250 Police Officers

Editors Note: Two of the police officers are prior military.

January 10, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com reached 250 state and local police officers who have written books. The five newly added police officers are all from the Chicago Police Department.

Jack Muller served on a minesweeper in World War II, as a rookie cop he was shot in the head and he became known as the uncompromising Chicago Police Officer who wrote traffic tickets to Mayor Richard Daily, sportscaster Jack Brickhouse and Mobster Sam Giancanna. Once, he even cited Jack Webb, of Dragnet fame, for drunk and disorderly. He retired in 1981 and not only did he win a $1.6 million dollar lottery, but he wrote “I, Pig: Who the World’s Most Famous Cop, Me, is Fighting City Hall.”

Edward Nowicki is the Executive Director of the National Criminal Justice Training Council (NCJTC) and 33 year law enforcement veteran, in addition to being one of the founders and the first Executive Directors of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers (ASLET). He holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice and an M.A. in Management. A recipient of many prestigious awards, Ed has been judicially recognized as a Use of Force Expert in many courts across the nation and he has taught various use of force programs both across the nation and internationally. He developed the Use of Force Program and is a Master Instructor in both the OCAT Program and the Handcuffing Program, in addition to being an Instructor Trainer with the Tasertron TASER. Ed is a survivor of six separate shooting incidents, and he has authored a number of books and over 200 law enforcement articles. His books include “True Blue: True Stories about Real Cops” and “Total Survival: A Comprehensive Guide for the Physical, Emotional and Professional Survival of Law Enforcement Officers.

Thomas J. Keevers, a former homicide detective with the Chicago Police Department. His short stories have appeared in literary magazines and anthologies. One of them, "Thanksgiving Day in Homicide," was featured on National Public Radio's "Stories on Stage." He has published two books in the “P.I. Mike Duncavan Mystery Series:” “What the Hyena Knows” and “Music Across the Wall.” According to Booklist, “His flawed hero, Mike Duncavan, has been rejected by almost everyone: two ex-wives, the police department, and the Chicago Bar Association. About all that's left is PI work and staring at girls walking under his downtown office window. With his hot temper and fondness for Stolie on the rocks, Duncavan is a disaster waiting to happen--and you don't have to wait too long.”

William Getz’ 1977 book is the inside story of police work. Starting at the beginning of a policeman's career, the police academy, where the new recruit is expected to learn just about everything there is to know about police work and then some. According to the review, “From there, he's put on a beat, usually riding with another man in a squad car, and then the "fun" begins - once in the street, he is at its mercy, never able to predict what he may face during his eight-hour stint: could be a drunk having a fit on a downtown corner; could be a crazed husband threatening his wife with a baseball bat; or it could be a man with a shotgun who's just blown the top of a robbery victim's head off. Whatever, the life of a patrolman is unique and his stories can either bring tears to your eyes, or make you retch - something, believe it or not, cops are capable of experiencing themselves.”

Thomas Krupowicz retired from the Chicago Police Department with over 33 years on the job. He was an expert in Latent Fingerprint work and supervised of the Latent Print Unit for 12 years. Six books: Fingerprints: Innocence or Guilt: The Identity Factors; Dead Men Don't Drink Vodka; The Lincoln Dollars; First Line Defense; Death Danced at the Boulevard Ballroom; and, Murder In The Fourth Dimension.

While Police-Writers.com hosts 250 police officers (representing over 70 police departments) and their 642 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors and international police officers who have written books.

Texas National Guard Team Puts Training to Good Use

By Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Moncada, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service

Jan. 10, 2007 – In a scene reminiscent of emergency measures seen in cities across the country after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, downtown Austin was temporarily blocked to people and traffic Jan. 8 so authorities could investigate the unexplained deaths of more than 60 birds. Together with first responders from the Austin Police and Fire departments, hazardous materials teams, emergency medical services, FBI, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Travis County Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, the Texas National Guard's 6th Civil Support Team arrived at 6th and Congress avenues at 6 a.m., shortly after receiving reports of numerous dead birds downtown and people becoming ill.

The 6th CST is one of 55 teams stationed across the nation and is a rapidly deployable, full-time active-duty Army and Air National Guard unit available to respond to incidents involving possible weapons of mass destruction, as well as other disasters and catastrophes. The team represents both federal and state governments by providing support to local emergency responders and has been training for the "real thing" in many different cities throughout the country.

This week's event was in part moderated because the 6th CST members carry with them a state-of-the-art gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. This device provided authorities a quick and accurate summation of what was not found in and on the birds: namely a life-threatening agent or foreign substance.

The team was tasked to identify any potential hazards to the public, conduct area air monitoring, collect dead birds and assist with the analysis of any samples collected from the scene. Officials with the Austin Police Department and the USDA's Dr. Jim Ammond were able to confirm by noon that there were no health threats to the public, and traffic was restored even before the press conference ended.

The team's mission is to support civil authorities by identifying unknown chemical, biological or radiological substances; assess current and projected consequences; provide advice on response measures; obtain additional state and federal support; and mitigate hazards. The team's fully equipped mobile laboratory is capable of analyzing chemicals and biological agents on-site, usually within 45 minutes to two and a half hours, depending on the agents.

Consisting of 22 soldiers and airmen, the team is trained to deploy, by ground or air within one hour of notification. Its goal is to be on scene within four hours in a 250-mile radius from the unit's base at Camp Mabry.

"One of our biggest assets is our mobile lab and our ability to analyze samples in the 'hot zone,'" Army Maj. Bobbie Jackson, public affairs officer for the 6th CST, said.

"Usually we receive a courtesy call from the FBI or police department alerting us that there may be a situation where our assistance is required," she said. "The actual requirements to deploy will come from the Division of Emergency Management to our Joint Operations Center and on to our staff officer on call."

The officer on call received the Jan. 8 call around 5 a.m. The report said that three Austin police officers exhibited respiratory distress after observing multiple dead birds in the downtown area. "That turned out to be not the case," Jackson said. "The police officers were fine."

From sleep to scene, it took the team one hour and 20 minutes to report to the incident commander, Jackson said. "Initially," she said, "the Austin PD, the fire department and the CST divided the area into grids, and each department deployed technicians in protective gear to get a visual."

Standard operating procedure for the CST is to deploy a two-man team on a "Gator," a small rugged motorized vehicle, to outline a perimeter and set up air-monitoring equipment. Next they collect samples and report their findings to the incident commander.

In this incident, the team collected dead birds and examined them in a "glove box," a glass, negative-pressure box with two holes accessed through large gloves. Personnel place their hands and arms inside the gloves and are able to work on samples without risking contamination to themselves or the lab.

"The dissection of the birds was performed right there on site inside the glove box," Jackson said. A veterinarian from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a qualified forensic scientist, conducted his assessment inside the 6th CST's rolling laboratory on site.

A bird's heart, gizzards, lower intestines, feathers and swabs were collected. Within hours, the team was able to report that no chemicals or other hazardous material was found inside or on the birds. Split samples were also sent to Texas A&M University and a national laboratory in Ames, Iowa, for further examination. These findings will not be known for days or weeks.

While the team waited for the CST lab results, other team members assisted the police with rooftop searches. Jackson explained that it's important to monitor air from different layers. Here again, nothing indicated that the air was hazardous to the public, she said.

(Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Moncada is assigned to the Texas National Guard.)

Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have become writers; and professionals involved in criminal justice leadership.

New Law Changes Handling Procedures for Troops' Remains

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 10, 2007 – A new law that took effect Jan. 1 changes the way the remains of servicemembers killed in combat are transported and handled. The 2007 National Defense Authorization Act states that the primary mode of transportation for remains of servicemembers being returned to the U.S. is military aircraft or military-contracted aircraft. This is a change from the past, when commercial service was used to transport the remains of fallen troops.

"It was a provision in the law, and I think ... there was some interest to make sure that the remains were moved in an expeditious manner," Air Force Col. Michael Pachuta, director of morale, welfare and recreation policy for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, said in an interview.

Every servicemember who dies in a theater of combat is transported by military aircraft to Dover Air Force Base, Del., for processing and burial preparation, Pachuta explained. This law changes the way the remains are transported from Dover to their place of burial.

In a memorandum to senior military leaders, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England wrote that this change is to ensure the transportation of fallen servicemembers is given priority. England instructed the military services and departments to work together to ensure air transportation arrangements are handled properly and efficiently.

The law also directs that an honor guard escorts servicemembers' remains from Dover to their final resting place. The servicemember's next of kin can request that commercial air transportation be used for the remains, or that the honor guard not escort the remains, Pachuta said.

Another recent change that is giving more recognition to the remains of fallen servicemembers is the use of honor covers on coffins, Pachuta said. The honor cover is a reinforced cardboard cover that fits on top of the airline industry's standard air tray for coffins. The cover is embossed with an American flag, and the Defense Department seal on both ends.

The idea for the honor covers, which the Army has been using since October, came from feedback from family members and military members who had escorted remains, Pachuta said. "Our intent certainly is to make sure that those handling the remains along the way understand that this is a fallen servicemember and certainly should be handled expeditiously but also with care and respect," he said.

The Army designed the honor covers in cooperation with the Air Transport Association, so they are standardized throughout the airline industry, Pachuta said. The covers are not used more than once and are treated to make them waterproof. When the remains reach their final destination, the honor cover is removed and an American flag is placed over the coffin, he said.

Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have become writers; and professionals involved in criminal justice leadership.

NORTHCOM Agency Helps Civil Authorities Prepare For WMD Events

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 10, 2007 – A joint U.S. military organization headquartered in Virginia regularly coordinates with state and local emergency preparedness agencies to prepare for potential new terrorist attacks on the homeland and other catastrophic events, the organization's commander said here yesterday. Joint Task Force Civil Support helps coordinate federal efforts to help civil authorities prepare for and manage the effects of possible terrorist attacks on the homeland involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or other high-explosive weapons, Army Maj. Gen. Bruce E. Davis, the task force's third commander, said at the second-annual Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear conference in Vienna, Va.

Davis said his organization, created in October 1999, also assists federal, state and local authorities in reviewing emergency plans and gauging various resources necessary to respond to possible major events like terror attacks, disease outbreaks and other contingencies.

Federal, state and municipal authorities nationwide have lists of potential major contingencies and have established plans, identified personnel and earmarked other resources that would be committed to each type of event, Davis said.

"This is a dynamic list, and each and every year they are updating (the list)," he said.

In the event of a catastrophic event, special teams of on-call military and civilian technicians would be sent to respond to and assess what is needed to respond to the emergency, save lives and mitigate the aftermath, Davis said. For example, decontamination missions would likely be ordered in the event of certain kinds of WMD attacks, he said.

"Anything we can do to accelerate that response time, we try to do," Davis said.

The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America underlined the importance of the joint task force's mission, Davis said. The Fort Monroe, Va.-headquartered organization was made a subordinate of U.S. Northern Command after NORTHCOM was stood up Oct. 1, 2002.

Headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., U.S. NORTHCOM plans, organizes and executes homeland defense and civil support missions. When directed by the president or the defense secretary, NORTHCOM supplies military assistance to local authorities, including consequence management operations.

If there is another attack on America, a NORTHCOM-supplied team of experts would evaluate the situation, based on city and state emergency plans and capabilities, Davis said. That assessment can identify shortfalls between what's needed and what's available via local authorities and may become the basis of requests for DoD assistance, he said.

In addition, at least 42 weapons of mass destruction civil support teams have been stood up across the country. Each team consists of 22 highly skilled National Guard members trained to rapidly respond to assist civil authorities during domestic WMD incidents. Congress has authorized a total of 55 such teams, enough to field one team in every state, territory and the District of Columbia.

Although it is widely believed that large U.S. military formations would be deployed to a disaster site within hours of an event, that's not necessarily so, Davis said. Civil authorities would be first to respond to a major emergency, he pointed out, noting that major DoD involvement likely wouldn't start arriving for a couple of days.

Also, in the past year JTF Civil Support has teamed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies in coordinating plans to respond to a potential flu outbreak, Davis said. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other federal, as well as state and local agencies, also are involved in this effort, he said.

The National Guard and local law enforcement agencies are considered to be ideal responders to assist in potential quarantine and other missions in the event of a major disease emergency in the United States, Davis said. "That is a perfect mission for the National Guard and (civilian) law enforcement," he said.

Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have become writers; and professionals involved in criminal justice leadership.

Servicemembers' 'Angels' Recognized

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2007 – Georgia-Pacific, the maker of Angel Soft toilet paper, has recognized two teens as "Angels in Action" for their support of the nation's servicemembers. Timothy Calvert, 15, co-founder of Operation Iraqi Friendship, and Robbie Bergquist, 14, co-founder of Cell Phones for Soldiers, are among 13 teens recognized for "exemplary acts of community service" in the Angel Soft Angels in Action award program. The winners and finalists were chosen from a pool of nearly 20,000 nominees ages 8-18.

Cell Phones for Soldiers is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program highlighting the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers.

"We created the Angel Soft Angels in Action Awards Program because we are dedicated to educating and inspiring families to help children develop a lifelong commitment to community service," Nikkia Starks, Angel Soft's marketing communications manager, said of the program now in its seventh year. "Both young men created innovative programs that put others ahead of themselves."

Each of the young men, nominated by beneficiaries of their programs, receives a cash award and a year's supply of Angel Soft toilet paper. Both agreed the money will help their organizations fulfill their stated missions.

As a grand-prize winner, Calvert, who said he was shocked at his selection for the award, will join the second grand-prize winner and the Program of the Year winner on a trip to Walt Disney World. He also will receive $10,000, which he said will help cover postage to send tote bags of school supplies to Iraq.

"Most of what we need for the school-supply totes is donated, but the shipping is not," Calvert said. "The shipping is pretty expensive, about $7 per tote bag, so it will help get a lot more bags sent over for the Iraqi kids."

The bags, which servicemembers distribute to Iraqi schoolchildren, contain school supplies including composition books, drawing tablets, construction paper, scissors, glue, pens, pencils, markers and crayons. A memo book with the word "Friend" on the front cover always is included, as is a toy.

"Some of the village classrooms had 50 students sharing just a few pencils and composition books," Calvert said. "No one in our country could even really imagine a life where you couldn't even have your own pencil.

"One of the really cool things our program has done (is to teach) American kids to have a little more respect and appreciation for what they have," he added.

But as important as making sure Iraqi children have what they need to learn, Calvert, through Operation Iraqi Friendship, is helping U.S. servicemembers make positive connections with the Iraqi people.

"When the Iraqi people see our soldiers come with things to help better their life, it helps to build a better relationship," he said.

Calvert said his family is often teased about the "warehouse decor" of their home. But when you take into account that his sister Bailey Reese, 10, also runs her own troop-support organization, Hero Hugs, from home, there's no escaping the boxes of goodies waiting to be sent overseas.

Bailey was an Angels in Action grand-prize winner in the previous year's program and has several other honors to her credit.

The story is much the same for Bergquist, an Angels in Action finalist, who with his sister, Brittany, began sending prepaid calling cards to servicemembers overseas in 2004. To date, they have sent 1.5 million minutes of talk time to troops serving throughout the world. They are humble about the accolades they have received, including the organization's current nomination for a Volvo for Life award, which carries a grand prize of $50,000.

"I was surprised (to learn I was selected) because I know there are lots of kids doing amazing things to help others," Bergquist said. "To be recognized for helping the troops makes me feel very proud. The troops are the real 'Angels in Action.'"

He said his $1,000 prize money will provide another 30,000 minutes of talk time to help keeps troops in touch with their loved ones. But the recognition the award will bring his organization may be just as valuable.

"It lets the public know about Cell Phones for Soldiers and gives them information about how they can help the troops, ... so we can continue to send prepaid phone cards and help military families with their phone bills," he said.

Through their actions, both young men and all of the winners made a statement the Angel Soft company thought very important.

"A primary message these kids convey, ... in my opinion, is that kids are out there making a difference and impacting the community, both here and overseas, in a variety of ways, which is truly commendable," Starks said. "Year after year, we are always amazed to hear about outstanding children whose thoughtfulness and giving spirit touches so many lives."

More information on the Angels in Action Award Program and all of this year's winners and finalists is available on the Angels in Action Web site.

Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have become writers; and professionals involved in criminal justice leadership.