December 2011 – The Latest Assault on Your Rights
A few months ago, the League found it necessary to file a lawsuit against the Department alleging a pattern on the part of Internal Affairs to, among other things, deprive League members of their right to representation (see the Warning Bells article in the June issue of Thin Blue Line for details). In that lawsuit, the Department is currently refusing to cooperate with depositions and the League is taking the Department into court and asking for sanctions. This week, Internal Affairs’ efforts to curtail your rights reached new heights of outrage. [Full Article]
November 2011 – Turning It Off is Just as Important as Turning It On
“I didn’t know it was on” may become just as much of a cliché as “I didn’t know it was loaded.” The second is the standard excuse for a negligent discharge. The first is the standard excuse for leaving the digital incar video system (DICVS) camera and/or microphone on. [Full Article]
October 2011 – A Life Well Lived
Ed Jokisch died last week. His serial number was 180, three digits instead of five. He almost had three digits in his age, too. He was 97. I was honored to be a pallbearer. The burial was attended by his family and some of his old police buddies. They had four digits in their serial numbers. Just kids to Ed. [Full Article]
September 2011 – Is the Worm Turning?
Every law enforcement agency’s officer involved shooting protocol is not the same as ours. In fact, I would venture to say that no other agency has the same protocol that we do. Surviving the gunfight is less stressful than surviving the investigative protocol in many cases. How do other agencies handle their shootings? [Full Article]
August 2011 – Why a Civilian?
Of course, neither side gets everything that it wants. The League attempted to clarify discovery issues that have been plaguing members recently, but the Department resisted. In the end, it was agreed that the hearing officer in Administrative Appeals would be a civilian and the hearing officer would resolve discovery disputes. [Full Article]
July 2011 – COP Invades Independence of the BOR
Every Los Angeles police officer has the right to appeal a suspension of one day or more to a Board of Rights. Furthermore, the Chief of Police cannot terminate an officer without sending the officer to a Board of Rights, where the officer must be found guilty and the Board must recommend termination. William Bratton didn’t like it and the Police Commission doesn’t like it, but it has been that way in Los Angeles since the 1930s, and for good reason. [Full Article]
June 2011 – Death by a Thousand Cuts
If the Constitutional Policing Unit really wanted to up their recap, there would be no bigger apple orchard than following around Internal Affairs as it conducts Boards of Rights and Administrative Appeals. The Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights and the Constitution of the United States govern these proceedings. And there is also the simple concept of fairness that we all learned as far back as our sandbox days. [Full Article]
May 2011 – The Power of the Pen – To Put You in Jail
Sometimes a thoughtless act can have devastating consequences far surpassing anything imagined at the time. There are all kinds of ways of unintentionally crossing the line. The very nature of your job creates a minefield to maneuver through each day. Take report writing, for instance. [Full Article]
April 2011 – Not Perfect Again
I seldom name officers whom I write about in my articles, but this time I am going to make an exception. For one thing, his name is already splashed all over a Los Angeles Times article, and the adjudication of the shooting that he was involved in has been posted on the Police Commission website. I am going to try to tell his side of the story so, hopefully, the inevitable Google searches will at least bring up one article that tries to describe what it was like to be in his shoes. [Full Article]
March, 2011 – “No More Gotcha” Policy Is Rejected by Board of Rights
It was a centerpiece in Chief Bratton’s attempt to get police officers out of their cars and back into enforcing the law after being pounded by Chief Park’s disciplinary system. [Full Article]
February, 2011 – Conditional Official Reprimands – Good Thing or Bad?
When I first heard about the Conditional OR and how it was to be implemented, I thought, great idea! The logic for it that was first presented was enlightening. [Full Article]
January, 2011 – Social Media
Here is a New Year’s resolution for you: “I will think defensively whenever I send an electronic message.” This means personal cell phones, computers and all those devices in-between. Like a tape recorder or a camera, the Internet never forgets the messages it transmits. [Full Article]