VOL. 11 - Issue 3 2020 - The Blue Magazine

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VOL. 11 - Issue 3 2020 - The Blue Magazine
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VOL. 11 - Issue 3 2020 - The Blue Magazine
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VOL. 11 - Issue 3 2020 - The Blue Magazine
PUBLISHER
                                                                            contents
Daniel Del Valle
Editor-In-Chief
George Beck, Ph.D.
executive Editor
John Welsh
chief DESIGN EDITOR
                                                                            6 editor’s point of view                     41 Recruitment
Dari Izhaky                                                                    George Beck, Ph.D.                           Culture Change in Police Recruitment
                                                                                                                            By Chris Gialanella
Associate Editor
Joel E. Gordon                                                              8 national voice
Web Designer
                                                                               The Chaos Can Be Stopped by Going         42 fitness
Joe Lemire                                                                     Full Speed on Crisis                         Training in the Zone
                                                                               By Bernard B. Kerik                          By Sgt. Kaluba “Coach Kal” Chipepo
creative design director
Dan Larco
                                                                            11 Sheriff Clarke Speaks Out                 44 relationships
Director of Media/Business Relations                                                                                        Stay Connected
Sandy Amin                                                                     How to Lose An Election
                                                                               By Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. (Ret.)        By Anthony Mikatarian
copy EDITOR
J. Scott Wilson
                                                                            12 Standing Together                         45 reflection
writers                                                                                                                     Pray For Our Black Youth
Efren Almodovar                               John G. Malcolm                  Shot in the Head, Forgotten,
Chris Amos                                    Eva Malone                       Abandoned, and Fired: Sergeant               By Officer Deon Joseph
Caroline Angel                                Capt. Lori Mambelli (Ret.)
                                                                               Matthew Schoolfield’s Story.
Christian Argudo
Meredith Atwood
                                              Deniz Majagah
                                              Michelle Malkin                  By Christopher Scilingo
                                                                                                                         47 inspiration
George Beck, Ph.D.                            Jay Martinez                                                                  4 Ways to Maintain Emotional
Robert (Bob) Bianchi, Esq.
Joseph Biasco
                                              Brian Mast
                                              Nick Mauriello
                                                                            17 Inside Perspective                           Strength & Control
Michael D. Boll                               Sheriff Leo McGuire (Ret.)       Whose Side Are They on Anyway?               By Joe Hammond
Rebecca Calhoun                               Anthony Mikitarian               By Lieutenant Patrick J. Ciser (Ret.)
Jonny Castro
Joseph Celentano
                                              Eddie Molina
                                              Lt. Joseph Pangaro (Ret.)
                                                                                                                         48 American History
Anthony Ceravolo                              Timothy Parlatore, Esq.       18 national Perspective                         Alphonse Capone:
Lt. Patrick J. Ciser (Ret.)                   Kris “Tanto” Paronto             Notes on the Coming Meat Shortage            Prohibition’s Robin Hood
Sgt. Kaluba Chipepo                           Dr. Demetrick Pennie
Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr.                   William Peppard                  By Michelle Malkin                           By George Beck, Ph.D.
Danielle Crosson                              Joseph Petrocelli
Daniel Del Valle
Vincent D’Amico
                                              Gary Przewoznik
                                              Dr. Aaron Rapps
                                                                            20 corrections                               52 giving back
John J. Devoe                                 Geoffrey Rejent                  Five Life Lessons COVID-19                   “Pray With Me, Don’t Prey On Me”
Dr. Michael Doblin                            Danny Reynoso                    has Taught Me                                By Julia Torres
Det. Ed Dolan                                 Robine Riffle
Bob Dvorchak                                  Rafael Rosa
                                                                               By Ted Tank
Sherif Elias                                  Chief Rich Rosell                                                          55 leADERSHIP
Sgt. Anthony Espino                           Lt. James Rotundo             21 inside view                                  There is No One-size-fits-all Approach
Sgt. Thomas S. Fano, (Ret.)                   Christoper Scilingo              The Politics of Personal Destruction
Dawn Fantasia                                 Cynthia Scott                                                                 By Christopher Scilingo
Eric Feinberg                                 Thomas Shea                      By Joel E. Gordon
Dr. Jim F. Ford, Jr.
Robert Foreman
                                              Barry Sheinkopf
                                              Timothy Smith, Esq.           24 cover story                               56 straightforward
Ted Freeman                                   PO Valerie Stetz (Ret.)                                                       Why Be A Volunteer Victim?
Scott Frezzo                                  Sgt. Jeff Stewart                Uncertainty The Road Ahead:                  By Joel E. Gordon
Michael Garcia                                Lt. Randy Sutton (Ret.)          By Daniel Del Valle, George Beck Ph.D.,
Chris Gialanella                              Gregory Tamagnini
Joel E. Gordon
Beth C. Grossman, Esq.
                                              Ted Tank
                                              Julia Torres
                                                                               and Joel E. Gordon
                                                                                                                         59 exercise
                                                                                                                            Exercise is More Important Now
Joe Hammond
Deon Joseph
                                              Joseph R. Uliano, Ed.D.
                                              Eddie Vega
                                                                            26 on the frontlines                            Than Ever Before
Fasil Khan                                    Ryan Weber                       Deserted: Document Now                       By Lieutenant Patrick J. Ciser (Ret.)
Dr. Brian P. Kelly                            Brian Weitzman                   By George Beck, Ph.D
Bernard Kerik                                 John Welsh
Sgt. Dave Kryger
Kirk Lawless
                                              J. Scott Wilson
                                                                            28 LOOKING BACK                              60 garfield police release
                                              Major Wesley R. Wise (Ret.)
                                                                                                                            Garfield on Ice
Photographers                                                                  The Baltimore Police Strike of 1974          By Sgt. Jeff Stewart
Vincent D’Amico                               Barry Morgenstein                By Major Wesley R. Wise (Ret.)
Michael Garcia
Willis Hulings
                                              Joshua Oliveri
                                              Bobby Ortiz                   30 On the Job                                61 Police Chaplains
                                                                               How to Lead When You Aren’t
                                                                                                                            Perspective
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                                                                               Coronavirus; Are We Mentally Prepared?
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VOL. 11 - Issue 3 2020 - The Blue Magazine
VOL. 11 - Issue 3 2020 - The Blue Magazine
editor’s POINt of VIEW

                W              elcome to another excellent issue of Blue Magazine. We have a lot of information to share with
                               you.
                           So far, 2020 has been challenging. The coronavirus is a significant health issue that has taken the
                  lives of many people, and we at Blue Magazine mourn the loss of all those who died from COVID-19 related
                  illnesses. We also extend our support to those continuing to battle the virus.
                          We must also acknowledge the truth that the coronavirus has sadly morphed into a major political
issue, and the collateral damages are devastating. Yet, it seems nobody wants to have this conversation. Why? Why can’t we
discuss the starvation — the suicides and the utter destruction caused by the shutdown? Does anyone care that many people
are down to their last few packages of ramen noodles? Why can’t we hear the perspective of the families struggling with hun-
ger from loss of employment, and how sad it is they put their children in bed at night knowing they are hungry? Why is this
not part of the discussion? As I said, yes, the coronavirus is serious, and so are starvation, depression, unemployment and
suicide.
     Is it any wonder why protests to end the shutdown are assembling en masse? Many people are asking why these protest-
ers are not listening. Some claim it’s a lack of education or a misinformed rebellious spirit that drives these folks. I see this
differently. The rebellion against the shutdown is the direct result of taking a one-sided approach. People have legitimate
grievances that are being ignored. At the same time, they are told to shut up — that science is the answer, and their struggles
don’t matter. We must make certain the cure is not worse than the disease.
     The road ahead for our profession is full of uncertainty. We are taking the brunt of the effects of the coronavirus and the
shutdown, and in the near future could realistically see unemployment, increases in officers getting hurt or killed and wrong-
ful prosecutions as the scapegoats of the shutdown. Be sure to check out the cover story where much of this is addressed.
    As we move forward in 2020, it pains me to write about the loss of our Blue Magazine writer, Dr. Joseph Devine.
Dr. Devine was not only a coworker and mentor, but he was also my friend.
No matter what time I called, he answered. We co-authored articles together.
Leadership was his passion. He was a leader who built other leaders. He wasn’t
afraid to lift others up. Dr. Devine was a great man who genuinely cared for
his family and friends. We’ll miss him greatly. Dr. Devine’s sudden passing
reminds us to slow things down and to cherish the good people in our lives
and spend as much time as we can with those who really care about us. Rest In
Peace, Dr. Devine. Your impact on the lives of many is everlasting.

George Beck, Ph.D.
Editor-in-Chief

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VOL. 11 - Issue 3 2020 - The Blue Magazine
national voice

The Chaos Can Be Stopped
by Going Full Speed on Crisis
By Bernard B. Kerik

N
       ineteen years after the attacks of Sept.   American public to STOP listening to the               The bottom line is, this virus is danger-
       11, 2001, one would think that the         journalists.                                      ous, but it's not the end of the world.
       country’s local and state governments             Listen to the president’s task force and        We as a nation will get through this,
would have had crisis management plans            listen to the CDC, but stop listening to          but the American public must follow the
and protocols in place to address the issues      journalists who know nothing, and who             recommendations of the president’s task
at hand today; calming fears, instilling calm     are making statements and inferences that         force, and local and state leaders must take
and confidence.                                   do nothing but confuse the public, while          politics out of the equation.
      However, instead of witnessing crisis       inciting fear and panic.                               Anti-Trump pundits and journalists
management at its best by local and state                As someone who was involved in             must scale it back and act responsibly.
government leaders, it’s been chaos man-          dealing with West Nile Virus issues in New             Real crisis management is how we are
agement at levels that are frightening — to       York City in 2000, overseeing the response,       going to get through this, not chaos man-
say the least.                                    rescue, and recovery of the most substantial      agement.
      They’ve created fear and panic which        terrorist attack in world history, then dealt          Unfortunately, there are people out
have been greatly exaggerated by the              with Anthrax attacks, as well as the crash        there doing their best to create as much
mainstream media for nothing other than           of American Airlines Flight 587 killing 260       chaos as possible.
political reasons — because they hate             people, I along with Mayor Rudy Giuliani               It’s time for that to stop.
President Donald Trump.                           have dealt with a crisis or two.                  (Article courtesy of www.newsmax.com)
      In January 2018, late night comedian               In watching the response today to this
Bill Maher said "I’m hoping for a crashing        crisis, I applaud President Trump, Vice-          As New York City’s 40th Po-
economy so we can get rid of Trump."              President Pence and their team, but — I           lice Commissioner, Bernard
      Yesterday Matt McDermott, a Trump           would urge local and state leaders to follow      Kerik was in command of
deranged democratic pollster and strategist       suit.                                             the NYPD on September 11,
posted a Twitter message inferring that the              The president’s team has recommended       2001, and responsible for the
recent crash of the stock market, was the         avoiding gatherings of 50 or more.                city’s response, rescue, recov-
President’s fault.                                       Some states have lowered that number       ery, and the investigative efforts of the most
      Coincidence? I don’t think so.              to 10.                                            substantial terror attack in world history. His
      One supposed physician clearly desp-               In New Jersey, a county executive low-     35-year career has been recognized in more
ing the president, actually tweeted that the      ered that number to four.                         than 100 awards for meritorious and heroic
mortality of the Coronavirus could top 62                These decisions must be made with          service, including a presidential commenda-
million people, which is not only not real-       common sense, taking into consideration           tion for heroism by President Ronald Rea-
istic, but dreadfully irresponsible and does      the public threat, without destroying com-        gan, two Distinguished Service Awards from
nothing but instills fear, panic, and confu-      munities and creating panic. Local and state      the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
sion in the American public.                      leaders must have better messaging… even          The Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and an ap-
      One of the most celebrated and re-          if it takes three to four public pressers a day   pointment as Honorary Commander of the
spected physicians in the country, Dr. Drew       to get out accurate public announcements,         Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Pinsky, went on what I believe is a very jus-     diminishing and eliminating and diminish-         by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
tified rant slamming the media, telling the       ing rumors.

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Sheriff Clarke Speaks Out
                                  How to Lose
                                  An Election                                                        By Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. (Ret.)

W
          ith nearly every sporting event can-   had that arrogant attitude too. They thought     nors because she believed she was destined.
          celed during the COVID19 out-          that there was no way a businessman from               The “smart” people thought they could
          break, I went back to one of my fa-    Queens with no political experience could        win the election solely on data and analyt-
vorite pastimes: reading. One of the books       beat Hilary, who former President Obama          ics. A ground game was old school, and no
I read was: Hacks: The Inside Story of the       called the smartest and most qualified           longer relevant Brazile was told. I also hear
Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Don-           candidate who had ever run for president.        about data and analytics from the Trump
ald Trump in the White House.                    Really?                                          campaign. Let me remind them that data
      Former Chairwoman of the Democrat               Another issue that plagued the Clinton      and analytics do not win elections; they are
National Committee Donna Brazile can-            camp was ignoring what Brazile called the        a tool, a force multiplier.
didly gives readers a close-up view of how       storm clouds on the horizon. People at the             The other disease that plagued
Hilary Clinton and her campaign team             top-level of a campaign rarely go below          Clinton’s campaign was an over-reliance
were active participants in their demise.        deck to get a different perspective. People      on consultants, who are nothing more
This book should serve as a blueprint to the     below deck are oftentimes blown off as not       than a snake-oil salesman. Consultants do
re-elect Donald Trump 2020 campaign and          important enough because they don’t have         little more than bleed campaigns of cash
the Republican National Committee. Better        a fancy title or a spacious office with a big    while adding little in return. Most do not
to learn from other’s mistakes than mak-         desk and great view. They couldn’t possibly      know how elections are run, most have
ing the same ones. It should be mandatory        know anything. However, below deck are           never worked in a campaign or have been
reading for every top-level campaign staffer     the state party chairmen and chairwomen,         a candidate, but the belief is that if you
down to the 50 state party chairs. What          the volunteers, and the base voters. Their       don’t have consultants on staff, you’re not
happened to Clinton was not an anomaly, it       perspective can inform the top that there        a viable campaign. In fact, the opposite is
infects every campaign, and if it is not man-    is an iceberg up ahead and that the ship         true. The money not spent on consultants
aged effectively, it can turn what should be     is headed right for it unless they correct       can be better spent at the state Party local
certain victory into a crushing defeat. Ar-      course.                                          level where, unlike consultants, the people
rogance and complacency were fatal here.              Even though Brazile was high up on          know how to get out the vote. In the end,
      Brazile’s work serves as a reminder that   the food chain, she was pushed aside by          everything done in a campaign has to
no election win is guaranteed. One of the        millennial snotty-nosed staffers who had         contribute to increasing voter turnout. If it
first lessons learned was to avoid the curse     no real campaign experiences. Brazile,           doesn’t, get rid of it.
of inevitability. Everybody in the Clinton       with her 40 years of campaign experience               Finally, Brazile talked about not
campaign had an attitude that she was            at the presidential level, had a gut feel-       forgetting the people who got you there in
destined to be president of the United States.   ing that the operation was not hitting on        the first place. Trump’s campaign cannot
The problem is that someone forgot to            all cylinders. There was a lack of urgency       dismiss most of the people who in 2016
notify black voters in Michigan, Wisconsin,      and enthusiasm. She heard complaints             helped him win. Clinton got rid of most
and Pennsylvania, states Clinton and her         from volunteers, from people who didn’t          of Obama’s campaign staff. Yeah, the guy
staff ignored. I currently sense this attitude   have a fancy enough title and from state         who came out of nowhere and beat the
from some Trump supporters who believe           party people who told her that the top of        “smartest” woman ever to run for president.
it is impossible Joe Biden can win in            the campaign was disconnected from the           So, during the unpredictable COVID-19 flu
November. They claim Biden is too old and        rest of them. Not much of the nearly bil-        outbreak, we should also stay focused on
losing it mentally. They say if Trump runs       lion dollars that Clinton raised was filtering   the 2020 election.
on the economy, he’s a shoo-in. I guess they     down. Even yard signs, brochures, and local      (Article courtesy of townhall.com)
weren’t expecting that COVID19 would             office spaces were hard to come by. The top
wipe out three years of economic gains in a      brass arrogantly told her that yard signs do     Sheriff David Clarke Jr. is
week. Also, the chatter of Trump getting 20      not win campaigns. Brazile reminded them         former Sheriff of Milwaukee
to 30% of the black vote in 2020 based on a      that they show the enthusiasm and energy         Co, Wisconsin, President of
survey is complacency. The black vote for        among the base voters and that it could be       AmericasSheriff LLC, Board
Trump has to be cultivated at ground level,      contagious. She reminded them that in the        of Directors for the Crime
not from a survey-taker.                         black community, brochures and radio ads         Prevention Research Center,
      Brazile’s book also reminds us that        are how they get engaged and enthused. She       author of the book Cop Under Fire: Beyond
because people say they support the job you      said it was essential to get out and meet new    Hashtags of Race Crime and Politics for a
are doing does not automatically transfer        people to register. However, Hilary stuck to     Better America. To learn more visit www.
into them voting for you. The Clinton camp       appearing at fundraisers with wealthy do-        americassheriff.com

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Standing Together
Shot in the Head, Forgotten, Abandoned, and Fired:
Sergeant Matthew Schoolfield’s Story.
By Christopher Scilingo

L
    aw enforcement officers are tasked with      murder any officer attempting to take him           in solidarity and support Sgt. Schoolfield.
    tough jobs and placed in some of the         into custody. The aftermath of the warrant          As for the Chickasha officials and the police
    most dangerous situations one could          execution resulted in seven officers being          administration puppets that the city pulls
imagine. Always operating within the gray        injured. Sgt. Schoolfield took at least five        the strings of, they neither have the grati-
areas of the law, law enforcement officers       rounds from Klinger’s .308, including one           tude nor respect for the sergeant’s years of
have no choice but to place themselves in        that penetrated his ballistic helmet. But           honorable service to the city and its com-
harm’s way to do their job. But when an offi-    warriors such as Schoolfield don’t go down          munity. To add insult to injury, the city of-
cer does his or her job, carefully and brave-    so easily. He was able to get himself out of the    fered Sgt. Schoolfield an ultimatum; take a
ly, and while being wounded by gunfire           kill-zone where other officers could render         lower-paying civilian job or take no job at
multiple times — even being struck in the        first aid to him. Klinger had the luxury of         all. Somehow the city officials can stand be-
head — one should expect honors, medals,         surviving the gun battle and was ultimately         hind that decision and feel that they are of-
and celebration for the hero officer. Instead,   convicted for his crimes and sentenced to           fering Schoolfield a good deal. He may have
Sgt. Matthew Schoolfield of the Chickasha,       10 consecutive life terms. After a long road        been fired due to whatever fiscal excuses
OK Police Department, was fired, forgotten       to recovery, Sgt. Schoolfield returned to           that the city can cook up, but he should
and abandoned.                                   work in a limited capacity, still as a sworn        never be forgotten and abandoned by his
      Forgotten and fired is the exact result    law enforcement officer, but not for long.          employer, his community and especially his
after what happened on Sept. 17, 2017, dur-            This is the part of Sgt. Schoolfield’s sto-   fellow officers.
ing a search warrant execution at the prop-      ry where the real injustice takes place. The              All law enforcement officers and sup-
erty of a kidnapping and assault suspect.        Chickasha Police Department removed the             porters must examine Sgt. Schoolfield’s
Chickasha police officers arrived at 3507        position that he worked in, thus leaving him        situation and reflect on it. Think about how
S. 4th Street with a search warrant in hand      with no job. In February 2020, Schoolfield’s        you would react if one of your brothers or
and armed with a police tactical team in         department officially fired him. No public          sisters in blue was fired after being severe-
case things went south. When no one an-          outcry, no media blitz, not even a blue line        ly injured in a gun battle with a criminal.
swered the door, the police made their en-       of solidarity from his peers to support him         We know all too well that every shift that
trance.                                          — no blue wall of officers standing shoul-          we put the shield on our chest and gun on
      Unbeknownst to the officers, suspect       der to shoulder to back up a hero police of-        our hip could be our last. It could be any of
Alex Warren Klinger waited inside armed          ficer who was limited to light duty because         us that are walking through the door of a
with a semiautomatic .308 rifle, ready to        of the wounds he sustained while serving            home or walking up to the window of a car,
                                                                           the       community.      and suddenly everything could change in a
                                                                           Could it have some-       moment. Bad things happen in this profes-
                                                                           thing to do with the      sion, sometimes it’s inevitable, but it’s the
                                                                           right to work laws        aftermath and response to those bad things
                                                                           where the sergeant        that separate us from every other profes-
                                                                           is from? Were other       sion. We can accept to some degree that we
                                                                           officers fearful of       may be harmed while doing our duty, but
                                                                           political      retalia-   we should never accept that we will be for-
                                                                           tion from the city?       gotten and abandoned by our brothers and
                                                                           Was Sgt. Schoolfield      sisters.
                                                                           abandoned by his                Blue Magazine stands with Sgt. School-
                                                                           brothers and sisters      field.
                                                                           because there was no
                                                                           police union to back      Chris Scilingo is a police of-
                                                                           them up, to stand up      ficer in NJ since 2011. He’s a
                                                                           against an ungrateful     Marine veteran who served
                                                                           city administration?      in Iraq and Afghanistan. He
                                                                               I feel only shame     holds a bachelor’s degree from
                                                                           for those brother and     Fairleigh Dickinson Univer-
                                                                           sister officers who,      sity and is currently pursuing a master’s de-
                                                                           for whatever reason,      gree. Chris aspires to teach higher education
                                                                           have accepted their       after transitioning from law enforcement.
                                                                           excuses not to stand

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Inside Perspective

Whose side are they on
  anyway?                                                                                         By Lieutenant Patrick J. Ciser (Ret.)

W
            hy would politicians make laws        tourism would increase. The misguided           in danger who now have to track him down.
            that leave us less safe? It’s mind-   mayor of NYC, however, who the NYPD             It’s NOT rocket science! Turn an unarmed
            boggling to think of a nation         Sergeants Union just declared “war” on by       ex-con over to federal authorities in a con-
with leaders who would, ostensibly, stand         the way, believes that closing Rikers Island,   trolled environment, or take the chance of
up for the rights of criminals over the rights    releasing perps without bail, and declaring     force, or deadly force, used against those
of their victims and future victims. And          NYC a Sanctuary City is the answer. And to      that try to bring him in later. Not to men-
that’s exactly what bail reform and Sanctu-       make things worse, New York State Demo-         tion the innocent bystanders that are at risk
ary City laws are doing. Law and order is         cratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo agrees! Some           as well.
something we should all be concerned with         argue about the cost of housing so many               Some sheriffs are fighting back while
for the safety of our families and commu-         prisoners, but I would argue, what’s the cost   standing by the Constitution and their oath
nities, regardless of party affiliation. Jux-     to our communities if we release them?          of office. Most striking is Orange County
tapose these new laws with the get-tough               During the crack epidemic in the ‘80s      California Sheriff Don Barnes, who’s in,
policies of the Clinton administration in         and into the early ‘90s, crime was extremely    ostensibly, our most unrepentant Sanctuary
the 1990s, which absolutely cut down on           high, and something needed to be done. In       State. He’s taking a stand against California
crime. “Three strikes” policies were a great      April 1994, the New York City Police De-        Senate Bill 54, which is known as California
concept but admittedly should have been           partment, with the support of “tough on         Values Act. Isn’t it nice that politicians
enforced on a case-by-case basis while look-      crime” Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani,          always come up with these flowery or benign
ing at the severity of the crimes committed.      developed a plan to decrease crime to his-      names for bills that are nothing of a kind?
Over the years, some politicians have been        toric lows. This strategy/plan would serve      I mean, who wouldn’t vote for a “Values”
horrified over the staggering numbers of          as a model for other agencies across the        Act? Here is a quote from this level-headed
the United States prison population, while        country. Commissioner Bill Bratton, Jack        sheriff: “Rather than protect our immigrant
I on the other hand, saw it as a good thing.      Maple and Louis Anemone researched and          community, the law has enabled offenders
To this day, many law enforcement officials       developed “CompStat” (Compare Statis-           to be released, often times back into the
in NYC claim that approximately 5,000 re-         tics). This, coupled with “Broken Windows       immigrant communities they prey upon,
petitive criminals are responsible for most       Theory,” drastically reduced crime rates and    and create new victims.” Statistics show that
of the serious crime in the five boroughs.        increased incarceration rates, making New       Orange County alone has released 2,121
In theory, if we locked up all 5,000 and          York City the safest big city in America.       inmates from jail, who should have been
gave them stiffer sentences, all of the good      Crime dropped in all categories, but most       held on U.S. Immigration and Customs
people in New York City would benefit, and        striking was the murder rate. In 1993 NYC       Enforcement detainers in 2018 and 2019.
                                                  had 1,946 homicides, while in the year          As a result, 411 of those released have been
                                                  2000, it had only 673. Make NO MISTAKE!         re-arrested for additional crimes, including
                                                  It was a “tough on crime” attitude and po-      rape, assault with a deadly weapon, child
                                                  lices that supported proactive police work      sex offenses and domestic violence. The
                                                  that got the job done.                          insane are now running the asylum.
                                                       Today however, because of the politi-
                                                  cal climate, some have shifted to sympa-        Credits: Some excerpts taken from an internet
                                                  thizing with the predators rather than the      article by Mitch McKinley (Feb. 6th, 2020)
                                                  prey. There are two kinds of cops; the ones
                                                  that attack crime, and unfortunately, the       Pat Ciser is a retired lieu-
                                                  ones who wanna stay out of trouble. The         tenant from the Clifton Po-
                                                  latter are usually the ones who suck up to      lice Department, and a 7th
                                                  the politicians who promote them to their       Degree Black Belt. He was
                                                  next rank. I’ll NEVER understand how any        a member of 5 U.S. Karate
                                                  reputable sheriff or police chief can support   Teams, winning gold med-
                                                  Sanctuary policies! When you allow a felon      als in South America and Europe. He is the
                                                  to avoid an ICE “hold” or warrant, it only      Author of BUDO and the BADGE; Exploits
                                                  puts the people that he preyed upon and         of a Jersey Cop (BN.com/Amazon), and is a
                                                  others in more danger. It also puts the cops    guest writer for Official Karate Magazine.

Follow Us on                                                                             the Blue magazine | Vol. 11 - Issue 3 2020         17
national perspective

Notes
on the Coming
Meat Shortage
By Michelle Malkin

T
    he Great Toilet Paper Scare of 2020 has        down and off the streets, out of the cars and   Since 2002, 9,143 refugees from 37 coun-
    come to end, but don't breathe a sigh of       in no hurry to get on planes or trains. The     tries have resettled in Iowa (which doesn't
    relief just yet. The Spring Meat Stam-         latest Consumer Price Index summary re-         include so-called secondary migration, or
pede is here.                                      veals rising rent prices and costs of medical   friends and relatives moving to Iowa from
      At my local Costco in Colorado Springs       care services on top of spiking meat prices.    their primary settlement location). Taxpay-
on Monday, fresh chicken breast was no-            With nearly 26 million Americans now out        er-subsidized Catholic Charities, Lutheran
where to be found. Nationwide, bacon               of work, signs of impending stagflation         Services and the U.S. Committee for Refu-
prices doubled. Wholesale pork prices for          loom. That "V-shaped recovery" is more          gees and Immigrants have reaped millions
ham, ribs and loins rose between 12% and           like a "P.D." recovery: Pipe Dream.             dumping them across Central Iowa — and
32% over the last seven days. COVID-19                   More candor from all the Beltway "ex-     abandoning them in cultural, linguistic and
outbreaks among the nation's major meat            perts" about what we face would be help-        economic ghettos at the mercy of exploit-
processing plants have shut down nearly            ful to our suffering citizenry. While we're     ative employers.
20% of the country's fresh pork produc-            at it, this nation must confront the dangers         As Refugee Resettlement Watch
tion. Chinese-owned Smithfield Foods has           of dependency on the globalized, homoge-        founder and investigator Ann Corcoran
shuttered five facilities so far because of sick   nized methods of producing meat and oth-        reports, "The dark underbelly of the giant
and no-show workers; Tyson Foods warns             er key products in our food supply, which       globalist meatpacking industry in the US is
"the food supply is breaking" and "millions        is concentrated in the hands of a quarter of    being exposed as large numbers of slaugh-
of pounds of meat will disappear" by May 1         giant multinational corporations who press      terhouse workers are creating US hotspots
after the mega-corporation idled its largest       for unlimited alien workers in exchange         for the spread of the Chinese virus."
pork plant in Iowa, a beef plant in Washing-       for low food prices. An estimated 30% of             A decentralized system of meat and
ton state and another meatpacking facility         America's meat production employees are         poultry production would enhance food se-
in Indiana.                                        foreign-born. As usual, "Open Borders           curity, national security and public health.
      Recently, President Donald Trump in-         Inc." reaps all the benefits while we're left   Demographic conquest fueled by big busi-
voked the Defense Production Act to com-           holding an empty grocery bag.                   ness' insatiable appetite for cheap labor, by
pel the nation's biggest meat processors to              Let's remember: Tyson Foods was em-       contrast, is making us sick to our stomachs
stay open and stave off shortages. How ex-         broiled in an illegal immigrant smuggling       in more ways than one.
actly the feds will "address liability issues"     racket two decades ago. The company has
(which Tyson Foods execs complained                paid Swamp lobbyists like Republican Ed         Michelle Malkin is an Ameri-
about to Trump) and force union leaders to         Gillespie millions of dollars to push for il-   can conservative blogger, po-
comply remains unclear. Whether the or-            legal immigrant amnesty. And Big Meat           litical commentator, author,
der actually heads off mass hysteria is also       coordinates with refugee resettlement rack-     and businesswoman. Her
iffy. As we saw with the toilet paper rush,        eteers to import tens of thousands of cheap     weekly syndicated column ap-
Chicken Little-ism is contagious. Warnings         laborers from Asia, Africa and Latin Amer-      pears in a number of newspa-
about shortages induce shortages. Admoni-          ica into the heartland.                         pers and websites. She was a Fox News con-
tions of "Don't hoard the Charmin" failed                Just one example: Tyson fundamental-      tributor and has been a guest on MSNBC,
in the face of mob behavior. Same with             ly transformed Waterloo, Iowa, by working       C-SPAN, and national radio programs. Mal-
"Don't hoard the hocks."                           with faith-based government contractors         kin has written several books. She founded
      With meat prices rising, the economic        to ship in thousands of low-wage Burmese        the conservative websites Twitchy and Hot
landscape looks bleak. While gas is less than      refugees to fill jobs at the meat plant now     Air. E-mail: Michelle MalkinInvestigates@
$2 a gallon, much of the nation is still locked    at the center of a coronavirus outbreak.        protonmail.com

 18   the Bluemagazine | Vol. 11 - Issue 3 2020                                                                  To Advertise Call: 973-653-3446
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corrections

Five Life Lessons
COVID-19 has Taught Me
By Ted Tank

T
       hese past few months have been the         and children for the last time already? I       I got up and did it again. I felt tired but my
       most unusual, sometimes depressing         then turned to God and prayed I would get       body forced me to stay focused. I’ve never
       times I have been through. As some-        through it. I promised I would be a better      been tested like that and I’m still surprised
       one in his upper 40’s, that says a lot.    Catholic if He spared me. I plan on keeping     I got through it - I guess I had no other op-
     As this pandemic started to unfold           that promise.                                   tion. I wasn’t alone, many of my co-workers
back in February, I was a naysayer. I was                                                         struggled similarly, but we all got through it
in denial before I finally said to myself, this
virus shit is real. That’s when I started pay-
                                                  2  I learned who I’d go to war with and
                                                     who I wouldn’t. Once I was cleared to        because we are very resilient.

ing closer attention and I started noticing
things going on in and around me.
                                                  return to work, the virus was just starting
                                                  to take its toll on us. Nearly half of every
                                                  shift was forced into quarantine. The other
                                                                                                  4    Creativity rules a new battlefield. During
                                                                                                       the ‘thick of things’, memos, directives
                                                                                                  and policies were changing hourly. It was
     In mid-March I started to develop cold       half had to work 16- hour shifts, some for      tough to keep up. One thing I learned was
like symptoms; headache, cough, sluggish-         10 straight days. Fatigue, stress and anxiety   to adapt and shift my priorities to what’s
ness. None of the symptoms associated to          started to set in and morale was at- by far-    important - enforcing the law and not
COVID-19 so I couldn’t get tested. I was          the lowest I have seen in my 20-years with      getting sick. When you’re on the battlefield
diagnosed with an upper respiratory in-           the department. During the peak of the          and everything is changing around you
fection, also known as a common cold. I           struggle I noticed that two types of officers   constantly, you must get creative. As a law
stayed home a few days and was subse-             and supervisors emerged. The first type         enforcement supervisor, I had to get creative
quently cleared by my department to return        stepped up everywhere they went because         everywhere I went. Each day turned into
to work.                                          they wanted to help their blue family get       let’s just get through today. Once it was all
     Between the moment I felt those symp-        through this. They volunteered for difficult    said and done and things began to ease up
toms and the weeks that followed, I learned       assignments, offered help everywhere they       a little, I realized that creativity is the key
some very important lessons that I feel will      went, and kept everyone’s spirits up and        to managing an ever-changing battlefield.
be relevant to me forever:                        they earned my ultimate respect. The other      For all intents and purposes, dealing with

1  I have a renewed appreciation for God.
   The first day of my symptoms worried
me so I immediately quarantined myself
                                                  type exposed was questionable at best. They
                                                  stayed home often, abused the generous
                                                  leave policy in effect and let everyone
                                                                                                  COVID-19 was a battle and we were all at
                                                                                                  war.

to the basement to help protect my family.
I assumed the symptoms were COVID
                                                  down. I’m sure it won’t be soon forgotten
                                                  by their peers.
                                                                                                  5  I never thought I would enjoy clean-
                                                                                                     ing. I now look at doorknobs, handles,
                                                                                                  phones, anything frequently touched with
related. Working in a prison, I figured there
was no way I was going to avoid contracting
the virus, regardless of how many times I
                                                  3  People are much more resilient than
                                                     we realize. As the long days and stress-
                                                  ful times progressed, officer’s limits were
                                                                                                  greater suspicion. I squint my eyes, turn my
                                                                                                  head as ask myself what diabolical germs
                                                                                                  and viruses are you hoarding right now you
practically boiled my hands clean. I then         challenged greater than ever before. The        bastard? I find added joy in taking precious
let the fear the media instills in people         human body is far more capable of toler-        disinfectant wipes and cleaning all those
consume me. Am I going to die? Am I going         ating stress than I realized. For well over a   surfaces.
to end up in the hospital on a respirator         week, I was averaging three to four hours of
sleeping towards death? Did I hug my wife                                                            I never thought battling the invisible
                                                  poor-quality sleep per night. But each day      would bring any joy, but now it does.

                                                            We’re not here to filter your message,
                                                            we’re not here to give you a one-sided argument.
                                                            We’re here to publish all views,
                                                            from any and all in law enforcement.
                                                            We’re all Blue, we’re The Blue Magazine.

                                                            Pro-law enforcement, pro-truth, pro you!

 20   the Bluemagazine | Vol. 11 - Issue 3 2020                                                                  To Advertise Call: 973-653-3446
Inside View
The Politics of
Personal Destruction                                                                                                              By Joel E. Gordon

      "Truth will ultimately prevail where           I was gone, the Mayor and Council quickly            playbook of personal destruction however
there is pains taken to bring it to light"           succeeded in contributing to the demise of           unsuccessful history shows such a course
~George Washington                                   the regional drug task force. The loss of the        of action can be. Have they no concept of a
      What could Brett Kavanaugh and my-             task force resulted in a large increase in           possible damaging boomerang effect?
self have in common? It is the attacks on            criminal activity, such as burglaries, over the            Although seemingly taking the low
our character and reputations just for our           years since aborted. The drug problem grew           road by promoting an untrue story about
willingness to offer ourselves to public             to include increased heroin abuse throughout         me, my problem isn't necessarily with indi-
service. So many have been subjected to              North Central West Virginia, something I             viduals who have been reported to have re-
attacks in an attempt to make those with             had hoped I had left behind in the Baltimore         peated falsehoods about me on behalf of an
different political views or interests become        of the 1980’s."                                      establishment candidate being endorsed. In
targeted victims of the politics of personal              When political adversaries, whether             fact, it is the people and certain members of
destruction.                                         on the federal, state or local level spread          law enforcement who have issues that need
      In my case, was I shocked to learn that        false, exaggerated or unsubstantiated ru-            to be resolved, and as a serious candidate
untruths were being told about me on be-             mors about an individual or a campaign, it           for a leadership position as sheriff they are
half of the establishment candidate? Abso-           only serves to energize the base while an-           now looking to me for answers. After all,
lutely not… disappointed but not surprised.          gering many others. Nobody wants to see a            the sheriff is the only law enforcement of-
      Here’s my response to the initial rumor        campaign for someone's willingness to of-            ficial, being elected to his or her position,
being spread about me and my past em-                fer themselves to public service turn into a         who answers directly to the people.
ployment:                                            mud-slinging contest.                                      While other untruths and misrepre-
      Rumor Alert: No I was not fired or                  Personally, I would NEVER use any               sentations are reportedly being composed
terminated from my appointed position as             unsubstantiated or false information by              and disseminated about me, I look forward
Chief of Police for the city of Kingwood in          presenting accusations of improprieties as           to better days ahead with inspiration from
1995!                                                being factual in an attempt to sway the out-         those who have successfully gone before
      Here is an excerpt from my published           come of an election.                                 me. We will continue on with our solution-
book (copyright 2014) Still Seeking Justice:              The reality is that it is those of us seeking   and idea-based campaign. I want to take
One Officer's Story:                                 progress and positive change versus certain          the Preston County West Virginia Sheriff 's
      "then… I was actively working with The         establishment political figures (commonly            Office to new levels of professionalism. Our
Commission on Accreditation for Law En-              known as the mob or the swamp). On my                goal is to be the envy of law enforcement
forcement Agencies (CALEA) on Kingwood               local level, some political operatives who           agencies both in state and nationally. Lead-
becoming the smallest police department to           have had status quo influence for decades            ership with integrity and commitment to
be nationally certified. Almost simultane-           mistakenly thought that they got rid of my           truth will be an excellent way to begin on
ously the news was out that a recent City            chief deputy designate Terry Queen and               our journey.
Council election resulted in a return to the         myself many years ago when they succeeded
previous political regime and ultimate re-           in the abolishment of our Regional Drug              Joel E. Gordon is a former Bal-
instatement of the Chief of Police that I re-        and Violent Crime Task Force of which I              timore City Police Officer and
placed."                                             was once vice-chairman and Terry Queen               was Chief of Police for the city
      "I was offered a position as an officer…       was unit commander. Sorry not sorry...               of Kingwood, West Virginia.
This was unacceptable to me so I gave them           WE ARE HERE - better, stronger and more              He has served as vice-chair of
what they seemingly wanted, my resigna-              knowledgeable than ever and willing to               a regional narcotics task force
tion."                                               work to take our county back by enforcing            and is a 2020 candidate for
      "I was now a victim of the “good ole’          the law without fear or favor.                       Preston County West Virginia Sheriff. An
boy” network. The newly elected mayor and                 Socrates has been quoted to have said           award winning journalist, he is author of the
certain council members made it clear to             “When debate is lost, slander becomes the            book Still Seeking Justice: One Officer's Story
me that they were looking for a “yes” man.           tool of the losers.” Unfortunately, there are        and founded the Facebook group Police Au-
Having been privy to much confidential               always those who have unwavering support             thors Seeking Justice. stillseekingjustice.com
information as a result of my task force             for entrenched politicians. I just don’t get
affiliation... I will factually tell you that once   why they run campaigns using the same

Follow Us on                                                                                     the Blue magazine | Vol. 11 - Issue 3 2020           21
bluesnore.com
cover story

        Uncertainty
        The Road Ahead:
                                                                                                        By Daniel Del Valle,
                                                                                                        George Beck Ph.D.,
                                                                                                        and Joel E. Gordon

W
             e will overcome the corona-        didn’t take long before we were the target of   and out of danger, the police are out there
             virus pandemic. That’s a fact.     politicians and opportunists, boiling to the    risking their lives for the safety of everyone,
             You can take that check to the     point of anti-police riots and assassinations   so they are not surprisingly appreciated and
             bank. It will end and human-       of officers simply for the uniform they         praised. But when this pandemic passes,
             ity will survive just like every   wore. In the days of the Ferguson riots,        and officers are no longer needed to take
other pandemic and plague that's affected       American flags were burned, and crowds          the risks others won't take, many of those
mankind; we will continue forward. But          shouted how they wanted dead cops now!          same people who praised law enforcement
what will the road ahead look like for law      Clearly, any sign of appreciation toward        have short memories. Then what happens?
enforcement? How long will the current          law enforcement had long evaporated.            History shows us the goodwill toward offi-
goodwill toward policing last before we are     So why would anything be different this         cers dries up quickly and those old feelings
once again the enemy?                           time? Will the aftermath of the coronavirus     of negative law enforcement sentiments are
    In the aftermath of 9/11, recall the        be an anomaly and the goodwill we are           back on the opportunists' lips.
American flag waving at nearly every home       experiencing now last forever? That’s not            But the aftermath of the COVID-19
and the constant admiration of officers who     only naïve to believe; it’s an irresponsible    will be more complicated. The truth is state
were placed in harm’s way—the endless           thought.                                        and federal governments are spending
thank yous for doing the job few wanted              It’s one thing to argue that people ap-    and borrowing at record amounts never
to do—the smiles and handshakes and             preciate you when they need you. In other       before seen. The cost of the response to the
appreciation were at all-time highs. Yet, it    words, now, while everyone is quarantined       COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented,

24   the Bluemagazine | Vol. 11 - Issue 3 2020
and the impending doom from a collapsed         curb. Meanwhile, those same officers are           ology at West Virginia University and a
economy offers a grim future where all           still on the frontlines of the COVID-19            former police officer words for example.
the doomsday folks stocking up on toilet         pandemic, risking their health and lives           “The current logic of traditional policing
paper and ammo may be correct. It’s the          to serve and protect, yet if they were to get      requires aggressive force. The image of the
collateral damage that will be far higher        sick, the promise of a possible layoff and no      good officer is often one who makes a lot
than the destruction caused by the virus.        health insurance is potentially in the near        of arrests and is always prepared to use
The countless suicides and broken families       future.                                            force rather than back down when chal-
and the loss of wealth and exploitation will           “I am furious and disgusted with the         lenged. Likewise, in neighborhoods where
be similar to the experiences felt during the    mayor and his administration for asking            residents have lost faith in the police and
Great Depression. Will we, as a society, get     our members to shoulder the burden of this         civil authorities, gun violence is required
to a point where some cities start to look       crisis both physically and now financially,”       for self-protection and for settling disputes.
like post-apocalyptic wastelands?                said Sgt. Mike Mancuso, president of the           As horrific as the COVID-19 pandemic has
     Inevitably law enforcement will be          Baltimore City Police FOP Lodge. “We               been for the police and local communities,
impacted on the road ahead. On what              have had 350 members who have been                 its sudden appearance has changed police
scale is yet to be determined, but plausibly     quarantined, 63 who are awaiting test              behavior in noticeable ways. Reforms have
hardships are on the horizon. In Baltimore,      results, and 19 who have tested positive for       come quickly as the new conditions have
for example, the third most dangerous            COVID-19. According to all projections,            suddenly made the practical logic of polic-
American city according to CBS News, the         this is just the beginning of what could be a      ing impractical.”
city recently offered its officers hazard pay,   devastating couple of weeks for our area.”              Looking forward, if the new normal
recognizing that they are putting themselves           Imagine what safety and security will        becomes less active enforcement along with
in extra unique danger. Now faced with a         look like for Baltimore soon. It's already a       diminished citizen engagement, that could
projected loss of $103 million for the fiscal    dangerous place because some estimates             easily result in nationwide furloughs and
year 2021, the city is attempting to recover     show the police department is already 500          police staffing reductions as government
“$11 million in savings from personnel           officers short. However, including layoffs         bureaucrats nationwide justify such
spending.” Not only did the city decide to       and furloughs will make Baltimore a city           decisions by calling them reforms while
take that hazard pay back, but it’s also now     no one will want to live in, work in or            looking to cut costs. Remember many of
asking for even more from its officers and       visit, hence additional financial hardships        these folks are the ones who took the locks
has offered three options for Baltimore          and unprecedented spikes in crime. The             off the jails and let the inmates out.
Police to consider accepting:                    officers remaining on the crippled agency               Yes, we will overcome the coronavirus
Option 1 - Freeze all salaries at the FY20       will risk their lives tenfold for a city that is   pandemic. But our profession will have
amount and forgo collectively bargained          outright telling them they do not matter.          challenges ahead. Let us stand up against
raises. This option would eliminate the 3%       The question many officers must consider           reductions in law enforcement staffing to
salary increase due to officers on July 1,       is whether it is worth the risk.                   prevent “the thin blue line” from becoming
2020, that was bargained for in good faith             In addition to severe projected budget       even thinner. Officer safety and the
by the FOP and the City in 2018.                 shortfalls as a result of an ailing economy        common good for our communities require
                                                 and reduced tax revenue base due to the            it. When we are needed, we are praised
Option 2 - Unit members would receive ei-        COVID-19 response, some see the CO-                and appreciated, yet, the road ahead is
ther 4, 5 or 6 furlough days, depending on       VID-19 pandemic as a unique opportunity            likely filled with layoffs, salary freezes and
salary. Because officers are “essential em-      for police reform. Recently, Philadelphia          reductions, and, well, if our profession is
ployees,” they would be required to work         Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw in-            not prepared, we will be blindsided by the
and suffer a salary reduction for the total      structed her officers to delay arrests for         same charlatans who smilingly shakes our
amount of furlough days.                         low-level criminal offenses, such as nar-          hands one day, and kick us in the ass the
Option 3 - This option would eliminate           cotics activity. Meanwhile, in Chicago, and        next.
pay freezes and furlough days; however,          elsewhere police have been advised to re-
it would include 173 layoffs of full-time        duce the number of stops and arrests for
employees. Layoffs would include non-es-         low-level crimes to prevent the spread of
sential employees currently on permission        COVID-19.
leave along with specialized public safety             The pandemic has altered policing
functions such as BPD’s Mounted Unit,            across the nation; it’s not surprising the
Marine Unit and Traffic Units.                   calls for police reform are growing louder.
     Notice some striking keywords in the        Opportunists are using the pandemic to
options above? Salary freezes, no raises,        push further police reform, citing that de-
furlough days, salary reductions and             partments can reflect and analyze how ad-
layoffs. It didn’t take long for an apparent     justments may be working to change the
“appreciative” city to go from paying hazard     perception and efficiency of law enforce-
pay to kicking those same officers to the        ment.
                                                       Take James Nolan, professor of soci-

Follow Us on                                                                                                                                   25
on the frontlines
                                                                                                       of this magnitude would not happen is
                                                                                                       negligence. Therefore, unprepared agencies
                                                                                                       saw their supplies evaporated within the
                                                                                                       first few days of the coronavirus outbreak.
                                                                                                             Agencies frantically sought to create a
                                                                                                       stockpile to meet the demands, but it was
                                                                                                       too late.
                                                                                                             Officers sought to mitigate the dangers
                                                                                                       on their own, purchasing supplies out
                                                                                                       of their pocket, but it has become nearly
                                                                                                       impossible to privately buy hand sanitizer,
                                                                                                       an N95 mask, gloves, or even a bottle of
                                                                                                       Zinc vitamins. So while their departments
                                                                                                       have failed them, the workload continues,
                                                                                                       and they are placed at higher risk without
                                                                                                       the proper equipment or training.
                                                                                                             Therefore, while working in this unsafe
      By George Beck, Ph.D
                                                                                                       environment, an officer must document
                                                                                                       every interaction, especially those with

O
                                                                                                       known carriers of the coronavirus. Why?
      n March 25, 2020 when NYPD Detec-             while handling the routine police work-            Because soldiers exposed to Agent Orange
      tive Cedric Dixon was admitted into           load, which includes arresting people and          during the Vietnam War, burn pits during
      North Central Bronx Hospital with             increased contacts with many civilians—            the wars in the Middle East, and toxic ex-
flu-like symptoms, the coronavirus was rag-         many of whom have been exposed to the              posure during the recovery efforts of 9/11,
ing through the NYPD and support staff.             coronavirus. Also, several officers were tar-      and other negligent exposures, involved
      Three days later Detective Dixon, 48,         geted by lunatics with the virus who used          monumental health and legal battles in in-
was dead from COVID-19, the disease                 their illness to assault the police. The rate of   stituting safety protections and monetary
caused by the coronavirus. His cowork-              exposure in this unsafe battlefield environ-       compensation for victims and their survi-
ers described Detective Dixon, a 23-year            ment is exponentially higher than the gen-         vors. The response efforts to the coronavi-
veteran of the force assigned to the 32nd           eral public; yet, many departments are not         rus pandemic have similarities that we can-
precinct in Harlem, as a great officer with         adequately equipped to meet these grave            not ignore. Again, document everything.
a heart of gold, who went out of his way to         demands. Many lack the required personal                 Future generations of officers will learn
help friends repair their broken electronics        protective equipment and training to per-          valuable lessons from the illness and deaths
and technology.                                     form their job safely.                             of the officers who have gone before them
      As of this writing, over 6,700 officers are
                                                                                                       like Det. Dixon, who died a hero on the
out sick— nearly 19% of the department—
                                                                                                       frontlines serving and protecting the com-
and the numbers keep climbing. Seven ci-
                                                                                                       munity he loved. The Blue Magazine offers
vilian employees have also died, and among
                                                                                                       its most profound and sincere condolences
the approximately 1800 infected officers are
                                                                                                       to the family of Det. Dixon and the honor-
two chiefs and the deputy commissioner in
                                                                                                       able men and women of the NYPD who are
charge of counterterrorism. As the corona-
                                                                                                       forced deeper into harm's way. We will get
virus continues to decimate the ranks; the
                                                                                                       through these challenging times, but the
NYPD and many departments around our
                                                                                                       lessons learned will be higher than anyone
nation are on the verge of collapse.
                                                                                                       expected.
      Officers and other first responders are
                                                                                                             Officer Dixon was not expendable. His
asked to do what others will not. Being on
                                                                                                       life mattered. May he rest in peace.
the front lines, they do not have the comfort
of quarantining to protect themselves and
                                                                                                       George Beck is a police ser-
their families from a virus that is twice
                                                                                                       geant, award-winning jour-
as contagious as the flu and spreads like
                                                                                                       nalist, and managing editor
wildfire during the dry season. They do not
                                                                                                       of Blue Magazine. He holds
lockdown, sheltered in their homes, while
                                                                                                       a Ph.D. in History & Culture
the casualties pile outside their windows.               Are officers expendable? Many agen-
                                                                                                       from Drew University. He is
      Officers are out there risking their          cies did not have adequate stockpiles of
                                                                                                       the author of The Killer Among Us and sev-
lives to stop the spread of this virus. In          necessary supplies such as N95 masks, pro-
                                                                                                       eral other books. His nonfiction and short
these uncharted waters, they are enforcing          tective gowns, hand sanitizer, gloves, and         stories have been featured in magazines and
social distancing orders and shutdowns,             disinfectant wipes. To assume a pandemic           anthologies nationally and internationally

 26   the Bluemagazine | Vol. 11 - Issue 3 2020                                                                       To Advertise Call: 973-653-3446
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