Prompted Post #9: Recognizing Significance

       Now when most people think of police officers and what they do, it usually consists of:

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     Or when they're not stuffing their face maybe this:

Image Credit: Humboldt County News

        However contrary to what a large proportion of media tells the country, law enforcement also has a large part in protecting the common population and even saving lives. An article from the Athens Banner-Herald in Georgia where the state University resides tells us about how police officers are now some of the first responders to drug overdoses. Patrol units are called when there is a reported overdose to administer a drug called naxolone which reverses the side effects of a drug overdose of heroin or other prescription medications. You may say this is part of their job, but these officers are going the extra mile.

"Officers do not get any extra pay for undergoing naloxone training. They do it to make a difference.

‘Local police should be commended for initiating this program and we are already seeing positive outcomes,’ Horst said.

Athens-Clarke County Senior Police Officer Scott Blair said he volunteered for the naloxone program because he had personally seen an increase in the frequency with which police respond to drug overdoses.

‘I wanted to have more medical training because it’s frustrating when you arrive on a scene and aren’t able to do anything to help in certain situations,’ Blair said."

       Its nice to see law enforcement making a positive difference in their communities besides putting dangerous people in jail. What do you think? should states make this mandatory for all departments to go through this training? Let me know.

Open Post #8: Counter Terrorism Training for Law Enforcement

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark -- Law enforcement from across the county learning to fight terrorism in Central Arkansas.

With guns drawn, officers move in and fire at suspects held up on the side of a building.

While the sounds of gunfire were real, the bullets were plastic capsules filled with laundry detergent.

Richard Mason of Direct Action Resource Center said the scene is part of 'Law Enforcement Counter terrorism Training.'

"Multi cell terrorist attack is what we are trying to simulate," said Mason.

Mason oversee's the mock drills.He said many of those with badges are from Texas, who could not reveal their identity due to the type of work they do.

But the people playing the bad guys, like Brian Blackwood and Steven Yingling, are volunteers.

"I came out and was recruited with by a fellow co-worker who said this is really an opportunity to come out and do something fun," said Blackwood.

They even received a survival lesson.

"I think there is an element of preparation that you get from being out here," said Blackwood. "Figuring out rooms and figuring geometry. If somebody is going to approach me, what is my best cover and concealment. "

"I've been on the military side and I understand the importance of this training. This training wasn't available when I was being sent overseas and had it been, I think it would have changed a lot of things for me," said Yingling.

Mason said the crew started on Sunday, working as a team, and more than 100 hours learning how to better flush out the enemy during a terrorist attack.

"I've been doing this for 20 years, so obviously I enjoy it," said Mason. "The end product and seeing what happens with the officers and military personnel and even some of the civilians that go through our open enrollment classes ... it's really rewarding."

Mason said his goal is for officers who take the training course, to share the knowledge with their fellow law enforcement department.

Image credit: onepagenews.com

     This story from arkansasmatters.com may not seem like a huge deal, but in this day and age with ISIS responsible for two major terrorist attacks in the past few months, it has given some US citizens an uneasy feeling. It is only a matter of time before ISIS tries something in the states, and what Richard Mason is doing will help us be prepared if that dark day ever comes.

       I could understand some people saying that they don't want law enforcement running around with assault rifles and body armor in their neighborhoods. However, in the event of a terrorist attack in the United States, local law enforcement will be the first responders to the incident and will need to be properly trained to handle the situation as best as possible. While the attack itself is unlikely with the stringent immigration policies and no fly lists, it is always possible that a domestic terrorist group could carry the act out. So it gives me a little comfort that law enforcement at home is training and bettering themselves for a possible attack.

       

Prompted Post #8: Practicing Your Knowledge

 There is a very necessary part of law enforcement that may not be the most glamorous, but can save lives. I am talking about shooting a gun. As a young child I always thought it would be cool to carry one around like an old western movie and get the bad guy, but as I got older I started to realize how dangerous they are. It is a huge responsibility to carry a weapon, and one who does should be properly trained to handle and fire a weapon responsibly. I went home one weekend and went to a shooting range close to my house, Midwest Gun Range in Brookfield, Illinois. There I learned the basics to handling and firing a handgun. I shot a Beretta 92fs 9mm handgun which is standard caliber for law enforcement. Here are some things I learned:

1) Handguns are much heavier than I thought. After three or four shots I took my arms started to get a little tired. So what ever you see in movies or tv where they're really accurate with multiple shots is a myth. The trigger is also not as sensitive as one would think. You really need to pull down hard to fire the weapon.
2) Guns are much louder than I thought. If I hadn't been wearing ear protection I don't think I would have been able to hear the gun fire after about three shots.
3) Shooting is very relaxing. I felt at ease and it was a nice way to vent frustrations.

Image Credit: http://www.gotammo.com

       Overall shooting a gun isn't something you can learn in a college class and its textbook. While I'm sure there are programs through classes that would allow you to do something like this, knowing how to maintain and shoot a gun is very important in the field of law enforcement.

Open Post #7: ADX Florence: The Federal Government's "Supermax" Prison

      In the middle of Colorado, there is a facility in the Rocky Mountains that houses the most dangerous criminals the United States and other countries have to offer. The inmates are terrorists, both foreign and domestic, violent gang leaders,  and prisoners that are too dangerous or pose a threat to national security. They are in solitary confinement twenty three hours a day, with the other hour in recreation with three armed guards to one prisoner. CNN was able to get a very rare tour of the twenty two year old facility, making a brief video and article you can see here.

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       It is one of the most secure facilities in the world, it is also quite controversial in their use of solitary confinement for their supermax prisoners. It has been the subject of investigations and potential lawsuits after many prisoners have hung themselves. For most of the supermax population, this eighty four square foot box they live in will be their home for the rest of their life. They can't see the sky outside, have no idea where they are in the prison, and have no contact with the outside world. Is it too harsh for the worlds dangerous criminals? Or is it justified for the thousands of deaths these men have brought upon to the United States. Not all of these men are of the terrorist/mobster/traitor variety. Some of these men have been convicted or murder or armed robbery, and have been sent to normal maximum or minimum security prisons. However in these prisons these men have either murdered or escaped, and now are locked up at the highest levels to avoid those incidents again. 

       One of the most interesting features of the prison that I found amazing was the walls are soundproof, so the inmates cannot yell or use morse code to communicate at all. If any facilities are really escape-proof, this would be it. There are twelve sniper towers, attack dogs, hundreds of guards and cameras, and a twelve foot fence complete with razor wire. When the inmates are out of their cell, they are chained at the ankles, wrist, and belly..

       The downside to ADX Florence is the cost. It costs three times as much as a normal maximum security prison to run each year, with less inmates and less guards. Is it worth the cost to keep these dangerous men so confined? Let me know what you think.

All information was taken from the CNN article linked above.

Prompted Post #7: Contemplating Controversy

       On August 9, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri, Officer Darren Wilson responded to a call for a robbery of a convince store. After driving around, he saw the two men, Michael Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson. He blocked the two men with his squad car, and an altercation ensued. When all the dust had settled, Brown was dead due to multiple gunshot wounds. What happened in that altercation, however, has sparked a serious controversy across the nation, and protests turned riots in the St. Louis area. We are here to review the facts that the Department of Justice has compiled from the investigation. You can find the complete report here, but I will do my best to give you the important details.

The people involved:

       There were three people in this incident, however the two we will focus on will be the officer and the deceased. First off, Officer Darren Wilson, a 28 year old police officer who had been in that profession for five years. This is him:

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       Next, we have Michael Brown, an 18 year old man from Ferguson, MO. He was shot to death by Wilson after robbing a convince store. This is him:

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Officer Wilson's Statement and others 

       Now since the victim is deceased, this is the only primary witness the DOJ has. Other people have alleged eye witness accounts, however, Wilson was obviously there. The DOJ report says that after Wilson stopped them, he tried to get out of the car but Brown slammed the door shut, keeping Wilson in the car. After screaming profanities at Wilson, he claims that Brown leaned into the squad car and assaulted Wilson, hitting him in the face. Wilson then managed to get off two shots, neither hitting Brown. Brown then ran from the car, Wilson in pursuit. Brown then stopped, about twenty to thirty feet from Wilson. He was "enraged and crazy" and started to charge Wilson, reaching for his waistband. Wilson, thinking it was a weapon, discharged his gun, making Brown stagger, but continue towards Wilson. Wilson continued to fire until his last shot went through Brown's head, just a few feet from Wilson.

       There were many witnesses to this incident, some disputing what Wilson said, some confirming. All agreed that Brown attacked Wilson inside his car, but where the story differs is whether or not he charged Wilson or put his hands up in surrender. Some said he initially did, then charged Wilson. The majority said that Brown had charged Wilson and did not stop even after Wilson fired his weapon, hitting Brown.

Forensics

       Forensics back up Wilson's claim, finding gunshot residue and muzzle burns on Brown's hands, which would imply that he was wrestling for the gun. There was also a blood trail in the direction of Wilson, which would imply that Brown was in fact charging Wilson while Wilson was firing.

Conclusion

       The court system found Wilson's actions defensible, however there is a wrongful death civil law suit still pending. What do you think? Please be rational and level headed. No need for this to become an argument. 

Open Post #6: Police Officer deaths on the Rise

       I recently read an article in the Washington Post on the skyrocket in the murders of police officers that were fatally shot in 2016. The death toll is already up to sixteen as of April 1st, compared to the seven deaths at the same time last year. This increase in gun violence just adds strain and tension between law enforcement and the community. 

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       This is most likely the result of the backlash from the recent deaths of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Eric Garner, and Freddie Gray over the past few years. While these deaths have been controversial and have sparked violent riots in the aftermath, police officers all around the country have had to pay for the mistakes of a few. Now, I'm not here to state my opinion on each of these shootings, because it's not the place to do it. However I am here to talk about why these police killings will only make matters worse.

       There is no denying that there have been some bad apples in the law enforcement profession. In their case, they need to be punished justly and removed from their profession. However, to label a whole field of hard working dedicated officers around the country that risk their lives as corrupt or racist is preposterous. For every one corrupt police officer there are thousands that do their jobs to be best of their ability each day to make the neighborhoods you and I live in a safer place. And these retaliation killings of good officers will only widen the gap in-between law enforcement and their constituents. There are proper ways to respond to a situation like Eric Garner, such as peaceful protests and pushing for legislation for body cameras or more government oversight. Riots and murders, however, are not doing any good for anybody. 
       This country has bigger problems to deal with abroad, and fighting amongst ourselves will only hinder our progress as a country.

Prompted Post #5: Observing Community

       I went to a meeting of the  NABCJ, or the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice. There was a special guest speaker from Social Services who talked about what she did in her line of work. I learned about the meeting via email from my academic advisor for Criminal Justice.

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       I did no know what to expect from the meeting at first, partly because I had never been to a college organization's meeting. I also did not know what to expect because since it was a meeting based around African Americans in Criminal Justice, and wasn't sure what the dynamic of the meeting would be. When I got to the meeting, everyone was very nice to me and welcomed me even though I wasn't a member of the group.
       I really don't know of any stereotypes associated with the club itself, but obviously the subject of race and criminal justice has been a sensitive subject since the 1960s. However it was great to hear about my field of work from another prospective. To be able to understand situations based in different points of view is very helpful in the field of criminal justice and law enforcement.