Law Enforcement Topic Area Articles
Violence of Action
By Officer David Berez (Ret.)
Shared 3/31/2023
On the morning of March 27, 2023, by 10:13 AM, we had all started our day like any other. A regular Monday morning to begin the week ahead. A shower, some breakfast, a kiss goodbye to our loved ones. The same can be said for Officers Rex Englebert and Michael Collazo and other members of the Metro-Nashville Police Department. But unlike the corporate grind, Police Work is not “groundhog day” and every shift is different.
On this day, for this team, every police officer’s worst nightmare came true. “Metro-Nashville all units respond, active-shooter, multiple victims down.” Englebert and Collazo were two of the initial officers to respond and arrive on location of The Covenant School, a Catholic School in Metro Nashville, TN. They staged their cars, grabbed their patrol rifles, formed up and entered the school with the single objective of target acquisition and the elimination of the active threat.
Upon the release of the body worn cameras (BWC) of the involved officers, I must have watched the video 100 times. “The speed, strength, surprise and aggression” that these men operated with is literally the definition of Violence of Action as coined by the Navy SEALs. This team of heroes checked every box of the active shooter training course from diamond formations to room clearing, a hallway boss to rear guard, muzzle discipline to foot work and ultimately charging their way to the sound of the gunfire, even at the risk of their own peril. They were locked in and did everything right.
The precision which these officers operated with is a testament to their training and dedication to the art of policing in the 21st century. These officers are not part of a SWAT team or “specially trained elites.” These are beat cops who work for an agency that has invested in its people.
Thank you Chief John Drake for immediately releasing this video. America needs to see this right now. The media should be playing it on repeat, but I fear they won’t because it is not consistent with a preferred narrative of “defund and defame” the police. Additionally, the now deceased perpetrator is part of a protected social class with a litany of documented mental health disorders.
The last few years of catchy slogans has driven political policy that has unfortunately decimated law enforcement in this country. We have fewer cops on the street, less detectives to follow up with cases, and leadership positions filled with folks that are anything but leaders. We have defunded the police to the point that training like these officers had will no longer be provided. We have defamed the police to the point where officers like these are leaving the job for more supported opportunities in other professional fields. We have lowered standards just to fill seats or satisfy optics to the point where the community has lost trust and faith in those who are supposed to protect them. In a moment of crisis, when evil is at your doorstep, who do you want there for you? The officer who got the job because of the lowered standards and is a load on the department or the one who competed to be first in their class and has had the opportunity to take advantage of continued training funded by their agency?
Officers Englebert and Collazo not only represent the best of MNPD, they represent 99.9% of the cops across the Nation who train for this moment everyday: Academically, Physically, and Emotionally. Anyone can hand out ice cream coupons to kids, make dancing social media videos, or host coffee with a cop. However, it takes the best among us to commit to Violence of Action in a moment’s notice while the rest of us are situationally unaware and having coffee with colleagues.
Metro Nashville Police and Officers Englebert and Collazo, you have lived up to my personal credo and I salute you: “Lead by example, stay resilient and earn your badge ever day.”
David Berez is a retired Police Officer and Drug Recognition Expert, having served more than 20 years with the East Windsor Police Department and a total of 30 years in Emergency Services, including EMS and OEM. Following his retirement, Mr. Berez is now the President and Founder of Six4 Consultants, a Public Safety Consulting Firm. Mr. Berez is also a featured columnist, guest speaker and panelist on a variety of Public Safety discussions. In September of 2020, Mr. Berez was trained as a Resiliency Program Officer and Master Master Resiliency Trainer. He is a facilitator for "Resilient Minds on the Front Lines," "The Power of our Story," and is working to grow Resiliency for Law Enforcement Retirees in NJ with the State's Resilience Program. In 2022, Mr. Berez was named to the Law Enforcement Advisory Counsel for Citizens Behind the Badge.
Law Enforcement Topic Area Articles
The Voice of Reason – De-escalation the buzzword for Law Enforcement
By Deputy Kurt Barbour
Shared 2/2/2023
I have been a law enforcement officer for over 20 years. I have held many positions to include corrections, patrol, detective, undercover detective, detective in specialized tactical units, negotiator, Commander for negotiations and training nationwide. I have experienced many changes in the direction of training for law enforcement and public ideas of what law enforcement should be. While Law Enforcement may be of the opinion that the majority of the general public does not support law enforcement due to narrative created by a few law enforcement officers and their lack of discipline in handling situations, I feel the opposite is true.
I would agree that the last few years have been a “black eye” to all the men and women who proudly, bravely and with great dedication and pride serve their communities. The truth of the matter is that times are changing and with news more quickly digestible with social media and 24 hour news networks, it is hard to escape the scrutiny of legislators, activists and the public. That is why, I apply the lessons I have learned through my experience and years of training. I believe that my experience as a negotiator, interviewer and Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trainer has helped me stay grounded to the fundamental principles of being a police officer. Many of us have taken oaths of the occupation we are charged with performing which includes to uphold the laws and the constitution and serve and protect the community. Many of us recall these oaths we took before they pinned a badge upon our chest. A badge is not only a show of authority, but also a constant reminder of that oath we took and a symbol of protection. That’s right, protection. Law Enforcement is right there in the title, to enforce the laws of the land. Law Enforcement does not include the administration of justice, that is for the courts to do.
It has become a word of high value and highly sought after in embedding “de-escalation” skills into the law enforcement community. This is a skill-set that officers are currently being trained in nationwide, and arguably have been trained in for years. The problem that I see is that many situations that are portrayed in the media show the lack of de-escalation and that picture is being applied to all in this occupation as a whole. Unfortunately, I watch these events unfold on the media myself and find the actions of a few abhorrent. In particular, Tyre Nichols arrest recently in Memphis, as I watched, and being a parent myself, tears came to my eyes. I do not wish to be a Monday “morning quarterback,” but what I saw I can honestly say is something I have never been taught in my training as a police officer.
For me, the word “DE-ESCALATE” has a lot of meaning and is part of one of the most important tools a police officer can possess. I am not naive as to think that use of force should only include de-escalation tactics but am a firm believer that the attempt in using these skills should be sought as a means of resolution. The word de-escalation is often thought of utilizing toward a subject to resolve the situation, but at what point does that apply to the law enforcement community? We as stewards of keeping the peace should also keep in mind that our actions are under constant scrutiny and even if they are not, we should remember that our skill-set should include of the highest priority, “people skills.”
I have recently been reminded of a quote from Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” That may be true to a degree, but I’m not sure people will forget what you did. They most certainly will not forget how you made them feel.
I’ve learned in all of my training and experience, the job becomes much easier to manage if we remember to treat people like people. We are people too and I imagine we expect dignity in the way we are treated. The art of negotiation can only occur when there are two opposing sides and the willingness to reach an agreement. I realize we all have bad days, however this cannot be an excuse for us to do the job properly. In doing the job properly, we will regain the trust of the public which is essential to us to properly perform our job.
Without “DE-ESCALATION” there is only escalation. With escalation comes a regression into anarchy. De-escalation involves more than the right words said, it involves patience. We must remember to de-escalate a situation also includes our emotions and adrenaline flowing during a stressful situation. We must not in the pursuit of keeping the peace, become villains ourselves. We must be able to de-escalate a subject and ourselves. We must remember the basic principle of treating people as people.
DE-ESCALATE – DE-ESCALATE – DE-ESCALATE
Kurt has been a law enforcement officer for over 20 years. Kurt has been in corrections, patrol, detectives (undercover and specialized teams) and is the Commander of a large Crisis Negotiations Team. Kurt is also an instructor who instructs nationwide Federal, International, State and Local LEOs and Military on various law enforcement topics such as interview and interrogation, detecting deception, tactical de-briefing, body language, de-escalation techniques, officer safety, narcotics investigations and a variety of other law enforcement topics through Homefront Protective Group, the nation's leading provider in reality based training.
Deputy Kurt Barbour
Law Enforcement Topic Area Articles
1st Amendment Auditors
By Officer R. Barry Andrews (Ret.)
R. Barry Andrews is a former Ohio peace officer and the Founder/Director of a national, non-profit law enforcement training organization called the Police Training Institute (PTI). During his 21 years with PTI, he developed and provided advanced training programs for police officers ranging from local to international agencies. Barry has taught at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia as well.
Barry's experience in the field of law enforcement, and his many contacts with fellow officers, form the foundations for his novels. Police officers are well-known for their many stories. Barry weaves the details of some of the best stories together in each of his novels.
Barry has since retired from the law enforcement industry and currently lives in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio where he continues to write and interact with the law enforcement community. He currently has six novels available - "The Black Recruit", "The New Recruit", "The Female Recruit", "The Police Chief", “The Old Recruit”, and his sixth book, “The Partners” is now available to buy as well!
Shared: 12/6/2022
There is a crisis in American law enforcement to find qualified candidates to become police officers and agencies are getting seriously creative to entice new applicants. Los Angeles is offering one year free housing to those who complete the police academy. Other cities are offering a signing bonus up to $10,000 to applicants. Fort Worth created a “fun” video to show that their city is a great place to work.
Academic scholars are blaming low pay, terrible hours and stress to be the factors causing officers to take early retirement or they are leaving to follow other career paths as the prevailing factors. The reality is two-fold: 1. Law enforcement is the only profession where the employee risks their freedom for simply doing their job, and 2. There is little community support for law enforcement officers.
The evidence of the lack of support is a trend called “FIRST AMENDMENT AUDITS.” These are misfits who seek to seek to demean, degrade and embarrass law enforcement officers with the goal of becoming YouTube stars. Each armed with recording equipment, they swarm city buildings, police stations, post offices, fire stations, federal government facilities and private businesses with the intent of disrupting their ability to conduct operations until law enforcement gets involved. They then claim a constitutional protection for their actions.
They demand the name and badge number for each officer with whom they come in contact, while refusing to identify themselves, and exercise their 1st Amendment rights to call the officer(s) clowns and curse at them, knowing that there is little that the officer(s) can do. When the officers leave, they call it the “Walk of Shame” to impress their viewers and get them to pay to subscribe to their trash. They firmly believe that only they have rights and protections.
Clearly, there are people who become police officers who should have never been allowed to wear the badge. Just as there are doctors, nurses, teachers and lawyers who are incapable to perform the duties of their profession. Yet, everyone focuses on the performance of law enforcement officers because they are the whipping post for people whose mere existence is unsatisfying. Their favorite term to describe cops is as “tyrants.” These “experts” cite penal codes, court precedent, and police policy of which they are clueless. One example is the legal definition of qualified immunity which, if one listens, they are uninformed at best.
March 3, 1991 is the day that law enforcement changed forever. That is the day that 21 cops in Los Angeles, California met an individual named Rodney Glen King. The 108 second video was aired internationally for days, weeks, and months, and the result was the loss of trust in the “good guys.” That loss of trust was passed on through generations and the level of trust has continued to deteriorate. It is not a problem with just law enforcement, but has expanded to anyone in a position of authority. This includes teachers and religious officials as well.
Here is an example of how the “queen bees” operate www.facebook.com/watch?v=1509467806154667
This trend will continue until the public decides that it will no longer tolerate this behavior. The silent majority is being drowned by the vocal minority and people who want to serve and protect their community will follow other career paths where they are respected.
Officer R. Barry Andrews (Ret.)
Law Enforcement Topic Area Articles
Cold Case Advances
By Homicide Detective Cloyd Steiger (Ret.)
Posted 11/21/2022
Cloyd Steiger retired from the Seattle Police Department in 2016 after 36 years. He worked as a Detective the last 25 years and in Homicide the last 22 years. During that time he investigated many notorious murders, including serial killers, mass murders, spree killers, and domestic terrorism resulting in death. He is the former Chief Criminal Investigator at the Washington Attorney Generals Homicide Investigation Tracking System, (HITS).
Cloyd is the former Director of Investigations Consulting at American Investigative Society for Cold Cases. He is a frequent guest on True Crime podcasts, including The Toll podcast, Murder was the Case, and Unforbidden Truth, among others, and is a regular contributor on the Citizen Detective podcast. He has been a contributor on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and has appeared on many True Crime national television shows. He is the author of two books; Homicide: The View from Inside the Yellow Tape, and Seattle's Forgotten Serial Killer, Gary Gene Grant.
Las Vegas Police announce arrest in 1980 cold case.
The recent headline would have been huge news a couple of years ago; today it’s common. Cold cases, once thought unsolvable, are being solved almost weekly because of tremendous advances in forensic science.
On shelves in police departments and sheriff’s offices all across the country there are cold case murders, many of which could be solved if someone just pulled them down, dusted them off, and went to work on them.
In my positions running the HITS program at the Washington State Attorney General and the American Investigative Society of Cold Cases, I’ve reviewed scores of cold cases from around the nation. Reviewing the cases, I often ask what forensic tests have been conducted on the evidence. Invariably they tell me they did DNA testing on various items.
“When did you do those tests?” me and my colleagues ask. “In 2005,” or some other year long past is a typical answer. “Then you need to have it tested again,” we’d say. Detectives are often stunned by that answer.
Forensic science has advanced more in the last four years than in the previous 25 combined. The possibilities are great with touch-DNA, new DNA collection methods, Genetic Genealogy, Familial DNA, and other methods.
When I first became a detective, the forensic use of DNA was in its infancy. To match DNA to a known person, the detective needed a biological sample about the size of a quarter. Once you had that, it could only be compared to a known suspect. There was no CODIS or other database to store offender profiles.
Today, a complete DNA profile can be gleaned from microscopic amounts of genetic material. DNA can be collected from items that were previously difficult to process. Among the advancements in DNA collection is the M-Vac wet-vacuum DNA collection system. A recent FBI study showed that the M-Vac collects 12 times the DNA that traditional cutting and swabbing do.
When searching for touch DNA on clothing using cutting or swabbing, the crime lab scientist has to guess where the suspect may have touched. This hit-and-miss method frequently misses DNA on the object. A larger area can be tested with the M-Vac, leading to a much greater chance of finding the material.
History has shown that even if evidence has been previously swabbed, the M-Vac can still retrieve evidence. It can also collect evidence of surfaces challenging for swabbings, such as rocks, duct tape (front and back), and other porous surfaces.
Often a profile is developed, entered into CODIS, and no hits are found. The investigating detective should not eliminate potential suspects because a database tells them that person has had a DNA sample taken. I’ve encountered cases where DNA samples were taken and databases indicated so. But looking more closely, I found that the DNA was never processed and never entered into the system. Call a CODIS representative directly and have them confirm whether or not the person you are interested in is actually in the system.
Familial DNA is another excellent tool for identifying close relatives of the contributor. Many notorious murders, including the Grim Sleeper cases in California, were solved using this technique.
Finally, Genetic Genealogy can be used to track relatives of the killers. Genealogy requires SNP DNA, not STR, which is used in criminal databases, so “new” DNA must be developed, perhaps using the techniques I’ve listed. The difficulty some agencies have with genealogy is cost, but there are ways to get around this.
The agency can apply for a grant through the FBI, though that comes with onerous and unnecessary requirements, in my opinion, and should only be used as a last resort. Agencies can work with family members and the community to fund the testing cost. It is not a tremendous amount.
There has never been a better time to be a cold-case detective. Pull out that old case file. Be ambitious, think outside the box, and get answers for many long-suffering families who want to know what happened to their loved ones.
Homicide Detective Cloyd Steiger (Ret.)