Honor Illinois’s Fallen. The Department of Central Management Services has received notice from Governor JB Pritzker that all person or entities covered by the Illinois Flag Display Act are to fly the flags at half-staff in honor and remembrance of:
Fire Department Lieutenant Jan Tchoryk of Chicago Fire Department.
Please immediately lower the United States flags and the State flags at all buildings occupied by your agency’s personnel from: Sunrise on Sunday, April 9, 2023, to Sunset on Thursday, April 13, 2023 [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.26315.html .
From Calibre Press. Calibre Press is taking a Foot Pursuit Survey [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CP-FootPursuit .
News from Hervas, Condon & Bersani P. C. HCB Attorneys Win Summary Judgment in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois On Behalf of Jerome Combs Detention Center’s Chief of Corrections [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://go.shr.lc/3KMDDM1.
From Law Enforcement Training Advisory Commission, MTU #10 Training Class. Human Trafficking Awareness/Identification Training [April 21, 2023 — 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Springfield area). — Just FYI, but, considering the LET Podcast on the subject, I though you might like to know about it. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://letac.org/images/filelibrary/event_file_633_1-07284967.pdf .
Notes: This session might be particularly interesting, in light of the recent LET Podcast: Sex Trafficking Cases and The Warning Signs. A Must-Listen Podcast for Everyone. Accessed 4-10-2023. https://omny.fm/shows/law-enforcement-today/shocking-sex-trafficking-cases-and-the-warning-sig .
MTU #10 also have this opportunity: https://letac.org/images/filelibrary/event_file_637_1-09976465.pdf Dispatcher Training for Crimes In-Progress (Use Link on Flyer to Register, Not Our Website) June 27, 2023 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
3 guns recovered after Chicago police helicopter tracks stolen Jeep for miles: prosecutors [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://cwbchicago.com/2023/04/chicago-police-helicopter-pursuit-stolen-car-guns-lakeview-news.html .
Antioch Police Department mourns loss of department’s first female police sergeant [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2023/04/07/antioch-police-department-mourns-loss-of-departments-first-female-police-sergeant/ .
Notes: Daily Herald ‘s coverage: Retired Antioch police sergeant remembered for being a ‘resource and a mentor’ [Sgt. Dawn Geraty “The first woman to be promoted to the rank of sergeant in Antioch Police Department history has died, the APD announced… ] [Web Page]. Available at: https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20230407/retired-antioch-police-sergeant-remembered-for-being-a-resource-and-a-mentor .
Notes: “Visitation is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 12, at Simkins Funeral Home, 6251 Dempster, Morton Grove, and a memorial service begins at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 13, at Simkins.”
Chicago Police Department working to address rise in officer suicides [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-police-department-officer-suicide-cpd-rate-suicides/13099024/ .
Illinois State Police Honors the First, First Responders During Telecommunicators Week [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.wjol.com/illinois-state-police-honors-the-first-first-responders-during-telecommunicators-week/ .
ISP announces Central Illinois distracted driving enforcement patrols in April [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.wcia.com/news/isp-announces-central-illinois-distracted-driving-enforcement-patrols-in-April/ .
Joliet Officer Involved Shooting Over The Easter Weekend [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.wjol.com/joliet-officer-involved-shooting-over-the-easter-weekend/ .
Joliet police: Officers shoot man firing handgun near apartment building [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://wgntv.com/news/joliet/joliet-police-officers-shoot-man-firing-handgun-near-apartment-building/.
Notes: WLS’s Coverage: https://abc7chicago.com/joliet-il-illinois-police-shooting-news/13102716/
Lake County Police Dog To Get Body Armor Donation https://patch.com/illinois/crystallake/lake-county-police-dog-get-body-armor-donation [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://patch.com/illinois/crystallake/lake-county-police-dog-get-body-armor-donation .
Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office electronic detection canine, handler retire after years of service [The dog’s name was Browser. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2023/04/05/lake-county-states-attorneys-office-electronic-detection-canine-handler-retire-after-years-of-service/ .
Merrionette Park PD raises over $16K for officer’s wife who died suddenly [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://wgntv.com/news/merrionette-park-pd-raises-over-16k-for-officers-wife-who-died-suddenly/ .
Montgomery police commander is department’s fourth FBI National Academy graduate [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.shawlocal.com/kendall-county-now/2023/04/06/montgomery-police-commander-is-departments-fourth-fbi-national-academy-graduate/ .
Notes: Follow-up on this article: Montgomery Police Department commander graduates from FBI program [Commander Ismael Diaz] [Accessed 3-27-2023. https://www.wspynews.com/news/local/montgomery-police-department-commander-graduates-from-fbi-program/article_024ad6f8-cb06-11ed-a14c-b3747a30abe9.html .
Northwestern students tour Chicago Torture Justice Center, learning the history of police torture in Chicago [Just FYI. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://dailynorthwestern.com/2023/04/09/campus/northwestern-students-tour-chicago-torture-justice-center-learning-the-history-of-police-torture-in-chicago/ .
Study Shows Just How Sleep-Deprived Illinois Residents Really Are [Just FYI. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: http://1440wrok.com/study-shows-just-how-sleep-deprived-illinois-residents-really-are/ .
Suburb wants ability to fly police drones preemptively [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news/local/suburb-wants-ability-to-fly-police-drones-preemptively .
Chicago Tribune syndicate — may require registration. Montgomery police adopt puppy to be department’s first comfort dog [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/ct-abn-montgomery-dog-st-0407-20230410-dued777k2nh4fg54ulz73car2i-story.html#ed=rss_www.chicagotribune.com/arcio/rss/category/suburbs/.
Waukegan police officer, canine recognized for apprehending bank robbery suspects and wanted armed man [“Officer David Mahoney [and his dog Keegan] was selected as Waukegan Police Department’s Employee of the Month for March.”] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2023/04/06/waukegan-police-officer-canine-recognized-for-apprehending-bank-robbery-suspects-and-wanted-armed-man/ .
Woman eats police officer’s uniform button, allegedly attacks officers following arrest in Zion [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2023/04/10/woman-eats-police-officers-uniform-button-allegedly-attacks-officers-following-arrest-in-zion/.
On Ancel Glink’s Quorum Forum Podcast. Statement of Economic Interest [Just FYI. The topic are how to answer the questions on the new form. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://quorumforum.ancelglink.com/2023/04/71-statement-of-economic-interest.html .
Podcasts and Professional Development
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Online — April 2023 [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://leb.fbi.gov/ .
Notes: The lead article is “LARPing and Violent Extremism : Over the past half century, live action role play (LARP) has grown into a worldwide cultural phenomenon. It involves preplanned theater wherein participants portray characters in an imaginary environment and interact with one another in real time.…” Another promising article is “Crime Data: Law Enforcement Officers Assaulted in 2021 : This summary focuses on data pertaining to line-of-duty assaults.”
From Calibre Press. Tactical Analysis: Nashville Active Shooter Response [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://calibrepress.com/2023/04/tactical-analysis-nashville-active-shooter-response/ .
From the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Approaches to Improve the Measurement of Suicide in Law Enforcement in the United States: A [Virtual] Workshop : April 25–26, 2023 • Virtual Format (with live webinar) [It appears to be a free one. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/04-25-2023/approaches-to-improve-the-measurement-of-suicide-in-law-enforcement-in-the-united-states-a-workshop .
From the Office of Justice Programs. JUSTINFO Newsletter : Volume 29, Issue 7 : April 1, 2023 [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.ojp.gov/news/justinfo/april-1-2023 .
From the YourPoliceWrite blog. Five Grammar Mistakes QUIZ [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.yourpolicewrite.com/2023/04/07/five-grammar-mistakes-quiz/ .
Lexipol Webinar. A Blueprint for First Responder Financial Success: Protect Your Family & Your Assets : Tuesday, April 18 | 1 pm Eastern [30 minutes] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://info.lexipol.com/webinar-blueprint-for-financial-success .
Lexipol Webinar. To Pursue or Not? Strategies to Mitigate Risk : Friday, April 21, 2023 | 1 pm Eastern [75 minutes] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://info.lexipol.com/webinar-to-pursue-or-not .
On the Art of Manliness Podcast. The Myths of Trauma [The guest shares statistics that show only about 10% of people exposed to traumatic events develop PTSD (though the percentage depends on the type of trauma). He argues that the definition of PTSD has broadened, and is often overdiagnosed, and that other factors besides trauma are what contribute to the development of real PTSD. In that PTSD is a cumulative condition, the discussion does not detract from first responders’ experiences. The guest also talks about “Post Traumatic Growth,” which might be a good topic for study for first responders. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://the-art-of-manliness.simplecast.com/episodes/myths-of-trauma-uq3wLVaJ
Notes: The book [Paris Joel. Myths of Trauma : Why Adversity Does Not Necessarily Make Us Sick. Oxford University Press 2023.] is available at these libraries: https://worldcat.org/en/title/1305294892 .
On the Badge Boys Podcast. A Cop’s widow shares her pain in a book, Running in Trauma Stilettos, to bring awareness and help for others who are grieving. [Her husband had a bad reaction to a sting, which resulted in cardiac arrest. He had collapsed on his porch, so he was not found in time to prevent severe brain damage. He died after about eight months, leaving the guest a mother with two young children. She talks about how she learned to deal with her grief, and now helps others deal with theirs, [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://starworldwidenetworks.com/episodes/a-cops-widow-shares-her-pain-in-a-book-running-in-trauma-stilettos-to-bring-awareness-and-help-for-others-who-are-grieving .
Notes: The title of her book was striking: Running in Trauma Stilettos: A Raw Glimpse at Grief and Life After Loss. No library admits to owning a copy, but here’s its Amazon link: https://a.co/d/hZt8k8t . By the way, some of her experiences reminded me of this book, which deserves to be updated: Daly Margaret. Teach Your Wife How to Be a Widow. Books by U.S. News & World Report 1973. — https://worldcat.org/en/title/821144 . Incidentally, Dan McCollum scooped the Badge Boys: They comment on this story that he pointed out last week: Oldest police officer in Arkansas retires at 93 https://www.ksn.com/news/don’t-miss-this/oldest-police-officer-in-arkansas-retires-at-93/
On the Justice Today Podcast. The 54th Mile Project [Three police leaders, fellow graduates from the NUJ’s LEADS Scholars program, recreate the route of a famous 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. They talk about the training program that resulted from their experience. Incidentally, this interview clarified to me that “truth” and “experience” are often used as synonyms. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.ojp.gov/news/podcast/54th-mile-project .
On the Justice Today Podcast. Building more Reliable Forensic Science (Pt. 1) [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://justicetoday.buzzsprout.com/1861872/12478941-building-more-reliable-forensic-sciences-part-one .
Notes: The podcast is a sort of a progress report in response to this 2009 report (National Research Council (U.S.). Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States : A Path Forward. National Academies Press 2009.), which is available at these libraries: https://worldcat.org/en/title/317068125 . As far as I can tell, Part 2 has not been released yet.
On the Law Enforcement Today Podcast. Capturing Serial Bank Robbers, An Honest Cop vs The FBI.=The story of catching a bank robber back in the last century shows how far communications have developed during the time of one career. The issue with the FBI, which is discussed in the last segment, is a great ethics case study. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://omny.fm/shows/law-enforcement-today/capturing-serial-bank-robbers-an-honest-cop-vs-the .
Notes: The guest’s book [Dillon Greg. The Thin Blue Lie : An Honest Cop Vs the Fbi. Bombardier Books 2022.] is available at these libraries: https://worldcat.org/en/title/1312012992 (By the way, there’s another book with that title that looked interesting: Stroud Matt. Thin Blue Lie : The Failure of High-Tech Policing. First ed. Metropolitan Books Henry Holt and Company 2019. — https://worldcat.org/en/title/1050140134 )
On the Law Enforcement Today Podcast. Cop Dangers That Are Rarely Talked About : Special Episode [The topic is the importance of having legal representation in law enforcement, much as doctors have malpractice insurance. I believe this is a rebroadcast from a couple of years ago, so the event described at the end has already taken place. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://omny.fm/shows/law-enforcement-today/cop-career-dangers-that-are-rarely-talked-about-sp .
On the Law Enforcement Today Podcast. Shocking Sex Trafficking Cases and The Warning Signs. A Must-Listen Podcast for Everyone. [The guest starts out by giving some interesting background on what is required of a good undercover officer, especially in sex crimes. She goes on to talk about how modern ways young people are recruited for prostitution, and warning signs that a youth is being groomed. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://omny.fm/shows/law-enforcement-today/shocking-sex-trafficking-cases-and-the-warning-sig .
On the Policing Matters Podcast. NLEOMF’s Troy Anderson: ’Zero is the only number that is acceptable’ =The discussion covers the services the NLEOMF’s wellness branch offers and encourages. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://policingmatters.podbean.com/e/nleomf-s-troy-anderson-zero-is-the-only-number-that-is-acceptable/ .
On the What’s Your Emergency podcast. FDIC 2023 Mass Casualty Response Preview [About a third of the way through, the hosts talk about the South Korea Halloween stampede, and how hard it is to respond to emergencies involving crowds. The remarks about halfway through, they talk about how people try to escape from places, which is the way they came in. How to get people use emergency exits is addressed. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://wyeradio.com/fdic-2023-mass-casualty-response-preview/ .
On the What’s Your Emergency podcast. Nashville Metro Bodycam as it Happens [The hosts analyze the bodycam video of the Nashville Metropolitan Police officers handling the school shooting. The video is linked in the show notes. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://wyeradio.com/nashville-metro-bodycam-as-it-happens/ .
On the What’s Your Emergency podcast. Kansas City, Missouri – Getting in MO Trouble [The first responders whose bad behavior is examined are both with the fire/EMS. A paramedic hits a patient with a laptop, an a firefighter wants his job back after being in a crash in which three people died. The predictable liability of the second incident is something Gordon Graham has been calling out as long as I’ve been listening to him. SLC] [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://wyeradio.com/kansas-city-missouri-getting-in-mo-trouble/ .
Via the SCCJA Trending Topics, and Police1. Officer Cottontail? Bunny joins police force. Fur real. [California, but a sweet story about how the department got a remarkably soft emotional support animal. SLC [Web Page]. Accessed 4-10-2023. Available at: https://www.police1.com/bizarre/articles/officer-cottontail-bunny-joins-police-force-fur-real-EC6fLxyIunFArtoD/ .
Notes: And this story is evidently real, unlike this greatest of public April Fool jokes: On 4/1/15, Chief Swoboda introduces new K-9, a first of its kind https://youtu.be/uoe-go2cjY4 [I find it funny because I swallowed it. Later I suggested the department keep Fonzi on the force for public relations, but was told that they had to let him go: Fonzi slept on the job and took bribes.