GEAR TO KEEP YOU IN THE CLEAR see pages 20,24
JOURNAL THE VOICE OF OUR NATION’S LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS® JULY 2011
WWW.FOP.NET
POLICE WEEK: NEVER FORGET SEPT 11, 2001 WHERE WERE YOU? see page 16
CSI: ANALYZING THE AFTERMATH THE ABOUT FORCE ENCOUNTERS WHEN YOU FOPConnect, FOP FOUNDATION COLLECTS! see page 38
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
JOURNAL
JULY | AUGUST| SEPTEMBER 2011
38
FEATURES FOPConnect.com
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DEPARTMENTS 26
6 // President’s Message The Importance of the NFOP PAC
7 // 1st Vice President’s Message The Good of the Order
8 // Secretary’s Message 22
14 // Honoring the Fallen
A Sure Way to Put Your Lodge Out of Business
9 // Treasurer’s Message
2011 Police Week Roll Call of Heroes
Encouraging Solidarity in Tough Times
16 // Where Were You on 9/11?
10 // FOP News
Share Your Story
The Mechanics of Responding to Deadly Threats
2011 Official Pocketknife; NFOP Foundation Raffles $5,000 in Products; Devastating Weather and Those Who Respond; Memorial Print; eKnowledge SAT- and ACT-Prep Programs
20 // Tactical Apparel Evolution
30 // Washington Report
From Head to Toe, Apparel That’s Anything but Basic
FOP Top Priority: H.R. 1332, the “Social Security Fairness Act”
17 // The Science of Force
22 // Special Unit Profile: CSI In the Aftermath of a Crime, CSIs Tackle the Scene
24 // Gear Matters
32 // Labor News Recruiting and Motivating Volunteers
Must-See Sights, Scopes, Lasers and More!
33 // Legal Defense Plan
26 // Holsters: What You Should Know
New Pricing Structure; Plan Helps Member Survive Costly Investigation
Tips for Security and Stealth. Plus, a Chance to Win a SuperTuck Holster!
28 // 60th Biennial National FOP Conference Seminars for Taking Care of Lodge Business and Professional Development
37 // State Lodge News Maryland Supports National Blue Alert Act; Missouri Law Enforcement Funeral Assistance Team; Georgia Holds Day on the Hill
On the cover: Photo courtesy of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund WWW.FOP.NET
3
Editor-in-Chief Editor
Patrick Yoes Joyce Jackson
911Media Staff Publisher
Mark Deitch
Associate Publisher National Accounts Director Regional Sales Manager Advertising Consultants
Jordan Tolila Mike Deitch Josie Damian Julie Briskin Casey McLane
Finance Manager Finance
Naomi Cole Erika Godfrey
Client Services Director
Natalie Tolila
Production Manager Senior Editors Art Designers
Production Assistant Contributors
Heather Hewitt Amanda Richter Courtney Roach Tana Gaudi Adam Huntington DJ Riemersma Christine Thompson Natasha Wilson
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[email protected]. THE FOP JOURNAL is published quarterly by the Grand Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police. 701 Marriott Drive, Nashville, TN 37214 – 1-800-451-2711. Presort Non-Profit Standard, U.S. Postage Paid in Bolingbrook, IL, Permit No 1309. FOP membership includes a subscription to THE FOP JOURNAL. Subscriptions accepted from recognized law enforcement agencies, government officials and libraries. Non-member subscriptions $32 a year; single copies $8. Media information available upon request by writing or calling National Headquarters. No part of THE FOP JOURNAL may be reprinted without written permission. Publication of any product does not endorse product or service by the National FOP. The Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police Board of Trustees has contracted with the following vendors to offer services to our members. From time to time, these vendors may market by mail and electronically with the membership to offer services: Avis, Calibre Press, Enterprise, HALO/Lee Wayne Merchandise, Hylant Group/Legal Defense Plan, John Cipolla Insurance, Nationwide Advantage Mortgage, NCA, Your Travel Experts, 1-800-Flowers and 911Media.
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE / CHUCK CANTERBURY
The Importance of the NFOP PAC // WRITE TO US! If you have further questions, contact Chuck Canterbury at
[email protected].
O
ne of the many benefits of FOP membership is that FOP members have the very best representation in Washington, D.C. — the Steve Young Law Enforcement Legislative Advocacy Center on Capitol Hill. The dedicated staff is considered to be the most effective and knowledgeable in Washington and the FOP is considered the premier voice of law enforcement on the national level. Through the efforts of our legislative staff, the FOP successfully worked to pass the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Act, the Public Safety Medal of Valor Act, the Law Enforcement Officers’ Safety Act (LEOSA), the Healthcare Enhancement for Local Public Safety (HELPS) Retirees Act and, most
Executive Board
funds (SSFs) and non-connected committees. An SSF political committee is established and administered by corporations, labor unions, membership organizations or trade associations. The NFOP PAC is an SSF PAC. Who? As an SSF PAC, the NFOP PAC can only solicit contributions from individuals associated with the connected or sponsoring organization. The FEC only allows FOP members, executive and administrative personnel and their families (a member’s spouse and any child, parent, grandparent, brother, half-brother, sister or half-sister of the member and the spouses of such persons) to donate to the NFOP PAC.
YOUR DONATION WILL HELP US ELECT LEGISLATORS WHO WILL BE ALLIES RATHER THAN ADVERSARIES IN THIS CRITICAL BATTLE. recently, the LEOSA Improvements Act. None of these measures would be law today without the dynamic advocacy of the FOP’s National Legislative Office. Having said that, I would like to inform you about a major tool used by our Legislative Office: the National Fraternal Order of Police Political Action Committee (NFOP PAC). So that you may understand a PAC to the fullest extent, I want to begin by answering the basic questions: What? Who? When? Where? Why? How? What? The NFOP PAC is a Federal PAC regulated by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The term “political action committee” refers to two distinct types of political committees registered with the FEC: separate segregated 6
Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police National Headquarters 701 Marriott Drive Nashville, TN 37214 1-800-451-2711 Phone (615) 399-0900 Fax (615) 399-0400 Email:
[email protected] www.fop.net
When? The NFOP PAC is active all the time. Where? The NFOP PAC is run out of the Washington, D.C., Legislative Office. Why? A PAC is established to help re-elect members of Congress, in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, who have demonstrated support and understanding of issues important to the PAC. The NFOP PAC donates to members who have shown excellent records towards law enforcement and who understand our top priorities. The process by which the NFOP PAC determines whether to donate is the same for each donation the PAC makes. The PAC accepts requests from
Chuck Canterbury President Myrtle Beach, SC 843-283-4888 Dave Hiller Vice President Grosse Pointe Park, MI
Patrick Yoes Secretary Norco, LA
Tom Penoza Treasurer New Castle, DE
Frank Gale Second VP Denver, CO
Tim Downs Sergeant-At-Arms Monticello, IN
Joe Perkins National Trustees Chairman Owasso, OK
Past Presidents Gilbert G. Gallegos, Albuquerque, NM Dewey R. Stokes, Columbus, OH Richard A. Boyd, Oklahoma City, OK Leo V. Marchetti, Pittsburgh, PA John M. Dineen, Chicago, IL National Trustees Oklahoma …………………………………… Joe Perkins, Chairman Alabama ……………………………………………………………… Al Finley Arizona …………………………………………………………… Bryan Soller Arkansas ……………………………………………………… Gary Wallace California ………………………………………………………… Steve James Colorado ……………………………………………… Chuck DeNovellis Connecticut ……………………………………………… Robert Martin Delaware ………………………………………………………… Brian Douty District Of Columbia…………………………………… Tim Finnegan Florida ………………………………………………………………Nelson Cuba Georgia …………………………………………………………… Bill Peacock Idaho………………………………………………………………… Brad Landes Illinois …………………………………………Robert “Rocky” Nowaczyk Indiana …………………………………………………… Robert Imborek Kansas…………………………………………………………… Pete Fogarty Kentucky ……………………………………………………… Mike Hettich Louisiana ………………………………………………………… Willie Patin Maryland ……………………………………………………… Rick Fulginiti Massachusetts ………………………………………… Larry Crosman Michigan ……………………………………………………Kevin Sommers Minnesota ……………………………………………………… David Miller Mississippi ………………………………………………… Charles Tillman Missouri………………………………………………………… Bill Albertson Nebraska ………………………………………………… Steve Grabowski Nevada ………………………………………………………… Michael Cain New Jersey …………………………………………………………Ron Bakley New Mexico …………………………………………………… J. R. Stewart New York …………………………………………………………… Mike Nied North Carolina ……………………………………… Dennis McCrary North Dakota …………………………………………… Steven Kenner Ohio ……………………………………………………………… Chet DeLong Pennsylvania ……………………………………… Paul McCommons Rhode Island ……………………………………… Hugh Clements, Jr. South Carolina ……………………………………………… Jerry Wright South Dakota ………………………………………………Tony Harrison Tennessee ………………………………………………… Duane Phillips Texas …………………………………………………………………… Ken Starrs Utah …………………………………………………………… James Crowley Virginia …………………………………………………………Thomas Stiles Washington ……………………………………………… Jack Simington West Virginia ………………………………………… Herman Beckett Wisconsin …………………………………………………… Jerry Johnson Wyoming ……………………………………………………… Mike Burnett
Continued on page 34 > FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
1ST VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE / DAVID HILLER
The Good of the Order
Aspire • Believe • Achieve
Bachelor’s, Master’s, Ph.D.
// WRITE TO US! If you have further questions, contact David Hiller at
[email protected].
R
ecently, I was faced with a situation that unfortunately escalated to a level far beyond what it should have. In my capacity as a leader of an organization, I was responsible for working on a project that impacted many. Over a period of time, a number of those affected, and some who were just reacting to what they had heard, began taking positions. While no one would ever discourage someone from doing that, we must try to keep emotions, whenever possible, out of the equation. Emotional reaction, while often quite normal, is not always the best way to resolve a dispute. What takes over is perception. Perception is how one believes the issue affects
positions because each of us is doing the job we were appointed or elected to do. The bottom line, I truly believe, is one of trust. We need to have trust in those we place in positions of authority. If you have an issue with something, go to the source. Don’t listen to rumors or comments; go to them before emotions, then perceptions and finally reality take over. Remember one thing, please. Whatever we do, whatever decisions are made, we must focus on one goal: the good of the order.
OnStar Program a Success! Earlier this year, I indicated we had successfully completed the
WE NEED TO HAVE TRUST IN THOSE WE PLACE IN POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY. them or those whom they represent. The problem with perception taking over is that perception often turns into reality. Once reality becomes the driving force, changing our personal beliefs often can be almost impossible. We tend to ignore any other possible solution because we are firmly convinced our position has to be correct. We fail to do the obvious, which is to engage in open discussion with those having an opposite or different belief. I say this because I also allowed emotions to overlook some basic beliefs. I was fortunate in that the issue I was involved in was resolved. It was resolved because the leaders of those involved, those of us with the responsibility to represent others, engaged in open and frank dialogue. While we still disagree on some basic principles, we respect each other’s WWW.FOP.NET
OnStar program. As I reported, last fall they came to me with an idea of donating money to a charity. I suggested the Foundation and they agreed. We worked on press releases and developed a video in which I told of the outstanding things the Foundation does for law enforcement. Our goal was to reach $250,000. I am extremely proud to announce that at the Memorial Service on May 15 in D.C., OnStar President Linda Marshall presented President Canterbury with a proclamation awarding the Foundation $250,000. My thanks to each and every one of you for your participation. It could not have been successful without your help. I look forward to seeing each of you in Utah and would be honored to continue serving the organization.
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SECRETARY’S MESSAGE / PATRICK YOES
A Sure Way to Put Your Lodge Out of Business // WRITE TO US! If you have further questions, contact Patrick Yoes at (504) 234-4300, or
[email protected].
E
very day, our adversaries try to offer something better that will attract our members to their services or products. Every day, we try to hold them off. Eventually our adversaries, be it a competing organization or State, county and city leaders, will find a way to surpass or suppress us unless we innovate and further raise the challenges they must overcome. It’s sort of like “Organizational Darwinism,” where the victors are allowed to continue to innovate, again and again, as they move their organizations forward. For the losers, irrelevance and ultimately failure are all too common fates. If you were to examine the Fortune 500 list from 1955 (the first year it was published), there are companies you recognize today, but many more
going, instinct tells us to lock in the gains — to keep doing more of the same to capitalize on our success. But it is a fine line between capitalizing on success and getting stuck in a rut while clinging to a dream of a past when business was easier.” There are companies (and lodges) that get tired of clinging on and embrace change. They prefer the adventure of moving with the current. With persistence, they leap over their competitors, who are often stranded in these currents of change. So, which kind of lodge will you encourage? One that uses its energy and resources to hold back the currents of change, or one that risks the currents of change to create new value in your lodge? Without innovation, all we can do is try to optimize what we have, but in a world where competitors are constantly
start by establishing a culture and an environment to encourage innovation, where members feel valued because they have a voice that is not silenced because they dare to have different ideas. The inspiration for innovation happens in an instant. It is impossible to predict the exact moment or elements required for genius to strike. Encourage it by embracing the following: • The sum of all is greater than the sum of a part. Engage members to find solutions rather than make these decisions in isolation. • Never fight a battle without a plan to win. If it is worthy of battle, it is worthy of a plan for success. • Set theoretical limits. Don’t become something you are not. Stay true to your values and purpose. • Forecast trends. Constantly seek the next opportunity and transition.
IN A COMPETITIVE WORLD, ACKNOWLEDGING WEAKNESSES EMPOWERS GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY. that went the way of the dinosaur. They failed to overcome changes in their environment and were ultimately gobbled up by more aggressive carnivores. The FOP is no different. To survive, your lodge must be aware of its environment and alert to change. Peter Duncan, a consultant with the Center for Simplified Leadership, identifies organizational change as a current “sweeping over all like a flooding river. When it rages, it is frightening: bumping, bruising and even drowning those with its power. When it is calm, change is tolerable, and we build structures — systems, models and policies — that try to control and resist future floods. If we get a good thing 8
upping the ante, this is not sufficient. If we always do what we always did, we will always get what we already have. Innovation is the thing that gets you ahead of the pack, rather than chasing your rivals. A successful lodge leader is never satisfied. There is always something better around the corner, and courageous leaders are determined to break from the pack and find it. An innovator seeks not only to beat the competition, but also to better his own inventions. In lodge terms, an innovative lodge needs to try to put itself out of business, with new ideas, before someone else does it for them. So, how will you innovate to put your competitors out of business? You can
• And, most importantly, attack ourselves. Define how we could beat our best today and improve it. The best way to keep your lodge in business is to try to put your lodge out of business. If you are always on the edge, never complacent, then you will challenge your members for continuous improvement. Innovation requires vision, inspiration and the patience to support a relatively longtime horizon. Winners figure out, time and time again, how to put themselves out of business before their rivals do. Best of luck, and thank you for allowing me to serve you! I hope to see you in Salt Lake City, Utah. FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
TREASURER’S MESSAGE / TOM PENOZA
Encouraging Solidarity in Tough Times // WRITE TO US! If you have further questions, contact Tom Penoza at (504) 234-4300, or
[email protected].
I
have written a series of articles over the past few years on how to handle your lodge’s finances. In these articles I’ve offered some insight and suggestions on dealing with various issues you face as Treasurers. If you are a newly or recently elected Treasurer, I would encourage you to get on the Grand Lodge website and look at past Journals for these articles. If you have trouble locating these articles, contact me and I can send them to you. These hard economic times have affected us all both personally and professionally. However, we are being
attacked by the very government leaders we serve. All over the country they are trying to blame their financial troubles on public employees. They want to focus AmerHandgunner_CB_4cp_ad_2.pdf 1 10/18/10 2:44 PM on the amount of money needed to fund our health care and pensions as being the source of these problems. In fact, it was their very own mismanagement that caused many of the financial troubles we are experiencing. They were perfectly content during the years in which our pension funds were returning double-digit earnings to turn a blind eye towards their financial responsibilities in properly paying their
fair share into these funds. Then when the stock market crashed, they wanted to blame the unfunded liability on the high cost of retirement benefits, instead of their mismanagement. In times like these it is important that we respond in unison. These politicians are spreading misinformation to the public, and we need to get the truth out to the public. This is going to take a lot of work and money. Many local and State Lodges are raising dues so they can fight to keep their members’ hard-earned wages and benefits. Our resources will be stretched
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FOP NEWS
NATIONAL FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES 2011 OFFICIAL POCKETKNIFE//
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he National Fraternal Order of Police Political Action Committee (NFOP PAC) announced the launch of the 2011 NFOP PAC pocketknife campaign on May 3, 2011. This campaign marks the beginning of the annual fundraising drive for the NFOP PAC. Only 600 pocketknives were produced, making this a valuable collector’s item. The pocketknives sell for $20, plus shipping. The full amount is a donation to the NFOP PAC. The NFOP PAC promotes the FOP’s legislative priorities and provides the opportunity for individuals who
are interested in the safety, health and occupational security of rank-and-file law enforcement officers to contribute to worthy candidates for Federal office who believe in and have demonstrated their support for the principles to which the FOP is dedicated. Please go to our new NFOP PAC website (www.fop.net/legislative/pac/ knife) to order your pocketknife today. Don’t wait to order, or you will miss this unique opportunity. For more information, please contact NFOP PAC Director Jessica Caswell at (202) 547-8189.
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Says National President Chuck Canterbury, “Never in the 96-year history of the Fraternal Order of Police has public safety been in greater jeopardy. Your donation will help us elect legislators who will be allies rather than adversaries in this critical battle.”
NFOP FOUNDATION RAFFLES $5,000 IN PRODUCTS DURING NATIONAL POLICE WEEK//
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he NFOP Foundation raffled law enforcement products totaling a value of $5,000 during National Police Week. Nearly 400 tickets were sold and $7,500 was raised through donations online and at the FOP Foundation booth. Twenty-four lucky winners received prizes, including a Glock handgun; a Smith & Wesson 15T Tactical Rifle; two weekends at the Doubletree Hotel in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; and items from Blackhawk, Danner, Bluegun, Otis and Benchmade. These items were generously donated by the manufacturers, and FOP members should remember these brands when making future purchases. Congratulations to the winners: Sam Carello, Manuel Corte, Vic Daniels, Roger Eades, Phil Evans, Ron Fabrizio, Tom Fick, Chris Field, Clayton French, J. Patrick Glynn, Kevin Gordon, Caroline Hamilton, Vanessa McCombs, Michael O’Brien, Larry Payne, Chris Plumley, Jason Preffer, Paul Rinkel, Tom Rogerson, Mike Siano, Ronnie Stinson, Mark Vilensky, James Worley and Ron Wyatt. Thank you to all who bought tickets! Your support of the FOP Foundation is crucial. Please look for future announcements about our activities during our National Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
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DEVASTATING WEATHER AND THOSE WHO RESPOND//
O
ver the past months, our nation has faced many challenges from Mother Nature. We were hit with torrential rains, devastating winds and deadly tornadoes in the Midwest and South. Add to this historic flooding along the mighty Mississippi and forecasts that suggest an above-average hurricane season. This shift in the jet stream has left a nation in mourning. But like many past disasters, this devastating weather outbreak has brought out the best in people. Neighbors are helping neighbors,
churches are helping churches and FOP members are helping FOP members. It’s during times like these that we’re reminded of how powerful severe weather Devastation left in the wake of the tornado in Joplin, Missouri. can be. And while we hope the bulk of the counterparts who, by a twist of fate, stormy weather is behind have lost so much. Please send your us, many of our brothers and sisters donation to the FOP Disaster Relief in blue have fallen victim to nature’s Fund, 701 Marriott Drive, Nashville, fury. Please support the National FOP Disaster Relief Fund and support our Tennessee 37214.
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FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
FOP NEWS
MEMORIAL PRINT//
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ose Borisow, a law enforcement officer and FOP member, has created a memorial print just for the FOP to commemorate National Police Week and to raise money for the FOP Auxiliary. The print was inspired by survivors and fellow officers she works with and commemorates the healing aspect of the service and what it means to the surviving friends and family members of the fallen officers honored each year. To order the FOP memorial print, go to www.RoseBorisowGraFX.com and click on “FOP Print.” Prints can be personalized with a flag or item in the banner to represent any state, lodge or
agency. Simply email a PDF or JPEG of the badge, emblem or flag, preferably on a light/white background.
Headed to College? eKnowledge and NFL players are donating $200 SAT- and ACT-prep programs to FOP members and their extended families. The DVD includes more than 11 hours of video instruction and 3,000 files of supplemental test-prep material, including sample questions and practice tests. Students can select the training they need and study at their own pace. To order, visit www.eknowledge.com/FOP or call (951) 256-4076. There is a nominal charge of $17.55 for materials, registration, shipping and handling.
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HONORING THE FALLEN 2011 POLICE WEEK
Alabama
District of Columbia
Maylond T. Bishop, Jr.
Paul M. Dittamo
Thor O. Soderberg Thomas E. Wortham, IV
Alaska
Florida
Indiana
Matthew D. Tokuoka Anthony M. Wallace
Patrick Ambroise James L. Anderson, Jr. Brandon L. Coates David L. Curtis Donna J. Fitzgerald Jeffrey A. Kocab Mark A. Longway
William E. Phillips, III James J. Szuba
Arizona Carlos L. Ledesma Travis P. Murphy Eric L. Shuhandler
Iowa Roger R. Hildreth
Kansas Luke D. Nihart Samuel A. Smith
Kentucky Bryan J. Durman
Louisiana
Photos courtesy of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
Arkansas Thomas W. Evans Robert B. Paudert Leonard S. Wall
Joseph A. Martyna Melissa J. Powers Chad A. Reed, Sr. Wesley R. Whitmore, Jr.
California
Georgia
Javier Bejar Daniel N. Benavides Ryan P. Bonaminio Thomas P. Coleman Kenneth J. Collier Ira G. Essoe, Jr. Justin W. McGrory Philip D. Ortiz Brett J. Oswald Joel B. Wahlenmaier Christopher A. Wilson
James M. Adcock Davy W. Crawford Richard L. Daniels James M. Johnson, Jr. Chadwick T. LeCroy Brian L. Mahaffey Kevin K. Roberts Rayford A. Roberts Thomas C. Rouse Michael S. Vogt
Colorado
Ellane Aimiuwu Michael R. Bailey, Sr. William T. Bauer Tracy E. Cooper Michael R. Flisk Alan J. Haymaker Jeremy J. Hubbard
Samuel K. Brownlee
Connecticut Robert V. Fumiatti Kenneth R. Hall Orville R. Smith, Jr. 1414 1414
Illinois
Thomas M. Alexander Timothy J. Bergeron Alfred L. Celestain, Sr. Duane A. Dalton Timothy C. Prunty Clovis W. Searcy, Jr.
Maine Richard M. Betters John H. Paskewicz
Maryland Hector I. Ayala Wesley W.J. Brown James E. Fowler, III Thomas P. Jensen Thomas R. Portz, Jr.
Massachusetts John B. Maguire Douglas A. Weddleton David T. Zolendziewski
Michigan James D. Bonneau Matthew L. Edwards Brian E. Huff Erwin M.H. Johnston, I David L. Williams
Minnesota Joseph A. Bergeron Christopher L. Dewey
Mississippi Glen V. Agee Dewayne A. Crenshaw David W. Lambert Carol J. Scruggs Garry M. Welford
Missouri Dan D. De Kraai Glennon R. Fernau Paul J. Fricke David A. Haynes Don D. McCutcheon Joseph G. Schuengel
Montana David J. DeLaittre Robert J. Heinle
Nevada Ian M. Deutch
New Jersey John Abraham, Jr. Marc K. Castellano Kevin B. Wilkins
New Mexico Dean F. Miera
New York Jill E. Mattice Michael R. Perry
North Carolina Timothy C. Barnes Jon-Michael Willis
Ohio Andrew C. Baldridge James A. Kerstetter Thomas F. Patton, II Carl E. Worley FOP JOURNAL // // JULY 2011 FOP JOURNAL JULY 2011
Oklahoma
Texas
George C. Green, Jr.
Dana K. Cusack Frank B. Glover William F. Schuck, III
Sergio A. Antillon John W. Brown Rodney T. Holder Eydelmen Mani Jonathan T. McDonald Karl R. McDonough Odell McDuffie, Jr. Andrew J. Rameas Jacob R. Rayos Leonard A. Reed Michael R. Schaefer Craig L. Shaw David R. Slaton Jillian M. Smith Craig G. Story Timothy J. Zurovetz
Tennessee
Utah
Charles J. Crabtree Matthew A. Lovejoy Jeremy McLaren Chad W. Pritchard
Franco R. Aguilar Josie G. Fox Brian B. Harris
Oregon Daniel K. Duncan
Pennsylvania Gary M. Chapin David L. Grove Christopher Milito James K. Nelson Paul G. Richey
South Carolina
Virginia Mark D. Barrett Caroline Green Shawn Hess Dean Ridings
Washington John M. Bernard Brian M. Walsh
Wisconsin Kory E. Dahlvig
Federal Nathaniel A. Afolayan Charles F. Collins, II Stanley W. Cooper Michael V. Gallagher
Shaun M. Lin Trena R. McLaughlin Brian A. Terry Christopher A. Upton Mark F. Van Doren Joshua Yazzie John R. Zykas
American Samoa Liusila Brown
Puerto Rico Kenneth O. BetancourtCamacho Jose A. Cordova-Montanez Felix Rodriguez-Gomez
For additional photos and more 2011 Police Week coverage, go to
www.fopconnect.com
WWW.FOP.NET WWW.FOP.NET
1515
WHERE WERE YOU?
September 11, 2001 New York, NY
Email your memories of that day and/or high-resolution photos to
[email protected], or send them via FOPConnect.com. Then look for the 10-year anniversary commemorative
Photo: Anthony Correia/Shutterstock.com
in the fall issue of the FOP Journal.
16
FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
The Science of
FORCE BY DR. JOEL F. SHULTS
g research yth-bustin t ynamic, m of violen realities e th t on the a n o is the missi d e d a encounters e h , (FSI) ce Institute i. n e sk ci in S w e Le rc Fo t Dr. Bill is g lo o ch sy e street by police p nce to th ie sc g in g udies of FSI is brin m with st o ro rt u co capacity. and to the d mental n a l a ic ys nefits human ph ing the be rs are reap ce ffi pline o ci is ce d li o P punitive , st ju n u in some to avoid ents and, m rt a p e d ce false from their facts repla s a n so ri p officers cases, even how police t u o b a s n ons. assumptio adly decisi ced with de fa n e h w ct a
Each volunteer was asked to shoot one round as fast as possible five different times in five different directions. Volunteers were told to shoot as if trying to hit an officer about 10 feet away.
WWW.FOP.NET
Background photo: Oliver Le Queinec/Shutterstock.com
D
> Continued
17
A subject very quickly moves from a prone position, produces a handgun from his chest area and fires. Surprisingly, this position produced the fastest shooting times — an average of 0.25 seconds.
Lewinski’s research doesn’t make a bad use of force good, but it does explain justified uses of force that look bad to the untrained eye. Essential findings from FSI have shown that rapid movements of suspects justify fast and decisive actions by police officers, that fatigue affects performance and that memory works differently in recalling traumatic events.
Events Don’t Unfold — They Explode When a car traveling 110 miles per hour hit now-retired Officer and Illinois Lodge #7 member Virgil Perisse’s radar, there was no doubt the driver was going to jail. After a brief pursuit, Perisee had the speeder out of the car. The driver was pleasant and cooperative, telling the officer he had sped away because he was scared. Everything was routine until the last click of the first handcuff, when the suspect began a fight that took Perisee into the middle of a busy highway. Hands and fists were the weapon of choice for a former asylum patient who attacked Florida Detective/Training Coordinator John Landry, a member of Florida Lodge #61. Landry, working with
only one other officer on duty, went to the home of an elderly woman caring for her violent, emotionally disturbed son. The man had attempted to strangle both the woman and her daughter, who locked themselves in a room of their house to call for help. As Landry cautiously approached the home, the son opened the door, grabbed Landry by the collar of his jacket and began twisting it in an attempt to strangle the officer. “You’re dead,” the wild man said. Retired Officer and Maryland Lodge #4 member Don McConville was headed to a dog bite call in Baltimore County, Maryland, when he heard a description of a truck driven by a suspected rapist. McConville had just spotted the truck crashed along a city street when a pedestrian suddenly dashed in front of the patrol car. Swerving to miss him, McConville crashed into a utility pole and lost consciousness. He woke to the impact of the pedestrian slamming McConville’s head on the pavement and attempting to grab his gun. In Fishkill, New York, while police investigated a domestic assault, the victim yelled, “He’s taking my car!” and pointed out the window. Officer Steve Gallo’s partner impulsively ran down the stairs of the residence and jumped into the passenger window of the moving car to grab the keys. The driver then sped toward Gallo, a Detective/Police Instructor with the Town of Fishkill Police Department and New York Lodge #333 member, who was backed against a brick wall. When Gallo’s perfect sight picture on the driver’s head was interrupted by his partner struggling partially inside the car, Gallo had nowhere to go but up. For Officer Mark Caley, of the Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Sheriff’s Office and Michigan Lodge #98, a rolling gunfight during a vehicle pursuit of a carjacking suspect didn’t end when the suspect vehicle came to a stop. While Caley was dealing with the driver, his backup officer was confronted by a
shotgun-wielding passenger who jumped from the vehicle and leveled the weapon at Caley’s partner. Leaning over the hood of the stolen Camaro, Caley fired four shots. Three found their mark, killing the offender and saving his partner’s life. Each of these encounters shows the lightning speed of events that can challenge an officer’s ability to respond quickly and effectively. Lewinski’s research on the speed of attacks shows that even untrained aggressors can bring a weapon to bear and fire faster than the average officer can shoot, even with a finger already on the trigger. The first set of studies used college student volunteers, most of whom had little or no experience shooting. Highspeed cameras filming at 30 frames per second recorded the action. The students were asked to bring a weapon up from several different positions and fire. Analysts started timing from the first movement until the trigger was pulled using a timer that is accurate to one onethousandth of a second. In one exercise, the volunteers were seated with a gun at their side, similar to a driver holding a gun next to them at a traffic stop. Untrained in shooting, the students averaged a quarter second from their first movement to firing a shot, with some as fast as 15 one-hundredths of a second — twice the speed at which the average officer can pull the trigger when already aimed at a potential threat. Other scenarios were tested to simulate common police confrontations with suspects. The students drew a gun from their waistband and fired both close to their body and with their arm extended. Volunteers also drew and fired while running away, some firing over their shoulder and some turning from the direction they ran to shoot back at their target before turning back to run again. Even the most complicated maneuvers were performed in well under one second. A common predicament faced by officers deals with a suspect who is prone
FBI Statistics on Officer Murders, 2000-2009 83 It is unknown whether 91 attempted to fire their weapon 536 officers killed these officers fired, attempted to fire 118 fired their own weapon 244 did not attempt to fire their weapon or did not fire their weapon. 18
FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
but refusing to put their hands out to the side. In another study, volunteers showed a surprising capacity for bringing a weapon out from under their bodies and firing before an officer could even recognize the threat.
on the radio. When he recovered, he broadcast a description and direction of travel that led to the suspect’s capture in a nearby housing complex. He also remembers waiting for the nearby state trooper to come to his aid, but the trooper
The survival mindset is for engaging an adversary and surviving a violent encounter.
One of the significant conclusions of the experiments derived from comparing the volunteers’ actions to the time it takes an officer to make a shoot, don’t-shoot or stop-shooting decision. Shootings in which suspects are struck in the back are controversial and appear to the public to be unfair and unjustified. But Lewinski’s studies have effectively proven that suspects are capable of presenting real threats to officers that require swift response.
“This Is Bad — Where’s My Backup?” Perisee remembers the struggle with a traffic offender in the middle of a busy Chicago roadway. He was about to end the fight with a close-up gunshot to his attacker when the offender wrestled free of Perisee and fled. Perisee remembers having no breath left to get the call out
A volunteer assaults a 300-pound water bag in a study on exhaustion in hand-to-hand combat.
never saw the fight happening and was on another radio frequency. Lewinski’s recent studies on exhaustion show that even officers in excellent physical condition can reach immobilizing exhaustion in less than 60 seconds of all-out exertion. Extreme exertion can cause a shutdown of muscle control and render an officer in combat unable to continue. Landry’s struggle against his emotionally disturbed attacker was one that, in his estimation, a less trained or less fit officer may not have survived. Youthful and practiced in the martial arts, Landry was able to thwart the initial strangling attempt with a maneuver that slammed the assailant against a wall to stun him. Landry could hear the man’s wrist and joints snapping as the officer used every empty hand control, joint lock and pain compliance he could. With his partner on the way, Landry was unable to reach his chemical spray, was struggling to protect his firearm from being taken and was too confined to administer a big kick. Finally, his partner arrived and sprayed a combination of tear gas and pepper spray that had no effect on the attacker. The two officers — the two fittest and best trained — finally were able to muscle the man into handcuffs and into the patrol car. Landry, already tired from a long midnight shift and a struggle with the mental case, had to fight again at the station after the strangler got out of the car and attempted to slam Landry against the cruiser. McConville’s mysterious pedestrian, whom the county officer had swerved to avoid while approaching a wrecked suspect vehicle, turned out to be the wanted rapist. The rapist also turned
out to be a vicious cop-hater who got the semi-conscious McConville on the ground from his smashed patrol car and began bashing the officer’s head on the pavement. As McConville awoke to the feeling of tugging on his sidearm, he managed to engage and handcuff his attacker. Two workers on a nearby utility pole witnessed the exchange and offered to handle the prisoner. McConville defiantly said, “I’ll take care of my own damned prisoner,” then passed out.
Researchers also measured the time lapse between when the revolver first became visible from under the volunteers’ chests or waists and when it discharged. For the fastest volunteers, there was no time gap at all — the weapon could not be seen until it discharged.
Though Gallo was tired from jumping out of the way of a speeding car and rolling over the hood, he pushed through his fatigue to grab his partner lodged halfway inside the car by his equipment belt and pull him free as the driver screamed death threats and screeched away. The suspect eventually crashed at a roadblock in a neighboring jurisdiction. Caley’s shots at the end of his running gun battle and pursuit may not have been his scariest moment. Some months prior to the shooting, he was working a quiet Easter Sunday morning assisting the campus police at Western Michigan University, near his post at the Kalamazoo Sheriff’s Office. Two campus officers had attempted to arrest a predatory peeping Tom and the suspect had escaped. They broadcast the suspect description with a warning that they had never fought anybody like that before. Caley caught up with the suspect and, taking the university police’s warning seriously, drew down on the muscular offender. The predator did not comply and suffered no effects from Caley’s Continued on page 36 > 19
Tactical Apparel
EVOLUTION There’s nothing basic about today’s tactical uniforms.
I
n everyday life, “Clothes don’t make the man (or woman)” may ring true. But if your job requires you to wear some sort of tactical gear, then perhaps this saying holds some merit and clothes do indeed make the man — they make him safer, more effective and more comfortable. Regardless of whether you work a foot beat for a small department, are a member of an active SWAT team or fall somewhere in between, the gear you wear can make a difference in your level of performance. If a typical day involves intense tactical maneuvers, chances are you need flexible clothing made from high-performance fabrics which resist wear and tear. If the one-size-fits-all mentality does not cut it in your world, you need apparel that goes beyond basic dress uniforms (BDUs).
( ESS EYEWEAR ) Protect the Peepers Tactical BDUs aren’t the only things that have received a major makeover in the last few years; eyewear has, too. ESS Eyewear offers professional-grade, U.S. Army-authorized protective eyewear ideal for tactical work. The ESS Crossbow® features the Tri-Tech Fit, which provides a universal fit that eliminates pressure-point discomfort; no-fog lenses coated in FlowCoat technology; cool, distortion-free vision; a reliable ballistic eye shield; and switchable tints that make this eyewear easily transform from work to play in a matter of seconds. For more info, go to www.fopconnect.com. Product #47738
( 5.11 PATROL RAIN PANTS ) Bring on the Rain Crime never stops, even in inclement weather. Now you can be prepared when the skies open up. The high-performance 5.11 Patrol Rain Pants are user-friendly and designed to easily slide over your uniform. The unique, worry-free Prym® snap and elastic waistband enable you to secure the rain pants directly below your duty belt and access it without obstruction. These pants are extremely functional thanks to the pass-through pockets which allow you to reach your interior pockets. Made from ultra-high-performance, breathable, waterproof material, the pants offer built-in, abrasion-resistant kick panels with 12-inch side zippers. For more info, go to www.fopconnect.com. Product #6492
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FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
( ELBECO, INC. TACTICAL JUMPSUIT ) Performance-Grade If you are looking for gear that goes above and beyond the normal BDU pants and shirts, you might consider wearing a tactical jumpsuit. Like most tactical gear, jumpsuits have come a long way in the last few decades. The Elbeco Response FR Jumpsuit was created to address the needs security personnel encountered during San Francisco earthquakes in the early 1990s. The Elbeco jumpsuits are 93% Nomex, 5% Kevlar and 2% P-140 carbon, as well as machine-washable. These suits offer a heavy-duty, brassfront zipper; pleated back for improved arm movement; roomy leg openings; and large bellow pockets. For more info, go to www.fopconnect.com. Product #10731
( DANNER BOOTS ) From the Ground Up Tactical team members ask more from their feet than the average person, and keeping your feet fatigue-free and comfortable can be a challenge. Danner Boots’ Desert TFX Rough-Out GTX Military-Grade Boots, approved by the U.S. Army, offer protection and comfort that last. Made for combat soldiers, the Desert TFX is constructed of a lightweight TERRA FORCE X® system to provide rugged support and stability in stressful situations. These boots are 100% waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex and are available with or without Thinsulate® insulation. The outer appearance is attractive, quick-drying and built to resist abrasions and tears. For more info, go to www.fopconnect.com. Product #15388
( TRU-SPEC TACTICAL VEST ) Sharp-Dressed Man If you prefer to wear tactical vests, the TRU-SPEC TRU XTREME Series was made just for you. This vest is constructed of a professional-grade, rugged cotton-nylon ripstop fabric. The vest also features a comfortable mandarin collar which can be worn either up or down. Other valuable features include the hook-and-loop closure and deep-front bellowed pockets with inverted pleats that expand to hold extra magazine clips, cell phones or handcuffs. The TRU XTREME vest can also be worn over standard tactical shirts to create a comfortable, classic look. Comes in black, navy, olive, tan and digital camo. For more info, go to www.fopconnect.com. Product #48022
( PROPPER INTERNATIONAL TACTICAL SHORTS ) On Duty or Off If you are looking for gear that will perform under pressure while keeping you comfortable, Propper International Tactical Shorts may be just what you need. The heavy-duty reinforced seat and stretchable waistband are perfect for the active wearer, while the high-quality polyester-cotton blend coated with ripstop DuPont Teflon® helps the shorts repel liquids and stains to stay sharp-looking. Plus, these shorts are wrinkle- and fade-resistant. Propper International understands the needs of tactical team members, so they designed these shorts with 11 pockets, a handy D-Ring and extra-large belt loops. For more info, go to www.fopconnect.com. Product #14665
For additional gear and apparel, go to www.fopconnect.com WWW.FOP.NET
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[mentally] put yourself in that room while the crime was being committed and start putting the pieces together.”
SPECIAL UNIT PROFILE
N
o larger than your fingertip and barely thicker than a piece of paper, it was a tiny but crucial piece of evidence that helped bring a conviction of murder in the first degree. After a brutal killing, Detective First Class Dale Trotter was left searching the crime scene for anything that might lead to a suspect, and he found it under the victim’s body. “The victim, once rolled over, revealed a small, dime-sized item under him, between his body and the floor, situated in the carpet,” reveals Trotter, FOP member
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and Crime Scene Investigator for the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office in Snow Hill, Maryland. “The suspect had worn latex gloves, similar to surgical gloves, while stabbing the victim multiple times in the chest area. The force caused the gloves to break and deposited a small portion of the glove on the floor moments before the victim fell on top of it.” This is where Trotter’s skill became invaluable: To secure this bit of latex that proved to be so important, he carefully collected it with soft-tipped
hemostat pliers to ensure no transfer or loss of trace evidence. It was then stored in paper to allow the evidence and contents to be transferred from the scene to the crime lab. After the dime-sized evidence was sent for analysis to the Maryland State Police Forensic Science Division, Biology Unit, it revealed DNA that matched a suspect. Trotter continues, “Only the dime-sized piece of latex remained in the scene and became very beneficial in gaining a guilty verdict in this murder trial.” FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
Photo: Laurent Hamels/PhotoAlto Agency RF Collections/Getty Images
“You have to
What Is a CSI? “The major difference between being a CSI compared to a patrol officer or detective is this: I am charged with the responsibility of collecting and preserving evidence that may or may not result in the prosecution of a suspect in an alleged crime,” explains Trotter. “Police officers and detectives have a more personal (person to person)-type interaction that they deal with, whereas I have the scene and what I observe from [it]. I look at the scene and gain all the pieces of the puzzle; however, it’s up to the detective to connect the pieces in a logical manner that makes sense and is truthful and, most importantly, undisputable.” Corporal Jason Smith, Sergeant-AtArms for the Oklahoma State Fraternal Order of Police and member of the Crime Scene Unit for the Jenks Police Department in Oklahoma, further explains: “Working a successful crime scene means separating yourself from all outside influence and putting a scene back together using only evidence to steer your analysis. When a major crime occurs, there is pressure coming from all directions. Administrators are concerned with how it will affect the department and the city as a whole; they are pressured by the citizens who demand instant justice like they see on TV. Detectives are concentrated on making an arrest, finding a suspect or two with witnesses, and time is often very critical from that end. And patrol officers are ready to get back out to the next call or calls that are holding. With all these pressures, you have to slow everything down, take a deep breath and get intimate with the case, with the victims and with the scene. You have to [mentally] put yourself in that room while the crime was being committed and start putting the pieces together.”
On the Case For Smith, the evidence from one of his most memorable cases was considerably larger than the size of a dime; in total, Smith and his team put together more than 300 pages of evidence. The case involved a young boy, Skyler Roininen, who died from a blow to the head. “A small child was [removed] from a home while paramedics were giving constant CPR and the sergeant on the scene was suspicious of the circumstances. The case ended up being a homiWWW.FOP.NET
cide of a 23-month-old baby boy. All of my education, skills and endurance were about to be put to the test.” Eventually, with the evidence Smith and his team collected, Roininen’s father’s girlfriend was arrested and put on trial. An arrest made in a case doesn’t signal the end of the work for a CSI. After hearings and arguments in courtrooms over what evidence can and can’t be admitted, “the district attorney has the tedious job of picking which evidence will best tell the story of what happened on the day or days of the crime. The judge would never allow [it], and the jury would not sit still, if we attempted to put on the more than 300 pages of forensic and testimonial evidence we put together in [the Roininen] case,” says Smith. After an investigation that lasted several weeks, and a trial that lasted much longer, the father’s girlfriend was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He further explains: “An experienced crime scene investigator has learned the hard way that there is never too much evidence. At the scene of a crime, there are usually 100 things happening at one time; it is a challenge to figure out what evidence will be relevant a year later when the case goes to trial. In the Roininen case, many of the pictures of the baby in the state of death and in the autopsy were not allowed because of their prejudicial and inflammatory nature. … It is frustrating when you know that evidence that is truly a fair representation and depiction of an event is excluded because it might offend someone or allow [the jury] to judge on emotion instead of fact.”
In the Bag When it comes to processing the scene and collecting evidence, Trotter regards his camera as his most valuable tool. His Nikon D70 boasts a DX lens for clear, life-like pictures. “The camera takes very vivid and crisp photos that make the crime scene come to life, allowing the jury or court to ‘feel’ like they are on scene,” emphasizes Trotter. “It is so important to photograph the scene in a manner that allows you to study it in detail later. I have photographed crime scenes and, in the process of reviewing the photos, have found evidence that I had missed or did not know was evidence at the time the scene was worked,” agrees Smith.
Beyond the lens, Smith mans an SUV that is packed full of the latest equipment for a CSI, including various cameras, fingerprint-lifting and -preserving kits, imprint materials such as dental-plaster and plastic kits, static-imprinting kits and different lighting sources for the detection of body fluids and DNA evidence. He is also prepared with evidence-marking tools, such as numbers, measuring tools, biohazard protection gear, evidence-storage bags and boxes and more.
Caution Is Key “When an officer is responding to a scene that oftentimes is chaotic, they have to take dozens of things into account while securing the scene and making sure it is safe. I train our officers to do all that while keeping an eye out for evidence and staying away from it. We train them to walk down the sides of halls instead of the middle and to step through doorways, not over them — little things that make a big difference when determining who was there when the crime was occurring. I also tell them to take as many photographs as possible while emergency services are there so that we can determine what evidence is being destroyed or changed while they are on scene,” Smith points out. To other CSIs, Smith advises, “One of the most important things I have learned about successfully working a crime scene is to have a system: Work each room the same way, the same direction and in the same manner. Many times when there is a possible murder weapon or other major item in the center of the room, it is tempting to go to it and work the room from there. This causes you to miss evidence because you become focused on one thing. It is human nature to go to the heart of the matter, but you have to force yourself to see beyond the obvious.”
Stay tuned for more profiles featuring members with extraordinary jobs. If you’re part of a dive team, 911Media wants to hear your story. Email
[email protected].
To check out the CSI toolbox, visit www.fopconnect.com 23
Gear Matters!
Whether running and gunning, clearing a room or chasing a suspect down a dark alley, you need the top sights, scopes, lights, lasers and more.
T
he first thing that comes to mind when you think of cop gear is probably a gun and a badge. While that may be the minimum, who wants to bet their life on the minimum? That’s why we’ve gone through the trouble of running down the latest in weapon lights, lasers, sights and accessories. Whether it’s a vest or retention holster, there is a variety of personal, exotic gear that goes beyond the minimum and helps to accomplish your personal mission — coming home safe at the end of every shift.
AIMPOINT PATROL RIFLE OPTIC
<<
FASTER TARGET ACQUISITION The Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optic (LE only) was designed to get officers on target quickly, with the modular design allowing use of the same sight on a variety of law enforcement firearms. The front lens utilizes a unique band-pass coating, which allows the sight to be used with all generations of night-vision devices. The modular QRP2 mount includes a removable spacer that indexes the sight at the optimal height for co-witness with the standard iron sights on AR15/M16/M4 carbine-style weapons. Both the front and rear lenses are recessed within the sight body to provide protection against impact scratches. For more info, go to www.fopconnect.com. Product #47350
CRIMSON TRACE LIGHTGUARD << INSTINCTIVE ILLUMINATION Featuring a rugged, 100-lumen white light controlled by an instinctive activation system, the Lightguard fits seamlessly to the gun. Due to its low mass, the Lightguard does not appreciably alter a pistol’s balance or increase the incidence of malfunctions, while its slim profile makes for easy holstering. Fully compatible with select Crimson Trace Lasergrips, the Lightguard platform allows users to equip their pistols with both essential low-light tools, either of which can be operated independently and with one hand. Initially available to fit Glock, Springfield XD and Smith & Wesson M&P handguns; additional models will be introduced for other firearms. For more info, go to www.fopconnect.com. Product #15250 24
FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
GLOCK GTL << SITUATIONAL SUPERIORITY Glock’s new Tactical Lights (LE/military only) were designed as an extension of the Safe Action Pistol instead of another aftermarket add-on. The Xenon illumination is embedded in the same high-tech polymer that Glock frames are constructed from. Maximum illumination continuity is achieved by the use of “smart” electronic components for optimal luminous efficiency. In addition to the red-laser options in the GTL 21, the GTL 51/52 offers a highly developed IR laser and IR lamp to support target illumination. In combination with an IR night-vision system, the GTL allows the user to monitor a target area without becoming visible to others. For more info, go to www.fopconnect.com. Product #14724
LEUPOLD HAMR << TACK DRIVING PRECISION The Mark 4 HAMR is a fixed-power, 4 x 24-millimeter sight — built for precise, mid-range marksmanship and fast target acquisition. The HAMR offers a variety of features that work to the advantage of military warfighters and law enforcement personnel, including the ballistically matched, illuminated CM-R2 reticle; fast-focus eyepiece; and the advanced Xtended Twilight Lens System. In addition, Leupold’s DeltaPoint reflex sight can be attached to the HAMR, providing instant target-acquisition capability at close quarters. (DeltaPoint and HAMR are available as a package.) The CM-R2 reticle is an etched-glass reticle and is clearly visible with the illumination activated or in the off-mode. For more info, go to www.fopconnect.com. Product #14781
VORTEX OPTICS VIPER PRECISION SHOOTING TACTICAL (PST) << FINGERTIP ACCURACY The target-style turrets allow for quick adjustment when dialing elevation and windage. Clicks are firm, tactile and audible for positive adjustment confirmation. The radius bar, a fiber-optic turret-rotation indicator located on top of the elevation turret, aids in keeping track of revolutions, as well as providing a visual zero-reference. Stackable C-shaped shims create a customizable rotational stop under the elevation turret to ensure the turret never rotates more than a single revolution below sight in range. Reticles are glass-etched and sandwiched between two layers of glass for durability and reliability. Finally, a long-lasting CR2032 lithium battery powers illumination. For more info, go to www.fopconnect.com. Product #47784
SIGHTMARK AAT5G BRICK << GOING GREEN? The AAT5G Green Laser Designator from Sightmark is an advanced, accurate and powerful tactical-laser red-dot sight with easy base x/y windage and elevation adjustment. This unique sight has a visibility range of up to 50 yards in daylight and 2,640 yards at night, but uses very little power in its operation. The quick target acquisition and precision accuracy of this advanced laser designator make it perfect for rapid fire or moving targets. The built-in Weaver mount ensures the Brick can fit onto the widest variety of weapons. Sightmark’s AAT5G is lightweight, compact, shockproof and covered by Sightmark’s limited lifetime warranty. For more info, go to www.fopconnect.com. Product #48172
Spot additional lights, sights and lasers at www.fopconnect.com WWW.FOP.NET
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Secure Hold Once the firearm is holstered, the holster must prevent it from accidentally discharging. To accomplish this, the holster must completely contain the entire trigger guard, thus preventing the trigger from being actuated by a foreign object or an overly eager finger. Therefore, the material from which the holster is constructed must be sturdy enough to prevent any object from affecting trigger movement. Anything less than secure is simply asking for disaster. Of course, you can carry your firearm without a round in the chamber to prevent an accidental discharge, but this leads to a different argument better left for another time. So, when your holster is fitted with your gun, the trigger and trigger guard are secure as long as the weapon remains in the holster. But will the gun stay where it belongs until you’re prepared to use it? A simple way to test the holster is by performing a tip test. Make sure the firearm is not loaded before introducing the potential for dropping it, and put it in the
The entire trigger and trigger guard must be encased in the holster to prevent an accidental discharge.
HOLSTERS
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BY DAVE DOLBEE
R
ecently, I attended a sales seminar on holsters that quickly devolved into an enthusiastic debate over the criteria of what makes a holster safe. Specifically, the debate discussed what key features a holster needs to be considered safe. The other side of the discussion generated arguments about what features of a holster — that when missing — actually make it dangerous. In the end, there was a surprising consensus
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on the difference between “good” and “bad” holsters. Every type of holster has details that distinguish it from the next, but it’s important to evaluate the holster’s overall security in regard to your specific needs. Per the debate, a holster has to meet several criteria to be considered safe. The logical assumption is that any holster lacking one or more of the following criteria is considered unsafe.
holster. Hold the holster a foot or so above a soft object, such as a bed, and tip the holster upside down. If the gun remains securely in the holster, shake it gently to test whether it stays put. If the gun dislodges, toss the holster in the junk pile; it has failed to be a safe holster. Obviously, the tip test doesn’t work for every carry system, but it certainly works for most. Once the holster has passed the tip test, it’s time to get more aggressive. Again, ensure that the firearm is unloaded. Secure your firearm in the holster in the manner in which you plan to carry it, such as inside the waistband (IWB), ankle, pocket, etc. Start moving; do jumping jacks, go jogging, jump a fence or drop to the ground and roll around. You can even get into a mock wrestling match with your partner. Sure, this seems extreme to some, but how are you really going to know how secure your weapon is until you have replicated many of the same activities you face on the street? FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
During this process, you will need to check if the weapon is staying securely lodged in the holster, or if it has worked its way loose. If you need to place a hand on the gun to keep it secure, then it isn’t. When you’re engaged in a fight on the street or hopping a fence in a foot pursuit, you’re not going to have the luxury of a free hand to keep your weapon in place. If your gun is not securely restrained by your holster, then it has failed and should be replaced. It’s a pretty safe bet that at least a few of the people reading this believe they are long past the days of foot pursuits and hopping fences. That’s no excuse for an unsafe holster. Besides, what if you’re simply playing catch with the grandkids or chasing your dog down the street? Imagine tossing a baseball to your grandson and having your gun come loose, clanking to the ground. The scenarios are endless, and the results are potentially deadly if your weapon comes loose.
Concealment The academy does a sufficient job of bringing home the point of strong side vs. weak side and protecting your weapon when approaching a suspect in the field. However, these lessons do not always equate when it comes to concealed carry. Just because officers are authorized to carry concealed weapons does not mean that they need to advertise what and where they are carrying. The whole purpose of concealing your primary weapon or backup gun is to keep it hidden from prying eyes that are looking for a weakness or attempting to gain an advantage during an attack. After meeting all the above requirements, there are two more tests a holster design must pass before you drop your greenbacks on it. First, holsters designed to be worn under clothing must fit close enough to the body that they are not detectable by others. Belt holsters often have more than one set of holes to position the gun for different persons or situations. Certain holsters ride higher on the hip, tilt the gun forward or feature loops that pull the holster closer to the body, aiding in concealment. The second requirement is camouflage. A purse, pack or briefcase can effectively provide the urban camouflage necessary to keep from attracting unnecessary attention. One important thing to remember: An alternative carry method does not excuse an accidental discharge or unauthorized access by someone else. WWW.FOP.NET
Comfort There’s a fine balance between function and comfort. To be effective, you need both. Human nature dictates that when we are uncomfortable, we fidget or re-adjust to get comfortable. But bending to adjust your ankle holster certainly draws unwanted attention. The same is true of a hip holster. And not only have you given away where you’re carrying, you just confirmed your strong side to everyone in visual range. Worse yet, if your holster is uncomfortable, you’re less likely to carry the weapon, rationalizing that you’re just running a quick errand and don’t need it. For these and other reasons, comfortable concealment becomes a requirement for any holster.
Accessibility After you have selected a holster, tested its safety and confirmed its comfort, you still have to answer the question of access. After all, why do we put up with an awkward, one-pound lump in our pocket? One reason: to be able to readily access our gun when something that doesn’t smell like flowers hits the fan. All the aforementioned factors are moot if you can’t access and deploy your weapon in a quick, efficient manner. An ankle holster that doesn’t allow for quick access is just a glorified running weight. Or if you’re in
or er f Ent nce to a a Ch
N I W
a situation where your gun is in a hidden compartment in your purse and your hands are over your head, then you’re out of luck. To test accessibility, I recommend working with a blue or dummy gun. I do not advocate ever pointing a weapon — even unloaded — at your sparring partner. Position your attacker in the three- to seven-yard danger zone. Clap your hands together to get things started, and go for your weapon. Have the attacker approach from the side while you draw and engage him directly in front of you. Practice this drill from several different positions: sitting, standing, lying on your strong side and weak side, from a car, etc. Make sure you can access and draw your weapon from concealment in two seconds or less. Remember, cheating during this test may have dire consequences for anyone not mentioned as a beneficiary on your life insurance policy. What is essential for any officer is knowing the requirements for a safe holster that holds your firearm securely, yet allows it to be easily accessed. Take the time to practice these exercises and evaluate your holster. If it doesn’t pass muster, find one that does. When the chips are down, you’ll be glad you did.
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60th Biennial National
FOPCONFERENCE Seminar Descriptions Seminars will be held on August 15, 16 and 17 (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) one hour after the close of the General Session. Registration is required for admittance into a seminar. Seating in the seminars will be limited, and it is recommended that you register for the seminars as soon as you register for the conference. Please note that there is no pre-registration for these seminars prior to the conference.
Basic Bookkeeping Utilizing Quickbooks Room 250E — Tuesday Only Especially designed for Lodge Treasurers. Bring your computers and Quickbooks discs! Hands-on session will provide an overview from setup through the various accounting modules and basic reports. Open forum for questions. Instructors will be available to assist with actual setup. Instructors: Bob Krone and Jim Robbs, Frank L. Sassetti & Co.
Bookkeeping, Fiduciary Responsibility and Tax Filings Room 250E — Monday and Wednesday Session will provide newer Treasurers/ Bookkeepers with a hands-on session which will cover fiduciary responsibilities, bookkeeping procedures, budgets/financial reports and tax filings. Bring your questions and concerns! Lodge Treasurers will be given priority seating. Instructors: Bob Krone and Jim Robbs, Frank L. Sassetti & Co.
The Business of Taking Care of FOP Business Room 251F — Monday and Tuesday A two-hour review of FOP leadership for boards of directors and future FOP leaders. Focuses on the varied duties and responsibilities of FOP leadership for every elected FOP officeholder. Instructor: Richard Boyd, Past President
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Calibre Press Street Survival Series Maintaining Your Tactical Edge Room 251C — Monday Offers insight into the criminal thought process and tools to increase tactical awareness. Discusses tactical responses for maintaining control, pre-attack indicators and the mental and physical components necessary to win in any encounter. Instructor: Ray DeCunto, Calibre Press
Verbal Judo: Applied Tactical Communication Room 251C — Tuesday The latest information on tactical communication using videos and Internet-based training to deliver an interactive Verbal Judo program for law enforcement. Learn how to diffuse violent encounters; eradicate bullying; interact with the public; and effectively communicate with supervisors, internal affairs, prosecutors, judges and attorneys. Instructor: Gary Klugiewicz, Calibre Press and PoliceOne Training Network
Beyond Off-Duty Survival Room 251C — Wednesday Addresses what off-duty threats you may face and how to respond safely and tactically, including teaching your family members how to stay safe and respond appropriately when the unthinkable happens. Instructor: Sergeant Betsy Brantner Smith, Calibre Press
Critical Incident Stress Management Room 250F — Monday and Wednesday Designed to present an overview of the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multi-component crisis intervention management program. Prepares participants to understand a wide range of crisis intervention services. Instructor: Michael Haley, Critical Incident Committee Chair
Fair Labor Standards Act Room 250B — Tuesday Only Information on issues facing law enforcement, such as donning and doffing, compensatory time, compensation for on-call status and more. Instructor: Michael Coviello, NFOP Labor Services
FOP Legal Defense Plan Room 251A — Tuesday and Wednesday Learn about one of the greatest benefits the FOP has to offer its membership. Discussions will consist of plan structure, new and improved coverage, plan financial security, claim handling, marketing and recruiting. Instructor: Michael Yon, Hylant Group
FOP Membership System Room 250D — Tuesday Only Lodge Secretaries will benefit from this workshop where they will learn how to most effectively use the online membership system. Lodge Secretaries will be given priority seating. Instructor: Grand Lodge membership staff
FOP Political Activity/Running for Office/Hatch Act Room 250C — Monday, Room 251D/F — Wednesday Covers the FOP and politics, as well as how what we do is governed by legislation. Discussion will also focus on the Hatch Act and offer tips on how FOP members can get elected to positions of power and influence. Instructor: Percel Alston, Maryland Lodge #89
Economic and Political Issues Facing FOP Lodges Room 251D — Monday Only A panel of local lodge Presidents will hold an audience-driven discussion with members about how lodges may be able to deal with the economic and political issues facing our members around the country. The Urban Policing Committee is comprised of the Presidents of some of the largest lodges in the country. Instructor: Urban Policing Committee FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
Presenting Public Financial Information
Room 250B — Monday and Wednesday This course discusses representation in internal investigations, grievances, unfair labor practices and contract negotiations. Instructor: Michael Coviello, NFOP Labor Services
Law Enforcement Flying Armed Room 251E — Monday and Tuesday A course of instruction on the requirements of Section 1544 of the Codified Federal Regulations (CFRs) to fly while armed on commercial aircrafts, plus the procedures to comply with the CFRs as required by the Transportation Security Administration. Instructor: Ed Buns, Firearms Instructor
Leading Your Lodge in Labor Resources Room 250D — Monday, Room 251E — Wednesday An overview of the qualities and resources needed to be an effective labor leader. General information needed to handle the labor issues of your lodge and information about resources available to assist you in being successful. Instructors: Gil Gallegos, Past President, and Holly Deal and P.J. Haley, Labor Services Division
Pensions Under Attack Room 250A — Tuesday Only Discusses the economic and political attacks on our members’ pensions around the country. Attendees will be provided with suggestions on methods to represent their members in the pension arena. Instructor: Kathy Harrell, NFOP Labor Services
Room 251B — Wednesday Only This seminar will help FOP members understand how to present financial data to your members, employers and third parties in a concise and clear manner, including how to use charts and graphs to display your data in an understandable manner. Instructor: Wade Steen, NFOP Labor Services
Traumas of Law Enforcement Deaths Room 250C — Tuesday Only This workshop will provide information on the proper response of a law enforcement agency to a line-of-duty death. Information will be provided in all areas — i.e., notification of survivors, funeral protocols and the appropriate response of the law enforcement agency after the funeral. Additionally, the workshop will focus on appropriate methods for working with survivors after the funeral is over. Instructor: Jennifer Thacker, COPS
Turning Members into Lobbyists: The Federal Legislative Process and the Role of Grassroots Room 251A — Monday, Room 251D — Tuesday The basics of the Federal legislative process and how our members, through grassroots advocacy, can best influence that process. The FOP’s top priorities and other legislative initiatives will be reviewed, as well as the importance and role of political action committees. Instructor: Tim Richardson, National Legislative Staff
Understanding Public Finance
Pitfalls of Social Media Room 250A — Monday and Wednesday The availability of access to social networking sites by employers presents many new and unique issues in regard to employment law. This presentation will address those issues, including off-duty conduct, workers’ compensation and sick leave claims, hiring/firing issues and Brady concerns. Instructor: Christina Corl, NFOP Legal Counsel
Room 251B — Monday and Tuesday This seminar will help FOP members understand how to review the financial documents of their employers, including audits, budgets, comprehensive annual financial reports and year-to-date data, as well as understand what an employee costs an employer and demographic/ economic indicators. Instructor: Wade Steen, NFOP Labor Services
For more National Conference information, go to www.fopconnect.com WWW.FOP.NET
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911Media American Public University System Artcraft Promotional Concepts ATK-BLACKHAWK! Bates Footwear Beacon Financial Group Beretta USA Corp. Big Statues BLEVE Entertainment Blue Knights International Brodin Studios, Inc. California Casualty Auto and Home Insurance California University of Pennsylvania Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau Columbia Southern University Concerns of Police Survivors Corporations for Character, LC Covert Law Enforcement Diamond Yard Bricks Easter Seals Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group ESGR Essential Benefits FBI-LEO Federal Railroad Administration Global Police Solutions, LLC Glock, Inc. Gottago Personal Care Device, Inc. Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police Foundation Haix North America, Inc. HeroBears Hunting for Heroes Hylant Group, Inc. International Conference of Police Chaplains International Police Association — U.S. Section John Cipolla Insurance Law Enforcement Torch Run LEOSA-H.R. 218 Self-Defense Insurance Liberty Art Works Liberty University Lockheed Martin Mountain State University Nashville Convention Center National Computerized Agencies National Center for Missing and Exploited Children National Crime Prevention Center National Insurance Crime Bureau National Law Enforcement Cancer Support Foundation National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund National Nuclear Security Administration National Unions Benefit Group, LLC (canceled) National University Nationwide Advantage Mortgage Company Neighborhood Watch — USA on Watch Point Blank Point Emblems PoliceOne/Calibre Press Protect USA Public Safety Financial Public Safety GPO Security Lines US SIRAS Skaggs Companies Smith & Warren Smith & Wesson Streamlight SVCI Tactical Symbolarts Taser International Trident University International/TUI Union Institute & University Unions-America.com, Inc. Unique 4U/Happy Feet Upper Iowa University UPS V.H. Blackinton Visit Pittsburgh WatchGuard Video Whelen 29
WASHINGTON REPORT / JIM PASCO
FOP Top Priority: H.R. 1332, the “Social Security Fairness Act”
I
n late April, Representatives Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) and Howard L. Berman (D-CA) reintroduced H.R. 1332, the “Social Security Fairness Act.” The bill would completely repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) in current Social Security law. At this writing, the bill already had more than 70 cosponsors. The National Legislative Office will work with Representatives McKeon and Berman to gather additional support and cosponsors for the bill. In the Senate, staff in the National Legislative Office is working with the offices of Senators Dianne Feinstein (DCA) and Susan M. Collins (R-ME). While the FOP has urged them to reintroduce the legislation, both have expressed a desire to work with us and other groups representing public employees affected by these provisions in an effort to reduce the cost of the bill. The National Legislative Office is also actively engaged with the office of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), who has reintroduced S. 113, the “Public Servant Retirement Protection Act.” This bill does not repeal or make any amendment to the GPO, but it would repeal the WEP and replace it with a new formula that is based on an individual’s actual work history instead of the arbitrary formula that currently exists. For most individuals, it would significantly increase the amount of their Social Security benefits. We are working with the office of Representative Kevin P. Brady (R-TX) on crafting a House companion bill. FOP Top Priority Introduced in the House: H.R. 1789, the “State and Local Law Enforcement Discipline, Accountability and Due Process Act” This legislation, which has long been a top priority for the Grand Lodge,
30
Just The Facts: In an effort to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, the National Legislative Office is garnering support for one its top priorities, as well as promoting legislation that would increase Social Security benefits for most public safety officers. Staff is also gathering cosponsors for a Senate bill that would establish a minimum level of procedural due process for officers and battling the “Public Employee Pensions Transparency Act,” aimed at unnecessarily tightening Federal regulations on State and local finances. was introduced in early May by Representatives Erik Paulsen (R-MN), Steve C. LaTourette (R-OH), Betty Sutton (D-OH) and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (DNJ). The bill would codify key holdings of the U.S. Supreme Court by creating a minimum level of procedural due process for law enforcement officers using a balanced approach between the legitimate exercise of constitutional rights by law enforcement officers and the ability of a law enforcement agency to maintain internal discipline. Staff in the National Legislative Office will be working with these congressional offices to gather additional cosponsors and build support for a possible hearing on this issue in the House Committee on the Judiciary. In the Senate, the FOP will continue to work with Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the Senate Minority Leader, and Amy J. Klobuchar (D-MN) to craft a Senate companion bill. FOP Top Priority Introduced in the Senate: S. 985, the “Law Enforcement Officers’ Equity Act” In mid-May, Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) introduced S. 985, the “Law Enforcement Officers’ Equity Act,” the Senate companion bill to H.R. 327. This bill would provide 6(c) benefits to approximately 30,000 Federal law enforcement officers who currently do
not have them. The Senate bill does not currently have any cosponsors, and the House bill had only eight at this writing. The staff in the National Legislative Office is working with the bill’s authors to gather additional support, but we need our Federal officer members to make contact with their representatives and both senators to get more cosponsors! FOP: Defeating Legislation Posing a Risk to Public Pensions While our brothers and sisters face significant challenges in the localities and States on a wide variety of issues ranging from basic collective bargaining rights to layoffs to wages and pensions, the National Legislative Office has been actively working in opposition to H.R. 567, the “Public Employee Pensions Transparency Act,” and the Senate companion bill, S. 347. The bills, introduced by Representative Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), respectively, create a dangerous precedent with regard to Federal taxation and regulation of State and local governments and represent a fundamental lack of understanding regarding the operations and funding of public pensions. The bills would levy a whole new and conflicting Federal reporting regime on top of existing State and local structures, which would paint a misleading picture of public finance and impose costly measures FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
far more conservative than Federal law requires even for corporations. Public employee pensions have become the target of many public officials at every level of government. These pensions are blamed for the 2008 recession and the current budget shortfalls at the State and local levels. However, State and local payments to pension funds make up about 3% of overall budgets — when those payments are made at all. Some States, like New Jersey, have chosen to skip their annual payments, causing greater uncertainty for participants in that pension plan. Furthermore, State and local governments have rigorous accountability requirements set in statute and through regulation, and follow stringent accounting standards in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. This legislation also ignores the extensive efforts made at the State and local levels to close short-term budget deficits, as well as address longer-term obligations such as pensions. Misconceptions about pensions do not change the facts: Public employee pensions are hard-earned over a lifetime of service to State and local governments and provide retirement stability to dedicated public servants. Grassroots Action Network — Are You Signed On? The National Legislative Office continues to encourage members to regularly check the Washington Watch section of the Grand Lodge website (www.fop.net) to get all the most recent and up-to-date information about our activity on Capitol Hill. In addition, we strongly encourage members to sign up for our Weekly Legislative Update by emailing
[email protected]. When you do, WWW.FOP.NET
Chuck Canterbury, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, briefs Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on the efforts by State and local governments to strip law enforcement officers of collective bargaining rights while FOP Executive Director Jim Pasco looks on.
please put your State Lodge in the subject line, as our distribution is based on your State! This report, also posted in the members-only section of the Grand Lodge website, is the most timely and practical summary of both the FOP’s efforts on your behalf on Capitol Hill and the activities of the Administration and Congress that you can receive. Members who sign up for the Update will also be tied in to our Grassroots Action Network (GAN). In addition, the National Legislative Office has a presence on Facebook. We limit our “friends” to verified FOP members and provide the latest information about our legislative activity on Capitol Hill. Get active and sign up for the Weekly Legislative Update and the National FOP’s legislative Facebook page!
If you have any questions or comments about the legislative report, contact that office directly by calling (202) 547-8189 or emailing
[email protected].
Top Priorities in Brief H.R. 1332, the “Social Security Fairness Act” House: 324 cosponsors Senate: Not yet introduced The “Public Safety EmployerEmployee Cooperation Act” House: Not yet introduced Senate: Not yet introduced H.R. 327/S. 985, the “Federal Law Enforcement Officers’ Equity Act” House: 8 cosponsors Senate: None H.R. 1789, the “State and Local Law Enforcement Discipline, Accountability and Due Process Act” House: 3 cosponsors Senate: Not yet introduced H.R. 324, Legislation Giving Certain Federal Law Enforcement Officers Employed by the U.S. Department of Defense Statutory Arrest Authority House: 7 cosponsors Senate: Not yet introduced 31
LABOR NEWS
L
aw enforcement officers nationwide have seen cutbacks in almost every aspect of their employment, right down to reductions in the number of officers patrolling our streets. These reductions in force not only endanger law enforcement officers who find their resources stretched thin, but also endanger the well-being of everyday citizens who have fewer officers on the job to protect them. The safety of our communities and of our brothers and sisters in law enforcement depends on our ability to maintain a strong pool of volunteers to fight these dangerous cutbacks. How do you build a strong pool of volunteers? FOP leaders across the country find themselves struggling to recruit and motivate members and supporters in order to deal with the many attacks that are affecting our members and endangering the public. Building a group of dedicated volunteers will take work on the part of FOP leaders, but this hard work will be rewarded in the long run with a committed pool of volunteers involved in your lodge’s efforts to save 32
public safety. Lodge leaders must take the initiative to go out and directly enlist volunteers to help with this struggle. It is one thing to understand that public employees are under attack and do nothing. It is another to say no when asked to take a specific action. Every FOP member should be asked personally to participate in this fight. It is easy to ignore a general request for volunteers. Everyone is busy. It is easy to passively assume that someone else will handle what needs to be done. Now is not the time to be passive. It is the time to be active and aggressive in achieving the goals of the lodge. The best way to recruit volunteers is direct action. People are far more likely to agree to volunteer when someone personally asks them to act. This means picking up the phone and asking someone to take a specific action, to volunteer time for petitions, to donate money, to make more phone calls or to help with any number of tasks necessary to a successful campaign. What is needed will vary from lodge to lodge.
Just The Facts: Lodge leaders must build a committed pool of volunteers in order to battle the dangerous cutbacks to law enforcement that are becoming increasingly common. By assessing their lodge’s needs and using direct action, leaders can tap their most precious resource — their members — to win the fight. It can be as simple as saying, “I’m going out for a few hours and getting petitions signed. I want you to come with me.” If the answer is no, ask them what they can do. Ask them to call their friends, post online or spread the word in other ways. If they can’t donate their time, then ask for a small monetary donation for the cause. Some will say no to any request, but many who would have done nothing in the face of a general call for volunteers will say yes when asked directly. Those people will make the difference in this fight. If someone does not help, it should be because they do not care and do not want to. It should not be because they didn’t know how to help. Let every member know the specific things they can do to help. Know what your local or State Lodge needs before you call a prospective volunteer. There are many ways an individual can help, even if their time and funds are limited. Below are a few ways your members may be able to volunteer to help in this fight: • Administrative help (make copies, get information out to other volunteers, etc.) • Circulate petitions • Donate money • Phone banking/phone tree • Provide bottled water or other supplies for volunteers • Spread the word online (email, Twitter, Facebook, forums, etc.) • Write or call government officials Continued on page 34 > FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
Illustration/Karen Minot Illustration
Recruiting and Motivating Volunteers
LEGAL DEFENSE PLAN
FOP Legal Defense Plan Updates
T
he following is the new pricing for the Plan effective on the first anniversary date on or after January 1,
2012. Coverage Available (Effective January 1, 2012): • Group Full Coverage (Administrative, Civil and Criminal) — $240 • Individual Full Coverage — $258 • Group Civil and Criminal Coverage — $60 • Individual — $64 Effective May 1, 2011, the Administrative Off-Duty coverage increased from $2,500 to $5,000 per occurrence. Officer: Sergeant John R. Bullard Jr. Lodge: Missouri Independence
Lodge #1 Attorney: Steven A.J. Bukaty Description of Incident and Discipline Sergeant Bullard was investigated and then disciplined for failure to properly supervise a detective while assigned as a supervisor in the criminal investigation unit. After an internal investigation, Sergeant Bullard was suspended for a period of 40 hours and removed from the unit. The Result Sergeant Bullard, being a FOP Legal Defense participant, contacted his attorney the moment he was notified of the investigation. After months of defense of
the case, the arbitrator overturned all of the discipline and ordered all negative documents stricken from Sergeant Bullard’s personnel file. Sergeant Bullard states, “If it had not been for the vast experience and knowledge of my attorney in the area of police labor laws and the financial support of my brothers and sisters through the Legal Defense Plan, I am sure I would have suffered a financial loss my family and I probably would not have recovered from. It is because of the Legal Defense Plan that I will be able to complete my 36th year in a profession that I love and be able to retire soon with a clean record.”
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Continued from page 6 >
State Presidents, National Board members, local lodge leaders and members of Congress. Once a request is received, research is done on the committees they serve on, whether they are cosponsors of our top priorities and the relationship they have with their FOP State Lodge. If they are supportive of the FOP and have a positive relationship with their State Lodge, an email with that information is sent to the NFOP PAC Board asking for donation approval. When the Board has made an approval, a voucher is sent to the National Treasurer. The check is then delivered by mail or at a reception for that member. Never in the 96-year history of the Fraternal Order of Police has public safety been in greater jeopardy. Your donation will help us elect legislators who will be allies rather than adversaries in this critical battle. How? You can go to our website in the members-only section and donate online or print a donation form to mail to our Legislative Office.
The PAC website is www.fop.net/ legislative/pac. Please visit our website to learn more about what the NFOP PAC does. As always, feel free to contact our NFOP PAC Director, Jessica Caswell, with any questions at (202) 547-8189 or
[email protected]. The NFOP PAC is a tool we can use to stand up for our rights to preserve our pensions, health care and right to bargain. I challenge you to dedicate $5 a month to the NFOP PAC. The PAC has established three ways to simplify the donation process. If your lodge has an available slot, you can add a payroll deduction; you can fill out the donation form online to authorize an automatic monthly donation via your credit or debit card; or you can mail a check once a month to the NFOP PAC (328 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Washington, D.C. 20002). I strongly encourage you to educate yourself on the NFOP PAC. I leave you with words from our late Past National President Steve Young: “Your safety, your job security and the well-being of your family will be
For more info, go to www.fopconnect.com. Product #13848 3/15/2011
FOP ad - 4.8125 x 4.8125 color outlines.indd 1 34
9:40:06 AM
profoundly affected by what happens in Washington in the coming years. The actions that you take now can help shape the future — and if you do not take them, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself for what the future brings.” TREASURER’S MESSAGE
Continued from page 9 >
thin, so it is even more important that each lodge handle its finances properly. One of my goals as your National Treasurer has been to keep you informed and help you get the information you need to properly run your lodge and represent your members. I am always willing to discuss any financial issues that may be troubling you and to work with you to solve these financial issues. Please use the resources available to you on the Grand Lodge website and don’t hesitate to contact me. We must stand and work together in these hard economic times. LABOR NEWS
Continued from page 32 >
Every member has a stake in this fight, and every member can find a way to help. Identify what your needs are and directly ask your members to fulfill them. If they don’t know what is needed, they won’t provide it. It’s as simple as that. Law enforcement officers and other public employees are all under attack. Now is the time for everyone to band together to fight back and stand up for our rights. The participation of FOP members is vital to the success of this campaign. Inaction will lead to failure. The consequences of inaction: • Fewer officers on the streets • More crime • More dangerous working conditions • Loss of pensions • Reduced take-home pay • Other benefit reductions These are real consequences being faced by the public and law enforcement officers across the country every day. If members fail to act, they will endanger their lives and livelihoods. To learn what you can do to assist in this fight, please go to our website, www.fop.net, or our new public website, www.SavePublicSafety.com. FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
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THE SCIENCE OF FORCE
pepper spray. As the suspect fled up a nearby hill, Caley attempted baton strikes that failed to slow the suspect. The officer tossed the expanded baton to the side, since holstering it during a dead run was impossible. His pepper spray fell away during the chase as Caley called out his location and a request for assistance that, unknown to him, was delayed during the The average time lapse from move initiation — a pre-attack movement such as shifting of the feet confusion of a shift change. or hips — to discharge was 0.61 seconds, faster than the human body can react, even if expecting Topping the hill, the deputy, now a an attack. half-mile from his cruiser, tired and with continuum doctrine that essentially As he pulled his weapon to end a two fewer weapons, tackled the fleeing requires an officer to fail as he or she battle with an escaping prisoner, Perisee predator. From that point, it was “just an adjusts force in relation to resistance. remembers hearing what was pounded old-fashioned fight,” said Caley. Kicks to Fighting ineffectively may lead to into his head by trainers and supervisors the suspect’s groin had no effect and serious worried about lawsuits: “Don’t shoot! fatigue was setting in as Caley hoped to hear exhaustion and increases the likelihood that the force may escalate to fatal levels. Don’t shoot!” By contrast, Gallo his backup coming. Caley was encouraged remembered the words of his firearms by what he thought was a police station at instructor as he was aiming at his the top of the hill, but there were no police What Just Happened? assailant’s head: “Front sight, squeeze. officers there. He took several hits as the A third area of research by FSI Front sight, squeeze.” McConnell was suspect choked him, attempted to snap his is the effect of fatigue and trauma barely conscious yet managed to restrain neck and struck him in the temple. Fearing on recall. Police chiefs, politicians, his attacker. “My brain told me what to he would pass out, Caley reached for his prosecutors and activist groups hostile do,” he said. gun but ended up struggling to keep it to law enforcement expect detailed holstered as his murderous adversary lifted and accurate moment-by-moment the officer off the ground and wrestled to accounts of force encounters. Lewinksi Fast, Skilled, Focused free the lawman’s gun from its level III and other researchers find convincing Violence experienced by police security holster. Eventually, the confusion of evidence that these expectations are officers is beyond the comprehension of the shift change cleared up and two assisting unrealistic in light of the biology of the most peace-loving citizens, but according officers arrived and knocked the suspect off brain under stress. to these FOP members violence is the gasping Caley. Mental clarity is a hallmark of wellpart of the police officer’s world and it The FSI exhaustion study trained fighters, but positive thinking is survivable. The voices of these real reinforces the doctrine of immediate is no substitute for skill. The survival cops in real encounters echo in the and effective control of suspects as a mindset is for engaging an adversary research findings of the Force Science lifesaving strategy. This contradicts the and surviving a violent encounter. It will Institute. The formula for the future of increasingly unpopular use-of-force not overcome biology and create the officer safety will always be a greater capacity to have a perfect recollection understanding of the laws of nature, of all the things going on during the with a large dose of heroic spirit and an traumatic event. In fact, it is highly occasional miracle mixed in. unlikely that memory will be clear Special thanks to the Force Science because perceptions will be focused Institute and Vice President of Operations on survival, not on retention of a lot of Scott Buhrmaster for sharing the insights peripheral information. of their research on force encounters. When Caley was being choked by the predator at the end of a long chase About the Author and fight, he remembered his asthma Dr. Joel F. Shults is Chief of Police doctor saying how little air really is for Adams State College in Alamosa, needed for survival. He was able to calm Colorado. Over his 30-year career in himself by realizing he still had some law enforcement and criminal justice ability to breathe, and that was enough education, Shults has performed for him to survive. Yet when he shot observational studies with more than 50 the suspect to save his partner, he had police agencies and served on a number Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2) masks donned by volunteers confirmed that it no awareness that other backup officers of advisory and advocacy boards, takes less than 60 seconds of all-out exertion had arrived and were present until later including the Colorado POST curriculum to deplete most officers’ physical reserves in the event. committee. and put their lives in peril. 36
FOP JOURNAL // JULY 2011
Photos courtesy of the Force Science Institute.
Continued from page 19 >
STATE LODGE NEWS
SPOTLIGHT
MD FOP// ON MONDAY, March 28, 2011, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) was welcomed at Prince George’s County FOP Lodge #89 by National FOP President Chuck Canterbury and law enforcement officials for the announcement of the introduction of S. 657, the “National Blue Alert Act.” The legislation will create a nationwide alert system to apprehend violent criminals who have injured or killed police officers. The nationwide alert system will be used to disseminate critical information about the suspect to law enforcement agencies, the public and the media. The Senate bill is customized from legislation passed by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley in June 2010, after the murder of Maryland State Trooper Wesley Brown. The event was attended by law enforcement officers from around the State who are optimistic about the bill being passed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama.
From left, Mike Young, Maryland State 2nd Vice President; Vince Canales, President, FOP Lodge #89; Rick Fulginiti, Maryland National Trustee; Maryland U.S. Senator Ben Cardin; Chuck Canterbury, President, National FOP; John “Rodney” Bartlett, Maryland State President; Dean Jones, 1st Vice President, FOP Lodge #89; O’Brien Atkinson, President, FOP Lodge #70; and Richard Bergin, Sergeant-At-Arms, FOP Lodge #4.
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When two policemen were murdered in Kirkwood, Missouri, in 2008, a group of officers created the Missouri Law Enforcement Funeral Assistance Team to help plan and carry out funeral services for active and retired officers. To date, the team has assisted with nearly 60 funerals in Missouri, as well as funerals in Illinois and Kansas. The team serves in a behind-thescenes capacity based on the needs of the department and the fallen officer’s family, provides personal support and helps with the logistics of funeral planning, all at no cost. In conjunction with Concerns of Police Survivors, it also assists families with the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program. In 2010, the team deployed a response trailer equipped with casket flags, military service flags, Honor Guard supplies,
Georgia State Lodge members converged at the State Capitol in Atlanta on March 2, for the fifth straight year, for the organization’s annual Day on the Hill. To honor the occasion, Governor Nathan Deal proclaimed March 2, 2011, Fraternal Order of Police Day in Georgia. Widely recognized by State lawmakers as the primary voice of law enforcement, the Georgia FOP first established Day on the Hill for members to collectively share their concerns and priorities for public safety in scheduled meetings with legislators. This year marked the second time the State’s governor has recognized a Statewide day for the FOP, which first occurred in 1999 under Governor Roy Barnes.
The Missouri Law Enforcement Funeral Assistance Team’s response trailer used to transport the items needed to provide memorial services for active and retired officers.
mobile public address systems, mourning bands and other items needed to carry out services. Endorsed by the Missouri State Lodge and Eastern Missouri FOP Lodge 15, the team is a nonprofit organization and relies on donations to fund its operations. The team is working to establish response groups in other regions of Missouri, as well as in other States, with the long-term goal of establishing a national network of organizations. For additional information, visit www.mopolicefuneral.org or visit www.fopconnect.com.
// WRITE TO US! To submit your own State Lodge story, contact us at
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