Uncle Beat's Tip o' the Day

Ladies, don't pull up and park your vehicle in the center of a traffic stop, jump out and charge the officers while screaming, "Why the fuck is my boyfriend going to jail?!?!" Trust me when I say the outcome, more often than not, will be unsatisfactory to you.

You probably shouldn't mention that you are tired of seeing cops in your neighborhood, either. After all, we are there for you. In fact, by putting your boyfriend in jail we took an unlicensed and uninsured driver off the street. Who knows - he may have run over one of your nieces or nephews if we hadn't stopped him. You should also remember that YOU have chosen to take up residence in one of the most drug infested and violent neighborhoods in the region. The officer just might remember your address when he is dispatched there in a few months in reference to your boyfriend getting drunk and beating the shit out of. Probably not, though. My officers tend to perform as professionals should and won't take your ignorant diatribes personally. After saving your ass they MIGHT remind you of the statements you made on February 8th, 2010.

This next point is very important. When the officer tells you to get back in your vehicle - you should probably heed that warning. When the officer has finally had enough of your 'Shaniqua Theater" and grabs your wrist to apply mechanical restraints, don't flail your appendages and try to pull away. That 'chicken wing' maneuver can be a real bitch.

And finally, don't play the religion card and tell the officer you are a Christian in one breath and in the next scream "Fuck You!!!" at the top of your lungs. I don't care what religion you are, but one sure way to piss me off is to demonstrate the height of hypocrisy.

To the alleged 'lady' that pulled this stunt tonight: Your actions led to two very expensive charges for you and raised the stakes for your boyfriend. He went from two tickets to seven with thousands of dollars in fines. This practice is known as 'stacking' and it is reserved for the most egregious offenders and those who display the most obscene levels of stupidity.

Promises, Promises

Saturday night proved to be a bright spot for me and I was able to use an incident to demonstrate the difference between old-timey cops and new-timey cops. I had responded to assist an officer on a traffic stop. The suspect vehicle had almost struck the cruiser while executing an improper lane change. The officer lit it up and the driver continue on for several blocks before pulling into a grocery store parking lot, circling once or twice before finally coming to a stop. The suspect told the officer he didn't have his license on him, but provided a name and date of birth. Of course, nothing came back in DMV databases.

I arrived on-scene and the officer told me what he had. Two male adults in the front seats, two female adults and two toddlers in the rear. The officer decided to detain the driver because he had no license and couldn't prove who he was. We approached the driver's door and the officer asked the driver to step out. The driver reached for the ignition and tried to start the SUV and drive away. The lead officer ripped open the door and grabbed a handful of shirt. I reached in and tried to hook the driver's neck. We kind of got in each others way in the confined apex of the door. We managed to drag the suspect out and I fell backward on the pavement, taking the suspect with me. He somehow managed to regain his footing and stand up. I wrapped both arm around his legs and lifted and threw my weight into him which resulted in the suspect being slammed to the asphalt. I didn't feel it at the time, but I ended up tearing up my knees and bruising them pretty good. I also have a minor boo-boo on my head from impacting the asphalt. It's in an area my son used to refer to as the 'fore-brain' when he small and cute. :)

When the suspect went to the ground the other officer was trying to flip him onto his stomach in order to get the cuffs on. While he was trying to execute that maneuver I caught a light punch on the right side of my jaw. Without even thinking I dug my fingers in behind the suspect's windpipe and started pulling. It was just that old school way of handling these situations coming back in a flash. Our suspect began to protest the ever tightening grip on his throat. I was about four inches from his face, giving him my best "Clint Eastwood is about to fuck you up" look. I explained to him, in no uncertain terms, that he'd better turn his ass over or was going to get an old school fucking up PDQ.

We got him rolled onto his belly, but he continued to resist being handcuffed. At that point the other officer fire his Taser at point blank range into the suspect's right shoulder. There wasn't much of a spread on the probes and they had very little effect, but I managed to get my 30 year old Smith and Wesson cuffs secured on his wrists. The suspect continued to protest loudly about his treatment.

We had been fighting the suspect and trying to maintain a visual on the other adults in the vehicle and hadn't noticed a fella walking up behind us. I'm assuming he was coming to assist us because when the suspect protested getting roughed up and Tased the citizen, who just happened to in camera range said, "Shut the fuck up you piece of shit. I saw the whole thing and you got everything you fucking deserved." The citizen then provided his ID and indicated his willingness to testify in court or in any subsequent IA investigation.

My knees stung a bit throughout the rest of the night. When I got home and stripped off the uniform and long johns I saw that both knees were basically hamburger and already bruising. I had a blast, though, so it was worth it.

I then pointed out to the young officer the difference between old school cops and new school cops. When I was a young patrol officer we progressed from aluminum B-Lights to PR-24 batons. Very few of us ever took he batons out of our cars because they were a royal pain in the ass, always bouncing around in the holder and banging your legs or tripping you up. We didn't have any of the neat toys they have today. Due to this fact, when I go hands on with a suspect it truly is 'hands on.' I don't think about the pepper spray on my belt and I don't think about the Taser. In these types of situations that kick off very quickly you tend to revert to your training and experience. My training and experience was always directed at using the necessary violence to achieve the goal of putting the suspect in custody, even if that meant choking him unconscious. The new school officers immediately draw that Taser and generate some man-made lightning just as the younger officer did. By the time I got the suspect flipped over the new officer had a handful of Taser and immediately fired. The probe spread sucked due to the close proximity of the suspect to the Taser and there really wasn't a noticeable effect.

I headed back into work this afternoon and within an hour of hitting the street one of my officers Tased a fugitive who was fleeing on foot. Forty minutes later the same officer observed a hit and run accident and went after the fleeing vehicle. A vehicle chase ensued. Officers were able to deploy spike strips and disable one front tire. The suspect crashed into a power pole a short time later while trying to negotiate a 90-degree turn at high speed. The video of the pursuit was great with the officers involved doing a fabulous job. The scary part was when the power lines came down around their vehicles as they were coming to a stop and taking up a foot chase after the suspect. One officer was trapped in his vehicle due to a power line draped over the roof. The suspect was Tased while fleeing and rode the lightning while he fell face down in a ditch filled with water.

Two Taser deployments, one foot chase, one car chase followed by a foot chase all within the first hour of the shift. Man, I love my job!!!!

All I have to do now is get through Monday, which, believe it or not, tends to be our busiest and craziest day of the week.

Blogger Advice

I have been considering purchasing a domain name for the blog. I have a few questions for those in the know. Do I have to use Blogger for this or can I used a service like GoDaddy for example? If I can use another service, it is possible to customize the blog more to my liking? I also have a WordPress blog and was considering doing the same for that one. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Why Stick With What Works?

A number of years ago the work schedule for a patrol officer was pretty good. Ten-hour days, four days a week, three days off. When it came time to change days off you would end up working three days, have two days off, then come back to work the four, starting the cycle over again. The troops loved it, but the command didn't think this schedule provided enough coverage. Needless to say they had to stick their grubby fingers in and 'fix' something that wasn't broken.

Our current schedule isn't all that bad. At least you get three days off in a row. That allows you to save your leave time and take the family on a short vacation out of town. We do get boned on it, though. Two days on, one day off, then four days on really sucks. We didn't bitch about it much because the command said it would provide better coverage where it was needed. Shifts with double squads would be evaluated based on CompStat data accrued over the past year or two.

It's too bad our maggots are more astute than we give them credit for. For the past two years, every Friday and Saturday night has been a double night. Officers flood the street. You can't turn a corner without running over another cop. The criminal element knows this and stays inside on those nights. From an anecdotal standpoint, Mondays tend to be our busiest days. A request to change the double shift days, at least for a while, was promptly nipped in the bud.

Now the word is out that the command staff wants patrol to begin working eight hour shifts by the end of this year. I have a done a somewhat unscientific poll of supervisors and subordinates and 99.9 state they are unhappy the change is even being considered. Furthermore, if it is instituted, many have expressed they will seek employment at agencies with better shifts.

Throughout my decades on the job there have been several things that kept me to loyal to my department. The first was the excellent insurance benefits for me and my family. Now the officer has to pay for those benefits after nearly 30 years of the City picking up the tab. Assigned vehicles was another perk. Now we have to pay anywhere from $20 to $40 bucks a paycheck to drive those cars home. Taxes have now been raised and more are coming. As of my last check I brought home less than I did four years ago. Now pile on this eight hour days bullshit and I guarantee it will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Officers will begin to flee en-mass and recruiting qualified candidates will be that much harder.

The powers that be think eight hour shifts will provide more coverage, but I just don't see it. Talk to any 60 day rookie in my department and he will tell you how to get better coverage. Take those 30-40 officers assigned to 'special' teams and dump their asses back into the patrol squads. Problem solved. Then we might actually have enough time to engage in the Chief's community policing goal rather than running from call to call to call all night long.

If you work for a medium sized department (300 officers or more) please leave your input in the comments section regarding what types of shifts you are working, how you like it and whether it has any real effect on crime and achieving the mission.

Andre Tells the Truth

South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Bauer speaks the truth about welfare and dependency on the government. Rather than link to the typical liberal media reaction I will provide this link to Bauer's blog.

Bauer used a lesson about feeding stray animals as taught by his grandmother.

"My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals," Bauer said, according to the Greenville News. "You know why? Because they breed."

"You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better."

The Lt. Governor's statements are entirely accurate. I have mentioned before within these pages my belief that we have lost at least two, if not three, generations due to the ease of obtaining and staying on welfare. A local newspaper article refers to Ronald Reagan's 1980 campaign in which he pointed out the glaringly obvious contradiction of a "welfare queen driving a new Cadillac." They point it out with contempt, as they always do when the truth is told by Conservatives.

I see it everyday. The area in which I work is 90% welfare recipients. Money is provided for these folks every month, courtesy of you and me, the American taxpayer. Welfare, WIC, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, etc. etc. They hit the grocery store and load up on high end groceries, then whip out an EBT card and use our money to pay for it. Then they whip out a wad of cash to pay for beer and cigarettes. Hell, even the shrimp and crab man on the ghetto corner takes EBT cards. Then they load their booty into a brand new Cadillac, Lincoln, or a car with three-thousand dollar rims and head back to their taxpayer subsidized homes. Then come the domestic calls where we constantly hear, "He my baby daddy and we live together, but he's not supposed to be here because I'm on housing."

I ask the reader - have you ever spent any time in an area of town where almost no one works? From sun-up to sun-down and all night long you can't turn a corner without seeing someone scurrying about. They are heading to either the liquor store, the corner convenience store, or to their neighborhood drug dealer. At night they suddenly materialize out of the mist, usually wearing all dark colors as camouflage and just as quickly disappear from sight before you spot them again in the rear view mirror. I call the area of town where I work the "cockroach precinct."

Unfortunately, due to our wonderful welfare liberals, my neighborhood of 150 - 200 thousand dollars homes is quickly becoming a "cockroach precinct." Subsidizing rent and providing to those folks for free the same standard of living I have is absolutely ridiculous. Especially when I have had to work my balls off and (literally) break my back to get what little I have.

Of course the Democraps are trying to capitalize on Bauer's statements and the Republicant machine is trying to distance themselves. Bauer will be announcing his run for Governor next month to replace to the professionally and maritally disgraced Mark Sanford. The Lt. Governor is South Carolina is basically a position in name only and doesn't carry much responsibility, so Bauer hasn't drawn much attention except for crashing his plane and speeding on the interstate. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have voted for him prior to this. He has now solidified my vote for him.

Small Town Violence

Colleton County (SC) has seen a spike in violent crime in the recent past. Neighboring cities and counties have seen a reduction during the same period. Is this homegrown violence or are the successes of surrounding agencies pushing the crime into rural Colleton County?

After reading this article and the one linked in the post below you should be able to make an extremely politically incorrect deduction.

Deputy Down

A Charleston County (SC) deputy was shot multiple on 21 January as he pursued three possible burglary suspects on foot. Article here. Read the latest update here.

First things first. Let's deal with a couple of officer safety issues. In spite of the obvious tragedy and the deputy's pain, those of us still out there have to dissect these incidents and LEARN from them.

Issue #1: Don't take a Taser to a gun fight. Did the deputy know he was going to be fired on? No. An officer has to be prepared for any eventuality, though. When you have a handful of Taser, it's hard to fill it with a sidearm.

Issue #2: NEVER pursue blindly around a corner. From what I'm hearing the suspect was already set up with his handgun when the deputy rounded the corner where he had lost sight of the suspect.

Issue #3: Again, based on what I'm hearing, this deputy maintained his composure after being shot. He very calmly reported to dispatch that he had been shot multiple times. First officers on-scene found him standing by his cruiser, bleeding heavily. Calm counts for a lot. If you are screaming in the radio, it's hard to make out what you're screaming about. Good job, Deputy Degrow.

Here is one quote that makes me feel good about my profession - "Officers from the Charleston and North Charleston police departments, the Folly Beach Public Safety Department, the FBI, the U.S, Marshals Service, the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office and SLED participated in the search, Cannon said. The Charleston County Rescue Squad, Charleston County EMS and the James Island Fire Department also responded."

I would also like to thank David McDougall for the well written and researched articles he has written about this incident. I know Mr. McDougall to be a man of character and integrity, unlike the reporter who slanted the articles referenced in my "Analsysis" posts below. Many years ago I worked an ugly rape/murder case that led to one suspect receiving a death sentence. During that investigation Mr. McDougall was privy to a LOT of information 'off the record.' Most of this information wasn't even used during the subsequent trials. Mr. McDougall never once violated the trust that was placed in him. He has the distinction of being the only reporter I have ever trusted.

Final - Final Analysis

In reference to this post and this post. View the first video here. View the second video here. At the time of my original posting only the first video was available. I told you I'd be back to address it, so here it is. Remember the off-duty officer is OD, the other two are addressed according to their employing agency.

Facts not in dispute:

a) OD is displaying behavior that would get an average citizen at least pulled over, maybe cited, depending on the attitude as other officers have pointed out in the comments.
b) Based on the first video I minimized the "pursuit" angle. I still stand by that position. Almost every day I work I hear some young gun calling out a traffic stop, followed by the words that put every officer on alert - "He's not stopping." There is a difference between "He's not stopping" and "I'm in pursuit." A HUGE difference. Nine times out of ten the driver being stopped either doesn't see or hear the officer behind them for a bit, or they are looking for what they consider a safe place to pull over. The reader may dispute this, but I'm sticking to my guns.
C) SPD violated his department's policy. On reflection, would I as his supervisor, bone him on the issue? No. I've done what he did. Every cop has, especially those that work in departments with no pursuit policies. "10-4 Sarge, I have canceled the pursuit. The vehicle is still in sight and turning northbound on I-95. Notify Highway Patrol." Your boss knows you're still hauling ass, as does every officer listening, because we've all been in that situation. How many times have you (we) backed off and the driver either bailed on foot or crashed? Quite a few.
d) The DCSO officer is a dangerous idiot. I stand by this one too. How do you turn around on a violator and NOT know what you're going after? With 15 years of experience? Um.....yeah.

As hoped, the second video cleared up some questions the first video left open-ended. Was OD unprofessional? Yes. I don't mind cutting a break, but you are immediately off on the wrong foot when you hang your police or firefighter badge out the window while I'm approaching the car. DCSO had every right to be upset by this behavior and he showed some restraint when he asked where OD worked and who she worked for.

Did OD continue her unprofessional behavior? Yes. She had every right, IMO, to question the 'pursuit' allegations. As mentioned before, it is never wise to point out, even in a roundabout way, the fact that you think the officer you are dealing with is an idiot. Her comments escalated the situation to another level. Would I have still been considering giving her a break at the point? No. But then again, I wouldn't have sped past her after she yielded to my emergency equipment.

The concept of 'contact and cover' is apparently not used at DCSO, or the officers involved weren't too worried about any possible threat from OD. This is evidenced by the female deputy leaving the cover position after DCSO went back to his vehicle to write the cite and notify OD's superiors. This is the South and most officers carry their firearms off-duty. If they believed this officer was driving dangerously and was intoxicated, why not extend that belief to the realm of "This officer is obviously a dumb-ass and I need to watch her extra close." This was not done and the cover officer bailed out on her position.

This allowed OD to exit the vehicle and take her goofy stance while speaking to whom I would presume was her husband, the Lieutenant at DCSO. At this point DCSO continued to let his frustration get the better of him and he engaged in an argument with OD. He then resorted to threats of arrest which were met with profanities.

Other areas of the country may be different, but around here the charge of Disorderly Conduct requires that the public be alarmed by the behavior. I didn't see or hear any public alarm and no citizens were gathering around. Offending a police officer is NOT a crime. The Supreme Court has decided time and time again that we have to have a higher tolerance for that sort of behavior when directed solely at us.

OD then turns and heads back for her car at which point DCSO states, "Put your hands behind your back." He goes after OD. From an officer safety standpoint, does he have reason to be concerned about OD getting back into her car? If so, what is the difference between her being seated in her car and/or getting back into it? I guess he wasn't too concerned about it since he ORDERED her back into her vehicle. Since the cover officer had vacated her position earlier in the stop it is apparent that officers weren't concerned about OD busting a cap in any of them. She's out of the car, so why not leave her out of the car? At least you can see she isn't armed at that point. If she does have a firearm she might use, it is probably still in the car.

If I were a judge I would consider the arrest to be unlawful based on the fact that the 'public' was not present and thus the elements of Disorderly Conduct were not met. Anything after that makes DCSO liable in a civil court. In this state a person may resist an unlawful arrest up to, and including, the use of deadly force. I saw no resistance on the part of OD other than proceeding to get back into her vehicle.

At this point I would pose the same question I asked in the earlier post. "If DCSO would snatch up and slam a small female KNOWN to be a police officer in such a manner, would you want him stopping your wife or daughter?" In a word - NO! If I lived in his jurisdiction I would have serious concerns about his temperament, his intelligence and his ability to do his job without costing the County money from federal civil rights and personal injury lawsuits. If I were his Sheriff he would be severely disciplined or fired for this display. Isn't it ironic that it sometimes takes an asshole acting out on a traffic stop to point out the fact that the officer is also an asshole?

OD's court date is set for 25 January. What do I think will be the fallout from all of this? Since I am familiar with some officers and admin of all three agencies I think:

SPD will not have any issues as a result of his actions.

DCSO will not suffer any punishment as a result of his actions, but he should. He did perform a very nice arm bar type take-down, but he has no basis in law to lay hands on OD. This will become problematic for DCSO and the County in civil court.

OD WILL be fired by her department for "conduct unbecoming an officer" after being found guilty of Reckless Driving, a six point violation. I'm having a little trouble with the Disorderly Conduct charge, though. Based on the case law, this ordinance/statute does not apply. Unfortunately, Dorchester County is one of those 'good old boy' counties and I think there is a distinct possibility the magistrate will side with the deputy only to be overturned on appeal to a higher court.

I will update after the scheduled court date. Feel free to disagree :)