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Robbery/Homicide Green River Task Force Training Seminar
The Robbery/Homicide Subchapter of the Oregon Peace Officers
Association announces a homicide investigation seminar presented by
members of the Green River Task Force from King County Washington.
The seminar will be held Wednesday, July 7th, 2004, at Linn
Benton Community College, in Albany, Oregon. Registration is $50.00
per person (criminal justice personnel only), which includes
continental breakfast, catered lunch, and refreshments in the
afternoon. Seating is limited and will be on a first-registered
first-served basis.
The presentations will be made by investigators from the Green
River Task Force. The two primary speakers will be Detectives Jon
Mattsen and Randy Mullinax. These two men served on the original
task force. Other personnel from King County will also be present.
The syllabus for the day:
* History of Green River
(1982 - 1990) * Det. Jensen, Sheriff
Reichert and GRT
* The Evidence Review
Team and DNA * The Arrest
* Projects and Paint....
* 188 days (06/93 through
12/03) * What's Happening Now
Make checks payable to
OPOA Robbery Homicide. Mail checks and registration information
(Name, Rank, Agency) to:
Detective Sally Jo
Donahue
OPOA Robbery Homicide
1115 Jackson St. SE
Albany, OR 97322
For further information contact
Detective Donahue at
541-917-6685.
OPOA 35th Annual
Training Conference
Since 1969 the Oregon Peace Officers Association has been hosting
quality training for peace officers in Oregon and Washington. This
35th anniversary conference may prove to be one of the best of the
last three decades. The content this year has some valuable
information and insight for all law enforcement personnel. See the
session descriptions below.
The conference is co-sponsored by Chemeketa Community College who
will grant college credits for those wishing to enroll, and the
Department of Public Safety Standards and Training who has provided
fifteen tuition scholarships to the conference.
Note that Wednesday's hospitality time (6 to 7 p.m.) is hosted by
the Robbery/Homicide subchapter. Thursday's hospitality time (6 to 9
p.m.) is hosted by California Casualty Insurance.
Friday beginning at 5:30 is the annual OPOA awards and
recognition banquet, with Lt. Col. Dave Grossman as guest speaker
(tickets purchased separately). Additional details of the
training conference are available on the
Training/Events web page. Plan now to attend the
35th Annual OPOA Training Conference, September 29 through October
1, 2004 at Best Western-Agate Beach in Newport, OR.
Conference
Sessions:
Christian Longo
Homicide Investigation - Wed. 1 to 5 p.m.
(Sponsored by the OPOA
Robbery Homicide Subchapter.) The session will cover an overview of
the quadruple murder case from December, 2001. Discussion involves
basic police investigation and problems encountered: issues with
media, out of state follow-ups, prosecution, legal issues, and
extradition from Mexico.
Meth Lab Recognition -Thur.
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Training covers the
identification, recognition, and proper investigation of Meth labs.
Classroom presentation and videos will include evidence gathering
techniques, how to make meth (in a "mock" lab), and tactical meth
lab entries.
Children In Meth
Houses -Thur. 3 to 5 p.m.
Presentation covers
dealing with children found in Meth Houses, and includes discussion
on how to prosecute for child abuse.
The Bulletproof Mind:
Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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, vision, and hearing when
someone is trying to kill you.
Douglas County Major
Crimes Conference
Douglas County Sheriff's Office announces that the 6th annual
Douglas County Major Crimes Conference is scheduled for December 7th
through December 10th, 2004, at the Seven Feathers Resort in
Canyonville, Oregon. This conference has grown each year in size and
scope since 1999, offering a variety of both general and specialized
training. Last years conference hosted over 170 attendees
representing agencies from 21 different counties in Oregon, 2
counties in California, 2 in Washington, along with attendees from
Iceland and the United Kingdom.
This years agenda is still in the planning stage, and you can
have input with the planning committee by dropping us suggestions.
Just e-mail us
kamcclai@co.douglas.or.us. This is a great training and
networking opportunity. We have a complete venders hall that you
won't want to miss.
Each year the conference hosts a doorprize raffle. The raffle has
always been a hit. Last year two lucky people walked away with gift
certificates for brand new Glocks. This year we want to try for
three, and a tactical Kimber .45 on Friday!
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.
Watch for our conference link at
www.dcso.com. Hope to see you in Douglas County in
December.
2004 Oregon Criminal
Justice Directory Available
Each year OPOA updates a definitive resource for law enforcement
and criminal justice practitioners in Oregon and adjoining states.
The 2004 Oregon Criminal Justice Directory lists local, state and
federal agencies as well as courts, corrections, and large
corporation security agents. There are nearly 200 pages of
addresses, contacts and phone numbers. For police departments and
sheriff's agencies the directory provides pertinent information on
the size of the agency and population served.
The directory is bound in an eight inch vinyl three ring
notebook. The cost for binder and pages is only $15 (plus $3 for
packaging and shipping). If you have the binder from last year, the
new pages (shipped shrink wrapped) are only $12 plus $3 shipping and
handling.
The directory is a valuable tool for investigators and
administrators who need to work across agency lines, and throughout
the state. Order multiple copies and save on shipping and handling
charges. ($3 postage and handling for orders of up to 5 books, or
sixty cents per book for orders of more than 5.) See the
Merchandise web page to place an
order.
OPOA Annual Awards
Program
The Oregon Peace Officers Association presents awards to law
enforcement personnel who have performed exemplary deeds or services
on behalf of their communities during the previous year. Anyone can
nominate a potential recipient for an award in any of the listed
categories. Nominations will be reviewed by a committee made up of
Oregon peace officers, and awards approved for those circumstances
meeting the criteria. Awards are presented to the recipients at the
OPOA Annual Awards Banquet in conjunction with the OPOA Annual
Training Conference.
Awards may be presented in any of six categories. Awards
are open to any working police officer, telecommunicator, reserve,
corrections officer or others employed by a law enforcement agency.
The incident must have occurred in Oregon. The recipient need not be
a member of OPOA. On-duty as well as off-duty incidents will be
considered.
OPOA specifically solicits awards nominations from Chiefs,
Sheriffs or other agency and department heads. Nominations
containing the written endorsement of the officers department are
preferable. This year the awards banquet is in September. For
complete criteria for each of the awards visit the Awards web page.
From the Property/Evidence Subchapter
"Officers Bomb Evidence Locker?"
This headline did not appear in the local paper, but it could
have been in a Massachusetts newspaper last March. In Lake Oswego a
citizen found a suspicious looking object, picked it up, drove to
the police department and was going to turn it in as found
property. An astute records clerk recognized it as a dangerous
object and called a supervisor. The city hall building was evacuated
and the Bomb Squad came and detonated what they confirmed as a
"live" device categorized as "very unstable!"
The disturbing issue is this is not an isolated incident.
Officers did indeed place a bomb in city hall in Fitchburg
Massachusetts. Several years ago a Portland
Officer picked up what he described as a bundle of road flares "with
a fake fuse stuck in them" and took them to the property room, only
to find out that they were six sticks of dynamite. Training today
covers many areas. But don't trust your training alone - listen to
your instincts: If it looks dangerous call the ordinance disposal
folks who have a safe way to handle it. And be careful for the sake
of those who have to handle and care for the evidence locker. They
don't like surprises on Monday morning either. Police personnel are
killed by many things. Let's hope our own mistakes are not counted
among them.
Police Keep Bomb Overnight
By Milton J.
Valencia
WORCHESTER
TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
Tuesday,
March 2, 2004
Edition:
NORTH, Section: LOCAL NEWS, Page B1
FITCHBURG — A small explosive device similar to a pipe bomb was
left in the police station overnight, until higher-ups realized it
needed to be detonated and called in the Massachusetts State Police
bomb unit. The device was detonated on the first floor of the police
station, under sandbags.
Police Chief Edward F. Cronin said the device — a 6-inch-long
copper tube with a wick protruding from it — was considered harmless
at first. He said its strength was similar to a firecracker, and
speculated that it was made by a hunter who would have used it to
scare birds. ``It didn't have any capability to do structural
damage,'' the chief said.
Still, the chief said the state police bomb unit was called in to
detonate it for safety reasons. The unit would not move the device
and detonated it in police headquarters. Sgt. Glenn C. Fossa
said a passer-by found the device Sunday while in the area of Flat
Rock Road and Prospect Street. The person brought it to police
headquarters at about 4:10 p.m. Sunday, and the responding officer
made a report.
The officer thought nothing of the device, considering it
``harmless,'' the chief said. The bomb was left in the police
evidence room until the officer responsible for checking that room
noticed it and questioned if it should have been left there. Chief Cronin called the incident a mistake, and asked residents
who find such devices to leave them where they are and call police.
Police will respond to the scene and take appropriate action, the
chief said. Sgt. Fossa said members of the state police and a special agent
with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
are investigating where the device came from.
[reprinted by permission]
Resource Management
by Analysis Officer
Richard Karman, Portland Police Bureau,
Retired
In this time of tightening budgets and increased responsibility,
a task has been overlooked that is absolutely necessary if public
safety agencies are going to allocate and justify additional
resources to handle the additional load. This task is resource
management!
In the 1960s it was anti-war protests, race riots, and civil
disobedience. These were met with LEAA money for equipment
acquisition and personnel funding. In the 1970s drug use was
recognized as the leading causative factor for career criminals and
LEAA funding dried up, but the Integrated Career Criminal
Apprehension Program (ICCAP) funded Crime Analysis Units in order to
apprehend and prosecute career criminals. In the 1980s ICCAP was
pretty much forgotten, but the crime analysis techniques were
applied to the regional drug enforcement task forces and the
crime-specific task forces like auto theft, organized crime and gang
enforcement. Most of us remember the 1990s when Community Policing
was the buzz word. It was funded by COPS grants and hiring
incentives, but they came with a heavy price tag of community
accountability and involvement.
Looking back it isn't difficult to see that each decade has added
new responsibilities. Although there were some Federal moneys
available at first, when the money dried up the responsibilities
stayed with us. Gangs, Drug Enforcement, Community Mandates, Public
Accountability, all were added to the ever-growing role of law
enforcement. These almost pale by comparison to what were added in
the last eight years: Identity Theft, Terrorism, Homeland Security,
and External Reviews.
The same old song, "We simply need more officers" is falling on
deaf ears. Federal money with almost unrealistic requirements, will
only fund new officers for a brief time before the agencies are
expected to absorb the cost. Many grants do not provide equipment
for the new officers. Airports, dignitary protection, and
"heightened security" measures are draining our overtime budgets and
taxing the personnel and experience of many of our agencies. Time
doesn't wait. The swell of hiring in the early 1970s is now
resulting in a mass exodus (retirement) of experienced officers,
administrators and investigators. We are asking a young workforce to
handle more with less money and less experience.
Additionally, these young officers are facing a staggering
increase in the number of premeditated assaults on police personnel.
No longer is an ambush or a life-threatening attack on an officer an
isolated incident. In the United States these attacks have taken
dozens of officer's lives in the last 4 to 5 years.
So what resources do we need to meet this challenge? Maybe we do
need more officers, but without additional officers, we still need
better equipment (Kevlar headgear could have saved at least 10
officers last year alone), better training (criminals are actively
trying to "kill a cop" and if they can't do that let's "sue a cop"),
better communications (the 800 megahertz trunking system is
overcrowded to the point of being deadly), and better supervision
(some agencies have given up on the span of command just to get all
the radio calls answered). None of these are going to be handed to
us on a silver platter. Police agencies will have to fight for them;
they will have to justify them; they will have to manage them.
Resource management is nothing new. Industry uses it every time
they make a financial decision. They look at three things: capitol
outlay, human resources, and return on investment. For the last
forty years this has been belittled by law enforcement: "We aren't
making wiggets. You can't measure us with a profit and loss
statement." Police managers and Sheriffs have to change the way they
are thinking; change the way they are planning, and change the way
they are managing. Additionally, law enforcement has to change the
way it presents its needs. How, what, when , and to whom will these
presentations need to be made? Police administrators need to combine
pages from industries budget training manual, with the automated
data collection (common in most dispatch centers) and crime analysis
techniques available to all agencies, and make resource management a
lifeline for support if we are to request, analyze and justify our
resource needs.
If you can't measure it, you can't analyze it. If you
can't analyze it, you can't manage it. If you can't manage it, you
can't justify it. If you can't show that you wisely manage what you
have, you certainly won't be listened to when you ask for more. Pick
your battles. Pick your audience. Plan your strategy. This class
will take a close look at how you view your resources and how you
can manage them in the years to come. That's what resource
management is all about.
[Analysis Officer Karman served 28 years
for the Portland Police Bureau and was information analyst for chief
bureau administrators for 12 years. The preceding was the
introduction to an 8 hour training session: Resource Analysis and
Justification, given by the author to administrators and supervisors
from 12 criminal justice agencies at a training held at Milwaukie
PD. Officer Karman can be reached at
dick@karmans.net] |
