Police Camera Purchase

One of the first initiatives I had as police chief almost six years ago was to install video cameras in the squad cars.  The value we get from the cameras is  well known and established.  The initial cameras we purchased have reached the end of their life cycle.  These cameras get used 24 hours a day, every day of the year, they go from extreme heat in the summer, to extreme cold in the winter.  They get jarred around on our bumpy streets and have a life expectancy of five years.  We've had to cannibalize camera parts to keep them running and in a couple of cases recently, the cameras have not worked when they needed to.  The last thing we need is to have a major incident unfold that was not recorded due to an old system that no longer works properly. 

We've got our money's worth out of our first cameras, but it is time for us to begin the replacement cycle.  On Monday night's City Council agenda there is a resolution to allow us to purchase a new system called Mobile-Vision.  This system will have a camera in the car as well as an integrated camera the officer will wear.  When a camera is worn by an officer it can record what an officer may see and provide valuable, recorded evidence.  The value of an officer wearing a camera is obvious, but I am sure there will be benefits we have not even thought of.   We hope to have the Mobile-Vision system up and running in January.

The new joint public safety building is moving along right on schedule and is coming in substantially under budget.  We continue to meet with our partners at the Sheriff’s Office and expand our efforts in sharing services, people and equipment.   The idea of working closer with the County has gone from a possibility to a necessity given our financial state.   By sharing and working closely with the County we are leading the way in what may be the future of local government. We began sharing a grant coordinator a couple of years ago and have found this arrangement to be extremely beneficial to both entities.  We will be moving into our new building in February and will be announcing a date for an open house soon.  Here are some pictures of the building progress.

Tragedy at Virginia Tech

I was saddened to see another tragedy at Virginia Tech, this time involving the assassination of 39 year old Police Officer Deriek Crouse.  This hard working officer was just doing his job when he was ambushed and shot at close range.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and co-workers. Unfortunately there are well over 100 police officers that die each year in the line of duty. I am particularly interested in this case because I am friends with the Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum.  I got to know Chief Flinchum when we attended the 10 week FBI Academy together in 2005.  He lived in the dorm across the hall from me.  Wendell is a good hearted man who is dedicated to keeping the employees and students at Virginia Tech safe.  Besides sending my sympathies, I wish there was something else I could do to help them through this senseless act.

Here is a brief radio story on the latest.

Politics and Policing

I read a letter to the editor in the Duluth News Tribune today where the writer asked why I "did not get off the bench and get into the game" and set up a tent in the Civic Center to support a political movement.  While I understand the writer's concerns, it is not my role to take on political issues such as this.  I believe the majority of our community members would agree with this assessment.

While there are times where a chief will have to lobby for or against a public safety related bill, I have discovered that most citizens appreciate a police chief who is apolitical, yet politically astute in their community policing efforts.

Suicide Awareness

In an effort to bring awareness to the pervasive problem of suicide, I want to highlight how frequently our officers are dealing with these sad situations, particularly during the holiday season. In our region suicides and suicide attempts seem to peak shortly after the holiday season.  Many people are surprised to hear attempted suicide calls are common for our officers to respond to; each year Duluth police respond to well over 400 suicide threat calls and average between 8 and 12 actual suicides.  

 
Most cops dread a suicide call because of the incomprehensible pain and emotions the loved ones and family members go through.  Investigating a suicide of a juvenile is particularly tough and no doubt these cases are branded in the minds of police officers.  Every police officer has these stories and no doubt are affected in some way by these tragedies. It is an aspect of police work citizens don’t think about.

One suicide I remember that stands out involved a 10 year old boy who returned home from school to find his mother (and only family member in the state) dead from a gun shot wound to the head.  He showed little emotion in the two hours I spent with him as he obviously was in shock and did not comprehend what had happened at that point.  It is two hours of my life I will never forget and I often wonder how the boy is doing.

We also remember those incidents where we have had opportunities to help someone prior to committing suicide.  I know officers often wonder if the intervention made a difference and hope those folks are now better.  Statistics from the National Institute for Mental Health show an estimated 11 nonfatal suicide attempts occur per every suicide death. Men and the elderly are more likely to have fatal attempts than women and youth.

There are lessons to be learned by looking at suicide cases to help us stop a family member or loved one from committing suicide.  If you come away with anything from reading this, remember to always take suicidal comments very seriously. When a person says that he or she is thinking about suicide, you must always take the threats as though the person will follow through.  It is a potentially disastrous error to assume the person making the comments has another motive. 

If someone you know talks of committing suicide and you are in doubt as to what to do, call 911. A police officer will respond and make the decision as to what is in the person’s best interest. Officers are trained in dealing with these situations and will handle them in a sensitive manner, ensuring that the person gets the immediate help they need.

 I’ve run across cases where someone has told a loved one to keep his or her suicidal intentions a secret.  That is a case where you should never keep that secret. Under no circumstances can you keep a "secret" that could cause someone's death. You are not violating any privacy rules; you are taking the steps necessary to prevent a suicide.

Synthetic Drug Enforcement

It appears other States are having trouble with their synthetic drug laws as well.  At last weeks Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association legislative meeting we discussed the need to strengthen our synthetic drug law-where sales of the stuff is only a gross misdemeanor. 

Here is an article on the State of Virginia's struggle with their law.

Here is a good video on synthetic issue that we face.  It provides a good overall background on how dangerous this can be for our society.  Parents, pay attention to this and discuss the concerns with your kids!!

Thankful (and continuing to be)

This year started out with the death of a good friend who I lived with at the FBI Academy with for 10 weeks in 2005.  He was only 44 years old and was a genuinely good person.  He had a big impact on me. He spent 22 years protecting the citizens of LA and had made a substantial difference in their Internal Affairs Unit under Chief Bratton.  I miss talking to him, but am thankful of his lessons and my memories of him.

One of my wife's uncles visited us in September.  He was a another good and giving person who I spent a fair amount of time with over the years.  He was easy to be around and had a sparkle in his eye that I will never forget.  He found out he had cancer in October and died just 8 days later. 

I heard a lecture the last week where the issue of death was discussed.  Particularly attention grabbing was a discussion on how we feel after the death of a close friend or family member.  Many of us make comments like, "I am going to be more thankful" or "I am not going to let the little things bother me and keep life in perspective."  Unfortunately, after a week or so we put those feelings back in the closet. 

It has been a rather busy fall around the PD and recently the other day when I was driving my daughter to pre-school I found myself tense while thinking about work. I had almost entirely tuned out my little four year old as she explained her upcoming holiday program and sang songs they would be singing.  I am not sure what snapped me out of it, but I realized what I was missing. I pulled over and asked her to sing a few more of her songs to me -which she did.

I will try and remember how quick life can change and particularly the importance of living in the moment, appreciating what we have today and helping others.  And not for just this Thanksgiving day. 

I hope you have a safe Thanksgiving.