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 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 4816 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: MAY 2016 Ask anyone in law enforcement what the ratio is of real cops to security guards or volunteers? The answer will be something like, “I have no idea.” Law enforcement is a place where change happens so slowly that people just assume things are pretty much the way they’ve always been, and that means that well trained, certified law enforcement officers are, for the most part, the ones doing the job. Cops go to work, take calls, respond to complaints and make arrests. But what about so-called “law enforcement ex- ecutives” as opposed to certified peace officers? Don’t they do pretty much the same thing and don’t they get the same results? Our opinion is simply “no!” All the ev- idence shows that private, profit-making police companies operate somewhere between “badly” and “total chaos.” Just a day after Joseph Michael Conover, an executive with the pri- vate law enforcement agency called the Nova Agency Company Police Department was indicted on 14 felony counts, the head of North Carolina’s largest “police support group” called for more state oversight of for-profit police departments. Conover is accused of illegally detain- ing four men and assaulting them with a stun gun and pepper spray. Nova employs about 1000 “company police officers” who work for 60 entities in North Carolina, including schools and hospitals. On the Nova website, Conover ex- plained the benefits of using a private police company to serve and protect the public. “Having an off-duty officer who really doesn’t care that much about your com- munity because it’s a part-time gig and they’re not investing a lot of time into that isn’t a good fit,” he says. “What we enable our consumers to do is hire their own police force. Our officers respond to calls. Our officers conduct investiga- tions. Our officers can address all of the issues. There’s nobody else they have to call. There’s no loophole to get around. It’s a one-stop shop.” If you look at the money paid out by law enforcement agencies around the country to settle lawsuits, you can begin to see what an attractive offer this might be for officials and communities who can then avoid lawsuits because they are not responsible, the private company is. John Midgette, executive director of the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association, is alarmed at the trend. He says that when you have people who have the right to take people into custody, to secure them and put them in jail and deprive them of their liberty, then you better have someone who is well trained, knows the law and abides by the law in a system that is transparent and accountable. And boy is he right. YOUR THOUGHTS . . . Here’s your chance to sound off about stuff you’ve read in American Police Beat, on our website, and on our Facebook page. Let’s hear it. E-mail: cynthia@apbweb.com. OPINION/EDITORIAL Weird times Last month one of our officers pulled over a driver believing the woman in the car behind him was hav- ing an emergency only to learn that she had followed him because he was speeding. As she followed the officer, she filmed him driving, narrating her perspective of the events. Mind you, she never showed her speedometer so we won’t really know if she was correct. Who knows, maybe citizens will chase fire trucks to see if they are really going to a fire. Why not a fire/rescue truck to see if there really is a patient in the back? Where will all this nonsense stop? Then, to no one’s surprise, the media learned that the woman had numerous tickets of her own and had an axe to grind. Her video ended up on the blog, “Photography is not a crime.” It turns out the person who runs the blog is not stranger to the criminal justice system himself. - John Rivera, President Dade County PBA Non-compliance a real problem Recent incidents in the Bay Area have put added strain on police depart- ments already struggling to bring together neighbors and officers. Mistakes have been made and law enforcement must adjust. But we must not for- get that the cop on the beat is the difference between those in danger getting home safely, or a situation ending in tragedy. The era of new rules for engagement is taking hold; we need to see if it works. Crime is up. Low-level offenders skate by with a citation. Drug rehabilitation in return for reduced sentencing is moot, as offenders are well aware they will likely serve no time for their refusing to abide by the rules. Criminals with serious offenses are being let out early. Those with ill in- tentions are emboldened when criminality has no consequence. We must define the root causes of the cycle of vio- lence resulting in commu- An alarming trend nities being plagued with crime. We need to find an answer to drugs, gangs, intolerance and a disregard for our laws. Let’s work together and address the frustrations of communities feeling mar- ginalized. Oakland police officers and Peace Officers Research Association of California are commit- ted to creating a positive dialogue focused on facts, instead of unconstrained focus on events that don’t reflect the daily efforts of our men and women be- hind the badge. – Barry Donelan, President Oakland Police Officers’ Association APB is the best! This is one of the best magazines for law enforce- ment I have read in all of my 30 years in law enforce- ment. I just wanted to thank you all at American Police Beat for the great information you get out to us all year long. Again, thank you. – Mark Barry Administrative Captain Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office "NFSJDBO
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#FBU VOICE OF THE NATION’S LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY American Police Beat is targeted to the nation’s law enforcement profession and seeks to give a voice to the nation’s working law enforcement professional. This publication is dedicated to providing a forum where officers can speak out about the numerous issues that impact their personal and professional lives. Articles and pictures are welcome and should be sent to the editor, who reserves the right to edit all submissions. Not all submissions will be accepted for publication. American Police Beat (ISSN 1082-653X; USPS #24948), also hereafter referred to as “APB,” is published 12 times per year. Subscriptions are $12 for one year; $20 for two years; and $26 for three years. APB is published by First Strike Media, LLC, 505 8th Ave., Suite 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 Ave., Suite 1004, New York, NY 10018. Telephone: 617-491-8878 • 800-234-0056 • Fax: 617-354-6515 Editorial e-mail: cynthia@apbweb.com • Subscriptions: info@apbweb.com Website: www.apbweb.com CYNTHIA BROWN: PUBLISHER DAVE QUIMBY: ADVERTISING SALES JEREMY LANGE: WEBSITE MANAGEMENT MARK NICHOLS: EDITOR LAINI ANDREWS: ADVERTISING SALES BRENDAN J. O’BRIEN: OFFICE ASSISTANT SARAH VALLEE: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER