Happy Memorial Day

It is the 
VETERAN, 
not the preacher, 
who has given us freedom of religion. 

It is 
the  VETERAN, 
not the reporter, 
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is 
the  VETERAN, 
not the poet, 
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is 
the  VETERAN, 
not the campus organizer, 
who has given us freedom to assemble. 


It is 
the VETERAN, 
not the lawyer, 
who has given us the right to a fair trial. 



It is 
the  VETERAN, 
not the politician, 
Who has given us the right to vote. 

It is the 
VETERAN who 
salutes the Flag, 

It is 
the 
VETERAN
who serves 
under the Flag,

My thanks go to all who have honorably served. 

RIP Gary Coleman

Child actor Gary Coleman, dead at 42. 

Eight Men Out

When I got home this morning after a long, boring, rainy night shift, I turned on the TV and saw that Eight Men Out, the movie about the 1919 Chicago "Black" Sox Baseball team that intentionally lost the World Series, was on.  Being a baseball fan, and not quite tired enough to sleep, I kept it on.  For those readers that are not familiar with the history, in 1919, gamblers persuaded eight members of the 1919 Chicago White Sox baseball team to throw the World Series.  These team members supposedly received payoffs to not play up to their capability.  Most famous among the eight men out was "Shoeless" Joe Jackson.  Jackson was reportedly paid $5000 to throw the series; however,  his batting average was the highest of all players in the series and he made no errors in the field.  Regardless, he was named as one of the eight players who participated in the conspiracy, and he, along with the other seven, was banned from baseball forever.

As soon as the movie was over, I checked the Daily Local's website, as I normally do once or twice a day.  I saw that the "Breaking News" was that a Kennett Square police officer was arrested on rape charges.  I couldn't help but draw parallels.   Let me say this:   If the officer is guilty, I make no excuses for him.  If he is not guilty, I hope that the imperfect system we put out trust in does him justice.  I also wish the best for the victim(s). 

Regardless of the final verdict, people will look at the Kennett Square Police and police in general as untrustworthy, corrupt, criminal, unprofessional, etc.  People will be angry, confused, disappointed, and upset.  I stress to whoever reads this blog that even if the worst is true in this particular case, that it is the EXCEPTION to the rule.  If the allegations are true, the officer in question did a great disservice to the 99.9% of officers that are good people.  Good police do not tolerate bad police.  The rotten apple does spoil the bunch.  We are aware of that.  When the rotten apples are identified, they are removed before the bunch spoils.  If any good comes from these instances, it is that people can see that good police do not tolerate bad police.

As bad a mark as the Black Sox scandal made on baseball, it is still America's Pastime.  Americans still delight in a night at the ballpark.  Likewise, as bad a mark as cases like these leave of the law enforcement profession, the profession can still be trusted.

Time For a Funny Story

A few weeks ago, I was giving a tour of the police station to a group of Cub Scouts.  There were 8 or 10 kids and some parents.  The tour starts at the front of the building, where the dispatch area is.   Most kids like the dispatch room because there are computer screens, radios, and tv screens all over. One of the jobs of the dispatcher is to monitor any prisoners that are locked up via closed circuit tv. As the group was filing into dispatch, an officer was lodging a prisoner in the cell block. I pointed out the tv screen that showed the prisoner and explained to the kids that the dispatcher had to watch the prisoner to make sure that the prisoner didn't damage anything or hurt himself. Just as the kids' attention turned to the screen, the prisoner unzipped his pants and began to urinate in the commode! Of course, the one loud kid in the group announced it to everybody and all of the kids were looking. The dispatcher turned bright red and did her best to cover the large screen with her hands.  The parents thought it was pretty funny too.

Let's Stop "Stop Snitching"

The "Stop Snitching" culture has gotten out of control.  Music videos, movies, television shows, and music have, over the last several years, fostered the myth that to tell truth is to be a snitch, and to be a snitch is the worst thing to be.  I  can quickly think of a dozen movies that strongly promote an "anti-snitch" ideal.  Today people who cooperate with police are snitches.  They used to be called rats, stool pigeons, or narcs.  All of these labels are meant to dishonor those who cooperate with police.  In fact, I can't think of much that is more honorable than cooperating with the law.  Its what we're supposed to do. 

But where does "stop snitching" leave law enforcement?  The bottom line is that when the police investigate crimes, we need witnesses.  That's how the system works.  When witnesses refuse to cooperate, bad guys get away with their bad doings.  When witnesses don't cooperate, whether due to a threat, perceived threat, or simply fear of cooperating, the cycle continues.  To me, those who intimidate witnesses and those who promote the "stop snitching" myth are cowards, plain and simple.   

Upper Darby Police Officer Shot

Story here at The Daily Local News:  Local Police Officer Shot

My best wishes go to Officer Raymond Blohm of the Upper Darby Police Department and his family.  According to the news reports and the press release from UDPD, Ray Blohm was shot by a coward after Officer Blohm stopped him for smoking pot and drinking in public.  Rather than face the consequences, this guy chooses to pull out a gun and shoot the police officer 4 times.  The heroics of the officer can't be over-emphasized.  After being shot multiple times and after his police radio was destroyed by an errant bullet, he shot the bad guy back, chased him down, and called for assistance via his own cell phone.  My thanks and admiration go to Raymond Blohm.

My utter disgust goes out to the as of now nameless waste of space and air that chose to assault the officer.  Unfortunately, instances like these are a reminder to me, my family, and the law enforcement family at large of this simple fact: There are evil people in this world.  These people play by different rules, and they put good people in danger. The pessimist in me wonders how many thousands of dollars the government will waste paying for medical treatment, rehabilitation, etc. for this ne'er-do-well, who will undoubtedly spend months in treatment at a first rate hospital followed by years at a prison that is far too comfortable, and far less punitive.

Oh, and before we have to hear the stories of how bad this person's childhood was, and what emotional syndrome, disease, condition or whatever that he suffers from, I ask this of my readers:  Does any of it matter?  If the facts reported in the paper are accurate, there is nothing that you can say to me that will minimize the shooter's culpability or responsibility.   He shot a police officer who was confronting him about smoking weed and drinking in public.  End of story.

The citizens of Upper Darby should be proud of Officer Raymond Blohm.  I know I am.

What Being A Police Officer Has Taught Me

I've been desperately searching the headlines for a topic for my next post, but I've been striking out.  I mean, who wants to hear my opinion on oil leaks in the Gulf of Mexico or what I think Arlen Specter's odds or re-election are.  So, with that in mind, I've decided to give my readers (both of them!) insight into the mind of this police officer.  I've been a police officer for slightly over a decade.  (sounds better than ten years, right?)  In that time, here are some of my opinions that have changed.

• I am no longer an opponent of The Death Penalty.  Through college and for my first several years in law enforcement I could cite any one of a number of reasons why I thought capital punishment should be abolished.  Now, I need look no further than the City of Philadelphia to find four or five good reasons to support the death penalty.  It's become a no brainer to me - murder a police officer -- death penalty.

• I don't think it society's job to "rehabilitate" criminals.  If someone chooses to commit a crime, why should taxpayers be burdened with 1) picking up the bill for their incarceration, 2) picking up the bill for a prisoner's GED or other training, and 3) suffer the victimization again when the prisoner gets released, because yes, most prisoners, regardless of what "training" they received in prison, go on to commit more crimes.

• Police officers are just people.  We are not perfect.  We are capable of making mistakes.  When Bob the builder makes an honest mistake, your new roof leaks.  You get it repaired, Bob the builder stands up for his work and fixes the repair, and you move on.  When the dry cleaner makes a mistake, he loses your shirt, he apologizes,  you get a 10 free dry cleanings, and you move on.  But when the police officer makes a mistake, he's a liar, a cheat, and corrupt.  

But, not all that I've learned is negative and pessimistic.  I've learned that most people are genuinely good.  While there are truly evil people in the world, they are the minority.  I've also learned what melatonin supplements are for.  I've learned how to function on 2 hours of sleep.  I've learned how to eat an entire meal in three minutes.  I've learned how to really appreciate good coffee.  I've learned the importance of seatbelts.  I could go on but I won't.

That's all I got for now...

Thank you PO John Pawlowski, Sgt Timothy Simpson, Sgt Patrick McDonald, PO Isabel Nazario, Sgt Steven Liczbinski, PO Chuck Cassidy, PO Walter Barclay Jr, PO Gary Skerski, and all the other men and women who have given their lives in the line of duty. 

National Bike to Work Week

This week is National Bike to Work Week.  Friday is Bike to Work Day.  As a police cyclist (professional way of saying "bike cop") I  encourage everyone to participate.  If you see a "Bike Cop" on the mean streets of West Chester this week, it might be me.  You should wave, and ask me if I want a coffee!

Who pays for dubfest ?

Joe Norley, West Chester Community Activist, posted an article recently regarding the costs of last weeks "Dubfest"  link to that article here : http://www.knowjoe.tumblr.com/
Joe Norley brings up a good point. Who will pay for the extra police expenses from Dubfest last weekend? In the end, we all know that like anything else, John Q Taxpayer picks up the bill. But is that fair?
Since he's a resident, I assume Joe's answer is no.

All across the state and the nation, local, state and federal agencies are tightening budgets. One need look no further than the cities of Philadelphia and Coatesville to see municipalities struggling to operate within budget constraints while maintaining certain levels of service.  To my knowledge, the largest single piece of most municipalities' budgets is the police department. For a municipality to have to shell out extra money to
cover an event that is not supported by most taxpayers would certainly leave a bad taste in my mouth as a tax payer too. Joe, in this respect, I feel your pain.

Some will blame the police department for over-reacting. These same people would blame the police department if something bad did happen and the police were had not prepared for it.

Maybe Dubfest is not the best example. How do we hold specific people responsible for an "event" is not clearly "organized" by any one person or group of persons.In a perfect world, it would be the users that a are charged user fees for services. In other words, if you plan an event that requires police service, you are responsible to pay for that service. If you committ a crime that requires police response, you pay for that service. It would be just like paying a water bill, or paying for trash pick-up. Unfortunately, we already know that this is not a perfect world, and the system is not a perfect system. Joe, I fear that you (and your fellow tax paying residents) will be stuck holding the bill.  I'm sure not many people will say this, so let me be the first...Thank You.

I have a dream too

I have a dream. A police officer's dream. More than 200 years ago, our forefathers carved out a country of our own. With it, they penned a constitution, a document envied by the rest of the world ever since. Eventually, every state adopted its own constitution and criminal statutes. Every state's laws are very similar. Every state has laws against Murder, Theft, Robbery, Burglary, Assault, etc. Every state has certain punishments for crimes designed to be commensurate with the severity of the crime. Every state has jails and prisons to hold criminals. The system seems to be designed quite well. The police catch the bad guys. Juries decide whether they are guilty or not. Judges decide how long they are imprisoned, and at the end of their sentences, they are released.

But our system doesn't ever seem to work this seamlessly.

I have a dream that there is no such thing as "loopholes", that a persons guilt or innocence does not depend on his wealth or quality or his lawyer.

I have a dream that there is no such thing as a "technicality", that if the police, courts, defense attorney, or prosecutors make an honest mistake, it if just a mistake and does not entitle the bad guy to a free pass

I have a dream that there are no "pleas bargains", that if you "do the crime, you do the time."

I have a dream that prisons don't ever have to "make room" for new prisoners by releasing other prisoners before the end of their sentences.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that prisons weren't country clubs and bad guys were actually inconvenienced by going to prison.

I have a dream that no matter what craziness the day brings, each and every police officer goes home safely at the end of every shift. A dream that no wife, husband, father or mother has to find out that their loved one has become a "line of duty death."


Ah, but moreover, I have a dream that there was no such thing as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Shift Work Sleep Disorder.

I have a dream that there is no difference between the life expectancy of a police officer and that of a librarian.

I have a dream that anybody is actually reading this blog!

Anyway, enough dreaming. Stop back later in the week for some comic relief...

Happy Mother's Day

This Mother's Day, I'd like to thank all of the good moms out there. As a police officer, good moms make my job easier. We all know that the effects of absent or otherwise bad parenting tends to manifest itself in the next generation.

I'm certainly not perfect, but I thank my mother for helping me become what I've become. I'm as proud of her as I hope she is of me.

Phillies Fan Gets Tasered

Ok, I couldn’t resist. When I saw the article and photo of the 17 year old Phillies fan getting Tasered, I figured I’d hear about it. (http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2010/05/05/news/srv0000008193740.txt)

It didn’t take long, either. By 8 in the morning, three people at Wawa had already asked me what I thought about it. So here it is. This is what I think:

The 17 year old committed a crime. When confronted by security and/or police, he fled. He had an opportunity to simply give up, but he didn’t. The police / security chased him. The police officer used a tool he was trained to use in a manner in which he was trained to use it. The 17 year old boy was arrested without further incident. Despite what his father is quoted as saying, “He really doesn't do anything wrong. He's a real good kid”, the fact of the matter is that he DID do something wrong. Thank goodness, none of the police, security, or other persons were injured.

As far as what we think the police officer should have done, its easy to be a Monday morning quarterback. I personally think that it seems the officer acted appropriately. From the video I saw, the officer didn’t punch, or kick the kid. He didn’t beat him with his police baton. He deployed his Taser, a lower level of force, and affected a safe arrest.

Maybe someone should ask Monica Seles what she thinks. Remember, she was tennis player who was stabbed by a fan who ran out onto the tennis court and seemed to be "just playing around" until he plunged a nine inch knife into her back.

Maybe after the 17 year old’s father thinks about it, he’ll thank the police.

A Note about Police Corruption

This post's title sounds more interesting that it really is, trust me. In the Police Academy, I learned that the smallest form of police corruption is the free coffee. The scenario goes like this: Officer walks into ABC coffee hut. Officer grabs a coffee and the newspaper. Clerk rings order and only charges officer for the newspaper. The coffee was free. Is this fair? Does everyone get a free coffee? The officer tries to pay for the coffee, but the clerk won't let him, saying "Cops get free coffee, company policy" loud enough for everyone in the store to hear it.

The next day, the officer returns to ABC coffee hut. Again, a free coffee. Again, the officer tries to pay but is told by the loudspeaker of a clerk that "COFFEE IS FREE FOR COPS". A few people in line mumble and grumble something about lazy cops and free coffee and donuts. The officer slumps out of the coffee shop, leaving a two dollar tip in the tip jar so that it doesn't seem like he's taking advantage.

The next day, the officer stops a car for speeding. Guess who's driving? Its the clerk from ABC coffee hut. The officer explains to the driver that he's receiving a citation for speeding, doing 75 in a 35. The clerk scoffs at him in disbelief. "What do you mean I'm getting a ticket?" he shouts. "I give you free coffee every day!" The officer kindly explains that the driver was doing 40 mph over the speed limit, and that it was extremely dangerous. The officer wonders to himself, "does this guy think a few free coffees add up to carte blanche to do whatever you want?"

To solve the problem in the future, the officer stops going to ABC coffee hut for his coffee and newspaper. Its a shame too, because he really liked the coffee there.

The next time you see a cop get a free coffee at the local coffee hut, remember that one way or the other, he'd paid for that coffee three times over.

The Fuzz Buzz, Day One

This is it - my first blog post. So what do I blog about? Crime? Gun Control? The Death Penalty? DubFest? Jimmy Johns? Since I'm new to this, I'll start slowly and keep it simple.

I'm a police officer, and I have been for ten years. That's most of my adult life. People treat cops differently. Cops know this. For example, when I meet people in a social setting for the first time and they find out I'm a police officer they change immediately. Some get very uncomfortable, as if at any moment I might throw them against the wall and frisk them. Some immediately turn into 12 year old kids and want to know what type of gun I carry and when was the last time I shot someone. Some insist that I tell them some great story about work and then are disappointed when I can't think of one. Some seem confused and say stuff like "you're a cop, really?" as though cops aren't allowed to go to Christmas parties or happy hours. Fact is, for the most part, police are as run of the mill as the people at any other workplace. My point - if you meet a police officer at a party or at the next PTA meeting at school, don't ask him if he prefers a .40 to the .45 or if he's allowed to have a beer off duty. There's gotta be other stuff to talk about, right?

So anyway -

• Crime? The lower the better.
• Gun Control? Definitely a blog for another day.
  
• The Death Penalty? See Gun Control.
  
• DubFest? See http://knowjoe.tumblr.com, I don't think he's done talking about it yet.
• Jimmy Johns? Best hot dogs ever. I hope they do what ever they have to do to re-open.
  

Hope to see some readers back here soon. Let's be careful out there...