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Sgt. Derek Bastinck introduces Councilwoman Jeanne Baratta (left) and Deputy Mayor Lisa Swain at the graduation. Joshua Castillo reads his essay about the academy with Officer Glen Callons looking on. Neal Patel is congratulated at the ceremony. Lt. Robert Kneer congratulates Kelly Smith and Ryan Smith on their participation. Kimberly Schor shows off the certificate she received during the graduation.

Fair Lawn – A record number of students graduated from the Fair Lawn Police Department’s Junior Police Academy

“It was our biggest one,” said Sgt. Derek Bastinck of the Community Policing Unit about the ninth graduating class that included the maximum permitted with 50 students.

A commencement ceremony was held Aug. 13 to mark the end of a weeklong academy. The program, which is open to residents ages 11 to 15, gives participants a chance to interact with law enforcement officials and learn more about what it takes to be an officer.

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Bastinck said one of the benefits of the academy is the relationship it can foster between the young residents and officers.

“They get to meet the officers in town,” he said. “They get to see how everything works in town.”

The program is free for participants. It is funded by the Fair Lawn Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention as well as clothing bins located around the community.

Cadets in the academy began each day with physical training and drills.

“The kids learn how to move around in groups,” said Bastinck.

The week started with a tour of police headquarters on Monday. The group then went to Bergen County Superior Court on Tuesday and met two judges. The trip also included a stop at the Bergen County Criminal Investigations, added Bastinck. There they learned about DNA, fingerprinting and ballistics.

“They gave us a tour,” he said.

At the Bergen County Police Academy in Mahwah on Wednesday the group witnessed class training and a K-9 demonstration with Sgt. David Donow, a former Fair Lawn police officer. They also saw a demonstration by the Bergen County SWAT Team.

The display included watermelons being shot to show what happens.

“It was a pretty powerful demonstration,” said Bastinck.

On Thursday, cadets had a chance to meet the volunteer groups in the community, including the Fair Lawn Rescue Squad and Fair Lawn Fire Department. The day also included a visit with representatives from a martial arts school.

“They did an incredible demonstration,” said Bastinck. “They got the whole class involved.”

During the week cadets also completed an obstacle course, skills competitions and team building exercises.

The week ended with the graduation ceremony and pizza party at Memorial Middle School where each participant received a certificate and some awards were presented.

Councilwoman Jeanne Baratta and Deputy Mayor Lisa Swain as well as Bergen County Undersheriff Ralph Rivera Jr. attended the graduation to congratulate the participants.

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Ms Green said more than 5800 recruits had passed through the academy since 1999, significantly strengthening Victoria Police’s frontline.

“The Brumby Labor Government is committed to ensuring Victoria Police has the powers and resources to help keep Victorians safe,” Ms Green said.

“All of today’s graduates have undertaken 23 weeks of intensive training at the Police Academy and I would like to wish them all the best for a long career with Victoria Police.”

Ms Green said the 14 men and nine women graduating from the Police Academy today were joining an organisation with a proud history of serving the Victorian community.

The new recruits will continue their training on-the-job with colleagues in Brunswick, Footscray, Frankston, Springvale, Broadmeadows, Moonee Ponds, Endeavour Hills, Shepparton, St Kilda, Lilydale, Carlton, Croydon, Fawkner, Cranbourne, Werribee, Ballarat, Ringwood and Keilor Downs.

“There are already more police on the beat in Victoria than ever before and these officers do a wonderful job of protecting their communities by preventing and responding to crime.”

Ms Green said Victoria Police had last month launched the largest recruitment drive in police history to attract a record 1,700 new recruits as part of the Brumby Labor Government’s biggest boost to police numbers in the force’s history.

“We know that giving police more resources – including putting more officers on the street – is one of the best ways to protect the community, and that’s why our Government is funding this campaign – the largest recruitment drive in Victorian history,” she said.

“This recruitment campaign is just one of the many ways our Government is supporting Victoria Police as they work to tackle crime.”

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Reach Mark Reagan at (620) 408-9931 or e-mail at mark.reagan@dodgeglobe.com.

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Police Chief Skip Holbrook talked about the hiring and the agency’s recruitment efforts Aug. 7 at a statewide gathering of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Branches from across the state met at Huntington’s First Baptist Church.

Holbrook told the NAACP that various groups, such as the city’s Black Pastors’ Ministerial Association, had expressed the need for his force to hire more minorities. He inherited a department with 86 total officers, which included five women and two minorities.

Jammal Goodman, a 31-year-old, Brooklyn, N.Y., native, is one of four Huntington police officers among 38 basic officers scheduled to graduate Friday, Aug. 20, from the West Virginia State Police Academy in Institute.

“He’s an outstanding young man,” Holbrook said. “I’m very proud of the fact that we were able to find somebody of his quality, and he’s going to be an asset to our department and the community.”

But the effort doesn’t stop with Goodman’s swearing in, the chief said.

Holbrook told NAACP leaders he accepted the past criticism and took action. His department has received input from the Fairfield West neighborhood, expanded its recruiting zone to 300 miles and started targeting minority universities and colleges.

“Our department needed to represent the community in terms of its makeup,” he said in recalling past criticism. “I do agree with that. … We need to do better.”

Minorities account for about 10 percent of the population in the city of Huntington and about 4.5 percent for the Huntington-Ashland metro area, according to Census statistics.

Holbrook views doing better as a key necessity to his department maintaining its standards.

“We want to foster a relationship, foster those qualities that we need that makes men and women want to come and be a Huntington police officer and be proud of this profession,” he said.

Sometimes meeting that desire requires a better first impression. Huntington Police Capt. Hank Dial said the department met with an agency to redevelop its recruitment brochures and advertising campaign. For instance, he said previous advertisements consisted of “Wanted” billboards and posters more closely resembling a method used to catch a fugitive.

“We’re now stepping out of that,” Dial said. “That almost has a negative connotation. So we’re changing all of that.”

The captain told attendees they could see products of the new campaign as early as October with testing to begin in January 2011. He said the new campaign has been developed by professionals, who advised the department as to necessary items that should be included to attract certain demographics.

Dial said applicants likely will have until late January 2011 to apply.

But improving the department’s relationship with minorities doesn’t stop at recruiting.

Holbrook told attendees it also involves being selective as to whom the department hires. His administration has developed a review board, which includes members of the African-American community. Among its members are local NAACP branch president Silvia Ridgeway, the Rev. Reginald Hill of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church and a member of Cabell County Schools.

“We want other people in the community, not just police officers, to participate in that process and give us that feedback,” Holbrook said. “If they see something in a recruit or applicant that causes a red flag to go up, we want to know that, and we want to look into it and make sure we’re making good decisions.”

After the applicant leaves the room, Dial said the review board engages in a conversation. They discuss the interview and receive the community members’ input.

“There’s been folks that we’ve decided not to hire after that discussion,” Dial said. “We pretty much agree pretty quickly when it’s one of those folks.”

Coston Davis Jr. , the president for the state and Charleston NAACP branches, spoke of his efforts to help the Charleston Police Department recruit black officers. He would attend the physical and written test to encourage black applicants. He urged Huntington’s community to do the same, step past the last 16 years and join the enhanced strategy.

“I would shake each one of their hands as they came in to let them know the NAACP is supportive of this initiative,” he said. “It’s not just a one-way street. It has to be a two-way street. We have to show the same commitment that they’re showing. It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s a process.”

At the NAACP meeting, comments from Holbrook and Dial did garner some questions and slight criticism, including from Phil Carter, a social work professor at Marshall University.

“That’s inexcusable,” he said of the department’s 16-year span in hiring its last black officer. “I mean I don’t understand how that could happen.”

Carter excused Holbrook as he has only been chief for a short time, but he criticized the department, calling the lack of minority representation a “systemic problem” demanding “something has to drastically be done in order to break that cycle.”

“I completely agree,” Holbrook said.

Another attendee asked about specific goals, such as how many minority officers the chief wanted to hire by 2012.

“Our goal is to continue to enhance our recruitment efforts to attract as many minority applicants as possible,” Holbrook replied. “To me the goal is to attract as many qualified applicants as possible.”

Carter encouraged the police chief to seek input for black community members who possess a high level of afrocentric understanding and black consciousness. Particularly those experienced in dealing with youth within the black community.

Sometimes it’s about an officer’s driving. Sometimes it’s an attitude during a stop. Sometimes, it’s unfair. Sometimes, it’s warranted.

Even those in uniform will tell you, it happens. For whatever reason, we all have a bad day at some point.

Here’s a note I got sometime back from Walt, of Yukon, who gives his insight:

“I am a member of the Yukon Citizens Police Academy and I have a son that is a police officer in another state. Both have given me an opportunity to ride along with the officers as they conduct their normal shifts,” Walt said.

“It is amazing how drivers react when they are stopped by an officer for a traffic violation. I have been with the officers that stopped a vehicle for doing 88 mph in a 45 mph zone, 52 mph in a 35 mph construction zone, driving without lights, no license plates and all other sorts of violations.

“Most, if not all the violations, are caught on tape, speeds are recorded on radar, or something similar. Yet, many of the drivers insist they have done nothing wrong and say the officer is mistaken. I have been with the police officers in chases where the driver fails to stop, drug busts, and many other criminal activities. Again, it is usually caught on tape but the violators continue to deny their activity.

“The officers are doing the job they were hired to do by and for the citizens. Each time they make a stop or answer a call, they are putting their life on the line. If only the violators would realize that the officers are there for their protection as well as others, and would admit they have made a mistake rather than try to lie, it would be so much better for all.”

“Case in point: one night about 11, we attempted to stop a vehicle for speeding in a 35 mph speed zone. The driver continued to ignore the flashing lights for several blocks. Finally, he pulled over. The driver was under 21, as were the other three occupants in the vehicle,” Walt said.”When the officer approached the vehicle and requested the driver’s license and insurance, the driver indicated he didn’t have them with him. The officer then requested the driver’s name and it came back that the driver had a learner’s permit only.

“When confronted with that information, the driver changed his story and produced a learner’s permit. Since there was no adult with a driver’s license in the vehicle, the driver’s parents were contacted and requested to come to the scene.”

“Once they arrived, they indicated the driver did not have authority to be driving. Had the driver admitted to making a mistake for speeding, he most likely would have gotten a warning and possibly a citation for not having a licensed adult driver in the front seat,” Walt said.”Instead, the driver was cited for speeding, not having a valid driver’s license, no proof of insurance … lying to a police officer and a couple other charges. The driver, because of the violations, will not be able to get a regular driver’s license until he turns 21. All because he lied to start with.

“The public needs to realize that they need to face the fact they have done something wrong and face the music. I would recommend that the news media try to get firsthand experience in the everyday operations of the police and fire departments so as to report what these public servants must go through to protect us citizens, not only the training but the actual duties they perform.

“I feel very fortunate that I live in a community that is reaching out to its citizens through providing a citizens academy for citizens to become more familiar with the activities of the police department.”

By the way …

Granted, he has a little different perspective, due to his associations with officers. But, still, he offers food for thought.

Enjoy your week and drive safely.

Recruit officer Michaels has just graduated from the police academy. He leaves the police station his first night on patrol with Field Training Officer Jones eager and excited to begin his new journey. Along the route to their beat, FTO Jones tells Recruit Michaels that he is expected, as standard procedure, to pat/frisk search everyone he stops or he will not receive a satisfactory rating in officer safety. When Recruit Michaels questions this direction, FTO Jones reiterates the order and tells him, “There are no exceptions to this. When you stop someone you will conduct a pat/frisk search for weapons.”

In this scenario, the recruit is faced with a conundrum. He just went through the academy where the laws of arrest/search and seizure instructor clearly taught the legal requirements for a pat/frisk search and this new information is not consistent with his academy instruction. Confused, Recruit Michaels tells FTO Jones about what he learned in the academy. FTO Jones quickly discounts the academy lesson proclaiming, “This is the way we do it on the street.”

The FTO might also offer such wisdom as, “I would rather be tried by twelve than carried by six,” or instruct the recruit that it is permissible to search every person an officer stops under the umbrella of officer safety purposes.

As a current academy instructor and prior FTO, I become more frustrated every time a recruit comes to me with this scenario because the FTO’s instruction is both legally and tactically unsound.

Legal Concerns
A pat/frisk search is a search conducted of the outer clothing of a subject for weapons only. Absent consent, it must be supported by specific objective facts that would make a reasonable officer feel in danger because the subject is armed or may be armed. It cannot be based on a subjective fear or an overreaching statement of “officer safety,” nor can it be based on the idea of the search being standard procedure.

As a review, there are three types of law enforcement contacts

1) consensual
2) detention
3) arrest

Each level of contact has different legal standards and authorizes (or directs) law enforcement officials to conduct business in specific manners.

Arrest
After an arrest supported by probable cause, a search incident to arrest is proper and the scope of the search is much wider so the discussion about pat/frisk searching is not relevant. An officer is allowed to conduct a search, including a search of any containers, incident to any kind of lawful custodial arrest, from murder to outstanding traffic warrants¹. As a matter of practice, it is always a good idea to also gain consent to search even though there is probable cause to arrest and search the person just in case the probable cause is found to be insufficient at a later time.

Consensual
Although an officer does not need any specific reason to consensually contact a subject, the subject being contacted must feel that they are: (1) free to leave at any time, and (2) free not to cooperate with the officer². In other words, the contact is completely voluntary on the part of the subject being contacted. In a consensual contact an officer may ask for consent to search the subject for weapons. The manner in which the consent is sought – giving orders, demanding answers, displaying a weapon, using a harsh tone, telling him to stop doing X or to move to some other location – might indeed turn the encounter into a de facto detention or arrest³. Absent consent, even a limited search for weapons is not legal unless the officer has specific facts or information making it reasonable for him/her to suspect that the person may be armed and dangerous⁴.

Dr. Ron Martinelli, police practices expert, gives officers the following advice regarding consensual encounters:

Once an officer relays to the citizen by word or actions (voice inflection, phrases, hand on weapon, menacing demeanor, etc.) and gives the citizen a feeling that (1) the citizen is not free to go about their business and (2) they must comply with the officer’s directions, commands, or orders; then there is no longer a consensual encounter – you now have a detention subject to 4th Amendment guidelines⁵.

An officer may ask to pat/frisk a person during a consensual encounter, but may not conduct the search without the subject’s consent. The officer must be prepared to hear the word “no” when asking for consent to conduct a pat/frisk search for weapons. If the subject says “no,” the officer must also be prepared to accept that answer and move on with the investigation. The mere fact that a person asserts their Constitutional rights does not now equate to reasonable suspicion. In other words, the officer cannot use the subject’s answer to now apply the faulty logic of “the guy must be hiding a gun because otherwise he would have allowed me to search him.”

In part two, I will continue to examine this situation by defining a detention and when an officer is allowed to conduct a pat/frisk search regardless of consent. We will then come to a conclusion as to the lawfulness and tactical soundness of the direction given to the recruit.

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The activities began Monday at the Montgomery Police De­partment’s outdoor range on Old Hayneville Road and will continue throughout the week.

Participants in the academy are soon-to-be sixth-graders from the Weed and Seed area of west Montgomery.

During the weeklong camp, law enforcement officers from different departments will hold demonstrations, give speeches and offer their expertise to the children.

Activities will include traffic demonstrations, SWAT team demonstrations, tours of police headquarters, K9 training and much more for the 25 students from area schools.

Police Cpl. Denise Barnes said that many of the students involved in the camp already are somewhat familiar with the officers.

“Most of us are assigned to the Weed and Seed area, which is a high-crime area, but is still fairly small,” she said.

Twenty-five students can be a handful, but according to Barnes, the camp is always a fun time.

“This is my favorite time of year, when we get to do Junior Police Academy. I love it, and I think it gives a lot of these kids some positive reinforcement,” she said. “A lot of these kids are from the same schools also, so most of them already know each other.”

On Monday, the children noisily lined up in front of offi­cers holding protective gear, and one by one attempted to hold the weighty gear through fits of giggles.

Eleven-year-old Kiera Jar­rett said fingerprinting was among her favorite activities Monday.

“This definitely beats cheerleading camp!” Kiera said with a wide grin. “My mom told me to try something new this summer, and I’m really glad she did.”

Kiera noticed her fellow campers crowding around Cpl. D.M. Brown as he gave a police motorcycle demonstration, so she ran over to pose in the group picture that was being taken.

After the motorcycle demon­stration, the kids walked single file out on the lawn of the out­door range, where they awaited a SWAT raid demonstration, complete with flash bangs, si­rens and a cloth-dummy crimi­nal.

The kids cheered and holler­ed for different SWAT team members during the demonstra­tion, which ended with a group picture of the kids with the offi­cers in full SWAT garb.

“We always do some really fun things for the kids,” Barnes said.

At the end of the week, the kids will attend a graduation ceremony and be given T-shirts and plaques, she said.

Also this week, they’ll take a trip to the Montgomery Zoo, go to the theater to see “Shrek For­ever After,” and get a tour of the county courthouse, where they’ll participate in a mock trial, Barnes said.1

The Sierra Vista Citizen’s Police Academy will give about two dozen community members the opportunity to learn about police investigative techniques, firearms scenarios, the use of force and much more during its annual class, said Molly Schmitt, recruiter and volunteer coordinator for the Sierra Vista Police Department.

Started in 1998, the academy is designed to “develop citizens’ awareness and understanding of law enforcement” and to “broaden their horizons about what we do and how and why we do it,” Schmidt said.

Since then, more than 300 people have gone through the program, at least three of whom have gone on to become officers with the department. More still went on to become volunteers with the department, she said.

Along with the more hands-on lessons in fingerprinting, crime scene investigation and street gang identification, the program will offer a number of academic lessons on the history of the department and the town, constitutional law and more.

In its initial years, the program was held twice a year, but budget and time constraints have reduced it to an annual program, Schmitt said.

The limited availability of spots ensures a full class each year.

“I had 15 applicants overflow into this year’s academy from the previous year,” she said.

The event is free and open to anyone over the age of 18 who lives or works within the Sierra Vista area, has not been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor involving violence or weapons and has had no misdemeanor arrests within the past six months.

The Citizen’s Police Academy begins Wednesday, Aug. 11, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and continues each following Wednesday.

Applications will be accepted until the course is full and can be found at www.sierravistaaz.gov/pd. For more information, contact Schmitt at 452-7500.

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