- Maine Chiefs of Police Association

Transcription

COMMAND POST
MAINE CHIEFS OF POLICE ASSOCIATION NEWS BRIEFS
P.O. Box 2431 • South Portland, Maine 04116-2431 • www.mainechiefs.com (207) 799-9318 • Fax: (207) 767-2214
email: [email protected] Robert M. Schwartz, Executive Director • Chief James K. Willis, Jr., President
Welcome To The On-line Edition Of The Command Post
Does Police Accreditation
Make Sense for Maine?
By Auburn Police Chief Phil Crowell & Accreditation Manager Liz Allen
It’s no secret that every law enforcement agency in the State of Maine strives for
excellence. We all work hard to meet the needs of our community, stay on top of
the latest training, make our corner of the world a little safer, and go home to our
family at the end of our shift.
So why ‘complicate’ things? Why should an agency consider adding accreditation
to the mix? Don’t we already have enough to do?
While it may seem like a daunting task, the
simple truth is that accreditation is real, quantitative proof that a law enforcement agency is
meeting and maintaining the highest standards
of professional excellence. In this article, we will
outline why we think accreditation is such a good
idea for Maine.
CREDIBILITY & LIABILITY
The mission of the Maine Police Accreditation
Coalition will be to develop standards, provide a
network of support, assess agencies for compliance, and consistently monitor best law enforcement practices in Maine and around the country.
Especially for smaller police departments, credibility is often the most significant and tangible
Chief Phillip Crowell , Jr.
benefit of accreditation. Having a neutral “outside”
entity visit your agency, meet with staff and stakeholders, and evaluate the way
you do business sends a message to your community that their police department is transparent, above reproach and among the very best in law enforcement.
Accreditation also inspires the confidence of elected officials & city management.
A department that demonstrates professional excellence, especially when it is
endorsed by a trusted organization, is something they can support without hesitation.
In addition to credibility, accreditation can also add a solid layer of defense
against civil lawsuits. Accredited agencies are better able to defend themselves,
ACCREDITATION continued, page 3
WINTER MEETING • FEBRUARY 4-6, 2015
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 363 Maine Mall Rd, South Portland, ME, 04106
Dress: Business Attire for the meeting and banquet.
Winter 2015 Edition
Upcoming
Meetings
Maine Chiefs of
Police Association
n
Summer Meeting
June 3-5, 2015
Village by the Sea
1373 Post Road
Wells, Maine 04090
207-646-1100
n
Fall Meeting
September 9-11, 2015
Sebasco Harbor Resort
Sebaso Estates, Maine, 04565
Election & Installation of Officers
New England Association
of Chiefs of Police
n
Date and location to be
announced
International Association
of Chiefs of Police
n
122nd Annual Conference
October 24-27, 2015
Chicago Ill.
IMPORTANT UPDATE
The NEW location for the
Winter Meeting has been
moved to the DoubleTree by
Hilton Hotel at 363 Maine Mall
Road, South Portland, Maine.
The dates and meeting
schedules remain the same.
DOUBLETREE: 207-775-6161
COMMAND POST MAINE CHIEFS OF POLICE ASSOCIATION NEWS BRIEFS
2
THOUGHTS FROM THE PRESIDENT / Chief James K. Willis, Jr.
First I'd like to thank all who came to
Bar Harbor in September for the Fall
meeting and installation of Officers. I enjoyed being in a room filled with friends
as I was sworn in as President of our
Association. Several years ago, when he
was President of our Association, Chief
Phil Harriman called to asked if I'd considered being involved with the Maine
Chiefs of Police Association. I was flattered but overwhelmed with the thought
of the responsibility involved with representing the Maine Chief's Association. Phil assured me that I would get
all the support I needed and a few days
later I was appointed by the Attorney
General to represent the association on a
committee charged with revising Maine's
Stalking Laws. I represented the Association for the duration of that committee's
work and have since served on several
others. I'm impressed with how much
our collective opinions are valued as legislation is drafted and processed, when
guidance is needed during controversial
situations, when communities look to enhance the professionalism of their Police
Departments and as model policies for
our profession are developed. As I type
this report I'm thankful that Chief Harriman called me that day. His call represents the beginning of what I consider to
be one of the best things I've been able
to do during my career, being actively involved with our Association and getting
to know the members.
Since September I've made a few calls
of my own, asking Chiefs to find time in
their busy schedules to help the Association. Recently, Chief Hathaway of Bangor
PD and Chief Goss of Mechanic Falls
were recommended to represent the
Association on
the MDEA Advisory
Board. Deputy
Chief Jerod
Mills, in his
capacity as Acting Chief of Augusta PD,
agreed to serve on the Domestic Violence
Homicide Review Panel while Chief Gregoire was healing. Chief Rizzo of Brunswick PD ensured the Association was
represented when we were asked to have
a member sit on a Panel charged through
a Legislative Resolve to examine some
issues relating to the Sex Offender Registry. Executive Director Bob Schwartz
and I represented the Association at the
request of the Ellsworth City Manager to
help select a new Chief. A sincere thank
you goes to those who answered when
PRESIDENT continued, page 6
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / Chief Robert M. Schwartz, Ret.
The fall meeting of the association
at the Bar Harbor Regency went well.
The training was delivered by Dr. James
Reese a retired FBI Agent and International trainer and founder of the Behavioral Science Unit at the FBI Academy.
The Training was entitled ETHICS-BASED
LEADERSHIP: LEADING FOR A CHANGE
The training was very well received
and with the humor that Dr. Reese adds
to the presentation everyone really
enjoyed it.
The Installation of Officers was held at
the Annual Banquet and the following
were installed. Chief Jim Willis, President,
Chief Mike Field, 1st Vice President,
Chief Ed Tolan, 2nd Vice President, Chief
Sean Geagan, Sgt at Arms and Chief Neil
Williams, Treasurer. Out Going President
Chief Phil Crowell Jr. was presented with
a plaque and a gift from the association.
The 121st Annual conference of the
International Association of Chiefs of Police was held October 25-29th in Orlando
Fl. The Maine Chiefs had 26 chiefs attend
the conference. This conference has the
most up to date training and technology
in the field of law Enforcement. There
were many training classes and over 750
vendors displaying their products. Any
chief that has not attended an IACP convention should certainly try to attend a
future conference. Next year’s conference
is October 24-27th 2015 in Chicago, Ill.
At the time of this newsletter you
should have received your 2015 dues
invoice via email. Thank you
in advance for
promptly paying your 2015
dues.
The Thomas H. Landers & Charles L.
Jackson Scholarships are now open and
the applications are on the association
website at www.mainwechiefs.com. All
members are encouraged to contact the
guidance department at your local high
schools. This is open to any senior who
is planning on pursuing a career in law
enforcement in an approved college.
You may now register for the Fall
Meeting (February 4-6, 2015) on the
website at www.mainechiefs.com
COMMAND POST
THE MAINE CHIEFS OF POLICE ASSOCIATION OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER
Published in January, May and August yearly. EDITOR: Chief Robert M. Schwartz, Ret. Executive Director
OFFICERS 2014 - 2015: PRESIDENT - Chief James Willis
1st VICE PRESIDENT - Chief Michael Field / 2nd VICE PRESIDENT - Chief Edward Tolan
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS - Chief Sean Geagan / SECRETARY - Chief Douglas Bracy / TREASURER - Chief Neil Williams
EDITORIAL OFFICE: P.O. Box 2431, South Portland, ME 04116-2431
TELEPHONE: 207-799-9318 • FAX: 207-767-2214 • EMAIL: [email protected]
ACCREDITATION continued from page 1
and often see fewer legal actions taken
against them.
Reduced risk and liability exposure is
another very real benefit. Police departments represent significant exposure in
terms of insurance claims, liability, and
civil litigation. The Maine Municipal Association (MMA) has agreed to provide
a 10% reduction in the risk/liability
insurance for your community upon
achieving police accreditation.
According to a 10-year analysis by the
Miami Valley, Ohio Risk Management
Association, the average 25-member accredited agency paid thousands less per
year in insurance claims and civil litigation than comparable non-accredited
agencies. Similarly, the Colorado Interlocal Risk Sharing Agency reported that
costs (for property and casualty claims)
for accredited police departments were
52.2% lower than for non-accredited
departments. (source: www.calea.org)
OUTCOMES
Written directives are a critical part of
any successful police department. Many
agencies either have too many or too
few policies, rendering them moderately
effective at best. Other agencies simply
adopt model policies, and add the chief’s
name at the end with little consideration
for what will actually be best for their
community and their officers.
Accreditation helps an agency develop
clearly-written directives. It also requires
routine reporting and analysis. This leads
to measurable results, and helps demonstrate the agency’s transparency to the
community.
There is a misconception that an accrediting body dictates how to run a
police department. In fact, accreditation
standards generally identify what needs
to be done, but not how to do it. It is far
more flexible than many realize.
For example, some chiefs have expressed concern that they would have
to ‘get rid of’ their reserve officers if they
were to move forward with accreditation
(state or national). This is not the case.
Strong directives that outline the functions of the officer; consistent training
3
New Year, and participation from member agencies will be appreciated.
DON’T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT
Here is what some of our staff – sworn
and non-sworn – have to say about accreditation.
“I believe that it distinguishes our agency
as being among some of the top in the
nation.” – Sergeant
(as required for any sworn officer); and
essential documentation is all you need.
HOW CAN WE MAKE
THIS WORK?
Our goal is to make accreditation attainable for every department in Maine.
That being said, we hope that once you
see how beneficial the process truly is,
the next step would be national accreditation. We see state accreditation as a
bridge to national recognition.
Another significant consideration is
staffing. Budgets are tight and if you
are like us, most of your staff members
already wear more than one hat. Many
departments have come up with creative ways to support their accreditation
efforts. Some with seasonal workloads
(such as coastal communities) assign accreditation duties during the ‘off-season.’
Other agencies use their School Resource
Officers during the summer months
when school is not in session; or designate late-shift supervisors to manage
tasks. There is always a way to make it
happen.
NEXT STEPS
The Maine Chiefs of Police Association
Executive Board has voted to initiate a
sub-committee that will advance state
accreditation. Members include: Chief
James Willis, Chief Michael Field, Chief Ed
Tolan, Chief Phil Crowell, Chief Craig Sanford, Chief Leonard MacDaid and Brian
MacMaster (Maine Sheriffs Association
representative TBA).
Sub-committee work will begin in the
“Sometimes it is a real pain, but it seems
to be worth the extra effort in the end.”
– Civilian Staff
“It’s business as usual, not frustrating.”
– Patrol Officer
“Accreditation makes our department
better on many levels. Our policies are
reviewed, maintained & updated. Many
departments write policies and never
look at them until something happens. It
makes us more marketable as a department for an applicant who is seeking a
truly professional department.”
– Sergeant
“Accreditation is a powerful management tool. It is so deeply embedded in our
agency’s culture; it is simply the way we
do things.” ~Administration
“Our policies and practices can stand tall
knowing that they have been tested and
affirmed by a collective group of respected and diverse law enforcement leaders.”
– Lieutenant
A strong coalition of agencies willing
to share policies, knowledge, support
and experience will help take the uncertainty and trepidation out of the process.
Accreditation is voluntary, but we are
stronger when we stand together.
At the end of the day, accreditation will
send a message to all citizens of Maine
that we are committed to our communities and our profession; and that Maine
law enforcement agencies are among
the best in the country. In this era of distrust, isn’t that the message we all want
to send?
4
MAINE CHIEFS OF POLICE ASSOCIATION
Winter Meeting, February 4-6, 2015 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in South Portland, Maine
AGENDA
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Early Arrivals............. (1500 Check-In Time)
2030 - 2230............... Hospitality Room
Thursday, February 5, 2015
0800 - 0900.............Board of Directors Mtg.
0800 - 1100............Meeting Registration
0900 - 1400............Vendor Show
0900 - 1130............Training
1130 - 1300............Lunch
1300 - 1530............Training
1530 - 1630.............Vendor Reception
1630..........................On own
2000 - 2300.............Hospitality Room
Friday, February 6, 2015
0900 - 1200............... Business Meeting
0930 - 1200............... Auxiliary Meeting
12 NOON.................... Free Time
1700 - 1800...............Social Hour
1800 - 2000..............Awards Banquet
2030 - 2230..............Hospitality Room
WELCOME
The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel staff is looking forward to our arrival. The hotel has ample rooms available for the conference.
The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel is located at 363 Maine Mall Road in South Portland, Maine.
ROOMS
The room rate has been negotiated at $85 per night plus tax. Please remember the room reservations are your responsibility.
The hotel phone number is 207-775-6161. Make sure you mention the Maine Chiefs of Police Conference to get the rate.
Check in time is February 4, 2015 at 3pm. Reservation deadline is Monday, January 19, 2015.
MORNING TRAINING
LONE OFFENDER / ACTIVE SHOOTER
Case Studies
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE:
The objective of this training is to provide the student with information related to active shooter events and the investigative process which takes place following an event,
including case management and Crime Scene documentation in a multi jurisdictional
environment.
The increase in active shooter incidents will be discussed
Case studies will be used to show the lack of an active shooter “profile”, the diversity
of the shooters and the commonality of the targets.
Case studies will be used to demonstrate when information is First Amendment protected and the difficulty in identifying potential shooters.
Students are given an overview of how an active shooting case is a categorized as a
criminal event Vs an act of Domestic or International Terrorism. Students will discuss the
Domestic Terrorism Triangle including: criminal violation, force or violence, and political or social goals of shooter. Students will be given an overview of the ideological
mindset of a Domestic Extremist using the Extreme Criminal Right-Wing as an example.
CASE STUDIES DISCUSSED:
1998 US Capital shooting
2002 DC area Sniper shootings
2009 National Holocaust Museum shooting
2010 Pentagon (Bedell) shooting
2010 Pentagon / Marine Corps Memorial shooting ((Melaku)
2011 White house shooting incident
2012 Family Research Council shooting (Chick Fil-A shooting)
2012 Aryan Nations member Threats / Gun violation (Prevention by intervention)
2013 Washington Navy yard shootings
O'CONNOR BIO
Special Agent (SA) Thomas
O’Connor entered on duty with
the FBI in 1997. SA O’Connor was
assigned to work in the Washington Field Office on the Joint
Terrorism Task
Force. During
this time SA
O’Connor has
worked both
International
and Domestic
Terrorism cases.
Prior to enterThomas F.
ing on duty
O’Connor
with the FBI, SA
Special Agent
O’Connor was
Federal Bureau a Police Officer
of Investigation in the ComJoint Terrorism monwealth of
Task Force
Massachusetts.
Washington
SA O’Connor
Field Office
worked for
15 years as a Municipal Officer
leaving for the FBI at the rank of
Detective Sergeant. As a Police
Officer, SA O’Connor specialized in
BIO continued, page 5
AFTERNOON TRAINING
IDENTITY THEFT TRAINING:
The training that we are currently providing to police in Maine consists of a 2
½ - 3 hour lecture with examples from actual experiences with Maine victims. The
session is structured as follows:
• Identity theft prevalence in the U.S. and in Maine:
The USM Crime Victimization Study for the U.S. Department of Justice
• How information is obtained (data breaches):
Examples of data breaches; the link between data breaches and identity theft;
what is and is not required of law enforcement
• How information from data breaches becomes identity theft and the role of local
police in identifying data breach activity
• Identity theft types and examples:
From SIRF to Sex Offender Registry identity theft and all other types of the crime
• Law enforcement response:
Based on federal and state laws, what local police are required to do –and, more
importantly, what police should NOT do (when to investigate and when not to
investigate)
• “Almost” Guarantees:
The “inside baseball” of identity theft – we share our experience in how to quickly
spot what is really occurring and what the next steps should be
5
CARPENTER BIO
Jane Carpenter is the founder
of Maine Identity Services, LLC,
which provides assistance to data
breach and identity theft victims
and trains police departments in
identity theft response. A veteran
of the Maine Attorney General’s
Office where she assisted hundreds of identity theft victims and
police, her “street level” expertise
of the crime has been recognized
by local and national media. She
has served as an instructor for the
Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s
identity theft workshop, wrote the
original identity theft chapter for
the Attorney General’s Law Guide
and is responsible for initiating
laws that currently assist identity
theft victims in Maine. The author
of the “Identity Theft Help Kit” and
the “Data Breach Repair Kit,” she is
a popular speaker on the subject
and frequently responds to questions about identity theft from
members of police organizations.
O'CONNOR BIO continued from page 4
narcotics and violent gang investigations.
SA O’Connor is the program coordinator for investigations involving criminal activity / violence conducted by domestic extremists in the Washington Field office area of responsibility. These investigations include neo-Nazi and other hate
based groups and lone actors. SA O’Connor was Case Agent for both the Pentagon lone offender shooting and the Family
Research Council lone offender shooting.
SA O’Connor is a Team Leader on the Washington Field Office, Evidence Response Team (WFO ERT). In this capacity,
SA O’Connor has led forensic teams to multiple terrorist attacks around the globe. These deployments include the 1998
Nairobi Embassy bombing, 2 deployments to Kosovo in 1999 for war crimes investigations, 2000 USS Cole attack in Aden
Yemen, 9-11 attack on the US Pentagon, 2006 attack on the US Consulate in Karachi Pakistan, 6 deployments to Iraq and 3
deployments to Afghanistan. SA O’Connor led the Evidence Recovery efforts in the Nisur Square, Iraq / Blackwater shooting scene where 17 Iraqi’s were killed. SA O’Connor was deployed to assist in coordination of the ERT efforts supporting
the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing investigation. SA O’Connor was a Team Leader at the Washington Navy Yard active
shooter event.
In 2005 SA O’Connor was assigned to investigate hostage takings in Iraq Theater of operations. During this deployment
SA O’Connor was involved in the rescue of US Citizen Roy Hallums who had been held by extremists for 311 days.
SA O’Connor has provided instruction on Domestic and International Terrorism issues across the United States and overseas. In 2004, SA O’Connor was awarded the Department of Justice “Instructor of the Year” award and was named as an FBI
“Master Police Instructor” in 2010. SA O’Connor holds the title of Adjunct Faculty member for the FBI Academy in Counterterrorism and Evidence collection matters.
SA O’Connor is a 2011 graduate of the George C. Marshall, European Center for Security Studies, Program on Terrorism
and Security Studies (PTSS) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. In 2013 SA O’Connor served as an adjunct faculty member for the PTSS and continues to serve as a speaker at PTSS courses. SA O’Connor has been a guest lecturer on Counterterrorism at several Universities in the United States including: American University, George Washington University, Georgetown University and George Mason University
SA O’Connor is the Vice President of the FBI Agents Association, a non-governmental association dedicated to providing
support and advocacy to over 12,000 member Agents.
Auxiliary News
By Rhoda MacMaster
We met at the Bar Harbor Regency on Friday,
September 12. The attendance was small, but we had
enough members for a quorum
We voted to give $300 scholarships to Sarah Tracy, a
graduate nurse going for her Master's degree, and Jonathan Geagan, who is in his second year of college.
We talked about an electronic cookbook, but tabled
the discussion for the next meeting. We are not sure
if it would be worthwhile as it is a lot of work putting
together any cookbook.
We will be having our annual Winter Auction on
Thursday evening. So remember to bring auction items. We are hoping for lots of good items.
We are meeting at the DoubleTree Hotel February
4-6 in South Portland. Hope to see you all there, and at
the Auxiliary meeting on Friday morning the 6th at 9
a.m. We will be discussing future fundraising ideas and
other topics. This meeting includes the annual vendor
show and the awards banquet. The banquet is Friday
evening.
See you all there.
6
PRESIDENT continued from page 2
called upon and to all the others doing the Association's work
on our many standing committees and through the our local districts.
The association provides many training opportunities
throughout the year. Over 200 officers were trained during our
fall roadshows held at 6 locations throughout the state. Brian
MacMaster has the spring roadshow all lined up, we'll be at
the same 6 spots with a new list of classes. We are focusing on
Leadership training this year. We are hosting two IACP programs in the spring; Leading by Legacy and a class on learning how to be a successful mentor. The Leading by Legacy
class is an intensive two day roundtable style class designed
to help the Leaders of Law Enforcement Agencies develop
and implement practices which will serve as their own Legacy,
long after they have left. The Mentoring class is part of the
IACP's smaller agency Mentoring Program which has recently
been expanded to include Patrol Officers and mid line Supervisors as well as Chief Executives. Another IACP program we
are exploring is a train the trainer class on dealing with those
effected by Alzheimer's and other related dementia's. We were
one of the states included with the pilot of this program a few
years ago. While at the IACP Conference in Orlando, I attended
a session about the Alzheimer's Program and was impressed
with the relevant information presented. I'm hoping members
of our association take advantage of these excellent opportunities, the classes are tuition free thanks to DOJ grant funding
through the IACP.
We have worked with the Maine Municipal Association's Risk
Pool and the Bureau of Highway Safety to develop and acceptable policy and training for blood draw technicians. MCJA
Director Rogers and our Policy Committee have finished their
work on a new model policy and we plan to present that to the
Board of Directors in January for acceptance. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at our Winter Conference in South Portland. If you would like to be involved in the
association please let me know, I'm sure you'll find it rewarding.
New Members
REGULAR
Douglas Kirk, Resident Agent ATF Michael Miller, Chief Southwest Harbor PD Jeffrey Stillings, Resident Agent ICE James Boudreau, Lt. Windham PD
ASSOCIATE
Nick Labbe, Northeast Security
Melissa Simmons, Knox County Dispatch
Richard Brobst, Protection Professionals
Kate Schleh, Cummingham Security
Paul Edwards, Lt. Bangor PD
Roderick Charette, Lt. Maine State Police
Mark Belserene, Office of Chief Medical Examiner
Winter Meeting, February 4-6, 2015
at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
South Portland, Maine
REGISTRATION FORM (Please cut out and mail in)
c
I will attend.
c
I will attend training.
c
Meals $35.00
REGISTRATION FEE
c
Pre-registration - $50.00
(On-site registration is $60.00)
Name:
Address:
Telephone:
Please return this registration form with your payment no later than February 1, 2015
Send to:
Maine Chiefs of Police Association
P.O. Box 2431
South Portland, ME 04116-2214
You may fax this form to MCOPA office at: 207-767-2214
Please call the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
at 207-775-6161 and make your room reservations.
Cut off dates for rooms is Monday, January 19, 2015
Make sure you mention the Maine Chiefs of Police Conference
7
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MAINE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACADEMY
In-Service Training Requirements for 2014-2015 Training Cycle
Every law enforcement officer in the State must meet the following training requirements in
order to maintain certification. The Board of Trustees is required by law to revoke the
certificate of any officer who fails to meet the training requirements.
2014 CALENDAR YEAR
2015 CALENDAR YEAR
2 hours each in:
2 hours each in:
MCJA Firearms Qualification
MCJA Firearms Qualification
New Law / Case Law Updates
New Law / Case Law Updates
Ontario Domestic Abuse Risk Assessment (ODARA)
Emotional Wellness & Vitality in Law Enforcement
Brady-Giglio Procedure & Ramifications
Juvenile Issues & Procedures
Elder Abuse & Exploitation
Patrol Tactical Response to High Risk Incidents
In addition to the 20 hours of mandatory subject area training listed above for the 2014-2015 training
cycle, every officer must complete an additional 20 hours of elective training as approved by the chief
executive officer of the employing agency. This training must take place between January 1, 2014, and
December 31, 2015.
If an officer is hired after October 1st in the first year of a two-year training cycle, the officer is required to
complete the 10 hours of mandated subject area training for that year, as well as the 10 hours of mandated
subject area training for the following year, and 10 hours of elective training by the end of the two-year
training cycle. If an officer is hired after October 1st in the second year of a training cycle, the officer must
complete only the 10 hours of mandated subject area training for that year.
Lesson Plans and Online Training
The following forms are available for download in either PDF or Microsoft Word or Power Point format.
You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print them. Microsoft Word format requires either
Microsoft Word or the free Microsoft Word Reader. To request a printed form, please call the Academy or
email the webmaster.
Historical Law Updates
and Case Law
• 2007 New Law Updates
• 2007 Case Law
• 2008 Case Law
• 2009 Case Law
• 2010 Case Law
• 2011 Case Law
• 2012 Case Law
• 2013 Case Law
Mandatory training for Law
Enforcement 2014:
• Ontario Domestic Abuse Risk Assessment (ODARA)
• Brady-Giglio Procedure & Ramifications
• Elder Abuse & Exploitation
Mandatory training for Law
Enforcement 2015:
• Emotional Wellness & Vitality in Law Enforcement
• Juvenile Issues & Procedures
• Patrol Tactical Response to High Risk Incidents
For On-Line training, please go to Justice Planning and Management
Associates at:
http://www.jpmaweb.com/
8
2015 SPRING ROAD SHOW TRAINING
MAINE CHIEFS OF
POLICE ASSOCIATION
9 AM – 4 PM
CONCEALED HANDGUN
PERMITS TRAINING
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015
Emergency Management Office
111 High St., Caribou
(Refreshments & Lunch provided by Caribou PD)
Hampden Public Safety
106 Western Ave., Hampden
(Coffee & light snacks
provided)
Florian Hall, Dept. of Public Safety
45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
(Coffee & food available
in cafeteria)
CMMC Kirk Hall
1250 Turner St., Auburn
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
Cape Elizabeth Fire Department
2 Jordan Way, Cape Elizabeth
(Coffee provided by Cape Elizabeth PD)
TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2015
American Legion Hall
9 Hannaford Drive, York
(Coffee, refreshments, lunch provided by District I)
R.S.V.P.
Virginia Avery, York Police Department
Phone: 363-1031 • Fax: 363-1035 • Email: [email protected]
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Florian Hall – DPS
45 Commerce Drive
Augusta
INSTRUCTOR
Laura Yustak Smith
Assistant Attorney General
Criminal Division
Office of the Attorney General

The cost of $30 per officer will be billed to
the officer’s agency.
R.S.V.P.
Phone: 363-1031 • Fax: 363-1035
Email: [email protected]
MCOPA'S
NEW ONLINE
WEBSTORE
Charley McCormick
Senior Account Manager
Government Markets
900 Chelmsford St., Lowell, MA 01851
We have partnered
with Winter People
in Freeport, Maine
to offer our employees
a great selection of
embroidered apparel
and uniform items.
Visit our online store
at: www.mainechiefs.com
9
MAINE CHIEFS OF
POLICE ASSOCIATION
PUBLIC ACCESS
TO PUBLIC RECORDS
The Police & Maine’s
Freedom of Access Act
INSTRUCTOR
Brian MacMaster
Office of the Attorney General
Each Session 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Cape Elizabeth Fire Department
2 Jordan Way, Cape Elizabeth
(Hosted by Police Chief Neil Williams)
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Florian Hall, Department of Public Safety
45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
(Hosted by State Fire Marshal Joe Thomas)
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Hampden Public Safety
106 Western Ave., Hampden
(Hosted by Public Safety Director Joe Rogers)
The cost of $30 per officer will be billed to the officer’s agency.
R.S.V.P.
Phone: 363-1031 • Fax: 363-1035

COMMAND POST
NEWSLETTER
Designed by Jean Cousins
Newsletters, Logos, Brochures, Advertising
FMI: [email protected]
10
11
12
A Maine police chief’s view: More police shootings likely
We must start a dialogue
Every police agency across the country knows the truth:
More unarmed citizens will die at the hands of their personnel. It happened again last month in Cleveland, Ohio, and it
will happen again today, tomorrow or maybe next month. But
make no mistake, it will happen again.
The deceased might be another AfricanAmerican man, but it just as easily might be
a white kid or a Latina woman.
The truth is, in a melting pot of 300 million people, there will always be hardened
criminals on the loose, psychologically or
emotionally deranged people, or drugaddicted souls who will do anything for the
By Matthew
next fix.
Irwin, Special
Police officers in the United States have
to the BDN
the best training opportunities in the world,
but that training can’t compensate for a low-light encounter
with a perception of danger or the fearfulness of being under
attack by a larger or better prepared adversary. Only someone
who has never had to physically fight for his or her life could
expect an officer to surrender his or her advantage — any
advantage.
While tragic mistakes are always a possibility, as is the likelihood of misperception under stressful conditions, these circumstances don’t turn an otherwise committed public servant
into a criminal.
Knowing we will kill more unarmed citizens — who, in hindsight, didn’t need to die — in the righteous performance of our
duty, what have we done to prepare our communities for this
eventuality?
Many communities have stepped up to the challenge, others
have not. I reject the idea that the troubles faced in communities such as Ferguson, Missouri, are because of the AfricanAmerican communities’ hatred of police or racist sentiments.
Departments across this country are increasingly represented and led by minorities. This doesn’t happen because the
communities hate the police or the communities unilaterally
determine the police are a bunch of racists. It happens because, like those from other communities, they find nobility
in the job; they have respect for the law; they want to make a
difference in the lives of those they serve. These are universal
ideals that could not possibly be derived from a community
that “hates” police.
I believe the history of law enforcement is such that it
has done itself a disservice by not proactively seeking out
meaningful relationships with community partners who can
positively affect the community conversation when difficult
challenges present themselves.
Administrators down to line-level staff must get to know
those they serve. The failure of relationships trumps the failure
of race in this country every day of the week. The lack of a relationship leads to the lack of trust and the lack of appreciation
on display.
National figures have earned millions of dollars keeping
community relationships with police agencies at a steady simmer. All it takes is an unfortunate event for the cooktop dial to
get a quick turn and the simmer becomes a boil-over.
Meanwhile, law enforcement is always caught off guard, like
a child who just threw a baseball through a window, when
these events occur because they have done very little to
prepare the community for the next eventuality. By listening to
each other and engaging in meaningful conversations before
the crisis, these horrific events can be minimized or effectively
prevented.
While all parties must find a way to participate, law enforcement personnel must initiate this dialogue. Where we find
resistance, we must try harder and we must not relent. The next
death of an unarmed citizen is right around the corner.
Matthew Irwin is chief of the Presque Isle Police Department. He
previously served as a lieutenant with the Orange County Sheriff’s
Office in Orlando, Florida.
QUIRK AUTO GROUP
FORD, DODGE, CHEVROLET
POLICE VEHICLE SALES
WE WILL HAVE 2014
FORD CROWN VIC INTERCEPTOR
Colors are White • Dark Blue • Black
WE HAVE THE NEW
FORD INTERCEPTOR
AND THE ALL NEW
CAPRICE AND
DODGE CHARGER
IS HERE.
WE STOCK ALL MODELS AND MAKES
FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY
PLEASE GIVE US A CALL AT 800-342-5757
OR FAX TO 207-622-9528
CALL ME FOR MORE INFORMATION
QUIRK FORD OF AUGUSTA • LEO CHICOINE JR.
PO BOX 1055 • AUGUSTA, MAINE 04332-1055 • 800-342-5757
13
14
BODY CAMERAS:
Information from the Force Science Institute
EDITOR'S NOTE: In light of recent high profile use-of-force news,
increasing pressure for departments to adopt body cameras and a
noticeable increase in requests for additional copies of the following Force Science Institute report, we are retransmitting this piece.
It is important to note that we are not taking a position against
body cameras. We feel that they can provide information that can
be helpful to investigators. However, they can be fraught with limitations that MUST be understood in order to ensure fair, accurate
and thorough investigations.
10 limitations of body cams you need to know
The idea is building that once every cop is equipped with a
body camera, the controversy will be taken out of police shootings and other uses of force because "what really happened"
will be captured on video for all to see.
Well, to borrow the title from an old Gershwin tune, "It Ain't
Necessarily So."
There's no doubt that body cameras--like dash cams, cell
phone cams, and surveillance cams--can provide a unique
perspective on police encounters and, in most cases, are likely
to help officers. But like those other devices, a camera mounted
on your uniform or on your head has limitations that need to
be understood and considered when evaluating the images
they record.
"Rushing to condemn an officer for inappropriate behavior
based solely on body-camera evidence can be a dicey proposition," cautions Dr. Bill Lewinski, executive director of the
Force Science Institute. "Certainly, a camera can provide more
information about what happened on the street. But it can't
necessarily provide all the information needed to make a fair
and impartial final judgment. There still may be influential human factors involved, apart from what the camera sees."
In a recent conversation with Force Science News, Lewinski
enumerated 10 limitations that are important to keep in mind
regarding body-camera evidence (and, for the most part,
recordings from other cameras as well) if you are an investigator, a police attorney, a force reviewer, or an involved officer.
This information may also be helpful in efforts to educate your
community.
era is concentrating, you may not see action within the camera
frame that appears to be occurring 'right before your eyes.'
"Likewise, the camera can't acknowledge physiological and
psychological phenomena that you may experience under high
stress. As a survival mechanism, your brain may suppress some
incoming visual images that seem unimportant in a life-threatening situation so you can completely focus very narrowly on
the threat. You won't be aware of what your brain is screening
out.
"Your brain may also play visual tricks on you that the camera
can't match. If a suspect is driving a vehicle toward you, for
example, it will seem to be closer, larger, and faster than it really
is because of a phenomenon called 'looming.' Camera footage
may not convey the same sense of threat that you experienced.
"In short, there can be a huge disconnect between your field
of view and your visual perception and the camera's. Later,
someone reviewing what's caught on camera and judging your
actions could have a profoundly different sense of what hapBODY CAMERAS continued, page 15
1. A camera doesn't follow your eyes or see as they see.
At the current level of development, a body camera is not
an eye-tracker like FSI has used in some of its studies of officer
attention. That complex apparatus can follow the movement of
your eyes and superimpose on video small red circles that mark
precisely where you are looking from one microsecond to the
next.
"A body camera photographs a broad scene but it can't document where within that scene you are looking at any given
instant," Lewinski says. "If you glance away from where the cam-
Tel. 508-758-3758
1-800-472-7747
Fax: 508-758-9758
BODY CAMERAS continued from page 14
pened than you had at the time it was occurring."
2. Some important danger cues can't be recorded.
"Tactile cues that are often important to officers in deciding
to use force are difficult for cameras to capture," Lewinski says.
"Resistive tension is a prime example.
"You can usually tell when you touch a suspect whether
he or she is going to resist. You may quickly apply force as a
preemptive measure, but on camera it may look like you made
an unprovoked attack, because the sensory cue you felt doesn't
record visually."
And, of course, the camera can't record the history and experience you bring to an encounter. "Suspect behavior that may
appear innocuous on film to a naive civilian can convey the
risk of mortal danger to you as a streetwise officer," Lewinski
says. "For instance, an assaultive subject who brings his hands
up may look to a civilian like he's surrendering, but to you,
based on past experience, that can be a very intimidating and
combative movement, signaling his preparation for a fighting
attack. The camera just captures the action, not your interpretation."
3. Camera speed differs from the speed of life.
Because body cameras record at much higher speeds than
typical convenience store or correctional facility security
cameras, it's less likely that important details will be lost in the
millisecond gaps between frames, as sometimes happens with
those cruder devices.
"But it's still theoretically possible that something as brief as
a muzzle flash or the glint of a knife blade that may become
a factor in a use-of-force case could still fail to be recorded,"
Lewinski says.
Of greater consequence, he believes, is the body camera's
depiction of action and reaction times.
"Because of the reactionary curve, an officer can be half a
second or more behind the action as it unfolds on the screen,"
Lewinski explains. "Whether he's shooting or stopping shooting, his recognition, decision-making, and physical activation
all take time--but obviously can't be shown on camera.
"People who don't understand this reactionary process won't
factor it in when viewing the footage. They'll think the officer
is keeping pace with the speed of the action as the camera
records it. So without knowledgeable input, they aren't likely to
understand how an officer can unintentionally end up placing rounds in a suspect's back or firing additional shots after a
threat has ended."
4. A camera may see better than you do in low light.
"The high-tech imaging of body cameras allows them to
record with clarity in many low-light settings," Lewinski says.
"When footage is screened later, it may actually be possible to
see elements of the scene in sharper detail than you could at
the time the camera was activated.
"If you are receiving less visual information than the camera
15
is recording under time-pressured circumstances, you are going to be more dependent on context and movement in assessing and reacting to potential threats. In dim light, a suspect's
posturing will likely mean more to you immediately than some
object he's holding. When footage is reviewed later, it may be
evident that the object in his hand was a cell phone, say, rather
than a gun. If you're expected to have seen that as clearly as the
camera did, your reaction might seem highly inappropriate."
On the other hand, he notes, cameras do not always deal
well with lighting transitions. "Going suddenly from bright to
dim light or vice versa, a camera may briefly blank out images
altogether," he says.
5. Your body may block the view.
"How much of a scene a camera captures is highly dependent on where it's positioned and where the action takes
place," Lewinski notes. "Depending on location and angle, a
picture may be blocked by your own body parts, from your
nose to your hands.
"If you're firing a gun or a Taser, for example, a camera on
your chest may not record much more than your extended
arms and hands. Or just blading your stance may obscure the
camera's view. Critical moments within a scenario that you can
BODY CAMERAS continued, page 16
BODY CAMERAS continued from page 15
see may be missed entirely by your body cam because of these
dynamics, ultimately masking what a reviewer may need to see
to make a fair judgment."
6. A camera only records in 2-D.
Because cameras don't record depth of field--the third
dimension that's perceived by the human eye--accurately judging distances on their footage can be difficult.
"Depending on the lens involved, cameras may compress distances between objects or make them appear closer than they
really are," Lewinski says. "Without a proper sense of distance,
a reviewer may misinterpret the level of threat an officer was
facing."
In the Force Science Certification Course, he critiques several
camera images in which distance distortion became problematic. In one, an officer's use of force seemed inappropriate
because the suspect appears to be too far away to pose an
immediate threat. In another, an officer appears to strike a
suspect's head with a flashlight when, in fact, the blow was
directed at a hand and never touched the head.
"There are technical means for determining distances on 2-D
recordings," Lewinski says, "but these are not commonly known
or accessed by most investigators."
7. The absence of sophisticated time-stamping may
prove critical.
The time-stamping that is automatically imposed on camera footage is a gross number, generally measuring the action
minute by minute. "In some high-profile, controversial shooting cases that is not sophisticated enough," Lewinski says. "To
fully analyze and explain an officer's perceptions, reaction time,
judgment, and decision-making it may be critical to break the
action down to units of one-hundredths of a second or even
less.
"There are post-production computer programs that can
electronically encode footage to those specifications, and the
Force Science Institute strongly recommends that these be employed. When reviewers see precisely how quickly suspects can
move and how fast the various elements of a use-of-force event
unfold, it can radically change their perception of what happened and the pressure involved officers were under to act."
8. One camera may not be enough.
"The more cameras there are recording a force event, the
more opportunities there are likely to be to clarify uncertainties," Lewinski says. "The angle, the ambient lighting, and other
elements will almost certainly vary from one officer's perspective to another's, and syncing the footage up will provide
broader information for understanding the dynamics of what
happened. What looks like an egregious action from one angle
may seem perfectly justified from another.
"Think of the analysis of plays in a football game. In resolving
close calls, referees want to view the action from as many cameras as possible to fully understand what they're seeing. Ideally,
officers deserve the same consideration. The problem is that
16
many times there is only one camera involved, compared to a
dozen that may be consulted in a sporting event, and in that
case the limitations must be kept even firmer in mind.
9. A camera encourages second-guessing.
"According to the U. S. Supreme Court in Graham v. Connor,
an officer's decisions in tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving situations are not to be judged with the '20/20 vision of
hindsight,' " Lewinski notes. "But in the real-world aftermath
of a shooting, camera footage provides an almost irresistible
temptation for reviewers to play the coulda-shoulda game.
"Under calm and comfortable conditions, they can infinitely
replay the action, scrutinize it for hard-to-see detail, slow it
down, freeze it. The officer had to assess what he was experiencing while it was happening and under the stress of his
life potentially being on the line. That disparity can lead to far
different conclusions.
"As part of the incident investigation, we recommend that
an officer be permitted to see what his body camera and other
cameras recorded. He should be cautioned, however, to regard
the footage only as informational. He should not allow it to
supplant his first-hand memory of the incident. Justification for
a shooting or other use of force will come from what an officer
reasonably perceived, not necessarily from what a camera saw."
[For more details about FSI's position on whether officers
should be allowed to view video of their incidents, see Force
Science News #114 (1/17/09). You will find online it at: www.
forcescience.org/fsnews/114.html]
10. A camera can never replace a thorough
investigation.
When officers oppose wearing cameras, civilians sometimes
assume they fear "transparency." But more often, Lewinski believes, they are concerned that camera recordings will be given
undue, if not exclusive, weight in judging their actions.
"A camera's recording should never be regarded solely as
the Truth about a controversial incident," Lewinski declares. "It
needs to be weighed and tested against witness testimony, forensics, the involved officer's statement, and other elements of
a fair, thorough, and impartial investigation that takes human
factors into consideration.
"This is in no way intended to belittle the merits of body
cameras. Early testing has shown that they tend to reduce the
frequency of force encounters as well as complaints against
officers.
"But a well-known police defense attorney is not far wrong
when he calls cameras 'the best evidence and the worst evidence.' The limitations of body cams and others need to be fully
understood and evaluated to maximize their effectiveness and
to assure that they are not regarded as infallible 'magic bullets'
by people who do not fully grasp the realities of force dynamics."
Our thanks to Parris Ward, director and litigation graphics
consultant with Biodynamics Engineering, Inc., for his help in
facilitating this report.
17
WEARING A BADGE AND A
CAMERA
Daigle Law Group is proud to work with PowerDMS to provide
our analysis of the process of implementing body-worn cameras. In the wake of highly publicized officer-involved incidents
and continued scrutiny by the media and citizens, body-worn
cameras are gaining popularity in police departments nationwide. The implementation of these small cameras-often clipped
to an officer's uniform or sunglasses-is causing a nationwide
debate.
The benefits are clear. Studies show there is a direct correla-
18
tion between the use of body-worn cameras and declines in
use of force incidents and complaints filed against officers, as
well as a reduction in lawsuits. However, with any game-changing procedure, there are challenges involved. The addition of
body-worn cameras brings added costs, increased training,
new policies and unforeseen problems that trial and error will
expose. These challenges cause hesitation and concern among
the majority of law enforcement leadership.
The question is, do the benefits outweigh the challenges? PoliceOne recently polled approximately 1500 individuals in the law enforcement community to find out what their
thoughts are when it comes to the use of body-worn cameras.
The results showed that nearly 80 percent of those surveyed
either are already wearing a camera, are testing them currently
or are looking into them.
It's apparent that body-worn cameras are the future of law enforcement
and agencies are deciding to take the
plunge. One of the top distributors of
body cameras, Taser International, reported that there are 1,200 law enforcement agencies scattered throughout the
country that have deployed its technologyand that's just Taser brand cameras. Review this infograph
to identify issues presented by Attorney Daigle at the IACP
conference. COMMAND POST MAINE CHIEFS OF POLICE ASSOCIATION NEWS BRIEFS
19
20
5 Supreme Court decisions from 2014 impacting
law enforcement
The 2014 calendar brought us five significant cases which impact officers’ understanding of
Fourth Amendment limits, both in its extension and restrictions
Dec 12, 2014
This year ends no differently than others — with reflections
on the past year and hopes for the coming year.
The 2014 calendar brought us five
significant Supreme Court cases which
impact officers’ understanding of Fourth
Amendment limits, both in its extension
and restrictions. Coincidentally, three of the
cases came to the Supreme Court from the
great state of California.
Police Liability
and Litigation
with Terrence P.
Dwyer, Esq.
Let’s briefly review each.
Fernandez v. California
In Fernandez v. California, the Court had
to resolve the question as to whether the
Fourth Amendment prohibited warrantless searches when a defendant — who previously objected to
a consent search — was no longer present and the co-tenant
subsequently consented. The 2006 Court decision in Georgia v.
Randolph provided the “disputed permission rule” which said
the police could not search a home when one physically present resident consents and the other does not.
So what does Fernandez add to the Court’s consent jurisprudence? Going back to 1974 in United States v. Matlock, the
Court said there was no Fourth Amendment violation when the
police obtained consent to search a location from a third party
who had common authority over the location. A co-occupant
of a home could give police consent to search if another occupant was out. The non-present occupant would not have a
Fourth Amendment claim if contraband or other incriminating evidence was discovered. Randolph modified the rule to
require consent of all occupants, allowing for one non-consenting occupant to nullify other occupant consent.
Fernandez further modified the Randolph “disputed permission rule” by saying the ultimate rationale under the Fourth
Amendment is reasonableness. If there are two tenants the unreasonableness to search based on the refusal of one is reasonable when the disputing co-tenant leaves the premises. For Mr.
Fernandez, his exit from the premises was not voluntary since
he was arrested. It was after his arrest and removal from the
premises the police were then able to obtain a valid consent
from the remaining occupant.
Navarette v. California
The Court’s April opinion in Navarette v. California held that
an anonymous 911 call reporting drunken or reckless driving
can, without more information or further corroboration, pro-
vide reasonable suspicion for a traffic stop. This was a marked
departure from the Court’s 2009 denial of certiorari in a similar
case (Virginia v. Harris) wherein Chief Justice Roberts took the
rare approach of writing a dissent to a denial of certiorari.
In his dissent, Chief Justice Roberts wrote that the problem
of DWI and public safety on the roadways dictates a different result than strict reliance upon the Court’s 2000 opinion
in Florida v. J.L. which “suppressed evidence seized by police
after receiving an anonymous tip alleging that a young man,
wearing a plaid shirt and waiting at a particular bus stop, was
carrying a gun.”
Police acted on the tip alone and without any further corroboration approached J.L., searched him and found a gun.
Similarly, in Harris, a state trooper received the description of a
motor vehicle being driven in an erratic manner suggesting the
operator was DWI. The trooper quickly located the vehicle on
the highway and pulled it over without making any independent observation corroborative of the vehicle’s operation. For
this reason, based on Florida v. J.L., the Virginia Supreme Court
overturned the conviction and the U.S. Supreme Court denied
certiorari.
However, when it came to be Prado Navarette’s turn at
the Supreme Court, he would not have the same legal good
fortune. The Court’s 5-4 majority opinion, of which Roberts was
a member, was written by Justice Thomas to create a totality
of the circumstances approach to the reasonable suspicion
standard, independent of what was personally observed by
the officer. While the totality of circumstances in this instance
provided the officer reasonable suspicion to make the stop,
Navarette should not be read to no longer require independent
corroboration of alleged illegal or suspicious activity when
provided by an anonymous caller.
Nor should it be assumed the Court created a DWI exception
to the corroboration requirement. The tenuous legal ground
this decision rests upon is illustrated by the fact of Justice Scalia’s dissent in Navarette despite his joining with Roberts in the
dissent to the denial of certiorari in Harris.
Plumhoff v. Rickard
The Court in May once again weighed in on the nature of
qualified immunity defenses in civil actions brought against
police officers. In the case of Plumhoff v. Rickard the Court considered — among other things — whether the number of shots
fired by officers at a fleeing vehicle was excessive as a matter of
law.
In a unanimous 9-0 decision Justice Alito wrote that once
deadly physical force is justified in responding to a threat to
public safety, the continued use of deadly force is justified until
SUPREME COURT continued, page 21
SUPREME COURT continued from page 20
the threat has ended. The Court held that in 2004, when the
incident occurred, there was no clearly established right which
the officers could be found to have violated; therefore they
were entitled to qualified immunity.
Riley v. California and United States v. Wurie
The final cases to make the year end law enforcement review
are the June decisions in the companion cases of Riley v. California and United States v. Wurie. Both of these cases involved
the question of whether police need a warrant to search a cell
phone incident to arrest.
I devoted special attention to these cases since the petitioner’s brief in Riley v. California cited one of my columns from
2012 and I knew from writing the column there was a split
opinion among the federal circuits and state courts.
On June 25th the Court provided its answer to the questions
MCOPA PARTNERS WITH SIAC
The Maine Chiefs of Police Association recently began
a partnership with Security Industry Alarm Coalition of
Charlotte, North Carolina. The MCOPA Alarm Subcommittee Chair Chief Michael Field has teamed up with
SIAC Liaison Retired Deputy Chief Glen Mowrey of Charlotte, NC. The committee consists of several MCOPA
members, SIAC representatives, and Maine Alarm Association representatives.
As law enforcement administrators, we have to
continue to be proactive and resourceful in our departments. How many false alarms has your agency
responded too? We are sure that the number is fairly
high. Research shows that user error is the main reason
for false alarms at nearly 90%. An average false alarm
can use up to 20 minutes of an officer’s time. As rural as
Maine is, this time is most likely even higher.
The MCOPA and SIAC are working together to provide information on how to reduce false alarms, enact
false alarm ordinances, and find an effective alarm
management program with local businesses. We have
met as a group at the MCOPA Conferences earlier this
year. We will continue to move forward with next steps
that we will share with our MCOPA membership.
If you would like to be part of this committee or have
suggestions, please contact Chief Michael Field at Bath
Police Department.
21
posed when Chief Justice Roberts wrote for the 9-0 unanimous
panel that the Fourth Amendment requires a warrant to search
an arrestee’s cell phone. The warrantless search incident to
arrest exception is for officer safety and the preservation of
evidence. The Court said neither of these concerns is present
with digital data, since the data cannot harm the officer and
preservation of evidence can be maintained by disconnecting
the phone from its network or placing the phone in a protective “Faraday” bag.
Chief Justice Roberts likened today’s smart phones to minicomputers which contain much more than dialed and incoming telephone numbers. Even though the Court said a warrant
was required, it did not foreclose all searches of phones upon
arrest. There are emergency situations, the Court acknowledged, during which a warrantless search would be permissible. These situations would be case-specific exceptions.
Looking Ahead
Thus ends another year as we anticipate the coming of 2015.
One case of interest — likely to be the subject of a column next
year — has already been argued before the Court. Heien v.
North Carolina considers whether a police officer’s mistake of
law provides the individualized reasonable suspicion that the
Fourth Amendment requires to justify a traffic stop. More cases
are sure to follow. In the meantime I hope for a safe and happy
holiday season for all.
22
23
Hey officer, are you really worthy of trust?
It is the innumerable small moments in life that define whether we are a person worthy of trust
It takes a lifetime to build trust and a second to destroy it.
All of us have at least one story of when our trust has been betrayed and a relationship ended because of the damage done
and wounds inflicted. Many of us also have
stories of a time the opposite was true,
when trust was violated but the relationship became stronger because the parties
involved turned towards one another and
worked it out and healed.
Trust is a core value many of us deeply
cherish and look for in order to solidify a
More Than A Cop relationship. It is how we gauge who we
allow in our lives and who is held at arm’s
with Althea
length. Yet, very few people take time to
Olson and Mike
define what trust really is or what it entails,
Wasilewski
instead preferring to go by gut instinct,
our past experiences, or what our families taught us and we’ve
come to take for granted.
Maybe what we know of trust came from a book we read or
a sermon given by a pastor, but how many have really taken a
look at how trust is built?
Relationship Stereotypes
Law enforcement relationships (LEO and spouse/significant
other) are often considered uniquely fragile and prone to failure. Whether true or not, the stereotype may have some basis
in reality even if only historically.
More recent research seems to indicate cops’ relationships
are about on par with those of the general public in terms of
divorce/failure rates, but it is hard to reconcile this with what
each of us sees, experiences, and knows about our own relationships, or those of our coworkers.
All the research in the world can tell us police couples are no
more or less likely to fail than any other but it’s hard to believe
seeing so many cops with divorces and multiple marriages
under their gun belts. Maybe the problem is that relationships
are really hard to sustain no matter what.
Policing is one of a few professions where professional trust
– that your partner will keep you safe, your boss will have your
back, your subordinates will respect your authority, or your
agency and politicians will simply do what’s right – is crucial
for peace of mind and sometimes physical safety. It’s also one
where so many cops are disappointed.
Researcher and relationship expert Dr. John Gottman Ph.D.
has done over 40 years of research at the University of Washington on what will make or end a relationship. In his research he
has found it is really not the big moments in life that define and
build trust but the small and seemingly insignificant everyday
moments when a person chooses to turn toward another and
tend to their needs selflessly rather than their own desires.
Are You a Trust Builder?
As you look at yourself and your relationships, whether it be
with a spouse, partner, child, or coworker, who do you take care
of when trust building moments present themselves? Are you
someone who naturally creates an environment where people
trust you or do others find you untrustworthy?
Others are going to determine who you are by how you react
in the small moments in life. But it is hard to be a trustworthy
person because you have to allow yourself to be emotionally
vulnerable and allow yourself to get hurt even though our human instinct is to protect ourselves from harm and pain.
The irony is we cannot have healthy relationships if we wear
“bulletproof vests” around our emotions and hearts. It’s hard
to be a trustworthy person when we place our agenda first, at
home or at work, and fail to turn first to the service of those
who count on us.
Ask yourself, “Do I take care of myself first, protecting myself
from being emotionally vulnerable? Am I guarded because I
am mistrustful of others? Do I think everyone has an angle or is
trying to play me in some way? Do I get defensive easily? Do I
often answer a question with a question or interrogate others because I automatically suspect their first answer isn’t the
truth?”
If you answered yes to any of these questions then you have
the traits of someone who breaks trust rather than builds it.
People who have these traits generally have difficulty trusting
others, but the irony is that they then develop behaviors that
tell others they are not to be trusted. So the defense mechnisms a person develops to keep from being hurt emotionally
robs them of closeness and intimacy in relationships. Because
of thisthe forementioned traits are hurtful towards others and
come from a place of self-preservation or selfishness.
To be a trustworthy person it is more than being committed
to integrity or choosing not to steal. It is more than showing up
on time, paying bills, and not having extra marital acitivities.
At work it is more than just showing up and punching a clock
reliably.
Being trustworthy is based upon how others perceive you
in the small moments in life. It is the ability to turn towards
another, sense what they need, and to listen with your full attention. It is to validate who they are and to be there for them
when they need you.
It’s the little things, such as changing the baby’s diaper, talking to your partner about shift picks before you decide, resisting the urge to yell or name call when stress weakens you, and
soothing hurts when they arise. At work, it’s anticipating your
partner’s needs, jumping in without being asked and doing the
little things to demonstrate you’re a cop worthy of trust, and
stepping up for your boss or those who answer to you.
It is the innumerable small moments in life that define
whether we are a person worthy of trust.
24
25
10-Years of Online Training in Maine
Paul Plaisted, Justice Planning and Management Associates
[email protected]
As we move into 2015, we mark the end of a full decade of
using an online training delivery system to meet the mandated
in-service training requirements within Maine’s law enforcement community. It seems an appropriate point to quickly
assess what this community-wide effort has meant and take a
glance at future directions.
Let’s first review the training content that has been made
available. During this 10-year period JPMA has created 40
classes covering legal updates and 70 classes addressing critical law enforcement and corrections topics as identified by
the MCJA Board of Trustees. With only a couple exceptions, all
Maine law enforcement agencies use the online system to meet
their annual training requirements.
In addition to the mandated classes, about 100 classes have
been developed to meet other training needs. Within this
group are many classes funded by “content sponsors” via grants
or contracts from state agencies and these have been made
available to all agencies without fees attached. Others have
been created by JPMA to meet needs where clearly identified
sources of funding for development were not present. Many of
these “content sponsored” and JPMA classes address continuing training requirements and are used on an annual basis. As
an example, the CJIS Security Awareness class, sponsored by
the Maine State Police with a total budget of $5000, shows over
18,000 completions system wide, and it is a prime example of
the cost-effectiveness of the online delivery approach. Other
classes, such as fire extinguisher basics, bloodborne pathogens,
workplace harassment, and ergonomics and VDT safety, also
display similar (but lower) patterns of usage.
Another important focus of online content has been the
Law Enforcement Pre-Service (LEPS) training program. The first
phase of that program involves 40 online classes that introduce
new officers and officer candidates to
the Maine law enforcement system.
This online resource has helped to
increase the level of training provided
to officers before they assume their
duties.
What has this all meant? The Maine
law enforcement community has
the most aggressive online training
strategy in the nation. The average
Maine officer has completed nearly
150 online classes, a number which
vastly exceeds that in any other state.
Based upon agency surveys, access
to the online system conserves local,
county, and state resources at an average rate of $500 per officer per year
(officer salary, overtime, fees, travel,
etc.). Over the past 10 years this amounts to $15-20 million that
has become available for other uses by agencies, often resulting in additional training for their officers. In 2014 all types of
public safety employees in Maine, including law enforcement
officers, public safety dispatchers, corrections officers, firefighters, EMT’s, and civilian staff members, used the online training
delivery system to increase their capabilities.
What can we expect for the future? Certainly, online training
will continue be an important piece of preparing Maine’s public
safety community to serve citizens in the state of Maine. In general, the number of topics developed each year will continue
to be at, or slightly above, the rate of the last decade. Unfortunately, some of the content funding sources available early
on in this program are no longer viable for the future and this,
coupled with the continuing requirement to maintain and update older content with new information and emerging mobile
technology, will have a small impact on user fees. For example,
in 2015 the standard law enforcement officer fee which has
remained at $50 for 10 years will increase to $60 per officer
per year. This increase will help fund projects such as an online
Intoxilyzer operator recertification program that is expected to
be created in partnership with the MCJA in the spring of 2015.
Another direction for the future seems to be the organization of classes around important issues within Maine’s public
safety community. Other than the emergency management
area which was an early theme within the online system, many
of the past classes have emerged as single topic resources.
However, 2015 will see the final deployment of a series of
classes addressing intimate partner violence and will represent
an instance where the “whole is greater than the sum of its
parts.” Starting this year, other themes will become candidates
for such comprehensive treatment including areas like sexual
assault, response to mental illness, officer safety and wellness,
and others.
Another unfolding piece of the future of online training lies
with the MCJA and its recent adoption of a new officer training records management system. It is fully expected that this
system will evolve into a functional learning management
system for all Maine agencies over the
next 2-3 years. As this occurs, we will face
the challenge of integrating historical
and future content within its framework,
ensuring that these critical resources are
available for continued use by agencies
statewide.
In conclusion, I would like to thank all
of the partners involved in making the
Maine system the leading online training delivery mechanism in the nation.
Most specifically I would like to thank
and congratulate you, the user agencies, for your involvement. This has been
and will continue to be a joint venture
where your participation, regardless of
how small or how large, adds strength
to the overall program serving hundreds
of agencies and thousands of public safety professionals in the
state of Maine. I encourage you to contact me with comments
and suggestions for the system as we move forward to make
the resource as valuable to you as possible.
The Maine law
enforcement community
has the most aggressive
online training strategy
in the nation. The average
Maine officer has
completed nearly 150
online classes, a number
which vastly exceeds that
in any other state.
FALL MEETING 2014
26