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.

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

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

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

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

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.