Informant. Honoring the Fallen. Initiative Qualifies for Ballot

Transcription

1 The Informant The Official Publication of the San Diego Police Officers Association T Volume XXXII, No. 6 June 2012 Inside: Memorial Activies Honoring the Fallen CASE Act Update Initiative Qualifies for Ballot June

2 San Diego Police Officers Association 8388 Vickers Street (Office) San Diego, CA (Fax) Brian Marvel President Jeff Jordon Vice President Tom Bostedt Secretary Randy Levitt Treasurer Mike Fender Director Paul Hubka Director Rob Lewis Director Paul Paxton Director Mike Pidgeon Director Committees and Committee Chairs Legal Committee...Lewis (Chair), Bostedt, Levitt Political Action Committee... Fender (Chair), Bostedt, Pidgeon Retirement...Levitt (Chair) Business & Governance...Jordon (Chair), Paxton, Pidgeon Bylaws & Policy Administration Parliamentarian Member Relations... Bostedt (Chair), Hubka, Lewis Member Services Member Communication Public Relations...Chairs: Paxton/Pidgeon, Bostedt, Hubka Informant Website Charity SWAT Association... Levitt (Chair), Fender Special Events/Scholarship...Hubka (Chair), Bostedt, Lewis Budget & Finance...Levitt (Chair) Labor Management...Bostedt (Chair), Fender, Pidgeon Litigation (Ad Hoc Committee)...Chairs: Marvel/Jordon Memorial... Pidgeon (Chair) 2 The Informant Editorial and Advertising Information Editor, Steph Reed x 220 sreed@sdpoa.org Editorial Policy The views or opinions expressed in The Informant are not necessarily the opinions of the San Diego Police Officers Association, the San Diego Police Department or any official body or agency of the City of San Diego. We encourage article ideas and photographs about or of interest to our members. Article abstracts, photos, story ideas, suggestions, letters to the editor, commentaries and information may be submitted in person, by mail or by to the editor. Freedom of expression is assured within the bounds of good taste and the limits of available space. Our target audience is law enforcement, specifically POA members of the San Diego Police Department. Deadline All copy and advertising must be submitted by the tenth of the month prior to the anticipated publication month; e.g. July 10 for the August issue. Content submitted after that date may be considered for a later issue. San Diego Police Officers Association. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher.

3 In This Issue Member Spotlight... 4 DUI Squad... 5 Chaplain s Corner... 6 CASE Act Update & Endorsed Candidates... 6 The Crime Files Peace Officer of the Year Awards... 8 Peace Officer of the Year Recipients... 9 SDPOA Discount Tickets...16 SDPOA Store...17 PERT Perspective...18 UC RF&PA Update...20 Ipso Facto Files...21 In Honor of the Fallen...22 National Police Week...23 Code 4 Chronicles...24 In Rememberance...25 STAR/PAL Scene...26 On the Road...27 At a Glance Calender...28 McDonald s Fundraiser...29 Board Minutes...30 On the Cover: SDPD Officers escort the Henwood family at the State Memorial Ceremony in Sacramento. Randy Pench/Sacramento Bee/ZUMAPRESS.com Check out the SDPOA on: Last month, we joined together for the local, state, and national memorials. Throughout the month of May, we took the time to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to serve and protect their community. With the recent losses we have all experienced, the ceremonies are particularly significant as we remember all of those who are no longer with us. I had the great honor of speaking at the Department memorial as a representative of the SDPOA at Headquarters. This tradition of honoring the fallen from the SDPD was recently restarted, and the POA is proud to be involved as a sponsor of the event. The highest priority of the POA is to make sure that the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice are recognized and provided for in any way necessary. It is our duty to ensure that these families are supported throughout their tragedy and throughout their lives. The county memorial was also held last month, and the POA is proud to also play a role in this important ceremony to honor and remember the fallen. With the engraving of Jeremy Henwood s name on the memorial, the monument now has the names of 85 law enforcement officers from throughout San Diego County who have been killed in the line of duty. Sadly, the SDPD has the most names of any of the local agencies. We also recently recognized the loss of Jeremy Henwood and honored the memories of all our fallen brothers and sisters in blue at the state and national memorials. I was honored to be asked to recite the monument poem at the state ceremony. This was a particularly humbling experience, as I was the first association president to ever participate in the ceremony in this way. As well as sending a delegation to the state memorial, we also, in cooperation with the Department, send more than 30 members to the national ceremony in Washington, D.C. This emotional ceremony brings together law enforcement from through the U.S. and Canada to pay tribute to those who died in the line of duty. Thank you to all of the members involved in the memorials. The POA is only as strong as its members, and your support is the core of our success. The SDPOA looks forward to continuing to send representatives to all of these memorials in future years. Don t forget to make your voice heard during the primary election on June 5th. You can read the list of SDPOA endorsed candidates on page 6. Be Safe, President s facebook.com/sdpoa June

4 Officer Cory Gilmore For Officer Cory Gilmore, the line of duty death of Jeremy Henwood was a life-changing experience. As one of the officers assigned to escort the family while they were in San Diego after his death, the May memorial trips to Sacramento and Washington, D.C. serve as a continuation of his ongoing efforts to support the family and honor Officer Henwood s memory. I ve just tried to be the best that I can be a good friend and a good peer. Member Spotlight Born and raised in Marysville, Kansas, Officer Gilmore began working in law enforcement in 1991 as a dispatcher and jailer. This experience gave him a sincere appreciation for the jobs of the dispatchers he works with, especially when they are handling multiple calls. In 1996, he became a sheriff s deputy for the Pottawatomie County Sheriff s Department. With family on the west coast, he became interested in making a move to California. After looking at several agencies in the area, he decided on the San Diego Police Department. When I started looking, I knew the SDPD was a well-known and respected agency, said Officer Gilmore. It seemed like a good fit, so I made the call. After four trips from Kansas to San Diego to work out all of the details, Gilmore was hired and attended the academy. Even though he had six years in law enforcement, his 23-member department was a much different experience than his new job at the SDPD. The differences between the Midwest and Southern California became particularly evident when he was assigned his first phase of training at Southern Division. I give a lot of credit to Sergeant JJ Salinas, said Officer Gilmore of his FTO at the time. He taught me a lot about being a big-city cop. After phase-training, Officer Gilmore was assigned to Western Division, where he spent his first seven years on the Department. Trying to absorb everything about his career, Officer Gilmore took the opportunity to try out new roles whenever possible. While at Western, he worked on the beach team, earned certification as a Field Evidence Technician, and served as an Acting Sergeant and Acting Detective. Another important role for Officer Gilmore is when he became a Field Training Officer (FTO). I love the teaching aspect, he said. I like seeing a young officer pick up the job and grow into it. In 2009, he decided it was time for a change and put in for a transfer to Mid-City, where he has continued as a FTO, Field Evidence Technician, and Acting Detective and Acting Ser- 4 The Informant geant. While he tries to take on a lot of roles, he also tries to focus on being a good colleague. I ve just tried to be the best that I can be a good friend and a good peer. Last August, the death of Jeremy Henwood made a profound impact on Officer Gilmore, as he was one of the officers selected to accompany the family while they were in San Diego for the funeral. He met the family and stayed with them throughout the memorials and services. This difficult task gave Officer Gilmore a unique perspective. I was honored to take on that duty it was a life-changing commitment, he said. Seeing what a family goes through, it changes my perspective on what the POA does. While the task of being an escort to the Henwoods was a somber task, he gained a unique connection with the family. I gained a little sister and big brother and a second mom and dad, he said of the Henwoods. His experiences with the family also gave him a new respect for the importance of the Widows and Orphans Fund, which encouraged Officer Gilmore to team up with Officer Dan Craft, who also escorted the Henwood family, to provide some desperately needed help to bolster fundraising efforts. His help with raffles and events to support the fund and the Law Enforcement Memorial Fund have made a significant impact. In May, Officer Gilmore was a member of the delegation sent to Sacramento and Washington D.C. to honor Jeremy Henwood at the State and National Memorials. I m excited, he said before the trips, I want to honor Jeremy s memory. Going to the memorials will bring back memories and it s going to be emotional. I want to be there for the family and complete the task that I was given. Married for 18 years, Officer Gilmore has one daughter. His wife serves as the co-director of the San Diego Law Enforcement Officers Wives. During his time outside of work, Officer Gilmore enjoys spending time with his family.

5 Dangerous situations involving city officials have been an unfortunate reality throughout the years. From the 1978 deaths of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk at City Hall in San Francisco to the 2008 shooting rampage during a city council meeting in Kirkwood, Mo. that left six dead, the importance of security at City Hall is evident. In San Diego, this task goes to the Executive Protection Detail (EPD). As the security force for San Diego s mayor and city council members, the EPD s duties extend outside the realm of traditional policing. The three detectives, two uniformed officers, and sergeant that make up the unit have a wide range of duties that include traveling with the mayor, providing security at council and community meetings, and completing site surveys in advance of a visit from the mayor or city official. The San Diego Police Department EPD is one of the smallest EPD units when compared to similar units in other large cities across the nation. Current members of the unit are Detective Otis Odie Gallop, Detective Larry Leiber, Detective Art Calvert, Officer Jim Tulumello, Officer Ana Rodriguez, and Sergeant Jim Schorr. The EPD was created in 1985 during the term of Mayor Roger Hedgecock. Executive Protection Detail After September 11, 2001, new funding to increase security at city hall was approved, and two uniformed officers were added to the unit to provide security for city hall and compliment the council detective for council meetings. Other security measures, including cameras, magnetometers, planters, and picture IDs were implemented by the sergeant at the time (Chief Boyd Long), with the help of Detective Gallop. The mayor and council detectives work three 12-hour days and every other Saturday. Detectives assigned to work with the mayor can have unpredictable hours due to the mayor s schedule. This includes attending numerous events at a variety of times, both within San Diego and also when traveling to other cities. All members of the unit must make sure their daily interaction with the mayor is courteous and professional at all times. Another important requirement of the job is to maintain confidentiality, as members of the EPD can easily overhear sensitive discussions. The EPD has many tasks, including traveling with the mayor and coordinating his movements. Coordination with a variety of agencies is necessary during travel and includes the TSA when flying, the Secret Service when entering The White House or White House grounds, the Pentagon Police Department when visiting the Pentagon, Old Executive Building, State Dept, Capitol Hill, or Congress, The Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) when traveling to Mexico, and California Highway Patrol when visiting the governor in Sacramento or San Diego. The EPD also coordinates, assists and provides personal security for visiting dignitaries when requested. Past instances have included visits from Senator John McCain when the mayor endorsed his presidential run in San Diego, Chicago Mayor John Daley, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, Sacramento Mayor and ex-nba player Kevin Johnson, Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, former Mayor and Governor Pete Wilson. Members of the unit also attended the presidential inauguration of George W. Bush with Mayor Murphy and accompanied the mayor on a trip to Palm Springs for a private dinner with President Bush and three other mayors. Some members of the unit have also met President Obama, who at the time was a senator and attending a private dinner. The EPD has been closely involved in several recent events. Members of the unit responded with the mayor and council members to high-profile incidents such as the San Diego wild fires in 2003 and 2007, the F-18 crash into residences in University City, and the La Jolla landslide. Their role in these instances is to accompany the mayor and council members and ensure their safety despite, the critical situations. Other duties of the unit include completing site surveys of mayor and council residences and in advance at all locations the mayor is attending. Detectives also work with mayoral staff in close proximity to keep the mayor updated and on time when at meetings and events. In addition, the unit serves as a liaison between the mayor, council and police department. June

6 By Herb Smith, San Diego Police Department Chaplain God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out those in bond-age into prosperity; only the rebellious dwell in a parched land (Psalm 68:6). In the 91 movie Hook starring Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman, a grown-up Peter Pan is featured as a very successful business CEO of an international company; so successful that his company demands virtually 100% of his time, he s always on call and always answering. Trouble is, Peter is also now married with two young children who are desperate for his attention. He is torn between it all, but more often than not the company gets what it wants, and Peter s family is left alone. Now Hook, taking occasion upon Peter s return to England and the home he used to visit to see Wendy (though now he scarcely remembers being Pan), travels from Never Land to settle an old score by kidnapping Peter s children and holding them ransom until Peter returns to fight it out. But what Hook has in mind is much more sinister destroying Peter by turning away the hearts of his children, and leaving him, desperately, alone. The movie has an intriguing story line of how Peter slowly and painfully begins to recall what enabled him to soar like he used to, the happy thought that equipped him to fly in Never Land, the skill he needed to regain if he hoped to rescue his children. What took a bump on the head to remember was the joy of family, what he had with the lost boys when Wendy came and what eventually caused him to leave Never Land and establish for real. But for the adventure of corporate success, he had forgotten along the way why he gave up being a boy and soaring in Never Land, to be a husband, and a loving, attentive father to his own children. The profession of law enforcement is also one of the most exhilarating careers to be found. It offers opportunities to maximize virtually every ability and potential you might possess. Training and experience abound to help realize the most out of the job. The camaraderie, personal growth and adventure seem unending, and in spite of the frustrations, driving fast and shooting guns helps to make up for it. But as soaring as it may feel at times, it also has dangerous pitfalls. Yet notwithstanding the inherent tragedies that are systemically connected to a business infused with the passions of human self-interest, there remains enough Mayor of San Diego - Nathan Fletcher County Board of Supervisors, District 3 - Steve Danon County Board of Supervisors, District 1 - Greg Cox Superior Court Judge, District 25 - Robert Amador Superior Court Judge, District 24 - David Berry Superior Court Judge, District 34 - Garland Peed San Diego City Council, District 9 - Marti Emerald 6 The Informant Chaplain s Corner fascinating charm in the occupation to captivate our enthusiasm for wearing the badge. SDPOA Endorsed Candidates It s easy to become absorbed with the stimulating responsibilities, challenges, excitement and lore of it all, in spite of all there is to debilitate you emotionally, physically and spiritually if you let it. The rub comes when we become so addicted to the badge s energizing allure that we pursue it to the impoverishment of other responsibilities and relationships in our life, especially with regard to the spouse and family God has of first importance entrusted us with. We can get so caught up with the fervor of motivation for and dedication to the job that devotion and commitment and allegiance to the care and stewardship of those who should be closest to us start becoming a distant second, third or fourth. Faithfulness to our promises to the underlying relationships that have built and established our life, obligations to those dependent upon the fidelity or our commitment to their lives our spouse and children especially, protect our world. Is the life and career we re building also cultivating and enlarging the lives of our precious ones, or are they becoming mere stepping stones toward an illusion of life that suggests we re far more than we really are? Please don t be offended by what I m saying, but we all know that it can be easy to hide behind a uniform that conceals issues of the past or present we don t like thinking about. And those closest to us know us better maybe than we do of our selves, that our badge can t shield the truth behind the façade. Or perhaps it s just easier to become immersed in the world of our work instead of the reality of our family relationships. After all, real relationships are hard; they re revealing, reproving and inherently rigorous. But they re also restraining, reformative, restorative, reviving, renewing, truly rewarding and inherently redemptive. One can mask a lot and ignore troublesome issues and appear very successful in life by just engrossing a job, and fool a lot of people, even oneself. But it doesn t make the issues go away, and we only become more and more divorced from the truth, and true community. This concludes Part I of the Chaplain s Corner. Part II will be continued in the July issue. San Diego City Council, District 3 - Todd Gloria San Diego City Council, District 7 - Mat Kostrinsky San Diego City Council, District 1 - Sherri Lightner California Assembly, District 76 - Sherry Hodges California Senate, District 39 - Marty Block House of Representatives, District 51 - Juan Vargas House of Representatives, District 52 - Brian Bilbray CASE Act Update: The CASE Act, an initiative to fight back against human trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children in California, qualified for the November 2012 ballot on May 10.

7 By Steve Willard In addition to entertainment and enlightenment, a primary purpose of the Crime Files is to remember those who served before us. So, from here on out, at the end of each monthly edition, I will post the name and dates of service for a past officer; to learn more about that person, visit the museums website at sdpolicemuseum. com. Simply click on the museum page then the white memoriam button. Now, onto the subject at hand. The year was America was mired in the Great Depression. Unemployment stood at more than 17 percent. The decade had begun with great promise. It also began with Prohibition an act that made bootleggers rich and allowed Hollywood to glamorize those who were on the wrong side of the law. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also stood to gain from a well orchestrated publicity machine. Driven by a hard-charging young director named J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI and its G-men played to the press with stories of hunting down notorious outlaws such as John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson. It had been just two years since the FBI had gained their now legendary crime fighting authority and Hoover wasn t about to let a PR opportunity go to waste. In addition to keeping the public enemies on the run, the FBI machine also saw a surge in highly qualified applicants to the bureau. One of those applicants was a man of humble means but recent graduate of the prestigious Duke University School of Law. One of five boys in his family, each brother had been named after a king who once ruled England. This specific brother with dark piercing eyes had been named for the Lionheart and it fit him to a tee. He was just 24 years old, but he had already established a reputation as hard working, smart, driven and someone with a bright future. The young man s FBI application was The Crime Files How Law Enforcement Budgets Can Effect World History submitted shortly after graduation. When the bureau didn t respond back, he figured he didn t get the job so he began planning another course in life. He returned to his California home and passed the bar on his first attempt. His first job was with a small firm working on commercial litigation and estates. He later recalled his reluctance to work on divorce cases because he disliked frank sexual talk from women. Even with that reluctance, less than a year later the young man s hard work paid off and he was a full partner in the firm. In 1940 he married a woman he d always refer to as the love of his life and the two began planning a future together. As WWII unfolded, he was in Washington, D.C. working in the Federal Office of Price Administration - Tire Rationing Division. He didn t enjoy the role so he applied to join the United States Navy. Even though he was draft exempt due to his federal employment status, his application was successful and he was inducted into the Navy in August The war ended in 1945 and the young man would soon find another calling: Politics. The Republicans had their eye on the seat held by a five term Democratic congressman, but none of their local candidates could beat him. Hoping to avoid internal dissensions which had led them to earlier losses, the party quickly formed a Committee of 100 to find a high profile candidate. After coming up empty, committee member Herman Perry suggested a bright U.S. Naval officer that might be interested. It took a single letter to get him to return to the West Coast. After less than a year of hard campaigning, the Republicans watched their 32-year-old unknown raise his right hand to be sworn into Congress. He had defeated the sitting incumbent by more than 16,000 votes. Less than two years later, the young man burst onto the national scene as a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee when his investigation broke the Alger Hiss spy case. While many doubted rumors that Hiss, a former State Department official, had been a Soviet spy, the hard charging young congressman believed otherwise. His dogged investigation soon discovered incriminating evidence against Hiss that resulted in a perjury conviction. The rest of Richard M. Nixon s political career is history. His two-term vice presidency under Dwight D. Eisenhower began in He narrowly lost the 1960 presidential election to John F. Kennedy. Nixon later said he was convinced voter fraud pushed the election over to Kennedy, however he refused to consider contesting the election, feeling a recount would diminish the U.S. in the eyes of the world and the uncertainty would hurt interests abroad. After Nixon lost the 1962 election for California governor, political pundits declared his career to be over. One major news publication went so far as to write a political obituary. Clearly, they were wrong. In 1968, Richard Nixon was elected as the 37th president of the United States when he defeated Hubert Humphrey by nearly 500,000 votes. Shortly after taking office President Nixon met with J. Edgar Hoover and the topic of the FBI application came up. Hoover said, let s see what ever happened to that application then walked over to a filing cabinet and pulled out a file. The men then soon discovered Nixon s application had actually been approved and he was supposed to have been hired. It was only due to budget cuts that he was never notified. Imagine for a moment if President Nixon had instead become Special Agent Nixon. The Vietnam War might have ended differently. We certainly would not have had Watergate or for that matter, President Gerald Ford. How else the world would be different can only be left to the imagination. In memory of Roundsman Edward L. Longacre SDPD June

8 2012 Peace Officer of the Year Awards The 21st Annual Peace Officer of the Year Awards were held at the Omni Hotel on April 20, Seventeen officers received awards from their agencies throughout San Diego County. Special thanks go to members of the San Diego Police Department Honor Guard, who attended to present the colors, and to Lieutenant Dawn Summers, who sang the national anthem. The SDPOA also thanks Chaplain Chuck Price, who delivered the invocation. The night also included two special award presentations. Retired Sheriff Bill Kolender was honored for his lifetime commitment to public safety by receiving the inaugural William B. Kolender Honor Graduate Award. The first of these awards will be presented to the honor graduate of the 91st Academy of the San Diego Regional Public Safety Training Institute in July. Chris Kelly, a Silicon Valley attorney with a long track record of representing innovative companies and making the Internet a safer place for kids and adults alike, served as the master of ceremonies for the evening. He discussed his work as the Founder of the Safer California Foundation and as a major backer of the CASE Act, a ballot initiative slated for the November 2012 ballot in California, which will work to fight human trafficking in our state. Chris Kelly served as master of ceremonies for the event. Presenters for the evening were Chief of the San Diego District Attorney s Superior Court Division Garland Peed, SDPD Chief William Lansdowne, San Diego County Sheriff William Gore, and UCSD Police Chief Orville King. Peace Office of the Year photos courtesy of Nick Nguyen The inaugural William B. Kolender Honor Graduate Award was presented to Retired Sheriff Kolender by SD- POA Treasurer Randy Levitt and Deputy Sheriffs Association President Dave Schaller. The SDPOA was also proud to present San Diego s first Theodore Roosevelt Police Award. The award is presented to an officer that has overcome an adversity whether injury, illness or other disability, as Theodore Roosevelt triumphed over the physical handicaps of his youth. Officer Bruce Byrd, who was injured in a accident on his motorcycle and returned to work ten months later, received the award. Levitt was joined by Melanie Veteto of the Theodore Roosevelt Association to present the Theodore Roosevelt Police Award to SDPD Officer Byrd. 8 The Informant

9 Thank You to Our Sponsors... PLATINUM BADGE Bobbitt, Pinckard & Fields, APC The Law Offices of O Mara and Padilla GOLD BADGE Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians San Diego Metropolitan Credit Union Law Office of David Dugan SILVER BADGE California Casualty Insurance UFCW Local 135 Sergeant Mark Bennett, San Diego Police Department Throughout 2011, Sergeant Mark Bennett was tasked with the supervision of two investigative teams in the Gang Unit. As a collateral assignment, Sergeant Bennett managed the department s Stonegarden Grant, which provided nearly $1 million towards the suppression of cross-border violence in the city of San Diego. Sergeant Bennett regularly prepared and implemented suppression details throughout the county. As a testament to Sergeant Bennett s unbelievable work ethic and organizational skills, he also managed a longterm plan addressing gang violence. Sergeant Bennett s team developed and utilized a confidential informant over an 18-month period to make a series of controlled narcotic purchases totaling $43,000 from violent gang members. They arranged for the support of the local FBI office and in doing so, availed themselves to a host of resources. Sergeant Bennett and his team conducted hours and hours of surveillance of this group of violent predators. As a result of the operation, the team was able to arrest 31 gang members and seize 400 grams of cocaine, 240 grams of methamphetamine, 80 ecstasy tablets, 37 milliliters of PCP, assault rifles, submachine guns and handguns. The team also infiltrated a group of gang members committing armed robberies. Sergeant Bennett devised a creative sting operation during which the team took down six armed gang members en route to commit an armed robbery. Each prosecution was extremely solid, compelling nearly all the defendants to plead guilty. This operation resulted in a significant reduction in gang activity in Southeastern San Diego. Sergeant Bennett is a tremendous asset to the community and San Diego Police Department. June