Orwell's vision goes on and on

And no, there is no loss of liberty with professional politicians.  How the hell does any member of congress think the government should have it's law enforcement agencies monitor the speech of citizens.  From the mindset that said the greatest threat to America was not Islamic extremists but our returning veterans, we have this.  From liberals, of course.

BIG CHILL: FEDS WANT TO SCOUR NET, MEDIA FOR 'HATE SPEECH'If two Democratic lawmakers have their way, Barack Obama’s Justice Department will submit a report for action against any Internet sites, broadcast, cable television or radio shows determined to be advocating or encouraging “violent acts.” 

This according to the text of a new bill from Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. 

The Hate Crime Reporting Act of 2014 “would create an updated comprehensive report examining the role of the Internet and other telecommunications in encouraging hate crimes based on gender, race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation and create recommendations to address such crimes,” stated a news release from Markey’s office. 

The one-page bill, reviewed by WND, calls for the Justice Department and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to “analyze information on the use of telecommunications, including the Internet, broadcast television and radio, cable television, public access television, commercial mobile services, and other electronic media, to advocate and encourage violent acts and the commission of crimes of hate.” 

The bill does not define which actions by broadcasters would be considered to have encouraged violence, seemingly leaving that open to interpretation.

Once the report is compiled, the bill calls for “any recommendations” for action “consistent with the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States” that is determined to be an “appropriate and necessary” way to address the purported encouragement of violent acts.

The Boston Herald took issue with the bill, calling it “frankly chilling” that Markey is seeking to “empower an obscure federal agency to begin scouring the Internet, TV and radio for speech it finds threatening.”

“Perhaps he could crack a briefing book on the crisis in Ukraine rather than looking for his own extra-constitutional methods of punishing speech he finds unacceptable,” added the Herald editorial.

Wait, am I hearing the howls of outrage from the American Criminal Lovers Union?  No, they will worry if  terrorist in Gitmo have been read their rights.  Hopefully this dies in committee.

I've often said there are lots of agencies in each cabinet department that needs to be cut off.  Anything that says "multi-cultural" or "diversity" in its mission statement, it's worthless.  If this is all the US Commission on Civil Rights needs to worry about, the it's mission is over.

Use of force, the perspective of the user and the law.

After the Trevon Martin-George Zimmerman shooting in Florida from 2012, and the subsequent acquittal of Mr. Zimmerman a lot of people where asking "How could they let him go, Martin wasn't armed..." In multiple blog post or Facebook discussions I had to explain that is not required. The legal standard for use of deadly force is when the actor has "reasonable fear of life or serious bodily injury" for themselves or a third person.

Like most areas of the country, if an officer (or any citizen for that matter) uses deadly force that action must be reviewed by a grand jury. Nice thing about Harris county is all things being even, grand juries here give cops the benefit of a doubt when they shoot.  And we don't take an "understanding eye" when Obama voters break into a house and are shot dead by a resident (New York, California take a note of how it's done!), but that's another subject for another post.

One thing Harris County does is allow its grand juries to go through a shoot-don't shoot simulator. It gives the average man/woman on the street some perspective. An attorney (Paul Looney, what a name for a lawyer) has issues with that and here is great interview with him with a local host,Matt Patrick. Mr Looney at one points criticizes the use of the simulator, saying it makes people identify with the cops and we should have people who judge their actions more objective with police, to "stand back". In the next sentence he says we need a "cross section of experiences", with people representing the police officer, some the defendant, No one ever said you should expect intellectual consistency from an attorney.

Just over four minutes and worth your time. .

Police Shoot Simulator for Grand Jurors

BTY, he lost the appeal

A Tribute to the Jaws of Justice!

For all the K9 Cops out there, thank you.

Post by The German Shepherd Dog Community.

The Five Stages of Grief, in one video.

Look at the redaction of this woman when she finds outs she killed someone. It shows three of the five stages of grief

1. Denial and Isolation: Deny the reality of the situation. At 1:05

2. Anger: Reality and its pain re-emerge. At 1:15

3. Bargaining: The normal reaction to feelings of helplessness and vulnerability is often a need to regain control. At 1.25

4. Depression:

5. Acceptance

The last two are not on the video but they probably happened after she got her ass sobered up. Interesting watch.

Mommie and Daddy are home

I've had a dog for just over three years and I can't see not having one. I found this video and it's awesome. I really love "Daddy's home" at.58. Enjoy.

I've been a supervisor in a jail for a little over two months and this is very believable. Then again I look at the suspect and I more than believe it.

Cops: Teen Had Loaded Revolver In Her Vagina

APRIL 22--A 19-year-old Tennessee woman had a loaded handgun hidden in her vagina when she was brought into jail yesterday afternoon following a collar for driving with a suspended license, police report.

As Dallas Archer was being booked into the Kingsport jail, a female corrections officer alerted to an “unknown object” in the teenager’s crotch during a search.

The jailer and a female cop then accompanied Archer to a bathroom for further examination, a review that led to the recovery of a “North American Arms 22 LR revolver (loaded) which Ms. Dallas had concealed in her vagina,” according to a Kingsport Police Department report.

A subsequent check revealed that the five-shot mini-revolver--which is four inches in length--had been “stolen from an auto burglary in 2013.” The handgun, which police valued at $250, is owned by John Souther, a 70-year-old retired car salesman.

In a TSG interview, Souther said that the gun was taken from his 1994 Mustang, which was “ransacked” last year while parked in his Kingsport carport. Souther said that police told him that the revolver had been recovered, but offered no further details. When told where the gun had been stashed, Souther said, “Oh, gosh.” He noted that he would eventually like “the little fellow” returned, but added that the weapon would require “a bath in bleach.”...

Now, as always, some of the comments are really great:

Gives new meaning to a gun having a "hair trigger".

In Latin vagina does mean a "scabbard" or "holster".

Happiness is a warm gun?

At four inches in length it comes off as half cocked.

If it went off could you call it her 'boom box'?

You can have my gun when you can pry it from my cold, stinking vagina.

They say it was a gun, but I think this smells fishy.

Talk about dangerous! One queef and no telling who would die!!!

For sale AA22LR only used once, still in the box.

Cool thing about Frazier

I loved Frazier (I really loved Boss, but another story for another day) and just found out about this. A lot of the opening call ins were celebrities. Cool!

Another interesting example of bias from the New York Puke

Saw this in Breitbart today.

COURT ORDERS US TO OPEN UP ON DRONE ATTACKS ON AMERICANS

The US government must make public secret papers justifying drone attacks against suspected terrorists, including American citizens, a New York federal appeals court ordered Monday.

The case was brought by The New York Times and two of its journalists in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case supported by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Their request came following the drone attacks in Yemen that killed Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan in September 2011 and al-Awlaki's teenage son, Abdul Rahman, in October 2011. All three victims were United States citizens either by birth or naturalization...

Gee, it's been six years and B Hussein Obama's birth certificate and school records are still sealed, but for some reason this objective news source doesn't want to file a FOIA request. I wonder why? Not!

PS: Happy Easter again

I only wish I would have gotten this sooner. Damned I miss this man.



Thank you Hermann Cain for the link.

Happy Easter!

I generally don't have much use for The Atlantic...

And this article is no exception. A possible reasonable look at the post presidential time of Eisenhower, I had hope for this article after reading the first paragraph. I was wrong.

Ike the Winter Soldier

Today, everybody likes Ike. Liberals see Dwight Eisenhower’s foreign policy as a model of strategic restraint. Conservatives view him as a tough but shrewd warrior president. But there’s another side to Ike, one that’s often ignored: The story of his political life after leaving the White House. Ike in winter became a ferocious hawk on Vietnam who helped propel America deeper into the quagmire.

Eisenhower was the son of pacifist Mennonites who fretted about his love of military history. He became a hero of World War II and the architect of D-Day. And Ike also understood the price of war. After becoming president in 1953, he hammered out a truce in the Korean War. In 1954, Eisenhower resisted entreaties to intervene in Vietnam following the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu. Indeed, during the last seven-and-a-half years of Eisenhower’s presidency, only a single American service member was killed by hostile fire (in Lebanon in 1958). Eisenhower famously left the White House in 1961 warning about “the military-industrial complex.”

The author's ignorance is showing. Ike didn't hammer out a truce in Korea. After going to Korea after his inauguration, Ike made it clear to the Chinese and Soviets, through the Swiss, he would use nukes to end the war. He told them he was not going to let this go on forever. And within six months of him becoming president, the war ended. Gee, peace through strength. Who would have thunk it?

Some commentators have seen Obama as a successor. Both presidents entered office in the shadow of a stalemated war; both favored foreign-policy restraint and cool-headed realism. Fareed Zakaria wrote on “Why Barack is Like Ike.” “Eisenhower understood, as Obama surely does,” Jeffrey Frank wrote, “how America’s role can change indelibly in a moment: that sending a single air strike, or soldier or, as happened with later Administrations, thousands of soldiers, binds us to the outcome.”

A straw man is evidence of a weak argument and this is no exception. Mr. Tierney, name one person who compares Ike to B Hussein Obama. Eisenhower was a distinguished man of enormous accomplishments prior to his coming to the presidency in 1953. He was despised by the Republican Establishment who wanted their chosen candidate, Thomas Dewey as the nominee. Back to the threat to use nukes in Korea, no one questioned he would do it. His word was gold. Show me how B Hussein Obama compares in any way to Ike?

These odes to Eisenhower’s foreign-policy judgment always end with his retirement in 1961 to a farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. But Eisenhower lived for another eight years. He didn’t retreat from public life and paint pictures of world leaders like George W. Bush, but remained a major figure on the national stage. He enjoyed enormous respect and credibility as a war hero, the Republican Party’s elder statesman, and after 1964, one of only two ex-presidents still alive (the other being Harry Truman). Lyndon Johnson relied heavily on the counsel of a man who knew the burdens of office....

Ike was a accomplished leader, diplomat and president who's term was eight years of peace and prosperity. He was a leader in the end of "separate by equal" with the 1956 Civil Rights Act and the forced integration of Little Rock school. B Hussein years have been an economic disaster with multi-trillion dollar deficits, deliberate exploitation of racial tensions, the destruction of American influence and power around the world. Oh, Ike carried 39 states and 55 percent of the vote in 1952, 41 states and 57 percent in 1956. Sorry, we like Ike.

Oh, B Hussein Obama has no plans on leaving D.C. Will you have issues with that sir?

K9 Down

K9 Gorky
Davie County North Carolina Sheriff's Office
End of Watch: Thursday, January 23, 2014
Breed: Russian Shepherd
Age: 5
Gender: M
Tour: 5 years
Cause: Gunfire
Incident Date: 1/22/2014

K9 Gorky was shot and killed while accompanying an entry team during a hostage situation. A subject had just taken two juveniles hostage in a mobile home on South Angell Road.

Deputies had originally gone to the man's home to serve a warrant relating to a home invasion. When they arrived the subject fled to a nearby mobile home where he took the two hostages. He then called his probation officer and stated that he would shoot officers and kill the hostages if they attempted to arrest him.

The subject released the hostages a short time later in exchange for cigarettes. At approximately 6:30 pm a team made entry into the home led by K9 Gorky and his handler. The subject opened fire with a shotgun from behind a wall, striking K9 Gorky and his handler. Gorky was able to exit the home through the front door while his handler exited through a window. As his handler exited the window he was struck by friendly fire and wounded a second time. K9 Gorky succumbed to his wounds at approximately 1:00 am.

The subject was taken into custody a short time later and charged with multiple counts.

K9 Gorky had served with the Davie County Sheriff's Office for five years.

Rest in Peace …and enjoy running the green grass of Heaven!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

Officer Down

Police Officer David W. Smith
Johnson City New York Police Department
End of Watch: Monday, March 31, 2014
Age: 43
Tour: 18 years, 6 months
Badge # 057

Police Officer Dave Smith was shot and killed with his own service weapon after responding to a disturbance call at a business, at 32 Harrison Street, at approximately 7:00 am.

An employee at the business began arguing with other employees and assaulted one of them upon arriving at work. As Officer Smith arrived at the scene the employee ran out of the building waving his arms, and attacked Officer Smith before he was able to exit his patrol car or radio for help. The subject was able to disarm Officer Smith shot him while he was still in the patrol car.

The man then opened fire on a second officer who was arriving at the scene. That officer returned fire, killing the subject.

Officer Smith had served with the Johnson City Police Department for 18-1/2 years. He was survived by his young son.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Security Weekly: The Jihadist Movement Suffers from Divisions and Discord, March 8, 2014

By Scott Stewart

On March 5, my colleague Robert D. Kaplan wrote about how, despite the efforts of global elites to engineer a world in which primordial divisions are vanquished, divisions such as nationalism, tribalism and sectarianism continue to survive and prosper. As I was reading Robert's thoughts, it occurred to me that it is not just the idealistic dreams of the global jet-setting elite that are being dashed upon the shoal of rocks that is human nature. We are also witnessing the utopian dreams of jihadist ideologues meet the same cruel fate.

Now, I am not by any means equating the global elite with jihadist ideologues. Indeed, jihadist ideologues have never subscribed to the universalistic ideas of the global elite. Instead, their philosophy is starkly dualistic, separating the world into two camps: Muslims and non-Muslims or, as they refer to them, Dar al-Islam (literally house of Islam) and Dar al-Harb (literally house of war). The jihadists believe in a form of Islamic millennialism whereby the Muslims will vanquish the non-Muslims in an apocalyptic struggle. Once they have won this battle, they will establish an earthly paradise ruled by Sharia in which the entire world lives in harmony under submission to Allah.

However, we are seeing the jihadist movement being wracked by the same types of forces that continue to impact all other human organizations, including the nation-state. Even within the Dar al-Islam that the jihadists are attempting to create, there remains a great deal of discord, dissention and death.

Dissention in Syria, Algeria and Somalia

Perhaps the best example of the divisions within the jihadist movement is on display in Syria. After helping establish Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, announced in April 2013 that his group was subsuming Jabhat al-Nusra and would henceforth be known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. Al-Baghdadi obviously did not coordinate this hostile takeover with the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, Abu Mohammad al-Golani, who appealed to al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri for help. Al-Zawahiri ruled against al-Baghdadi and ordered him to cease operations in Syria, but al-Baghdadi rebelled and disregarded al-Zawahiri's orders. The group has now officially broken away from al Qaeda, and is currently fighting against Jabhat al-Nusra as well as other jihadist actors in Syria for control of the jihad in Syria. In addition to the personal struggle for power between al-Baghdadi and al-Golani, there is also a nationalistic aspect to the dispute, since some Syrians want to have a Syrian leader of the jihadist effort in that country rather than an Iraqi like al-Baghdadi.

On Feb. 23, Abu Khaled al-Suri, the head of the Syrian jihadist group Ahrar al-Sham, was killed by a suicide bombing in Aleppo. Al-Suri was also reportedly a senior al Qaeda member and close associate of al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden. Many believe the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant killed al-Suri, but the group has denied responsibility.

Today, groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham not only need to worry about fighting government forces, they also must combat the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. This infighting has provided a much-needed respite for the Syrian regime.

In early February, a jihadist group in the Gaza Strip published a video on YouTube in which it proclaimed allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. Jihadists in Gaza are not new, and jihadists based in Iraq have long had links to Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula, but it was notable to see a Gaza-based group declare allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant rather than al Qaeda.

Another example of the divisiveness brought about by pride and personal ambition is the longstanding tension between Mokhtar Belmokhtar and his counterparts and organizational superiors in al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's southern zone, as well as the group's leadership in northern Algeria. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's Shura Council chastised Belmokhtar for his disdain and disrespect for the leadership in a letter sent to Belmokhtar and later recovered in northern Mali. Belmokhtar split from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in December of 2012 to form his own jihadist group.

Tribal politics, nationalism, ambition and personal conflicts have also factored into the development of the Somali jihadist group al Shabaab. In 2013, al Shabaab leader Ahmad Abdi Godane (also known as Abu Zubayr) began a purge of dissident leaders to tighten his control over the group. In the so-called Godane coup, his forces assassinated Ibrahim al-Afghani, a senior al Shabaab leader who had criticized Godane's leadership in an open letter. Godane's men also killed U.S. citizen Omar Hammami, also known as Abu Mansur al-Amriki, who Godane's forces had pursued for several months due to his criticism of Godane, along with a number of other foreign fighters. Following these killings, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, who led the Islamist militant group Hizbul Islam before joining al Shabaab, defected to the Somali government due to fear of Godane.

It is also widely believed that Godane orchestrated the June 2011 death of al Qaeda in East Africa leader Fazul Abdullah Mohammed due to Abdullah Mohammed's sharp criticism of al Shabaab's leadership. Some have also claimed that Godane got wind of a plan by al Qaeda to have Abdullah Mohammed (a Comoran) or other foreign al Qaeda leaders installed to lead al Shabaab. Either way, Abdullah Mohammed's criticism was very well documented in an autobiography he published on a jihadist website in 2009, and given how Godane has responded to others who have criticized his leadership, the biography clearly could have provided grounds for his "accidental" death.

Implications for U.S. Counterterrorism Policy

The divisions in the jihadist movement have muddied the waters in places like Syria and Libya and have made it quite difficult to determine affiliations and organizational structure. The divisions also raise some interesting questions regarding the Authorization for Use of Military Force -- the legal document that has driven U.S. counterterrorism operations since shortly after the 9/11 attacks.

The Authorization for Use of Military Force permits military action "against those nations, organizations, or persons he [the president] determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons." Congress and the U.S. court system have generally interpreted the Authorization for Use of Military Force to refer to al Qaeda and the Taliban, even though they are not specifically named.

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and its predecessor organizations frequently targeted U.S. forces in Iraq. However, the group has shown no real intent to conduct transnational attacks against the United States since U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq. And now that the group has disassociated from al Qaeda, can U.S. forces still target it under the Authorization for Use of Military Force? What about new jihadist groups that are not associated with al Qaeda? These new jihadist groups are almost too numerous to count in Syria.

Aside from the ambiguity caused by the divisions in the jihadist movement, those divisions present some benefits that raise pragmatic conundrums. Is it worth targeting a figure such as al-Baghdadi for a rendition or a missile strike, or is it better to allow him to continue to sow dissention within the jihadist realm and kill al Qaeda figures such as al-Suri?

Another benefit of the fragmentation to the United States is that these smaller groups have tended to be more locally or regionally focused. Quite often they are motivated by nationalistic or tribal objectives rather than global ambitions. For example, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant sees itself as positioned to recreate the Islamic state of the Umayyads and Abbasids and is not interested in wasting resources on a transnational war against the United States.

Moreover, even if these smaller groups were wont to attack U.S. targets, they frequently lack the tradecraft required to conduct transnational terrorist attacks outside of their core operational areas. Conducting a terrorist attack in New York requires a different skill set than that used in guerilla warfare.

A History of Infighting

Finally, we must note that this dissention and fragmentation is not new. In fact, we have discussed the fracturing of the jihadist movement since 2005. Occasionally we have seen leaders emerge who have been able to overcome divisions and unite groups. One such individual was Nasir al-Wahayshi, who was able to unite several disparate and ineffective organizations into al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, one of the largest and most effective jihadist groups today. But he has not been able to quell divisions outside of the Arabian Peninsula.

It is not surprising to see such separations within the jihadist movement. Indeed, as we have previously discussed, as al Qaeda admitted local militant groups such as Algeria's Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat or Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Jamat al-Tawhid wal Jihad under the al Qaeda umbrella, it was also admitting large groups of militants who had their own ideologies and objectives. Some of these groups were closer to the ideology of the al Qaeda core than others, and these doctrinal differences have sown the seeds of divisiveness.

In many ways, the infighting among the jihadist forces resembles the strife between the competing Muslim emirates, sultanates and caliphates of medieval times. However, in medieval times it was Islamic polities fighting each other and today it is non-state actors.

The present-day differences might have been surmountable if the movement had produced a strong charismatic leader who could inspire these diverse militants and convince them to toe the al Qaeda line, but this did not happen under Osama bin Laden's leadership, and Ayman al-Zawahiri has also not demonstrated the ability to be this type of unifying leader.

Indeed, efforts to unite the jihadist movement are failing, and the trend toward fragmentation is not just spreading, it is actually picking up momentum. It has also become far more public since bin Laden's death, with figures such as al-Baghdadi publicly rebelling against al-Zawahiri. As we look at the jihadist movement today, we do not see a leader who will be able to slow, much less reverse, the divisions within the movement.

COPYRIGHT: STRATFOR.COM

K9 Down

K9 Remi
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
End of Watch: Monday, January 13, 2014
Age: 2
Gender: F
Tour: 2 months

K9 Remi was killed in an automobile accident on I-96, just prior to the Evergreen Avenue exit, while she and her handler were en route to the Detroit Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank for an assignment at the vehicle inspection facility.

The handler's vehicle slid into a concrete barrier after sliding on a patch of ice. Remi's crate was ejected from the vehicle through a rear window and broke open. She was subsequently struck by a another vehicle, which then fled the scene.

K9 Remi served as an explosives detection canine and had served with the agency for only two months.

Rest in Peace …and enjoy running the green grass of Heaven!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

Officer Down

Police Officer Alexander Thalmann
New Bern North Carolina Police Department
End of Watch: Monday, March 31, 2014
Age: 22
Tour: 7 months
Incident Date: 3/28/2014

Police Officer Alexander Thalmann succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained three days earlier while conducting a subject stop near the intersection of Oak Street and Elm Street at approximately 11:45 pm.

He was speaking to the man, who had been riding a bicycle, and called for backup. As he continued to speak with the subject the man suddenly fled on foot and then opened fire, striking Officer Thalmann in the face and a second officer in the leg. Other officers were able to return fire and killed the subject.

Both officers were transported to a local hospital, where Officer Thalmann remained until passing away on March 31st, 2014.

Officer Thalmann was a members of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. He had only served with the New Bern Police Department for seven months.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Hey, bitch ass white boy!...with the glasses..by the computer!

More tales from the jail.

Started off the night with a family reunion. Two brothers got arrested on two different cases and didn't know it until they got into booking. They started screaming at each other and for a second I thought we had a fight. But they got together and we discovered the family that's criminal together stays together.

Well later on we have a prisoner refusing to be searched. After finishing the search and finding narcoics on him, we added put him in a seperate hold cell until he is ready to be printed. So he's entertained us for hte last few minutes saying "I've never seen any s%^& like this...what the f#$%" and my favorite, as I'm typing on the computer, "Hey, bitch ass white boy!...with the glasses..by the computer!"

Life in the jail...it has its entertaining moments! :<)

Officer Down

Master-at-Arms Mark Mayo
United States Navy Security Forces
End of Watch: Monday, March 24, 2014
Age: 24
Tour: 6 years
Incident Date: 3/24/2014

Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Mark Mayo was shot and killed aboard the USS Mahan by a civilian who had boarded the ship while it was docked at Naval Station Norfolk's Pier 1.

The subject was confronted by the Petty Officer of the Watch on the ship's quarterdeck. During the ensuing struggle the subject was able to disarm the officer and then fatally shot MA2 Mayo, who had responded to assist the officer in subduing the subject. The man was then shot and killed by other responding security forces officers.

The man had used credentials to improperly enter the base while driving a tractor trailer, and then breached security at the pier in order to board the destroyer.

MA2 Mayo had served as a member of the U.S. Navy Security Forces for six years. He was survived by his mother.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch
Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

This is true.....

Putting my money where my mouth is...

There are some people I truly despise. B Hussein Obama, Mrs. Bill Clinton, John McCain and of course, the worthless Speaker of the House, John Boehner. I'll say it, Ohio 8th District, if the choice is between him or the democrat, take one for the country, hold your nose and vote for the Democrat. Get this idiot out of there.

Now I'm looking at this man who's working to unseat Johnny Boehner. Who knows, there may be hope. Now this is not as good as Let's Make Em Squeal, but it's good and shows little Johnny as the sitting while he pees waste he is.

I don't know who this man is but he can't be as bad to this country as little Johnny, so this morning I wrote a check to his campaign for S25.00. If you also want to, here is JD Winteregg's web site. Good luck to you sir. Hopefully you are a Ted Cruz for Ohio!

Been there, done that!

Many of us out there can relate!

Thanks Cop Humor and Chris R for the link.

A look at heaven and hell

A few years ago I was reading an article on the European Union, the dream and reality. If was supposed to be the best of everything, English manners, German efficiency and French food. The reality was German manners, French efficiency and English food.

Well I was reading Intelligence Analysis A Target-Centric Approach by Robert Clark and in Chapter Five it has a definition of heaven and hell.

Heaven is where:

the cooks are French

the mechanics are German

the police are British

the lovers are Italian

and it is all organized by the Swiss

Hell is where:

the cooks are British

the mechanics are French

the police are German

the lovers are Swiss

and it is all organized by the Italians

I thought it was funny.

For those who say the government is not getting too big....

I've posted multiple times that Kim Il Sung, the founders of the People's Democratic Republic, believed in punishing three generations of a family for a political crime. Like speaking out against the government. Now put that in perspective, the mother and father, their children and their children's children, aka grandchildren need to stay in the hell whole camps. Kids who have not been born are being punished for their grandchildren's crimes. You would think that could not happen here.

From the Washington Post:

Social Security, Treasury target taxpayers for their parents’ decades-old debts

A few weeks ago, with no notice, the U.S. government intercepted Mary Grice’s tax refunds from both the IRS and the state of Maryland. Grice had no idea that Uncle Sam had seized her money until some days later, when she got a letter saying that her refund had gone to satisfy an old debt to the government — a very old debt.

When Grice was 4, back in 1960, her father died, leaving her mother with five children to raise. Until the kids turned 18, Sadie Grice got survivor benefits from Social Security to help feed and clothe them.

Now, Social Security claims it overpaid someone in the Grice family — it’s not sure who — in 1977. After 37 years of silence, four years after Sadie Grice died, the government is coming after her daughter. Why the feds chose to take Mary’s money, rather than her surviving siblings’, is a mystery.

Across the nation, hundreds of thousands of taxpayers who are expecting refunds this month are instead getting letters like the one Grice got, informing them that because of a debt they never knew about — often a debt incurred by their parents — the government has confiscated their check.

The Treasury Department has intercepted $1.9 billion in tax refunds already this year — $75 million of that on debts delinquent for more than 10 years, said Jeffrey Schramek, assistant commissioner of the department’s debt management service. The aggressive effort to collect old debts started three years ago — the result of a single sentence tucked into the farm bill lifting the 10-year statute of limitations on old debts to Uncle Sam.

No one seems eager to take credit for reopening all these long-closed cases. A Social Security spokeswoman says the agency didn’t seek the change; ask Treasury. Treasury says it wasn’t us; try Congress. Congressional staffers say the request probably came from the bureaucracy.

We will take your money and not tell you why. Does this sound a little third world to you? Last time I checked in a civil society, where you have the rule of law, part of the civil code is a statue of limitation for financial disputes. Memories fade, records get lost or are purged as needed. And if you think I have failed to pay me a debt, I can bring you into a public court, where I will present my evidence, you can challenge it, cross examine me or my witnesses, and the standard used to be preponderance of the evidence. But for some reason, with no notice, our money is being taken without notice, we cannot challenge it, and we can't get answers to simple questions. For debts we did not incur.

And where the hell are the House Republicans on this? This is a disgrace. But I go on.

...“It was a shock,” said Grice, 58. “What incenses me is the way they went about this. They gave me no notice, they can’t prove that I received any overpayment, and they use intimidation tactics, threatening to report this to the credit bureaus.”

Grice filed suit against the Social Security Administration in federal court in Greenbelt this week, alleging that the government violated her right to due process by holding her responsible for a $2,996 debt supposedly incurred under her father’s Social Security number.

Social Security officials told Grice that six people — Grice, her four siblings and her father’s first wife, whom she never knew — had received benefits under her father’s account. The government doesn’t look into exactly who got the overpayment; the policy is to seek compensation from the oldest sibling and work down through the family until the debt is paid.

The Federal Trade Commission, on its Web site, advises Americans that “family members typically are not obligated to pay the debts of a deceased relative from their own assets.” But Social Security officials say that if children indirectly received assistance from public dollars paid to a parent, the children’s money can be taken, no matter how long ago any overpayment occurred....

Social Security, you have heard of something called the Constitution of the United States. The 14th Amendment has an issue with that:

...No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

OK, can anyone say taking your money with no notice at all and the feds out and out say you did not incur the debt but you are responsible and have no ability to challenge is due process of law. This is more like a third world dictatorship.

This is the basics but please take a few minutes and read the whole article. I'm not sure to be angry or depressed. But as the federal government sends more armed agents to seize the cows of a ranger in Nevada than it sent to save Americans in the Libyan embassy, here is a good article from Rick Moran:

What Does the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Need with 96 Armed Agents?

The proliferation of federal agencies with armed agents is one of the most worrisome aspects of the growth in government. Just last summer the EPA carried out an armed raid on a mine in Alaska to enforce the Clean Water Act — a bit of government intimidation that residents say was totally unnecessary:

It looks like a took a Congressional hearing in Washington, DC to get the ball moving, but Alaska Governor Sean Parnell announced last Thursday, the same day as a hearing on the issue, that a special counsel will investigate the EPA’s armed raid over the summer of the mining town of Chicken, Alaska (population 7 at the last census). The agency sent a heavily armed team eight strong over possible violations of the Clean Water Act, an act the miners said amounted to intimidation. Residents questioned the need for armed agents to participate in what amounted to a water safety check, as well as the public safety threat the action posed.

And who can forget the Gibson Guitar raid by armed agents of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The EPA, the USFWS…the Department of Education? It’s getting ridiculous — and frightening.

Watchdog.Org:

It may come as a surprise to many U.S. taxpayers, but a slew of federal agencies — some whose responsibilities seem to have little to do with combating crime — carry active law enforcement operations.

Here’s a partial list:

The U.S. Department of Education

The Bureau of Land Management (200 uniformed law enforcement rangers and 70 special agents)

The U.S. Department of the Interior

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (with an armed uniformed division of 1.000)

The National Park Service (made up of NPS protection park rangers and U.S. Park Police officers that operate independently)

The Environmental Protection Agency (200 special agents)

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (224 special agents)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

That’s right, NOAA — the folks who forecast the weather, monitor the atmosphere and keep tabs on the oceans and waterways — has its own law enforcement division. It has a budget of $65 million and consists of 191 employees, including 96 special agents and 28 enforcement officers who carry weapons.

“There’s no question there’s been a proliferation of police units at the federal level,” said Tim Lynch, director of the Project On Criminal Justice for the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank based in Washington, D.C. “To me, it’s been a never-ending expansion, a natural progression, if you will, of these administrative agencies always asking for bigger budgets and a little bit more power.”

It’s been estimated the U.S. has some 25,000 sworn law enforcement officers in departments not traditionally associated with fighting crime. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and in a tabulation compiled by the Wall Street Journal in 2011, 3,812 criminal investigators are working in areas other than the U.S. departments of Treasury, Justice, Defense and Homeland Security.

...But what does the NOAA need with 96 armed agents? They predict hurricanes and other severe storms, which is very valuable and saves lives, but it’s hard to see a mission for a law enforcement branch of the agency.

“NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement protects marine wildlife and habitat by enforcing domestic laws and international treaty requirements designed to ensure these global resources are available for future generations,” NOAA spokesman David Miller said in an email to New Mexico Watchdog, pointing out that the division has existed since 1970. “Our special agents and enforcement officers ensure compliance with the nation’s marine resource laws and take enforcement action when these laws are violated.”

They may have had an armed division since 1970, but I bet they didn’t have nearly 100 armed agents. This is, in classic terms, mission creep. And it’s especially true for most agencies after 9/11:

But many other federal agencies established their own after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

In the aftermath of the attacks, the FBI shifted its attention to tackling terrorism, and Congress gave permanent powers to inspectors general in more than two dozen agencies.

By last count, 25 agencies with law enforcement divisions fall under their respective offices of inspectors general.

With their growth has come criticism that officers are becoming overly militarized.

“The whole notion of police operations these days, that they’re dressed to kill, that they’re up against an enemy, is wrong,” Johnson said. “Citizens are not the enemy.”

We have what amounts to a national police force. The FBI is severely constrained by statute as to what kind of crimes for which they can intervene. The EPA, Education Department, NOAA and most other agencies have few, if any restrictions and can bend and shape the law to interpret a mandate just about any way they wish.

Congress has had hearings on police powers for individual agencies but the broad problem of militarizing the federal government has not been examined. It’s time this worrisome growth in armed federal agencies is brought before the people and Congress get busy reigning the practice in.

OK, you will find no one as supportive of law enforcement as me but why does NOAA need cops? If they are worried about the security of their installations can't they hire rent-a-cops as much lower cost or coordinate with local law enforcement for other support? I guess that's asking questions for some reasons a congressman should ask. Maybe if they get away from holding hearing on if Jeff Bagwell shot steroids up his ass.

Disturbing news on America today.

K9 Down

K9 Maco
Dinwiddie County Virginia Sheriff's Office
End of Watch: Friday, November 1, 2013
Breed: Belgian Malinois
Origin: Czech Republic
Age: 2
Gender: M

K9 Maco was struck and killed by a vehicle on Courthouse Road during a training exercise in the Five Forks Battlefield area of the county.

Maco was off lead when he spotted a herd of deer in the field and began chasing them. He was struck by the car as he chased them across the road.

Maco had served with the Dinwiddie Count Sheriff's Office for one year.

Rest in Peace …and enjoy running the green grass of Heaven!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

Officer Down

Police Officer Robert German
Windermere Florida Police Department
End of Watch: Saturday, March 22, 2014
Age: 31
Tour: 5 years

Police Officer Robert German was shot and killed while investigating two suspicious people in the area of Conroy-Windermere Road and Horizon Circle at approximately 4:00 am.

When an Orange County sheriff's deputy and an Orlando police officer arrived at the location they discovered that Officer German had been shot. Moments later they heard additional gunshots in the area and used their patrol cars to shield Officer German so he could be extracted from the scene. He was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center where he succumbed to his wounds.

Two suspects in the shooting, a male and female, were found dead across the street both suffering from self inflicted gunshot wounds.

Officer German had served with the Windermere Police Department for five years.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Mr Mayor, you really need your ass kicked

This is sick, just sick. An officer is murdered, the mayor of the city attends the funeral of his murderer and an alderman wanted the murderer's family to attend a wreath-laying ceremony for the officer their family member murdered.

Citizens outraged after NC mayor attends cop killer's funeral

NEW BERN, N.C. — New Bern's mayor and some members of the Board of Aldermen were strongly chastised Tuesday night for their actions following the shooting incident March 28 that led to the death of a New Bern police officer.

Three people spoke out against Mayor Dana Outlaw and aldermen in a packed board chamber. Tuesday's meeting came after nearly a week of heated online criticism of the way city leaders handled the aftermath of the shootings.

On March 28, Officer Alexander Thalmann was shot near Craven Terrace; he died three days later. New Bern Police Officer Justin Wester was shot in the leg, and the shooter, Bryan Stallings, was shot and killed at the scene.

The three people who spoke out Tuesday said they were angry about how the mayor and aldermen handled the situation after Thalmann died.

Eric Whitehurst, who described himself as a convicted felon who served time in prison but paid his debt to society, said the mayor's actions were disgraceful.

Whitehurst quoted from the Bible, Revelations 21:8 and Timothy 5:8, apparently trying to show Outlaw the errors of his ways.

"As a Christian, you denied officer Thalmann a proper vigil and then disgraced the family by attending this killer's funeral," he said.

Whitehurst said Outlaw's actions were an affront to the men and women of the police force.

Laura Heckman, who said she was speaking as a citizen and not as a New Bern police officer, told Outlaw he owed an apology to everyone, causing a large portion of the audience to applaud.

Steven Long, a local attorney, said on March 28 New Bern officers heard something they never wanted to hear.

"They heard one of their fellow office screaming for help on the radio," Long said. "They were also there for the business and the aftermath of Alex. I address him as Alex because he is no longer here with us and unfortunately, because of the cowardly act of Mr. Stallings, he is no longer an officer with the city."

While Thalmann was in Vidant Medical Center in Greenville after the shooting, Long said he understood New Bern police officers were by his side 24 hours a day.

"What's interesting is he did not have his mayor or any of his aldermen with him," Long said to more applause.

He continued, saying that after the funeral Outlaw mentioned Thalmann almost as a footnote in a posting on his Facebook page.

Whitehurst, sitting in the audience, said "resign" twice, speaking to Outlaw while Long spoke.

Long talked about the wreath-laying ceremony held in front of the police station and, from what he read, Alderman Johnnie Ray Kinsey wanted the Stallings family there.

"How disgraceful and how disgusting," Long said. "And Alderman (Bernard) White felt the need to say the law would look after the law and no one else. How disgraceful and how disgusting."

Long said on the second day Thalmann's body was in nearby Washington for viewing, Outlaw and two aldermen attended Stallings funeral.

"To this family, it's a tragedy," Long said. "They do not control and they're not responsible for what happens. They deserve to lay their family member and son to rest without your political agendas being addressed."

Aldermen and the mayor did not stop Long as he continued over his allotted time to speak during the public forum.

Long took offense at Outlaw's statement that Thalmann would want us all to move on and, as a officer, he would assure us we are all in this together.

"I respectfully disagree with you Mr. Mayor," Long said. "You have absolutely no right to make any assumption to what Alex would have said," which caused another outbreak of applause.

Long also used a May 2013 quote from Outlaw calling for then-Mayor Lee Bettis' resignation that said in part: "There is a void in leadership now and the city can do better than this."

"I will end on this Mr. Mayor," Long said. "Resign."

Alderman Pat Schaible said later in the meeting, in reference to Long's statement, that she and aldermen Kinsey and Dallas Blackiston did go to the hospital the day after the shooting.

At the request of the family, they did not visit Thalmann, who was in intensive care, she said.

Schaible said she supported the decision to replace the vigil first scheduled at Union Point Park with the wreath-laying ceremony held at the police station.

Once the information went viral about including Stallings' family and friends in the service, the location and timing had to be changed, Schaible said.

"Let us not look to who sent the information out, the point is that it was there and nothing we could say or do would take it back," she said. "Union Point Park is a public park."

Schaible said an officer with the New Bern Police Department sent her a personal note that expressed it better than she could, so she quoted it: "The danger presented to innocent citizens of this community by combining the presence of two factions could have resulted in more physical harm to innocent persons and there was no choice but to move the vigil."

That statement caused a rumble through the room. But Schaible continued, saying she received a call the previous Saturday from an officer in the Craven County Sheriff's Office who fully supported the aldermen's decision to change the vigil because he understood it became a public safety issue.

"I personally could not bear to see any citizen getting hurt as a result of what was happening," Schaible said. "I received many notes, including those from the law enforcement community, supporting this decision. I have also talked with many citizens in the community who knew we did the right thing..."

Sick. They need to recall both of these sacks of human excrement. They should be embarrassed to every show their faces on the public street again.

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Ricky Del Fiorentino
Mendocino County California Sheriff's Office
End of Watch: Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Age: 48
Tour: 26 years

Deputy Sheriff Ricky Del Fiorentino was shot and killed while searching for a subject who had abducted two people in Oregon earlier in the day and then shot at a store owner near Leggett, California.

Officers from multiple agencies were searching the area when Deputy Del Fiorentino came across the subject's car on a dirt road in the town of Cleone, near MacKerricher State Park. The subject opened fire on Deputy Del Fiorentino from ambush, firing multiple rounds and fatally wounding him before he had a chance to exit his vehicle.

A Fort Bragg police officer who was nearby and heard the gunfire responded to the scene to discover the subject going through Deputy Del Fiorentino's patrol car. The officer exchanged shots with the subject and struck him in the leg, causing a fatal wound.

Deputy Del Fiorentino had served with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office and Fort Bragg Police Department for a total 26 years.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

It's at times like this I really wished they still let us drink on he job! :<)

Not seriously, but this has been a hell of a night. Started with one moron who had defecated all over himself and the holding cell, another idiot refusing to get printed, the screamer with the colostomy bag strapped to a stretcher and finally an example of America's future swearing he was a FBI information and needed to be kept from general population.

Where is my bourbon! :<

Security Weekly: Demystifying the Criminal Planning Cycle, April 3, 2014

By Scott Stewart

Over the past few weeks I've had the opportunity to teach a couple of classes on situational awareness to different audiences. One of the assertions I make during these training classes is that criminals follow a process very much like the terrorist attack cycle while planning a crime. As I was teaching a class last week, it occurred to me that I have hinted at this fact in past analyses but that I've never written about the topic and fully explained the criminal planning cycle.

Understanding the criminal planning cycle is important, because that understanding can then be used by potential victims and law enforcement officers to look for the various aspects of the cycle as it progresses and then take action to thwart crimes before the criminals' plans can be executed.

The Terrorist Attack Cycle and the Criminal Planning Cycle

When one spends some time thoughtfully examining what we have long referred to as the "terrorist attack cycle" the parallels to the criminal planning cycle become readily apparent -- especially in crimes perpetrated against individuals. The correlation becomes a bit less obvious when we think about crimes such as selling narcotics or prostitution, though it does arguably still apply. For example, a drug dealer first needs to decide to deal narcotics (target selection). He then needs to plan his activities (planning), acquire the dope and deploy to the place he will sell it (deployment). After he commits the sale (crime), he needs to leave the scene (escape) and spend the illicit cash he made on the deal (exploitation).

However, for the sake of our discussion here, I am going to focus primarily on violent crime such as mugging, rape, kidnapping and carjacking.

All crimes begin with selecting the type of crime that will be committed and where it will be committed. This process may or may not be as formal as that followed by the al Qaeda central command, but nevertheless the criminal or group of criminals must decide which house to burglarize, which purse to snatch or who to abduct and rape. During the target selection phase of the process, the criminal will perform a rough risk-benefit analysis to determine if the risk of obtaining the target is worth the eventual payoff. All things being equal, a criminal will attempt to obtain the object of the crime with the smallest risk. Therefore, they will tend to divert from a target that presents more risk if they can obtain a comparable payout from a target that is easier to acquire. For example, a purse-snatcher is far more likely to target a woman who is under the influence of alcohol or who is distractedly texting than a victim who is alert and paying attention to her surroundings.

Because of this, the objective of most security measures, whether residential alarm systems or practicing situational awareness, is not to make the target impervious to an attack (something that is very difficult to achieve). Rather, the objective of these measures is merely to raise the risk side of the risk-benefit equation and cause the criminals to divert to another target that is easier to attack.

Detection Points

Like in a terrorist attack, during the target selection and planning phases of the criminal planning cycle, the criminal will need to have eyes on the target to determine if the target fits his criteria and if the benefit of committing a crime against the target is worth the risk associated with such an attack. Certainly, some of this surveillance can be accomplished electronically, such as when a potential kidnapping victim posts his running routes and times on Facebook or a potential burglary victim announces on Twitter that she is halfway across the world and her home is empty.

Still, while such helpful intelligence can be useful in reducing the amount of criminal surveillance required, there is still no substitute for having eyes on the target. The criminal will want to surveil or "case" the target before conducting the crime. I learned this firsthand as a federal agent planning operations to serve arrest and search warrants. I could gain a vast amount of intelligence from online sources, but I still wanted to see and study the building myself before the operation to ensure I could properly plan the raid. There are some things you simply cannot observe and understand from online sources.

The amount of time devoted to the criminal surveillance process will vary, depending on the type of crime and the type of criminal involved. A criminal who operates like an ambush predator, such as a rapist, may lie in wait for a suitable target to come within striking distance. This is akin to a crocodile lying in a watering hole waiting for an animal to come and get a drink. The criminal may have only a few seconds to size up the potential target and conduct the risk-benefit calculation before formulating his plan, getting ready and striking.

On the other extreme are the criminals who behave more like stalking predators. Such a criminal is like a lion on the savannah that carefully looks over the herd and selects a vulnerable animal believed to be the easiest to take down. A criminal who operates like a stalking predator, such as a kidnapper or high-end jewel or art thief, may take weeks or months to select a suitable target and then take days or even weeks of additional time to conduct follow-on surveillance, assess the target's vulnerabilities and develop a detailed plan to conduct the crime. Normally, stalking criminals will prey only on targets they feel are vulnerable and can be successfully hit, although they will occasionally take bigger risks on high-value targets. In such a scenario, they are likely to strike the target with overwhelming force, very similar to a military or SWAT takedown of a high-value target.

Of course, there are many other types of criminals who fall somewhere in the middle, and they may take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours to watch a potential target. Even among criminals conducting the same general type of crime, there can be a large difference in the amount of criminal surveillance required. For example, a bank robber who is planning to hold up a local bank branch has very different intelligence needs from a bank robber planning to tunnel into the bank vault of a large central bank. Nevertheless, they all conduct some degree of criminal surveillance and they are therefore all vulnerable to detection while they are conducting that surveillance -- if someone is looking for them.

The closer one gets to the point in time when the crime is to be committed, the more difficult it is to prevent it. Once the criminal has selected his target and deployed, e.g., the carjacker has pulled out his gun or the rapist lunges for his target, it is very difficult to stop or thwart the attack. Certainly, crime victims do escape due to the incompetence of the criminals or even sheer luck, but generally once the attack begins it is difficult to stop. Attack recognition can sometimes help an alert victim anticipate the crime and take immediate action to get away from the attack zone before the criminal can succeed, but it is simply not prudent to rely upon attack recognition and immediate action. It is far preferable to avoid the situation before an attack is launched.

By the escape and exploitation phases of the criminal cycle, there is generally little that a victim can do, which is why it is important to detect criminals as early in the cycle as possible -- in the surveillance phase.

While it may be hard for some people to believe, most criminals are terrible at conducting surveillance. This leaves them quite vulnerable to detection if the potential victim is looking for them. I have interviewed a large number of crime victims who noticed the criminals before they were attacked, but for some reason chose not to take action to avoid the situation. In most cases, they simply had the wrong mindset. They ignored what they were seeing because they either didn't trust their senses or somehow thought they couldn't be victimized.

Such cases can be avoided if people would just realize there are criminals in the world who prey upon other humans. Potential victims also need to realize that crimes don't just happen -- they are the result of a process. This means that criminals conducting the process can be identified by their behavior and the process can be thwarted before a crime is committed.

COPYRIGHT:STRATFOR.COM

Officer Down

Police Officer James Morrissy
Oak Forest Police Department, Illinois
End of Watch: Monday, March 17, 2014
Age: 62
Tour: 30 years

Police Officer Jim Morrissy was killed in a vehicle crash while responding to backup another officer at a domestic dispute call.

His patrol car was struck by another vehicle at the intersection of 160th Street and Cicero Avenue as he made a left turn onto Cicero Avenue. He was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries several hours later.

Officer Morrissy had served with the Oak Forest Police Department for 30 years. He was survived by his wife and three children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Some people just need their ass kicked...

After a long ass night in the jail which started with an idiot who decided to fight us when we took him into the cell, had a mid-shift meth boy who at least went to sleep after we got him in the cell, and the shift concludes with a moron like this. Now I'm spending six and a half hours at my extra job at the AT&T and I see this idiot suing for "Use of Excessive Force" in the jail.

Video: Officers sued over use of force in NM jail

Suspect has a history in the criminal justice system, court records show

SANTA FE, N.M. — A Taos man claims in a lawsuit that several State Police officers violated his civil rights with "excessive force" after they Tasered and assaulted him at the Taos County jail...

...March 7 video from the Taos jail vestibule...shows officers taking John Moya off a bench after his handcuffs are removed and one officer taking what appears to be a Taser from his belt as everyone ends up on the floor. But the brief struggle is only half visible and any use of a Taser is out of the camera's field of view.

Moya is initially led into the room with a hood over his head, possibly to prevent spitting. Once the hood is removed, both before and after the tussle, Moya appears to spit at officers. He head-butts a door window as he's being led out...

Excuse me, the suspect is not hooded "possibly to prevent spitting". Suspects are hooded to prevent spitting. In case you don't know it, diseases can be transmitted by spit. You don't want to be covered by a hood, don't spit.

...Moya, 35, was arrested on a probation violation at his Taos home where he was found hiding in an attic crawl space, said State Police spokesman Lt. Emmanuel Gutierrez. "Mr. Moya was hostile and kicking one of the officers and spitting on the other officer," said Gutierrez.

Moya kicked at a police car window, hit his head on it and was taken to Holy Cross Hospital in Taos to be checked out after going to jail, according to Gutierrez. Moya has a history in the criminal justice system, court records show....

...According to the complaint, officers Tony DeTavis, Anthony Luna, Dominic Romero, David Saiz and David Edmiston "physically attacked and Tased" Moya at the jail while he "was still in leg shackles." The suit also maintains that State Police "had a custom, policy, or practice of using a Taser device on uncooperative leg-shackled persons."

While attorney Alan Maestas, one of the lawyers who filed the suit, says the video of the struggle in the vestibule appears to show Moya in shackles, that can't be seen on the copy obtained by the Journal. Moya's legs are clearly free and his handcuffs are removed before the struggle on the floor.

The State Police use of force policy says officers should avoid using the Taser "on a handcuffed or secured prisoner, absent overtly assaultive, overtly resistive or fleeing behavior ... that can be reasonably dealt with less intrusively."

From what I saw he was "absent overtly assaultive, overtly resistive." Again, don't want to handled like a resisiting prisoner, don't resist.

The District Court complaint includes photos purporting to show injuries to Moya from being "drive stunned," referring to when the air cartridge is removed from a Taser and it is applied directly. Later, Moya suffered a concussion when officers threw him onto a jail cell's concrete cot, the complaint alleges.

I think the use of a Taser is "Intermediat Force" and from this video this is more than justified. If you don't want to be Tased, don't resist.

Good work officers. Hope this is thrown out like it should be.

Geopolitical Weekly: Russia and the United States Negotiate the Future of Ukraine, April 1, 2014

By George Friedman

During the Cold War, U.S. secretaries of state and Soviet foreign ministers routinely negotiated the outcome of crises and the fate of countries. It has been a long time since such talks have occurred, but last week a feeling of deja vu overcame me. Americans and Russians negotiated over everyone's head to find a way to defuse the crisis in Ukraine and, in the course of that, shape its fate.

During the talks, U.S. President Barack Obama made it clear that Washington has no intention of expanding NATO into either Ukraine or Georgia. The Russians have stated that they have no intention of any further military operations in Ukraine. Conversations between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry have been extensive and ongoing. For different reasons, neither side wants the crisis to continue, and each has a different read on the situation.

The Russian Perspective

The Russians are convinced that the uprising in Kiev was fomented by Western intelligence services supporting nongovernmental organizations and that without this, the demonstrations would have died out and the government would have survived. This is not a new narrative on the Russians' part. They also claimed that the Orange Revolution had the same roots. The West denies this. What is important is that the Russians believe this. That means that they believe that Western intelligence has the ability to destabilize Ukraine and potentially other countries in the Russian sphere of influence, or even Russia itself. This makes the Russians wary of U.S. power.

The Russians also are not convinced that they have to do anything. Apart from their theory on Western intelligence, they know that the Ukrainians are fractious and that mounting an uprising is very different than governing. The Russians have raised the price of natural gas by 80 percent for Ukraine, and the International Monetary Fund's bailout of Ukrainian sovereign debt carries with it substantial social and economic pain. As this pain sets in this summer, and the romantic recollection of the uprising fades, the Russians expect a backlash against the West and also will use their own influence, overt and covert, to shape the Ukrainian government. Seizing eastern Ukraine would cut against this strategy. The Russians want the pro-Russian regions voting in Ukrainian elections, sending a strong opposition to Kiev. Slicing off all or part of eastern Ukraine would be irrational.

Other options for the Russians are not inviting. There has been talk of action in Moldova from Transdniestria. But while it is possible for Russian forces there to act in Moldova, supplies for the region run through Ukraine. In the event of a conflict, the Russians must assume that the Ukrainians would deny access. The Russians could possibly force their way in, but then a measured action in Moldova would result in an invasion of Ukraine -- and put the Russians back where they started.

Action in the Baltics is possible; the Kremlin could encourage Russian minorities to go into the streets. But the Baltics are in NATO, and the response would be unpredictable. The Russians want to hold their sphere of influence in Ukraine without breaking commercial and political ties with Europe, particularly with Germany. Russian troops moving into the Baltics would challenge Russia's relationship with Europe.

Negotiations to relieve the crisis make sense for the Russians because of the risks involved in potential actions and because they think they can recover their influence in Ukraine after the economic crunch hits and they begin doling out cash to ease the pain.

The U.S. Perspective

The United States sees the Russians as having two levers. Militarily, the Russians are stronger than the Americans in their region. The United States had no practical military options in Crimea, just as they had none in Georgia in 2008. The United States would take months to build up forces in the event of a major conflict in Eurasia. Preparation for Desert Storm took six months, and the invasion of Iraq in 2003 took similar preparation. With such a time frame the Russians would have achieved their aims and the only option the Americans would have would be an impossible one: mounting an invasion of Russian-held territory. The Americans do not want the Russians to exercise military options, because it would reveal the U.S. inability to mount a timely response. It would also reveal weaknesses in NATO.

The Americans also do not want to test the Germans since they don't know which way Berlin will move. In a sense, the Germans began the crisis by confronting the Ukrainians' refusal to proceed with an EU process and by supporting one of the leaders of the uprising both before and after the protests. But since then, the Germans have fallen increasingly quiet and the person they supported, Vitali Klitschko, has dropped out of the race for the Ukrainian presidency. The Germans have pulled back.

The Germans do not want a little Cold War to break out. Constant conflict to their east would exacerbate the European Union's instability and could force Germany into more assertive actions that it really does not want to undertake. Berlin is very busy trying to stabilize the European Union and hold together Southern and Central Europe in the face of massive economic dislocation and the emergence of an increasingly visible radical right. It does not need a duel with Russia. The Germans also receive a third of their energy from Russia. This is of mutual benefit, but the Germans are not certain that Russia will see the mutual benefits during a crisis. It is a risk the Germans cannot afford to take.

If Germany is cautious, however the passions in the region flow, the Central Europeans must be cautious as well. Poland cannot simply disregard Germany, for example. The United States might create bilateral relations in the region, as I suggested would happen in due course, but for the moment, the Americans are not ready to act at all, let alone in a region where two powers -- Russia and Germany -- might oppose American action.

Washington, like Moscow, has limited options. Even assuming the Russian claim about U.S. influence via nongovernmental organizations is true, they have played that card and it will be difficult to play again as austerity takes hold. Therefore, the latest events are logical. The Russians have turned to the Americans to discuss easing the crisis, asking for the creation of a federation in Ukraine, and there have been suggestions of monitors being deployed as well.

The Significance of the Negotiations

What is most interesting in this is that with the next act being played out, the Russians and Americans have reached out to each other. The Russians have talked to the Europeans, of course, but as discussions reach the stage of defining the future and options, Lavrov calls Kerry and Kerry answers the phone.

This tells us something important on how the world works. I have laid out the weakness of both countries, but even in the face of this weakness, the Russians know that they cannot extract themselves from the crisis without American cooperation, and the United States understands that it will need to deal with the Russians and cannot simply impose an outcome as it sometimes did in the region in the 1990s.

Part of this might be habits learned in the Cold War. But it is more than that. If the Russians want to reach a solution to the Ukrainian problem that protects their national interests without forcing them beyond a level of risk they consider acceptable, the only country they can talk to is the United States. There is no single figure in Europe who speaks for the European states on a matter of this importance. The British speak for the British, the French for the French, the Germans for the Germans and the Poles for the Poles. In negotiating with the Europeans, you must first allow the Europeans to negotiate among themselves. After negotiations, individual countries -- or perhaps the European Union -- might, for example, send monitors. But Europe is an abstraction when it comes to power politics.

The Russians called the Americans because they understood that whatever the weakness of the United States at this moment and in this place, the potential power of the United States is substantially greater than theirs. On a matter of such significance to the Russians, failing to deal with the United States would be dangerous, and dealing with them first would be the best path to solving the problem.

A U.S.-Russian agreement on defusing the crisis likely would bring the Germans and the rest into the deal. Germany wants a solution that does not disrupt relations with Russia and does not strain relations with Central Europe. The Germans need good relations with the Central Europeans in the context of the European Union. The Americans want good relations, but have little dependence on Central Europe at the moment. Thus, the Americans potentially can give more than the Europeans, even if the Europeans could have organized themselves to negotiate.

Finally, the United States has global interests that the Russians can affect. Iran is the most obvious one. Thus, the Russians can link issues in Ukraine to issues in Iran to extract a better deal with the United States. A negotiation with the United States has a minimal economic component and maximum political and military components. There are places where the United States wants Russian help on these sorts of issues. They can deal.

Divergent U.S. Concerns

Most important, the United States is not clear on what it wants from the Russians. In part it wants to create a constitutional democracy in Ukraine. The Russians actually do not object to that so long as Ukraine does not join NATO or the European Union, but the Russians are also aware that building a constitutional democracy in Ukraine is a vast and possibly futile undertaking. They know that the government is built on dangerously shifting economic and social sands. There are parts of the U.S. government that are concerned with Russia emerging as a regional hegemon, and there are parts of the U.S. government still obsessed with the Middle East that see the Russians as challengers in the region, while others see them as potential partners.

As sometimes happens in the United States, there is complex ideological and institutional diversity. The State Department and Defense Department rarely see anything the same way, and different offices of each have competing views, and then there is Congress. That makes the United States in some ways as difficult to deal with as the Europeans. But it also opens opportunities for manipulation in the course of the negotiation.

Still, in cases of the highest national significance, whatever the diversity in views, in the end the president or some other dominant figure can speak authoritatively. In this case it appears to be Kerry who, buffeted by the divergent views on human rights and power politics, can still speak for the only power that can enter into an agreement and create the coalition in Europe and in Kiev to accept the agreement.

Russia suffered a massive reversal after former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich fell. It acted not so much to reverse the defeat as to shape perceptions of its power. Moscow's power is real but insufficient to directly reverse events by occupying Kiev. It will need to use Ukraine's economic weakness, political fragmentation and time to try to reassert its position. In order to do this, it needs a negotiated solution that it hopes will be superseded by events. To have that solution, Moscow needs a significant negotiating partner. The United States is the only one available. And for all its complexity and oddities, if it can be persuaded to act, it alone can provide the stable platform that Russia now needs.

The United States is not ready to concede that it has entered a period during which competition with Russia will be a defining element in its foreign policy. Its internal logic is not focused on Russia, nor are internal bureaucratic interests aligned. There is an argument to be made that it is not in the U.S. interest to end the Ukrainian crisis, that allowing Russia to go deeper into the Ukrainian morass will sap its strength and abort the emerging competition before it really starts. But the United States operates by its own process, and it is not yet ready to think in terms of weakening Russia, and given the United States' relative isolation, postponement is not a bad idea.

Therefore, the negotiations show promise. But more important, the Russians have shown us the way the world still works. When something must get done, the number to call is still in the United States.

Russia and the United States Negotiate the Future of Ukraine is republished with permission of Stratfor.