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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Yet Another Taser Blog Post: Taser for Women

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

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

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

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.