OPOA  NEWSLETTER

Vol 30 No. 4    ~   Fall 2004

President's Message
by Brenda George, Myrtle Creek Police Department

This is my last newsletter as your President of OPOA, and I have had a wonderful time getting to meet and know many of the OPOA members throughout the state. I would like to thank all of the OPOA Officers, Executive Board members, Sub Chapter representatives, and our Secretary Larry Stephens for the outstanding job they have all done this year and will continue to do in the future.

Next on the agenda is the annual OPOA Conference to be held in Newport, OR at the Best Western -Agate Beach in just a few weeks. The dates are September 29, 30, and October 1. There will be excellent training, including the “Christian Longo Homicide Investigation”, “Methamphetamine Laboratory Recognition”, and “The Bulletproof Mind”, followed by the Annual Awards Banquet.

Lt. Col. Grossman has sold out on all of his other appearances in Oregon. This is your chance to hear this nationally-acclaimed speaker. The board has approved a single day registration (see page 2) which makes the trip to the coast for this training even more affordable. Contact the OPOA office today and don’t miss The Bulletproof Mind by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman on October 1, 2004.

To close our annual conference OPOA will be honoring all law enforcement, and especially those who have been singled out by their departments to receive special recognition from OPOA.

Let me also take time to thank all of the supervisors and administrators who attend the conference and banquet in support of your officers and the Oregon Peace Officers Association. Your turnout at the OPOA Awards Banquet in support of your personnel, not only means a great deal to them, but shows your support to other agencies and to the OPOA. It is never forgotten by the officers who receive their awards, and know that their supervisors and/or administrators are there for them.

Please accept my sincere thanks for the opportunity to serve you as this year's OPOA President.

Yours truly,

Brenda George

TRAINING

2004 Training Conference

Board approves one day (partial) registration for conference

Best Western Agate Beach Inn, Newport, OR

If you have schedule conflicts and can only attend one or two days consider this pricing structure as the best deal in the state:

Wednesday, September 29, 1 PM to 5 PM One day registration price = $25.00

Christian Longo Homicide Investigation:  Overview of the quadruple murder case from December, 2001, from initial investigation to the extradition from Mexico.

Thursday, September 30, 8 AM to 5 PM One day registration price = $75.00

Meth Lab Recognition: (8 AM to 3 PM) Identification, recognition, and proper investigation of Meth labs. From recognition to tactical Meth lab entries.

Children In Meth Houses: (3 PM to 5 PM) Dealing with children found in Meth Houses, and how to prosecute for child abuse.

Friday, October 1, 8 AM to 4 PM One day registration price = $75.00

Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman: The Bulletproof Mind helps build your mental muscle for winning in deadly confrontations-and surviving the aftermath. You'll learn how the body responds to lethal combat, what happens to your blood flow, your muscles, your judgment, memory, and vision when someone is trying to kill you.

The OPOA Awards Banquet after the conference, Oct 1, 2004, Newport, OR

There are still seats available for the OPOA Awards Banquet at the Agate Beach Inn on Friday Night of the training Conference. The price is $40 per person at the door, but you need to contact the OPOA office to reserve a seat.

P.O. Box 9211, Brooks, OR 97305

Phone 541-536-1168

E-mail opoaofc@opoa.info

On-line conference / banquet registration

Douglas County Major Crimes Conference

December 7 through 10, 2004

The 6th annual Douglas County Major Crimes Conference is scheduled for Seven Feathers Resort in Canyonville, Oregon.

This is a great training and networking opportunity. We have a complete venders hall that you won't want to miss.

As in the past, tuition will include all lunches and refreshments during the breaks. Early registration per person $175.00. After November 5th, 2004, $195.00.

For questions about the conference e-mail us kamcclai@co.douglas.or.us

Watch for our conference link at www.dcso.com

OPOA Annual Awards Program

These individuals and groups have been nominated to receive recognition at the annual OPOA Awards Banquet in Newport on October 1.

The Importance Of Property Room Policies & Procedures

By Wendy Svaren

Lake Oswego Police Department

On any given day of the week you can read an article in a newspaper that challenges the credibility of a law enforcement property/evidence room. The following information is not meant to point a finger at anyone suggesting you are not doing your jobs correctly, but rather it is meant to bring attention to a growing problem and remind us to check our policies and procedures insuring that they are being followed. The articles listed below are from outside of Oregon but we are not immune to these problems. As you read these, remember some of Oregon's agencies have run up against similar problems and have paid dearly with loss of credibility to their departments, lost jobs and criminal cases that may be lost or have been lost because the evidence is no longer available.

$1 Million in Drugs Missing from Florida Evidence Room: 1,200 pounds of marijuana and 2 pounds of cocaine are missing from the evidence room of the Volusia County Sheriff's Department. The evidence manager was arrested and charged with conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and marijuana. He was released on $300,000 bail and could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Marijuana Stolen From Highway Patrol Office in Fayetteville: Fayetteville authorities investigating the theft of 500 pounds of marijuana from the evidence room. Access was gained through a wooden door that was kicked in. The door will be replaced with a steel door. The estimated street value is $500,000.

Jailbreak Evidence Disappears: Sloppy Storage a Serious Problem: A Woman who helped her husband break out of Orleans Parish Prison in July secured a plea agreement this week after key evidence, including a gun, disappeared - a sign that disarray in the property & evidence room is jeopardizing cases, the clerk of the county said.

Nashville, Tennessee - Nearly $3M in drugs and, $147,000 in cash and dozens of guns were missing from the evidence room at the Memphis police department, according to the audit findings released. State Officials said auditors warned the department about problems in its evidence room back in 1999. The auditors wrote those problems weren't fixed at the time. Police Director James Bolden said improvements have since been put into place including better oversight and a surveillance camera.

Some of the problems that auditors in the Nashville case found could probably be duplicated in many “evidence room horror” stories across the country. Auditors found:

• There was no policy manual.

• Too many workers had access to evidence, and storage was inadequate.

• Inadequate procedures for destroying contraband, weapons and drugs.

• Clerks could alter property room records, making thefts possible

• Cash could not be found even though records showed it was still in the property room.

• Marijuana was found lying loose around the property room.

A successful and efficient property management system must develop and maintain strict procedures on the handling, security and disposition of property. The consequences of mismanagement of the property control function are the unsuccessful prosecution of criminal cases, embarrassment to the police department and loss of public confidence. These consequences can be avoided when all those involved with the function become aware of the problems and issues that confront the property/evidence room personnel.

The Oregon Association for Property & Evidence Officers was organized in an effort to educate the Oregon Law Enforcement community on how to better manage an evidence room and avoid mistakes that could cause your department and community embarrassment. The networking created within the association has helped us to bring property room standards within our state to a more efficient level. We have worked together on policy/procedure manuals, destruction forms, purging processes and more at the meetings being held. Please contact us with any questions or comments.

The Tactical Leader

AS MUCH AS SOME THINGS CHANGE, MOST THINGS SEEM TO SAY THE SAME. So it goes with how police officers are killed or injured on the job. Officer deaths and serious injuries are down yet violence towards the police is up. Traffic stops, in-progress crimes, family fights, “gun calls”, making arrests are the typical situations where officers are killed and injured. Why has this been the case for decades? The same circumstances cause the bulk of problems for police officers. Cops don't get killed in massive shootouts, barricaded criminals, hostage situations or other highly complicated tactical encounters. Instead, we don't seem to get better in handling activities which occur as part of the everyday work routine. How do we turn this around?

Much of the answer lies with first line supervisor. The potential to design the work environment lies with this important player. What shape does this take? Through a combination of clear expectations, accountability, critiques, training and effective communication, it is possible to craft a work environment that fosters safe, sound tactical practices and puts tactics high on the priority list for learning and improvement.

When officers become involved in serious tactical encounters there are at least two types of decisions that are made. The most obvious are the decisions made to resolve the encounter. The less obvious, but equally important are those decisions made leading up to the encounter. We know from experience that officers often “decision” their way out of serious encounters before they are decisively involved. This is the best and most expedient alternative. However, this type of decision making must be nurtured and reinforced when occurs so it becomes the practice instead of a unique occurrence. This nurturing is the role of the first line supervisor.

It is understood that the use of force by an officer is the most important decision made in the course of the job. If police are involved in the business of using force, then they are inexorably involved in the business of making decisions. Police personnel need to be skilled in making tactical decisions. Where feasible, tactical decisions provide better outcomes than tactical reactions. Therefore; the first line supervisor must use the work environment as a laboratory for improving the quality of decision making. This is done by meaningful critiques. It is accomplished by supervisors asking relevant questions of officers regarding their tactics and their decisions. Seeking improvement in tactical decision making is an ongoing priority-a state of optimum competence is never attained.

The times that the tactical decision making must come as second nature are those times of unanticipated threat or spontaneous attack. To effectively counter this type of situation, the officer must be hyper vigilant. Over time, this level of vigilance will deteriorate. The first line supervisor is in a unique position to monitor this vigilance and to prevent the deterioration. This is an obligation that cannot be ignored. Tactical leadership is a must in a job where lives can be lost in a split second.

[These are part of the notes for a 2-day class on Tactical Leadership given by Deputy Chief Greg Clark, Portland Police Bureau, Retired. The class has been highly acclaimed by Oregon State Police, and more than a score of other agencies in Oregon. Chief Clark has also taken this class to several other states, and jurisdictions. The Tactical Leadership class will be repeated again at Milwaukie PD under the auspices of the Clackamas County Training partnership in October.]

Officer Safety notes from the Police Office Network

Passenger-side Airbag Compartments

Officers on a moving surveillance recently recovered a 1998 Lincoln Navigator van-type vehicle that was internally modified to make a trap compartment out of the passenger-side airbag location. Inside there was a laser-sighted pistol with extra magazines, ammunition, and narcotics. The cache was opened by running an ornamental magnet on the keychain underneath the drivers side dashboard. To seal the cache after it was closed, the magnet was run under the dash about 8" away from the opening.

Beware of “Toy” Guns

There is a line of handguns on the market (since about 1999) that may be mistaken as toys by officers who come in contact with them. These handguns are marketed by the European American Armory (EAA) Corporation of Sharpes, Florida. The handgun is a semiautomatic featuring a polymer frame. The uniqueness of these guns is that they are coming out in several colors such as blue, pink, army green, black, white-gray, smoke-gray, and clear. The 9 mm semiautomatic gun should be of concern to all law enforcement officers as it may easily be mistaken for a toy. If you come across a colored semiautomatic pistol that looks as though it may be a toy, treat it as a real pistol until you are sure of its nature. Please share this information with other law enforcement officers.

Secondary Explosive Alert

From HQ Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Washington D.C.

There has been a recent increase in the use of flashlights as housings for explosive devices in the United States and its territories. Essentially, individuals have booby-trapped flashlights and left them at the crime scenes, bomb and arson scenes or where their intended victim will find them. To date, these devices have killed at least one law enforcement officer, injured several and injured a number of civilians. The flashlights are generally metal, like the Mag-lite or Kell-lite. The batteries are removed and a small pipe bomb is inserted into the housing. The bomber then rigs the flashlight in one of two ways, either wiring the flashlight to explode when the switch is activated or setting the bomb to trigger if it is moved, by use of a purchased or improvised mercury switch. A Mag-lite rigged with an improvised motion switch claimed the life of a Puerto Rican Peace Officer. During crime scene searches, or in any circumstance when a flashlight is encountered where it is not expected, leave the light alone. If the owner is located, allow the owner to take custody of the light. If no owner can be found contact EOD or the local bomb squad. Do not attempt to open or examine the light yourself. If the bomb squad tries to laugh at you, remind them that the Alcohol Tobacco & Firearm division has reported finding about 20 of these since 1999 and tell them you're not going to touch it.

Homemade Hand Grenades

Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department is warning officers that individuals are again manufacturing hand grenades from tennis balls. The tennis balls are cut and filled with a combination of “strike all” match heads and BBs or buckshot and then sealed with duct tape. When the ball is thrown against an object, the compression of the rubber allows the match heads to ignite. The resulting gaseous chain reaction causes the ball to explode expelling the BBs or buckshot as shrapnel. Smaller variations of this type of explosive have been in use for over 20 years.

Once filled and armed, the tennis ball grenades are very unstable and any compression has the potential of detonating the balls. Officers should be aware of tennis balls located during searches. Be alert for heavy tennis balls and look for the tell-tale tape seal.

MRI Unit Causes Weapon Malfunction

In July 2001, a Pennsylvania officer’s weapon malfunctioned. The Smith & Wesson, Model 4013, had a magnetized firing pin, which stuck to the side of the channel within the slide. Upon inspection, all metal parts of the weapon had become magnetized.

A review of the officer's activities, revealed that he had investigated a burglar alarm call at a medical office that was equipped with a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) unit. During the building search the officer had walked into the MRI suite. The massive device had magnetized the pistol. Two additional officers involved in the building search also found that their firearms were magnetized.

The fact that there is no outward sign that a firearm may not function as a result of MRI / magnetic exposure makes this problem difficult to detect. Awareness of this situation may prevent serious or deadly consequences.

The department armorer was able to demagnetize the firearm with the use of a high-power, videotape-erasing unit after complete disassembly.

North Carolina Off-Duty Safety Tip

By Wayne Ayers, Instructor/Coordinator

Doctrine and training of “Officer Safety” is well established for uniformed officers who benefit from various training resources and programs. Often times, the need for off-duty safety or survival is overlooked. Every officer is off-duty at some point; therefore, we tend to relax and become susceptible to an off-duty incident. It is important that law enforcement officers (uniformed or not...on or off-duty) be ready to meet unexpected events.

The following checklist is a simple guide that you can use to help you prepare yourself for a potential off-duty encounter:

• Are you readily identifiable as an officer?

• Does the situation demand your intervention?

• Are you at a tactical disadvantage?

• Is it more prudent for you to be a good witness?

• Can you or someone else call for on-duty back-up?

• Do you have your badge/identification ready?

• Do you have your weapon and handcuffs duty ready? Where are your reloads?

• Remember, there may be more suspects than you can see.

• Will responding officers arriving at the scene perceive you as a threat?

• When on-duty officers arrive, cooperate fully and follow their instructions.

• Is your family with you?

• Should you be involved in an off-duty incident, have you discussed a plan of action with your family members?

A key element in off-duty safety is to keep the upper hand. If a suspect does not know who we are, he/she will often times give us options on a course of action. This is why it is important not to wear flashy police attire (i.e., hats, shirts, or jackets) with “catchy” police phrases or logos. These are fine during training and around the home; however, they advertise our profession to the public when we are off-duty. Do you want to be in a convenience store, wearing a flashy police logo t-shirt, when a robbery goes down? After all, this puts you in a tactical disadvantage.

Taking the time to discuss and inform your family, about off-duty issues, is equally important. You certainly do not want them in harm's way. If you are in an off-duty encounter, you owe it to them to have certain plans of action for everyone to take. This may be an unpleasant task but a very important one.

Officer safety and survival is equally important, whether we are on-duty or off-duty. While it may be true that, “What you don't know can't hurt you,” what the criminal knows can hurt you! Take the time to think this out and prepare yourself.