4f tKB'Re'lda-She@ffs:A's-

socihtion Summei' Conference ismeeting the Deputy Sheriff of theYear winner.

Past winners have been recog-

nized for everything from wrestling

victims away from dangerous crim-

inals to surviving a shootout and

bringing the culprits to justice.The men and women who have

received this prestigious, state-wide award are often recognizedfor an outstanding act related toone particular incident —frequent-

ly on the frontline. In the caseof this year's winner, it was very

much behind-the-scenes work thatmade the frontline operations gomore smoothly.

What captured our award com-

mittee's attention was an investi-

gation that lasted three months

and resulted in the dismantling ofa powerful and dangerous streetgang. This special operation tar-

geted and successfully took down

the leaders of a group responsiblefor several homicides, numerous

shootings, robberies and a signifi-

cant level of narcotic trafficking.

During the investigation, theSheriff's Office had acquiredenough evidence to prove thatin just 90 days, this group and

its supplier had moved more550 pounds —that's one-quarterton —of powder and crack co-

caine through a county of about300,000 people.

Hindered by henchmenAs with many investigations,

"Operation Unlucky 13"was borneout of a need for a comprehensivesolution to a growing problem. Of-

ficers and investigators at every

level —federal, state and local—had suffered for years trying tofight illegal drug activity and inves-

tigate serious crimes, including

homicides, shootings and robber-

ies in northern Ft. Pierce. But all

cases were hindered by the pres-ence of a powerful organizationcalled the 13th Street Gang.

The gang members were fight-

ing with others over the usual

things —turf, drugs and girlfriends—and creating a culture of fear in

the community. But the tacticsthey used to intimidate witnessesand victims —including violence,threats and even murder —werehindering all efforts by law en-

forcement to investigate or pros-ecute cases in that area.

By all accounts, it was gettingworse. The St. Lucie County Sher-iff's Office was seeing a tremen-dous increase in the amount ofcocaine pouring into the area and

they knew the 13th Street Gangwas largely responsible.

Detective Brian Hester andother members of St. Lucie Coun-ty's Special investigations Unit

started looking for ways to attackthe organization and dismantleit. They knew if they could getthe top tier —the leadership andsecond or third levels —they hada better chance of cutting off theflow of drugs.

continued on page 8

ALL POINTS BULLETIN *SUMMER 2007

St. Lucle County Sherif Ken Mascara (left) congratulates his Detective, 2006 Depu-

ty Sheriff of the Year Brian Hester, pictured with his wife Brittany.

Irlg:~~ wITerI a borldman::: -::armst M ~~~ by«:ef~g. -::.

decjdes Ae oi she no longer over their authority orI the back of the key to getting:a person backwants to be on the bond of the the bond. But if a deputy arrests into custody.defendant. They can bring thisperson to the jail any time, with-

out explanation, and there mayor may not be a warrant for thesubject's arrest.

The Jails run into problems

the individual under these circum- For more information on bailstances, they are doing it based bonding issues, contact Jackon the bondsman's authority and Jordan, legal advisor for Sumternot state law. It places the deputy County Sheriff's Office, via e-mail:(and Sheriff's Office) in a weak jackjOsum. net or phone: 352-568-position. It's better not to allow 6615.

when the bondsman makes thisrequest, but does not have thedefendant with them. In manycases, the defendant is in an-other county jail, having beenarrested on a new charge.

Chief Jordan said the jailshould never release a bondunless there is a "body, " mean-ing a defendant. The bond islinked to the defendant, and if

the bond is released, even if

the subject is in custody some-where else, the responsibilitynow transfers to the Sheriff'sOffice for follow up. Making it apolicy not to release a bond un-

less there is a body is the saf-est way to reduce the liability ofthe Sheriff's Office.

"The thing to rememberabout bail bonds is that theyare a contractual agreementbetween the defendant and thebail bondsman, " Chief Jordansaid. "In that contract, thereare a number of conditions thatthe defendant agrees to, andthe bondsman has the optionof canceling it at any time. "

Still, just because they cancel itdoesn't mean the responsibility

the bondsman to sign over thebond. Just explain that there is nowarrant for that person's arrestand that the bondsman needs toarrest them and bring them to thejail.

Save time, expense on bond pro-cessing

In these times of tight budgets,Chief Jordan said Sheriffs mightwant to look at the administrativetime and expense related to bondprocessing. It's not well known,but a Sheriff's Office can transferthe physical processing of thosebonds to the Clerk of Court if heor she desires. Florida Statutesays that the Sheriff may hold thebond or transfer it to the Clerkwho "shall" accept it.

Something else that ChiefJordan offered is a reminder thatthe warrants section should forgea strong relationship with bailbonding companies. "That bondrepresents money to them, " ChiefJordan said. "If a person fails toappear in court, no one wants him

back in custody more than thebondsman —including the Sheriff. "

In the bond transaction, the

FLORIDA SHERIFFSALL POINTS BULLETINVolume 17, Number 2

Summer 2007

Publisher Gary E. PerkinsExecutive Director

Florida Sheriff Association

Editor Julle S. BettlngerE-mall: jbettlngelflsherlffs. org

Graphic Design Frank J. Jones

All Points Bulletin Is published quarterlyby the Florida Sherlfl's Association In spring,summer, fall and winter.

The content of APB ls Intended to reflectthe opinions of various criminal Justice pro-fessionals and those who serve law enforce-ment, which means articles do not necessar-Ily reflect the opinion of the Rorlda SheriffsAssociation.

FSA's bINaws prohibit the association's en-dorsement or guarantee of any product, ser-vice or company represented in the articlesor advertisements In thIS publication.

We welcome oracles and topics of inter-est to the law enforcement and conectionspractitioner. To request writing guidelines orinformation on advertising, please email theeditor {address above) or contact us at theaddress below.

Florida Sheriff AssociationP. 0.Box 12519,Tallahassee,

FL 32317-2519Web site: http: //www. gsherlffs. org

Toll Free: Booa77-2155Local: BSO877-2155

2 ALL POINTS BULLETIN *SUMMER 2007

4

, ,!' 'kaf'I' fk'f/w::0'can'cef'

and a~el te:Otal o~fIB —at@')tthreatens the. very heart and soul ofSheriffs' Offices.

It seems the very evils that law

enforcement fight every day are infil-

trating the people whose job it is toprotect our communities from thosethreats. I'm talking about domesticviolence, suicide, drug abuse and

corruption. Deputies taking their own

lives. ..being arrested for domesticviolence, road rage or fraud. Getting

caught with pornography on theircomputers, and it's obviously for

personal use and not investigation

purposes.Some offices are getting hit

harder than others. The JacksonvilleSheriff's Office had three suicides in

four years. Sheriff John Rutherford

has stepped up efforts in the areasof education and prevention to com-

bat the trend. And other agencieswould be wise to do the same.

Acknowledging there's a problem

Sure, we' re human. There's going

to be a certain amount of that in any

agency —but there's been an alarm-

ing rise in these cases, it seems.And we need to start taking a seri-

ous look at the sources and addressthem.

Besides the toll it takes on thefamilies affected, these behaviorscan significantly affect the agencyand profession. As one Sheriff's Of-

fice spokesperson acknowledged,even though it's not an accuratereflection on law enforcement, eachperson working at the agency suffersbecause of the public's perception.

We' ve reported on efforts toward

~nfiihjf vre%'='lrI a bitt@wheri':::jleople':~ exp~ to tfte!

depravity of the human condition ona daily basis as law enforcementrequires, they can't help but be af-

fected. It's kind of tough to have hopewhen you see such hopelessness in

the violence, the abuse, the revolving

door of the justice system and otherrealities in our world.

The question is: Are you preparingfor that battle?

I'm not talking about general law-

enforcement training —it's more thepersonal stuff. How are you fortifying

yourself against the threat of corrup-

tion? Do you even acknowledge thatthere is such a threat?

I'm currently reading a book by

John Eldredge called "Waking theDead. " Eldredge is kind of a man' sman. He likes adventure and talks agreat deal about warriors and movie

heroes and roughing it out in thewilds of Colorado. His books acknowl-

edge the great depravity that mostof us have experienced. We desirechallenge, but we look for it in all thewrong places —or we*re motivated forthe wrong reasons. Somehow, it getstwisted and eventually takes a toll on

our marriage, our family and our otherrelationshi ps.

One of the things Eldredge talksabout in this book is spiritual warfare.Sometimes we forget the big picture—that we actually are battling againstthe forces of darkness. And that re-

quires a different kind of weapon.While most of Eldredge's books

have been geared to men, this oneholds some very good thoughts toponder for all of us, especially thosebattling on the frontline. Specifically

a~ox to:deliver Borne nevrs items.For"those bf'you in'Correctloris, yOu' ll-'

be. happy to know the FSA now has afull-time person on staff to representyour interests.

Ned Hafner joinedFSA as the directorof corrections and jailservices and is re-

sponsible for network-

ing with all county jails"that are managed bySheriffs' Offices. Ned Ned Hafnerhas more than 30 years of experiencein the Corrections field. Contact Ned

via e-mail:nhafnerOflsheriffs. org,or use the information on the facingpage to call. I'm sure he would beglad to hear from you.

And finally, this is the "last call"to register for FSA's Car Evaluationand Fleet Management Training Con-

ference the last week in September.See our ad on page 12 for more infor-

mation, or visit our Web site: www.

flsheriffs. org/conferences. Don't missit!

Ilorlda Slserlffa AeaoolatlonAnnual Calendar of KvesrtsIO07

Please check FSA's Wab site forupdated locations and registration:wwW fisher Wfi.org

~ FSA's Annual Car Evaluation andFleet Management Training Conference,Plara Resort 4 Spa, Daytona Beach,September 28-28

FSA Jell Administrators' Workshop,Hilton Sandestin Beech Golf Resort 4Spa, December $8

~ Civil Process Training (throughouttha year), check caiehdar of ments at:www. flsharWfs. org

ALL POINTS BULLETIN *suMMER 2007 3

Rarer:Brevard CountySheriff's Oflice

1

In December of '

2005, the BrevardCounty Sheriff'sOffice unveiled an innovative

approach to registering, moni-

toring and tracking sexual of-

fenders and predators with theimplementation of the "SexualOffender Registration and Track-ing" (SORT) Unit. This special-ized unit is responsible for theregistration of all sexual offend-ers and predators in BrevardCounty, as well as verifying theiraddresses and closely monitor-

ing their movements. In addi-

tion, SORT has joined forceswith Immigration and CustomsEnforcement (ICE) and locallyformed a task force to fight childexploitation, which investigatescases related to child pornogra-

phy and the online exploitation/solicitation of children.

In order to meet the publicneeds of notification, we part-nered with Watch Systems,Inc. and, with their help, haveimplemented an excellent publicnotification system. The systemallows our analysts to adviseWatch Systems' Offender Watchof a new registration or addresschange which automaticallygenerates a postcard mailing tocitizens in the immediate area

trieve posted sexual predatornotifications that were notage appropriate.

As of August 2007, morethan 85,000 individualizedpostcard mailings detailinginformation about the of-

fender and his or her pho-

tograph have been mailed.The service also providesan option for the citizens tosign up for email alerts thatare generated immediatelyupon verification of the offender' saddress. Since the inception of

the program, about 2,000 house-holds have taken advantage of

Through the work of the Brevard Sherif's ONce SORT unit, the county has been ableto crack down on non-compliant sexual offenders and predators. In the first yearalone, Brevard saw a 69-percent reduction In the number of absconders (from 52 to16).A new public notification system and Internet-based search Is also helping fami-lies to better protect their children.

of the offender's residence.With our prior door-to-doornotifications, it was not un-

common to miss homes in

the affected area. We alsodid not like the possibilitythat young children wouldarrive home after schoolbefore their parents and re-

4 ALL POINTS BULLETIN *SUMMER 2007

( )

~@68~~,'be 4:,':.:Wt8ll8:;.4 th8lt';::::::::";;:oa~:~COnVICtiOnS and phOtOgraphS. senal effand-

Ha(rdly a Wy goes by that we don't ers and preda-

encounter a citizen who thanks usthe methods

for the service. includesAdditionally, we created a zero- partnering

tolerance program for sex offend-

ers and predators who violate thelaw or conditions of their proba-

throughoutthe county to

tion. A four-Pronged aPProach share informs

was implemented to ensure SORT tlon, assist ln

could rid our streets of offenders searches of offenders

who were not in compliance

~ A verification affidavit wasdeveloped that was efficient for

patrol, but gave SORT the neces-sary information to ensure offend-

ers were in compliance.

~ We developed an in-house

database that allowed crime ana-

lysts to input all information on

the offenders' addresses, employ-

ment, important scanned docu-

ments and movements that could

be easily accessed by agents in

the field.

We worked with municipal,

state and federal law-enforcement

agencies to ensure we are all

working off the same page with

regard to verification. The major-

ity of law-enforcement agenciesdevoted sworn personnel to themonitoring and verification of theoffenders in their respective juris-

dictions.

under supervision andgain access to theconditions of probationfor specific offendersand GPS tracking ofoffenders.

~ We partneredwith Florida Probation and Parolein the verification of these offend-

ers. By partnering with ProbationOfficers throughout the county, theInvestigators were able to shareinformation, assist in searches ofoffenders under supervision, gainaccess into the Florida Depart-ment of Corrections databases forimmediate access to the condi-

tions of probation for specific of-

fenders, as well as access to GPStracking of offenders.

In addition to enforcement, theSORT Unit focuses on prevention

and awareness. Unit membersprovide citizens and fellow law-

enforcement officers with crime-

prevention training related to child

and Internet safety.

In the first year alone, we expe-rienced a 69-percent reduction in

the numbers of absconders in our

county (from 52 to 16). We have

greatly improved our knowledge ofwhere offenders are in our countyin addition to putting them backin prison or jail when they do notcomply with the law or conditionsof probation.

Brevard County is gaining areputation for being tough on

sexual offenders and predators,and we like it.

lf you have interest in the SORT

program, or have any questions,contact BCSO Commander DougWailer via e-mail:douglas. wailer@brevardsheriff. corn or ca/I: 321-454-7061.

ALL POINTS BULLETIN *SUMMER 2007 5

' -~PS iitl ~5MB,keep Ching the same thing .

over and over, yet expecting dif-

ferent results. It's no different in

law enforcement. At some point,it becomes obvious that wehave to change or improve whatwe are doing in order to achievethose intended "better results. "

Law-enforcement agencieswork to attract and keep high-

quality deputies and officers.With increasingly competitivewages and benefits being of-

fered, it seems as though thiswould be an easy task. Unfor-

tunately, that is often not thecase.

Perhaps we are setting ourstandards too low and, conse-quently, not attracting bettercandidates. There have beena number of studies that pointto the fact that our society, in

general, is becoming more edu-cated. According to the CensusBureau, 25.4 percent of Florid-

ians have at least a bachelor' sdegree.

A recent survey of FloridaPolice Academy students, foundthat 80 percent had taken"some" college courses priorto attending their academytraining. On the other hand, thesame survey showed that only 4percent had a G.E.D.

According to the Institute ofHigher Education, 35 percent ofadults age 26 —27 hold associ-ate or bachelor's degrees. This

6 ALL POINTS BULLETIN *SUMMER 2007

g. '„f

. 56/":4';::~86&. it may be Impractical:or im-

possible to make an immediateleap to requiring a college degreein all law-enforcement agenciesstatewide. We are at the point,however, that we should considerrequiring some college or militaryexperience.

But how do we make thistransition to a higher educationrequirement without having anegative impact on the agency?Actually, the answer to this ques-tion is simple.

The two key components area Community College BridgeProgram, which transfers the vo-

cational credits earned in policeacademies to college credit, anda method to take advantage ofthe Bridge Program while newdeputies and officers are in theirinitial field-training phase.

Bridge ProgramDaytona Beach Community

College has what it calls an As-

sociate Science degree in Crimi-

nal Justice Technology BridgeProgram. Other community col-leges in Florida have similar pro-

grams with various titles. Underthese programs, when a studentgraduates from the Police Acad-

emy, they can then apply for thebridge program. It is importantto keep in mind that graduationfrom the Police Academy has novalue as far as college creditsare concerned. Police Academy

ace@stance into M.bric pro-gram, the Police Academy gradu-ate will have the equivalent ofone year of college. When theycomplete an additional 11col-lege courses, they will have anassociate's degree.

Several community collegesin Florida also are offering aBachelor of Applied ScienceDegree. This is a four-yearBachelor's Degree being offeredat the community college, with

no need to take any transitionalcourses or transfer to an upperlevel university. DBCC began theBachelor of Applied Science De-

gree in January 2006.

Volusia County pilot programIn September 2005, Volusia

County Sheriff Ben Johnsonand the Director of the DaytonaBeach Community College Emer-

gency Services Institute, LouieMercer, began a pilot programto increase the education levelof newly hired Volusia CountySheriff's Deputies.

In the pilot program, aftercompletion of the Basic RecruitTraining (Police Academy), thenew deputies are assignedto the Sheriff's Field TrainingEvaluation Program (FTEP) for12 weeks of additional training.During this time, deputies canvoluntarily enroll in a newly cre-ated college course and receivethree credits. This course, "Co-

~,5f.:.. .: ':,~36fl8,. '.

878'O mulct'Submft'itwo coIT'IPteted"

Supervisor EvalLIetion FOITns: oneat the mid-point and the final form

due the last week of the experi-

ence.Additionally, they must com-

plete a written report detailing aspecific procedure from the Sher-iff's Office manual of operatingprocedures. These items are sub-

mitted to a professor for review,

and those successfully completingthe requirements are awarded

three college credits.The students/deputies who

are involved in this pilot program

also have signed up for the bridge

program. Upon completion of theco-op course taken during theirfield training, and being award 28college credits for completing theBasic Law Enforcement course,they now have a total of 31 col-

lege credits. This equals one yearof college, and the deputy is half

way to an associate's degree.The initial phase of pilot pro-

gram has proven to be successfuland is now being offered to all law

enforcement agencies in Volusia

County.There are, of course, college

tuition reimbursement programs

at a vast majority of agencies in

Florida. Since they obviously value

a college education enough to pay

for it, perhaps the time is right torequire just a little more educa-

tion, either prior to hiring, or dur-

ing the first year of employment.The law-enforcement commu-

TMe are '8 humM'of methodsfor iITIp/emeritlng and eustOmizingsimilar programs to fit your localneeds. One key component shouldinclude the ability to convert PoliceAcademy credits from one com-

munity college to another. There-

fore, no matter where or when thedeputy or officer attended a Florida

Police Academy, they can still takeadvantage of a bridge-type pro-

gram.The idea of increasing educa-

tion requirements for entrance-level law-enforcement officers hasbeen discussed for a number ofyears. Perhaps the idea of law-en-

forcement agencies forming a part-

nership with their local communitycollege and Police Academies issomething worth considering.

Connecting community collegebridge-type programs with an agen-cy's Field Training Unit will assurethat all new deputies and officerscan achieve one year of collegecredit within their first year of em-

ployment.Writer Russell L. Cormican has

more that 30 years of police ex-

perience. He retired from the Hol-

lywood Police Department, servingas Major and Deputy Chief andis a former Commander with theDaytona Beach Police Department.He is currently a Law EnforcementConsultant and Adjunct Instructorat Daytona Beach Community Col-

lege.

'~'0~:Of'IIear" by'the Ameri-

can Legjon this SLImmer.':Shoar, emember of the American Legionand lifetime member of the Veter-

ans of Foreign Wars, said he was"thrilled" to be selected by hisfellow veterans, but added, "thereal law officers of the year arethe ones that are out there every-

day putting their life on the line

to protect our citizens. "

After a 24-year career in theFlorida Army National Guard,Sheriff Shoar served as an en-

listed soldier for six years until

he attended Officer CandidateSchool. He retired in 2005 atthe rank of Major. During his mili-

tary career, the Sheriff served in

the Persian Gulf during the firstGulf War and served around thestate of Florida during severalstate emergencies, includingHurricanes Andrew and Opal. Forhis service, Sheriff Shoar hasbeen awarded the MeritoriousService Medal, the National De-

fense Medal, the Southwest Asia

Service Medal, the Liberation ofKuwait Medal, and the Army Com-

mendation Medal, among others.Sheriff Shoar added that he is

truly honored for this recognitionand wants to dedicate it to themen and women in the Armed

Forces who continue to sacrificeso much for us during their ef-

forts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

ALL POINTS BULLETIN *SUMMER 2007 7

the She'rifI"s:~ce Mh the' Hor-

ida Department of Law Enforce-ment, the State Attorney's Office,the Ft. Pierce Police Department,the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobaccoand Firearms and the U.S.Attorney's Office. His idea was toconduct a wire intercept of thecellular telephones of the keymembers of the group and targettheir ongoing drug organization.This would allow investigators totrack the organization's daily rou-

tines, determine their financialabilities and better understandtheir operation.

Now, the idea of cell phonewiretaps may sound easy, butanyone in law enforcement will

tell you it's tricky business.Having the technology to al-

low the wiretaps is the first chal-lenge, but Detective Hester knewthe technology existed throughFDLE. Next, there had to beenough probable cause to justifythe wiretaps.

Under Detective Hester's di-

rection, the combined agenciesspent countless hours research-ing and conducting surveillanceand interviews to gain enoughprobable cause to lead to thefinal draft of the wiretaps. The in-

terviews were especially difficultto come by, since anyone with

knowledge of the gang's activi-ties was subject to their threats.

Through diligent efforts,though, they managed to provetheir case and by March, investi-

gators were monitoring eight cel-lular phone lines.

A code word for. . .?Here's where they met their

'

C. , ; 8:,' ~~"68nbe very confusing. 'fn order to de-cipher the gang lingo and variousaccents, the investigators had tolearn a new culture through eaves-dropping. Once deciphered, thisinformation had to be organized in

a way that would win search war-

rants and allow law enforcementto make arrests with charges thatwould stick, based on the evi-

dence they'd gathered. There wasno room for error in any of the col-lection methods used.

Through their investigation,what detectives found was a busi-ness model that consisted of asupplier, 34-year-old Derrick Coo-per, purchasing crack and powdercocaine for distribution throughthe 13th Street Gang. Gangleader, 27-year-old Johnny Daniels,recruited members to be street-level dealers by enticing them with

the lure of expensive cars, boatsand other luxuries, calling it the"sweet success of their entrepre-neurship. "

As St. Lucie County Sheriff KenMascara pointed out later, it wasmore like "the fruit of the poisonvine. "

With all the intelligence gath-ered, Detective Hester and histeam determined that over athree- month period, the 13thStreet Gang was responsible fordistributing 150 kilos, approxi-mately 330 pounds, of powderand crack cocaine in Ft. Pierce,alone —a town of about 40,000people. Investigators also dis-covered several other organizedgroups that were responsible forselling an additional 100 kilos, or220 pounds, throughout the coun-

ty during the same time period

"tomeis"'%St; KucTe &Inlay.' " '

By early June; thanks to the in-

vestigators' efforts, the team hadexecuted 14 search warrants andconfiscated nine firearms, nearly$200,000 in cash, seven ve-hicles valued at about $300,000and large amounts of cocaine.Thirty-seven individuals werearrested, including Johnny Dan-iels, the head of the 13th StreetGang, and primary trafficker Der-rick Cooper, the supplier.

Doing the timeThe operation successfully

achieved its goal of taking downthe leadership. Federal indict-ments alone resulted in two menserving life sentences, four serv-ing 27 years each and six serving10 years or more.

According to the nominationform submitted on his behalf, asthe lead, Detective Brian Hesterhad the most demanding anddifficult job any investigator cantake on. Besides initiating theplan, he monitored all situations,worked a variety of hours andshifts and produced volumes ofpaperwork. He organized tran-scriptions, surveillance logs and—eventually —the indictments.Throughout the three-month op-eration, Detective Hester's inves-tigative and organizational skillswere exceptional.

Because of the sheer volumeof crime that this one gang wasresponsible for, the Ft. PiercePolice Department credited theoperation, and other follow-up ef-forts by the Sheriff's Office, with

significantly decreasing crime in

their community.

8 ALL POINTS BULLETIN *SUMMER 2007

ff=:." "

%@%. ..568h -, ,:Q8,,-, . ...

8Act-;.,

ing rrew evidef'I'ce that"f4'suppl'e'' He&sr was'-ke diiv)fig force''fI'om ""'awarded him i'handsDITIementing ongoing investigations the beginning through the end. plaque and a check for $1,000.that had become stagnant due His work ethic, concern, drive and Our congratulations to Detec-to the fear of retaliation from teamwork are credited with taking tive Hester for his fine work and13th Street Gang members. down the leadership, second-and the example he set for futureThese crimes include previously third-level people and effectively large-scale operations.unsolved robberies and homi- destroying the violent 13th Streetcides. Gang.

Polk CountyDeputy SheriffDouglas SpeirsNamed Runner-Up

The Florida Sheriffs wanted toalso recognize Polk County Sher-iff's Deputy Douglas Speirs, who

was involved in an incident thatwas nationally televised and end-

ed in the tragic death of his fellow

deputy and canine partner.While performing what seemed

to be a routine traffic stop, DeputyDouglas Speirs was handed aFlorida Identification Card by adriver who identified himself asEdwardo Ramclaim. When thedriver asked if he was going tobe arrested for not having a valid

license, Deputy Speirs said he did

not know at that point.The driver ran from the scene

into a densely wooded area.Numerous patrol units set up aperimeter to contain the suspect,while Deputy Speirs, Deputy MattWilliams and his canine partner,DiOGi, tracked the man. Within

seven minutes, they located thesuspect, who began shooting. All

three officers were hit —DeputyWilliams and his devoted caninepartner, DiOGi fatally. Deputy Spi-ers managed to limp, then crawl

through the woods and water toseek help. While being treated fora gunshot wound to his leg, he pro-vided enough details on the sus-pect for them to positively identifyhim as Angilo Freeland, not Ram-

claim. The suspect was locatedthe following day during a massivesearch of the wooded area anddied in a shootout with officers.

The Florida Sheriffs have named

Polk County Deputy DouglasSpeirs Runner-Up for the 2006Deputy Sheriff of the Year for hisbrave actions in the face of immi-

nent danger, overcoming physicalpain to assist in the successfulidentification of the suspect, andpreventing further loss of life ofinnocent victims.

Congratulations, Deputy Speirs.

ALL POINTS BULLETIN *SUMMER 2007 9

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd congratulates Deputy Doug Spelrs, FSA's 2006 Depu-ty Sheriff of the Year finalist. Deputy Spelrs was recognized for his actions related toa traffic stop that included a lengthy manhunt and ended In the tragic death of fellowDeputy Matt Williams and his K-9 partner DIOGi.

~ot'iM O~r ~.'

IBke-Svezey, . S)oIIIfIy peersaround the corner of the build-

ing, Glock 49ealiber handgunin one hand, radio in the other.His backup, Cpl. John Peteck,warily keeps an eye on the set ofdouble doors behind them.

Minutes before, the two depu-

ties had begun their search foran unknown gunman, reportedlyroaming the school halls random-

ly shooting victims.Glancing down an outside

corridor, the two deputies spotmovement behind a large planter.

"Possible suspect sighted,wearing a blue shirt, " Swezeyreports into his radio as bothdeputies point their weapons atthe planter.

"Show us your hands!" both

deputies shout as they crouchbehind the corner of the wall.

"Stop moving and show us. . ."

"BANG-BANG!!" echoes a re-

ply from behind the planter asthe "gunman" moves out from

behind the cover and points hisblue handgun at the deputies.

"BANG-BANG!" the deputiesshout as they return "fire."

"You' re dead, " claims theshooter, Pasco Sheriff's Office

Explorer Chris Ryan."No, you' re dead, " replies Cpl.

Peteck. "We all had you beforeyou even made a move. "

The deputies continue to good-naturedly argue with the youth asthey head back to the classroomwhere their exercise began.

Training for troubleAlthough there was time for

humor in the "active shooter"exercise involving deputies andSheriffs' Explorers, the group wasvery serious about the lessonsand skills learned during PCSO'sannual exercise aimed at train-

ing school resource officers who

may have to respond to a school

Pasco County Sheriff's ONce "activeshooter" exercise Involved depu-ties from the PCSO training section,SRO Unit and members of the PascoSchool Board. Sheriffs' Explorersvolunteered to be the frightened stu-dents or gunmen during the scenarios.

shooting. The training is impor-

tant, as the number of schoolshootings in the nation has in-

creased, as has the urgency in

meeting such threats."The traditional response

was to set up a perimeter, callfor back-up and then send in

the SWAT team, " said Lt. BrianPrescott, Training Section super-visor. "But due to the extremeloss of life and injury to studentsand faculty in many well-publi-

cized shootings, now our trainingemphasizes for any and all law-

enforcement officers to quicklyenter the building, move to thesound of shooting or violence,and eliminate the threat. "

The Training Section, SROUnit and members of the PascoSchool Board all coordinated tomake the exercise as realistic aspossible. An entire wing of Wes-

ley Chapel High School was used

QQ ALL POINTS BULLETIN *SUMMER 2007

The students were llmlted only by their Imaglnatlon In the active shoot-er" exercises. Some hid, some confronted the deputies, and some weredecoys who pretended to be frightened students, but were really "armedand dangerous. "

for the exercise, and a numberof Pasco Sheriff's Office Explor-

ers volunteered to be frightenedstudents or gunmen during thescenarios. Darkened hallways,bathrooms and classrooms gavethe "gunmen" multiple placesto hide in ambush, and stu-

dents were limited only in theirimagination (and suggestionsby deputy trainers) on what todo. Some hid, some sought outconfrontations with the deputies,and some were decoys who por-

trayed themselves as frightenedstudents, but were really "armedand dangerous. "

What's real, what's not"We began the day with class-

room instruction on the prepara-tion SROs need to make with

their respective schools beforea tragedy occurs on their cam-

pus," said SRO Sgt. James Law.

This includes forming a crisiscommittee that determines theneeds of their school, such as

its particular problems and pos-sible solutions.

Once the issues are identified,this team or committee can thenformulate a comprehensive plan tomake the school safer. An exampleis a "crisis box" maintained by

the school principal that containsessential items needed by law en-forcement in the event of a schoolshooting. Items in the crisis boxshould include:

~ A current school yearbook foridentification of students

~ At least one school radio (law-

enforcement radios may notwork in some schools. )

~ Keys for every door in theschool

~ Map of the school grounds~ Blueprint of the school build-

ingsLike any law-enforcement train-

ing, the active shooter exercisestresses the importance of com-munication, especially in a rapidlyevolving, extremely tense situa-tion. Responding officers, school

administrators and the schoolfaculty within the classroom all

have a part to play in providinginformation that can save lives.An example is a "safe class-room" sign that a teacher canslip under the door into the hall

that lets an officer know thattheir room is OK and the officercan continue their search for thegunman.

"We hope we never have touse this training, " said Sgt.Law. "But it is important thatour SROs practice the teamworkand communication needed forsuch an incident. When you arein a high stress situation like

this, your actions resort back toyour training. "

For more information, contact:Kevin Doll, kdollpascosheriff.org, or ca/l: Phone (727) 844-7732.

ALL POINTS BULLETIN *SUMMER 2007 gg

Donna Schulz,lawwnforcementcoordinator for theU.S. Attorney's Of-

fice Middle District,was a speaker atthe Florida Sheriffs

i:

:,'""8«:4. ,'A l.i ' .

- - for-~ and'~. ~iIr~fIt . . .....—:;:i;;;eel%.agencies in Rorida. It was developed Jacksonville Sheriff John Ruth-

through a conceited effort by the erford IIjad invited Donnia«schulz'to

Governor's Office of Drug Control, do the presentation. His agencyFlorida RCPI, SOLES and the Middle had three suicides in four years andDistrict of Florida's U.S. Attorney's Sheriff Rutherford has stepped upOffice. Schulz's husband, who was a efforts in the areas of education andcareer law-enforcement officer in Tal- prevention to combat the trend.

YOU ARE INVITED. . . tu attend the Flurida 5heriffs Assnciation's

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5eptember 26-28, 2007at the Plaza Resort It Spa,

located an the beautiful heaches In

Oaitona Beach, Fiarlda.To access registration forms and hotel

information, please visit:www. flsherlffs. org/conferences

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EVT Test Site:Sept. 25, 2aa7

PLORIDA

All Alee' Hwkls

T his conference attracts fleet and purchasingmanagers throughout the State of Florida, as

well as the Southeastern United States. This yearsprogram promises to be an exciting one, and will

feature:~ Keynote Speaker: John E.Graham, Jr., Vice

President of Business Affairs for InternationalSpeedway Corporation

.Emergency Vehicle Technicians Training(Tuesday, September 25, separate registrationrequired)

~ Product updates by representatives of the majorautomobile manufactures, heavy equipment andfire & rescue vehicles.Trade Show featuring vendors' display products..Thursday evening dinner overlooking the race

track.A drawing for a "Dream Lap" around the track~ Friday's ride & drive on the grounds of the

Daytona International Speedway , which will

feature a variety of automobiles, trucks, heavyequipment, and fire & rescue vehicles.

g2 ALL POINTs BULLETIN *sUMMER 2007

a

...,'.l!~INotor Ls8SIAg is of'e

i,', iI,I„„',ll!'!!'!!'I'IpgB!repolice patrol cars. T

ght

allows agencies to pay

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ring a unique way for your ijjfeejj)i' !!~!"l'III

his is not a straight Nnafmcte:," "

program. It is the P~"~etage of a c~', ,

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Over 30 Years Experience in Municipal LeasingNo Beet Too Small

Flexible Mileage and Terms

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ALL POINTS BULLETIN *SUMMER 2007 g3

laturrichBd ~ .'

"'Look Twlo8t"

Save a Life"

Imotorcycle

' awarenesscampaignafter her 31-year-old son,Gene Adam

Pearson, waskilled when acar pulled outin front of him

While he WaS OePag Bene Adam Pearson

riding his motorcycle. He was a cor-rections officer for six years with thePinellas County Sheriff's Office beforehis death May 19, 2005.

The Division of Motor Vehicles andTax Collector Offices in Hillsborough

County have helped in the distribution

of more than 17,000 free bumperstickers. Pearson also has arrangedthree billboards and artwork on eightbus benches, 15 Yellow Cab tops, 14bus shelters and 10 buses. The local

cable television produced a commer-cial that can be viewed on her Website: www. genepearson. org. She saysshe's also visiting local motorcycleclubs to gain support for the cam-

paign.Pearson says she is especially

interested in networking through law-

enforcement groups. Anyone with

interest in helping this effort can con-tact her via e-mail:diane@gulfaero-space. corn or call 727-797-0176. Foradditional information, visit Pearson'sWeb site: www. genepearson. org.

~:~itf'::""'+Id'lng the Marriott SawNass In Penta Vedra on July 29, during FSA's summer conference. Tisentywlght riders, escorted by motorcycle officers from the St. Johns, Fia-

gler, Putnam and Volusla Sheriffs' Office, rode to St. Augustine then the FloridaSheriffs Youth Camp at Barbourvllle. For information on the next ride, contactTerry Meek, meektmlndsprlng. corn, or 850-545-5775.

"Motre gatii 200"~SdkirI'BIB Wr'I8'duchy'frotm arouhtd the state weret considhred for vsriouscategories. PIOs Donna Wood and Carrie Rodgers

I were recognized for their outstanding professional, performance during the very difficult circumstances

following the ambush killing of Deputy Matt Williams

and his K-9 partner DiOGi on September 28, 2006.Deputy Sheriff Doug Speirs was shot and injured dur-

ing the incident, and two Lakeland Police Officerswere fired upon by the suspect. The suspect, Angilo

Freeland, was found the next day and was shot todeath by a team of law-enforcement officers when heraised a handgun instead of surrendering.

$4 ALL POINTS BULLETIN *SUMMER 2007

Polk Sheriff Grady Judd congratulates PIOs Donna Wood (left)and Carrie Rodgers.

1

~Pa::%rthe:::~d cwk~tive ' -;:.":

year.In redceriving the award, 3e@eryrson

.' Stlppoft'~:Llncf~dIAg' t . ::-Asis a part of my calling. "

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It's Good to Belong Because you' re a member of the. ..

Florida Sheriffs Association,you could get a discount on your auto insurance.

Call today to find out how much you could be saving!

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Nationwide'On Your Side

ALL PQINTs BULLETIN *suMMER 2007 gs

Products underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and affiliated companies. Home Oflice: Columbus, Ohio 43215. Subject to underwriting guidelines,review and approval. Nationwide, the Nationwide Pramemark, On Your Side, It's Good to Belong, and Nationwide Insurance are federally registered service marks of Nation-wide Mutual Insurance Company. 02007 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Products and discounts not avaifable to all persons in all states. Ml Rights Reserved.

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