When Do We Teach the Basics?

Don Vandergriff has put together another fine article and guide to making more effective decision makers. The title of the article is, “When Do We Teach The Basics?” Before you think you have heard it all before and that you have been an instructor for years and know how to teach the fundamentals of your craft, THINK AGAIN! We have it backwards! Backward if we are looking to create and nurture problem solving and timely decision making in those charged with making decisions. 

I have had it backward myself for years but Don Vandergriff who I have had the honor and privilege of working with on occasion and  I know call my friend is a great mentor who helped mend my ways. Don knows who to translate theory to practice. I have seen his methodologies work. he has made great inroads at changing the culture of the Military who we in law enforcement get most training methodologies and tactics from. They have suffered from many of the same problems with training and leadership we in the protection professions do. The military is evolving and we must as well.

The crux of this is in understanding the OODA Loop also known as the Boyd Cycle and how we make decisions and then how do we develop and condition this cycle, making more effective decision makers. Decision makers who decide on the fly, in rapidly changing conditions. Decisions in the heat of the moment dealing with conflict and violence.  Continue reading

Evolving Threats Small Arms and Small Unit Swarming Tactics as Tools of Terror...Are We Up To the Challenge?

By Fred Leland

There is an interesting article written titled Armed jihadist assaults on the horizon?  The article links some of the latest attempts of terror at home Fort Hood, Christmas day bomber and the Times Square attempt as warning to what lies ahead for the United States.

The final link we’d like to consider are the calls in the past few months for jihadists to conduct simple attacks with readily available items. This call was first made by AQAP leader Nasir al-Wahayshi in October 2009 and then echoed by al Qaeda prime spokesman Adam Gadahn in March of 2010. In the Times Square case, Shahzad did use readily available items, but he lacked the ability to effectively fashion them into a viable explosive device.

When we look at all these links together, there is a very high probability that jihadists linked to, or inspired by, AQAP and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — and perhaps even al Shabaab — will attempt to conduct simple attacks with firearms in the near future.

This article talks of these failing acts and now cries for terrorist to use simpler means to bring about fear, that being small arms rifles and pistols and small unit tactics. The question we should be asking is not IF, its when these attacks take place are we ready to stop them? Are we truly preparing to the level that we frontline officer responding can handle effectively? If not what are we going to do about training to that level? Talking about it does not cut it…Does it? Continue reading

LAPD rolls out iWatch, an expansion of its counter-terrorism program that gets public involved

In the years after the 9/11 attacks, Los Angeles Police Department trained officers to keep a better watch  for activity that could be terrorism-related.

Now, they are working to get the whole city involved.

For months the LAPD has been rolling out the community-involvement phase of its counter-terrorism efforts. Named iWatch, it offers a crash course in identifying the types of activity the department deems suspicious and allows people to report questionable incidents to police.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and community leaders are scheduled to hold a news conference at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday to announce the expansion of the campaign into the airport with fliers and posters alerting travelers to the program.

“Everyone has a part to play when it comes to keeping this city safe,” said Deputy Chief Michael Downing, who manages the LAPD’s counter-terrorism efforts. “We felt people really needed to understand the nature of this threat and that they have a significant role.” Continue reading

Collaborative efforts…What it takes to build resilience throughout the community. If we are to disrupt terrorist acts  IWATCH and program similar to it are key! ~Fred

Homeland Security Report No. 209 is Available for FREE Download

The June 2010 issue of the Homeland Security Report is available for Free download.

This month's issue covers:

• Officer Safety - Concealed Blade
• In HONOR of those that serve
• Free Resources
• CBRN Conference
• Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill - Update
• Conviction - Support to Taliban
• Aviation Security
• Lighten Up
• Terrorism Calendar

New rules for a pat-frisk

In reversing the convictions of two men, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that police officers can no longer frisk someone during a routine encounter unless they have ‘reasonable suspicion’ to believe the person is involved in criminal activity AND is armed and dangerous.

After a jury-waived trial in the Central Division of the Boston Municipal Court Department, the defendant, Jamal Martin, was convicted of carrying a firearm without a license, in violation of G. L. c. 269, § 10 (a); carrying a loaded firearm, in violation of G. L. c. 269, § 10 (n); and assault and battery on a police officer, in violation of G. L. c. 265, § 13D.

He appealed from the denial of his pretrial motion to suppress evidence and statements, claiming that he was subjected to an unlawful pat frisk violative of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and art. 14 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights. In addition, he challenged his convictions, asserting that the trial judge erred in admitting ballistics certificates and excluding exculpatory evidence to rebut them. A divided panel of the Appeals Court rejected his arguments and affirmed his convictions. The SJC then granted the defendant’s application for further appellate review. Continue reading

Manhunt underway for man who shot Fla. cop

Officer Brandon Worrall of the Sanford (Fla.) PD is is recovering at local hospital

SANFORD, Fla. — According to a report from WFTV-TV in Florida, a manhunt remains ongoing in the aftermath of a shooting that left one Sanford officer injured but “in good condition” in an area hospital. Officer Brandon Worrall — who had joined Sanford PD only six months ago — had responded to a call in an apartment complex that “a suspicious guy” had been “wandering around the complex.” Officer Worrall approached the subject, and according to reports was almost immediately shot. He was reportedly struck twice, with one shot to his shoulder and a second that apparently broke a rib and bruised one of his lungs.

The suspect then fled into dense woods, and discarded the gun, which was later found by officers investigating the scene.

Sanford Police Chief Brian Tooley told WFTV-TV, “All things considered, he seems to be doing OK. He's got some injuries, but he's in good condition.”

Officer Worrall has given a description of the gunman and an account of the incident to investigators from his hospital bed, and because the suspect is thought to still be in the area, cops there are confident he will be apprehended. Continue reading

A SUSPICIOUS GUY and  “unknown risks”  FIGHT COMPACENCY! From CALL TO CLEARED: Observe, Orient, Decide and Act!  Always! Every Encounter! Every Time! ~Fred

Red & Black cafe shows Portland officer the door, won't sell him coffee again

In mid-May, Portland police Officer James Crooker  went to Southeast Portland on a patrol call. With a few minutes to spare, he decided to get a coffee. So, he popped into the Red & Black  cafe on Southeast 12th Avenue near Oak Street, bought a coffee and was heading out when a customer approached him, saying she appreciates the hard job that police officers do every day in Portland.

One of the co-owners of the cafe, John Langley,  has another point of view. While the officer and customer were chatting, he walked up and asked Crooker to leave, saying he felt uncomfortable having a uniformed officer in the vegan cafe.

The incident, which was brief, speaks volumes about the tensions between Portland police and some members of the community who are more worried about police shootings than protection.

Crooker said he was surprised to be shown the door but left immediately. He said this marked a first during his nine-year in law enforcement, two in Portland and seven in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

"The places that I've been kicked out of before have been places like the methadone clinic," he said. "I've never been kicked out of a regular cafe."  But the 36-year-old officer, who was born and raised in Portland, said it's all part of working this city's streets in a uniform.
"We have a unique relationship with the community," he said. "You're there to protect them but on the other hand they don't know what that involves. Being gracious is part of it."

A former Marine who served in Iraq, Crooker didn't take the incident to heart. "It was not personal," he said. "He was being hostile to my uniform," he said Continue reading

SPEECHLESS on this one!!! ~Fred