Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: APRIL 2016 3 Order your own MONTHLY subscription today. Call 1-800-234-0056 or go to www.APBweb.com American Police Beat (ISSN 1082-653X; USPS #24948), also hereafter referred to as “APB,” is published twelve times a year for $12 per year, $20 for two years or $26 for three years. APB is published by First Strike Media, LLC, 505 8th Avenue, Ste 1004, New York, NY 10018. Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY and Additional Mailing Offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to American Police Beat, 505 8th Avenue, Ste 1004, New York, NY 10018. A t some point, we might just con- sider doing away with gun laws entirely. What that would mean in terms of public safety is an open question, but it sure would save a lot of time. In Alabama recently, a public hearing on a bill to allow loaded pistols in ve- hicles without a concealed carry permit drew a monster crowd at the Alabama State House. Among the attendees were many officers, depu- ties, chiefs and sheriffs who called the bill a serious threat to public safety. “Every time we turn around an officer is be- ing killed, being shot, just because they’re wearing a badge,” Bobby Timmons, the executive director of the Alabama Sheriffs Associa- tion, said. Warnings like Timmons’ are increasingly falling on deaf ears as gun rights groups continue to emerge victori- ous in legislative battles over gun laws. As is usually the case in states where gun laws are being challenged, police are pitted against gun rights groups and others. Eddie Fulmer, president of Bama Carry, a gun rights organization, said people should have a right to pro- Gina Miller, the fiancé of Washington State Police Trooper Tony Radulescu, hugs Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Penny Sapp after the unveiling at the Tony Radulescu Memorial Highway sign in Gorst, Washington recently. (Larry Steagall/Kitsap Sun via AP) tect themselves in their cars just like they do at home. Fulmer urged legislators to pass the bill and indicated that gun rights advocates would be back until the law passes. Current Alabama law re- quires pistols in vehicles to be unloaded and locked in a compartment out of reach of the driver and passengers, unless the owner has a con- cealed carry permit from their county sheriff. Senate Bill 14, filed by Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, would allow people 18 and older to carry a loaded gun in their vehicles without restrictions. New law troubling Last month a New Jersey postal worker was am- bushed and then surround- ed by a flock of menacing wild turkeys. The mail carrier man- aged to avoid injury and the turkeys managed to flee the scene – but only because they were fright- ened by the sirens of the responding officers and vehicles. It started when the deli- cious animals surrounded the carrier’s truck. He wisely stayed put and called for assistance. It’s the kind of story that some people go bananas for. “Can you imagine? This wuss had to call 9-11 be- cause of birds.” Odds are those folks have never squared off with a wild turkey – they’re ter- rifying. Come at Come at me Bro! me Bro! Hello 911? Turkey emergency!