The following are views, opinions, and perspectives by Director Travis Cartner, and in no way represent
the views, opinions, or perspectives of ANVIS Protective Resources, it's staff, the officers working for ANVIS, nor the clients
of ANVIS.
With the end of the year, Tulsa breaks records!!
Homicide records that is. But who noticed? We're too busy laying cops off.
January 11, 2009
As the year 2009 concludes, Tulsa breaks a record! The homicide record.
Yet in the middle of this, the City of Tulsa has decided to lay off police officers. Lots of
police officers. 20% of their force.
So at the conclusion of the highest killing year, in a City that was already number two in the
country (per capita) for violent crime, city officials have prioritized YOUR needs, based on a tight budget. It reminds me
of my favorite coffee mug which reads "Lack of planning on your part does not justify an emergency on mine."
About nine years ago, me and my partner talked about the trends in crime. We convinced Undersheriff
Bill Thompson to create a highly aggressive unit, known as the Special Interdiction Squad, to target violent offenders and
drug dealers. He allowed us to create the unit, and told us "I don't care what you guys do. You can do traffic stops, serve
warrants, undercover things. Just put bad people in jail." And so we did. Lots of them.
At the same time, I realized the problems in Tulsa and elected to move to a suburb. Pretty soon
the neighborhood began filling up, and the stores that were in Tulsa opened branches in this suburb.
After a few years I realized that everyone that lived around me had the same routine as me. We
ate dinner in the community, shopped in the community, had auto repairs in the community. None of us ever went to Tulsa.
I noticed other suburbs were popping up with the same businesses. And in 2004 I made the prediction
- no one ever goes to Tulsa. No one has to go to the mall to buy school clothes, etc. People are spending their money in other
towns, which means those towns are getting the tax revenue, not Tulsa. And as Tulsa's tax revenue declines, the focus will
not be on the police, and the police will one day have to lay off officers - and when they do the city is going to be out
of control! Everything has come true so far. Time will tell if the last one holds true.
Now I'm not Nastrodamus, and when I told highly ranked supervisors these types of things they
laughed it off. But if you need an example, look at Cleveland Ohio.
Cleveland was once one of the largest cities in the U.S. But plagued by the same problems, the
city's population of 1,000,000 dropped and in 2000 was less than half of that. When you think of Cleveland, who has a professional
football and baseball team, you think of a major metropolitan. But the reality is that Tulsa's population has surpassed the
city of Cleveland's.
The end result has been big businesses and corporations have left the city of Cleveland, and
none are moving to that city. The budgets for schools have been cut, and the city is basically a manufacturing plant for criminals.
Every time Tulsa spends tax dollars on projects to beautify the city I think to myself "I wonder
how long before that gets tagged with gang graffiti." We have been on a huge shopping spree, and never deposited the money
in the bank. And in this example, the money needed in the bank is police officers.
I saw that Chief Palmer has created a plan to "thin out the ranks" to eliminate some of the 158
lay offs. By eliminating some of the supervisory positions he was able to save 38 jobs. While I applaud the effort the reality
is that just because you eliminate 13 Captains positions (for example) does not mean you are retaining the most productive
officers for the community. I can see where the supervisors who are demoted due to the reduction in rank will simply be demoted
one level. So, a Captain whose rank is eliminated will be moved down to Sergeant, and so on.
While I do believe that there have been too many supervisors overseeing too few officers, this
(again) is a dangerous position to be in. Because the reality is the two Deputy Chiefs demoted will be retained as Majors.
The Majors demoted will be retained as Captains. The Captains demoted will be retained as Sergeants. And the Sergeants demoted
will be retained as officers. So the 120 officers that are laid off will be the guys who are out there, right now, working
the streets. The guys who know the "bad guys" in the areas. The young officers who are aggressive, and ready to save the world.
And their cars will now be manned by a veteran officer, who is now disgruntled because of an underserving demotion, and who
doesn't have the same aggressive attitude to set goals of 50 felony arrest a month. And who can blame them? Once you've been
on for ten years or so, you realize just how insignificant and under appreciated you are. Those veterans have already (most
likely) been disciplined or counseled for doing a good job (making too many arrest, getting into too many car chases, etc.)
and they are now just showing up, hoping to make it to retirement.
Now, I'm speaking generally, of course. Some of those supervisors may actually be aggressive
cops. One of the most aggressive cops I ever worked with was a veteran Sergeant, who just couldn't stop making arrest. I asked
him one time, "why don't you retire?" and he said "because this is the best job in the world." But his attitude and work ethic are
rare when you talk about the majority of officers who have been on any length of time, especially in a supervisory position.
In fact, I recently heard how many police officers will be on duty to cover the entire city of
Tulsa on midnight shift. That number is so low (I refuse to publish it) that our company, a business coming to the conclusion
of their second year, will have nearly as many officers out than the entire police department (during those hours).
I've never looked at the city budget, but I can assure you that my (and yours if your taking
the time to read this) priorities would be significantly different. Maybe I would cut things like the city pools, the $3000
light bars on city trucks for road construction, maybe there wouldn't be as many code enforcement officers out writing tickets
to people for not mowing their grass, and the obvious significant costs (BOK, Riverparks, etc) might have to wait, but I would
never compromise the safety of the citizens in the community, or the officers who work selflessly to ensure that safety is
provided. We have already taken away valuable resources for those officers. Horse patrol, which prevents officers from walking
into dangerous crowds and effectively manage crowd control. The helicopters, which prevent officers from stumbling across
an armed suspect hiding because the unit is equipped with FLIR to locate the subject before a cop gets hurt. And I'm sure
now we are eliminating their most precious resource - back up.
Each month, we continue to grow and continue to add new contracts. When we do, we hear from residents
who call and notify us of their concerns, and we hear the same stories about people getting robbed at gunpoint, cars being
broken into, homes being broken into, etc., and those residents always say the same thing, "we're moving out of this place,"
and I always tell them the same thing, it doesn't matter where you move in Tulsa - the part of town, apartment complex or
house, etc. - every community in Tulsa is plagued by the same problems. And I always ask them to consider one thing, before
they move, give us thirty days. Thirty days and see if we've made a difference.
I don't say that to brag. My point is this - since we only hire off duty officers, our service
is provided using the same officers who work for the city, county, etc. If those same officers can make a difference, than
it proves they are competent, which means the problems are not with the officers' work ethics. The problems are with previous
administrations, the politicians, mismanagement of money and unrealistic priorities.
We have developed a program and set goals to help off-set some of the problems the community
and police officers are faced with. But we ask everyone to do two things. 1) Get involved. Call your city counsilor and the
Mayor's office; and 2) Pray. Pray for the community and the leaders. Pray they make the right decisions to address the community's
needs. And pray for the officers. Too few officers, without adequate resources faced with higher crime rates and fewer officers.
Pray they're not calloused and they continue to be brave even though they are prevented from having the tools to do their
jobs.
I have never asked anyone to do anything that I'm not willing to do myself. So our staff prays
for the same things - city leaders, fellow officers, safety of citizens.....and we also pray that God puts us in harm's way.
Because if criminals want to hurt innocent people, take advantage of the weak, vandalize or steal their property, then we
pray that God lets us be in the "right place at the right time," and that His will is done.
One thing to remember though....the problems I speak of (budget constraints, politicians) can
not be blamed on one person. They have been complicated over the years.
And now we have a new Mayor. He should be treated with dignity, respect and confidence and our
prayers are with him, his staff and their decisions, as well.
So, it's been awhile since my last post, and an answer to some questions is long overdue!!!
Posted for Monday, October 26, 2009
Well, we have been swamped with e-mails and phone calls asking (some demanding) to know my opinion
on some issues. I realize in the beginning I updated this site weekly. Just understand, my first priority is to make a difference
in our communities and keep citizens safe. But, that being said, it's only fair for the "pop following" I accidentally inherited
that I tell you my views on issues that may pertain to you and your family. Let me preface this by saying, not every cop shares
my opinions or thinks like me. But, I call it like I see it, and I know several cops that feel the same way. So, I guess in
a way this is a cop's perspective on things. We've had three questions in the past couple of weeks that keep popping up. Two
of the incidents happened this week. So, I will address each, and try and tie them all together for you.
The first question that we have had several people ask about was the Tulsa Police Officer arrested
a few weeks ago for drugs. I really can't comment on this one. I wasn't there and don't know all of the details. I know the
officer, and even worked Narcotics with him. I was shocked, but also have to respect the integrity of the investigation conducted
by the Tulsa Police Department. If that officer is in fact guilty, then he deserves the full punishment of the law. Just because
you have a badge does not give you a license to break the law, and especially commit felonies. It breaks my heart to think
that someone who has sworn to uphold the law would act so foolishly. But, I can assure you that these types of incidents are
rare. Some of the police officers have had negative comments about being corrupt because of the incident. That's not the case
at all. Virtually every cop I worked with had the highest levels of integrity and honor of anyone I have ever met. Trust me
- it's a cultural shock going from being a cop to the business world. As a cop, when a co-worker gives you his word, it's
going to happen. In the business world, there are several empty promises and lies and deciet that you have to sift through.
There are times (especially when working narcotics) when officers come across large sums of money. Sometimes that bad guy
doesn't even know how much money is there. I never, nor did any of my co-workers, took one dime of that money. It's the honesty
and integrity that I'm referring to. If the evidence against the police officer shows him in the wrong, then he needs to go
to prison.
The second question was about the standoff between Sheriff's Deputies and a convicted child molester.
In that case, the standoff ended when the monster locked himself in a van, poured a flammable liquid on himself, and set himself
of fire. All I can really say about that incident is this - it was a cold day, and a fire seemed appropriate.
The third question was pertaining to a meth lab that caught a Tulsa apartment on fire. The media
wanted an interview, and we refuse to market our service through tragedy produced to innocent people. I'm not talking about
the meth cooks. While I feel sorry for their families, if a couple of cranksters decide to cook some dope, and as long as
no innocent people are hurt or their property destroyed, the meth cooks set themselves on fire, I could really care less.
I don't want to sound insensitive, but the reality is this - meth cooks are at the top of the food chain. They produce the
drug that cops have seen cause so much devastation to so many families. Working undercover, I realized that some dopers were
actually good people that just made a mistake, that led to an addiction, that turned them into monsters. These cooks poison
the children, cause deaths, and rip families apart. I think about the mothers that have to bury their children because of
a meth overdose, the pregnant wives watching their husbands leave for prison, the children in drug homes that are hungry because
the family's money goes to support the parents' habit, and the robberies, thefts, murders, and rapes that these cranksters
commit to support their habit, or because they're whacked out of their mind. The meth cook takes that risk everytime they
start a batch. It's a risk of their trade, sort of like cops know every shift might be their last. But these maggots make
this poision, destroying families, crushing dreams, and ruining lives, so that they can profit twenty dollars here and there
off every ruined life they sell it to.
One of the questions presented by the media (about this incident) stated that a woman claimed
she had called the police department a few weeks before the fire, and complained about the meth lab. She said the police came
out and didn't do anything about it. The fact of the matter is this, just because it may appear that way doesn't mean the
police aren't on top of things. Keep in mind that liberal courts, case law, police administrators, manpower issues and budget
constraints have minimized the effectiveness of police. But the reality is this - a patrol officer may respond and act like
the lab is "no big deal." He has to. He can't let any of the neighbors know that the police suspect anything. But, when the
"apathetic" officer leaves, he's on the phone with the narcotics unit, who began surveillance and background searches. These
investigations are labor intensive, and officers have to be creative to overcome the obstacles they have in these investigations.
I believe in, support, and fight for the Constitution of the United States. It was set up to protect the rights of our
citizens - innocent until proven guilty, the right against unreasonable searches and seizures, etc. These laws were established
after corruption of the Colonial authorities, who took advantage of innocent people. It's important that we have this protection.
But, it's challenging to overcome some of the obstacles that come with putting meth cooks in jail because defense attorneys
have manipulated the wording of the Constitution and case law now hinders law enforcement's efforts in a war that our founding
forefathers could have never predicted.
I think about the meth lab and the officer arrested, and how I've even processed labs with that
officer. I can't believe that anyone who knows the outcome of that drug would ingest it, sell it, or be around it. Much less
an officer who swore to uphold the law. And now good, honest police officers are stained with that image. Being a cop is hard
enough (maybe too hard for someone weak like the arrested officer). But they can not be judged on the actions of a small minority
- the corrupt cop. They can't be judged by an apparent "apathetic" attitude. Cops do everything they can to protect the innocent.
But sometimes they have to fight wars just to make an arrest.
Being a cop is an extremely thankless job. Think about it like this, if you're an officer and
you arrest someone on a warrant for rape, you probably will never see the victim of that crime. But, you will see the suspect's
mother crying, wife cussing you, kids telling you not to take their daddy, and the suspect telling you the whole way to jail
that you have made a mistake. To complicate things, if you make too many arrest nowadays, your administration will come down
on you.
I had a very "action packed" career, and was fortunate to have so many opportunities. I was almost
always assigned to specialty positions, and got to be thrown in the pit of the fire. I loved it. But somewhere down the line,
we stopped letting cops be cops, and we started worrying about being "politically correct." After coming out of narcotics,
I went back to patrol for a few months. I was called in to the "brass," a panel of high ranking supervisors. As I walked into
the conference room, I noticed that the lobby was filled with the most talented officers that I had ever worked with. Guys
that were out there making a difference. There were the "slugs," which were the officers that never stopped cars, made arrest,
or really did anything. And on the other end of the spectrum were the officers in the lobby. The "go getters," the guys that
led the department in arrest.
As I walked into the "brass," they began questioning me about my home life, and if anything was
bothering me. I was shocked and confused. Then, they asked me if I needed counseling. Being outspoken like I am, I finally
asked them what the interview was about.
They explained to me that accreditation standards dictated that they "monitored' every officer.
If the officer had too many use of force incidents, got into too many fights, car chases, or foot chases, in an unspecified
period of time, the officer "flagged" the system. The accreditation process mandated that they offered the officer counseling,
but it didn't take into account that the officer who stops 200 vehicles in a month is more likely to get into fights, foot
chases, and car chases than the officer who only stops 10 cars a month.
I asked the panel, bluntly, if any of them did not have respect for my work product. No one raised
their hand. And I told them this - that's why guys become slugs. I'm smart enough to see this for what it is - politics. But
some of these officers are going to leave here today thinking that they are screwing up. They are going to look at the officers
that weren't called in today, and try to immitate their behavior. After all, "they must be doing something right - they're
not getting called in." So, you turn a good cop into a slug. A cop that was making a difference in his beat, and now citizens
complain that it appears as though he doesn't care. Who they need to be offering counseling to are the cops that don't do
anything. It became so bad that the cops' supervisors began telling aggressive cops not to stop any cars or make any arrest
because they would get called into the brass too. So cops began shutting down, or compromising their safety. Cops, like me,
conducted traffic stops anyway and never checked out on the radio. We had to sneak bad guys into jail. The whole mentality
of police supervision changed. Supervisors began telling officers "think how you would feel if that was your child." I didn't
care. If I caught my kid with dope, I'd take hime to jail personally. I offered the question back, "think how you would feel
if this was the guy that was going to get your child started on dope. Would you want me to throw the dope away and let him
go, or take him to jail?" Police supervision schools were put on, teaching supervisors "don't eat dinner with
the guys that work for you, you might have to fire them one day." Everything in those schools was established for one thing
- to protect the agency, even at the expense of the individual officer, which ultimately impacts the citizens. I remember
shortly after that supervision school (which I dropped out of two weeks into, by the way) I inherited a "problem child." I
was told that he was always late to work, and I needed to document it so they could fire him. I called him in, and told him
what was going on. He was clearly upset. I asked him what was going on to make him late to work. He was embarrassed to tell
me that he had a small son that was autistic. Apparently, the child had a routine, and if the routine was broke it spun his
kid into a rage, and caused a huge amount of stress on his entire family. He told me, "I know it sounds stupid, but I have
to be there everyday at 4:00 to hold him in my chair and watch Teletubbies. If I'm not, it will mess up my whole family."
So, I made him a deal. I asked him to give me a time that he could guarantee me that he would be at work, and he told me 7:00.
I told him that he could come to work at 7:00, and I arranged it with the next shift supervisor that he would work three hours
on that shift. But, I warned the officer - if he was late one time, even 7:01, I would report him as being late. That officer
was at work everyday by 6:45, and without that stress on him or his family, he became one of the most productive officers
I ever knew. Somewhere down the line, cops became expendable. For every cop out there, there's a hundred people lined up to
put their badge on.
That sort of stuff takes a toll on anyone. You see so much devastation. Even things like child
molesters setting themselves on fire can be traumatic (I guess). Seeing the violence, the pain, the hurt, and doing something
about it - only to be spanked by the brass. Everytime you go on a call, someone is not going to be happy. Someone may go to
jail, or someone has been the victim of crime. The officer catches the brunt of the frustration. Citizens telling them "you
guys never do anything," bad guys taunting them, and administrators offering them counseling.
I remember after working narcotics for about three years I hit my "burn out" point. I had seen
so much devastation. I was frustrated by the courts, District Attorneys, police administrators, and everything else. It's
a huge sacrifice to live that life. I lived a life of secrecy, living under an assumed name in a gated Tulsa apartment complex.
I didn't take a shower for a week, only on my Fridays. I grew out my fingernails, and kept dirt under them. I had long hair,
a beard, earrings, and got a few tattoos, just to blend in and "buy more dope." I saw so many hurt children, corruption in
the system, and pure evil. Hanging out in gun and knife clubs, surrounded by the scum of the earth, and having to "buddy up"
to them.
I went to the office one day, get a paycheck or something, and one of the secretaries invited
me to church. It must have been obvious that I was burned out or something, because she never offered that before. I told
her, half telling the truth and half popping off, I was doubting God. If He was real, why did I see so much hurt and evil?
I will never forget the look of shock and horror she had on her face. She said to me, "You of
all people. The man that has walked in and out of so many dangerous doors. Who do you think protects you?" I thought about
it, and she was right. I had been shot at, attacked physically (sometimes with knives, bats, pipes, etc.), I had someone try
to throw a hand grenade at me, I had three people sabotage their houses to blow me up, and none of them ever succeeded. I
had to admit, I really didn't believe I was that lucky. She proceeded to tell me that God loves people, and he makes warriors
out of men to fight that evil. Then she told me that I needed to get out of the negativity, and start doing something positive.
I thought about those words, and realized how stupid I was. Of course she was right, there was
a God, and He likes police officers. Why else had I made it out of so many dangerous situations? The next day, i saw a woman
with small children asking a businessman for a dollar to buy her kid a drink. The businessman walked by her, pretending not
to hear. She looked at me, and didn't even bother asking me. I looked pathetic. But, I reached in my pocket and gave her a
twenty dollar bill. It was the first time in my career that I ever remember anyone telling me "thank you," and she didn't
even know I was a cop.
And so that's what I began doing, and what I encouraged others to do. Balance the negative in
your life with something good. Volunteer to feed the homeless, and do it on duty. Cops need to hear "thanks" and "good job"
every now and again.
And that's what we do as an organization now. We usually don't broadcast it, but we actually
bonus our guys if they can make a difference in someone's life who truly needs it. We trade out security for meals for hungry
kids, we have moved homeless veterans that we found living in storage buildings into apartments, relocated battered women,
things like that. As we grew, we could afford to buy cheeseburgers for hungry kids, but we elected to barter our service instead.
The reality is this - that cost us more money as an organization. Four happy meals are only twelve bucks, but an hour of my
officers' time is twenty-five. But, the officers began volunteering to donate their time without us paying them, and I think
it's important to give other organizations (and people) the opportunity to take care of their neighbors. Pay it foward. Do
something positive to help other people that you may never meet. It's a rewarding feeling, and like I said - I believe it's
paramount to a cop that lives in such a dark world.
And if it's the cops' responsibility to "balance" the negativity, and if supervisors and administrators
won't help them with it, it's up to us as a society to promote a grateful attitude with our officers. I got pulled over today.
I wasn't wearing a seatbelt. It's actually a bad habit from being a cop - you never know when you're going to have to jump
out and run after someone. The officer gave me a ticket for no seatbelt, and I was glad. I broke the law, and got what I deserved.
If I expected anything different, I would be a smaller version of the cop arrested. I took my ticket, never telling the
officer anything. But as I signed the ticket, I told him "thanks." I could tell he thought I was being a wise guy, and
I needed to clarify it so I said this, "we don't really have any crime in this neighborhood, and I think it's because you
guys stop so many people and write tickets. The red and blue lights must scare off bad guys. And yeah, I'm getting a ticket,
but I was in the wrong and deserve it. But I really appreciate what you're doing, and you are making a difference in my neighborhood."
He didn't know what to say, and I watched him walk back to his car. I could tell he even thought about getting the ticket
back from me, but I was already driving off. Too many times, we don't take accountability for our own actions, and it's always
that "cop's fault." We should all be a part of the solution, and not the problem. The last time I remember a public
outcry of support for cops was after Officer Gus Spanos was killed in 1992. The public demanded, and raised money, for cameras
for every patrol car. I know the public meant well, but the cops knew what it was going to mean - evidence for the brass to
use against them. You can be the nicest person in the world, and someone will always criticize your actions. "You weren't
commanding enough authority," or "you were being too authoritative with them." If the public is frustrated with "apathetic"
cops who don't take meth labs seriously, don't blame the officers - blame the system. Call the mayors action line, and the
Chief of Police. Tell them the officers do a good job, but they need to put more out there. They will likely tell you that
they don't have the budget to put more cops out there. Then ask them why they are installing GPS tracking devices in every
patrol cars to monitor where the officer is at every second. It's because the police supervision schools have taught supervisors
to "catch the officer," instead of motivating the officer. The officer with the autistic child, who they wanted to fire before
even finding out what was going on in his life. You can motivate people by treating them the way you want to be treated. But
instead, we are encouraging our supervisors to discipline undeserving officers. The end result is that the taxpayers are paying
the price - the cost of GPS systems for patrol cars. The reality is that a humane supervisor can produce ten times the productivity
out of a cop that GPS systems aren't needed. It will be evident where the officers are, because they will always be on calls,
stopping cars, and putting bad guys in jail - which is really what the public thinks they should be doing anyway.
If you don't take the time to call the Mayor or Chief, then please take two seconds of your
time, stop an officer, and tell them thanks. Trust me - it would mean the world to them.
Well - if we lay off cops and firemen, at least they can swim in a city pool!!!
Last weekend was Father's Day, and in celebrating it, my family and I decided to go swimming.
We recently moved, and don't have a pool at our house and I didn't feel like bugging one of our friends to go swimming, so
we found a City of Tulsa public pool to swim in.
It was really better than I expected. I generally don't like crowds and this pool wasn't crowded
at all! In fact, when we got to the pool, there were only eight other people there. This, of course, does not include the
eight lifeguards and the armed security guard that was walking around the pool.
There was a small fee ($2.00) to get into the pool. Because it was Father's Day, the kids and
Dads got in free. So the whole family went swimming for two bucks!
As I sat in the chemical soaked water, I was reminded of the City Council meeting held the previous
week. In that meeting, one of the Council members was suggesting not only the eight mandatory furloughs for police and fire,
but also laying off twenty police officers and twenty fire fighters. Apparently the City's budget is spread too thin, and
we have to look at eliminating some cost.
I'll admit, I'm a little bit of an outsider when it comes to fire fighters. I have alot
of respect for what they do, and I value the sacrifices that they, and their families make, to ensure all of our safety. Likewise,
I have the same feelings towards the Tulsa Police Department, their Administration, and especially their officers. I can not
get into where I think cuts within those departments should come. But, I would look at cutting costs in other departments
all together.
Employees of other departments don't put their lives on the line for the public. Cops are the
thin "blue" line between order and chaos. They are the ones that keep society civilized, and without them there would be total
anarchy. The week that City Council entertained this idea there were sixteen shootings in Tulsa. Wasn't one of Kathy Taylor's
campaign platforms to put "more cops on the streets?" The Tulsa Police Department is already vastly understaffed. That is
one of the reasons we created our business. And by laying off police officers, you are taking away a valuable resource to
the patrol officer - back up. In a time where crime has spun out of control, we are telling our police officers "we don't
care about your safety. We don't care about what is going to happen to your family if you don't come home. We only care about
money." Imagine being a fireman or a police officer, putting your butt on the line day in and day out, dodging fire flames
or bullets - whatever the case. And now you have to see a City Council - who remind you is sitting in a brand new City Hall
behind brand new desk, sitting in brand new chairs - talking about eliminating cost.
Is laying off police officers and fireman going to make a difference? Absolutely. But, I'm not
referring to the benefits financially to the City. I'm talking about lengthy response time, poor morale, and overall lack
of safety. Recently, I was pulling into an area where I saw a Tulsa Police car. I stopped him and asked him if everything
was alright, and he said no. I asked him what was going on, and he said, "there's a guy in the (apartment) complex walking
around with a gun. I have to wait on back up and it's taking him forever!" Well, it was taking his back up forever because
he was coming from another district. So, the frustrated officer and I began our search for the armed suspect. Back up is a
luxury to our deputy sheriffs. It's very rare when you get a backing officer (or at least it was when I was on the streets).
Deputies are almost forced into a "one riot - one ranger" mentality. But the bottom line is this - back up is crucial to officer
safety, and therefore public safety. Society dictates, and rightfully so, that the good guys win. When an armed suspect is
walking around a Tulsa neighborhood, you have to send at least two armed people (police officers) in to arrest him. And if
we are already struggling to find enough manpower to give these officers a crucial resource for their job (back up) what is
going to happen when we start laying off police officers?
What's going to happen is cops are going to start getting hurt, because they are going to be
forced to take unnecessary risks. The bad guys will "win" more, and citizens are going to be faced with an even longer response
time.
But, if the City Councilman who proposed the idea doesn't care about cops (and fireman) losing
their lives - look at the budget from a business standpoint. Sitting in the city pool last weekend I looked around and saw
twelve citizens swimming. Even if all twelve paid their two- dollar admission fee, there were still eight lifeguards (who
were more interested in texting on their phones than watching anyone swim). In addition, there was an armed security guard.
He, at least, seemed more interested in the people - at least the women, because he was walking around staring at all of them.
If, let's just say, the city was somehow able to pay these nine employees below minimum wage, let's say five dollars an hour,
then they would be paying forty-five dollars an hour, and only bringing in twenty-four dollars from the twelve swimmers admission
fee. This, of course, does not take into consideration the "load to labor" ratio, i.e. utilities, worker's comp. insurance,
employee benefits, etc. Which means that the city is losing money in this particular example.
The upcoming mandatory furloughs are not any better. As a matter of fact, I predict that these
furloughs will actually cost the city, and therefore the taxpayer, more money. That's because the police department is forced
to meet "minimum manpower levels." That means they have to have a minimum number of officers to provide citizens with MINIMUM
protection. With officers taking furloughs what is going to happen is that the police department is going to have to call
in officers on their days off, and pay them time and a half to work, meaning (we're right back at the swimming pool) it's
going to cost more money than not implementing the furloughs.
And if eliminating the "pools" of the budget isn't good enough, then put the cost back on the
offenders. Increase speeding tickets five dollars. Increase parking tickets by three dollars. Here's a good one - you already
have to register sex offenders - start charging them a permit fee to register. Make it five hundred dollars. I really don't
care what happens to those creeps.
What about the $2.6 million dollars we spent on the beautification of Riverparks? Isn't that
the same amount of money we're trying to cut from police and fire? And where is all of the tax revenue generated by the BOK
Center? After all, we spent $178 million dollars in public funds for it. I guess if we lay off cops and firemen they will
have some pretty cool concerts to go see.
Cops (and firemen) aren't paid enough as it is. If they were, they wouldn't have to work for
us (and other part time jobs) and they would be able to spend more time with their families. The councilman who proposed this
has obviously never had to step through a doorway where he knew there was someone hiding with a gun, and that maggot
has already stated he was going to kill you. Cops do that - alot. They don't do it for the glory, or any special recognition.
They do it to protect people that they may not even know, or may not even meet. They do it for the overall safety of the public.
They do it for your grandmother, or your children, or your spouse, who may live next door to this armed monster. There's no
magical dust they give cops to do this kind of work. It's courage -and the love of their country, society, and the people of
their community -and the fact that they took a sworn oath to God to give their lives if need be. Why do we want to increase
the chances of them having to make that sacrifice?
It's pathetic that the police and fire unions have to justify every position. Every morning on
the news there are stories of robberies, and home invasions, or house fires caused by meth labs. The fact of the matter is
this - budget constraints have already tied the cops' hands. They don't have time to be "proactive" (and prevent crime before
it happens). Politics have forced them to be "reactive" (which is to respond to crimes that have already occurred and complete
a report on them). And when the budget constraints began is when crime in Tulsa began rising. Personally, I would rather bask
in the sun than go to a city pool, if it meant that citizen safety was enhanced.
Whether you agree with my views or not, police officers and fire fighters need your support.
You can give them support in one of the easiest ways. Pray for them. Pray for their safety. Pray that they keep their courage
and dedication to keep us all safe. Pray for their families - with wives pacing the floor because their husbands are three
hours late, or their children having nightmares that something bad has happened to daddy. And pray that we, as a community,
give them the resources to do their jobs. I had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life one night, due to lack of
resources.
I heard an officer screaming for help on his radio. I was the closest officer, even though I
was twenty-five miles away. With lights and sirens I was off, going 130 mph. I began to slow down, because I knew the road
was going to T in about a mile. After I made my turn, I was only about a mile and a half from the officer crying for help.
Dispatch kept trying to get him to answer his radio, but he never did.
Just prior to turning left to get to the officer, Dispatch put out another "emergency" call.
It was about a mile from where I was - but in the other direction from the officer. A neighbor called in, and was giving real
time, play by play, accounts of a domestic, where the husband was in his front yard holding a gun to his wife's head, while
she was begging for her life.
I was approaching the T, and was truly confused. There was no one else to take that call
either. With the T intersection coming on me fast, I had to make a decision. On one hand, I have a friend - a person whose
wife and kids I knew, begging for help. On the other hand, here was an innocent life about to be taken. There was no certainty
that the officer was in immediate danger, or worse if he was already dead. I didn't know what to do, but suddenly (while in
the T intersection), my car turned in the direction of the woman.
I almost wept as I made that turn. I'm not really sure why I chose her over my fellow officer.
In a matter of a split second, I began to analyze everything. I thought "well, the officer is armed. He at least has a chance.
She's not." Then I asked myself, "what would I want another officer to do," and the answer came to me with that oath of office
- with my life if need be.
Hard decision to make. The end of the story is I showed up just in time, and the husband dropped
the gun just in time. I handcuffed him in a hurry, threw him in the back of the car, asked the wife if she was alright,
and told her to stay put, and me and her husband (who was now under arrest) took off to the officer. We got to the officer,
who couldn't answer his radio because he was fighting two people, and found him alright. He was a little shaken, and a little
beat up, but when we got there he had both people under control. I later told him about the decision I had to make, and he
told me that I made the right decision.
My point is this, no one should ever have to make those decisions. We expect our police officers
(and firemen) to do what we are not willing to do. We expect them to be our line - between anarchy and chaos. We expect them
to win. We expect them to put people that may harm us, or our children, in jail. And we expect them to make the ultimate sacrifice
- if need be.
The only thing those police officers and firemen expect from you is your support and the resources
to do their jobs.
The Motorcycles are Back out...and so are "The Stars and Stripes!"
Monday, June 1st, 2009
With the warmer weather upon us, one thing that we have been looking forward to is climbing back
onto the motorcycles, to conduct our patrols through Tulsa's streets. These "bikes" have been extremely beneficial in our
mission with ANVIS. Our job, as we see it, is to make a difference, and the bikes are one more way that we accomplish this.
They are completely unconventional with respect to anything that "security" has done before. They allow us to "sneak up" on
would be car burglars, as well as allow us to rapidly respond to areas in an abbreviated time. They put us in touch with the
communities we serve - allowing children to approach us and ask questions, people to provide information they normally would
not, and things like that.
One notable difference about the bikes, this year, is that they are now displaying something
very near and dear to my heart - the Flag of the United States of America.
This has caused us some complaints, and even one client threatening to stop doing business with
us, because they're afraid of offending someone. Well, the fact that you've asked me to remove my flag has offended me! And
if that means that we can't do business together, then so be it.
The flags are not meant to be disrespectful to anyone. They are to show a level of dedication
and service, and honor those who have made sacrifices for this great nation. That's why cops do what they do - they try to
keep the peace, and maintain order, for the people living in a country that they love. The laws of this nation were patterned
after the laws of the Bible. Many cops are veterans themselves. Cops do what they do because they want to protect the freedoms
of the people in this country. Up until recently, the Tulsa Police Department displayed a flag patch on their uniform. I'm
not sure why they took it off, but that's what being a cop is about - serving this great nation, and the people of it.
The story of how the flags appeared on the motorcycles began with a personal incident that I
had at a local restaurant, which my attorney has advised me not to reveal (it was El Chico's at 51st and Lewis). I still have
the freedom of speech. It was the last week of April, and I guess the place was getting ready for Cinco de Mayo. But, when
my family and I were leaving, I looked down in the trashcan and saw a waded up American flag in the trash. I saw, who I am
assuming was, the manager and said, "Hey, do you see that?" while pointing at the flag. He looked down, very apathetically,
and said "Yeah," in the attitude of "so what?"
I picked the flag up, infuriated, and began telling (actually yelling) him about the sacrifices
so many Americans have made for that flag. That flag, or what it represents, gives people the freedom to start a business.
That flag, or what it represents, gives us the freedom to choose to go out for dinner. That flag, which flies over the greatest
nation in the world, gives us all so many freedoms that we take for granted everyday. And there it lay, waded up like an old
piece of paper in the trash.
I picked that flag up, and dusted it off. He said, "here, I'll do something with it. Give it
to me." And I told him, "No, I will do something with it." If he wanted that flag back, he was going to have to fight me,
and he chose the smart move and surrendered the flag to me.
So, I put the flag in my car and explained to my kids what was so bad about the flag being in
the trash. My daughter pointed out, "Dad, look how dirty it is." It broke my heart to see the stains on the symbol of one
of the things that I hold dearest to my heart.
So, on Memorial Day, I punched a hole in the leather on the saddlebags of my motorcycle, and
flew the flag proudly. The other motorcycles got them too, and the cars will soon have vinyl decals proudly displaying the
red, white, and blue.
We soon got calls, complaining that flying the flag was a sign of rebellion, and that we were
disrespectful to people from other countries. There's nothing disrespectful about it. After all, it's the freedoms this country
enjoys that brought those people here. It's the same freedoms that we put our lives on the line for. Swearing to God, under
oath, to give our life if need be, to protect the innocent and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, and
to defend the freedoms of the citizens. The way I look at it, if I am willing to give up my own life to defend those freedoms,
then I should be able to fly the flag of the greatest country in the world, without people being critical. However, it's one
of those freedoms, that so many men and women have fought and died for, that give people the right to call and complain. But,
it's those same freedoms that give me the right to elect not to accept their suggestion to remove the flags.
Growing up, my dad told me that fighting was always wrong - unless you were standing up for God,
your Country, your family, the weak, or what was right. I actually got into a lot of fistfights at school, which left the
school in between a rock and a hard place. I remember one time getting into a fight because a kid was picking on a retarded
child, and I took matters up with the bully. The principal called my dad and told him that he didn't know what to do with
me. Fighting was against the rules, but I was always doing it for the right reason. I guess those principles my dad taught
me as a child stuck with me, because it's those same principles that we have incorporated into a business. A business that
can exist because of the freedom to take a gamble on an idea, and make your own business. Freedoms that don't limit your ambition
or drive or creativity. Instead of being critical of me for putting flags on the motorcycles, I wish those people would take
the time to stop a veteran and thank him or her for what they have done for this country. And as far as ANVIS is concerned,
we appreciate all of the men and women in uniform who have made those sacrifices to protect our freedoms. And out of respect
for you, our flags are here to stay!
Tulsa Home Invasion Suspect Killed
Posted Tuesday December 23rd, 2008
A Tulsa Home Invasion Suspect was shot and killed by the "would be" victim, last night. During
the incident a gang attempted to force their way into a home, where a family was watching television. Apparently, the gang
of maggots stereotyped their targets - a Hispanic family - because the maggots thought that Hispanic people do not put their
money in banks.
In any event, the maggots forced their way into the home (with assault rifles). The father of
the family produced his weapon, and a gunfight transpired. The mother of the victim family was struck by a bullet during the
altercation - but good news, so was a bad guy. The maggot stumbled outside, and died on the front yard. The quick actions
of the father are commendable. Yes, he took a life - but he may have saved his own families'. I've always believed you should
"fight fire with fire," and really that's what ANVIS is. But, I think if more people were capable of protecting themselves,
and their families, and DID so (just like this father), criminals would be apprehensive about kicking in someone's door. I
pray for the maggot's family. I'm sure this is a hard loss, especially during the holidays. But, I would much rather him be
the loss than one of the family members watching t.v.
I also praise the father for defending his family. I have heard alot of people say, "well, I
would do the same thing if that ever happened to me." Talk is cheap. I've later answered calls at those people's houses, where
as it turns out, when given the opportunity they did not do the same thing. Taking a human life is a hard thing. But, kissing
your children around the Christmas tree is an easy thing to do. This father was forced to make a decision - had he not taken
this maggot's life, he may have not had children to kiss, or been around to kiss them.
I also commend his bravery. Outgunned by an assault rifle is a bad feeling. I used to hate those
SWAT call outs when you knew someone was inside with a rifle that would shoot straight through your bullet proof vest, and
you had to go inside and get him anyway. Alot of cops have ran from assault rifles - that's one of the reason SWAT teams exist.
But, when forced in this situation, the father went toe to toe with MULTIPLE threats, and his courage is something that I
admire.
ANVIS Celebrates a Year of Making a Difference!
So, it's been awhile since my last posting. ANVIS has exploded, and I had no idea so many people
logged on weekly, to see what I had to say. We have had several phone calls recently, asking "Why doesn't he post anymore?"
Well, I've just been busy.
If you come to this website often, you will notice a new page. It's the story of the Knight,
and the first year of ANVIS. ANVIS started in the apartment/neighborhood business a year ago (November). Since then, we have
contracted with over twenty apartment complexes and neighborhoods. I still come out and "manage" the guys often, although
we have hired the most competent law enforcement officers. My wife refers to ANVIS as our "baby," and she knows that I can
never truly let completely go of it.
If you have some spare time, read the new page. It's nothing controversial (like some of you
want). It's just an interesting story. I don't try to be controversial. I am just a straight forward guy that is honest and
calls things the way I see it (which is why the media loves it when I come around and why I suspect so many of you have been
asking when am I going to start writing the Soap Box again). Well, the answer is next week (although I guess technically I
already started if you count this one).
One thing to point out, we have been getting calls from a couple of different apartment complexes,
all in east Tulsa. They ask what our cars look like. I tell them they are just police cars - no markings or phone numbers
or anything like that. What we have been told is that there is a man in a blue compact car (not a patrol car) that says security
on the side of it. He is pulling up to young children and trying to lure them inside. He's telling them things like, "Your
dad told me to come get you," or "You're in big trouble, you better come with me." We have been looking for this guy for a
couple of weeks now, and trust me - when we find him he will come to understand the meaning of the term "big trouble." Warn
your children, and if you have any information (maybe a neighbor who has seen this guy's car) please contact our office, so
that we can find this guy, before a child gets hurt.
Family Doctor or Demon?
Posted for Monday, July 28, 2008
I am so damn tired of hearing about people hurting kids! The recent arrest of Doctor Krik Smith,
who is accused of molesting his stepdaughter is sickening.
There have been so many stories about things like this recently, that I'm not sure what is going
on. There was the recent teacher, who they discovered months later was video-taping young boys in the shower.
What is wrong with people? This is a Doctor. A profession that (by and large) virtually everyone
respects. Everyone has to unclothe for a Doctor, on occasion.
But, his past was already tainted, and in my opinion, he should have never been allowed
to practice. Nine years ago (during his residency) he received
complaints from four women for sexual misconduct.
So, the maggot moves his practice to Iowa, and is granted a 'restricted' license. Then he comes
here, with a clear license.
Look, there are bad apples in every bunch. There are teachers, doctors, and even policemen,
that have been accused of this type of stuff. But, that's one of the things that makes it so hard. When someone in a trusted
position, like these, uses their position to commit crimes....against children.
One of the most disturbing things, was this maggot's mug shot (the one on the news). He looks
so proud. Like he just shot a trophy deer, or bought a new car, OR GRADUATED FROM MEDICAL SCHOOL. And the reality is that
our prison system (if he is convicted) will utilize his knowledge, and he'll probably be the prison doctor.
See my post two weeks ago, about how I think they should deal with these monsters.
This is a Doctor. A person that is trusted to 'fix' people. But now, there's a little girl,
who I'm sure has years of counseling to attend. Children that have been molested have a higher percentage rate for teen pregnancy,
drug use, suicide, and just about any other thing that you pray your children don't get involved in.
I don't know what this Doctor has accomplished in his career. But despite any good that he may
have done, he wiped all that good away with the evil acts that he forced on a child.
More Meth Labs on the Rise!
I was excited to see that my old unit (The Sheriff's Drug Task Force) completed another raid,
and found another meth lab. Although I am proud of the guys that I used to work with, it still angers me that this drug has
become so prevalent in our society.
When I first went undercover, I had a hard time buying drugs. I had short hair, I could barely
grow a beard, and I had all of my teeth. It seemed like the only people doing meth (or as we called them 'crankster gangsters'
had long hair, tattoos up and down both arms, and about two teeth in the whole mouth.
But somewhere down the line, the drug evolved and more 'professional' types of people are using
it. After being undercover awhile, I cut my hair, and dressed nicer, and it was easier to buy methamphetamine than when I
looked rough.
Probably some of my most troubling memories of being a cop are the kids I saw in those environments.
I arrested a lady (Tasha Clinton) who kept the meth oil next to her baby's crib. Thanks to an aggressive Assistant District
Attorney, we made history in terminating her parental rights as a result of her actions. That is the type of aggressive prosecution
that it is going to take to make a 'dent' in this drug problem.
These maggots are even going so far now as to produce meth in different colors, so that it is
more appealing to children. They try to make the drug look like candy, so that younger children will try it.
What people don't realize is how dangerous narcotics in police work is. The officers working
it have to run the risk of some maggot robbing them, as well as finding out they're a cop. Aside from that, you have to put
yourself in some pretty tough spots (rough bars, etc)., and you have to walk the walk.
And aside from these dangers, a meth lab is VERY dangerous. These environments could explode
at any given time. Additionally, there are unseen gases (which can not be smelled either) such as phosphine gas, which will
melt your lungs, and cause certain death.
The fact that these officers are attacking these environments (aggressively again) is commendable.
Support your officers, and demand that your lawmakers stiffen the penalty for drug cooks. After all, they are the 'top of
the food chain.'
If you suspect a meth lab in your neighborhood, by all means- call the police. They have a very
distinct odor (so much in fact that law enforcement can get a search warrant for a house solely based on the smell surrounding
the house).
