest honor achievable
by a dealer. Jack was honored that
his son Alan decided at an early age to
follow in his footsteps into the auto business.
Alan earned his business degree at UT
and quickly adopted the strong work ethic
his dad lived his entire work life. “Dad was
very austere but fair,” Alan said. “He taught
you a hard work ethic – work morning ‘til
night, six days a week. Work hard and play
hard. He didn’t have a lot of outside interests.
We (the car industry) went through
some tumultuous times in 2007 but he was
grateful that we had something. He wasn’t
the kind of man to spend money on expensive
hobbies or pastimes.” Jack Helfman
also taught his son to give generously to
worthy causes “as long as they were legitimate.”
The Helfman family made a large
contribution toward the construction of the
Helfman Football Field at Emery-Weiner
School, where Alan and Renee Helfman’s
three children attended school – Blake, Eric
and Caitlin. Today, Jack Helfman would be
extremely proud of his son’s generosity and
his unending desire to help others.
Tom Kennedy, a longtime editor of the
HPOU’s Badge & Gun Newspaper, wrote a
great article about Alan a few years ago.
Here is just some of that article on how
Alan came to be known as “Mr. Humanitarian
and Mr. Philanthropy.”
Alan Helfman is the car dealer with a
TCLEOSE (TCOLE now) Certification who
constantly goes the proverbial extra mile
for HPD Officers and other Law Enforcement
causes, using his sales ability on
the auction circuit to raise funds for Officers
in need. The company chieftain in the
well-tailored suit always seems to have
a phone in his ear. He crisply moves from
one call to another, juggling conversations
about his car business or his extra-curricular
passion – auctioning sports memorabilia
to raise funds for injured or ailing Houston
police officers. When soliciting auction
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 97
items or the bidders for same, he repeats
once, twice, three times the purpose and
the beneficiary, consistently underscoring
all the reasons for a generous donation –
say an autographed J. J. Watt jersey – or an
extraordinarily high bid on it. No potential
beneficiary is off-limits to Helfman, whose
fundraising talents almost always benefit
officers in predicaments encountered both
and on and off-duty. Ask him and he will
tell you that the men and women in blue
routinely perform dangerous, life-threatening
tasks safely and soundly, only to meet
problems beyond their control when they’re
not on Houston streets.
Quite simply, this unconditional money-raising
spirit throbs throughout the
bloodstream inside Alan Helfman. He admits
that he’s a salesman who uses his
talent making pitches to help officers in
need. Selling cars also is in his blood. His
showroom office is easy to find, off in the
corner on the north side, his desk positioned
under a large photograph of Babe
Ruth and Ted Williams (Williams signed it).
That and his University of Texas Bachelor
of Business Administration diploma (1979)
decorate the walls alongside framed declarations
of appreciation from, among others,
former HPOU President Ray Hunt. “He goes
above and beyond on every single fundraiser
we do,” Hunt said. “There has never been
98 The BLUES -- FEBRUARY ‘25
a time that I’ve called Alan Helfman that he
hasn’t delivered. He forms the perfect picture
of a person who delivers invaluable
service to every police officer.”
Now after some 20 years of endless fundraisers,
Helfman has raised over 2-million
dollars for the Houston based ATO-Assist
the Officer Foundation as well hundreds
more local officers.
Just last year, he donated ten wheelchairs
to the foundation.
“Alan Helfman has been a dedicated supporter
of Law Enforcement for many years.
He continues daily to provide resources
and do anything possible to help law enforcement
organizations from providing
vehicles, to helping purchase other tools to
help officers safely do the job. But this pales
in comparison to what he does to help individual
officers. Alan has not only shown
up to help with over 100 benefits for injured
or fallen officers but has also donated hundreds
of thousands of dollars of his own
memorabilia to raise money. His selfless
acts of kindness go far beyond the Houston
Police Department. Anytime an officer is
injured, no matter the agency, Alan is there
doing whatever he can to help. It is truly
an honor to call him a friend!” said Douglas
Griffith, President of the Houston Police
Officers Union
One might wonder: Why does he do this?
The BLUES - - FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25 99 99
WHY DOES HE DO IT?
Helfman laughed and said he first knew
he had an inclination toward becoming an
officer while in elementary school when
he was selected to be a student crossing
guard. “I loved sticking that badge on,” he
remembered. “You put the stick down – it
had an orange flag at the end. You put it
down and the younger kids could cross the
street. I kept trying to make good grades to
keep the badge.” That badge-and-orangeflag
experience happened at Bendwood
Elementary School in the Spring Branch
Independent School District. Later, while a
senior at Memorial High School, Helfman
was visiting a neighbor whose dad had
just passed away. It was late at night when
Helfman and another friend said goodbye.
When they left, thieves accosted the grieving
family members, taking money from
them. Houston police arrived minutes later.
Although the officers didn’t immediately
encounter the robbers and throw them
in jail, Helfman experienced the impression
that has proven to be lasting. “Officers
come help you in the middle of the
night when someone is breaking into your
house,” he said. “They do this all the time
even if it might be extremely dangerous.”
Early on, Helfman wanted to become
active in charity work with an emphasis
on the law enforcement community. “I had
to ask a billionaire to help me early in life
on fundraisers for different charities,” he
recalled. “I told him I’d put a statue of him
on every corner. He turned me down.” So,
he figured out a way to get the job done
by himself. The answer: autographed balls
and bats that bring a lot of money in benefit
auctions. He found that he could easily
acquire these sports memorabilia items
with the right sources and auction them to
Houston’s proliferation of sports fans who
regularly demanded autograph material
from the Astros, Texans and Rockets. It can
easily be said that Helfman acquires more
pieces of sports memorabilia than he has
new and used cars at River Oaks on any
given day. Back in the day, Helfman acquired
most of his memorabilia from Kent
Sessions, a wholesale dealer in Houston.
“I’d sell him memorabilia. He auctioned it
off and donated the proceeds to officers,
depending on their particular problem,”
Sessions said. “He tries to be hands-on
with every single one of the people who
need help and are associated with the
police department. “He has a strong work
ethic. One of the things he takes away from
work is the help he gives police officers. To
him it’s like his duty. He’s part of the city
and he knows the importance of police in a
city like this.
“People are struck down that don’t have
the help that some other people have. He
wants to help – it’s a part of the philanthropic
attitude that he has. He wants to
feel the needs of that individual person.
That’s unique to a philanthropist.”
“He’s a promoter extraordinaire,” former
100 Club executive director Rick Hartley
said. “He’s done a lot of wonderful things to
help law enforcement off and on during the
years. He’s a life member of the 100 Club.”
100 The BLUES -- FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - - FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25 101
HELL
Imagine if you woke up tomorrow and everything you knew to be true,
suddenly wasn’t. Your home, clothes, car, personal stuff, all gone, nothing
left but a pile of ashes up. Sure, fires happen all the time and people
do lose everything, but rarely does that fire consume your workplace,
your community and virtually everything around you. Imagine a world
where your school, your church, your grocery store, the local corner market,
the gas station you filled up yesterday, all were suddenly incinerated
and turned to ash. Sounds like the movie Homestead, right? Ironically
this and more did happen and in the very city that movies like Homestead
are made…Los Angeles. The wildfires in LA have virtually destroyed entire
communities and dozens of people died trying to escape. Thankfully one
of our own editors was one of those that did make it out, but lost everything
in the process. The following is her story. She was hesitant to put it
on paper but reluctantly she did.
102 The BLUES -- JANUARY FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25
ON EARTH
WORDS BY JESSICA "JJ" JONES
The The BLUES - - FEBRUARY JANUARY ‘25 ‘25 103 103
It was Friday evening when a group of
us who work in the film industry gathered
in LA for private screening of the movie
Homestead. If you haven’t seen the movie, a
nuke is dropped just outside LA and apocalyptic
nightmares come true and the city
is leveled. The following day, I kept hearing
about fire warnings and Santa Anna winds
reaching hurricane strength and the possibility
of wildfires.
If you live anywhere close to LA, you live
with the constant threat of wildfires, earthquakes
and mud slides. It’s just something
you deal with. Why would anyone live in a
place that is one minute away from disaster,
you ask? The same reason people live
in Oklahoma and Kansas where tornadoes
are a regular occurrence. I had a job in LA,
a boyfriend that lives and works in LA and
it’s just where life took me.
That Saturday, I felt compelled to pack a
go bag. It wasn’t something I normally did,
in fact I don’t think I’ve ever done it before.
But this time seemed different, so I gathered
up my wallet, credit cards, passport,
important papers I kept in my safe, my
Glock, a box of ammo, a change of clothes,
my makeup and set the bag on the couch.
Like I said, fires are just taken for granted
in LA. Hell, there was a fire on New Years
Day in Topanga State Park near the Palisades.
So, Saturday and Sunday were pretty
much normal days for me. I met my girlfriends
for coffee at the Starbucks around
the corner Saturday morning, ate dinner at
Vittorio’s Saturday night and just chilled all
day Sunday.
Monday morning on the short drive to
work, the local radio station was again
warning that the Santa Annas were expected
to be severe, and the fire threat was
extreme. Yada, yada, yada. Enough already.
104 The BLUES - - FEBRUARY JANUARY ‘25 ‘25
The The BLUES - - FEBRUARY - JANUARY ‘25 ‘25 105
On Tuesday I heard that a brush fire had
started in almost the exact same spot as
the New Year’s fire and was spreading down
the canyon. But no worries, that was miles
away.
Tuesday evening my sinuses were killing
me and I took some Benadryl and fell
asleep on the couch. At 2am, I woke up to
my fire alarm going off, my cell phone alert
blaring and someone pounding on my door.
Instinctively, I reached in my bag, grabbed
my gun and opened the door. It was my
neighbor Mark. “JJ, we gotta go, the fire
is only a mile away and the neighborhood
behind us in on fire. Get your shit, we got to
get out of here.”
I grabbed my keys, my bag I had packed
and ran to my car. As I turned the corner
to the parking lot, I couldn’t believe what I
was seeing. It was if I had suddenly woke
up in hell. The sky was on fire. Burning
pieces of whatever were falling all around
me. I could hear things exploding and people
screaming. As I threw my bag in the
back seat, Mark pulled up behind me and
said to follow him to the PCH and we’d try
and make it to I-10.
There is just no way to describe what I
was seeing. The fire was consuming everything.
As we inched along Sunset, the building
my office was in was a totally engulfed
in fire. It was above a Chase Bank and the
first thing that came to my mind, was all
that money was just burning up. And the
heat, the heat was so bad, I could see the
paint on my car melting away. Actually, it
was the clear bra that Mark’s friend Eric
had just put on my new Range Rover that
was melting. God, I loved that car. All my
life I had dreamed of owning a Range Rover
and when I got my Christmas bonus in December,
I finally had money enough to buy
it. Now it was melting. WTF.
The next hour was a blur. At some point
the road was completely blocked by cars,
and people were getting out of their cars
and running down the highway. Mark was
several cars ahead and I could see him
getting out of his car and waving at me
to do the same. I grabbed my bag and as
I opened the door, the rush of hot air reminded
me of the time I worked at Pizza
Hut in college when the oven door was
open. The air burned my face and my eyes,
and I could barely see. Pieces of burning
shit were falling everywhere as I ran to
catch up to Mark. I just remember running
and running.
We wound up in a parking lot with dozens
of others and a man in a minivan offered
us a ride. We ended up at a coffee
shop on I-10 and it was at that point it suddenly
dawned on me that I was now homeless.
For years, I have cussed and MF’d the
homeless living in camps all over LA and
now for all practical purposes I was one of
them. I was sure that my condo and everything
I owned was gone. My brand-new car
was probably burnt up too. Suddenly I just
broke down in tears and cried uncontrollably
on Mark’s shoulder.
“What now Mark. What do we do now?”
He turned me around to look at the TV on
the wall behind us and they were showing
live coverage of the fire. The street we were
on less than an hour ago was totally consumed
by fire. Had we not run when we did,
we would have been burned alive. It was at
that moment that I realized I was just like
those people in the Homestead movie. My
home, my city, my work, all destroyed. My
existence as I knew it was no more. Just
like the Nuke that destroyed LA in the movie,
my life was forever changed.
106 The BLUES -- JANUARY FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25
CLICK TO WATCH
"What our drive down the Pacific Coast Highway was like. As it turns out,
the person that took this cell phone video was just ahead of Mark and I.
The heat was so hot, it melted the protective coating on my SUV. I still
have nightmares, reliving this terrifying drive over and over again." JJ
The BLUES - FEBRUARY JANUARY ‘25 ‘25 107
Just yesterday I was at work thinking
I needed to go buy groceries in case the
winds knocked out the power. I needed to
buy water and shit I could eat that didn’t
need cooking. Now all that shit was burnt
up.
As we watched the horror unfold on TV,
Mark said his brother lived in San Diego and
I should come with him. But in the middle
of watching Homestead, I thought to myself,
what would I do if a Nuke really did hit
LA. If my city was destroyed, where would
I go and what would I do. The only family
I have is in Texas, so somehow, I guess I
would find a way to get to Texas.
I told Mark I wanted to go to LAX and fly
home to my mom in Texas. We sat there for
another hour, watching house after house
burn to the ground live on TV. Finally, I had
seen enough, and it was almost 6am and
the sun was coming up and it was time to
go. We logged on to UBER and within a
minute, a young man walked up and said
“are you Mark? Did you call for an UBER?”
Seems he was doing the same thing we
were. Watching his city burn and in shock.
Yes sir, that’s us. We need to go to LAX. On
the way, Mark logged on to his company’s
travel app and booked us a couple of
rooms at the Holiday Inn Express on Airport
Blvd., just down the road from the airport.
As we checked in, the clerk asked if we
needed any help with luggage. I looked
down at my little go-bag and realized
everything I had was in that bag. I started
crying again.
I slept for awhile Wednesday. Mark
brought me food and we watched Fox
News all day. I called my mom and told
her I was safe and probably coming to stay
with her for a while. She cried and I cried
again. I texted Michael at the BLUES and
told him I was OK and headed to Texas, but
the earliest flight wasn’t until Saturday, and
he said he would pick me up.
Mark’s brother showed up Thursday afternoon
and asked if I wanted to go eat with
them, but I wasn’t really in the mood to be
with anyone. I went back to my room and
cried myself to sleep. I was so exhausted
that I slept until noon on Friday. I showered
and rode the shuttle bus to the airport
where I bought some funky “I love LA
sweatshirt” and t-shirts, ate chick-fil-A,
grabbed a Starbucks and sat and watched
people coming and going. I wondered how
many others were like me. Homeless from
the fires. Wondered where they were going
to start their new lives. I hung out at the
airport for a couple hours before I went
back to the room and started checking on
all my friends. All were safe and headed
somewhere.
The next morning, I boarded my flight to
Houston. Michael met me at the airport,
and I broke down in tears again the minute I
saw him. For the next two hours, I told him
everything I just typed here. Mike convinced
me that I should tell my story in the magazine
I helped build. (His words not mine.)
You see every month, I’m the one who edits
every word he and others write for The
BLUES. And believe me when I tell you,
these cops can’t spell for shit. They suck.
But I love them. For the past four years, I’ve
read every word that’s been published, and
I wouldn’t trade that time for anything. Hell,
for the time being, it’s the only job I have.
When the shock of losing everything
starts to wear off, you get angry. Pissed
off that our stupid governor is more worried
about climate change and homeless
than he is about preventing wildfires. And
don’t get me started on the Woke piece of
108 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
108 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 109
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 109
shit mayor Karen Bass. Didn’t vote for her
worthless ass and I can only hope she and
Newsome both resign. They won’t, but we
can only hope. And the Woke fire chief, she
is fucking clueless as well. I hope they all
burn in hell.
As for me, I know that only by the Grace
of God am I still here. I know that God sent
Mark to rescue me for I surely would have
died that night. I don’t know what my future
holds. All my memories are in California.
All my friends were in LA, now I have
no idea where they are. Everything I built
for myself over the past 15 years is gone. My
bosses’ business is gone and I’m heartbroken
for him and his family. Just everything
is gone and turned to ash.
But know this. Nothing is guaranteed.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Life is not
guaranteed. Life as you know it can change
in an instant and you’d better have a plan.
Know what and where you are going if your
world suddenly ends tomorrow. You can be
a victim, or you can be a survivor.
I ask that you please pray for all of those
that did not make it out alive and pray for
those that did. Pray that they too can find
a way to survive in a new world. Pray that
God takes them in his arms and protects
them in that new world, be it here on earth
or in heaven.
God Bless you all. JJ
110 The BLUES Blues -- December - FEBRUARY ‘24 ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 111
The Blues - December ‘24 111
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 111
TRUMP
"THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA
112 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
BEGINS TODAY"
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 113
WORDS BY MICHAEL E. BARRON
Monday, January 20, 2025 will go down
in history as the day America turned the
page on stupid DEI ideologies and began
what our 47th President Donald J. Trump
proclaimed, as the dawn of the Golden
Age of America.
114 The BLUES -- FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - - FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25 115
WASHINGTON — The Inauguration of
Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of
the United States of America, made some
dramatic changes at the last minute due
to the extremely cold weather that moved
into Washington D.C. The Inaugural Committee
moved the swearing-in and inaugural
address indoors to the Capitol Rotunda.
Which meant several hundred Trump supporters
that had tickets to attend the Inauguration,
gathered inside the Capital One
Arena, in downtown Washington D.C., not
far from the National Mall.
The indoor ceremony went off without a
hitch and Trump made it a point to visit the
remote viewing areas setup in the Capitol.
Later during a celebration inside the Capital
One Arena, Trump began signing a slew of
executive orders that included withdrawing
the United States from the Paris Climate
Agreement.
Trump went on to declare a national
emergency on the Southern Border while
designating criminal cartels as terror
groups. He also signed an executive order
to bring an end to birthright citizenship for
children born to undocumented parents.
Afterwards, in true Trump rally fashion, he
tossed the pens he used into the audience.
Later that afternoon, when Trump
stepped back into the Oval Office, the 47th
president pardoned more than 1,500 people
who were charged with storming the US
Capitol on January 6, 2021. That included
commuting the sentences of those convicted
of crimes that involved violence against
police officers. That move angered the
FOP and other police organizations across
the country after Vice-President JD Vance
stated less than a week ago that wouldn’t
happen. It’s hard to say why the President
changed his mind and either pardoned or
commuted the sentences, but he told the
press that had gathered inside the Oval Office
during the signing, that liberal DA’s across the
country have failed to even prosecute suspects
that committed violet crimes including
murder. And he felt that all these individuals
had served more than enough time for their
actions and deserved to be released.
116 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
Perhaps the fact that Joe Biden pardoned
all the J6 Committee Members AND
his entire family during Trump’s Inaugural
speech had something to do with it.
A tit for tat. And while journalists (if you
want to call them that) from ABC accused
Trump of not supporting the police, he
fired back that he was an adamant supporter
of all First Responders which he in
fact is.
Among the other orders Trump signed on
Monday included renaming of the Gulf of
Mexico to the Gulf of America and he also
signed an executive order to delay the ban
on TikTok for 75 days.
The BLUES - - FEBRUARY ‘25 117
On Day one of his first full day as the 47th
President, Trump and the First Family attended
a prayer service and was, for lack
of a better word, ambushed by the Right
Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop
of Washington, who used her sermon to
send a message to Trump, urging compassion
for LGBTQ+ people and undocumented
migrant workers.
“You have felt the providential hand of a
loving God. In the name of our God, I ask
you to have mercy on the people in our
country who are scared now,” said Budde,
who has criticized Trump before.
Asked afterward by a reporter what he
thought of the service, Trump said: “Not too
exciting was it. I didn’t think it was a good
service. They could do much better.”
(The BLUES believes the church knew full
well what this psycho was going to do and
it was totally inappropriate. In our opinion,
she should be fired )
Afterwards, President Trump met with
congressional leaders, announcing an investment
in artificial intelligence infrastructure
and demonstrating one of his
favored expressions of power: firing people.
The president posted on his Truth social
media network early Tuesday morning that
he would fire more than 1,000 presidential
appointees “who are not aligned with our
vision,” including some high-profile names.
Trump fired chef and humanitarian José
Andrés from the President’s Council on
Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, retired Gen.
Mark Milley from the National Infrastructure
Advisory Council, former State Department
official Brian Hook from the board
of the Wilson Center and former Atlanta
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms from the President’s
Export Council.
118 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
118 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 119
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 119
“YOU’RE FIRED!” Trump said in his post —
his catchphrase from his reality TV show,
“The Apprentice.”
Later in the day, Trump held his first official
press conference where he announced
to the public, a new partnership to invest
in artificial intelligence. Three major
business leaders — SoftBank Group CEO
Masayoshi Son, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
and Oracle Corp. Chairman Larry Ellison
—joined Trump to announce the creation
of a new company called Stargate, which
would invest up to $500 billion over the
next four years in AI infrastructure, according
to the White House. Stargate intends
to start building the project here in Texas.
(Does anyone else get the feeling we just
witnessed the birth of Skynet? Skynet was
the AI in the Terminator movies that turned
on humans and took over Earth.)
From this writer’s perspective I would
say Trump had a kick-ass first two days in
office and accomplished damn near everything
he promised he would do on day one.
In fact, I would say he did more in one day
that Joe Biden did in all four years as president.
The good news is: The Border is Closed
and ICE has begun the process of ridding
our country of dangerous illegals; DEI and
the Woke BS agenda is dead and all Federal
Employees assigned to DEIA agendas
have been dismissed and their offices
closed; all of Biden’s Executive Orders have
been canceled and EV mandates are DOA.
(wanna bet that Dodge brings back the
HEMI?); and once again there are only TWO
genders in America – Male and Female and
only God chooses which one you are.
Trump says The Golden Age of America
has begun. I totally agree.
120 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
120 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 121
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 121
As we went to press, here are all the Executive Or
- Reinstating the name Mount McKinley
- Renaming Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America
- Designating Cartels as foreign terrorist organizations
- Ending diversity, inclusion, and equity hiring in the federal government
- Temporary withdrawal of all areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Wind Leasing
- Revocation of any active or current security clearances held by the former intelligence officials
involved with “inappropriate political coordination with the 2020 Biden presidential campaign”
and John R. Bolton
- Granting pardons for January 6 rioters
- Reevaluating United States foreign aid
- Declaring a national energy emergency
- Restoring accountability for career senior executives
- Promoting beautiful federal civic architecture
- Restoring the death penalty in the US
- Routing more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to other parts of California
- Securing the United State’s borders
- United States citizenship does not automatically extend to those born in the United States
- Realignment of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
- Unleashing America’s affordable and reliable energy and natural resources
- Clarifying the military’s role in protecting the US borders
- ‘America First’ trade policy that benefits American workers, manufacturers, farmers, ranchers,
entrepreneurs, and businesses
- Resolving the backlog of security clearances for Executive Office of the President
- Restoring accountability to policy-influence positions within the federal workforce
- Withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization
- Delaying TikTok ban for 75 days
- Putting America First in international environmental agreements
- Deliver emergency price relief to the American people
- Hiring freeze for federal civilian employees (does not apply to military personnel of the
armed forces or to positions related to immigration enforcement, national security, or public safety)
- Regulatory freeze pending review
- Restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship
- Recisions of dozens of executive orders and actions from Biden administration
- Ending diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the federal government
- Only two sexes, male and female, to be recognized by the federal government
- Department of Government Efficiency to implement the president’s DOGE Agenda
- Putting America and its interests first in foreign policy
- Protecting US citizens from terrorist attacks and threats
122 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
122 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
ders signed thus far by President Trump:
- Tapping into the vast natural resources, energy, and seafood in Alaska
- Ensuring the federal government carries out United State’s immigration laws
- Withdrawing from the US from the Paris Agreement
- Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States
- Pulling the US out of the global corporate tax deal secured by Biden
- Organization of the National Security Council and subcommittees
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 123
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 123
FEBRUARY 2025
3-5 Pat McCarthy’s Street Crimes - Real World Training
for the Real Police
Beaumont, TX
4-6 Officer Involved Shootings - by LLRMI Pharr, TX
10-11 Lock Picking and Specialized Entry Techniques Sugar Land, TX
10-11 Managing Missing Persons Events *BY PATC Liberty , TX
10-11 Pedophiles, Child Molesters, and their Cross-
Associated Sexual Dev *BY PATC
Texas City, TX
10-12 Meeting the Leadership Challenges of Law Enforcement -
by LLRMI
New Braunfels, TX
10-14 Criminal Investigations Using Cellular Technologies
Basic Course
Plano, TX
11-13 Crime Scene Investigation and Reconstruction *BY PATC La Porte, TX
25-28 Reid Technique of Investigative Interviewing &
Advanced Interrogation
Coppell, TX
MARCH 2025
3 Advanced Search & Seizure by Blue to Gold Irving, TX
4 Advanced Traffic Stops by Blue to Gold Irving, TX
4-6 WZ Level I Non-Confrontational Investigative
Interviewing Techniques
Denton, TX
5 Advanced Criminal Investigations by Blue to Gold Irving, TX
6-7 Advanced Criminal Investigations by Blue to Gold Irving, TX
10 Constitutional Use of Force by Calibre Press Denton, TX
10-11 Cryptocurrency and the Dark Web Investigations *BY PATC Liberty , TX
10-13 Force Science Certification Course Dallas, TX
10-13 Mobile Phone Investigations & Cellular Record
Analysis *BY PATC
San Antonio, TX
11-13 Homicide Investigation: Crime Scene to Courtroom *BY PATC Texas City, TX
13-14 Community Engaged Policing *BY PATC Texas City, TX
14 Narco 101 For Patrol by Blue to Gold Pecos, TX
24-25 Social Media and OSINT Investigative Techniques *BY PATC Hondo, TX
24-28 5-Day New Detective and New Criminal Investigator - by LLRMI Pharr, TX
25-27 Crime Scene Investigation and Reconstruction *BY PATC Texas City, TX
25-27 Meeting the Leadership Challenges of
Law Enforcement - by LLRMI
Denton, TX
28 21st Century Narcotics Investigations by Blue to Gold Denton, TX
APRIL 2025
1-2 Killers and Their Victims *BY PATC Texas City, TX
7-8 Social Media and Community Outreach *BY PATC Texas City, TX
7-11 Field Training Officer Certification *BY PATC Pharr, TX
9-10 Leadership Strategy for the Modern Police Agency *BY PATC Texas City, TX
14-16 Pat McCarthy’s Street Crimes - Real World Training for the
Real Police
Corpus Christi
14-17 Mobile Phone Investigations & Cellular Record Analysis Liberty , TX
17 21st Century Narcotics Investigations by Blue to Gold Liberty, TX
22 Emerging Legal Trends by Blue to Gold Denton, TX
22-24 Internal Affairs Administrative Investigation - by LLRMI Pharr, TX
23 Duty to Intervene by Blue to Gold Denton, TX
23 Real World De-Escalation by Blue to Gold Denton, TX
29-2 Reid Technique of Investigative Interviewing &
Advanced Interrogation
Fort Worth, TX
MAY 2025
5-9 5 Day Homicide and Death Investigation - by LLRMI Pharr, TX
6-8 Reid PEACE Method of Investigative Interviewing Angleton, TX
19-22 Reid Technique of Investigative Interviewing Austin , TX
19-23 New Detective and Criminal Investigator (Villaverde) *BY PATC Texas City, TX
28-30 Domestic Violence and Homicide Investigations *BY PATC Texas City, TX
JUNE 2025
2-3 Cold Case: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Unsolved Cases Texas City, TX
3 Advanced Search & Seizure Law by Blue to Gold Fort Worth, TX
4 Bulletproof Report Writing by Blue to Gold Fort Worth, TX
5 Advanced Search Warrants by Blue to Gold Fort Worth, TX
6 Mastering Proactive Policing for Patrol by Blue to Gold Denton, TX
9-10 Advanced Internal Investigations: Legal and Practical Issues Texas City, TX
23-25 Crisis Communications: Managing a Critical Incident Texas City, TX
24-26 Criminal/Drug Interdiction Techniques and Concealment Angleton, TX
JULY 2025
7-8 Tactical Street Enforcement & Violent Force Encounters Texas City, TX
14-16 The Mind Behind Abnormal and Deviant Behaviors *BY PATC Texas City, TX
15 Advanced Search & Seizure by Blue to Gold Fort Worth, TX
15-16 Pedophiles, Child Molesters, & Cross-Associated Sexual Dev La Porte, TX
16 Bulletproof Report Writing by Blue to Gold Fort Worth, TX
17 Advanced Search Warrants by Blue to Gold Fort Worth, TX
29-30 Hidden Compartments and Other areas of Concealment Texas City, TX
AUGUST 2025
5-8 Investigative Interviewing & Advanced Interrogation Dallas, TX
8 Retail Recon – Mastering Retail Crime Investigations Denton, TX
11-13 Officer- Involved Shooting *BY PATC Angleton, TX
SEPTEMBER 2025
4 21st Century Narcotics Investigations by Blue to Gold Irving, TX
8-9 Cold Case: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Unsolved Cases Angleton, TX
15-18 Force Science Certification Course Kyle, TX
30-3 Reid Technique of Investigative Interviewing
& Advanced Interrogation
Denton, TX
OCTOBER 2025
6 Mastering Proactive Policing for Patrol by Blue to Gold Texas City, TX
7-10 Reid Technique of Investigative Interviewing
& Advanced Interrogation
Fort Worth, TX
NOVEMBER 2025
3 Mastering Proactive Policing for Patrol by Blue to Gold Universal City, TX
DECEMBER 2025
5 Mastering Proactive Policing for Patrol by Blue to Gold Universal City, TX
124 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
Lock and Load Your Spot at
IALEFI’s 2025
Annual Training Conference
Preregister now with a $100.00 non-refundable deposit to lock in the
2024 tuition rate and give you first choice on class selections!
Offer expires January 1, 2025
Secure your place at the most anticipated firearms training event of the year before
January 1, 2025, and reap exclusive benefits!
• Early access to course selection
– choose your desired sessions 5 days before they open to the public.
We are currently accepting Requests. To share your knowledge and skills, go to IALEFI.com
and submit your course proposals. Proposals will be accepted through March 30th, 2025.
Learn. Teach. Repeat.
PHONE: 603-524-8787 • VISIT IALEFI.COM The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 125
THREE WAYS
THREE WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT THE OFFICER DOWN MEMORIAL PAGE THIS FALL
RUN WITH US
SHOP WITH US
PLEDGE WITH US
A brand new, fun, global event
to get ready for the National
Police Week 5K – happening
November 16th, 2024
Coming soon to the ODMP
store* – our 2024 Official
ODMP Annual Holiday
Ornament
Pledge to support ODMP
(charity # 62937) via the 2024
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REGISTER FOR THE HALFWAY 2.5K
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WHEN THESE ARE AVAILABLE
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(CHARITY # 62937) VIA THE CFC
AND REMEMBER – YOUR TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED
126 VISIT WWW.ODMP.ORG The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
Don't miss out on securing your spot in high-demand courses!
2025 Annual Training Conference (ATC)
Date: September 14-19, 2025
Location: Houston, TX
Hosted By: The Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Police Department
Get Ahead: Submit Your Course Proposals Now!
Head to www.ialefi.com to send in your ATC proposals. Share your expertise with fellow professionals!
Check the IALEFI Training Calendar for Scheduled Courses!
Join Our Leadership Team:
Nominations will open January 1, 2025, watch for the announcement,
in the meantime, check out the goals and mission statement
of IALEFI and be a part of the future.
Eligibility: Active members with a minimum of three
consecutive years in good standing.
Contribute Your Knowledge:
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Share your training experiences, ideas, or questions.
Help us enrich our community's knowledge.
Learn. Teach. Repeat.
Your expertise is invaluable – let’s shape the future of law enforcement firearms training together.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 127
PHONE: 603-524-8787 • VISIT IALEFI.COM
HONORING OUR
POLICE OFFICER II COLTON DALE PULSIPHER
LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT, NEVADA
END OF WATCH THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2024
AGE: 29 TOUR: 7 YEARS BADGE: 16658
Police Officer Colton Pulsipher was killed in a vehicle crash on Interstate 15 while on his way home after completing
his shift at 12:25 a.m. While traveling northbound on I-15 near the Valley of Fire/Tribal Plaza Exit, Officer
Pulsipher was struck head-on by a motorist driving a truck the wrong way. Officer Pulsipher was killed instantly.
Another driver crashed into the wreck and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The wrong-way driver died in
the crash. Officer Pulsipher had served with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for seven years. He
is survived by his wife, three children, parents, brother, and sister.
128 128 128 The The The BLUES BLUES POLICE - - JANUARY MAGAZINE FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25
FALLEN HEROES
LIEUTENANT MARK MEADOWS
IRONDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT, ALABAMA
END OF WATCH MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2025
AGE: 60 TOUR: 33 YEARS BADGE: N/A
Lieutenant Mark Meadows was struck and killed by a motorist while directing traffic at Grants Mill Road and Overton
Road in Irondale. Shortly before 7:00 a.m., Lieutenant Meadows was putting out cones when he was hit. He was
transported to Grandview Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries.
Lieutenant Meadows was a United States Army veteran. He had served with the Irondale Police Department for 30
years and previously served with the Mountain Brook Police Department. He is survived by his wife, children, and two
grandchildren.
The BLUES - JANUARY FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25 129 129
HONORING OUR
DEPUTY SHERIFF JESUS VARGAS
AGE: N/A TOUR: 17 YEARS BADGE: N/A
Deputy Sheriff Jesus Vargas was shot and killed while serving a warrant at Stella Link Road north of
Interstate 610 in Houston at 11:30 a.m. When Deputy Vargas and his partner approached the subject,
the suspect fired at deputies from his vehicle. Deputy Vargas was transported to the Ben Taub Hospital
where he succumbed to his wounds. The suspect, who was a repeat violent offender, fled the scene.
When a U.S. Marshal K9 located the suspect hiding in a dumpster, the suspect fired multiple shots at the
K9. A responding officer returned fire, killing the suspect. The K9 suffered two bullet wounds to the neck
and nose and is in stable condition. Deputy Vargas had served with the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office
for 17 years. He also served with the United States Marshal’s Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force.
He is survived by his wife and three children.
130 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE
130 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
130 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
BRAZORIA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, TEXAS
END OF WATCH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2025
FALLEN HEROES
SERGEANT MARK BUTLER
NAVASOTA POLICE DEPARTMENT, TEXAS
END OF WATCH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2025
AGE: N/A TOUR: 4 YEARS BADGE: N/A
Sergeant Mark Butler was killed in a head-on collision during a pursuit on Highway 6 near Farm-to-Market
3090 in Navasota. When College Station officers confronted a female suspect attempting to cash fraudulent
checks at a bank, the suspect fled southbound on Highway 6. At the FM 2154 ramp, the suspect exited
Highway 6 and reentered the highway, traveling south in the northbound lanes. At 3:30 p.m., Sergeant
Butler, who was traveling northbound, maneuvered his marked patrol vehicle and collided with the suspect,
preventing her from hitting other motorists on the highway. He was transported to CHI St. Joseph Hospital –
Grimes Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The suspect was killed at the scene. Sergeant Butler
was a United States Army veteran and had served with the Navasota Police Department for almost four
years.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 131
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 131
HONORING OUR
BORDER PATROL AGENT DAVID C. MALAND
UNITED STATES BORDER
END OF WATCH MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2025
AGE: 44 TOUR: 9 YEARS BADGE: N/A
Border Patrol Agent David Maland was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Interstate 91 in Vermont near
the Canadian Border at 3:15 p.m. One suspect was shot and killed and the second suspect was injured.
He is in federal custody.
Agent Maland had served with the United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border
Protection - United States Border Patrol for over nine years. He was assigned to the Swanton Sector. He is
survived by his wife and two children.
132 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE
132 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
132 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
FALLEN HEROES
“When a police officer is killed,
it’s not an agency that loses an
officer, it’s an entire nation.”
Chris Cosgriff, ODMP Founder
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 133
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 133
BY BRIAN MCVEY,
RETIRED CHICAGO PD
Learning Humility through Humiliation
Officers are human. Humans
make mistakes. Officers must
remember to work on themselves.
Unfortunately, sometimes
we learn the hard way through
humiliation. The good news is
through humiliation we learn
humility. Something I know very
well.
My story plays out as a Chicago
Police Officer working on a
South Side Gang Unit on Christmas
Eve 2010. Working a threeman
car, my mind-set was elsewhere.
I was relaxed, believing
the cold weather would make
for a slow Christmas Eve night.
My mind-set was not focused
on work that evening. Midnight
Mass was my focus and avoiding
overtime was my goal. We
parked our car in a high crime
area and saw a man duck inside
a restaurant, come out and
seemingly hide; strange enough
behavior to draw our attention.
He went to the alley and stood
by a dumpster. On approaching
we discovered he was relieving
himself.
We conducted a field interview,
a *pat down and a name
check that revealed he had an
outstanding warrant, and further
he was waiting for food he’d
ordered while in the restaurant.
We made the arrest on a very
cold, slow night.
In the Christmas spirit, I returned
to the restaurant to get
our arrestee his food and would
allow him to eat while we processed
his paperwork. Entering
the Police station, we notified
our supervisor of the arrest, and
we processed our arrestee.
I checked on our arrestee
because he had not yet touched
his food and felt a bit wary and
somewhat offended because I
went out of my way to get his
food. At first, I thought, maybe
he lost his appetite because we
ruined his night. Later, I looked
into the holding cell, where he
had this “look” that seasoned
officers recognize as a warning.
Sometimes you can’t explain
why someone’s behavior makes
you uncomfortable, it just does.
We showed him respect, yet
things didn’t seem right. Again, I
looked at the bag of food untouched.
I walked into the room
and decided to do a more thorough
custodial search, meticulously
parsing his three jackets
and two hooded sweatshirts.
Grabbing the numerous layers,
I surmised he had drugs in a hidden
pocket or compartment. Boy
was I wrong. I grabbed another
jacket, felt something heavy
and figured it was a glass coke
bottle that went with his meal. I
wish; it was a loaded handgun.
I thought, “OH MY GOD. I MISSED
IT.” I literally started to shake.
He could’ve murdered all of us!
An officer watching this began
telling EVERYONE in the office.
Like a fire, our incident spread
throughout the station. I felt like
a complete fool. I looked at my
two partners and wondered,
“How did we miss it?” How
could we miss a gun? Ashamed,
I avoided eye contact with anyone
the rest of the night. This
arrest for public urination and
warrant was now a FELONY Gun
arrest. Humiliation flowed over
me instantly.
134 The BLUES -- FEBRUARY ‘25
Reflecting, I know I was not
mentally prepared when I arrived
at work. Complacent, I
was thinking, it was Christmas
Eve, cold and going to be a slow
night. NOT SO!!
After finding the loaded weapon
I had to make the embarrassing
call to my supervisor and
felt like crying. The shame I had
towards myself was enormous.
My only thought that night was
trying to make midnight Mass
and had “blinders” on. This
small error could’ve been fatal.
The humiliation didn’t end
that night for the three of us.
The following day we came to
work and found numerous signs
posted that read, “The Three
Blind Mice”: more humiliation.
We learned an enormous lesson
that night and because of
this incident, I became an expert
at searching arrestees. It was
a great learning experience on
complacency.
Put distractions away when
you are at work. Everyone brings
stress from home and for officers
it can be fatal. Luckily for
my partners and i we survived.
Days later a few courageous
officers heard about our Christmas
Eve “miss” and went out
of their way to inform me, “this
happened to me too!” One told
me, “Unfortunately you will have
to carry this burden for awhile,
but this will make you a better
officer!” It did. Because of this
incident I was reminded of the
proper mindset at work while
becoming an expert at patting
offenders down for hidden contra
band.
A few reminders:
• En-route to work prepare
yourself mentally for the day.
• DO NOT take phone calls or
text while transporting arrestees.
• When transporting prisoners
ALWAYS perform another pat
down of subject.
• Be cautious and slow and methodical
so as to not get poked
by needles or crack pipes.
• Be aware of the many concealed/
compartments on a
subject wearing layers.
Brian Mc Vey, MAP, Proud Dad.
Brian is a former Chicago Police
Officer injured in the line of
duty in 2012. You can reach Brian
at btmcvey77@gmail.com
The BLUES - - FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25 135
WORDS BY SGT. PETERSON
Blue City Fires its Cops in Defund Movement
Five years ago, a certain city council fired its entire police force and hired
civilians. Here’s what happened on the first day.
Five years ago, cities across
the country were in the midst of
‘defunding’ the police. Most just
suggested it. Some were stupid
enough to do it. One such unnamed
city, replaced the entire
police department with civilians.
One of the town former officers,
who chose to take early retirement,
wrote us back in 2021 describing
the towns first 12-hours
of this insane experiment. Some
five years later I’m happy to report
that said city has all new
elected officials and once again
has a fully operational police
department. But we can’t help
but rewind to 2020 and visit this
all over again.
In 2020, I wrote a story for The
BLUES about the first day our
city elected to defund our police
department and replace what
would have been two academy
classes with civilian replacements.
If you read my first story
recounting that first 12 hours,
then you already know this city
was headed for deep shit. Well,
136 The BLUES - - FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25
it’s became one giant cesspool
for a period of time, before the
citizens realized they f-up big
time and recalled all the idiots
that were in charge. But before
that here’s what transpired.
If you’ll recall, last September
our city decided that a non-violent
social alternative to law
enforcement was the right thing
to do in 2020. So, they voted
and succeeded in defunding the
police department and replaced
officers with civilians who supposedly
were better suited to
policing than the actual police.
These replacements were known
as “Crime Prevention Specialists.”
If you call 911 and say you need
the police, a Crime Prevention
Specialists or CPS Team Member
would be dispatched. (I swear
that’s what they call each other,
Team Members) CPS reports
to the Civilian Crime Bureau or
CCB. Now I’m sure you’re asking,
“what about crimes in progress?”
Who is going to respond
to a man with a gun or a robbery
in progress? Why COP’s of
course – that’s “CIVILIANS ON
PATROL.” They are supposedly
trained to intervene in a non-violent,
non-lethal interaction
with citizens to maintain peace
within the community. I swear
that’s what they train their “Team
Members” to do. I have no damn
idea what that even means.
What I can tell you is what
happens when you try that crap
with a man robbing a convenience
store at 2am. The “COPs”
and the “CPS Team Members”
attempted to “interact” with the
suspect, excuse me the “troubled
individual” and he shot all three
of them plus the store manager
and made off with the cash
and scratch off lottery tickets.
Luckily, the “troubled individual”
was a terrible shot and all three
CCB employees lived as did the
store manager. The “troubled
individual” was arrested a short
time later by the REAL COPS one
town over and charged with four
counts of attempted murder
and aggravated robbery. A CCB
spokesman said if they would
have had more time to reason
with the “troubled individual” a
different outcome might have
been possible. I swear you cannot
make this shit up.
Another interesting side effect
of hiring civilians to do police
work, is accidents. I don’t mean
the slip and fall kind; I’m referring
to traffic accidents. I witnessed
first-hand how a minor
traffic collision turned into 10-
car pileup with multiple injuries
and a huge fire. Seems that when
the CCB was formed, the mayor
and city council just assumed
that State Troopers or the Sheriff’s
Department would work all
the accidents. Well, the troopers
did work accidents on the state
highways but stayed out of the
city. The local sheriff, who now
referred to the city as “Whoville”
declared the city off limits
and told his deputies to stay the
hell out of the town and let the
“Town Clowns” handle all traffic
accidents.
So, when the first minor accident
occurred on CCB’s first day,
a two-car minor accident on
Main Street became the talk of
the town. You see, CCBs Team
Members didn’t receive any
training in accident investigation
much less directing traffic. So,
when the CPS and COPs arrived
on the scene, they just flipped
on the ole Blues Lights on them
Prius’ and blocked all traffic.
What they didn’t count on was
the accident was just beyond a
curve in the road and oncoming
traffic couldn’t see those Prius’
until it was too late. So, within
minutes of blocking the road, an
18-wheeler rounded the bend
and slammed into two of the
Prius’, pushing those into the two
cars involved in the fender bender.
While a Prius won’t normally
catch fire, when you destroy
the car with a semi, expose
the battery pack which causes
sparks, which ignites gasoline
now leaking from one of the cars
involved in the original accident,
you have one hell of a fire. And
because this is all on a hill and
the gasoline is flowing down
hill, on fire, and ignites another
CPS Prius as well as a couple of
other cars that had been stopped
by the accident. When it was all
said and done, 10 cars plus an
18-wheeler were destroyed by
fire. All on their FIRST accident
scene. Eventually the State was
called in to work the accident
The The BLUES - FEBRUARY - ‘25 ‘25 137 137
since it involved city vehicles.
I could go on, but I think you
get the idea. Privatizing a police
force with inexperienced civilians
is a recipe for disaster. It
would be hilarious if it wasn’t so
tragic. So, we said ay goodbye to
Whoville and moved to Texas.
EDITOR: We decided to reprint
Jake’s first recollection of the
CCB’s first 12 hours back in October
of 2020. We think you’ll get a
kick out of it as much as we did.
On September 4, 2020, our
city council voted to defund the
police department I just retired
from. Effective October 1, 2020,
the start of the city’s fiscal year,
the police department and its
officers were replaced by what
the city called ‘a non-violent social
alternative to law enforcement’
What you’re about to read
is what happened in just ONE
PATROL DISTRICT in the first 12
hours without a police force.
October 1, 2020
012:01 am – Just after midnight,
I stepped outside to see if
anything was happening, and it
seemed like a quiet night. I expected
the worse but didn’t hear
any sirens. No screams for help.
So, I walked back inside and
went to sleep. All was well.
02:20 am – I woke up to the
sound of my neighbor’s car
alarm going off next to our bedroom
window. I looked outside
and saw several people standing
by his new black BMW. I grabbed
my new conceal-carry Glock and
ran outside and started yelling
at the men to get out of the car.
My neighbor was already on the
front lawn with a golf club (he
despises guns and says he is a
non-violent person) and he too
was yelling at the men to get
out of his car. One of the men,
teenagers actually, pointed a gun
out of the driver’s side and fired
a shot at my neighbor. Luckily,
he missed, but my neighbor
ran inside to get his phone. The
three boys smoked the tires and
left the cul-de-sac in a cloud of
smoke. By this time my wife was
outside with me.
“I called 911” she said.
What did they say? We don’t
have police, who are they sending?
“No one, they advised me to try
and reason with the young men.”
“Do what? Reason with them?”
My neighbor re-emerged from
his house screaming into the
phone, saying they took his car
and tried to kill him. The 911
operator said a Crime Prevention
Specialist would come out after
8am to speak with him if he
liked. He threw the phone across
the driveway.
I did my best to calm my
neighbor and went back inside
and turned on the citywide scanner.
For the next 10 hours I was
glued to the computer and could
not believe what was happening
in my city.
02:50 am – Two blocks away,
three men in a black BMW
walked into the corner convenience
store, pointed a gun at
the clerk and demanded all the
money. On the way out the door
with $45 in cash, an armful of
beer and cigarettes, they fired
two shots at the clerk. One hit
him in the upper arm. A customer
saw what happened and
called 911. 911 dispatched an
ambulance but they waited two
blocks away for the scene to be
cleared by police. There were no
local police, so they had to wait
30 minutes for a State Trooper
to arrive. The clerk lost so much
blood they didn’t know if he
would survive.
03:55am – A major accident
on the Interstate with people
trapped in a car that was on fire
was dispatched on the intercity
radio channel. That’s what the
911 operators were told to do
given the local agency was now
defunct. The trooper handling
the robbery was the closest unit
to the accident, so he left the
crime scene and headed to the
accident. Since there were no
detectives or crime scene units
to be called, he turned the scene
over to a manager the alarm
company had dispatched.
04:11am – The trooper arrived
on the scene of the accident and
immediately called for backup
for traffic control. The dispatcher
said all the units were tied up
on other city calls. No one was
coming. The trooper asked one
of the witnesses what happened,
and she said the white car that
was on fire was run off the road
by a black car that looked like a
BMW (wait is that my neighbor’s
car?) The white car struck the
bridge support and burst into
flames, while the black car with
the 3 males inside took off at a
high rate of speed.
04:20am – Two more cars
slammed into the burning vehicle
on the Freeway. The trooper
was lucky to be alive. He jumped
over the guardrail, just before
the first car slammed into the
burning hulk of a car. When the
accident was all said and done.
One person was dead, and three
more went to the hospital.
05:01am - According to 911
138 The BLUES -- FEBRUARY ‘25
call records, sixty-five calls for
police service were now holding.
Twenty-five were in progress
calls.
05:16am – A citizen called 911
to say that he saw a wrecker
driving at a high rate of speed
down Main Street. And he was
dragging what appeared to be
an ATM machine with sparks
flying everywhere. Make that 26
in-progress calls.
05:25am – A report of a minor
accident, Main and 33rd Avenue.
A UPS truck reports his van was
struck by an object being towed
behind a wrecker - an ATM I
assume.
05:26am – A man walking his
dog in the 2500 block of 33rd,
reports a wrecker has struck a
fire hydrant and water is flooding
the street. While 911 is talking
to the gentlemen, the operator
hears tires squealing and
the man says a car spun out of
control on the flooded street
and has struck his dog. Please,
please send help. The 911 operator
calls animal control and the
wastewater department. Both
departments are closed and
don’t open until 8am.
05:55am Reports come into
911 that a man is sitting on the
overpass on the Interstate threatening
to jump. Troopers are still
tied up and the 911 operator calls
the emergency number for the
county health dept for a social
worker. Sorry they don’t get in
until 8am. The Health Dept transfers
the call to a Suicide Help
Line. “Can you pass the phone
to the gentlemen in distress
please.” What?
06:10am - Another major accident
was reported on the feeder
of the Interstate and Barker Rd.
The reportee says a black BMW
ran the red light and slammed
into a green Honda Civic. Two,
possible three men crawled out
of the BMW and car jacked a
red Toyota that was stopped at
the light. The lady of the Toyota
needs an ambulance, she is
bleeding from the head. The Toyota
was last seen southbound
on Barker from the freeway. (I
called my neighbor. “Hey Fred,
I think your car is at Barker Rd.
and the Interstate. It’s been in an
accident.”)
06:17am – Reports of shots
fired at a 24-hr check cashing
store at the 24000 Block of
Interstate 55. Subjects left West
bound on the feeder headed
towards Barker driving a black
4-door car.
06:35am – A silent alarm at the
North Side Bank & Trust on 45th
Avenue.
06:45am – Citizen reports
hearing glass breaking in the
2600 Block of 45th Avenue.
06:50am – Reports of a wrecker
driving at a high rate of speed
on 45th pulling a square piece of
metal making lots of sparks. And
The The BLUES - - FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25 139
same reportee says there is glass
all over the road and someone
should get it cleaned up before
cars get flats.
07:01am – Alarm company
calls back says there is glass
breakage and movement inside
the bank. A bank representative
has been notified.
07:10am – Several motorists
have called 911 to report flat tires
caused by what appears to be
broken glass and metal on 45th
Street.
07:35am – 911 receives a call
from the manager of the North
Side Bank & Trust asking for a
police unit. The front of the bank
has been smashed in and the
front door is missing. 911 advised
that a Crime Prevention Specialist
will be dispatched to his
location, but they don’t come in
until 8:00am. The bank manager
wasn’t happy.
07:44am – The manager of
the Corner Convenience Store
called 911 to ask when a police
unit was coming to his store to
take a report. Yes sir, we have
dispatched a Crime Prevention
Specialist to your location, they
should arrive sometime after
8am. “But I don’t need a Crime
PREVENTION specialist, the
crime has already been committed.
We know sir, but all crime
reports are now handled by
the Civilian Crime Bureau.” The
manager, now beside himself
says, “what the hell is the Civilian
Crime Bureau?” They are the
ones dispatched to your location
sir.
8:01am – County Health Dept.,
Mental Health Division & Suicide
Help Line, opens for business.
“You have 33 new calls for
service – Press 1 to hear the first
call.”
08:05am - Civilian Crime
Bureau is now open for business.
“You have 115 new calls for
service – Press 1 to hear the first
call.”
08:35am – MHD-SU is dispatched
to a call of a man on a
bridge threatening suicide. When
MHD-SU arrives, they advise
there is no one on the bridge.
They do report a large backup
on the Interstate just north of
the bridge where the jumper
was supposed to be. They hear
reports of debris on the roadway
below. (By the way, MHD-SU
stands for Mental Health Department
– Suicide Unit.)
09:00am – CPS (Crime Prevention
Specialist) Unit 33 is
dispatched to a report of a car
burglary in progress at 2409
Walker Street. The vehicle is a
2019 Black BMW. The reportee
will meet you in the driveway.
Hey that’s next door. Fred CPS are
on the way...LOL)
09:05am – CPS Unit 143 can
you check for a man reported to
be bleeding from an unknown
type of injury at the Corner Con-
140 The BLUES -- FEBRUARY ‘25
venience store at Walker and
Elm.
09:15am – Any CPS unit clear
to take a call. We have 85 calls
holding.
09:35am – CPS Unit 143 arrives
at the Corner Convenience and
is met by the manger. “Yes sir,
we received a report about a
man bleeding from an unknown
injury.”
“My employee was shot by a
robber. Are you here to investigate?”
“Aw no sir, that’s handled by a
CPSS unit.”
“What the hell is that?” asks
the manager.
“That a Crime Prevention Specialist
Supervisory unit sir.”
09:44am – 911 Dispatch to CPS
Unit 143. Can you check by with
CPS33 about two blocks from
you? He’s requesting backup on
a reported car break-in and an
angry man threatening him with
a golf club.
09:46am – CPS Unit 143 advises
the store manager a CPSS unit
will be dispatched to his location
within the next 24-48 hours.
Please don’t touch anything sir
until they arrive. I must leave sir,
there is a situation a couple of
blocks from here.
09:50am – CPS Unit 143 to
dispatch. I’ve arrived with CPS
Unit 33 and ma’am there’s a man
beating CPS Unit 33’s Prius with
a golf club. Is there a CPSS unit
in the area? Or can you dispatch
a POLICE unit from a neighboring
city to assist us?
09:55am – Dispatch to CPS Unit
143, CPSS Unit 02 advises that he
is unavailable to assist but has
requested a Mental Health Advisory
Unit to head your way, ETA
is 45 minutes.
10:44am – MHA Unit 22 show
me arrived with CPS Unit 143 and
CPS Unit 33. Can you dispatch a
wrecker to our scene for a disabled
CPS Prius Unit please?
11:05am – MHA Unit 22 to dispatch,
we have a CODE 12 at our
location, can you please dispatch
an MHA Supervisor to my location?
11:08am - MHA Unit 22, be
advised MHA Supervisor Unit 11 is
in enroute to your location with
an ETA of 55 minutes. Also, can
you advise CPS Units 143 and 33
I need them back in service? We
are now holding over 200 calls
for service in the district.
12:01pm – MHA Unit 11 is on the
scene with MHA Unit 22, CPS 143,
and CPS 33. Dispatch, it would
appear that there has been some
type of accident at this location.
I have two damaged CPS Prius
units and one damaged MHA
minivan. Can you please dispatch
a city wrecker and a Municipal
Damage Assessment Supervisor
to this location.
12:30pm. – Well, I’ve heard
enough, and I need a nap. This
night shift is kicking my butt.
I’d better get some rest before
tonight’s shift starts. I don’t want
to miss anything. And they said
retirement was going to be boring.
* * *
If you don’t think stupidity can’t
happen in your city, just defund
your PD and sit back and watch.
By the way, MHA, CPS, MDAA and
MHD are all hiring in our city.
The BLUES - - FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25 141
A BADGE OF HONOR
healing our heroes
First Responder Health Knowledge
There are many factors which
determine and play a vital role in
Post Traumatic Stress. The way
we handle stress is individualized.
Everyone reacts to and responds
different to each situation. We have
all been through some kind of PT
stress management class, we have
chatted with our Peer support and
can recognize the trigger points as
we learn to work through them.
The hidden aspect of PTS is
where are we medically? When we
truly look at the chemical makeup
of our bodies and what is going
on inside, are we really in balance?
When we go to the doctor for a
checkup, they may run the typical
blood panel, which may not include
vital information regarding what is
happening inside us.
We just assume all is ok when
the levels come back within the
normal ranges. Our bodies go
through many different chemical
releases through-out the day, continually
changing our chemistry.
Chemical dumps as we call them
happen to everyone. It is what protects
us in Fight, Flight and Flee situations.
First responders experience
these dumps more frequently than
most, sometimes back- to-back.
These sudden bursts of Adrenalin,
Cortisol, and Norepinephrine can
have long and lasting effects on the
body.
Understanding these chemicals
can help you reduce your stress
levels and get your body healthy
again. Cortisol is the primary stress
hormone which when released,
will increase sugar into the blood
stream. In normal dosages its safe,
but when levels are increased it
can cause weight gain, high blood
pressure, mood swings, weakness,
impaired cognitive functions, and
more. And that’s just one chemical.
High levels of Norepinephrine over
time can cause damage to your
heart, blood vessels as well as kidney
damage.
Adrenaline at continued high
levels can also cause high blood
pressure, increased chances of a
stroke, headaches, restlessness and
sleep interruptions.
Dopamine, also known as the
feel-good drug, at increased levels
over time can cause impulse control
issues, aggression, sleep issues and
anxiety.
These 4-chemicals are released
daily, sometimes multiple times a
day, in a first responders career.
When we really dive deep into the
impact of these dumps and the
effects they have on our health
over time, we must ask the proper
questions when we visit our health
adviser.
This is one of the reasons the life
expectancy of a first responder is
shorter and heart attacks and vascular
issues are more prevalent.
When we look at the chemicals
which are released into our body
every day and the long-term issues
they cause, it’s no different than
working at a toxic waste dump.
First responders have no OSHA
representative looking out for their
health effects. There is no (TWA)
Time weighted average of (PEL)
Permissible exposure limit set by
OSHA protecting us from the harm
of these chemical dumps. It’s up to
us to protect ourselves. Without the
proper knowledge of what is going
on in our bodies or why we are
feeling or reacting to situations in a
SAMANTHA HORWITZ &
JOHN SALERNO
manner that may not be normal for
us, is like running into a fire without
gear or going into a gunfight
without a gun. Would you walk into
a chemical enhanced atmosphere
without a mask or proper respiratory
protection? Of course not. During
the Covid crisis, we were told to
wear masks and gloves to protect
ourselves. Blah blah blah. A smoke
and mirrors show by the politicians
so we can’t come back and sue
them for over exposure.
Let’s look at September 11th and
the First Responders who suffered
and continue to suffer major health
effects and early deaths caused by
the lack of information and knowledge
of the chemicals they were
breathing from the toxic dust.
There is a upside to this. As First
Responders we can mitigate the
impact by taking proper care of our
bodies through-out our carer. Some
basic changes in our daily routine
can help us live a longer and more
fulfilling life, which we all deserve.
A proper diet, exercise regiment,
decompressing techniques, regular
doctor visits with proper testing,
and most important, knowledge.
What we don’t know can end up
killing us early. Get educated on
how the job impacts you.
142 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 143
DARYL LOTT
daryl’s deliberations
Centennial Survivor & the Sanctity of Life
Today (Jan 19) is the “Sanctity
of Life” lesson at my church.
I taught the lesson to our Bible
study class. Of course, the object
of the lesson is to value human
life, but God also values the lives
of his nonhuman creatures. He
saw that man was lonely as a
species and created other life
forms to give us companionship.
We could list all the times animals
provide valuable assistance
and fellowship to us, but the list
would be endless. I want to bring
the life of one animal to
the readers’ attention. His
name was Comanche.
On our country’s Centennial
Celebration of 1876,
bad news came from the
west. The Battle of Little
Big Horn marked the defeat
of General Custer and
the Seventh Cavalry. The
U.S. Army lost every man.
Any living cavalry horse
was taken by the Sioux.
Except one. Of all the men
and horses, one survivor
was left when General
Alfred Terry arrived to
relieve the Seventh. The
Sioux and Cheyenne presumably
left Comanche
because the gelding was
in too bad of shape to take
away.
Comanche stood among the
ruins of the battlefield with
numerous bullet and arrow
wounds. It was, of course, a grim
scene. The ferocity of the battle
was evident to anyone looking
upon the bodies of the combatants.
Comanche was the only
living being on the field. He was
the personal mount of Captain
Myles Keogh, who purchased the
horse from the army. This was
not Comanche’s first battle. He
was wounded in previous action,
and he emitted a sound like
a Comanche war cry. Captain
Keogh re-named his horse to fit
the sound.
General Terry’s men wanted
to take the horse back to Fort
Abraham Lincoln, North Dakota
despite the animal’s wounds. The
DARYL LOTT
general approved it and
telegraphed the sad news
to President Grant. As one
can imagine, the loss of the
Seventh put a damper on
the centennial festivities in
Washington.
The U.S. Army declared
Comanche to be a “protected
horse” in 1879. He
would never carry a human
being again. He is
the only horse to receive
such an honor. He became
the symbol of hope and
endurance, and the Army
recruited new soldiers to
fill their ranks. Comanche’s
loyalty appealed to
the southern soldiers who
desired reconciliation.
Comanche lived to 1891 –
another fifteen years after
the battle. The University of Kansas
offered to preserve Comanche
through taxidermy and honor
the gallant soldier as an exhibit
144 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
in its Natural History Museum.
The Army accepted the offer and
visitors to KU can visit the “Sole
U.S. Army Survivor of the Little
Big Horn” at the museum today.
If you visit there, say a prayer of
thanksgiving to God for giving us
loyal and brave companions like
Comanche.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 145
DR. TINA JAECKLE
blue mental health
Tragedy in the Sky:
Supporting Our First Responders
The nation is shocked and
deeply saddened at the deadly
American Airlines jet and
military helicopter crash that
occurred at Reagan National
Airport in Washington DC on
January 29, 2025. As the sun
rose this morning the images
on the news confirmed what
many feared. There are no expected
survivors. Sixty-seven
souls lost. Between the in-air
collision and the frigid waters
of the Potomac River, I could
only imagine that this came as
no surprise to the law enforcement
officers and first responders
initially tasked with rescue,
then, recovery. It can serve as a
crushing psychological blow to
this group who clearly possess
the strong mission-oriented
goal to save lives.
I remember watching in
horror as Air Florida Flight 90
crashed into the frozen Potomac
River, just miles from the
White House. This accident,
which occurred on January 13,
1982, resulted in the deaths of
seventy-eight people, including
passengers, crew, and motorists
on the 14th Street Bridge.
The Boeing 737 was en route
from Washington National
Airport (now Reagan National)
to Florida when it failed to gain
altitude after takeoff, striking
the heavily trafficked bridge before
plunging into the icy river.
The crash occurred during a
severe winter storm that had
blanketed Washington in snow,
creating treacherous conditions
for travelers. Survivors clung
to pieces of the wreckage as
a U.S. Park Police helicopter
hovered overhead, dropping
lifelines into the freezing water.
Among those fighting for
their lives was Priscilla Tirado,
whose husband and 2-monthold
child perished in the crash.
Cold, disoriented, and covered
in jet fuel, she struggled to
hold onto a dangling life preserver
before slipping beneath
the surface. That is when government
worker Lenny Skutnik,
witnessing the scene from the
shore, dove into the water and
pulled her to safety. Skutnik
was hailed as a national hero.
As I author this article, it is
estimated that over 300 first
responders are currently working
in and around the Potomac
River to recover victims. While
my thoughts and prayers are
first with the families of loved
DR. TINA JAECKLE
ones lost, I am also concerned
about the provision of support
services for law enforcement
and first responders on scene.
Plane crashes are unique in the
type(s) of trauma they produce.
However, I do have some
comfort in knowing how far
we have advanced in the recognition
of the impact for first
responders. In 1982, there were
little to no services or support
available. Peer support teams
were a rarity. Responders were
simply expected to move forward
as part of the job and the
humanistic side ignored. I have
no doubt they carried this experience
and horror with them
for life.
Even during this tragedy,
there is hope for the mental
health of our first responders.
In a news conference held at
Reagan National this morning,
Chief John Donnelly of the
146 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
Washington Fire and Emergency
Medical Services Department
was asked by a journalist
what support is provided to
the responders. He confirmed
that the peer support team has
been activated and recognizes
the need. I also have no question
that several trauma trained
mental health professionals are
available. From my perspective
and experience, this is a great
sign of how far we have come
in this field.
There are various strategies
and treatments available to
help first responders cope with
post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) and the psychological
aftermath of traumatic experiences
such as major plane
crashes. Here are some of the
most common ones:
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
(CBT): CBT is a widely
used therapeutic approach
that focuses on identifying and
changing negative thought patterns
and behaviors. It can help
first responders reframe their
thoughts about the traumatic
event and develop healthier
coping mechanisms.
2. CBT as Exposure Therapy:
Exposure therapy is a form of
CBT often used to treat PTSD. It
involves gradually and repeatedly
exposing the individual to
the traumatic memory, helping
to reduce the emotional impact
over time.
3. Prolonged Exposure Therapy
(PE): PE is another CBTbased
approach that helps first
responders confront and process
traumatic memories. This
therapy can include recounting
the traumatic event and discussing
it in detail with a therapist.
4. Brief Eclectic Psychotherapy
(BEP): BEP combines different
therapeutic techniques to
address trauma effectively. It is
a flexible approach tailored to
an individual's specific needs
and experiences.
5. Eye Movement Desensitization
and Reprocessing (EMDR):
EMDR is a unique therapy that
involves bilateral stimulation,
such as eye movements or
tapping. This helps individuals
process traumatic memories
and reduce their emotional
impact.
6. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
(CISD): CISD is a structured
group discussion aimed
at helping first responders
process traumatic events shortly
after they occur. It provides
a safe space for individuals to
share their experiences and
emotions.
Our staff at the BLUES Police
Magazine are keeping all
involved in our thoughts and
prayers.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 147
NOT SO BRIGHT AWARD
Light Bulb Award
WORST of the WORST
No words are needed for this collection of the nation’s worst
politicians and so called leaders!!
WORST PRESIDENT EVER - AT LEAST SINCE NIXON
That’s Joe signing the Pardon of his son Hunter...which he said over a
hundred times he wouldn’t do. Not to mention the thousands of other
pardons he granted to some of the worst convicts ever tried and convicted
in the US.
148 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
WORST VICE PRESIDENT
& PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
WORST HOMELAND
SECRETARY
I give up..I’m so unburdened by what could have been.
I swear I just what the President handlers told me to do.
WORST PRESS
SECRETARY
WORST ASST. SECRETARY
FOR HEALTH & HUMANS
I just repeat the lies I’m given by the President’s handlers.
My pronouns are “was a guy, now I’m a she/her/them”
WORST EX-SPEAKER
OF THE HOUSE
WORST EX-ASSISTANT
LUGGAGE THIEF
My eyebrows? I paid a lot of money for them.
Rachel with no hair and wearing stolen dress!
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 149
WORST SENATE
MINORITY LEADER
WORST HOUSE
MINORITY LEADER
Dude, take the glasses off. You look ridiculous.
Look up. I’m still the leader of something.
WORST SENATOR
WORST DRESSED
CONGRESS “PERSON”
I'm the only Native American to serve in Congress. Wait I'm not?
‘Cause we can’t say “woman” anymore
WORST BUT ‘HOT’
CONGRESSWOMAN
WORST ANTI-AMERICAN
REPRESENTATIVE
Horrible in Congress...but damn she’s HOT!
Who in the hell voted for this woman?
150 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
WORST MAYOR
EVER IN LA
WORST MAYOR
EVER IN ILLINOIS
“Let me just get my dam bag and get the F*ck out of here”
Least I won something. Do I get an award to frame?
WORST POLICE
CHIEF IN NOLA
WORST FIRE
CHIEF IN LA
I’ve just been told we “do have barriers.” WTF
More worried about DEI than fighting fires.
WORST DEI
HIRE AT LA FIRE DEPT.
WORST PAID LA EXEC
$750,000 TO OVERSEE WATER
“Well your husband shouldn’t be in a fire in the first place”
“There’s no damn water in the hydrants” WTF.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 151
ADS BACK IN THE DAY
152 The Blues BLUES - January -- FEBRUARY ‘24 ‘25
The BLUES Blues -- January - FEBRUARY ‘24‘25 ‘25 153
ADS BACK IN THE DAY
154 The BLUES -- FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - - FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25 155
THERE ARE
parting shots...
156 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
NO WORDS
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 157
THERE ARE
parting shots...
158 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
NO WORDS
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 159
PRIORITY BOLO
NOW HIRING
ISD PD JOB LISTINGS
IS YOUR ISD PD
HIRING?
YOUR DEPARTMENT’S RECRUITING AD
CAN BE LISTED HERE FOR ONLY $250
bluespdmag@gmail.com
160 The BLUES - - FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25
ALDINE ISD
POLICE DEPARTMENT
JOIN OUR TEAM
EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
• Sick Leave
• Paid Vacation
• Paid Holidays
• Personal Days
• Teacher Retirement System
TCOLE CERTIFICATION INCENTIVE
• Intermediate PO: $2,400
• Advanced PO: $4,800
• Master PO: $7,200
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
• Must be 21 Years Of Age
• Must Hold an Active Tcole Peace Officer License
• Must Complete the Following:
• Pass Physical Agility Test
• Background Investigation
• Psychological Evaluation
• Drug Screening
DEPARTMENT BENEFITS
• Uniforms Provided, Including Duty Weapon
• Department Provided Training
• Starting Pay Depends on
Qualifications / Experience
• TCOLE Certification / Education Pay
• Most Officers work Day Shift with Weekends Off
(INCENTIVE PAY FOR DETECTIVES, K-9 HANDLERS, AND
FIREARM INSTRUCTORS.)
FOR MORE INFO CONTACT
SGT. HALL AT 281.442.4923
OR VISIT ALDINEISD.ORG
APPLY AT
ALDINEISD.ORG
STARTING SALARY $55,000 WITH NO EXPERIENCE
UP TO $85,000 DEPENDING ON EXPERIENCE
ALDINE ISD PD OFFERS
SPECIALIZED DIVISIONS
• Criminal Investigations
• Emergency Response Team
• Honor Guard
• Gang Task Force
• Community Outreach Division
• K-9 Division
• Firearm Instructor
$1,000 SIGNING BONUS
Want to make a difference?
225 work days
$28 -$37.02 Hourly
(Commensurate with experience)
5 years experience preferred
Benefits including:
Family Time/Leave
Most weekends off
Thanksgiving break
Christmas break
Spring and Summer breaks
Teacher Retirement System
Apply at
www.alvinisd.net/careers
Certification Pay:
Master $4,000 annually
Advanced $3,000 annually
Intermediate $2,000 annually
Insurance & Benefits
Many Overtime Opportunities
Generous Training Opportunities
Take home vehicle program
The The BLUES - FEBRUARY - ‘25 ‘25 161 161
PRIORITY BOLO
NOW HIRING
ISD PD JOB LISTINGS
FIND YOUR ISD
POSITION HERE
162 The BLUES -- FEBRUARY ‘25
Now Hiring
School District Police Officer
Must be TCOLE Certified
www.pfisd.net/police
226 day work schedule with starting
salary between $52,884 and $60,821
depending on experience
Overtime Opportunities Available
Stipends for TCOLE Advanced & Master
Licenses, MHO Certification, College
Degrees, and Bilingual Proficiency
Thanksgiving, Winter, &
Spring Breaks off
Take Home Vehicle Program
Great Insurance & Benefits
Package with TRS
Retirement
SPRING BRANCH ISD POLICE DEPARTMENT
WE’RE
HIRING
Patrol & Onsite Officers (HS/MS)
Gang Officer
Mental Health Officers
Community Relations Officer
Emergency Management
Criminal Investigations
K-9 programs
*All equipment provided including duty weapon
**Training opportunities available
DEPARTMENT
HIGHLIGHTS
55 officer department
44 square mile district
47 schools
35,000 population
24/7 Patrol
We want you to preserve, protect, and defend our future.
Starting Pay $63,000 (TCOLE Basic Peace Officer certification with no experience)
Language pay
Shift differential pay
Intermediate, Advanced and
Master Peace Officer
certificate pay
Paid time off
Ample overtime opportunities
Apply online today. springbranchisd.com/join-our-team
The The BLUES - - FEBRUARY ‘25 ‘25 163 163
NOW HIRING
LE job positions
Katy ISD Police Department Get Info Police Chief 02/10/2025
Whitney Police Department Get Info Police Officers - Multiple Positions 02/10/2025
Austin Police Department Get Info Police Cadets 02/01/2025
Saginaw Police Department Get Info Police Officer 02/15/2025
El Paso Police Department Get Info Police Trainee 02/28/2025
Nolan County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Patrol Deputy 02/15/2025
Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Law Enforcement Deputy 03/01/2025
San Saba County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Deputy 02/28/2025
Abilene Police Department Get Info Entry Level Police Cadets 02/01/2025
Manvel Police Department Get Info Patrol Officers (Multiple Positions) 02/02/2025
Pleasanton Police Department Get Info Patrol Officer (Multiple Positions) 02/03/2025
Hutto Police Department Get Info Lateral Police Officer - Multiple Positions 02/01/2025
Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Deputy Sheriff 02/03/2025
Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Detention Officer 02/03/2025
Bandera County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Patrol Deputy 02/03/2025
St. Edwards University Police Department Police Officer 02/03/2025
Lakeway Police Department Get Info Police Officer 02/07/2025
Anderson County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Police Deputy 02/08/2025
Katy ISD Police Department Get Info Police Chief 02/10/2025
Whitney Police Department Get Info Police Officers - Multiple Positions 02/10/2025
Austin Police Department Get Info Police Cadets 02/01/2025
Saginaw Police Department Get Info Police Officer 02/15/2025
El Paso Police Department Get Info Police Trainee 02/28/2025
Giddings Police Department Get Info Patrol Officer 03/06/2025
Dallas Police Department Get Info Police Officer Trainee 03/06/2025
Texas State Technical College Get Info Police Officer 03/11/2025
Santa Fe ISD Police Department Get Info Police Officer 03/11/2025
Hemphill Police Department Get Info Police Officer 03/08/2025
South San Antonio ISD Get Info Peace Officer 03/07/2025
Kingsville Police Department Get Info Entry Level Police Officer 03/13/2025
Beaumont Police Department Get Info Peace Officer (Certified) 03/14/2025
Beaumont Police Department Get Info Police Cadet 03/14/2025
Euless Police Department Get Info Police Officer 03/14/2025
Euless Police Department Get Info Police Officer (Lateral) 03/14/2025
Euless Police Department Get Info Elementary School Resource Officer 03/14/2025
Belton Police Department Get Info Police Department 02/06/2025
Lewisville PD Get Info Police Officer 03/14/2025
Harker Heights PD Get Info Police Officer Trainee 02/10/2025
Waxahachie Police Department Get Info Police Patrol Officer 02/03/2025
Colleyville Police Department Get Info Police Officer 03/13/2025
Beverly Hills Police Department Get Info Patrol Sergeant 03/07/2025
Oak Ridge North Police Department Get Info Police Officer 03/13/2025
Aransas County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Patrol Deputy 03/14/2025
Burleson County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Patrol Deputy 03/10/2025
Bruceville-Eddy Police Department Get Info School Resource Officer 03/14/2025
Burleson Police Department Get Info Police Officers 03/15/2025
Crowley ISD Police Department Get Info Police Officer 03/02/2025
San Saba County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Deputy 02/28/2025
Stanton Police Department Get Info Patrol Officer 02/26/2025
Floydada Police Department Get Info Police Officer 02/28/2025
Everman Police Department Get Info Police Officer 03/07/2025
Crosbyton Police Department Get Info Chief of Police 03/02/2025
Westover Hills Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 03/08/2025
Giddings Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 03/03/2025
Bexar County Constable’s Precinct 3 Get Info Deputy Constable 03/06/2025
164 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
NOW HIRING
WELCOME OUR NEWEST DEPARTMENT
LE job positions
WELCOME ABOARD PASADENA PD
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 165
JOIN MPD
TEXT "JOINMPD" TO
TO APPLY OR SPEAK
WITH A RECRUITER
SALARY
Up to $20,000 lateral officer signing bonus
Police officer entry-level: $6,883 monthly
Custody officer salary range: $5,970–$7,132 monthly
EDUCATION INCENTIVE
90 quarter credits/ 60 semester credits/ AA: 6%
BA/ BS: 8%
RETIREMENT PENSION
Police officers: LEOFF 2
Custody officers: PERS 2
VACATION
Police officer range: 200 hours annually, up to 320
hours annually depending on years of service
Custody officer range: 192 hours annually, up to 312
hours annually depending on years of service
SPECIALIZED UNITS
Police officer: Investigations, Traffic, Pro-Act
(N.I.T.E.) and K9
Custody Officer: Court Security Unit
166 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
HEALTH COVERAGE
Medical, Dental and Vision covered 100% for
employees and 90% for dependents
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 167
Ready for a career change?
Join our team at
Spring Creek Correctional Center
in Seward today!
Located in the stunning city of Seward,
surrounded by glaciers and forests in
southern Alaska, Spring Creek
Correctional Center spans 328 acres.
This facility houses up to 535 sentenced
male inmates and serves communities
across Alaska. Join us in making a
difference!
168 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
WE ARE
Hiring!
Scan the QR code
to join the DOC
team today!
ADCRR is Hiring
Correctional Officers
1-888-545-RUSH
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 169
170 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 171
Want to make a difference?
225 work days
$28 -$37.02 Hourly
(Commensurate with experience)
5 years experience preferred
Certification Pay:
Master $4,000 annually
Advanced $3,000 annually
Intermediate $2,000 annually
Benefits including:
Family Time/Leave
Most weekends off
Thanksgiving break
Christmas break
Spring and Summer breaks
Teacher Retirement System
Insurance & Benefits
Many Overtime Opportunities
Generous Training Opportunities
Take home vehicle program
Apply at
www.alvinisd.net/careers
172 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
ALDINE ISD
POLICE DEPARTMENT
JOIN OUR TEAMAPPLY AT
EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
• Sick Leave
• Paid Vacation
• Paid Holidays
• Personal Days
• Teacher Retirement System
TCOLE CERTIFICATION INCENTIVE
• Intermediate PO: $2,400
• Advanced PO: $4,800
• Master PO: $7,200
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
• Must be 21 Years Of Age
• Must Hold an Active Tcole Peace Officer License
• Must Complete the Following:
• Pass Physical Agility Test
• Background Investigation
• Psychological Evaluation
• Drug Screening
ALDINEISD.ORG
STARTING SALARY $55,000 WITH NO EXPERIENCE
UP TO $85,000 DEPENDING ON EXPERIENCE
ALDINE ISD PD OFFERS
DEPARTMENT BENEFITS
• Uniforms Provided, Including Duty Weapon
• Department Provided Training
• Starting Pay Depends on
Qualifications / Experience
• TCOLE Certification / Education Pay
• Most Officers work Day Shift with Weekends Off
(INCENTIVE PAY FOR DETECTIVES, K-9 HANDLERS, AND
FIREARM INSTRUCTORS.)
FOR MORE INFO CONTACT
SGT. HALL AT 281.442.4923
OR VISIT ALDINEISD.ORG
SPECIALIZED DIVISIONS
• Criminal Investigations
• Emergency Response Team
• Honor Guard
• Gang Task Force
• Community Outreach Division
• K-9 Division
• Firearm Instructor
$1,000 SIGNING BONUS
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 173
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176 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
BUDA POLICE DEPARTMENT
NOW HIRING - POLICE OFFICER
Starting Salary
$64.5K to $74.8K
*TCOLE Licensed Only
We are proud to be one of the safest cities in the State of Texas
and have tremendous support from our community.
Benefits
Retirement
2-1 City Match with TMRS
Medical/Dental/Vision
100% Medical Coverage
Offsetting Copays
Educational Pay
$50- $150 Per Month
Incentive Pay
$75-$150(max) per Month for
assignments such as:
FTO, Bike Patrol, SWAT
Annual Leave Accruals
15 Paid Holidays
80 Hours Vacation
120 Hours Sick Leave
Bilingual Pay
Shift Differential Pay
Lateral Entry Program
On-site Gym
Officer Wellness Program
www.budatx.gov/92/Employment
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 177
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The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 179
NOW
HIRING
BIG SPRING PD IS NOW HIRING POLICE OFFICERS
• 100% PAID ACADEMY TRAINING FOR
NON-CERTIFIED CADETS
• EQUIPMENT AND UNIFORMS ARE PROVIDED
INCLUDING TAKE HOME VEHICLES
• TMRS RETIREMENT (2:1 CITY MATCH)
• 100% EMPLOYEE MEDICAL AND LIFE
INSURANCE PREMIUM PAID BY THE CITY
• PAID VACATION AND HOLIDAYS
• PAID SICK LEAVE
180 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
• LONGEVITY PAY FOR YEARS OF SERVICE
• EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM
• PROGRESSIVE ANNUAL IN-SERVICE
TRAINING AND EXTERNAL TRAINING
OPPORTUNITIES.
• OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIVERSE
EXPERIENCE IN ASSIGNMENTS SUCH AS
SWAT, NARCOTICS, TRAFFIC, AND CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION
• $1500 ACADEMY REIMBURSEMENT AND
$2400 RELOCATION PAY FOR CERTIFIED
OFFICERS
$55,900 STARTING ANNUAL SALARY FOR CERTIFIED POLICE OFFICERS.
ENTRY LEVEL TESTING ON AUGUST 1, 2023
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS JULY 26, 2023
APPLY NOW AT WWW.MYBIGSPRING.COM
THE CITY OF BIG SPRING IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 181
182 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
Hiring
Police Officers
Annual Salary $57,592 - $62,899 range + Benefits | Certification Pay | Longevity Pay | Bilingual
Certification by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE)
Pay 12 Hour Shift Schedule - Alternating weekends off and good life/work balance
All equipment/uniform provided | Take home patrol car program | Visible tattoo & beard policy
Benefits at NO COST TO EMPLOYEE:
• Education Reimbursement Program
• 80 hours of Vacation (accrued annually)
• 96 hours of sick leave annually (accrued annually)
• 14 Paid Holidays
• Life Insurance 2x annual base salary
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Training Opportunities
Additional Benefits
• TMRS retirement system - 5% employee
contribution - City matches 2:1 at retirement
• Medical Insurance: - United Health Care
† Ask about our Lateral Transfer Program
requirements
Questions? Contact Lt. Kelvin Raven at kraven@cityofbrenham.org | 979-337-7363
jobs.cityofbrenham.org
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 183
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NOW HIRING
WELCOME OUR NEWEST DEPARTMENT
job positions
WELCOME ABOARD PASADENA PD
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 185
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NOW HIRING
WELCOME OUR NEWEST DEPARTMENT
job positions
WELCOME ABOARD PASADENA PD
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 187
$
U
T
S
v
e
b
o
w
FRIENDSWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRIDE DEDICATION PROFESSIONALISM
UP
TO
$ 15,000
* FOR QUALIFIED TCOLE-CERTIFIED OFFICERS
HIRING
INCENTIVE
C
AVAILABLE PROGRAMS
• Special Weapons & Tactics Team
• Crisis Negotiation Team
• K-9 Program
• Drone Pilot Program
• D.O.T. & Traffic Safety Unit
• School Resource Officers
• Bicycle Patrol
• Marine Patrol
• Honor Guard
188 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
AMENITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES
• State Of The Art Training Rooms
• Extensive In House Training
• Progressive Technology
• 24/7 Gym Access
• Updated Equipment And Fleet Vehicles
•
OMPENSATION
67,370 to $87,320 (Police Officer)
p to $15,000 Hiring Incentive for Qualified
COLE Certified Officers
tarting salary for an entry-level Police Officer will
ary within the range given. Depending upon prior law
nforcement experience, the starting salary will or can
e above the minimum. Friendswood patrol operates
n 12 hour shifts, Panama schedule with every other
eekend off.
• Intermediate Peace Officer Certification $2,100/Year
• Advanced Peace Officer Certification $2,700/Year
• Masters Peace Officer Certification $3,300/Year
• Associates Degree $1,200/Year
• Bachelors Degree $1,800/Year
• Masters Degree $3,300/Year
• Merit increase Each Year Until Retirement
• Lateral officers receive 1 to 1 for experience
• 6 Weeks Paid Paternity/Maternity Leave
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Longevity Pay
• Shift Differential
• 15 Paid Holidays/Year
• 96 Hours of Sick Time
• 24 Hours of Personal Time Plus Vacation
• Wellness Incentive Offering up to 36 Hours
of Vacation Per Year
• TMRS Retirement 2:1 Match @ 7%
•
SCAN TO APPLY
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 189
GARDEN RIDGE
POLICE DEPARTMENT
NOW HIRING!
Garden Ridge Police Department
9400 Municipal Parkway · Garden Ridge · Texas · 78266
Office: 210-651-6441· Fax: 210-651-1639
190 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
NOW HIRING
Lateral Police Officers
QUALIFICATIONS
• MUST BE A CERTIFIED TEXAS PEACE
OFFICER
• MUST PASS DRUG SCREEN AND PHYSICAL
• MUST POSSESS A VALID TEXAS DRIVER
LICENSE WITH A GOOD DRIVING RECORD
• MUST PASS ALL INTERVIEWS
• MUST PASS CRIMINAL BACKGROUND
CHECK
SALARY AND BENEFITS
• PATROL OFFICER ANNUAL SALARY
5,000
HIRING PROCESS
• PHYSICAL FITNESS TESTING
• SCENARIO TESTING
• CRIMINAL BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
• FORMAL ORAL BOARD
• CHIEF’S INTERVIEW
$67,045
• STEP/LATERAL PAY
• HIRING INCENTIVE LUMP SUM PAY $________________
• INSURANCE: COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL, DENTAL, VISION PAID BY CITY
• SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE PAID BY CITY
• OVERTIME & COMPTIME OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
• RETIREMENT: TMRS 2:1 CONTRIBUTIONS, WITH 20-YEAR RETIREMENT
• LONGEVITY: $120 ANNUALLY FOR EACH FULL YEAR OF SERVICE
• PAID TIME OFF (PTO) ACCRUAL BEGINS IMMEDIATELY AT 4.50 HRS. PER PAY PERIOD
• 15 CITY HOLDAYS PER YEAR
• LICENSE PAY (MONTHLY): INTERMEDIATE - $25, ADVANCED - $50, MASTER - $100
• WEAPONS: DEPARTMENT FURNISHES ALL OFFICERS WITH A GLOCK HANDGUN & AR-15
RIFLE W/SUPPRESSOR, WEAPON LIGHTS, TASER AND LESS-LETHAL IMPACT WEAPON
• UNIFORMS: DEPARTMENT FURNISHES ALL OFFICERS WITH CLASS B, CLASS A AND
TRAINING UNIFORMS, RAIN GEAR, BOOTS AND WINTER APPAREL
• EQUIPMENT: DEPARTMENT FURNISHES ALL OFFICERS WITH BALLISTIC HELMET & SHIELD,
SOFT ARMOR, RIFLE PLATE ARMOR, DUTY BELTS, AND BODY CAMERAS
• PATROL VEHICLES: THE DEPARTMENT SUPPLIES OFFICERS WITH SUV PATROL UNITS
EQUIPPED WITH LAPTOP, IN-CAR VIDEO, AND RADARS
• SHIFT SCHEDULE: PATROL OFFICERS WORK A PANAMA STYLE 12-HOUR SHIFT
• EXTENSIVE ANNUAL TRAINING BUDGET ALLOWS THE DEPARTMENT TO SUPPLY ADVANCED
TRAINING CLASSES TO OFFICERS INCLUDING A POLICEONE ONLINE TRAINING ACCOUNT
• BEARD AND VISIBLE TATTOOS ARE ALLOWED
• ENVIRONMENT WITH STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND PROFESSIONAL, GROWTH-
MINDED COMMAND STAFF
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 191
Seeking Individuals Who are interested in a Rewarding Career in Law Enforcement
Begin Your Career Today!
GALVESTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ESTABLISHMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
POSITION: Telecommunicator/Entry Level Deputy - Communications
Bureau/Division: Support Svc/Communications
Title/Rank: Telecommunicator/Entry Level Deputy
Reports to: Sergeant - Communications
Starting Salary: $52,788.00
Top out Salary: $69,799.00
JOB SUMMARY
• This position receives emergency calls from the public and dispatches appropriate emergency personnel.
• Receives, evaluates, prioritizes and initiates responses to requests for information and services, including emergency
services.
• Accesses, retrieves, disseminate, and protect confidential law enforcement related data from a variety of protected
local, state and federal databases.
• Enters critical and confidential law enforcement data into TCIC and NCIC databases as well as perform related duties.
• Assists in the maintenance of the communications center and report regularly for work and be on time.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Must be able to work under adverse conditions and during unusual hours including nights, weekends, holidays and
scheduled/unscheduled overtime.
Possession of or ability to readily obtain TCOLE Basic Telecommunicator License, TCIC and NCIC certifications.
Speak, read, and write the English language in a clear and understandable fashion
Possess a valid Texas driver’s license
Knowledge of computers and job related software programs and minimum intermediate data entry typing skills
Pass a background review and interviews
Knowledge and level of competency commonly associated with completion of specialized training in the field of work.
Minimum high school graduate or equivalent.
TO APPLY
An applicant interested in any of GCSO position shall first download, complete and return
the Application Packet, per the instructions on the downloadable form.
The Application Packet can be found at SHERIFF.GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV
JOIN US
VISIT SHERIFF.GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV TO APPLY!
192 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer
CONTACT US
409.763.7585 : SO.EMPLOYMENT@GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV
409.766.2331
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 193
Seeking Individuals Who are interested in a Rewarding Career in Law Enforcement
Begin Your Career Today!
GALVESTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ESTABLISHMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
POSITION: Patrol Deputy
Bureau/Division: Criminal Law Enforcement/Patrol Division
Title/Rank: Patrol Deputy
Reports to: Sergeant - Patrol
Starting Salary: $58,195.00
Top out Salary: $73,645.00
JOB SUMMARY
• This position receives emergency calls from the public and dispatches appropriate emergency personnel.
• Receives, evaluates, prioritizes and initiates responses to requests for information and services, including emergency
services.
• Accesses, retrieves, disseminate, and protect confidential law enforcement related data from a variety of protected
local, state and federal databases.
• Enters critical and confidential law enforcement data into TCIC and NCIC databases as well as perform related duties.
• Assists in the maintenance of the communications center and report regularly for work and be on time.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Must be able to work under adverse conditions and during unusual hours including nights, weekends, holidays and
scheduled/unscheduled overtime.
Possession of or ability to readily obtain TCOLE Basic Telecommunicator License, TCIC and NCIC certifications.
Speak, read, and write the English language in a clear and understandable fashion
Possess a valid Texas driver’s license
Knowledge of computers and job related software programs and minimum intermediate data entry typing skills
Pass a background review and interviews
Knowledge and level of competency commonly associated with completion of specialized training in the field of work.
Minimum high school graduate or equivalent.
TO APPLY
An applicant interested in any of GCSO position shall first download, complete and return
the Application Packet, per the instructions on the downloadable form.
The Application Packet can be found at SHERIFF.GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV
JOIN US
VISIT SHERIFF.GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV TO APPLY!
194 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer
CONTACT US
409.763.7585 : SO.EMPLOYMENT@GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV
409.766.2331
GALVESTON COUNTY
Seeking Individuals Who are interested in Rewarding Career in Law Enforcement
Seeking Individuals Who Are Interested in a Rewarding Career in Law Enforcement
Begin Your Career Today!
Begin Your Career Today!
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
GALVESTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ESTABLISHMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
GALVESTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ESTABLISHMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
POSITION: Position: School Patrol Liaison Deputy Deputy
Bureau/Division: Bureau/Division: Criminal Support Law Services/School Enforcement/Patrol Liaison Division Division
Title/Rank: Title/Rank: Patrol School Deputy Liaison Officer/Deputy
Reports Assignment: to: Sergeant School - Liaison PatrolDivision (Location TBA)
Starting Starting Salary: Salary: $58,195.00 $47,715.20
Top out Salary: $73,645.00
If you were previously removed from the School Liaison Program, you may not reapply for two (2) years from
JOB the SUMMARY
removal date.
• JOB This SUMMARY
position receives emergency calls from the public and dispatches appropriate emergency personnel.
• Receives, This position evaluates, is responsible prioritizes for and proactive initiates security responses and to school-based requests for law information enforcement and in services, and around including schools emergency within a
services. school district and other duties as required.
• Accesses, retrieves, disseminate, and protect confidential law enforcement related data from a variety of protected
MINIMUM local, state and REQUIREMENTS
federal databases.
•
Enters Be able critical to work and under confidential adverse law conditions enforcement and during data into unusual TCIC and hours NCIC including databases nights, as well weekends, as perform holidays, related and duties. overtime;
•
Assists Speak, in read, the maintenance and write the of English the communications language in a clear center and and understandable report regularly fashion; for work and be on time.
MINIMUM Possess a valid REQUIREMENTS
Texas driver’s license;
Successfully hold a Basic Peace Officer’s Certification for the last 6 months through TCOLE;
Must be able to work under adverse conditions and during unusual hours including nights, weekends, holidays and
Have worked for the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office for the past 24 consecutive months or Commissioned as a Texas
scheduled/unscheduled
Peace Officer for at least
overtime.
the past 24 consecutive months.
Possession of or ability to readily obtain TCOLE Basic Telecommunicator License, TCIC and NCIC certifications.
Currently and successfully qualified with a duty firearm;
Speak, read, and write the English language in a clear and understandable fashion
Knowledge of the OSSI (RMS) program and other related systems.
Possess a valid Texas driver’s license
Pass a background review and interview board.
Knowledge of computers and job related software programs and minimum intermediate data entry typing skills
Pass a physical agility test.
Pass a background review and interviews
Successfully complete the Field Training Program and Probation period.
Knowledge and level of competency commonly associated with completion of specialized training in the field of work.
Be able to have a response time of 45 minutes when on call.
Minimum high school graduate or equivalent.
TO TO APPLY
An An applicant interested in in any any of of GCSO position shall shall first first download, complete and and return
the the Application Packet, per per the the instructions on on the the downloadable form.
The The Application Packet can can be be found at at SHERIFF.GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV
JOIN US
VISIT SHERIFF.GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV TO APPLY!
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer
CONTACT US
409.763.7585 : SO.EMPLOYMENT@GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV
409.766.2331 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 195
196 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
GOOSE CREEK CISD PD
NOW RECRUITING
POLICE OFFICERS !
POSITION DETAILS:
Provides law enforcement services to the school district to prevent and protect all students, personnel,
and visitors from physical harm and prevent property loss due to theft or vandalism. Enforce all
laws including municipal ordinances, county ordinances, and state laws.
●
●
●
●
240 or 202 Duty Day Schedule
Competitive Salary - MTD9* Starting
Stipends available for Intermediate, Advanced and Master TCOLE License
Various opportunities including K9, Patrol, Investigations, FTO, Instructor and more
REQUIREMENTS:
●
●
●
Current TCOLE Peace Officer License
Ability to pass comprehensive background
Ability to pass medical, drug and psychological
exams
HIRING PROCESS:
●
●
●
●
●
●
Online Application
Complete preliminary interview
Complete background investigation
Complete Oral Board Interview
Conditional Job Offer
Complete Medical, Psychological and Drug Screen
PREFERRED:
●
●
●
●
Intermediate TCOLE Peace Officer License
Bilingual
Previous ISD PD experience
Background in law enforcement
Contact us at 281-422-6461 to speak with a recruiter.
Apply online @ https://www.gccisd.net/page/employment.home
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 197
ARE WE
HIRING
Criminal Background
Pass
proficiently
Type
Nights, Weekends & Holidays
Work
Speaking Preferred
Spanish
11th Street
1015
Texas
Hempstead,
Hour work schedule
12-
every other weekend
off
THE CITY OF
TELECOMMUNICATIONS DIVISION
HEMPSTEAD POLICE DEPARTMENT
Dispatchers
QUALIFICATIONS
18 years of age
Minimum
Starting Salary: $41,600
B E N E F I T S
BlueCross Blue Shield
Vision & Dental Insurance
Longevity Pay > 1 year
Certificate Pay
Uniform Shirts Provided
77445
198 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
www.hempsteadcitytx.gov (job opportunities)
JOIN OUR TEAM
Place your department’s recruiting ad
in The BLUES for only $250 for an
BECOME entire A HEMPSTEAD year, only $20 a POLICE month. OFFICER
Hempstead's Finest
Starting Salary: $57,750
- BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD
- VISION & DENTAL INS
- CERTIFICATE PAY
- WEAPONS ISSUED
- OFF EVERY OTHER WEEKEND
- CONTINUING TRAINING
NOW HIRING 3 POLICE OFFICERS
HPD BOASTS:
- Training Provider
- Canine Program
- Narcotics Investigation
- Crash Investigators
- Telecommunications
Division
1015 11th St Hempstead, TX
hpdrecruing@hempsteadcitytx.gov
Or call us at: (979) 826-3332
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 199
200 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
LATERAL DEPUTY
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 201
WE ARE
HIRING!
LATERAL DEPUTY
REQUIREMENTS
• Must be a licensed Peace Officer by the Texas Commission on
Law Enforcement (TCOLE) in good standing
• Must be currently employed as a Peace Officer (any break in
service will be considered on a case-by-case basis)
• Must have a minimum of 12 consecutive months experience as a
Peace Office at any one agency
• Must successfully pass the HCSO Physical Abilities Test (PAT)
• Meet HCSO firearms qualification standard
• Must pass a thorough background investigation (criminal
background check, fingerprinting, personal interview, etc.) as
required by TCOLE
• Must pass a physical and psychological evaluation as required by
TCOLE
• Valid driver’s license and liability insurance (Texas by start date)
• Eyesight must be correctable to 20/20, normal color, and
peripheral vision
• Correctable normal audible range in both ears
• A two (2) year minimum commitment to Patrol before being
eligible to transfer to other Bureaus
For additional information contact
Harris County Sheriff’s Office
Recruitment Unit
(713) 877-5250
202 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
TO APPLY
www.harriscountyso.org | www.hcsojobs.com
SCAN
THIS CODE Harris County
@HCSOTexas
Sheriff’s Office
HCSOTexas HCSOTexas @HCSOTexas
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 203
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THE KILLEEN POLICE DEPARTMENT
IS NOW
Hiring
FOR THE POSITION OF
Police Officer
Online Applications
will open:
July 31, 2023
Application Deadline:
September 15, 2023
Civil Service Exam will
be:
September 24, 2023
To apply, go to:
www.killeentexas.gov/16
8/Job-Opportunities
Wear The Badge,
Make a Difference
D
b
th
a
Officer De'Vonte Johnson
Recruiter
254-200-7987
DJohnson@killeentexas.gov
The Killeen Police Department is an
206 Equal The Opportunity BLUES - FEBRUARY Employer ‘25
Starting pay - $57,889
Paid: Vacation, Holiday & Sick Leave
$15K Sign-on incentive for TCOLE
certified Peace Officers
College Degree pay incentive
7% retirement plan through TMRS
with a 2:1 match ratio
Comprehensive Benefits Package
Opportunity to work in various
specialized units
The Killeen Police
epartment is dedicated to
uilding a partnership with
e community to fight crime
nd improve every citizen's
quality of life.
Follow us at:
KilleenPD
KilleenPolice
JoinKilleenPD
Visit www.KilleenPD.com for The further BLUES - FEBRUARY details‘25 207
208 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
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210 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
WE’RE HIRING POLICE OFFICERS!
Lockhart has always been a favorite in Central Texas. With the steady planned growth of our region we stand ready to welcome
more families looking for an escape from the hassles and fast pace of the big city. With a small town quality of life (population
17,146) and a charming historical downtown square, many public parks connected with walking paths, a State Park, golf course,
community theatre, museums, shopping and much more, Lockhart has a community feel that can’t be beat. We have several
events and festivals throughout the year Chisholm Trail Roundup, Al Hopkins Tolbert Texas State Chili Championship, 4th of July
Extravaganza, Texas Monthly BBQ Fest, Taste of Lockhart Cultures and A Dickens Christmas in Lockhart, just to name a few.
Lockhart is a great community to live and work!
The Lockhart Police Department is seeking qualified applicants to meet the needs of our growing and diverse community. The City
of Lockhart administers a Civil Service Exam in order to establish an eligibility list for hiring Police Officers. This eligibility list
remains in effect for a period of one year from test date or until the list has been exhausted, whichever comes first. The Lockhart
Police Officer Entrance Exam is governed by the Local Government Code, Chapter 143 (Civil Service Law).
$10,000 Hiring Incentive for TCOLE Certified Officers*
• Competitive Salary ($30.60/hr.—
$37.17/hr.)
• Lateral Transfer Pay
• Certification Pay
• Cadet Pay
• Education Pay
• Civil Service Benefits
• Assignment Pay for Detectives
• Field Training Officer
• Bailiff/Warrant Officer
• K9 Officer
• Shift Differential Pay
• Uniforms, Equipment and Firearm
Provided
• Uniform Allowance for Detectives
• 3 Weeks Vacation Leave Annually
• 3 Weeks Sick Leave Annually
• 12 Paid Holidays Annually
• 1 Personal Holiday Annually
• TMRS Retirement
• Life Insurance
• Health Insurance
• 12Hour Shifts
• Beards & Tattoos Allowed
* Certain conditions apply to be eligible for the hiring incentive. Please refer to the Application Packet or the Civil Service Director
for further information.
PLEASE CONTACT Cpt. WILLIAMS, dwilliams@ps.lockharttx.org OR 5123984401, FOR MORE
INFORMATION.
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 211
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Patrol Officer
The City of Manvel Police Department is looking to find qualified candidates to fill the ranks of the patrol
division.
The City of Manvel is a rapidly growing and diverse community. The current population is estimated at a
little over 16000 and is located in the northern part of Brazoria County along the State Highway 288
corridor approximately 4 miles South of the City of Houston.
The Manvel Police Department has a competitive pay structure for cities of the same size. Salary is based
on experience and certification levels.
Requirements:
High school diploma or GED
Valid Texas Driver’s License
with good driving record
TCOLE certified OR currently
enrolled in Academy
program
Preference for LE experience
Hiring Process Includes :
Written test
Oral board interview
Physical agility test
Thorough background
investigation
Accelerated Field Training
Program for experienced officers
One year probationary period
Pay and Benefits:
Competitive pay with an employment
improvement step program
TMRS retirement up to 7% with 2:1 match
by city
Retirement vested after 5 years of service
Medical Insurance covered 100% for
employees and 100% paid for employees
and dependent by the city after 3 years
12 hour shifts (DuPont Schedule)
Personal time off - Vacation and Holiday
accruals
Paid sick time
Lateral transfers
For more information you can contact
The City of Manvel Police Department at
281-489-1212
214 Rochelle The BLUES Carr-Lacy - FEBRUARY ‘25
rcarrlacy@manvelpd.org
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 215
MEMORIAL VILLAGES POLICE DEPARTMENT
Serving Bunker Hill, Piney Point, and Hunters Creek Villages
Hiring
Communications/Dispatcher
(2+ Years Experience)
Starting Pay:
$52,440 - $73,100 DOQ
Hiring Bonus $1,500
Night Shift Differential $3,600
Bi-Lingual Pay
Education Pay
Intermediate, Advanced, and Master
Telecommunicator Pay
Health Care, Dental and Vision Insurance: 100%
Employee, 75% Spouse/Dependents
Paid Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance for
Employee, additional life insurance available for
Spouse/Dependents
Health Savings Account with department
contributions up to $2,400 annually
TMRS Retirement 7%
Updated Service Credits/Colas 50%
457 Deferred Compensation Plan with Employer
Contribution of 2.5% Annual Salary
Tuition Reimbursement for Continuing Education
Longevity Pay up to a maximum of $2,400
annually at 10 years of service
New Modern Communications Center
EOE/M/F/D
Memorial Villages Police Department – Houston, Texas 77024
216 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
MEMORIAL VILLAGES POLICE DEPARTMENT
Serving Bunker Hill, Piney Point, and Hunters Creek Villages
Hiring
Police Officers
(5+ Years Patrol Experience Required)
Starting Pay:
$90,178 - $96,461 DOQ
Top Officer Pay: $120,331
$1,500 Hiring Bonus
$3,600 Night Shift Differential
$1,300 Emergency Care Attendant Certification (we train)
Bi-Lingual Pay
Education Pay
Peace Officer Certification Pay up to 7.5%
Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance – 100% employee and
75% Spouse/Dependents
Paid Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance for Employee.
Additional Life Insurance available for Spouse/Dependents
Health Savings Account with Department Contributions up to
$2,400 yr
7% TMRS with 2:1 and 20-year Retirement
Updated Service Credits / 50% COLA
457 Deferred with 2.5% Employer Contributions
Tuition Reimbursement for Continuing Education
Longevity Pay up to a maximum of $2,400 yr at 10 years of
service
12 Hour Shifts with Every Other Fri/Sat/Sun Off
EOE/M/F/D
Memorial Villages Police Department – Houston, Texas 77024
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 217
STARTING SALARY $66,497.60 WITH NO EXPERIENCE
BENEFITS
• Competitive pay with scheduled increases every 2 years
• Friday/Saturday or Sunday/Monday days off
• Flexible work schedules
• Overtime available
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement - $5000/yr
• Paid vacation, employee days, well day, sick days, and holidays
• Uniforms and Equipment
• Department Provided Training
TCOLE CERTIFIED POLICE OFFICER POSITIONS
FULL TIME
INCENTIVE PAY
• Bilingual
• TCOLE Certificate
Intermediate $1,560
Advanced $3,420
Master $6,000
• Education
Associate $1,320
Bachelor $3,180
Master $4,500
$8,000.00 HIRING INCENTIVE*
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
21 YEARS OF AGE
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR GED
MUST HOLD AN ACTIVE TCOLE PEACE OFFICER LICENSE
VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE
MUST PASS BACKGROUND CHECK, PSYCHOLOGICAL,
DRUG AND MEDICAL SCREENING
*$2000.00 after 3 months, $2000.00 after 6 months, $4000.00 after 1 year
218 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
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222 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 223
MAKE A
DIFFERENCE
IN YOUR
COMMUNITY
We are looking for outstanding individuals to
join our team! As a Pearland Police Officer your
mission will be to prevent crime and disorder, build
partnerships within the community, and positively
impact the quality of life for all our residents.
CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS
• Competitive Salary • Outstanding Training
• Career Advancement • Exceptional Benefits
The City of Pearland is one of the fastest growing
communities within the region. Pearland is located
approximately 20 minutes south of Downtown Houston
and the current population is approximately 130,000
residents.
JOIN OUR TEAM
HIRING POLICE OFFICERS AND CADETS
$5,000 Hiring Incentive for T.C.O.L.E Certified Police
Officers who qualify with at least 2 years of experience.
TEST DATE:
SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 8:30 A.M.
Register by: April 12.
Pearland Recreation Center & Natatorium
4141 Bailey Road, Pearland, TX 77584.
Doors Open: 7:15 a.m. No admittance after 7:45 a.m.
Candidates must park in the north parking lot.
SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES WILL APPLY
• Attendance limited to first 150 arrivals
• Mandatory temperature checks
• Masks required, hand sanitizer available
• Candidates seated 6 feet apart
For additional information and to register for an upcoming Civil Service Exam, visit
pearlandtx.gov/PDCareers
224 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25 225
PORT HOUSTON
POLICE DEPARTMENT
WE ARE
HIRING
SIGN UP TODAY!
www.porthouston.com/careers-2
STARTING PAY*
$60,000 up to $71,000
* Salary depends on experience
Are you looking for a career with
meaning? Do you want to make
a difference in a highly supportive
community? Join our team at
Port Houston!
REQUIREMENTS
• Must be 21 years old
• Must have 2+ years of po
experience
• Must have valid Texas Dr
• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must have an honorable
from the military (if applic
• Must never have been co
Class A Misdemeanor or
• Not been convicted of a
misdemeanor within the
• Must have a GED or high
226 The BLUES - FEBRUARY ‘25
BENEFITS:
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
eligible first day of employment
• Wellness Program
(can earn up to $600 credit per year if requirements met)
• Enrollment with Calm App for Wellbeing
• Defined contribution plan (401a)
– Employer Sponsored
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan)
– Employee Contributions
• Vacation
• Sick Leave
• Paid Holiday 12 days/year
• Life and Accidental Death and
Dismemberment Insurance
• Short Term and Long-Term Disability Benefits
• Flexible spending account (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Pet Insurance
• Legal and Identity Theft Protection
• Tuition Reimbursement
Up to the IRS annual limit and a maximum lifetime
reimbursement of $25,000
• Onsite Credit Union
– Port of Houston Credit Union
lice officer
iver’s License
discharge
able)
nvicted of a
above
Class B
last 10 years
school diploma
EMPLOYMENT
TESTING
Employment is contingent on passing
any post-offer pre-employment
screening as listed below:
• Criminal background check
• Motor Vehicle Record check
• Drug screening
• Physical exam
• Psychological exam
• Additional as required
SCAN
QR CODE
TO APPLY
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WELCOME OUR NEWEST DEPARTMENT
Seeking Individuals Who are interested in a Rewarding Career in Law Enforcement
Begin Your Career Today!
GALVESTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ESTABLISHMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
POSITION: Patrol Deputy
Bureau/Division: Criminal Law Enforcement/Patrol Division
Title/Rank: Patrol Deputy
Reports to: Sergeant - Patrol
Starting Salary: $58,195.00
Top out Salary: $73,645.00
JOB SUMMARY
• This position receives emergency calls from the public and dispatches appropriate emergency personnel.
• Receives, evaluates, prioritizes and initiates responses to requests for information and services, including emergency
services.
• Accesses, retrieves, disseminate, and protect confidential law enforcement related data from a variety of protected
local, state and federal databases.
• Enters critical and confidential law enforcement data into TCIC and NCIC databases as well as perform related duties.
• Assists in the maintenance of the communications center and report regularly for work and be on time.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Must be able to work under adverse conditions and during unusual hours including nights, weekends, holidays and
scheduled/unscheduled overtime.
Possession of or ability to readily obtain TCOLE Basic Telecommunicator License, TCIC and NCIC certifications.
Speak, read, and write the English language in a clear and understandable fashion
Possess a valid Texas driver’s license
Knowledge of computers and job related software programs and minimum intermediate data entry typing skills
Pass a background review and interviews
Knowledge and level of competency commonly associated with completion of specialized training in the field of work.
Minimum high school graduate or equivalent.
TO APPLY
An applicant interested in any of GCSO position shall first download, complete and return
the Application Packet, per the instructions on the downloadable form.
The Application Packet can be found at SHERIFF.GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV
JOIN US
VISIT SHERIFF.GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV TO APPLY!
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer
CONTACT US
409.763.7585 : SO.EMPLOYMENT@GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV
409.766.2331
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SPRING BRANCH ISD POLICE DEPARTMENT
WE’RE
HIRING
DEPARTMENT
HIGHLIGHTS
55 officer department
44 square mile district
47 schools
35,000 population
24/7 Patrol
We want you to preserve, protect, and defend our future.
Starting Pay $63,000 (TCOLE Basic Peace Officer certification with no experience)
Patrol & Onsite Officers (HS/MS)
Gang Officer
Mental Health Officers
Community Relations Officer
Emergency Management
Criminal Investigations
K-9 programs
Language pay
Shift differential pay
Intermediate, Advanced and
Master Peace Officer
certificate pay
Paid time off
Ample overtime opportunities
*All equipment provided including duty weapon
**Training opportunities available
Apply online today. springbranchisd.com/join-our-team
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