Dr. Richard Weinblatt, The Cop Doc

The Cop Doc's Fox 59 interview on SuperBowl security

2012-01-24T17:15:00.000-05:00

Here is the article with my interview today in the Ivy Tech Community College lobby in downtown Indianapolis with WXIN Fox 59 News on Super Bowl security: http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-super-bowl-week-police-hold-onto-your-stuff-during-super-bowl-week-20120124,0,2187069.column

Police Expert on SuperBowl Security in Indianapolis

2012-01-24T13:47:00.000-05:00

I work for a great college. The Ivy Tech Community College marketing and communications folks, led by vice president Jeff Fanter and Assistant Vice President Kelly Hauflaire, put together this terrific media advisory for media seeking a police expert on the SuperBowl here in Indianapolis. Here is the media advisory:

For further information, contact:
Kelly Hauflaire
(317) 917-5732
khauflaire@ivytech.edu

National Law Enforcement Expert available as Super Bowl source

WHO: Dr. Richard Weinblatt, Dean of the School of Public and Social Services at Ivy Tech Community College and national law enforcement expert, is available for interviews and expert commentary regarding law enforcement, security, and crime prevention for Super Bowl 2012 in Indianapolis.

Weinblatt, who is based in Indianapolis, has provided expert commentary on CNN, MSNBC, HLN: Headline News and CBS Evening News. In addition, he has been quoted and interviewed in hundreds of print publications and newspapers, including the Associated Press, Washington Post, the Detroit News, Orlando Sentinel, London Daily Mail, and the Philadelphia Enquirer, as well as hundreds of local TV and radio interviews across the country.

WHY: Weinblatt has explained complex police, crime and safety topics since 1989. He has an extensive background as a police chief, policy academy director, and criminal justice professor. His service has ranged from Auxiliary Lieutenant in New Jersey to Patrol Division Deputy Sheriff in New Mexico to Police Chief in North Carolina.

Additionally, Weinblatt has been a criminal justice and police academy educator in Florida, Indiana, New Mexico, North Carolina and Ohio. He has instructor certifications for pepper spray, firearms, defensive tactics, vehicle operations, and Taser, as well as experience as an expert witness.

Weinblatt, referred to as “The Cop Doc,” has also authored several books and articles related to the field of law enforcement.

He earned his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Sarasota in Florida, Master of Public Administration in Criminal Justice from City University in Bellevue, WA., and Bachelor of Science in Administration of Justice from Guilford College in Greensboro, NC.

HOW: To connect with Dr. Weinblatt, please contact Kelly Hauflaire, Asst. Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Ivy Tech Community College, at 317-917-5732 or khauflaire@ivytech.edu.

To learn more about Dr. Weinblatt’s background and expertise, visit www.thecopdoc.com.

ABOUT IVY TECH COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Ivy Tech is the state's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.

Ivy Tech Community College is a very progressive place to recognize the police expertise service provided to the media and the community.

I just did an interview in the Ivy Tech Community College lobby with Fox 59 WXIN Indianapolis for their 4:00 and 5:00 newscasts and for their website.

New Post as Dean of Schools of Public and Social Services & Education at Ivy Tech Community College

2011-12-06T21:35:00.002-05:00

A MESSAGE FROM DR. RICHARD WEINBLATT, THE COP DOC:

Here is the big announcement...

The Weinblatt family is off to new adventures as I have been offered and have accepted a terrific new opportunity that allows me to serve students and faculty in the vital community college arena while still preserving my existing business of The Cop Doc LLC.

I was called while I was giving a keynote speech to a police conference in the Boston area and told that, following interviews, presentations, and screenings, I was selected as the top candidate for the position of Dean of the School of Public and Social Services and the School of Education for Ivy Tech Community College Central Indiana in Indianapolis, IN.

This followed several hurdles including an all day marathon of meetings I had in Indianapolis at Ivy Tech Community College with different stakeholders including a formal open forum presentation to the college on my vision for the dean's post if I were selected, as well as separate interviews with the program chairs that report to this dean position, other deans, the incumbent dean (twice), the vice chancellor of academic affairs (twice), and the chancellor (who used to be the chief academic officer at the very respected Valencia Community College in Orlando, FL).

Ivy Tech Community College Central Indiana is one of the largest, respected, and well-known community colleges in the country with approx. 35,000 students.

The Dean of the School of Public and Social Services and the School of Education oversees program chairs, faculty, and staff (as well as dean's office administrative staff) in the following areas:

School of Public and Social Services- Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, Emergency Management, Hospitality Administration, Human Services, Library Technical Assistant, Mortuary Science, Paralegal Studies, and Public Safety Technology.

School of Education- Early Childhood Education and Education.

The Dean reports to the chief academic officer who in turn reports to the college's chief executive.

After subsequent reference and background checks, I have since been formally offered this really terrific opportunity and I told them that I am honored to accept. The even better news is that (as is customary in colleges) I will be able to keep my The Cop Doc LLC business operating albeit with some time constraints. If anything, as one person pointed out to me early on, the Dean position gives my expertise an enhanced level of credibility.

Here is the announcement that was just put out by the vice chancellor of academic affairs who is the chief academic officer:

It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Dr. Richard Weinblatt to the position of Dean of the School of Public and Social Services & Education. Dr. Weinblatt earned his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership – Higher Education Administration from Argosy University in Sarasota, Florida. Most recently he has served as Director of the Public Safety Institute at Central Ohio Technical College and prior to that as Program Manager and Professor for the Criminal Justice Institute at Seminole Community College in Sanford, Florida. He has been active in criminal justice classrooms since 1997. He also is the principal consultant for The COP DOC, LLC, a consulting service in the area of law Enforcement.

I am sure that you will all join me in welcoming Dr. Weinblatt to the College.

This is just a fantastic opportunity to serve! We (Anne, Michael, and I) have been scrambling on housing, movers, etc. and expect to drive out to Indianpolis on Friday, December 9, 2011. The other good news is that Anne's company recognizes her value and loyalty and has graciously allowed her to telecommute from Indianapolis. It's just a win-win for everyone and we are very lucky with the way it has all turned out.

This is just a terrific opportunity to make a difference within a large, nationally respected community college arena and it is a natural career progression.

Thank you again to all of our friends, clients, and colleagues in Orlando and elsewhere. We appreciate your continued support as the Ivy Tech Community College Dean adventure begins and The Cop Doc LLC business continues on.

New Facebook Group for Seminole Police Academy Instructors and Students

2011-12-06T09:22:00.001-05:00

If you are a current or former instructor or student at the Seminole Community College / Seminole State College Police Academy in Sanford, FL, check out the new Facebook group I created for networking, etc.: https://www.facebook.com/groups/146193365483882/

The group is growing already with close to 100 members admitted by the admin. Group members are adding their videos and pictures. There is even a poll which shows that learning is competing with the drill instructors as voters' favorite part of the Seminole Police Academy experience.

The group was created by former Program Manager and Professor Dr. Richard Weinblatt to help with networking, career advice, and to see where group members' friends went off to.

Said group member and Police Academy instructor Shannon Lemquist Seiple:

"Love the new group you started. Great idea!" and "I have enjoyed every class I have taught. I like the idea of being able to see and hear about what some of our favorite recruits are doing!!!!"

Another student favorite, instructor Mark DiBona, chimed in:

"Hello everyone, I hope everyone is doing well!!!!"

Many of the former Police Academy students recounted in posts of the memories that the new Facebook group is bringing back (such as Pepper Spray).

Keynote Speech at Great Massachusetts Police Reserve Conference

2011-12-05T22:24:00.000-05:00

I had the good fortune to be with a great crew of police reserves in suburban Boston recently. I was truly impressed by their enthusiasm and the dedication of their leader and conference guru Auxiliary Captain Marc Spigel.

Here is the text of an article from PoliceReserveOfficer.com on the conference:

It was an enthusiastic crowd that took in the training and speeches and helped to make the 2011 Massachusetts Volunteers in Policing (VIPS) conference a success. The brainchild of Framingham, MA, Police Auxiliary Captain Marc Spigel, the November 12 and 13 conference at the suburban Boston Beechwood Hotel in Worcester, MA, brought together the top minds in law enforcement training and reserve law enforcement.

Police reserve expert and author Dr. Richard Weinblatt delivered the evening keynote speech on the sometimes contentious relationship between volunteers and full-timers. The conference purchased copies of Dr. Weinblatt's book "The Cop Doc's Classic Writings on Police Reserves" and distributed copies to each conference attendee.

Nationally known VIPS expert Denver Police Lieutenant Matt Murray, who has overseen that agency's successful volunteer law enforcement program, lead a dynamic afternoon presentation on starting and growing a volunteer police program. Lt. Murray, the Denver Police Department's public information officer and aid to the Police Chief, entertained and informed as he dazzled the crowd with the tricks of his trade.

The weekend's continued activities moved over to the Boylestown Police Academy as training from some of Massachusetts' top subject matter experts took center stage. Volunteers and part-time officers were given top-notch training in firearms, defensive tactics, officer survival, and other related subject areas.

PoliceOne Police Reserve Article Lauded on PoliceReserveOfficer.com

2011-08-19T11:14:00.001-04:00

Here is a recent post to PoliceReserveOfficer.com on an article written by PoliceOne.com's Doug Wyllie. The post is: "PoliceOne Reserve Article Gets Thumbs Up."

The varied opinions law enforcement professionals harbor towards reservists, and the services they provide, are highlighted by the mega-cop website PoliceOne.com. Doug Wyllie, the senior editor of Praetorian Group's PoliceOne.com and a good friend (I've had many articles published by Doug on PoliceOne) had elicited feedback from their readers on the role of reserve law enforcement officers. Sometimes known as auxiliaries, the variety of responses that Doug received and his reasoned analysis of the comments, reflected the diversity of legal definitions and mission. Here is the link to Doug's excellently written article: http://www.policeone.com/police-jobs/articles/4239138-The-reserve-officers-role-in-law-enforcement/

Not surprisingly, Doug's article, captured the anti-reserve sentiment and characterised it as the (in his words) "vocal minority." As usual, Doug is right on target. Hard core union mentality that does not allow for innovative thinking is a byproduct of an era when public safety funding (police and firefighter services) were the untouchable third rail of a politicians life. As I mentioned in a recent interview with New Jersey largest newspaper, The Star Ledger, politicians are not so concerned with law enforcement and public safety as they are fiscal austerity.

As I told Star-Ledger columnist Bob Braun: "But now, even cops are not immune. 'No one seems interested in public safety issues — it’s just the economy, an obsession with how people are going to survive.'" Here is the link to that article on police officer lay offs: http://blog.nj.com/njv_bob_braun/2011/08/spending_cuts_on_police_forces.html

In the old days, if a politician wanted to be viewed as tough on crime (and who didn't), you advocated building a prison. Even better if it was in your home district as that brought in local corrections jobs. Nowadays, the tune has changed and creativity and innovation is the mantra. Policing needs to evolve to avoid the fate of the Pontiac automotive division.

As mentioned in the article and the comments that follow Doug's insightful and thought-provoking examination of volunteer and part-time policing, reserves are there for a number of reasons. None of those include putting a full-timer out of the job. On the contrary, cops need more friends now than ever before to withstand the assaults- physical in the streets and fiscal in the conference rooms that come their way.

I have often used the quote that the reserves are the ultimate in community policicng. They literally put the police in the community and the community in the police. They are the biggest ambassadors of police goodwill that you could create and in some communities have been the last defense against the two types of assaults.

As Doug's "Editor's Corner" piece sums up so eloquently: "maligned by some cops, warmly welcomed by others, reserve police officers are 'extreme volunteers' whose contributions to their community are becoming increasingly visible." Every police professional, volunteer and paid, as well as governmental policy maker,should read this article. Way to go, Doug!

I was really proud to see Doug Wyllie and PoliceOne.com tackle such a vital topic. Even better, he did it with a reasoned voice and balanced analysis. You're right, Doug. Reserves are extreme volunteers!

Great Feedback from Oregon reserve deputy sheriff on PoliceReserveOfficer.com

2011-05-20T10:32:00.001-04:00

I just got a terrific message from a reserve deputy sheriff in Oregon. Kory (I got permission to use the first name and location) is a former volunteer firefighter who has found the articles on my new website on police reserves to be very helpful. The letter was sent via the contact form on PoliceReserveOfficer.com.
This is great stuff! A major motivator for me to do The Cop Doc Radio Show and write these articles, blog posts, books, websites, etc. is to help people related to law enforcement.

Kory is an example of folks decicated to serving their community. In this case, it was the fire service followed by law enforcement. Thanks for YOUR dedication, Kory!

Below is the fantastic message. I have also reprinted it on the website.

Thank you for all of your articles! You are obviously a very dedicated person and it shows in everything i have read. I am just starting out as a Reserve Deputy and it is a thrilling, exciting and eye opening event. I have truely enjoyed all of the challenges that i have faced and have such an incredible respect for law enforcment and all that they go through. I was a volunteer firefighter for 7 1/2 years and after the switch from red to blue i have truely realized just how much i dont know.
--This mail is sent via contact form on PoliceReserveOfficer.com

What do you think? Do articles on law enforcement help you?

Taser & Police Officers with Taser Titans on The Cop Doc Radio Show

2011-05-18T11:09:00.000-04:00

A few police chiefs, full-time, and reserve police officers have lost their jobs over Taser controversies that erupted in their communities. Hailed by some as a useful law enforcement tool that avoids escalating situations and officer, as well as suspect, injuries, the device has also been derided as a torture device by some groups. Police officers, deputy sheriffs, and their leaders increasingly need to ponder the role that Taser can take within their department's response to resistance.

Taser Titans will be talking to law enforcers and non-police folks alike when Taser International chairman Tom Smith and vice president Steve Tuttle are guests for the full hour on The Cop Doc Radio Show on Thursday, May 18, 2011 at 7:00 pm eastern time. The two men are part of the orignal team of six that founded the company. The show is also available on demand at the The Cop Doc Taser Titans show link and as downloadable podcasts on Apple iTunes.

Hosted by police expert former police chief Dr. Richard Weinblatt, The Cop Doc, the radio show will showcase a balanced look at the Taser and why it has become an electriftying lightning rod for local police departments and sheriff's offices. Also discussed will be new innovations and products including the Taser X2, described by Steve Tuttle as a customer driven and designed product.

Taser International, based in Scottsdale, AZ, is the largest of the electorinic control device (ECD) firms and provides products to the law enforcement, military, and general public.

The show is being publicized to police chiefs, sheriffs, police officers, reserve officers, and the public in an effort to encourage conversation and dispel misunderstandings.

Sex, Drugs, and Police Reserve & Full-time Job Applicants

2011-05-17T16:06:00.000-04:00

On the heels of a San Diego Police officer applicant being arrested for child pornography (among other things), I wrote an article for my PoliceReserveOfficer.com website. In the article I recall my experiences telling police cadets and others about incidents involving aspiring police officers who have ened up in jail.

There is the story of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police oral board interviewee. I also recalled the young many who filled out apperwork while he had an active arrest warrant for FTA (Failure to Appear on a previous charge) in the system when I ran him.

Check out Police Job Applicants Arrested: Sex, Drugs, and Jail for more on these cautionary tales for police reserve and full-time law enforcement officer applicants.

Casey Anthony Knock Knock Joke...

2011-05-16T15:44:00.000-04:00

OK, let me say from the outset that jokes involving the case of a child that has been murdered are not usually repeated by me. The Casey Anthony case alleges that little Caylee Anthony met her fate at the hands of her mother Casey. We'll see what the jury decides.

In the meantime, speaking of the jury, here is a knock knock joke I heard that I confess I (and others) have found to be funny.

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Casey Anthony.
Casey Anthony who?
Congratulations. You are on the jury.

Reserve Cops: Original Homeland Security on PoliceReserveOfficer.com

2011-05-16T11:33:00.000-04:00

Police Reserves are the original homeland security. That's the position in my latest article The Original Homeland Security Force: Police Reserves on PoliceReserveOfficer.com.

The article covers the evolution of World War II. era civil defense (CD) forces into (at least for some parts of the country) a sophisticated academy trained and state certified sworn law enforcement professional serving on a part-time or volunteer basis.

Disasters have come to the forefront with recent events such as the tornadoes in Alabama and flodding in Louisiana. As for terrorist incidents, one has to look only at the recent death of Osama bin Laden to see the need for enhanced homeland security.

Police reserves, known also under the titles Auxiliary, Special, Supernumerary, and Intermittent, have long been a part of the fabric of their local police and sheriffs operations, as well as thei communtities. Check out the article for more detail on police reserves and homeland security.

The Cop Doc Radio Show: Officer.com redesign, Casey Anthony update, & Police Reserve Officer website

2011-05-12T10:53:00.000-04:00

Tonight, be sure to listen to The Cop Doc Radio Show Officer.com redesign show. We'll have Officer.com editor-in-chief Frank Borelli back again along with two of his star columnists- Chief William Harvey and Kevin Davis. Along with host police expert former police chief Dr. Richard Weinblatt, The Cop Doc, they'll discuss the redesign of one of the leading law enforcement websites, as well as the top police items dominating the news headlines.

Casey Anthony Trial Update

Also covered tonight will be an update of the Casey Anthony legal proceedings underway here in Florida. Michigan prosecutor and well-known legal media commentator Donna Pendergast will weigh in with her thoughts on the jury selection in Pinnelas County, FL.

Police Reserve Website Launch

Lastly, the launch on April 23, 2011 of a new website serving the information needs of aspiring and current volunteer and part-time law enforcement officers (known variously as reserve, auxiliary, special, supernumerary, or intermittent depending on local jurisdictional preferences) and police and sheriffs administrators, will be touched on. The website was created by an authority expert on reserve policing. PoliceReserveOfficer.com has a combination of original content and classic writings dealing with everything from the duties of reserves to the tragic line of duty deaths of these law enforcers who are the ultimate in community policing as they put the police in the community and the community in the police.

The Cop Doc Radio Show was devoted to this topic a week ago and can be listened to at The Cop Doc Radio Show Police Reserve Officer. More detail was previously on PoliceReserveOfficer.com Radio Show and The Cop Doc Blog Police Reserve Officer Radio Show.

PoliceReserveOfficer.com has been well received as evidenced by its already ranking number nine on May 5, 2011 on the first page of Google. It is seeing some great traffic and keyword searches. This screen capture illustrates it's high ranking (which is even better since it happened so quickly) in it's niche market of reserve police.

Taser Titans: Chairman and VP

Be sure to tune in next week (5/19/11) to The Cop Doc Radio Show Taser Titans is the topic with Taser International founders Chairman Tom Smith and Vice President Steve Tuttle. They'll discuss the controversy surrounding their products, the new Taser X2, as well as the past, present, and future of the Scottsdale, AZ, company. Do Tasers save lives?

As with all editions of The Cop Doc Radio Show, you can tune in to listen and let us know your thoughts via the show call in number of (646) 652-4259 or the chatroom.

In addition to listening live at 7:00 pm Eastern Time on Thursday nights, The Cop Doc Radio Show may also be listened to in it's archived form at the show page link and via podcasts on Apple iTunes.

Casey Anthony Trial Costs: Police Expert News Interview

2011-05-09T13:30:00.003-04:00

As the Casey Anthony trial gets underway here in Central Florida, I did yet another news interview in my role as a police expert. I've done another of other Anthony case media interviews. This one was on the high bill in costs to taxpayers for the trial concerning the death of little Caylee Anthony. I told WOFL Fox 35 News at 10's Shannon Butler, who is a terrific reporter and a real pleasure to work with on stories, that quite a bit of the costs that are going to come in the form of security and law enforcement. Mostly borne by the Ornage County Sheriff's Office, the impact will also be absorbed by the Orlando Police Department.

As I explained to Shannon Butler, there will be a lot of behind the scenes issues that Sheriff Jerry Demings' folks are going to have to contend with. Traffic, parking, and front door security is but the tip of the iceberg. It will involve more than just the deputy sheriffs manning the metal detectors at the courthouse entrance. The agency will also have to do its share of threat analysis in response to the messages coming from the many not so stable folks fixated on the trial's participants. I covered this quite a bit in another blog post: Chaos or Order: Police Expert View on Casey Anthony Trial Security.

The news interview with Fox 35's Shannon Butler is below. What do you think?

Would You Go Down That Dark Alley? Imagine Doing it For FREE: Police Reserve Officers on The Cop Doc Radio Show

2011-05-04T21:19:00.002-04:00

Police Reserve Officers are the little known facet of law enforcement. Join me, police expert former police chief Dr. Richard Weinblatt, The Cop Doc, on The Cop Doc Radio Show on Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 7:00 pm eastern time as my expert panel and I discuss the incredible phenomenon of volunteer and part-time law enforcement officers. The expert panel members are David Rayburn, retired Florida Highway Patrol Auxiliary lieutenant colonel and president of the Volunteer Law Enforcement Officer Alliance (VLEOA), Tom Harrier, chief of the Orange County Sheriff's Office Reserve in Orlando, FL, and Marc Spigel, an Auxiliary Captain with the Framingham, MA, Auxiliary Police.

And if you can't listen to The Cop Doc Radio Show live, you can replay the archived version from the show page or other platforms such as podcasts from Apple iTunes.

Unsung law enforcers, known variously as reserve, auxiliary, special, supernumerary, or intermittent (depending on local preferences), these men and women are the ultimate in community policing as they literally put the police in the community and the community in the police. They amazingly come to the aid of strangers for little or no money at great personal risk and reflect well on their police departments and sheriff's offices.

The panel and I will explore who and what they are, how full-time officers view them, as well as the variety of ways that they are screened, trained, certified, deployed, and armed.

Would you go down that dark alley... for FREE? For more information on police reserves, go to Dr. Richard Weinblatt's new website: www.PoliceReserveOfficer.com

And heads up police fans, next week, on May 12, we're focusing The Cop Doc Radio Show on Officer.com and the unveiling of the police website's new design at Officer.com Website Changes. Joining us will be returning guest Frank Borelli, editor-in-chief of Officer.com, With Frank Borelli will be two of his star columnists, radio show semi-regular retired police sergeant and police trainer extraordinaire Betsy Brantner Smith and Kevin Davis.

Osama bin Laden's Burial at Sea: Was the Obama Administration Right?

2011-05-03T18:17:00.000-04:00

The decision to bury the world's most wanted criminal, Osama bin Laden, at sea with all due respect accorded to his religious practices, has sparked quite a bit of controversy. My good friend to the North in Canada and a star blogger, Jon Hansen, posted a survey and call for response explanations on his PI Window on Business blog.

I think President Obama and his administration made the right call to take the high road and do the honorable thing to a man whose actions in life make many think that the President should have done otherwise.

As a police expert, former police chief, police academy director, and criminal justice professor, and even as a uniformed patrol law enforcer, I have always tried to see the big picture of what I and my colleagues in law enforcement were supposed to be all about.

I posted a response explanation to Jon Hansen's LinkedIn and PI Window on Business blog posting to explain why I voted "yes" to his poll. Here is my explantion. What do you think?

Jon: I voted yes and here is why... as an experienced law enforcement professional and police chief, I often dealt with people that just made poor decisions and I was there to enforce the law. And then there were people who were evil sociopaths that just saw the rest of the world as tools to get them what they wanted. If you were not useful, or stood in their way (as I did as a law enforcer), then their aim was to squash you. Even though those people needed to be incarcerated forever (or otherwise removed from society as their actions dictated the response and outcome) in order to protect the community at large, I never felt the need to "become a monster in order to defeat a monster." If I crossed the line in conduct in order to engage those folks, then I became no better than them. True honor involves treating all in a dignified, respectful manner and taking no further action than is required. More becomes an emotional vindictive display worthy of the criminals that we arrest or otherwise dispose of (again, our response is predicated by their actions). We as law enforcers in a society of laws and morals are better than our enemies. As I have often said to my nine-year-old son, "actions speak louder than words." We can say we are a nation that treats people with dignity and respect. Or we can show it via our actions. The proper burial at sea was an action that showcases our words in our powerful way.

Why Some Cops and Reserves Hate Each Other

2011-04-30T15:20:00.000-04:00

It's a crack in the blue wall. Why some full-time police officers and reserves hate each other was a hot topic when I originally wrote two related articles for as part of my "Reserve Power" column for the mega police website Officer.com in 2006. It still is. Both columns were just posted on my new website PoliceReserveOfficer.com. The first part can be read at "Why Some Cops Hate Reserves: A Crack in the Police Family" and the second installment of the column can be read at "The Flip Side: Why Some Reserves Hate Cops"

Part of what I covered in those columns, in concepts and terms that are still as valid and germaine today as they were then, is that full-timers and reservists should not paint each other with a broad brush based on the less than stellar actions of a few within their respective ranks.

The aim should not be to crush the other guys. Rather it should be unite to accomplish the mission of policing. With all the attacks on law enforcement officers we can certainly do without grenades being lobbed from within the police family. Such negative forces create cracks in our wall.

It touched a nerve and I ended up getting an avalanche of messages and emails. I think the concerns resonate today in law enforcement buildings and patrol cars everywhere.

Let me know what you think?

Chaos or Order: Police Expert View on Casey Anthony Trial Security

2011-04-29T10:48:00.001-04:00

As a police expert, I see large problems looming for local law enforcement officials when the Casey Anthony circus, er, murder trial commences on May 9 here in my home town of Orlando, FL. While many are focusing on the recent court motions and rulings, officials with the Orange County Sheriff's Office (the law enforcement agency charged with court security), the Orlando Police Department, and others are meeting behind closed doors working out the strategies and contingency plans. Of course, the Sheriff's Office well knows the case itself as they have been the lead agency in the Caylee Anthony case investigation from the start.

Many have lamented the fact that large gobs of resources will be taken from other areas of local law enforcement especially the Sheriff's Office. While that is true, I don't believe that the Orange County Sheriff's Office has much choice. While I understand the torment on the part of other victims of crime who don't garner the same level of attention, I appreciate the fact that the Sheriff's Office has to handle the situations they are presented.

It is the same with 911. They can't tell someone that they can't respond because no one is available. When it comes to matters of public safety, law enforcement has to be present to take care of the potential or existing danger. When they do run to those 911 calls, or the issues surrounding the Casey Anthony trial, other areas do get less attention. If it's anybody's fault, it's Casey Anthony's (if she does end up being found guilty).

The Issues

Certainly there is the front door security, but there are also a number of other concerns that few have contemplated, but that the law enforcement folks are likely pondering. As a former police chief and who has handled court security issues, I see a plethora of issues to be tackled. I am also certainly familiar with the dynamics of the case having done countless Casey Anthony media interviews.

Precedent situations include venues such as the Michael Jackson and O.J. Simpson trials. Those who watched those legal proceedings know full well that order and chaos are not far apart especially when all the attendant issues are not planned for.

Courthouse Security

The obvious one, courtroom and courthouse front door security is clearly the first line of defense and where a considerable amount of resources will be expended. The court room will be packed with friends and family from both sides, as well as the hordes of media that will be descending on Orlando. Judge Belvin Perry has already devised a system for picking people who are vying for the limited supply of seats at the trial

While Orlando is used to being host to a bevy of high profile celebs, the trial will bring star news people to the land of Disney. The presence of those folks will bring its own set of security concerns. At a minimum, patrol officers and deputy sheriffs will surely be responding to incidents big and small involving these stars.

Threats

Casey Anthony's unique form of celebrity has already created a rabid group of defenders and detractors. Some of those folks are a little on the, shall we say, mentally unhinged end of the spectrum, and will send notes of varying severity of threats to the various players in this trial. The recipients would include members of the prosecution and defense teams (including lightning rod Jose Baez), Judge Belvin Perry, Casey, Cindy, George, and Lee Anthony, as well as members of the media who may be perceived as not reporting the case as someone would wish them to.

Whomever the target, law enforcement (and it will fall mostly to Sheriff Jerry Demings' Orange County Sheriff's Office) will have to conduct a threat assessment to determine the veracity and seriousness of the note writer. That will take resources and is no simple task.

Just ask the United States Secret Service and its special agents who have serious expertise in evaluating potential threats to the President, Vice President, and other dignitaries. Closer to the targets that are present in this case, the United States Marshals Service has long had a specialty of protecting federal judges and providing courthouse security. And probably no agency has more experience with celebrity and high profile trials than the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office in California.

Threat assessment and target protection is not an endeavor for the ill-trained or run of the mill law enforcer. Experienced, seasoned investigators will be put on the case.

When I served in a Sheriff's Office Courthouse Division, I investigated threat notes sent to judges. These were clearly mentally unbalanced individuals penning the notes. Their apparent mental illness makes them no less a threat to the protected person.

Traffic

Handling the influx of vehicles into downtown Orlando is going to be another headache that falls on the shoulders of law enforcement. Not only will the additional cars pose an issue, but the presence of the media will bring its own set of problems. Large satellite live trucks will have to find places to park that afford convenient access to the courthouse, but don’t impede the flow of traffic. Additionally, some media types will be coming with mobile homes in tow to house them during the two month trial. Those also will have to be parked somewhere that works for all concerned.

Jury Security

And then there is the matter of the jury. Much like the prosecution, defense, and Anthony family protectees, there will be the additional potential targets in the jurors and alternate jurors. Like most judges, Judge Perry will look to not give a reason to be overturned on appeal. Judges hate to be overturned, so he is going to want to keep people away from them including particularly aggressive members of the media or the public.

To its credit, the Orange County Sheriff's Office is a professional agency with over 3,000 employees. It is no stranger to high profile cases or public scrutiny. They will be on the international stage as the world will watch all aspects of the trail very carefully. I fully expect that they will rise to the challenge with perhaps a few understandable glitches along the way.

More on the Casey Anthony case can be found at:

TheCopDoc.com - Media

http://richardweinblatt.blogspot.com/2008/08/caylee-anthony-police-expert-analysis.html

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-cop-doc/2011/04/21/thecopdoc-casey-anthony-legal-eagles-new-taser-x2

Police Reserve Officer Role & Professionalism Highlighted on PoliceReserveOfficer website

2011-04-28T21:19:00.000-04:00

The role and professionalism of today's Police Reserve Officer is highlighted on a new website: PoliceReserveOfficer.com. I created the website to help handle the many questions I field on the topic of police reserves. As a former law enforcement reserve, around stints as a police chief, police academy director, and criminal justice professor, I fully appreciate the enormous contribution and sacrifices of the around a quarter of a million men and women who serve under many titles depending on local rules and preferences. Some of those monikers include: reserve, auxiliary, special, supernumerary, and intermittent law enforcers.

Whatever the name, reserve officers undertake the mission of the badge for their communties and for the approx. 700,000 full-time counterparts for little or no compensation at at great personal risk.

One of the articles on the website addresses the ultimate sacrifice that police officers, deputy sheriffs, and state troopers make which sadly includes reserves as well. It is: The Ultimate Sacrifice: Line of Duty Deaths Underscore Police Reserve Officers' Service.

Another article I wrote exclusively for this website addresses the use of reserve officer service to boost a full-time applicant's attractiveness for hire. This is a particularly valuable move as the competitveness for few salaried slots has greatly intensified given the current governmental budgetary climate. Any edge is very useful for the candidate.

Reserve officers gain valuable training, experience, and contacts. The article is called: Police Job Jumstart: Police Reserves Standout.

Whether you are a reservists, full-timer, law enforcement executive, aspiring officer, or just interested individual, check out the website and learn more about this great segement of our public safety service branches.

The PoliceReserveOfficer.com video is below and gives more highlights of the website dedicated to the professional volunteer and part-time law enforcement officer.

Pretend Police: Are Impersonators Stopping You?

2011-04-16T16:26:00.002-04:00

Pretend police in your mirror lights flashing and siren blaring is a scary prospect for all drivers on the road. Factor in being a woman alone or driving late at night and the prospect can be even more terrifying.

As a police expert, speaker, author, and media commentator, I hear what folks' police, crime, and safety related concerns are. And so, it was little surprise that quite a few people have been reading my latest police article for Examiner.com, "Pretend Police: Safety Tips for Drivers Being Stopped." As Examiner.com's designated "police examiner" for their national edition, I had a feeling that the article would strike a nerve for all concerned about police, crime and safety issues on an issue that really happens. I was right on target as the article opened with real life cases of police impersonators arrested in Florida, Massachusetts, California, and Pennsylvania.

Fake fuzz are out there and they are stopping drivers on the highways with pseudo cop accoutrements. The illicit equipment on the nabbed impersonator law enforcement officers have included badges, uniforms, radios, flashing lights, sirens, guns, and of course, a police style vehicle such as the ubiquitous Ford Crown Victoria.

The article gave safety tips, as I also do via my TheCopDoc.com website, on what to do if you think that a pretend police officer, deputy sheriff, or state trooper is trying to stop you.

The real police certainly want to stop police impersonators from engaging in their illegal conduct, arrest them, and bring them to justice. Fake fuzz endanger the public and law enforcers alike.

Check it out and comment below on The Cop Doc blog, on my Facebook page, or on the Examiner.com article. Have you been stopped by the Pretend Police?

Here is the link to the PoliceImpersonator article I wrote: http://www.examiner.com/police-in-national/pretend-police-safety-tips-for-drivers-being-stopped

WORLD PREMIERE of new The Cop Doc Radio Show Promo Video

2011-04-03T11:19:00.016-04:00

Here is the WORLD PREMIERE of the new The Cop Doc Radio Show promo video. The video highlights the arresting topics such as Officer Down!, Policing Japan's Crisis, Cops and Crazies, and Domestic Violence. There are many more topics that have been covered on the show encompassing Police, Crime, and Safety. The show is geared for law enforcement and non-law enforcement listeners as part of The Cop Doc's mission to explain complex justice topics in understandable terms.

The Cop Doc radio show has had numerous guest experts on the program and the promo video featured radio show guests Criminal Profiler Pat Brown, Dave "Buck Savage" Smith, and police guru Roy Bedard. A complete lists of guests and topics can be viewed at www.TheCopDoc.com.

This is fast paced, rocking beat video that showcases the police, crime and safety topics show. The show was recently moved to it's new time of 7:00 pm EDT on Blogtalkradio to make it more available for guests and listeners.

In addition to the live show that can be listened to via the Internet on Blogtalkradio.com or on the telephone, listeners can also enjoy the archived version via many application platforms including Apple iTunes, Windows Media Player, AppleCoreMedia, GoogleListen, and PodTrapper.

Check out the video below. And listen to The Cop Doc radio show in the Blogtalkradio player at the bottom. Or you can click on the link to go to the Blogtalk radio show page: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-cop-doc

Listen to internet radio with Dr Weinblatt on Blog Talk Radio

The Cop Doc Radio Show- Policing Japan's Crisis

2011-03-31T18:04:00.000-04:00

Tune for an arresting version of The Cop Doc radio show tonight as we discuss police and crime in the wake of Japan's disasters. Joining us tp provide insightful analysis will be John Jay College of Criminal Justice's Dr. Maki Maria Haberfeld and University of New Mexico's Dr. Aki Roberts. The new time for the show is 7:00 pm eastern. If you miss the show, you can listen to the archive version by clicking the link or going to Apple iTunes.

TheCopDoc- Policing Japans Crisis 3/31/2011 - Dr Weinblatt | Internet Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Warring Cops Disgraceful

2011-03-31T10:23:00.004-04:00

The following is an editorial I wrote. It appeared on the front page of PoliceLink.com today.

The article is about the warring cops in neighboring Pennsylvania towns that were caught on viral video and thus make the work of good law enforcers that much more difficult. It is heartening to see good law enforcerment people condemning this behavior and evidenced by the comments on PoliceLink.

Warring Cops on Video: How to Make Our Mission Even Tougher
By Dr. Richard Weinblatt, The Cop Doc

I’m sure many of my fellow law enforcement professionals watched the video carried on Fox News Channel, myfoxphilly.com and other outlets that showed neighboring Pennsylvania law enforcers at war with each other. I think all would be as embarrassed for our profession as I was.

Far from not establishing good pro-active community relations programs, the viral video makes these officers from Darby and Colwyn boroughs look like the proverbial keystone cops and worse.

According to Fox, the incident caught on video all started when a Colwyn officer crossed the street into Darby to nab a man that had just punched a woman in the face. The officer had apparently been flagged down by the woman.

The problem (at least in the eyes of the Darby Police chief) was that it was in the neighboring Delaware County borough of Darby. While I understand the jurisdictional legal concerns that may be present, I would argue that the officer couldn’t just continue driving and ignore the woman. So he stopped to render aid and control the situation.

As the report details, the Darby Police chief came soon thereafter to the scene yelling at the Colwyn officer to get out of Darby. Incredibly, officers had to use their skills – you know, the ones they use on emotional members of the public at calls for police service - to deescalate the police chief, but it was to no avail. Officers then had to physically intervene to stop the fight from escalating to a physical level. All of this played out in public view involving the very type of behavior that we are called to control. Incredible.

Now, I know it’s best not to believe all that is put out by the media. And I also know that sometimes events happen before the video is rolling that help to put what is seen in context. That said, the video speaks volumes of the situation. I am hard pressed to find any justification for what I saw on the tape.

The damage to officers everywhere, including those on scene, is immeasurable. This impacts all of us in a number of ways.

1) We’re in an era where budget cutters do not see police officers and firefighters as the untouchable sacred cow immune to layoffs. Witness what happened in Camden, NJ not too far from the Philadelphia area. Officers were pushed off the public payroll. The same thing happened in Newark, NJ. Incidents like this do not help bolster the fiscal health of law enforcement agencies or their employees.

2) Many people who viewed this disgraceful video have used it as fodder for their call for regionalization of law enforcement services. While the concept itself is worthy of debate, it should not be on the coattails of clearly avoidable schoolyard kid style conduct.

3) That particular area of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, is apparently rife with crime and drugs. Such displays do little to convince the beleaguered community that their police are up to the task.

4) Leadership emanates from the top. If this is the hot-tempered publicly displayed behavior of the police chief, who should be the most seasoned, rationale, and calm person on the municipal police agency, I shudder to think what some of his subordinates may have done.

5) As a defensive tactics instructor who has handled volatile calls in uniform where emotions are high, I know it is a basic tenet that you must have control of yourself before you can expect to have control of the scene. With a man in custody and a woman being treated by medics on the street, no ongoing scene safety or investigation has control or integrity while the law enforcers themselves are arguing emotionally and publicly on the scene.

6) From a national perspective, long-standing critics of the police are already pointing to this video to bolster their anti-police argument. Their contention has long been that crime fighters are just street fighters with badges. They want people to believe their skewed view of law enforcers. This video does nothing to refute their argument and does everything to bolster it. They are able to apply a broad paintbrush to the 700,000 ethical and hardworking police officers, deputy sheriffs, and state troopers in the United States based on the actions of a few.

Specifically in regard to this incident, while we can blame the video and the news media for disseminating it, the reality is that if the officers, starting with the Darby police chief, had not acted in such a manner, there would be nothing news worthy to display. The Colwyn officer should have walked away from the chief and not been baited into a confrontation.

As professionals, we need to address this conduct and identify it as not worthy of our position of trust in the community. The days of circling the wagons or sticking our head in the sand are long gone in policing. Our credibility is at stake and we need to distance ourselves from such conduct and repudiate it.

The intensely bright spotlight on isolated viral episodes, such as what transpired in Darby, are diminished if we acknowledge them as being outside the standard of professional conduct we as professionals hold ourselves to. We need to highlight the good work done by 700,000 law enforcers in the United States, and many more internationally, that gets overshadowed by the tarnished badge behavior of a few. It’s hard to get the mission done that with emotionally charged, warring police chiefs and officers out there fighting.

As I’ve told basic law enforcement academy students for a number of years, we live in an era of video technology. You should always assume that you are on camera and should act in a professional manner worthy of the oath we took and the badge we wear. In short, the conduct should be such that it that would make your mother proud. I doubt the Darby police chief’s mother would be proud of her son today.

Dr. Richard Weinblatt, “The Cop Doc,” is a former police chief, ex busy jurisdiction patrol deputy sheriff, and criminal justice educator who has written articles and provided media commentary since 1989. He can be reached via www.TheCopDoc.com.

Here is the link to the front page article on PoliceLink where you can watch the video and judge for yourself:
http://policelink.monster.com/training/articles/152341-warring-cops-making-our-mission-even-tougher

News Interview on Officer Involved Police Shootings News Interview 11/29/10 Dr. Richard We...

2010-11-29T10:57:00.000-05:00

My live in-studio news interview on WOFL Fox 35 News "Good Day" on the recent spate of police officer involved shootings.

Does Size Matter? Small Agencies: The Cop Career Gatekeepers - PoliceLink

2010-11-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

My latest article on PoliceLink.com on Small Agencies and Police Careers: Does Size Matter? Small Agencies: The Cop Career Gatekeepers - PoliceLink

Full Body Scanners Bad for America News Interview

2010-11-17T18:51:00.007-05:00

As seen in the below two videos of an interview I did this afternoon with Central Florida News 13 reporter Jacqueline Fell in the station's downtown Orlando conference room, I do not believe that body scanners (as used by the courthouses and particularly by the TSA at airports) and other efforts to enhance the safety of the American people is the way to go.

Not only did Centrral Florida News 13 put the print and video version of the TV news package on my objection to body scanners up on their website ( http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2010/november/174083/Questions-continue-to-surround-body-scans - click on SCANNED IMAGES RELEASED FOR VIDEO OF NEWS REPORT ), they also put video of my raw interview on their website: http://www.cfnews13.com/video?clip=http://static.cfnews13.com/newsvideo/cfn/1117BodyScan_111720100546.flv

Tasering Sports Fans

2010-05-11T11:19:00.013-04:00

Few are those who have not seen the now infamous video of a 17-year-old running on the Philadelphia Phillies ball field and being the recipient of a Philadephia Police officer's well-executed Taser shot. And many have become acquainted with the incident of the man that became disorderly and belligerent while Tiger Woods golfed away in Florida. Yesterday, I did a live via satellite interview with MSNBC anchor Tamron Hall on Taser and sports fans. As a former police chief, Taser instructor, and long-time law enforcement issues media commentator, MSNBC asked me on Sunday if I would appear on the Monday afternoon segment.

The segment had originally been slated to be six minutes or so, but was cut back due to the news surrounding President Obama's United States Supreme Court nomination announcement. I was unable to make a few of points given the time crunch. They also did not air a you tube clip of me being Tasered during training in 2004 that clearly demonstrates that you can be Tasered and walk away (like I did). But, alas, time did not permit. That's understandable as that is the nature of the TV news biz.

Also appearing was Petra DeJesus, a commissioner on the San Fransisco Police Commission. Ms. DeJesus, a civilian lawyer, was appointed to serve on the political commission. Ms. DeJesus is a vocal critic of the Taser and I believe that she is throwing the baby out with the bath water.

While Amnesty International, a great organization whose work I admire, and Ms. DeJesus trumpet deaths attributed to the Taser, they misunderstand the facts and ignore the greater good that Taser has done. I do agree that, much like a firearm or pepperspray, Taser is a tool that can be misused. But when we have bad shoots with a firearm, we do not propose getting rid of the police use of a side arm. Rather, we correctly deal with the individual officer's misconduct.

In the interview, I pointed out that many studies, including a fairly recent one by the U.S. Justice Department, have shown that the Taser is relatively safe. What I did not have time to go into in the interview is the deterrent effect that the red laser dot on the suspect's chest has. As I have stated in HLN Headline News and other media interviews in the past: the best fight for law enforcement to be in is the one that doesn't happen.

Most police officers and deputy sheriffs have seen resistant subjects give up when that red laser dot hits their chest. While they do not fear the firearm as they know it will not be used except in extreme, deadly force situation, they also know that the officer may fire that Taser.

As I opened up the segment, I answered Tamron's question by pointing out that I do not always take the position of the police. I examine each incident on its own merits, based on the information presented, and render an expert analysis. I told Tamron and the viewers that the two incidents at issue: the Philadelphia Phillies and Tiger Woods golf occurrences, appear to be proper uses of the Taser. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, former deputy superintendent of the Chicago Police and former Chief of the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police, had already come out publicly saying that the use of the Taser was within departmental policy guidelines.

I pointed out that if someone were to come in to the Iron Man 2 movie that I saw this weekend and was loud, security would ask him to quiet down. I then took it further through the steps of law enforcement asking him to quiet down, then to leave, then to submit to the arrest that he resisted. The Tiger Woods golf guy was arrested for disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest.

Ms. DeJesus opined that Taser is too large a step to take for someone being disruptive and resisting arrest. I explained in the segment that whether the person is dangerous or not is not known. Law enforcement officers cannot read minds and we do not know what someone's intent is before they make an overt act to demonstrate their purpose.

I mentioned the case of Kansas City Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa who in 2002 lost the hearing in his right ear after two fans attacked him on the ball field. During the attack, a knife even fell out of one of the attacker's pocket. MSNBC host Tamron Hall jumped in agreeing and reminded Ms. DeJesus of the Monica Seles attack.

I said that the police are not mind readers. We do not know what people do before they do it. We in law enforcement can only deal with what we know at the time that we know it. We did not know that the 17-year-old young man who rushed onto the Phillies-Cardinal game field what his intent was. As has been demonstrated by Columbine and other events, teenagers can be dangerous too. That is especially true in the time that we live in.

Getting onto a ball field is not a matter of just stumbling a few steps. One has to overcome physical barriers and other security measures to make a conscious effort to enter the controlled and restricted space. The young man in this incident was charged with defiant trespass.

As for the incident at Tiger Wood's golf outing in Florida, I did not have the time to explain that St. Johns County deputy sheriffs only ended up Tasering the golf fan after security and then law enforcement had asked him to 1) stop, 2) leave, and 3) not resist arrest. The man was charged with disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest. I guess Ms. DeJesus and her ilk would rather that he be beaten into submission with a baton which is sure to cause broken bones and possibly serious injury or death. People forget that that is how it used to be done and the results were not pretty.

Ms. DeJesus in the segment thought that law enforcers should be able to just "muscle" people into compliance. As I mentioned in the interview, there is no magic bullet. Law enforcement officers can't just put their fingers on someone and put them out a la Mr. Spock of Star Trek fame.

I did not have time to point out is that San Francisco's own newly minted star police chief, George Gascon, tried to get his city to approve his drafting of a tightly controlled Taser policy. Interestingly, Ms. DeJesus' own commission voted narrowly four to three to turn down Chief Gascon's request.

Chief Gascon, by the way, is no slouch when it comes to law enforcement expertise. A lawyer himself, Chief Gascon came to San Francisco from his post as chief of the Mesa Police in Arizona. Prior to that, he served with the Los Angeles Police Department rising to the position of Assistant Police Chief and Director of Field Operations under the legendary Chief Bill Bratton.

No mere rubber stamp of hard-line law enforcement types, not all of Chief Gascon's policies were welcomed warmly by the Mesa Police officers. That should give more credibility to his independent assessment and support of Tasers. The device is good for policing and good for the community that law enforcement serves.

San Fancisco is the only big city to not allow it's police officers the less than lethal option that the Taser affords. Other steps such as the baton have been shown to cause more injuries and deaths to officers and suspects when deployed.

What I also did not have time in the MSNBC to elaborate on is that the deaths have been time after time shown to be caused by other factors.

Not five minutes after leaving the TV studios in Columbus, OH, I received an email on my iPhone from a person who thought I was a bad man for supporting the use of Tasers. I get quite a few of these well-intentioned, but ill-informed messages. Without the sender's name being mentioned here, here is the text of his email:

It's unfortunate there are people such as yourself propagating a tool that causes death to stop a 17 kid from running around a ballfield in jest. That cop is an idiot, I don't know how a moron like that could get on the police force. You know what I mean; the taser. Do you have interest in the company that makes these things? I think you may. It's disgusting that there are idiot cops that are stupid enough to use it on harmless citizens. Instaed of teaching cops how to use a taser, why don't you teach them some common sense and how not to be a vigilante? You are just as responsible, and liable for any deaths that these taser's cause, and if I were a judge I would hold you liable in any court of law for the death of anyone killed by your taser's, and pressing the use of these things.

As I mentioned above, the officers did not know the young man's intentions. I don't think it is worth the risk. If something had happened, than folks would be saying why didn't the police do something or do something different. It's a damned if you do and damned if you don't situation.

And, no, I am not in any way compensated nor do I have any financial interest in Taser International, the makers of Taser. Remember, I am not a proponent of the Taser in every situation. The device, however, is a good tool and needs to be available for appropriate and professional use.

Some things that uninformed people, such as Ms. DeJesus and the email sender, are missing in the Taser debate:

- Officer and Suspect injuries and deaths have gone down
- Use of Force incidents have gone down
- The police deal with some people who have risk factors exacerbated since they tend not to have adequate preventative and diagnostic health care
- The police also tend to deal with some people who have ingested drugs such as cocaine and meth.
- Physical confrontations with the police are stressful events in and of themselves. Use of the baton and other physical and mechanical means actually prolongs and intensifies the stressful situation.
- The public overwelmingly in media run polls vote that the use of the Taser is appropriate.
- The public and media overreact and do not understand how the Taser works.

Most coroners have found that deaths come from the above contributory factors. While I fully agree that some Taser usage incidents have been wrong, and I am vocal in my rectifying of those situations, not all Tasers should be eliminated.

In general, the Taser is a useful tool on an officer's tool belt. The key is proper and professional policy formulation, training, supervision, and deployment. Used appropriately, the Taser is the closest thing we have today to Star Trek's stun phaser.

Times Square Bomb & Arizona Immigration: Balancing Policing in A Democratic Society

2010-05-02T14:36:00.011-04:00

Many Americans woke up this morning (Sunday) to the news that a bombing situation had been thwarted in a high profile hub of our nation: New York City's Times Square. They also awoke to see pictures of hundreds of thousands of people participating in rallies protesting the Immigration law (and it's slightly altered current incarnation) in Arizona. As a former deputy sheriff who worked on the border (as pictured above) and a former police chief, I see that both deal with ideas that go the very heart of who we are as a people and what ideals our country stands for.

DICTATORSHIP POLICING EASY

It is easy to police in a dictatorship. Sadam Hussein was able to keep murderous, warring factions of Iraq in check by being more murderous than those groups. At the other end of the spectrum, The anarchy that is Somalia has no central government or ability to speak of to keep the various local warlords in check.

The United States has long struggled with governmental control and it's most visible component is that of law enforcement. Policing in a democratic society is hard as is evidenced by the events of the past few days in Times Square and in Arizona.

In general, I do not believe that we should sacrifice our ideals in order to be safer. In the words of U2 lead singer Bono (I know he is not the biggest philosopher around, but his thought here is true): "We do not need to become a monster, in order to defeat a monster."

ALERTNESS

What saved the day in New York City was the vigilance of a civilian street vendor. This veteran took a moment to notice an unusual situation and reported to a mounted New York City Police officer. The officer in turned notified his chain of command and the NYPD Bomb Squad and NYC FBI field office bomb techs responded. The system worked there thanks to the alert observation and good law enforcement response.

In Arizona, police intervention could go too far in a situation which is really larger and more political in nature (My earlier blog post on Blogger and my interview with Alternet.org goes into more detail). If the police go with the Arizona scenario, we have started to move down the slippery slope that personified our country's treatment of the Japanese during World War II., as well as the Nazis. The solution needs to come from Washington, DC, so as to preserve our localized, democratic style of policing.

Having the police pull double-duty stretches already thin resources, opens fiscally-strapped local governments up to lawsuits whether they enforce the new law or not, and will propel crimes towards non-illegals as Hispanic victims and witnesses will be intimidated and not help the police stop predators. Those predators will also victimize non-illegals. The predator illegals that are here will not be scared by this; only the non-violent illegal aliens will be wary of the law and police.

Other states, such as Ohio, are thinking about copying the Arizona law. As I told the Ohio News Network (ONN), that would be a mistake. In both cases, what we need is alert people that will bring law enforcement into the picture when violence (or the potential such as bomb) enters the scene. The collection of intelligence has stopped some threats from coming to fruition and the same could be used more effectively to combat illegal immigration.

In this country, many officers have observed that people always want the laws enforced- as long as it is not against them. For example, all across the country, officers have agreed with my own experience having run radar in residential subdivisions in response to community outcry. The biggest offenders end up being the residents themselves and then they are not so happy to have that enforcement presence. Officers reading this can relate to it in their own policing experiences.

Even has a member of the police community, I have always been a staunch defender of the protections, rights, and even technicalities of our society. As I have said before, "It is those rights that protect you, me, my wife, and my son." I want a government that is strong enough to protect us, but not strong enough to move away from its democratic principles.

Much like the scales of justice, we must balance police and the power of the government enforcers in the middle. To much movement in either direction turns into the dictatorship of old Iraq or the anarchy of Somalia. We don't want to be either country. We are the United States of America and all the ideals that it stands for.

Arizona Illegal Immigrant Law Bad Policing

2010-04-27T10:47:00.007-04:00

In the furor that has followed the signing of the Arizona illegal immigrant law by Governor Jan Brewer and supported by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio (creator of the famed tent city jail and the self-proclaimed "Toughest Sheriff in America"), few have stopped to look at the effect it has on policing. In a word it is bad.

I come at this perspective after having served as a deputy sheriff in a border state - New Mexico (I am in the picture above as a patrol deputy sheriff in rural New Mexico).

First I was in Dona Ana County (a 4,000 square mile county with 50 miles along the Mexican border) and then as a Patrol Division deputy sheriff II. with the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office (a 2,500 square mile state capital county). I also served as a police chief in North Carolina and as an educator of law enforcers. I have worked for many years providing police services for legal and illegal immigrant populations.

Above: With fellow deputy sheriff in New Mexico.

And that's the key here, folks. The police provide police services. And we provide it to all. And we do it in a challenging economic, fiscally austerity-laden governmental structure. The Arizona law sets policing back many years.

BAD COMMUNITY RELATIONS

First off, the police rely on information. If you mandate that they investigate and arrest a very vulnerable population, those folks won't come forward with information. I would have thought that in policing a democratic society, we moved beyond intimidating the victim. We want to encourage victims to come forward with information.

As a police chief in North Carolina, I had a program where I spoke in uniform at churches all around the city in an effort to reach out to the community. I stopped my unmarked Ford Crown Victoria one day at a church that served Hispanics. They scattered afraid that I would try to deport them (under the Arizona law, deportation would happen only after a possible jail sentence and fine). I convinced the pastor that I wanted to reach out to their community and that they were deserving of the police's protective service also.

I spoke that Friday night (speaking some Spanish and some translated) and started to get more and more information from the good folks in that church. First it was little nuggets of information to test if I was trustworthy. Little by little the information got bigger. It crossed into items that effected the immigrants' legal neighbors. So the issues touched all and their information helped the entire community.

If nothing else, it is important to understand that easy victims are the first step for predators. They then become emboldened to prey on the legal residents of our nation. Crime and quality of life concerns do not know borders within our communities.

RACIAL PROFILING

I respectfully disagree with Sheriff Arpaio's interpretation of the mandate to investigate and detain upon a finding of reasonable suspicion concerning legal resident status. Sheriff Arpaio says that it is not racial profiling. I disagree. Having had to compile reasonable suspicion while investigating crimes, I can see how police officers and deputy sheriffs would have no choice. Any person who appears to be of darker color with an accent would have to have those facts as part of the reasonable suspicion building blocks.

Given the current scenario, people who have some of the "building blocks" (dark skin, accent) will be stopped repeatedly and questioned. That is more akin to a police state. We should not sacrifice what has made our country great to have an appearance of action.

The reasonable suspicion part of this will be legally challenged and officers will be confused as to how they can investigate without running afoul of legal issues. This is not as simple as the public thinks and officers cannot just move from the police-person consensual encounter to reasonable suspicion on flimsy information.

BURDEN TO SYSTEM

Sheriff Arpaio and others have contended that they run white people as well through the system. I disagree with that position from several angles. We need to have discretion as to who you run through the system to check for warrants and other information.

I know some agencies and officers have departmental or personal policies that call for running every person they come in contact with. That is not always advisable or feasible. Once the arrest warrant comes through, or the officer decides to make a lower priority arrest, he or she is tied up and is unable to handle higher level calls and assist other officers. The officer has no choice and has to follow the court ordered arrest warrant or, as in this case, the mandated detention of the illegal alien. Some agencies are too busy handling 911 calls for police service to be tied up handling smaller warrants or illegal alien investigations.

VICTIMIZING THE VICTIM

Worse yet, making arrests will have a chilling effect on victims. They will be afraid to come forward. This is something that we are already battling against and the law sets us way back.

The most vulnerable of victims, women and children, will suffer the most under this law. Domestic violence investigations is one area that has truly been dealt a blow now. Few victims will have the courage or trust that they need to overcome often brutal psychological, emotional, and physical abuse.

As a uniformed patrol officer in New Mexico, I had to repeatedly assure people that I was not Immigration or the Border Patrol. That I was not interested in their status, but rather in their safety. It was hard to gain their trust. This law shatters that trust for officers with boots in the dirt trying to gain information.

In my own experience as a uniformed peace officer, I often chose not to run someone who came to me as a victim as I knew arresting them would not be in the interest of justice. If I knew of the existence of an arrest warrant, that was different. But I certainly did not go out of my way to traumatize someone who already had come forward to me as a law enforcement officer. Sometimes at great personal peril.

UNFUNDED MANDATE

This is an unfunded mandate to already fiscally strapped counties and municipalities. Arresting, charging, and jailing a person is not cheap. Law enforcement can barely keep up with what they need to do for public safety, let alone this requirement that does not give the needed dollars to make it a realistic financial picture. This law does not just call for the turning over of illegal aliens to the feds for deportation. An entire investigation and prosecution has to take place, along with the expensive jailing of the accused, which has a jail sentence and fine attached to it. Only later does the possibility of deportation come up. And the federal government may nullify this by refusing to take the person.

This law, while an attempt to keep America whole, is blatantly un-American. It undermines many of the principles that we are founded on and places the police and county sheriff's offices in an untenable position. It is at odds with our mission to gain the trust and cooperation of our democratic society. Without that trust, the most vulnerable victims, and our ideals, will suffer.

2009-12-06T22:02:00.001-05:00

Watching "Clash of the Dinosaurs" on Discovery Channel. Phenomenal program.

Orlando Office Building & Ft. Hood Shooter Situation: Excellent Police Response

2009-11-17T19:25:00.024-05:00

The recent tragic office building shooting in Orlando, Florida, underscores my quick move to offer kudos to the Orlando Police Department in their quick response. Patrol officers were on scene in approximately one minute. As I explained in three live breaking news MSNBC TV interviews and the MSNBC.com website, as well as for local stations in Orlando, FL, (WESH 2 - NBC - News and Central Florida News 13) and Columbus, OH, (WCMH NBC 4 News), first responding patrol officers moved quickly and may have moved the shooter to leave sooner than he originally intended. They exemplified what we want to see in our law enforcers in times of crisis: brave decisive action backed by training and experience. When others run away, these men and women lived up to their oaths and ran towards the danger zone.

I detailed too quite a few show bookers, producers, news anchors and reporters, law enforcement response to active shooter situations changed historically at the Columbine High School incident in Colorado. As many will recall, that situation saw first responding patrol officers standing by waiting for SWAT team officers. Meanwhile, students were being shot and the gunmen moved through the structure unfettered.

Law enforcement trainers took a hard look at response tactics in those situations and a new approach was born that was used in Orlando, as as well in the Ft. Hood shooting in Texas. The idea is to have first responding patrol officers form small, mobile teams to dynamically and aggressively move towards the sound of gunfire or where the perceived threat may be. Along the way, they encounter people who they shoo behind them towards hopefully other arriving teams of officers. I'm not detailing the formations of these teams or other tactical details that could compromise the officers and the public.

I was involved in this training when it started and evolved. I found it to be an effective means to, in our parlance, neutralize the threat. It is training that is grounded in much thought and research. I know this training and I know the law enforcement agencies involved in the Florida response. Since I ran an Orlando-area Police Academy at Seminole Community College, I trained many of the men and women that responded on November 6, 2009.

The Orlando Police Department, as well as the Orange County Sheriff's Office, are known for their unusual proficiency via a bunch of training hours and resources devoted to this method. Jason Rodriguez, the Orlando shooter, picked the right part of the country (from my perspective) as the officers in Central Florida are among the best in the nation at this type of call for police service.

On a related note, for those who think that I am anti-law enforcement in my news interviews, you haven't watched more than a few of my interviews or visited my website (such as www.TheCopDoc.com). My recent stance on the excellent work of the Orlando Police Department certainly underscores that. Many of them are available for viewing on my youtube.com channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/richardweinblatt).

What is interesting is that I have a chorus of folks who feel that I only take the side of the po-po given my background in law enforcement. Both are far from the truth. Sometimes I side against law enforcement's actions in a particular matter. Other times, I defend their actions. And still other incidents I have taken a middle of the road neutral stance given that not enough facts were presented yet.

I let the facts speak for themselves and, coupled with my training, education, and experience, assess and communicate a professional opinion of complex justice issues in terms that are understandable. That has been a central part of my life's mission.

That my mission can help to highlight and explain the laudatory action of law enforcement officers in Orlando and Ft. Hood is particularly satisfying. Some of the TV news interviews are featured below.

Back & Biceps Exercise Video: New Ideas for Law Enforcement & Others

2009-11-09T09:09:00.012-05:00

New from The Cop Doc: Shot on location at the Advantage Club in Newark, Ohio (just East of Columbus, Ohio) for law enforcement folks and others looking for new approaches to their back and biceps workouts. I shot the video on Saturday night. I hope it will help people. Changing up your workout and muscle confusion is key to making progress towards your fitness goals. The video has been uploaded here at Blogger, as well on Facebook, MySpace, youtube, DailyMotion.com, Veoh.com, Break.com, PoliceLink.com, and other websites.

In the video, I link the biceps as a followup to fellow "pulling" muscles: the back. I also stress the use of proper form and diet as essential to any workout program. I also touch on the concept of "super-setting" and "negatives" when I suggest doing a couple slow downward movement close grip pull-ups (or chin-ups) between each bicep exercise.

I also throw in some use of elastic bands with the sitting preacher curl. By wrapping the bands from each end of the curl bar to a corresponding dumbbell on the floor, you are able to keep the tension consistent even at the top of the curl motion.

Working out and a healthy lifestyle is vital for those in public safety and even for others in our society. I hope this video motivates and helps people. Let me know how it works for you.

Harvard Professor Gates and Racial Profiling: Police Expert's Perspective

2009-07-21T11:46:00.012-04:00

As a college criminal justice educator, police expert media commentator, and former police chief, I have commented extensively police situations and have done so before on everything from Taser to the Caylee Anthony case. In some cases I have defended officers on the scene and explained their perspective. But in others, I have eshewed the circle the wogon mentality. I call it for how I see it based on commonly accepted police practices and an eye on the big picture of policing in America.

The big story today: Professor Gates racial profiling case. I have read the Cambridge Police reports and have several thoughts on the matter.

Bottom line: while the officer was justified in investigating a crime, he stated in his report that he was satisfied that the occupant, Professor Gates, was legally allowed to be there and that no further danger was present. That, from a law enforcement perspective, is THE key phrase. It was at that point he should have left. This became a battle of competing egos.

I have walked away once my legal duty was done even with someone yelling. The courts have long ruled that people can yell at the police. Disorderly conduct is a stretch especially when you (order or ask) the person to step outside so that non-police folks can be exposed to that yelling and be "alarmed" as an element of disorderly conduct. Just the perception alone is bad.

We need to see the big picture in policing. Perception is reality. We as professionals need to be sensitive to other people and their reality. Here as Director of the Institute for Public Safety at Central Ohio Technical College (which includes the Basic Police Academies) and other places I've been before, we drive home the mantra of respect and understanding for other folks' perspectives.

While perhaps the Professor was overly agitated, it was the police presence that was creating the agitation. Remove the police presence, and the agitation is gone. This is not unlike the theory that Los Angeles Police and other police agencies are correctly gravitating to regarding police chases. Bring in a helicopter, stop chasing with ground units, and the fleeing driver will stop driving at the high rate of speed.

We in policing are supposed to be professional problem solvers. The courts have ruled that it is not illegal for officers to be called names. Doesn't make it pleasant, but it is part of the career of peace officer. We are supposed to deescalate situations even if it means walking away.

I even saw this a few years back while doing a ride along with constables of the London Metropolitan Police in the U.K. A marked police car I was riding in broke down. People riding by would give me and the two uniformed bobbies obscene genstures. The officers just laughed. They understood that it was not personal, just directed at the uniform. They also knew it was part of policing in a democratic society.

While I believe in officer discretion, I do not believe that it was executed wisely here. I feel that he should have seen that the big picture of what we do and why we are here was forgotten for the heat of the moment. We in law enforcement are supposed to be above that.

Having investigated numerous reported break ins in my career, having supervised and trained officers who do so, I can comment on accepted police practices at each stage in the call for police service and how the officer handled it based on his own report.

To say the least, this call was not handled well. My educated prediction is that the case against Professor Gates will go away. In the meantime, officers nationwide will have to contend with folks that have yet another seed of discontent with law enforcers. All because the big picture was not heeded here.

Officers, and I agree, are all about officer safety. Officer safety begins with respect and being a peace officer. Walking away when it is not worth it and the legal need to remain to investigate has been satisfied. That did not happen here.

Police Expert on Traffic Stop of NFL Player Ryan Moats by Dallas Police Officer

2009-04-09T09:51:00.013-04:00

Like many folks in the criminal justice and law enforcement education and practitioner arenas, I was distreessed to see the video of NFL player Ryan Moats with Dallas Police officer Robert Powell during a traffic stop. As many people saw on countless youtube and television replays, Mr. Moats was enroute to a hospital in Plano, Texas, to try to see his mother in law before she passed away. Mr. Moats had his hazard lights on and went through a red light garnering the attention of Officer Powell. The Dallas law enforcer pursued Mr. Moats into the hospital emergency room parking lot and detained him for 13 minutes of a heated exchange.

This was an upsetting situation and a blow for law enforcement in the eyes of the community. As a former police chief, former full-time patrol officer, and law enforcement educator/trainer, I view this as contrary to our role in society. I made a video with my views on the situation. That video is featured here below on Blogger, as well as posted on my youtube.com, Facebook.com, Google Video, MySpace.com, Break.com, LiveLeak.com, Seesmic.com, Vimeo.com, Veoh.com, and DailyMotion.com pages. And I see that it has already been picked up by video sites in Asia and elsewhere.

The events as they transpired in the Moats traffic stop were just plain wrong. At the police academy I used to teach in and manage, just North of Orlando in Central Florida, I exhorted the students to remember what it was like before they pinned the badge. I told them to treat people as they would want their mother, father, brother, sister, wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc. to be treated.

The Moats family was in crisis. We are trained to handle people in crisis. As the mature, professional police officer, it is part of the job to deescalate situations and to see the big picture of what is happening. A simplistic view that is black and white (no pun intended here) is not the right path. This was a shade of grey.

To view this as simply go through light and get ticket is not right. Was the Moats family animated? Yes. So was the officer. Any veteran knows that yelling and being disrespectful only breeds more of the same from the motorist or civilian we are interacting with. If someone is agitated, we need to figure out why and calm them down.

If we as a society believe in simple cause an effect in terms of offense and punish, than we should do away with traffic officers and only have robotic, automatic red light cameras everywhere. But clearly we don't all agree that the camera route is the path to take. We need human beings as officers to deal with their fellow humans with compassion. Discretion is a key word here. We legally grant officers that latitude for a reason. It needs to exercised wisely.

Clearly, this was not the case of a lying motorist (which we all run into all to often). A nurse came out twice and a uniformed Plano Police officer came out once pleading for the Dallas Police officer to release Mr. Moats so he could see his mother in law before she passed away. Tragically, that did not happen.

In Florida and other states, you can mail the ticket. I commented on a similiar stoty for the news media a couple years ago involving a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Deputy Sheriff in Tampa, Florida, and offered the same solution.

This is also a tragedy for the Powell family (wife and kids too). A young officer has lost his career for what may be an unusual behavior. I have not obviously seen his personnel file, nor am I in the internal affairs/professional standards unit of the Dallas Police Department.

If it is a one-time occurence, and his apology and resignation is genuine, than I hope he learned and gets another position at a good, reputable law enforcement agency. If not, than it is better that he be doing something else. The stakes are too high in law emnforcement. We are not allowed to have a bad day. When we have a bad day, people can die.

PoliceOne.com column: What law enforcement can learn from the Caylee Anthony case

2008-08-23T17:42:00.009-04:00

I have done numerous media interviews on the Caylee Anthony missing child case that is transpiring right here in Orlando, FL. I have strong feelings on how law enforcement agencies and experts need to be handling cases of this publicity laden magnitude. My latest "Weinblatt's Tips" column on law enforcement website www.PoliceOne.com came out yesterday (08/22/08) and reflects my multi-year call for law enforcement responiveness and partnership with the media. The article, "P1 Exclusive: What law enforcement can learn from the Caylee Anthony case," covers the need for law enforcement agencies and experts to interact with the media.

According to PoliceOne.com, the website, based in San Francisco, CA, has almost 700,000 unique visitors each month with more than 176,000 registered law enforcement members representing over 14,000 agencies.

The latest column is featured on the front of the website, as well as in the primary slot in today's PoliceOne.com email newsletter (which is emailed to 94,000 law enforcement professionals). It can be read by clicking the link: http://www.policeone.com/writers/columnists/Richard-Weinblatt/articles/1728471-P1-Exclusive-What-law-enforcement-can-learn-from-the-Caylee-Anthony-case/

The concepts in the column reflect my sentiments as documented even way back in a February 1992 media relations article I wrote for Law and Order: The Magazine for Police Management. As I mentioned in the latest PoliceOne.com column, the concepts I wrote about in 1992 are dated, but not outdated. The media storm swirling around law enforcement in the Caylee Anthony case are only going to become more frequent. It's time that we embrace this police-media partnership and fill up the airtime with accurate law enforcement generated information.

Weinblatt Police Training Videos: Driver Call Back Traffic Stops and Dealing with the Opposite Sex

2008-08-23T14:32:00.022-04:00

Today I am blogging about two police training videos I created which were featured on the law enforcement website www.PoliceLink.com. I write regularly for PoliceLink. The videos are also up on my youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/richardweinblatt

I hosted, produced, directed, and edited, the videos with volunteer actor assistance from recent graduates from the Seminole Community College Police Academy that I manage here in Central Florida.

The February 18, 2008 video, "Dealing with the Opposite Sex," was based on my popular PoliceLink.com article "Ten Tips for Dealing with the Opposite Sex" published on November 26, 2007. I'm in the video as is Officer Nicole Gusaeff and Officer Daniel Barnard from our SCC Basic Law Enforcement Academy class #87. I even included some funny outtakes/bloopers at the end of the video. Nicole and Daniel were good sports and obviously had a lot of fun being featured in the video. I think the blooper part is more popular with folks than the serious section of the video.

The article can be read here: (http://www.policelink.com/training/articles/7528-ten-tips-for-dealing-with-the-opposite-sex)

This was a fun video and followed another, even more popular PoliceLink.com article (from October 10, 2007) that I wrote. The article was on a traffic stop concept not practiced by officers as much as driver's side or passenger side approach. My driver call back article can be read on PoliceLink.com here: http://www.policelink.com/training/articles/5883-safe-driver-call-backs

That first video, which I created on January 12, 2008, is based on my article. It starred me and my voluntary assistant, Officer Gabriel Garcia. Gabriel graduated from our SCC Basic Law Enforcement Academy class #90. He was a good sport and had fun acting in the video, although I did not incorporate an outtakes/bloopers section until the second video.

You can see the first video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dirc5wOFOgc

What surprises some people is the time it takes to shoot these videos. It takes three or four hours at least to set up the shots and do several takes. The multiple takes are needed to account for mistakes, as well as multiple camera angles. It then takes a couple hours to do the editing. I use iMovie HD 6 either on my Apple PowerMac G5 Quad Processor computer or my Apple MacBook Pro laptop to do the editing on my movies.

I've gotten tons of feedback from both current and aspiring law enforcement officers. Of course, as with any tactical training, you can get ten police instructors in a room and get ten different opinions on how to do things. With all my videos, I stress that they are only guides to general law enforcement situations. Specific legal and tactical guidance has to be sought from agency trainers and departmental policies.

Another type of video I've done has dealt with topical law enforcement issues of the day. Some examples of them were the Andrew Meyer University of Florida Taser incident, the Ohio police Taser situation, and the Paris Hilton lack of interest in being role model statement from her appearance on Late Night with David Letterman.

I am thinking of doing either more of these police training videos and/or more police expert opinion on the topical law enforcement issue of the day videos (prior examples of these can also be seen on my youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/richardweinblatt). What do you think?

Caylee Anthony Police Expert Analysis on News Interviews

2008-08-09T10:50:00.020-04:00

You would have to be under a rock not to notice the large amount of coverage garnered by the Caylee Anthony missing child case. As someone with law enforcement and media interviewing experience, it came as no surprise that I've ended up doing quite a few interviews on the topic. Even more than before, this investigation has lead to an incredible number of people coming up to me seeking answers to their many questions.

As I told WESH2 News (the NBC affiliate) anchor/reporter Gail Paschall-Brown, I fear that this case will have a sad ending. In my experience, the longer a child is missing, the more grim the prospects become.

This is a tragic case for a number of reasons. This missing two-year-old, now turned three-year-old, may have already been located if law enforcement officials were able to get straight answers from the get go. Sadly, As a former police chief who has investigated homicides and missing persons cases as a sworn law enforcer, it does not surprise me that people will use deceptions and omissions when dealing with police investigators seeking to ascertain the well-being of their own family.

I have told many folks that the Orange County Sheriff's Office investigators here in Orlando, FL, handling this case, Sgt. John Allen and Cpl. Yuri Mellich (who just finished two years in OCSO homicide), are not new kids on the block. They know how to investigate these types of cases. They are experienced, diligent and highly trained.

As for the smell of old pizza and the smell of death in the Pontiac. As anyone who has smelled a dead body left for some time, there is no confusing the two. As I pointed out in a Central Florida News 13 in-studio interview I did on 7/24/08 with Anchor Ybeth Bruzual, even Cindy Anthony, the grandmother, stated that in one of the 911 calls she made.

In a video package of a 7/23/08 interview I did with top rated ABC affiliate WFTV Channel 9 Eyewitness News, her statements concerning the pizza and my contradictory statements refuting the chance of confusing the two distinct smells were played together. Experienced law enforcers especially would not be confused by the pizza presence. As I told WFTV reporter Eric Rasmussen, that is not a chance that the two could be interchanged.

If you add on top of that the positive hit indication of two cadaver dog teams, the direction becomes clearer. As I explained on the WOFL Fox 35 Morning News in two live on-set interviews with host Heidi Hatch on 7/23/08 and in a video package with WVEN Univision 26 Noticias (the Spanish language news) News Anchor/Producer Jimena Cortes on 7/24/08, these dogs are highly trained and have a keen sense of smell. They would not be confused by pizza. You could put a ham sandwich next to them and they would not be distracted.

As for their sense of smell, they can detect the smell of decomposition deep underground even with a concrete slab being present. I don't think the human and canine experts could get this wrong.

It does appear that the family is now cooperating a little more with the investigators. They have discussed the issue of the Anthony family shed burglary and gas can theft with them. I figured that it was worth looking at and I told WFTV Channel 9 in another interview on 7/29/08 that investigators would have to look at the gas can shed burglary and theft situation.

That is good that family is now talking with the OCSO investigators. They are the ones with the interviewing expertise. They are the ones with the big picture of all of the tips that have to be logged in and prioritized. Seemingly insignificant information might be relevant when coupled with other information known by investigators.

It takes a lot of experience and training to conduct these investigations and no one should undertake such an endeavor on their own. To do so risks the integrity of the investigation.

I have also been asked why investigators withhold information. As I told reporters and news directors, who understand this as they have covered crime stories for years, information is always held back especially in high profile cases. They do this to be able to test the veracity and credibility of those who might confess or come forward with information. People have been known to do so with false information.

Information is also held back in order to have more material to offer the news media at a later date in an effort to revive the story. As time passes, sometimes people become more comfortable coming forward. Media coverage later helps the investigators to get more tips.

All of this is being combined with the evidence that they have collected and submitted for analysis on several different forays. Such evidence includes the stain, hair, and dirt from the Pontiac's trunk, the shovel borrowed from the neighbor, and the clothes retrieved and cleaned by Cindy Anthony from the Pontiac and later taken by investigators from the Anthony home. As I explained to Central Florida News 13 reporter Stephanie Coueignoux on 8/6/08, the evidence has to be looked at and analyzed. The forensic evidence, combined with their interviews and document collections will help them to piece together what amounts to a giant jigsaw puzzle.

This saga is sure to continue for a little longer. However, unlike the Trenton Duckett missing little boy case, I think this one will be solved. Let's hope so that the Anthony family, friends and the community can get some answers and some closure. Something that I know that countless loved ones of other missing children across Florida and the nation are hoping for in their respective cases.

Below is my Fox 35 Morning News two live in-studio segments from 7/23/08. Other TV news interview clips are on youtube at www.youtube.com/user/richardweinblatt

My Morning with American Idol's Ace Young and July 4th Holiday Travel Safety Tips News Interviews

2008-07-04T09:57:00.012-04:00

(Left to right) Fox 35 weatherman Jim Van Fleet, Seminole Community College Criminal Justice's Dr. Richard Weinblatt, and former American Idol contestant Ace Young in the Fox 35 studios.

Yesterday (July 3rd) was a fun day. Early in the morning I went over to the Lake Mary, FL, studios of WOFL Fox 35 to do another law enforcement-related interview for the Fox 35 Morning News. The cast, crew, and executives over the show were as friendly and gracious as they always are. It is really terrific to work with such a professional, reliable, and friendly TV station covering the Orlando TV market.

Both before and after my live on-set interview, I hung out in the studio and caught up with my friends there including the consummate show hosts Tom Johnson, Heidi Hatch, Lauren LaPonzina, and, of course, the weatherman and singer supremo, Jim Van Fleet.

American Idol's Ace Young

A nice bonus was spending some time with former American Idol contestant Ace Young. I've met a lot of celebrities, but Ace ranks as one of the nicest. I found him to be very down to earth. Of course it helped that my pal Jim Van Fleet (a buddy of Ace Young's) gave me an introduction to him that went like this: "Dr. Weinblatt's the man to know... he knows all of the law enforcement people." Thanks, Jim.

Ace and I joked about my business card not being a get out of jail free card. We also decided that a stint in jail would not be fun for either of us. Ace said he'd have to shave his head and bulk up if he went to the big house.

Ace Young has a killer schedule and I admire his work ethic. He had come into Orlando at 3:30 in the morning and was heading to Disney after the Fox 35 Morning News. After that, he said his plan was to get some sleep and then head to to perform at Red, Hot and Boom July 4th celebration in nearby Altamonte Springs, FL, (a bunch of my cop buddies are working this event on a mandatory basis and are going to be worn out themselves). Then it was off to Tennessee. Wow, what a schedule. As I said to Jim Van Fleet, "I guess you have to ride the wave while it lasts."

Ace has got a great memory and is smoother than most young rock stars out there. He told Jim that he had listened to his music on his myspace page. Later, he told me he was going to check out my website (www.policearticles.com). Not only can he sing, he can handle people very well. I was impressed.

Tom Johnson News Interview

Fox 35 Morning News host Tom Johnson (left) interviews Seminole Community College Criminal Justice's Dr. Richard Weinblatt live on the set.

As for my news interview itself, it went well. I had approx. two minutes live on the set with host and super nice guy Tom Johnson. We discussed July 4th holiday travel safety tips.

We covered such tips as: check out your car mechanically, plan your route, let another person know your route and car description (including license plate), and have plenty of food and water. I noted that a recent study found that two thirds of all crashes happen within five miles of the home. The shorter trip venues, caused by the rise in fuel prices, are no haven from crashes and other problems.

Behind the Scenes

For those who ask me what it's like to do these TV interviews, this may be of interest. We used three studio cameras and crew. It's pretty hard to look at the right camera at the right time and also at the host asking the questions. It takes some practice to follow the red lights on top of the camera that indicate they are the one feeding the image at the moment. All the meantime, you have to come with some good ad-lib based on the tips submitted previously. And you have to do this all smoothly without looking like it takes any effort. It is not as easy as it looks.

I've done interviews with both Tom and Heidi Hatch. They are both fun to work with. Tom was especially happy as he had plans this weekend to celebrate his eleventh wedding anniversary. Congratulations, Tom!

Jim Van Fleet's Music CDs and My Wife

I know I made my wife, Anne, happy when I hand delivered to her office three CDs of weatherman and music star Jim Van Fleet's artistry. Anne has met the charismatic Jim before and likes both him and his music. She was thrilled that Jim gave me the CDs for her. You can check out his music at www.jimvanfleet.net or www.myspace.com/jimvanfleet Anne told me that she already played his CDs with my six-year-old son Michael in the car on the way home yesterday.

The interview, as well as another one I did that afternoon at the downtown Orlando studios of Central Florida News 13, is below.

Reflections on SCC Leadership Academy

2008-06-06T12:00:00.012-04:00

The above picture of me receiving my Seminole Community College (SCC) Leadership Academy diploma at the April graduation ceremony from Dr. E. Ann McGee, Seminole Community College president, is the culmination of my terrific experience as part of the fantastic bonding and educational vehicle at SCC. The year-long program was the brainchild of Dr. McGee and reflects her commitment to educational excellence. Many college presidents espouse the virtues of of educational excellence, but Dr. McGee, SCC Communications and Marketing guru Michael Garlich, and their team of Leadership Academy alumni proved it by their actions. Like most folks with a criminal justice background, I believe that actions speak louder than words.

I was honestly impressed as Dr. McGee and company brought together a diverse group of men and women from across Seminole Community College's multiple campuses here in Central Florida to learn, laugh, and share about each other, the college, and educational leadership. I found it fascinating and made some great contacts and friends in the process. We even attended an SCC Board meeting and spent some time with the SCC Board of Trustees including Board Chair and Florida State Representative Chris Dorworth.

The highlight of the Seminole Community College Leadership Academy was our two day visit in March 2008 to Tallahassee (Florida's state capitol) hosted by Dr. McGee. In the state capitol, we toured the governmental complexes and learned much of the legislative and budgetary process and how it all ties into the educational picture in our state. We also saw the guenuine respect that educational and political leaders have for Dr. McGee. I have to say I was impressed.

The members of the SCC Leadership Academy also met with a host of dignitaries including SCC board of trustees chairman and state representative Chris Dorworth, Rep. Joe Pickens, Florida State University president Dr. T.K. Wetherell, and Florida Division of Community Colleges chancellor Dr. Willis N. Holcombe. These leaders gave us much advice and candidly discussed pressing issues facing community colleges.

Another Viewer Gives Feedback

2008-05-11T12:33:00.002-04:00

As I have posted for readers of my blog before, here is a nice email I received in my YouTube.com channel inbox. This email concerns the University of Florida student Taser incident involving Andrew Meyer...

lthobbes1
From one Officer to another, I thank you
May 06, 2008
Hello Richard,
I'm a Deputy in Greene County (Springfield) Mo.
After seeing your intelligent answer to the student taser incident I want to thank you.
Even since this event I have been arguing the exact same points that you have.

Ask them
Tell them
Make them

When someone does not comply we only really have two choices
1. Use physical force to make him comply which could result in numerous different injuries or even death to the offender or

or 2. They could deploy a taser, which is much safer for the officers and the offender.
ANYTIME an offender refuses to comply they must be forced. The only other option is to pull up a chair and talk about "feelings" for 12 hours and maybe he will comply:P
Most inexperienced liberals I talk to want to say "well they had three cops they could have hand cuffed him".

To these inexperienced folks- I have this to say: as a brand new rookie in corrections more than 3 years ago I took my first DT class .

At the end of class all formed two lines and went through the line taking turns having someone act as the resistor in the prone position with arms underneath them. Two officers would come up and force the person into the handcuff position. The resistor on bottom would use passive resistance only, but they would hold out as long as they could.

My MMA instructor and good friend who got me the job was also one of the DT instructors. When it was my turn to be the resistor, one of the officers to try and cuff me was a competitive power-lifter who at one time could bench over 500. The other was a large veteran C.O. female weighing approx 250-300lbs.

Long story extremely shortened- These two tried repeatedly to cuff me with no success until they almost wore themselves completely out. So the DT instructors asked them what they should do. The instructors ended up instructing them to call for back-up. At this point the rest of the class all pounced on me. (I don't know the exact number of total students but I would guestimate 10-15)

After about 2 minutes of the entire class failing to handcuff me most of the class were worn out and the instructors called scenario. The DT instructors were of course laughing and claiming they only did that because they knew I was a grappler and "I wanted to see a cluster, and I knew you would be good for a cluster"

Am I trying to brag? Not at all, You and I both know that even a 100lb methed out woman can keep 5-6 officers busy for quite some time....

I have trouble sometimes painting an accurate picture of what police work is really like to liberal civilians. The taser is not the equivalent of the electric chair the way many liberals have been brainwashed into thinking. It is hard to de-program people from the romantic ideas people get from TV about police work.

I think you did an extremely superb job of explaining the John Kerry Taser action and I hope you keep making these explanations on youtube in the future.

Thank you so much for posting this video. You did a great job keep it up.

God Bless,
Jeremiah

Blast from the Past: Polaroid of Firearms from 1995 Traffic Stop

2008-01-12T21:56:00.000-05:00

I was digging in a desk drawer tonight and I found something really interesting. It was a Polaroid (remember them) picture. Back in 1995, as a Patrol Division Deputy Sheriff with the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, I stopped a vehicle on Interstate 25. To make a long story short, I arrested the male driver and found a huge cache of firearms and ammunition. The bad stuff is spread out on the hood of my Chevrolet Caprice patrol car for evidentiary photo purposes. It is a good thing that the driver didn't use any of that firepower on me before I knew what he had. Talk about a blast from the past.

Feedback, Feedback, Feedback...Boy, do I get Feedback

2007-10-17T19:44:00.000-04:00

With all the videos and articles that I self-produce, as well as local and national TV news interviews I do, and put up on the Internet, you can imagine all of the emails, comments, and messages I get.

While a lot of the feedback I get is the usual "nazi," "facist," "pig," etc. name calling by those that do not want to hear a reasoned and balanced voice on the complicated world of policing in a democratic society, there is quite a bit that is more positive in nature.

With the former, as I've told my wife and others, you just have to have a thick skin and not let their ramblings bother you. As for the latter group, it is nice to have these folks, law enforcement and non-law enforcement, recognize that my aim is to help educate the public as to what the police do and why we do it. It is at that juncture that an educated and informed opinion can be made.

As observed by a few of the police academy students that I was instructing today on traffic stops, it's not as simple as it appears from the outside. After being educated and trying it themselves in a training scenario environment, these aspiring law enforcers realized the myriad of different things they have to be aware of. They saw first-hand how hard it is to see, detect and react appropriately to a red training firearm placed in a subject vehicle. It's not like TV.

Education on law enforcement matters is the key for people to understand what there police do and why they do it. That is why I am driven to spend the time and effort on these endeavors. Here is some of the feedback I've gotten:

On policeone.com website BLUtube.com, remang, a representative of the law enforcement community, wrote the following comment after watching my MSNBC interview on the new Taser study.

The national news interview aired on October 8, 2007 and had me appear with a representative of Amnesty International:

Never seen anyone work so hard to get themselves on TV and the internet as Mr. Weinblatt. That said, he's reasonably articulate and I do appreciate his visibility on behalf of Peace Officers everywhere in America. Thanks.

Facebook.com has been a source of many comments from the non-law enforcement members of our society. Not all of them have been well-reasoned and positive. Here are some of the ones I enjoyed...

Regarding my self-produced video on the University of Florida Andrew Meyer Taser incident:

The thing is I trust him more, since he is certified in alot of uses of force, it listed them. He has a greater span of knowledge on use of force than many general officers. Also he is right the Secret Serveice would have had his ass the first time he stepped out of line. The officers showed alot of restraint.

Richard...A job well done...I find it hard to believe the officer infringed on the college student's rights...It was clearly a cut and dry case...The issue isn't freedom of speech...It's simply the use of force and I find it hard to believe the Taser is HIGH on the use of force continuum, especially above an expandable baton...Once more Kudos Richard.

Definitely. Many kudos to Mr. Weinblatt and the officers involved. The officers did, as Mr. Weinblatt said, show great restraint during the entirety of the situation. It is never clear if someone does, or does NOT have a weapon or bomb on their person. Just as Mr. Weinblatt said, if it was teh Secret Service involved, the moment Mr. Meyer stepped out of line, he would have been tackled and forcefully removed from the building.

From what I have read, Mr. Meyer was placed under arrest before even asking his questions. I cannot officially confirm this. It was Senator Kerry that asked the officers to let him ask his questions. Then, when refusing to conclude his questions, as asked by the forum administrators (or whomever was controlling the questions being asked), they turned off the microphone. This is when Mr. Meyer became unruly.The officers attempted to restrain him, he fought back, was warned multiple times to stop or he would be tased, and eventually was tased.

Everything is, as Kevin said, very "cut and dry." The officers did a great job, and should be commended for their restraint. It is not easy being a police officer, especially in a situation where you are LARGELY out-numbered as they were at this forum.

Thank you for your words of insight, Mr. Weinblatt! Always nice to hear from a truly informed person, as well as one with personal experience in similar, if not identical situations.

Hey Richard,
Sorry I called you a jerk off. I was frustrated with some of the conversation I've been seeing. I wanted to let you that I have respect for police who put their life on the line to help others. I think part of being a cop is to put your own safety at risk to an extent in defense of others. I think some officers get angry or are so overzealous about their own safety that they end up using excessive or even lethal force on innocents, or non-violent perp's. Cops start to see everyone as a threat or a criminal. I think there needs to be more checks and balances on the carte blache checks that we give out to people in power (and that means teachers, cops, the military, and especially politicians). I appreciate your feedback and your service. I've thought about becoming a cop after I graduate-- but what makes me hesitate is the bad image created by so- called bad cops. Dept.'s make it even worse when they consistently side with officers so as to not get sued.

My youtube.com posting of my same University of Florida Taser incident response video garnered around 100 comments. Again, many were just throughtless tirades with blanket condemnations of policing, with no regard for an examination of each individual instance on its own merits. Here are some of the ones that I enjoyed:

Far left kool aid drinkers are the only ones that disagree with what happened here. This man spoke frankly and honestly about how tasers are used and when. As far as freedom of speech is concerned, that goes right out the window when you start to cause a disturbance.

You say that because Mr. Meyer didn't end up having a weapon. The ONE time some jack-ass gets through a crowd WITH a weapon, you and I both know that EVERYONE starts whining "What were the POLICE/SECURITY FORCE doing? Why weren't they doing their JOB?!"

They can't win, because people want to criticize them for making hard decisions that the rest of us take for granted for not usually having to make.

Great video, very informative. I totally agree with your assessment. He was just playing up to the cameras, and is known for posting his "shocking" videos on My Space.

do u people who are "crying facism" see what the fuck is really going on now?? thank u so much for this video people need to stop making shit up about this Meyer thing like he didnt do anything or like he was tortured because he spoke out. i really wish people would actually listen to this, tho i doubt many will

1) once he was told to stop and the mic was cut, he could be considered to be trespassing.
2) once he shakes off the cops attemps to hold his arms they were within rights to treat him as hostile
3) when he fought there attemps to cuff him, he escalated the situation to a point where they were justifed to taze him.

Personally I don't blame him for his opinions on the election,but I think he was playing it up for the camera. he thought the cops were bluffing... and they tazed him.

The police didn't 'keep him from expressing his opinion'--his views were already crystal-clear by the time he was asked to leave.

He wasn't tased for his views; he was tased because he resisted the lawful authorities who were doing their job in asking him to leave.

NEWSFLASH: crime or not, if the organizer of an event wants you gone, it's their RIGHT to have you removed.

If I invite you to my party and you show up and irritate me, I have every right to tell you to leave and have you removed if you don't comply.

His opinions didn't get him ejected; his disruptions did. He wasn't "just asking questions". He didn't care about John Kerry's answers, or he would have LET HIM ANSWER.

Even if you search everyone, someone can still smuggle a weapon before the event and hidden somewhere.

The law is very clear on this issue. "You can not resist an arrest, even if the arrest is unlawful." To quote a friend and Use of Force expert: "In this country we fight cops in court not in the streets. We sue for bad arrests, we do not riot and set cars on fire. This is what makes us different from third world countries."

Great video. People seem to think he was under arrest because of what he was saying, he was not. He was just not going to be allowed to rant any more. When he said blowjob the moderators had enough. The forum was held on a college campus and the officers were campus police. They uphold not only state laws but also the policies, rules, regulations of the college. They had a right to remove the speaker as set forth by the policies set by the organizers of the forum. People just don't understand.

this video is really informative, thank you for taking the time to help clear up the misunderstanding of this giant mess.

Great video and explanation. Seems people still beleive he was tasered because of what he was saying. He was level 4 about 5 min before they even drew the taser.

he had himself tazered for demonstration. this man isnt promoting fascism, hes giving you insight to the officers perception on this case. what youre talking about doing with religous people is completely unlike this situation. they have the right to freedom of speech, its when they overstep their boundary and their right as andrew meyer did, than action must be taken.

This video is fantastic.

What a lot of people don't understand is that freedom of speech does not include the right to ignore the rules of a regulated public forum.

I wonder if all of these outraged people get as angry every weekend that a bouncer kicks someone out of a bar.

Actively resisting authority's attempt to lead you away is just plain stupid in a case like this.

EXCELLENT excellent response! Very well put together and explained. Great job!

My video commenting on Paris Hilton's "I take no responsibility for my opportunity to be a role model and have a legacy to be proud of" appearance on David Letterman got some interesting responses. Here is one from my video's comment area on video sharing website Break.com:

I agree with you, Richard.
She had the opportunity to step up and failed miserably. This tells me that she has no remorse. Her only regret is that she got caught.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. As for the negative "facist" and "nazi" name-calling type postings, you'll just have to go to youtube.com and other places to read those. I won't waste my time on them. The information has been presented to them if they want to have an open enough mind to consider it.

Paris Hilton on David Letterman: A Lost Opportunity to be a Role Model

2007-10-06T19:43:00.002-04:00

Paris Hilton was recently on The Late Show with David Letterman. At the time of this blog post, one clip of her appearance on David Letterman's show on youtube.com has garnered some three million hits. Many people are watching her show, but none are getting the benefit of her experience behind bars. As you'll recall, she was sent to be in the care and custody of Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca as a result of Paris' driver's license "indiscretion."

I have created a video response to her appearance (which you can watch here on Blogger). I have also uploaded my video to a variety of locations on the Internet including youtube.com, myspace.com, facebook.com, aolvideo.com, googlevideo.com, yahoovideo.com.

My video laments the fact that Paris Hilton throws away an opportunity to be a role model for millions of young women (and young men). Her brush with the law and stint in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Jail is a perfect springboard for her to showcase mistakes in judgment and the road to justice.

Letterman keeps bringing it back to the topic of jail and the justice system, but Paris Hilton has no part of it. He points out correctly that she could have a legacy of teaching millions from her mistake. For example, she could hammer at the point of having a designated river in a way that is lost when any but Paris would do it.

In addition to pointing all of this out and agreeing with David Letterman, I call on viewers of my video to let their voice be heard and comment on whether Paris Hilton should have taken the opportunity to be a positive force and run with it.

You can watch the video below:

Great Feedback from "The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet" Appearance

2007-09-30T09:20:00.000-04:00

I have gotten great feedback from my appearance on "The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet" live from FOX Studios in New York City. I've heard from law enforcement and non-law enforcement alike who appreciated the public explanation of the use of Tasers.

That is my aim. I hope that my interviews, etc. help people to understand what law enforcement does and why we do it. Not all law enforcers are good and not all officers are bad. I am the last person to take a hard line view dumping all possibility of the latter or the former.

I want to give the public the tools needed to make informed judgments about the conduct of police officers and deputy sheriffs. That educated perspective will hopefully result in dignified treatment of the police and the public that we serve.

Here is one of the particularly enjoyable emails that I received. The writer even addressed the situation on the University of Florida Taser incident's Andrew Meyer. This one is from a police officer in Fort Worth, Texas:

Chief Weinblatt. Sorry but once a chief, always a chief. This email is
in comment to the Morning Show that I watch today. And as a fellow law
enforcement officer, I was happy to see that a law enforcement officer
was given the opportunity to explain how tasers work on national
television.

Your law enforcement career exceeds mine by 10 years if not more. I
believe your explanation and demonstration of the taser will help people
better understand their use and purpose in the law enforcement world.
Being tased myself I can tell you that it's far better than a bare
knuckle brawl with a 250+ suspect where arms and shoulders are going to
break. Like the guest on the show for example, one lady stated that it was
mistaken identity and she was tased three times. First off why would it
take three times to subdue this woman?

I feel that a portion of society feels that they are above and out of reach of the law. I'm not even going to touch the topic on the Fl kid. He's just lucky that the
secret service or other feds weren't present.

The taser is a highly effective devise. When I was first trained on
one, I thought come on how much can it really hurt. WOW! I'll take
pepper spray any day. I still was a little weary about them and maybe it
was more doubts about the effectiveness of them. I mean the last thing
any officer wanted was to be in the middle of you know what and a taser
takes a crap on you.

The first time I saw one deployed, I was in FTO and got in my first
pursuit. I was the second patrol car in the pursuit. I was so excited,
radioing dispatch of our location, a lot was going through my mind. The
car stopped, and the suspect fled on foot. We were able to catch him
during the foot pursuit. I was so happy that I got him. But I was now on
the ground fighting with this guy. It was the first time anything really
big happened on my first phase of training. All I thought about was,
"I got him, I caught him". But the real fight started. I heard my
FTO behind me and he yelled, "TASER". I just let go of the suspect
and moved away. He took the ride 4 times before compiling with officers.
But after everything was done, I walked over to the car and thanked the
guy. I said, "Thank you so much you are officially my first arrest".
He looked at me and said, "Damn that hurt. Next time I'll take the
ass woopin'".

I've read some of your articles Chief and I'm glad you were given
the opportunity to help people better understand the vital role that
tasers play in law enforcement.

And here was my email back to this Fort Worth police officer:

Thanks for your nice email concerning Tasers and my recent appearance on "The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet." I've gotten quite a lot of feedback on the segment.

You are right. The more that the law enforcement community educates and informs the public, the more they will understand what it is we do and why we do it. That is my aim.

It sounds like you care about what you do. That is great. We need more police officers who care about the professionalism and service aspects of the job. Keep up the good work.

Live from New York City... The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet

2007-09-26T21:03:00.000-04:00

I have just gotten back from New York City. The national talk show The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet had flown me up to appear on a long segment on Tasers. With me on the show was Tom Smith, the Chairman of Taser International, and Larry Cox, Executive Director of Amnesty International.

It was a fun experience and a terrific chance to spread the message from my self-produced video "UF Student Tasered: A Law Enforcement Expert Responds" (that I put up on youtube, myspace, facebook, aol video, etc. - see my previous Blogger post for this video). I want people to understand the the police perspective before they make their final judgment. With Taser, the information has to factor in how the Taser works, the use of force continuum, and the specifics of a case at hand.

The Morning Show gave a national forum to educate the viewers and more closely examine cases such as The University of Florida student Andrew Meyer who was Tasered at the forum featuring Senator John Kerry.

I flew up last night (Tuesday) after a full day wearing a bullet proof vest in the hot sun instructing a Patrol block Simunitions day at the Police Academy I manage. I was a sun burned and tired guy when I got to bed in NYC at around midnight.

This morning (Wednesday), the show sent a car to pick me up a little before 7:00 am. I proceeded to the FOX studios in midtown Manhattan Times Square and met with the producers. They were very nice and I got to speak with some very interesting folks including the hosts Mike and Juliet, as well as Taser's Tom Smith and Amnesty International's Larry Cox.

We did some rehearsals for the show and off we went. The two segments were quite long- around 15 minutes total- by television standards. Here is a link to The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet's site that has the first of the two segments on it:

http://www.mandjshow.com/videos/terrifying-taser-threats/

After I was done with the show, they had another car wisk me to JFK Airport. It was a whirlwind trip and I sure am tired now. But it was absolutely worth the effort. I am pleased with the final product that me and my fellow guests put forth and the show hosts' and staffs' graciousness.

UF Student Tasered: I respond on youtube, my space, etc.

2007-09-23T01:05:00.000-04:00

If you haven't heard of University of Florida student Andrew Meyer and the infamous Taser incident involving the UF Police Department at Senator John Kerry's forum, you've probably been under a rock somewhere. While I am heartened that many people have seen the incident for what it really was, some have been misinformed or uneducated as to the role of the Taser and how use of force was used in this incident.

In the wake of all the publicity and millions of views on youtube, my space, and other media outlets, I thought it was time for a responsible voice to put information out so that people could then make an informed and educated judgment as to what transpired.

With the assistance of my wonderful wife, Anne, on this warm Central Florida Saturday night, I made an approximately six minute video giving a law enforcement expert's perspective on the situation. I made my credentials known in the video (I didn't want the viewers to think that my comments were based in fluff). I even included a short clip of me being Tasered in 2004 when I was a police chief as part of training. I was shot in the back and "took the ride" (as the saying goes). I couldn't resist and was able to get up unscathed afterwards. Of course, it helps that I did not ingest copious amounts of cocaine or other drugs prior to be shot with the Taser. That alone shows that the Taser is purely a control device. And that is what law enforcement officers are after: control and compliance to commands.

In the case of Andrew Meyer, as I explained in my video, officers with the University of Florida had every right to be concerned. While I am a staunch defender of freedom of speech, where there are rights, so too are there responsibilities. Mr. Meyer disregarded the rules of the forum and became an unwelcome guest of the organizers.

Lucky for him that this was not the President or some other high profile official under protection of the feds. If the U.S. Secret Service had been present, I feel certain that he would have been pounced on as soon as he barged his 200 pounds up to the front of the line. Especially in this age of heightened terrorist concerns, law enforcers have to be wary of a man that is emotional, moves fast, and may be armed with a bomb, firearm, or knife.

It was only after he rambled, disregarded the University popo, and used a sexual expletive, that the organizers cut his microphone. It was not the police officers that did so; it was the organizers of the forum. I submit that it was Meyer who was violating everyone else's freedom of speech as he was preventing them from having a reasoned and controlled public discourse. Meyer then broke away from the officers.

In the Sunshine State, as elsewhere, we have guidelines for use of force and the use of the Taser. The Taser safely fall under active physical which would include Meyer's actions of pulling away from the officers. Taser is low on what we call the use of force continuum. It certainly more preferable over a dislocated shoulder and broken arm which is what he might have gotten if all of the officers piled on him and used brute strength to force his arms back.

At the time of the repeated verbal commands and later application of the Taser, Meyer did not have the handcuffs on. Unlike on TV, it is very hard for even a group of officers to place handcuffs on a subject that does not want them on. At least not without causing a great deal of injury.

By using the Taser in drive stun mode, the officers used the localized pain compliance by putting the activated Taser against his body. That certainly is more preferable than the old way of breaking bones and bashing skulls with many officers or a solid baton.

If any thing, as I told the Orlando, FL-based Fox 35 10:00 News on Tuesday (9/16/07) on this very incident, the question wasn't whether too much force was used...the issue is that too little was used and further that it was utilized too late.

I explain in my video that the officers should have actually used more force sooner. They should have grounded him, used the Taser, and loud, repetitive verbal commands. They did all this, but dragged it out too long.

I feel for the University of Florida police officers involved in this fracas. I'm sure that they hesitated due to the high profile nature of the event, the cameras present, the Senator in front of them, and the nature of the campus environment that they operate.

While the police officers are on paid administrative leave, I hope that Chief Linda Stump makes sure that the panels being convened to investigate the incident and UF Police use of force and Taser policies are fair and impartial. I also hope that the students and others being selected to serve on the inquiry boards are educated so that they fully understand the complex dynamics involved in the policing in a democratic society. Hopefully, my video will help in that education mission.

Kid Nation, filmed near Santa Fe, NM, at Bonanza Creek Ranch, Debuts

2007-09-20T20:51:00.000-04:00

Kid Nation, the much beleaguered series on CBS, has debuted (Wednesday, 8:00 pm-9:00 pm) with a scant four minutes of commercial ad time sold. While the controversy has captivated many all summer with its cries of child exploitation, I know its filmed location as a place of other Hollywood-type interest.

Even Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano, a fellow blogger, has been quoted extensively on the exploitation controversy in local and national press. His thoughts on the issue have been everywhere from the New York Times to the Los Angeles Times newspapers. His deputy sheriffs investigated the claims and found no criminal wrong doing, although some concerns were expressed.

As a deputy sheriff in the Patrol Division of the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, I visited the closed set of the old TNT western The Lazarus Man starring the late Robert Urich. The series (1995-1996) aired on Saturday nights at 9:00 pm on the TNT cable TV network and it was filmed at the Bonanza Creek Ranch located some eight miles south of the City of Santa Fe, NM.

I had no problem being let in by security at the front wooden gate. I pulled my marked Chevrolet Caprice patrol car up to the set and encountered a min-city in the form of a Hollywood set of an old western main street. All of this was outside with canopies to shield the caterers and other support folks from the sun. Many actors were scurrying about in their western garb.

It looked much like a scene from a Hollywood set- only this was in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. Kid Nation claims to be filmed in Bonanza City, NM. Actually, the real location is the place that Robert Urich plied his trade on the two season TNT western series before his cancer stopped the Sam Productions series.

Bonanza Creek Ranch was the name it went by during my visit and it certainly is not a stand alone city or community. The opening of the old NBC show Bonanza was filmed there. Remember, that was when Ben Cartwright and the rest of his brood rode up on horses during the opening music and the series' credits.

Other westerns have been filmed there including the Legend of the Lone Ranger (1980), Silverado (1989), and the Lucky Luke series (1989). The "city" that is there now is the result of the Hollywood magic worked by Lucky Luke's Paloma Films honchos.

It'll be interesting to see how this show does in the shadow of the controversy and minimal sponsor support. The location of the Ranch is great being just a stone throw from the amenities of the City of Santa Fe. And the views...well they are to say the least spectacular. Bonanza Creek Ranch is a very stunning and beautiful part of our nation (not just the kid nation).

Michael's Daddy Adventure Video

2007-09-19T10:06:00.000-04:00

In the vein of the Fatherhood and Star is Born blog posts below, this post is on the video I made of Michael's Daddy Adventure at the Central Florida Zoo on Sunday, September 16, 2007.

This was a fun project that Michael and I worked on together (along with Consultant to the Directors: Mommy - Anne Weinblatt). I shot the video with my Cannon ZR800 MiniDV camcorder and edited it with iMovie. The video was for Michael's Grandy (my mother - Annie Weinblatt) and dedicated to my father- "the Dad Who Started it All."

You see, my father and I were very close. We had Daddy Adventures and Michael's time with me is an extension of my father's legacy. Even the song that I downloaded (legally from iTunes) reflects my father's time with me. We would go have lunch at the old style New Jersey diners. You know, the ones that had the old jukeboxes at the tables. We would play the 1971 song "Cats in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin and talk about how that was not us. He had time for me and I would have time for him as I got older.

That Harry Chapin song had a lot of meaning for us, and by extension, my mother. Interestingly, Michael, especially for a five-year-old, is keenly aware of his place in the continuing father-son dynamic. He has told me that he hopes that he will be as good a father as I am with his son someday. I think this video will have meaning for the future generations, in addition to Michael, my wife, and my mother.

You can watch the video below.

Yet Another Taser Blog Post: Taser for Women

2007-09-09T19:59:00.000-04:00

I was recently contacted by WKMG-TV Local 6 News reporter Kimberly Houk concerning a story she was doing on Taser for women. Scottsdale-based Taser International has put out a sleek Taser that is available in designer colors dubbed the C2.

While I'm not totally against firearms and Taser weaponry for civilians, I have quite a few concerns. I agreed enthusiastically to meet with Kimberly and her crew at her Orlando, FL, TV studios.

I had not worked with Kimberly before, so I was not sure what to expect. I found the experience to be terrific and the finished product was great. The video package was aired on September 6, 2007 on Local 6 News at 11.

I brought along a portable target stand and Tasers for Kimberly to fire. We videoed some me giving Kimberly some Taser instruction and fired the Tasers in the studio. Kimberly did a good job, as did another one of the station's employees. We then did the sit down interview.

As I mentioned to Kimberly in the interview, I would like to see Taser, and other companies, mandate more training. Here in Central Florida, we put recruit students in the Basic Law Enforcement Academies I manage through 770 hours of intense training. Even then, they are only just beginning to acquire the necessary tools, skills, and mindset needed to face an aggressor in a stress-filled, real-life situation. I'm not sure many people have the skills and attitude needed to, without hesitation, fend off an aggressor. I fear that the weapon could be used against them or that there is potential for misuse.

Even with that said, as I tell the police academy recruits, you often don't know how you will react in a dangerous situation until you are faced with one. While I believe in choice and freedom in the United States, I still wish there was more that could be done to protect the civilian Taser bearer and us against the Taser and possible misuse.

You can watch the Local 6 News at 11 story on the civilian use of Tasers for women on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxoCgyNvkM

A Star is Born: Michael's TV Debut

2007-09-08T18:21:00.000-04:00

With the start of school, my five-year-old son, Michael, joined his Daddy on a couple of TV interviews. Michael was excited and was interestingly his own harshest critic when watching the television footage later. He wanted to watch them over and over.

The first one was for Central Florida News 13 and aired on August 15, 2007. Reporter Ron Lee, formerly on New York City's NY1 news operation, was the lead on this one. I've worked with Ron before and he is very pleasant to deal with. Ron even came by the house to make it easier since I had Michael in tow.

The Central Florida News 13 piece dealt with using the Internet to check on sexual predators that live near your child's bus stop, school or home. As I explained to Ron, the locations of sexual predators and offenders can be checked on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement website:
http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/Search.jsp

You can see Michael's video here or on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZHYvQ32Y9U

Michael helped out yet again (stars are so helpful) with two live Fox 35 Morning News segments on August 16, 2007. My wife Anne (Michael's mommy) came along to cater to the star.

Working with the morning news crew folks was as nice as it was dealing with the evening people. The segment was on bus stop safety. I had previously gone and bought a Coleman glow stick (Target) and used Michael's back pack (Land's End) with reflective strip to demonstrate safety tips.

You can see Michael's Fox 35 Morning News video here or on you tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfPPu0H6E7w

They were very friendly. Michael, Anne, and I even had a tour of the Fox 35 News facilities after we were done. Anne found it fascinating and they particularly enjoyed the huge green screen that is used for the computer generated weather graphics. Fox 35's Weatherman, Jim Van Fleet, even joined us at the green screen. It was a great experience and I appreciate their hospitality to my family.

Fatherhood

2007-08-04T14:25:00.001-04:00

The other night, I was on the phone catching up (as I do regularly) with an old friend, Fred Thompson, the retired chief of the South Brunswick Police Department in New Jersey. As I was speaking with Fred, we shared the pride in our sons as only fellow fathers can fully understand.

Fred's two sons have certainly done much in their lives and Fred has every reason to be proud. One is the highest ranking rising junior at West Point- the United States Military Academy- and the other is bound for prestigious Duke University to study government and public policy. Both are clean-cut, honorable men. Just like their father.

Here is a picture of then-Captain Fred Thompson in a 1980s auxiliary police officer recruitment video we made together for the South Brunswick Police Department.

So what is it that makes the difference for young men? What keeps them from "the Dark Side?"

Fred and I discussed having busy lives, but always having time for our sons. My five-year-old son, Michael, routinely plays on the floor in my home-office while I work. It reminded Fred and I of the famous picture (above) of John-John looking out from the desk in President John F. Kennedy's Oval Office desk.

Such paternal closeness doesn't come out of a vacuum. I was close to my father (that's me and Dad pictured together above right at my wedding to Anne) and spent countless hours with him. In the later years, before he passed away, my father would call me countless times and ask "how's the weather?" I would give anything to hear that question again.

When my son comes in my office, I always try to pay attention to him. These are years that will never be recaptured. Once they are gone, that's it. My son has been surrounded by my work, my friends, law enforcers, and my values. For me to be a good role model, I need to be there for him...and I am.

Already at five-years-old, my wife and I can see the shaping of a responsible young man that has compassion for animals and children who are smaller than him. One tangible manifestation of our observations is that he has taken on quite a bit of responsibility for Dexter, our small dog. I am proud that he is protective of Dexter and looks out for him.

It is true, as countless, law enforcement executives, scholars, and politicians have pointed out, that many people can be fathers, but few can be a parent. It is a quality role that people like Fred Thompson and I strive for everyday.

Taser Blog Post Gets Good Reactions (And so do my other comments)

2007-07-08T16:43:00.000-04:00

My most recent post on Blogger concerning the Taser has gotten some good reactions. Here is an example of an email I received. This one is from an officer in Massachusetts:

I got the link to your blog and wanted to say I thought the info on the taser was excellent. My PD has kicked the idea around and it was kind of let go for the time being. Hopefully they will reconsider.

Even the controversial Fox 35 10:00 News interview I did on the traffic stop in Hillsborough County, FL, (see a couple previous blog posts) got some positive reaction. Here is one off of PoliceLink.com that I received from an officer in Virginia:

Richard,
I haven't chimed in on all the comments in regard to the traffic stop videos, but I wanted to write you personally. Thank you for your honesty and candor in regard to the officer's reactions. Lately (especially on this site), I've been fed up with some attitudes exhibited by fellow officers and have been annoyed at the idea that no matter the action-the officer is always correct. It seems as if some officers have forgotten where they came from, and have completely lost their human side. I believe theres a time and place for everything and seeing you-especially with your experience-being so honest- is truly a breath of fresh air.

I have actually had to step away from this site for a while after receiving some messages from a certain member (who shall not be named) who accused me of being too soft, compassionate, and uptight. To me, policing is like a recipe. You have to figure out the correct ingredients for whatever jurisdiction you work. What works in Florida might not work in DC-and so on.

So, thank you for your honesty. It hasn't gone unnoticed.
Take care and stay safe.

That traffic stops interview even has found its way to be a part of training officers the importance of remaining calm and composed in the face of a possibly problematic officer-citizen interaction. Here is an email I received from a Southern California city's training sergeant:

I just reviewed a news video about an interview with you regarding a traffic stop that went bad: Hillsborough traffic stop. I was wondering if I could get a copy of the video from you for training purposes? I will be teaching a tactical communications class at the end of August and I would like to incorporate it in my training.

It's nice to see that the information is helpful for law enforcement officers, trainers, and administrators.

Taser Continues to Thrive as 51st Lawsuit Dismissed

2007-06-26T21:41:00.000-04:00

Taser International is trumpeting its 51st lawsuit dismissal over the sometimes controversial Taser less-lethal component in law enforcement's tool bag. Many people jump up and down in knee jerk reactions over the Taser. I am a Taser instructor and teach the topic in our Seminole Community College Basic Law Enforcement Academies. I've even been shot in the back by the Taser and lived (quite happily) to tell about it in less then a minute after the probes hit me. See the video below.

Like much that happens in police work, it is hard to see the successes as they do not make headlines. Just as when you take a drunk driver off the road or a gun off a drug dealer, if the case goes south later on on a technicality, you could make the argument that at least the drunk is off the road or the gun is off the street. It is hard to quantify or put your finger on the ephemeral possibility of what was avoided.

So too is the use of the Taser as it is hard to know how may deaths exactly the 50,000 volt ECW -it is dubbed under the generic moniker of ECW (Electronic Control Device) by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)- have helped to avoid. The media loves to ponder the culpability of the Taser in deaths that have occurred after the use of the device (hence my Taser death interviews with CNN Headline News and MSNBC).

I believe that the Taser saves more lives than it takes (if any). Police officer and deputy sheriff injuries and injuries to suspects have gone down. Of course, it helps that the training for officers deploying the Taser has gotten better. No longer are officers encouraged to Taser individuals who are on rooftops. You see, those folks end up falling off the roof when the Taser hits them and, of course, they can't put their arms out to break their fall.

As Taser has settled in to the police landscape, officers and their respective agencies have learned that the Taser is not a one size fits all device. It is not appropriate for all circumstances.

Some history may help to put this all in perspective. Some of the same hysteria and police overuse happened when Pepper Spray hit big (full disclosure: I am also a pepper spray instructor). Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) is not to be confused with Mace as the former is organic and operates beyond just pain compliance and the latter is man-made and is not effective on some drug or alcohol induced individuals who are feelin' no pain.

A few in-custody deaths occurred due to over or mis use of pepper spray on the part of officers. Once some training and departmental policy modifications took place, the problems seemed to abate. Hog tying, what is now sometimes referred to as three point restraint, has been restricted due to its tie with positional asphyxia. Simply put, placing an obese man suffering acute cocaine intoxication on his stomach is not a wise move.

Fast forward to the 21st Century and the advent of the Internet. The new era of communications has made the Anti-Taser movement much more virulent than the anti-pepper spray movement that preceded it. Pepper spray's enemies were not able to garner the support and vitriol of the Internet bearing anti-Taserites.

The move affot in some places to restrict the use of the Taser as an extremist knee-jerk reaction is not healthy for law enforcement or the public we serve. A more measured response backed by well-thought out policies and training, with controlled deployment in the field by officers, is the key to restoring the public faith. Victorious in the civil litigation arena does not serve to fully convince the public. We need to do a better job at using the Taser and explaining its deployment.

Sad End to New Orleans Police Beating Tragedy

2007-06-21T08:22:00.000-04:00

As many of you may have seen in the news recently, one of the New Orleans Police officers caught on video tape and accused of beating 64-year-old retired school teacher Robert Davis committed suicide about one month before his trial was slated to begin. Former "Big Easy" cop Lance Schilling, 30, killed himself at his home in suburban Metairie, LA.

As I wrote in a January 4, 2006 PoliceOne.com article and have also been quoted in England (See my blogger post from February 27, 2007), he used his gun to end it with a gunshot to the roof of his mouth adding to the statistics of police officer suicides.

While I do not condone what it appears these officers did in a highly publicized way on October 8, 2005 to Mr. Davis and the image of a battered post-Katrina New Orleans Police Department, I would never wish such a tragedy to be compounded by Schilling's final act. I am sure his family is suffering and, likewise, the closure is surely not there for Mr. Davis and his family.

The beating was videotaped by an Associated Press Television News crew and was played over and over on newscasts around the world. One of the APTN news crew, producer Richard Matthews, was captured on tape in the same incident being battered by another officer, Stuart Smith. That case was dropped due to an apparent violation of Garrity procedures. Smith's statements to internal investigators were turned over to the District Attorney's office for criminal action.

The move caused Smith's lawyer, Eric Hessler, to allege a Garrity violation of his client's rights. That is when an officer is compelled to talk to his or her employing law enforcement agency with the resulting statement to be only used in the administrative proceeding; not for any criminal prosecution.

While I hate to draw conclusions on officers cations, the era of video tape affords more information than ever before. I was appalled by what I saw on the tape, especially since the apparent actions of the officers flew in the face of the countless officers and deputy sheriffs that do their job admirably and with honor each and every day. But of course, the public does not have a tape of them doing such noble service played endlessly in the 24 hour news cycle. Officers beating people quite simply tarnishes the badge. No professional officer should want to stand behind bad policing.

I was so concerned about the situation and the understandable backlash from the public that I wrote an editorial on it for the Orlando Sentinel daily newspaper here in Florida. The Orlando Sentinel published my editorial, "A rip in fabric that holds law enforcement together," on October 19, 2005. Here is the text of it:

Like many Americans, I watched with great interest, and with increasing anger, the recent beating of a 64-year-old retired schoolteacher on the streets of New Orleans. The glare of the public eye almost wasn't there. A New Orleans police horse appeared to be made to walk backward, apparently to block the probing eye of the TV camera.

Unlike many Americans, as a former police chief and current manager of a police academy, I have learned that the facts of alleged police misconduct are many times at odds with the information that comes out publicly. Time after time, I would investigate complaints against officers, only to find the issue to be clouded in misunderstanding or sometimes even blatant lies against an officer making a lawful and professional arrest.

However, even in the eyes of law-enforcement professionals across the nation, who tend to hold back criticism of fellow officers until the very last shred of damning evidence is in, the New Orleans situation was very disturbing. Every officer and police instructor I spoke with in different regions of the country had a similar reaction: disgust.

As the picture speaks a thousand words for itself, so, too, does the obvious crossing of the line with Robert Davis. And while there exists a sliver (and I mean a tiny sliver) that there could be some truth in the position of the arresting officers, an even more unsettling development out of the same situation was the New Orleans police officer who threatened and used profanity with an AP television producer while physically pushing him back against a car.

The blatant and open hostility vented by the officer revealed a brand of law enforcement that could not support a bona fide arrest of that producer and could offer no credible explanation for the verbal barrage of expletives and obvious physical battery. Even if the producer was subject to a legitimate arrest, the officer's behavior was not acceptable.

When I took the oath of a law enforcer years ago, I told myself that the true measure of what separated me from the bullies and predators in our society was not my badge. Rather it was the inner strength I possessed to curb my impulses and shape my behavior so that "I" did not become "them." The badge was but the symbol. The true manifestation of policing was within me.

And the true essence of being an honorable law enforcer is in most police officers, deputy sheriffs, and state troopers. New Orleans is a situation that stretches the thread that binds the police fabric together. It pulls at the material and frays the edges, making it easy for an officer to fall victim to his impulses to loot sunglasses or take TVs.

The hidden strength in the blue fabric should be the presence of other interwoven blue threads that lend support for those rare moments of personal weakness. It behooves the rest of us in this noble profession to see the signs of tired and stressed threads and give them support.

When the officer pushed the media producer against the car, I observed several other officers that stood by and watched. Those officers should have been the "cross thread" that gave strength to the situation and intervened. Better yet, maybe they could have foreseen the buildup and moved their colleague down the street to cool off.

The image of New Orleans police as bullies and intimidators on national television does not help the cause of an agency that has strived for some 10 years to break its negative reputation. That impetus to clean up the department's image began with the arrival of former police Superintendent Richard Pennington (now the police chief in Atlanta) and has come full circle with the recent events.

Nor, for that matter, does it help the image of police professionals elsewhere. While all would acknowledge that the stress on the New Orleans officers during this post-hurricane period has been inordinate, the oath has no clause that makes for
allowances of police abuse and brutality.

My 4-year-old son interacts with police officers regularly, pretends that he is one, and wants to be one some day. I am ashamed to say that I had to have him leave the room when the images of those officers breaking their oath came on the television again and again. My little, wide-eyed boy did not yet need to see what happens when the blue fabric that holds the law-enforcement profession together is ripped.

Richard B. Weinblatt is professor/program manager of the Criminal Justice Institute for Seminole Community College in Sanford. He may be reached via his Web site www.policearticles.com.

Schilling's suicide is a tragic end to a sad tale. I hope it serves as a cautionary lesson to other officers who contemplate dishonoring the badge.

Bulletproof Vest Interest Continues

2007-06-03T10:08:00.000-04:00

It seems that the interest in bullet proof vests on the part of the media has not waned (please see blog post below). The day after I did the bullet proof vest show and tell in the downtown Orlando studios of Central Florida News 13, Fox 35 10:00 News had me come to their WOFL-TV studios in Lake Mary, FL, to film an interview with reporter Kelly Joyce.

Kelly, upfront and gracious as always, told me that piece would be fairly short and air within the first 15 minutes of the newscast. Out of the sound bites I offered them, Fox 35 picked my sentiments that agencies should make wearing a bulletproof vest part of a mandatory officer safety policy.

Luckily for the deputy sheriffs who were shot (remember, this was the incident that sparked the interest in law enforcement bulletproof vests), they wore their vests. One deputy took a round to the left chest and the vest stopped it.

Maybe these segments will encourage more officers to wear their vests and perhaps budget managers at smaller agencies will see the need to supply all officers with bulletproof vests. You can view the Fox 35 10:00 News video below.

Deputies Shot and Bulletproof Vest Saves the Day!

2007-05-30T21:13:00.000-04:00

This afternoon I was at work in my Seminole Community College office working on Police Academy Instructor evaluations when I got a call from Central Florida News 13 Assistant News Director Rudy Murietta that made my heart stop. Not watching the news or checking online news site, I was unaware that two Orange County deputy sheriffs had been shot not far from Disneyworld. One was shot in the arm and the other was shot in chest.

According to footage shot of Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary at the scene, The deputy sheriff's vest appeared to have saved him. Yay! I was thrilled that the two law enforcers would be fine. And I was thrilled that the bulletproof vest got ample credit for the save and may thus encourage other officers to wear their vests everytime they are in uniform. By the way, the three bad guys were caught.

Central Florida News 13's Rudy Murietta and I discussed coming down to their downtown Orlando, FL, studios to share the miracle of the vests with the station's viewers.

Once down at the studios, I was hosted wonderfully by Rudy and his crew. I met the new news director and then we set about shooting the video package with Brad the camera dude.

Rudy wanted a standup piece on one of their studio sets and we did three takes perfecting a "show and tell" explaining the virtues of the vests to law enforcement officers (thus hopefully encouraging those officers watching to wear their vests).

I conceded that some officers eschew their vests due to them being hot and uncomfortable (especially in the Florida climate). I added though that officers do get used to the vests and they start to form fit after a while. I wore vests in New Mexico in 120 degree heat in the shade. I know first hand how hot they can get and I always wore one.

I explained how I always wore my vest in uniform even as a police chief (to me it was leadership by example). I even wore the same black shirt as the officers and my duty belt with all gear (Glock .45 duty firearm, expandable baton, radio, double magazine pouch for ammo, two handcuffs, and OC pepper spray).

In fact, I mentioned how I arranged a grant to get vests for every officer in my police department and then put into effect a policy that made it mandatory to wear the vest for all on-duty functions except as exempted by the chief of police (undercover narcotics type of work, etc.).

I was proud of that policy and feel that it is even more important in these violent times we live in that officers wear their vest. And I am proud of the deputies today in Central Florida who get to go home to their families because they were responsible enough to wear their vests.

You can view my Central Florida News 13 Bulletproof Vest show and tell below.

Traffic Stop Uproar

2007-05-24T10:57:00.001-04:00

Well it seems that the interview that I did with Fox 35 10:00 News on the Hillsborough County, FL, Sheriff's Deputy's traffic stop caused quite a bit of controversy. The video of the interview I did is policelink.com's most watched and commented video and I've gotten quite a bit of feedback. I still believe that the deputy lost his control during the stop.

Here is the text of my response to the video's comments on policelink.com. The response was published online this morning.

This is Richard Weinblatt and I wanted to weigh in on the heated run of comments on the Hillsborough County deputy sheriff’s traffic stop.

I was pleased to see that some of the comment writers noted that I said, at the time, that not all of the facts were known. They also acknowledged the fact that the Fox 35 News piece indicated that I said both sides were wrong in how they handled the stop.

However, I was disappointed that many commenters sided with the deputy fully without consideration for the total picture. One even started to attack my background (by the way, I have had many felony arrests as a deputy in a capital county – Santa Fe County, New Mexico, a 2,500 square mile high crime county with minimal backup). The issue is not me…the issue is the traffic stop and the higher standards that we as professional law enforcers should be held.

My question is, would you want your mother, sister, or wife treated in this manner? The deputy stopped this woman at Community University Hospital where she was heading to see her heart attack-stricken father. She waited for three minutes and then yelled to the deputy that she was pulling into the hospital’s parking lot. The deputy told Hillsborough County investigators that he did not hear her. It was at that point he chased her into the lot. He was so pumped up that he tried to pull her out of the car while her foot was on the brake and the car was in gear. She also still had her seat belt on and he could not yank her out of the car at first. After he gets her out of the car, he yells not the loud repetitive verbal commands that he should; rather he taunts her out of anger saying that Good, now she won’t see her father. She hits the trunk hard enough that her feet come off the ground. Is that an example of a professional, compassionate, and under control deputy sheriff? I don’t think so.

And we wonder why the public hates us (and I’m not just talking about the drug dealers, low lifes, etc.). We are our own worst enemies in this business when we fail to use discretion properly.

That backup deputy got there in seconds when the deputy called for assistance. That same deputy, who was up the road, could have gone into the hospital entrance (which was right there) and verified the story. The deputy could have also mailed her the ticket later. That is allowed under Florida law. The deputy could have followed her a short distance into the parking lot and into the emergency room to verify the story. Any one of these options would have stopped the situation from escalating. That’s our job as professional law enforcers.

Do people lie to us, yes. Do people take off with bad agendas on their minds, yes. The woman was wrong for taking off into the hospital parking before the stop was concluded. But it is clear her anger is not directed at the deputy. She keeps pleading about her father. Hillsborough County’s own internal investigation revealed that the deputy should have controlled the situation better and not used excessive force at the end. He got five days off and the woman had all charges dropped.

We need to see the big picture of this situation. We are the professionals that are held to a higher standard of emotional control. The Fox 35 reporter said to me that maybe the deputy had a bad day. My response was, and still is, we can’t have a bad day in law enforcement. We have a bad day, lose our temper, and dirt bags get our badges and sometimes people die. We can’t lower ourselves to the standards of dirtbags and lose control. Therefore a bad day can cause us to lose control and our badge to even a dirt bag. We should not give them that satisfaction.

We are the most misunderstood of professions. It is time for us in policing to explain to the public, that we all work for, what we do and why we do it. And we must point out errors where they occur and work to fix them. An open-minded examination has to take place.

Now is not the time in law enforcement’s history to circle the wagons and protect that which cannot be fully justified. My hat is off to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office administration in Tampa for righting the wrong.

I believe that the response reflects the views of other professional law enforcement folks.

A traffic stop gone bad in Hillsborough County, Florida

2007-05-06T17:30:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday (May 2, 2007), I was watching the Fox 35 10:00 News with my wife when I first viewed the tape of the Hillsborough County deputy sheriff stopping the female motorists on her way to see to her heart attack stricken father in the emergency room of a Tampa, Florida, hospital. We were both very distressed to see the way the traffic stop was handled.

While the woman was wrong to take off before the stop was concluded, it was clearly the deputy's fault for the situation to escalate as it did. As I discussed with a police academy class the next day, the onus is on us as the law enforcement professionals to remain calm and de-escalate the situation. I also told them that the deputy's actions in that nationally viewed dashboard video tape will make their job when they get out of the police academy that much harder. The picture of me below is in the classroom discussing this very topic.

Towards the end of the day, while enroute to the gym to workout, I received a call on my cell phone from Fox 35 10:00 News reporter Kelly Joyce. While I had not worked with Kelly before (she got my number from ten-year station veteran reporter David Martin with whom I have worked before), I was eager to meet up with her and explain my perspective on the stop as she requested.

I met with Kelly and WOFL-TV Fox 35 photographer Steve Cegielski at 6:15 (after my workout -- I couldn't miss that) by the college's police academy police cars and we talked extensively about the situation. At that time I did not know that the Hillsborough County, FL, Sheriff's Office had concluded their investigation. The AP story came out later in the evening. The result of their investigation concluded that the deputy used excessive force. The deputy got a five day suspension and all charges against the driver were arrested.

My comments to Fox 35 would have been even stronger had I known that. As it was, I made it very clear that as law enforcers, we are not allowed to have a bad day. I told Kelly that when we have a bad day, people can die. It is up to us in law enforcement to be professional and to remain calm. I have posted the video of my Fox 35 10:00 News interview below. I hope you'll agree that professional law enforcers should be held to a higher standard.

Virginia Tech massacre

2007-04-25T08:51:00.000-04:00

The tragedy of Virginia Tech's massacre has no doubt settled in and people are hunting for solutions to the myriad of issues that the tragedy has brought to light. I certainly feel for the victims and their families (they are often the unseen victims). Hopefully some good will come out of this. Policing needs to constantly evolve and improve in order to better satisfy our mantra of public service and protection. Maybe we'll see better media relations, better identification and care of the mentally ill, and better tactics (although who could have predicted chained doors in Active Shooter training).

In the wake of the situation, I was featured in a PoliceOne.com article by Associate Editor Rachel Fretz (The Big Picture: Working withg the Media) http://www.policeone.com/media-relations/articles/1227908/ , authored my Weinblatt's Tips column (Tips for major incident media relations in the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting) http://www.policeone.com/writers/columnists/RichardWeinblatt/articles/1238549/

I also did an approx. three minute interview on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 in the downtown Orlando studios with Central Florida News 13. You can check out the video of the interview below.

I was on the firing range for Seminole Community College with the day law enforcement academy (I'm a firearms instructor - hence the red firearms instructor shirt you see in the interview) and then I had to give an exam to the night law enforcement academy folks at the main campus, so I was trying to figure out how to fit this interview in when the Central Florida News 13 folks called. Luckily they were able to have me come to their downtown Orlando studios at 8:00 pm Wednesday night (after I gave the exam) to tape it for their news loop. Several days on the range gave me that sun burned and wind blown "look."

The folks at Central Florida News 13 are always pleasant to deal with and it was good to see anchor Ybeth Bruzual again. Although, I didn't see her in person this time as she was in Studio 13-A and I was in studio 13-B. But we got to chat through the vido and audio feed. As she and I discussed, we always seem to meet after some tragedy. It's the nature of our respective businesses.

Hopefully, the tide turns for the Virginia Tech community.

Quoted in England on Police Suicides

2007-02-27T20:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I've made the international news as I've been quoted in Police Magazine, the magazine for the Police Federation of England and Wales. The article for the January 2007 issue, A Quiet Killer," looks at police suicides in different countries and the reasons behind such tragedies. www.polfed.org/page16_17_quiet_killer_90107.pdff.pdf

I've been to London and found their brand of law enforcement to be interesting. While decidedly not gun oriented as American law enforcers are, British bobbies have a bit in common with their Yankee counterparts across "the pond." Unfortunately, in this case the commonality is police suicides.

Florida Deputy Sheriff Weathers Tornadoe

2007-02-17T20:23:00.000-05:00

Just when you think you might have a rough shift, take a look at the damage to this Volusia County, FL, Sheriff's Office patrol car. The recent tornadoes that tore through Central Florida, missing my home, did a real number on Volusia County (North of us and Orlando) and Lake County.

The Volusia County deputy sheriff in the Crown Victoria was pummeled by mud and debris and rode out the storm in his car. After the tornadoe passed, he got out of his car and started to direct traffic. Now there's dedication for you. I salute this deputy and his colleagues who rose to the occasion to help their community recover from a storm that claimed 21 lives.

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-02-10T20:38:00.001-05:00

Sheriff Greg Solano...A Great Blog from Santa Fe County, New Mexico

2007-02-10T09:10:00.000-05:00

Here's a great blog that I've been following closely. http://sheriffgregsolano.blogspot.com/ Greg Solano, the Sheriff of Santa Fe County in Santa Fe, New Mexico, writes entertaining and informative missives from my old stomping grounds as a patrol deputy II. with that busy agency's Patrol Division.

I've been able to keep up with developments concerning my old agency such as the latest blog on Benjie Montano, the Sheriff when I was out there, who was named deputy chief of the Santa Fe Police Department. http://sheriffgregsolano.blogspot.com/2007/02/benjie-montano-joins-city-police-as.html

But it's more than the interesting updates on the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office and my friends. Sheriff Solano personifies the modern law enforcement executive who recognizes the need to use the media (in it's various forms) to reach out to the community. I encourage you to read his dispatches from the Wild West.

Expanded Reach

2007-02-07T08:32:00.000-05:00

Here's something I found interesting today which reinforces my reasoning that embracing the Internet as a communications tools breaks the normal societal boundaries and expands the communications reach potential (beyond that offered by traditional media such national and local TV news). It's a different approach than that offered by traditional such as the CNN Headline News interview I did pictured in this blog post.

My police writings certainly have reached different populations within the law enforcement community, but the Internet has pushed those missives onto the reading eyeballs of people from other walks of life that find a commonality within the message.

The example I sumbled on to day concerns a section reprint of "The absence of a police marketing mentality,"one of my "Police and the Press" columns for PoliceOne.com, on the "Out of Site: Other Web Resources Recommended by our Staff" Blog section of Advertising Age (http://adage.com (http://adage.com/outofsite/index.php?start=65§ion_id=310). Advertising Age is a well-known marketing and advertising publication for Madison Avenue and beyond...

"Police Academy Needs Marketing 101

I didn't know it should be part of the "to serve and protect" policy, but police
just don't market themselves very well. PoliceOne.com has an essay all about it
under "Police and The Press."

Word-of-mouth may be a hard concept to
worry about when you carry a gun, but Richard B. Weinblatt thinks it should be
hard-wired into cops' brains: "With a police marketing mentality, the positive
stories on policing and those hardworking men and women who serve should vastly
outnumber the crime driven and negative, department scandal driven items. We
would finally keep pace with and perhaps surpass the fictionalized version of
policing embedded in society's psyche. Only then would the true nature of law
enforcement's service to the community be known and believed by the public."

Suddenly the war on drugs seems much more win-able by comparison.

Posted by Brooke Capps on 11.20.06 @ 04:31 PM 0 comments"

So now we have advertising gurus contemplating the marketing of the police. The power of the Internet...it's amazing.

OK, I did it...

2007-02-05T18:34:00.000-05:00

OK, I did it...I've created an online blog at Blogger.com. If my five-year-old son, Michael, can fly around the computer playing his pre-K games, then Daddy (pictured here with Michael during this past summer- 2006) has no excuse not to be on top of the world's new fangled communications conduits.

It is clear to me that movement into other Internet venues (such as Blogger.com, youtube, flickr.com) are the wave and I guess I've now caught the wave. If presidential hopefuls, such as the very impressive and diplomatically gifted New Mexico Governor (and former U.S. Congressman and Energy Secretary) Bill Richardson, can have a presence on all of these powerhouse websites, I reckon I should too.

With this blog on blogger.com, now I am truly in the Internet communications swing of things. I have long strived to be an artful communicator. Now, in the 21st Century, it seems to be that media beyond that the traditional mold are an integral part of the communications process. My forays onto the Internet can't, and won't be limited to my website (www.policearticles.com) or my www.myspace.com page. This is the first leap into the Blogosphere.