Officer Down

Police Officer Ronald A. Leisure
United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police Services, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Friday, November 14, 2014
Age: 66
Tour: 15 years
Badge # 3622

Police Officer Ronald Leisure suffered a fatal heart attack while conducting a foot patrol of the VA Medical Center in Livermore, California, at approximately 11:15 am.

He was conducting checks of the large complex when he suddenly collapsed. Medical staff immediately initiated lifesaving measures but were unable to resuscitate him.

Officer Leisure was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War and had served with the Department of Veterans Affairs Police for 15 years. He is survived by an adult daughter.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Nemo me impune lacessit

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

Does this just smell bad? The thought police are at it again.

I have no idea who this man is and from the reading here, I doubt I would like to attend his "seminar". However, does that mean he can be banned from a nation because he is “not conducive to the public good...”

Man is first denied visa on grounds of sexism

Self-described ‘pickup artist’ banned entry into country amid outcry over teachings, techniques

LONDON — This week, Julien Blanc became possibly the first man denied a visa on grounds of sexism.

Blanc, a 25-year-old Californian, calls himself a “pickup artist.” His website promises men that he will “make girls beg to sleep with you,” and in expensive dating boot camps he shares tips about “gaming” and grabbing women, including casually pulling their heads toward the crotch...

...Amid an outcry over his abusive techniques, which some say verge on rape promotion, and an online petition with more than 150,000 signatures, the British government Wednesday barred Blanc from entering the country for a series of events scheduled here. Officials said people can be denied entry on the grounds that their presence is “not conducive to the public good,” a rare power usually reserved for far-right activists and terrorism suspects.

The decision by the British Home Office came after the Australian government withdrew Blanc’s visa last week and forced him to leave the country. Photos he shared on social media show him pretending to choke a series of women. Since then, women and men in several countries where he had scheduled events have started campaigns to deny him entry.

...The woman who began the petition against Blanc identified herself as Caroline Charles, a pseudonym she said she was using because of the vitriol often directed toward anti-sexism campaigners on Twitter.

“Julien Blanc dresses up his seminars as dating advice, which at best is disingenuous — he focuses on tricking women into having sex, in order to make money,” Charles said. “It is wrong on every level. It is promoting violence against women and girls, it takes advantage of men and it sends a message to survivors of sexual assault that they will not be listened to.”

Lynne Featherstone, Britain’s crime prevention minister, said she was “delighted” that Blanc was not coming to Britain.

Others had a different view. On Twitter, Jojo Moyes, a novelist, said, “Might have been more effective for women to buy up all the seats and just laugh at him.”

Distastful, over the top, absolutely. Illegal? No! There is nothing this man has done that is against the law.

Personally I'm am appalled the multimillionaire Mrs. Bill Clinton is paid $300, 000 for a speech and pictures, that is highway robbery. But I don't question to legally of this, just the judgement of UCLA is wasting a fortune. Now I'm just curious, will these groups scream about Bill Clinton visiting Great Britain? He has been chasing women for ages, sexual harassment is his trademark and he's been legitimately accused of rape. But we already know the thought police only go one way. I'm no fan of Michael Weiner, aka Michael Savage, but he's done nothing to justify his being blocked from visiting England.

How Great Britain has fallen. If the men who authored the Magna Carta could see what's become of their country they would be disgusted.

Officer Down

Investigator Holmes Smith
Clarendon County Sheriff's Department, South Carolina
End of Watch: Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Tour: 19 years

Investigator Holmes Smith was killed in a single vehicle crash on Sumter Highway, near I-95, in Alcolu at approximately 2:30 pm.

He was returning to Clarendon County after meeting with South Carolina Law Enforcement Division special agents in Sumter County as part of an auto theft investigation.

Investigator Holmes had served with the Clarendon County Sheriff's Department for 19 years. He is survived by his wife and five 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. 

Again, "National Service", forced volunteering, raises its ugly head

I served 23 years in the Army and Army Reserve and more than once I've discussed if we need to bring back the draft. Personally, barring World War III, I would never bring back a draft. I would rather have five men who volunteered for whatever reason (wanted to serve their country, needed to figure out what they wanted to do, wanted the college tuition assistance, etc) than ten who were counting down the days from the time they were forced in.

Now comes another liberal columnist, David Ignatius, saying what American needs is a form of involuntary servitude for it's young just as they are starting their lives.

The case for national service

At Thanksgiving, Americans think about the spirit of community that animates the country at its best. But in a year characterized by so much political and racial discord, you have to wonder whether the communal quilt is fraying at the edges.

Here’s an idea for reweaving our country’s fabric through a program of national service. This proposal was outlined by two Americans with very different backgrounds: Tom Brokaw, the former NBC News anchor, and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the former commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. They’re joined by dozens of other advocates in an initiative called the Franklin Project at the Aspen Institute.

Brokaw, who was awarded the Medal of Freedom on Monday by President Obama, explored in his book “The Greatest Generation” the shared ideals that kept the country together during the Great Depression and World War II. He wrote recently, in promoting the national service idea: “For an emerging generation of Americans, now is an opportunity to renew and strengthen [our] tradition of rising to meet the challenges an unpredictable world places in its path.”

McChrystal has led U.S. men and women in the most demanding form of service — on the battlefield. In an article this summer for the journal Democracy, he argued: “What we need is to create a culture of service in America, one in which a year of service is culturally expected, if not quite mandatory by law.” He contended that making civic participation a rite of passage for young Americans could “mend an increasingly shorn society.”

The Franklin Project envisions a network that by 2023 would allow 1 million Americans between 18 and 28 to serve the country each year through the military or civilian programs such as Teach for America or the Peace Corps and eligible nonprofit organizations. Unlike a wartime draft, this program would rely on a cultural norm that service is expected.

McChrystal argues that a belief in service is already embedded in U.S. culture but that it isn’t mobilized. He refers to a 2010 Pew Research Center poll that reported that 57 percent of the millennial generation (those born after 1980) had done volunteer work in the previous 12 months.

Data from existing programs show a striking imbalance between the desire to serve and the opportunities to do so. McChrystal cites AmeriCorps, a program to encourage service in schools, nonprofits and other civic organizations. In 2011, it had 580,000 applications for about 80,000 slots, he writes. Similarly, Teach for America, a program to recruit teachers for schools in disadvantaged areas, had 48,000 applications for 5,200 openings in 2011.

To match demand and supply, the Franklin Project is creating a “service year exchange.” This online platform would match young people seeking service positions with qualified organizations. Opportunities would include nonprofits, schools and colleges, and state, local and national governments. The driving force for young people, McChrystal says, would be the expectation that spending a year helping others is part of American citizenship.

No, service should be voluntary. If you want to volunteer at a charity or other nonprofit, there are plenty of opportunities. Churches, homeless shelters, alcohol and drug abuse centers, reading assistance at low income area schools, libraries, hospitals. But the three agencies specifically mentioned, the military, the Peace Corps, Teach for American all have some sort of pay involved. It is simply nature, "I can volunteer to be a good guy or I can 'volunteer' for money? Let me think!"

More than that, I think trying to make a cultural norm of indentured servitude is just wrong. If you want to "serve" by volunteering, fine. You want to go into the military for a tour or two, great. If you want to get into college or work and start your life, excellent. But it is what you want to do. If you want to bring back another cultural norm, how about not having kids out of wedlock, delaying children till after school, raising your own kids,

Also, I find this curious, if not typical. Except for General McCrystal, I don't see anyone "serving" out of the group pushing this. I checked the Wikipedia biographies of Brokaw and David Ignatius and I don't see any "service" in their young days. Brokaw and Ignatius went to college and then started their careers. If that's good enough for them, I think it's good enough for me and my children.

Lousy peeping tom! :<)

Sometimes I wonder if the writers at the Houston Chronicle are typing while intoxicated (TWI)

I was reviewing the morning Chronicle and on the top of the front page was this article on how the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals threw out mandatory DWI blood draws without a warrant. FYI, that is Texas' highest criminal court, the Texas Supreme Court handles civil actions. Now this is not surprising seeing the U. S. Supreme Court basically outlawed blood draws without a warrant last year. And the writers seems almost giddy about it. Then again the Chronicle is not a fan of local law enforcement. Here are the basics.

Court scraps DWI tool

Appeal likely on decision ousting ‘no refusal’ law to collect blood

By Lauren McGaughy and Mike Ward

AUSTIN — Texas’ controversial law allowing police to collect blood samples without warrants from drivers who refuse is unconstitutional, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled Wednesday.

While the 5-4 decision is expected to be appealed, it appears certain to impact so-called “no refusal” enforcement, including this Thanksgiving holiday weekend, when police collect blood samples from suspected drunken drivers at the scene or following transport to a nearby hospital.
Under the ruling, law enforcement officers would be required to obtain a search warrant before they force suspected motorists to submit to a test measuring their blood-alcohol content.

Many jurisdictions already have started doing that, making sure judges are present at arrest scenes to sign warrants. Some also use DWI enforcement vans where arrested drivers are taken, and where a judge is available to sign a warrant if a suspect refuses to agree to provide a sample.

The “no refusal” enforcement drives have been controversial for years, and the Legislature has revised the wording of the current law in an attempt to make it pass constitutional muster. In its decision, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals said it did not.

“We hold that a nonconsensual search of a DWI suspect’s blood conducted pursuant to the mandatory-blood-draw and implied-consent provisions in the Transportation Code, when undertaken in the absence of a warrant or any applicable exception to the warrant requirement, violates the Fourth Amendment,” Judge Elsa Alcala wrote for the five majority opinion judges...

In Harris County, the ruling will have no impact because the district attorney’s office already seeks search warrants in all cases in which drunken driving suspects refuse a breath test or blood draw.

“We’ve already been doing what the court ruled on for the last 18 months,” said Alison Baimbridge, chief of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office Vehicular Crimes Section.

Earlier changes in law

Baimbridge said the office made changes to its policy after an April 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that police generally must obtain a warrant before submitting a drunken-driving suspect to a blood test. However, the high court did not address states like Texas that have statutes that allow mandatory blood draws under certain circumstances. Baimbridge said the changes were made to ensure that evidence would be collected in such cases....

Now you can read the details of the case brought to the court if you will, but this is the part that makes me wonder if there is something in the coffee at the office.

...(defense attorney Fred) Jimenez said while he is pleased with the ruling, it does not mean police officers no will longer be able to take blood and breath samples against a DWI suspect’s will. They just need to ensure they have a warrant first...

I wonder how a cop forced a breath sample from a suspect before? A breathalyzer requires the suspect to blow into a tube for up to 10 seconds for a proper sample. If I ask a suspect for a breath sample and he refuses (aka "F%^& You!, I ain't doing it!) it's not like I can shove him to the ground, place the tube down his throat and compress the check to force air from the lungs. If there is a technique out there guys, please let me know. I would like to use it on the other suspects as they come in.

Sometimes you just have to wonder if they know what they are writing!

Happy Thanksgiving!

He was black?

Like many people I found out today the grand jury in the Ferguson MO shooting has reached a verdict. Now this is from the old town news radio station and I wonder if they are trying to show Louisiana English in a poor light.

Ferguson grand jury has reached decision; will announce tonight

The grand jury decision on whether or not to indict the white police officer who shot unarmed teen Michael Brown last summer will be announced Monday evening, CBS News has learned.

Michael Brown Sr., the teen's father, confirmed a decision had been reached to CBS News. However, Brown Sr. said he was not informed of what the decision will be.

The August 9 shooting death of 18-year-old Brown, who was black and unarmed, by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, unleashed a flurry of protests in Ferguson. The initial demonstrations triggered a forceful police response that drew criticism from both local residents and the governor of Missouri....

You know the rest. Now I love how this is phrased, "who was black". It implies he can change the color of his skin. Last time I saw that attempted it didn't come out well for Michael Jackson.

Hey, 870am, try "the unarmed black..." or "the black man who was unarmed..." Just suggesting.

Security Weekly: The Danger of Security Theater, November 20, 2014

By Scott Stewart

I've often written about how terrorism is a type of macabre theater, or as early anarchist terrorists referred to it, the "propaganda of the deed." As I wrote in a previous Security Weekly, the intent of terrorist planners is to create hysteria that transcends the immediate impact of their attacks by drawing other people into the trauma of their attack as vicarious victims. The goal is to maximize the social and psychological impact of physical efforts.

But terrorism theater does not exist in a vacuum. It has a counterpart that lives alongside it and largely in response to it, in some ways exerting a Newtonian opposite and equal force in misleading the public. This force is, of course, security theater — theater that is intended to abate, rather than create, hysteria. But as the name suggests, this purportedly secure facade constructed of smoke and mirrors is no more universally effective than terrorism is universally dangerous. Both terrorist attacks and security measures are real, but neither is as significant or substantial as the public is led to believe.

Acting for the Sake of Acting

Now perhaps this topic is just coming to mind because I am traveling this week, and aviation security is one area in which security theater is perhaps the most readily apparent. Highly visible, knee-jerk security measures have been implemented to stop the methods and tactics used in previous attacks, but they have very little ability to stop any future attacks that use new techniques.

The Transportation Security Administration, for example, was created in the wake of 9/11 and charged with preventing similar attacks. Following the shoe bombing attempt in December 2001, aviation security authorities enacted measures requiring passengers to remove their shoes for screening. This change in procedure caused terrorist planners to switch to alternative methods of concealing explosives, such as liquids or underwear, to smuggle them onboard aircraft. Consequently, after the 2006 discovery of a plot to smuggle explosives disguised as liquids aboard aircraft, authorities limited the amount of liquids travelers could take in their carry-on luggage. Finally, in response to the failed attempt to detonate a bomb hidden in underwear in December 2009, the Transportation Security Administration began to employ full-body scanners at airports. Indeed, aviation security has a long history of being a reactionary arms race, and I see no end to this pattern.

In truth, there is only so much that aviation security authorities can do to prevent explosives from being brought onboard an aircraft so long as passengers and luggage are permitted onboard and attackers are willing to die. But because of the hysteria caused by incidents like the failed shoe and underwear bombings — and the economic implications of such panic — authorities feel compelled to do something to reassure and calm the traveling public, even if other smuggling tactics can circumvent those measures.

Creating the Illusion of Security

Security theater is not restricted to the domain of aviation security; it is much more widespread. The typical corporate office building, for example, is "secured" by access control devices, badge readers and closed-circuit television cameras. Such measures are highly visible and help prevent low-level intrusions, but they do very little to protect facilities from clever and sophisticated criminals, brute force attacks, or perhaps most significantly, insider threats. During my career I have seen many cases of expensive access control systems being rendered useless by people propping doors open with trash cans, failing to check the identifications of people tailgating in the door behind them, or simply refusing to lock doors for the sake of convenience. In many cases, the presence of access control devices and cameras can actually create a false sense of security, a psychological crutch that can be dangerous if people assume they are safe, fail to practice good situational awareness and even go into denial at the first sign of a criminal or terrorist attack, all because they don’t think such an attack could happen at their "secure" location. This attitude often proves fatal when it causes people to ignore warning signs or go into shock and freeze.

Training can also contribute to a false sense of security. Safety training can be extremely helpful and effective, but if it is not done correctly (or sufficiently) it can lead to overconfidence and dramatic failure. When I was in high school, a kid who had taken a few Kung Fu classes became unduly cocky and was taken out with one punch by an experienced street fighter. Throughout my career as a diplomatic security special agent and corporate security manager, I have encountered many people who have received a little training and have begun to think entirely too highly of their capabilities. Closely related are the security hucksters, or self-described "security experts" who heavily self-promote their expertise for financial gain. Yet despite the multitude of initials they like to include behind their names, these hucksters have little idea of what they are doing in the real world. Whenever I encounter such people, I think of that Kung Fu kid, and of how these poorly trained charlatans are setting themselves (and their clients) up for a similar type of spectacular failure.

Getting in Touch with Reality

So what, then, is the antidote for security theater? It starts with a sober assessment of the threats facing a person, company or agency. Can the threat be defeated, or is it something that can only be contained, avoided or abated? The next step is to share that rational assessment with the people you are seeking to protect. Education is an important element of effective security, and I have found that if security managers and government officials are open and honest with their people, and explain the threat they are trying to protect against in a candid and rational manner, most people will cooperate with security programs, especially if the programs are logical and designed to protect against the threat that has been defined. Yes, there will still be people who will buck any security system, but if security managers are able to get buy-in from most of the people they are protecting and establish a good security culture, then cooperative individuals will help provide positive peer pressure for any non-conformists.

Once security managers or agency directors have formed their rational assessments, they must implement security programs and measures that are balanced, sensible and cost-effective. Will your multimillion-dollar closed-circuit television system ever be able to prevent an attack or theft? Will it ever be able to help you recover enough stolen property to pay for itself? If not, you may need to rethink spending that much money for it.

Security professionals must understand that the people they are trying to keep safe are really the best line of defense against security threats of all kinds. The protected population has many more eyes than the security staff, even in companies that employ widespread video surveillance. If people are treated as adults and buy into security programs, they can become a critical part of the solution rather than the problem. When we expand this to a larger scale and incorporate individuals into the national security strategy — if you see something, say something — citizens can become highly effective grassroots defenders. This concept is becoming especially important as the terrorist threat becomes increasingly concentrated in the grassroots itself.

While the protected people in the office (or nation) can be a great security asset, they can also become cynical and jaded if they are alienated by security personnel. Nothing pushes people away faster than hyped-up, melodramatic security theater. By making theatrical and unreasonable security claims and demands, you can lose the trust and respect of the people you are trying to protect. And as a security professional, it is extremely hard to regain a person's — or a population's — trust and respect once you have lost it.

The Danger of Security Theater is republished with permission of Stratfor.

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Darrell Perritt
Maury County Tennessee Sheriff's Department
End of Watch: Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Age: 42
Tour: 2 years

Deputy Sheriff Darrell Perritt was killed in a vehicle crash while assisting another deputy who was in pursuit of a DUI suspect shortly after 3:00 am.

His patrol car left the roadway on Clara Mathis Road, near Blackburn Lane in Spring Hill, and and struck a tree on the driver's side. Deputy Perritt was killed instantly.

The driver continued to flee but crashed a short time later. She was flown to a hospital and subsequently charged with DUI and several other charges related to the accident and fleeing from law enforcement. She was not charged directly in connection with Deputy Perritt's death.

Deputy Perritt had served as a full time deputy with the Maury County Sheriff's Department for three months and had previously served as a reserve deputy for two years. He is 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. 

Geopolitical Weekly: On Obama and the Nature of Failed Presidencies, November 18, 2014

By George Friedman

We do not normally comment on domestic political affairs unless they affect international affairs. However, it is necessary to consider American political affairs because they are likely to have a particular effect on international relations. We have now entered the final phase of Barack Obama's presidency, and like those of several other presidents since World War II, it is ending in what we call a state of failure. This is not a judgment on his presidency so much as on the political configuration within it and surrounding it.

The midterm elections are over, and Congress and the president are in gridlock. This in itself is not significant; presidents as popular as Dwight Eisenhower found themselves in this condition. The problem occurs when there is not only an institutional split but also a shift in underlying public opinion against the president. There are many more sophisticated analyses of public opinion on politics, but I have found it useful to use this predictive model.

Analyzing a President's Strength

I assume that underneath all of the churning, about 40 percent of the electorate is committed to each party. Twenty percent is uncommitted, with half of those being indifferent to the outcome of politics and the other half being genuinely interested and undecided. In most normal conditions, the real battle between the parties — and by presidents — is to hold their own bases and take as much of the center as possible.

So long as a president is fighting for the center, his ability to govern remains intact. Thus, it is normal for a president to have a popularity rating that is less than 60 percent but more than 40 percent. When a president's popularity rating falls substantially below 40 percent and remains there for an extended period of time, the dynamics of politics shift. The president is no longer battling for the center but is fighting to hold on to his own supporters — and he is failing to do so.

When the president's support has fragmented to the point that he is fighting to recover his base, I considered that a failed presidency — particularly when Congress is in the hands of the opposition. His energy cannot be directed toward new initiatives. It is directed toward recovering his base. And presidents who have fallen into this condition near the end of their presidencies have not been likely to recover and regain the center.

Historically, when the president's popularity rating has dipped to about 37 percent, his position has been unrecoverable. This is what happened to George W. Bush in 2006. It happened to Richard Nixon in 1974 when the Watergate crisis resulted in his resignation, and to Lyndon Johnson in 1967 during the Vietnam War. It also happened to Harry Truman in 1951, primarily because of the Korean War, and to Herbert Hoover before World War II because of the Great Depression.

However, this is not the final historical note on a presidency. Truman, enormously unpopular and unable to run for another term, is now widely regarded as one of the finest presidents the United States has had. Nixon, on the other hand, has never recovered. This is not therefore a judgment on Obama's place in history, but simply on his current political condition. Nor does it take failure to lose the presidency; Jimmy Carter was defeated even though his popularity remained well in the 40s.

Obama's Presidency

Of the five failed presidencies I've cited, one failed over scandal, one over the economy and three over wars — Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. Obama's case is less clear than any. The 40 percent who gravitated to the opposition opposed him for a host of reasons. He lost the center for complex reasons as well. However, looking at the timing of his decline, the only intruding event that might have had that impact was the rise of the Islamic State and a sense, even in his own party, that he did not have an effective response to it. Historically, extended wars that the president did not appear to have a strategy for fighting have been devastating to the presidency. Woodrow Wilson's war (World War I) was short and successful. Franklin Roosevelt's war (World War II) was longer, and although it began in failure it became clear that a successful end was conceivable. The Korean, Vietnam and two Iraq wars suffered not from the length, but from the sense that the presidency did not have a war-ending strategy. Obama appears to me to have fallen into the political abyss because after six years he owned the war and appeared to have no grip on it.

Failure extends to domestic policy as well. The Republican-controlled legislature can pass whatever legislation it likes, but the president retains veto power, and two-thirds of both houses must vote to override. The problem is that given the president's lack of popularity — and the fact that the presidency, all of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate will be up for re-election in two years — the president's allies in Congress are not as willing to be held responsible for upholding his vetoes. Just as few Democrats wanted Obama campaigning for them, so too do few want to join the president in vetoing majority legislation. What broke Truman, Johnson and Nixon was the moment it became clear that their party's leaders in Congress wanted them gone.

Acting Within Constraints

This does not mean that the president can't act. It simply means that it is enormously more difficult to act than before. Gerald Ford, replacing Nixon but weakened by the pardoning of his predecessor, could not stop Congress from cutting off aid to South Vietnam during the final Communist assault. George W. Bush was able to launch the surge, but the surge was limited in size, not only because of strategic conditions but also because he had lost the ability to force Congress to fund alternative expansions of the war. In each of the failed presidencies, the president retained the ability to act but was constrained by the twin threats of an opposition-controlled Congress and his own party's unwillingness to align with him.

At the same time, certain foreign diplomatic initiatives can continue. Nixon initiated negotiations between Egypt and Israel that culminated, under Carter's administration, in the Camp David Accords. Truman tried to open negotiations with China, and the initiative's failure had little to do with opposition to a negotiated settlement in Korea.

The president has few domestic options. Whatever Obama does with his power domestically, Congress can vote to cut funding, and if the act is vetoed, the president puts Congressional Democrats in mortal danger. The place where he can act — and this is likely the place Obama is least comfortable acting — is in foreign policy. There, the limited deployment of troops and diplomatic initiatives are possible.

Obama's general strategy is to withdraw from existing conflicts in the Middle East and contain and limit Russian actions in Ukraine. The president has the ability to bring military and other pressure to bear. But the United States' opponent is aware that the sitting president is no longer in control of Washington, that he has a specific date of termination and that the more unpopular things he does, the more likely his successor is to repudiate them. Therefore, in the China-North Korea model, the assumption is that that continuing the conflict and negotiating with the successor president is rational. In the same sense, Iran chose to wait for the election of Ronald Reagan rather than deal with Jimmy Carter (who was not a failed president).

This model depends on the opponent's having the resources and the political will to continue the conflict in order to bargain with the president's successor, and assumes that the successor will be more malleable. This is frequently the result, since the successor can make concessions more readily than his predecessor. In fact, he can make those concessions and gain points by blaming the need to concede on his predecessor. Ironically, Obama used this strategy after replacing George W. Bush. The failed president frequently tries to entice negotiation by increasing the military pressure on the enemy. Truman, Johnson and George W. Bush all took this path while seeking to end their wars. In no case did it work, but they had little to lose politically by trying.

Therefore, if we follow historical patterns, Obama will now proceed slowly and ineffectively to increase military operations in Syria and Iraq, while raising non-military pressure on Russia, or potentially initiating some low-level military activities in Ukraine. The actions will be designed to achieve a rapid negotiating process that will not happen. The presidency will shift to the other party, as it did with Truman, Johnson and George W. Bush. Thus, if patterns hold true, the Republicans will retake the presidency. This is not a pattern unknown to Congress, which means that the Democrats in the legislature will focus on running their own campaigns as far away from Obama and the next Democratic presidential candidate as possible.

The period of a failed presidency is therefore not a quiet time. The president is actively trying to save his legacy in the face of enormous domestic weakness. Other countries, particularly adversaries, see little reason to make concessions to failed presidents, preferring to deal with the next president instead. These adversaries then use military and political oppositions abroad to help shape the next U.S. presidential campaign in directions that are in their interests.

It is against this backdrop that all domestic activities take place. The president retains the veto, and if the president is careful he will be able to sustain it. Obama will engage in limited domestic politics, under heavy pressure from Congressional Democrats, confining himself to one or two things. His major activity will be coping with Syria, Iraq and Russia, both because of crises and the desire for a legacy. The last two years of a failed presidency are mostly about foreign policy and are not very pleasant to watch.

On Obama and the Nature of Failed Presidencies is republished with permission of Stratfor.

Again I ask, why? The latest and greatest, high speed rail between Houston and Dallas.

One of the causes that I've noticed over the he last decade or so it "We need high speed rail" in California, or between California and Las Vegas, etc. Now no one seems to ask "Is there a market for this?" Translation, if you build it, will they come?

The latest and greatest comes from my adopted home state of Texas. The usual suspects want to put in a rail from Houston to Dallas.

Proposed routes for Dallas-Houston high-speed rail revealed

Texans got their first glimpses Tuesday of the potential routes a proposed bullet train could take from Dallas to Houston.

The 240-mile project, which could be the first high-speed rail line in America, is expected to get people between the two cities in 90 minutes. If funding is secured and federal approval granted, the train could be running by 2021....

...That downtown station would make it easier for Texas Central to achieve a chief goal for the project: tying in to existing public transit at both end points. Dallas City Council members Lee Kleinman and Vonciel Jones Hill lobbied for Union Station to serve as the North Texas terminus. Union Station serves two Dallas Area Rapid Transit light-rail lines, an Amtrak line and the TRE passenger train that connects Dallas and Fort Worth.

“We want the train speeding to Union Station,” Hill said to applause at the meeting at the Dallas Infomart. A handful of residents later agreed in a public hearing.

The company is eyeing four general areas for the Houston station. One is downtown; the three others are northwest of the city center....

...Texas Central plans to build the project completely with private funds and has already begun soliciting investors. Although the company has not said how much the project will cost, estimates put the amount at about $10 billion.

The company has the power to use eminent domain for the project. The two routes selected for closer consideration largely follow existing rail lines or utility rights of way, which would minimize the need for land purchases or seizure.

The company estimates it needs only 3,000 acres between Dallas and Houston in addition to existing rights of way to build the 240-mile line.

Government officials estimate that the drive from Dallas to Houston, which now takes about four hours, could take six hours by 2035. They estimate the average speed on I-45 between the two cities will drop from 60 mph to 40 mph over that time.

A major contributor to the additional traffic is the expected population growth in both metropolitan areas.

“It’s going to be nearly doubling in both situations,” Jamie Maughan, an environmental analysis lead with the Federal Railroad Administration, said.

California is already building an 800-mile high-speed rail system. But that project has been bogged down with hometown feuds, lawsuits and political battles. Private investments involved with the Texas line could avoid the bureaucratic hurdles tied to public funds. And Texas’ rural and relatively flat terrain is easy to build on.

“We believe that high-speed rail is the biggest game changer in transportation since the federal highway system was established,” Hill said.

Ok, it's an interesting concept but again, if you build it, will people use it?

I recently read Nuts, a book written by the founders of Southwest Airlines. One of the points they made was they were not in competition with the big airlines, they were in competition with bus services and cars. We could let you fly from Dallas to Houston at 700am, have your meeting at 900am, get you back on the plane by 1100am and be back in Dallas for lunch. That is an issue now because in flying from those two cities you spend more time getting molested by TSA than you spend in the air. So again, we go back to high speed rail.

The distance from Houston to Dallas is around 240 miles. Assume you average 70 mph on I-45, that is around 3.5 hours. The planners state you will be riding the train for 90 minutes from one end to another. But does that factor in when TSA comes in and starts to molest your passengers for the privilege of getting on the train. From the New York Times of last year:

T.S.A. Expands Duties Beyond Airport Security

WASHINGTON — As hundreds of commuters emerged from Amtrak and commuter trains at Union Station on a recent morning, an armed squad of men and women dressed in bulletproof vests made their way through the crowds.

The squad was not with the Washington police department or Amtrak’s police force, but was one of the Transportation Security Administration’s Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response squads — VIPR teams for short — assigned to perform random security sweeps to prevent terrorist attacks at transportation hubs across the United States.

“The T.S.A., huh,” said Donald Neubauer of Greenville, Ohio, as he walked past the squad. “I thought they were just at the airports.”

With little fanfare, the agency best known for airport screenings has vastly expanded its reach to sporting events, music festivals, rodeos, highway weigh stations and train terminals. Not everyone is happy.

T.S.A. and local law enforcement officials say the teams are a critical component of the nation’s counterterrorism efforts, but some members of Congress, auditors at the Department of Homeland Security and civil liberties groups are sounding alarms. The teams are also raising hackles among passengers who call them unnecessary and intrusive...

So add on at least another half hour to the travel as you must go through being felt up by a unionized federal work force. Oh, and you will be paying for this. Remember, TSA surcharges on a ticket are not just for airlines. So that will increase the cost.

Now the target of this train appears to be business travelers needing to go to and from the two largest cities in Texas. But if the time required is adding up to the approximately 3.5 hours of drive time, the question again is will they bother. Or put another way, one of Houston's greatest growing suburbs in The Woodlands, approximately 30 miles north of the city. It is becoming a home mecca of many oil and high tech companies because Houston proper is being infested by liberals on the city council who love to manage Fortune 500 companies. If I live there and need to attend a meeting in Dallas at 900am, I can drive south into Houston during the early rush hour (say 45 minutes), get to the rail terminal and be molested by TSA (30 minutes), take the train (90 minutes), get off at a terminal in Dallas, take some form of transportation to get me to my destination (say 30 minutes) and then do the same in reverse. Just over three hours one way. Or I can leave The Woodlands at 500am, be in Dallas around 800am and when my meeting is over, drive straight back. The distance between The Woodlands and Dallas is 210 miles. Just over 3 hours driving.

Again, if this can be built by private funds only, God bless em. Lord knows it will be better handled than the multibillion dollar boondoggle in California. But again, I'm just curious, is there a market for this? If so, great, I wish them the best. But I just don't see it at this time.

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Matthew Chism
Cedar County Missouri Sheriff's Office
End of Watch: Sunday, November 2, 2014
Age: 25
Tour: 1 year, 10 months
Badge # 288

Deputy Sheriff Matthew Chism was shot and killed following a vehicle pursuit and foot chase in El Dorado Springs shortly after midnight.

He had attempted to stop a vehicle for driving with no headlights when the vehicle fled. The passenger bailed out of the vehicle in the area of Hickory Street and High Street, and Deputy Chism chased him on foot. A struggle ensued in which Deputy Chism and the subject were both shot. Deputy Chism was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds. The subject was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested at a nearby house a short time later.

Deputy Chism had served with the Cedar County Sheriff's Office for just under two years. He is survived by his wife and one small child.

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. 

Star Trek -TNG Bloopers..

Gotta say this is funny....

Presented without comment!  

Mr. Brady, it is the duty of a newspaper to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

One of the greatest quotes from a classic American movie, Inherit the Wind. Back then journalist actually questioned authority. Don't see much of that these days. ANC/CBS/NBC/CNN/MSNBC/NYTIMES seems to want to take faxes of statemetns to publish and call that reporting. A recent exception to the rule was the late Robert Novak, known as one of the last gum shoe reporters. He would make anyone unconfortable when trying to make a story. Helps when you don't care if someone likes you. Too bad Cookie Roberts, F Chuck Todd, et all don't get that.

John Peter Zenger

William Cosby, England’s governor for the colony of New York, was a bully and a scoundrel. He tried to silence opponents, rig elections, and use his office to make himself rich. But Cosby had a problem: John Peter Zenger and his printing press.

Zenger, a German immigrant, began publishing his New York Weekly Journal in 1733, and he made it his business to publicize Cosby’s greed and arrogance. No other paper had been so bold.

Cosby reacted by sending his henchmen to seize and burn copies of the paper. Zenger went right on printing his Journal. On November 17, 1734, the governor tried to silence Zenger for good by having him arrested for seditious libel.

At Cosby’s request, bail was set much higher than Zenger could pay. For nearly nine months he sat in prison while his wife, Anna, helped publish the paper.

Finally Zenger got his day in court. But the governor’s handpicked judges disbarred his lawyers, leaving him without counsel. Andrew Hamilton, one of the finest attorneys in the colonies, rose from his sickbed in Philadelphia and journeyed to New York City to defend the printer.

The court all but ordered the jurors to find Zenger guilty of libel. Hamilton reminded them that the printer’s only crime was that he had dared to publish the truth. It did not take long for the jury to reach a decision. On August 4, 1735, it returned its verdict: not guilty.

The trial set a precedent for America’s world-famous freedom of the press. Journalists sometimes abuse that freedom in pursuit of their own agendas. Still, the First Amendment remains an American bedrock. As Zenger’s newspaper put it, “No nation ancient or modern has ever lost the liberty of freely speaking, writing or publishing their sentiments, but forthwith lost their liberty in general and became slaves.”

Again, would be nice if "journalists" would be more like this and less like Candy Crowley.  Governments at all levels abuse citizens, waste tax dollars, pad their friends and little is said about it. The Crowley's et all now see their job as comforting the comfortable.

I'll say it, this is beyond the pale

And I'm not sure who is the bigger idiot, the DA and cop trying to get the warrant, or the judge who singed it.

In ‘sexting’ case Manassas City police want to photograph teen in sexually explicit manner, lawyers say

A Manassas City teenager accused of “sexting” a video to his girlfriend is now facing a search warrant in which Manassas City police and Prince William County prosecutors want to take a photo of his erect penis, possibly forcing the teen to become erect by taking him to a hospital and giving him an injection, the teen’s lawyers said. A Prince William County judge allowed the 17-year-old to leave the area without the warrant being served or the pictures being taken — yet.

The teen is facing two felony charges, for possession of child pornography and manufacturing child pornography, which could lead not only to incarceration until he’s 21, but inclusion on the state sex offender data base for, possibly, the rest of his life. David Culver of NBC Washington first reported the story and interviewed the teen’s guardian, his aunt, who was shocked at the lengths Prince William authorities were willing to go to make a sexting case in juvenile court....

...(Defense attorney Jessica Harbeson)Foster said the case began when the teen’s 15-year-old girlfriend sent photos of herself to the 17-year-old, who in turn sent her the video in question. The girl has not been charged, and her mother filed a complaint about the boy’s video, Foster said. The male teen was served with petitions from juvenile court in early February, and not arrested, but when the case went to trial in juvenile court in June, Foster said prosecutors forgot to certify that the teen was a juvenile. The case was dismissed, but police immediately obtained new charges and also a search warrant for his home. Police also arrested the teen and took him to juvenile jail, where Foster said they took photos of the teen’s genitals against his will.

The case was set for trial on July 1, where Foster said Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Claiborne Richardson told her that her client must either plead guilty or police would obtain another search warrant “for pictures of his erect penis,” for comparison to the evidence from the teen’s cell phone. Foster asked how that would be accomplished and was told that “we just take him down to the hospital, give him a shot and then take the pictures that we need.”

The teen declined to plead guilty. Foster said the prosecutor then requested a continuance so police could get a search warrant, which was granted by substitute Juvenile Court Judge Jan Roltsch-Anoll. Two days later, both sides were back in court. Foster had filed a motion to allow her client to travel out of state to visit family. Richardson wanted the teen to comply with the search warrant before he left. Juvenile Court Judge Lisa Baird declined to order that, and allowed the teen to leave the area. But he has another court date on July 15.

Despite the request by the prosecutor in court, Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul B. Ebert said that police told him “these allegations [by the lawyers] lack credibility.” He said he would look into the matter further.

Carlos Flores Laboy, appointed the teen’s guardian ad litem in the case, said he thought it was just as illegal for the Manassas City police to create their own child pornography as to investigate the teen for it. “They’re using a statute that was designed to protect children from being exploited in a sexual manner,” Flores Laboy said, “to take a picture of this young man in a sexually explicit manner. The irony is incredible.” The guardian added, “As a parent myself, I was floored. It’s child abuse. We’re wasting thousands of dollars and resources and man hours on a sexting case. That’s what we’re doing.”

Foster said Detective Abbott told her that after obtaining photos of the teen’s erect penis he would “use special software to compare pictures of this penis to this penis. Who does this? It’s just crazy.”

I have gotten into arguments over the use of search warrants to obtain blood for DWI investigations and they are legitimate in my mind because they are demanding something in your body, based on probable cause. This is forcing a substance into a boy's body (the side effects of which are unknown), producing an erection and taking photo's. For the case of a high school boyfriend/girlfriend. Maybe if the parents would spend more time raising their kids (like telling the girl she really doesn't need to show herself on the video, because it can go on the Internet).

Good news. The warrant was not enforced. Some sanity came through. But IMHO, the judge needs to get head out of her ass. She had no business signing that paper.

Thank you Darren at RotLC for the link.

PS:  Rush Limbaugh said it best, demonstrate absurdity by being absurd.  Maybe they can make the ID like this.

The Science Is Settled!

As a child born in the 60s and raised in the 70/80s, I can relate to this cartoon.  I remember the Coming Ice Age cause by man made pollution.

"roads, bridges and schools...."

I've had discussions with my liberal friends of the wisdom of giving politicians money and a point I've made is you give a politician a buck and they will spend three, then ask for more. In a recent discussion with a friend over the Colorado marijuana legislation, they were adamant that the money was for "road, bridges and schools..." Who hasn't heard that before. I recall in the 1990s when Edwin Edwards, the occasional governor of Louisiana wanted casino gambling and the lottery to fund "roads, bridges and schools..." Well Louisiana has both and the roads, bridges and schools suck, although money from gambling did flow in. And I have no doubt the money that Colorado realizes from marijuana sales will simply be pissed away and not be used for "roads, bridges and schools...." and in a few years another politician will come up with another way to raise revenue for "roads, bridges and schools..." And the usual sheeple will not ask the simple question, "Where did that other money go you swore was for 'roads, bridges and schools'..."

I say this because I was checking out the paper this morning and it brings back an oldie but a goodie, the tobacco settlements of the late 1990s. Now one of the greatest lies perpetuated by the left (and some on the right) is that they want the American people to stop smoking cigarettes. Nothing could be further from the truth. Too much money involved for them to tax and piss away, excuse me, "contribute" and "invest". So what happened to that quarter of a trillion dollars big tobacco gave for "anti-smoking" activities....

I wonder if the British have waiting periods for knives....

I get into discussions with the anti-gun crowd and they are shocked when I tell them a gun has never killed anyone. Men with guns have used them to kill millions over the years, but a gun is an inanimate object. Unless someone else uses it for evil intent, no one will be harmed because I possess my firearms. And as the old bumper sticker said, "Ted Kennedy's car had killed more people than my guns."

Great Britain went nuts after a school shooting in 1996 and basically banned private ownership of firearms. And now they seem to want to go after something else.

I've possessed some version of the Swiss Army knife since I was 10 years old and carried it on me though middle school, high school and college. And no one has been harmed yet. But I'm glad this is stopping murder....or is it?

Liberals will never learn. It's the evil in men's hearts that causes death, not the means.

God help the former Great Britain.

As they said in Cool Hand Luke, "What we have here is a failure to communicate!" :<)

Help in speaking to a liberal.

K9 Down

K9 Robbie
Wyoming Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Monday, October 20, 2014
Gender: M
Tour: 3 months
Cause: Struck by vehicle

K9 Robbie was struck and killed by a tractor trailer while performing a vehicle search near mile marker 266 of I-80, in the area of the Elk Mountain.

Robbie had searched the inside of the vehicle and was beginning to search the exterior when he ran into the roadway. He was struck by a tractor trailer that had moved into the left travel lane.

K9 Robbie had served with the Wyoming Highway Patrol for only three months.

Rest in Peace Robbie…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

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

K9 Down

K9 Sara
Iowa Motor Vehicle Enforcement
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Breed: Belgian Malinois
Age: 2
Gender: F
Cause: Struck by vehicle

K9 Sara was struck and killed as she and her handler conducted a criminal interdiction search of a commercial vehicle on the shoulder of I-80, in western Iowa.

Sara had served with the Iowa Motor Vehicle Enforcement for 11 months and had been responsible for multiple narcotics and cash seizures.

Rest in Peace Sara…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

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

Constable Robert Parker White
El Paso County Texas Constable's Office - Precinct 1
End of Watch: Saturday, November 1, 2014
Tour: 18 years
Incident Date: 11/1/2014

Constable Robert White was killed during an altercation with a subject while working an overtime assignment on the 400 block of Anthony Avenue in Canutillo.

At approximately 12:30 am Constable White was assaulted by a subject. During the ensuing struggle Constable White was knocked to the ground and failed to get back up. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Members of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office responded to assist Constable White and arrested the subject, who was subsequently charged with capital murder.

Constable White had served as the elected constable of El Paso County Precinct 1 for 18 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. 

K9 Down

K9 Baron
St. Johns County Florida Sheriff's Office
End of Watch: Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Breed: German Shepherd
Age: 2
Gender: M

K9 Baron drowned while apprehending a suspect wanted for felony narcotics distribution.

The subject had fled on foot after deputies responded to a disturbance at a home on Twin Aspen Circle. K9 Baron and his handler were tracking the man when they came upon a fence. His handler lifted him over the fence, and as the handler went over the fence she heard K9 Baron engage the suspect. She located Baron a short time later in a body of water. It is believed that the man intentionally drowned Baron during the Baron's apprehension.

The subject continued to flee but turned himself in the following day.

K9 Baron had served with the St. John's County Sheriff's Office for 1-1/2 years and conducted tracking and apprehension missions.

Rest in Peace Baron…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

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 Payne
Chandler Arizona Police Department
End of Watch: Friday, October 31, 2014
Age: 37
Tour: 7 years

Police Officer David Payne was killed when his police motorcycle was struck by a drunk driver at the intersection of Chandler Boulevard and Pennington Drive.

He was stopped at a red light at 12:40 am when the drunk driver rear-ended his motorcycle and then fled the scene. The driver was arrested a short time later and charged with manslaughter, hit-and-run, and child endangerment.

The collision occurred at the same intersection at which Officer Robert Nielsen was killed in the line of duty on June 12th, 2002.

Officer Payne had served with the Chandler Police Department for seven years. He is survived by his child.

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. 

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Jesse Valdez, III
Harris County Texas Sheriff's Office
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Age: 32
Tour: 11 years

Deputy Sheriff Jesse Valdez was killed when his patrol car was struck head-on by a SUV at the intersection of East Wallinsville Road and Honeysuckle Street.

He was en route to conduct a welfare check when the SUV crossed the center line and struck his patrol car head-on. The patrol car was pushed into a ditch and Deputy Valdez was trapped inside. Rescue crews extricated him from the wreckage and transported him to Memorial Hermann Trauma Center where he succumbed to his injuries at approximately 1:00 am.

It is believed the driver of the vehicle was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the crash. She was charged with possession of methamphetamine. She had been paroled from prison only three weeks earlier while serving a two year sentence for a previous conviction of the same charge.

Deputy Valdez had served with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for 11 years. He is survived by his 10-year-old son and 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. 

K9 Down

K9 Beny
Montville Ohio Police Department
End of Watch: Sunday, September 28, 2014
Breed: German Shepherd
Age: 2
Gender: M
Incident Date: 9/28/2014

K9 Beny died of heat exhaustion while in his handler's vehicle at the police station.

His handler went inside to complete paperwork and return to the vehicle four hours later, where he found Beny unresponsive in his kennel inside the police car.

The temperature at the time had reached only 79 degrees.

K9 Beny had served with the Montville Police Department for 13 months.

Rest in Peace Beny…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

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 Shaun Richard Diamond
Pomona California Police Department
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Age: 45
Tour: 16 years
Incident Date: 10/28/2014

Police Officer Shaun Diamond succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained the previous day as he and members of the Pomona SWAT team attempted to serve a search warrant.

Officer Diamond was the breach officer as the team attempted to make entry into the home in the 100 block of San Marino Avenue in San Gabriel. As they breached the storm door the subject inside opened the main door and fired a single shot from a shotgun, striking Officer Diamond in the back of the neck. The shot also wounded the subject's father in the arm.

Other officers immediately pulled Officer Diamond to a safe location and he was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, where he died early the following morning.

The subject was taken into custody at the scene.

Officer Diamond had served with the Pomona Police Department for eight years and had previously served with the Los Angeles Police Department and Montebello Police Department. He is survived by his two 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. 

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff John Timothy Williamson
Butler County Alabama Sheriff's Office
End of Watch: Saturday, October 25, 2014
Age: 48
Tour: 20 years
Incident Date: 10/20/2014

Deputy Sheriff Tim Williamson suffered a heart attack following a struggle with a subject he was attempting to arrest.

Believing he had strained a muscle during the struggle, he did not seek medical treatment. The pain in his chest continued and on October 23rd, 2014, it became severe after he responded to several calls for service. He drove himself to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with having a heart attack. He suffered a massive heart attack while being transported to a second hospital, where he died two days later.

Deputy Williamson was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Butler County Sheriff's Office for 20 years. He is survived by his father, sister, and two brothers.

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. 

You know the dogs were thinking "This kids amuses so easily...she must be on the short bus!" :<)

This is cute.

K9 Down

K9 Brunie
Kansas City Missouri Police Department
End of Watch: Sunday, September 28, 2014
Breed: Belgian Malinois
Age: 4
Gender: M
Incident Date: 9/20/2014

K9 Brunie died eight days after becoming ill while tracking a felony suspect in a wooded area in the interchange of 163rd Street and Highway 71, in Belton.

It is believed that during the track Brunie ingested a poisonous substance which caused him to immediately become ill. His conditioned worsened over the coming days to the point that he was euthanized.

K9 Brunie had served with the Kansas City Police Department for two years. Brunie had been previously recognized as the 2013 Canine Officer of the Year from the National Police Canine Association.

Rest in Peace Brunie…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

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