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May 1202

Be a Lion

The following speech was delivered to the graduating recruit officer class at the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, on September 23, 2011 by Chief Steven Casstevens of the Cary, Illinois, Police Department.  Some good advice and words to live by for future officers…

Over 34 years ago, I made a critical choice in my life. I chose a profession in law enforcement. It is a choice that I did not take lightly. It also is a choice that I have not regretted one single day of my career. I have been lucky enough to rise through the ranks and have been honored to work for and with extraordinary groups of people. I have been blessed with many years of satisfaction in a lifelong commitment to public service. I would like to share some tidbits of advice for you that I have learned over these years of service.

Throughout these years, I have seen great joy, deep sorrow, and every imaginable emotion in between. I have saved the lives of gunshot victims and people crushed in vehicle crashes. I have had the satisfaction of arresting many people who were just plain evil.

Chief Steven Casstevens of the Cary, Illinois, Police Department

However, these encounters have been offset by the many more wonderful members of our society whom I have met. I have had to deliver the difficult message to family members that a loved one was killed. I also have delivered the message of life. I have searched for hours for a lost child and have searched for years for the answer as to why bad things happen to good people. I have done my best to be the best, and, hopefully, along the way, I have made a difference in this world.

While I always have taken this job seriously, I have been smart enough to not take myself too seriously. Laughter is extremely important in life. Enjoy it. Do not let frustrations of the job come home with you.

You will meet many people in your career. While safety always should be priority one, not everyone is out to hurt you. There are many people who like and respect the police. Remember to treat people as you would want your wife, mother, son, or daughter treated by the police. It is easy to become frustrated when people do not treat you with respect and, instead, ask you the age-old question, Don’t you have anything better to do? Do not fall into that trap—there are a lot of good people out there.

A colleague of mine once shared with me, “We don’t believe in the old adage that the customer is always right. We believe that sometimes the customer is wrong. However, we believe they are allowed to be wrong with dignity.” Motorists you stop might be wrong, but they should be allowed to be wrong with dignity.

Take the time to smile and enjoy the job. Remember that time is like a fine wine—enjoy every drop because it is finite and, once consumed, never can be returned to the bottle. Always be prepared for your job. Every day.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “If you give me 6 hours to chop down a tree, I will spend the first 4 sharpening my axe.” Never stop learning; law enforcement and court decisions affecting the way we do business change almost daily. Learn from the mistakes of others. You cannot live long enough to make them all yourself. Continue to train and add “tools” to your law enforcement “toolbox” because if the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail. Learn from your training officer and your supervisors. They have learned a great deal that cannot be found in a book or training manual from their years of experience.

They also will tell you to be careful, not only in dangerous situations but in the everyday decisions that you make. If you think that something you are about to do might get you into trouble, it probably will. Remember that if there is any doubt, then there is no doubt.

You are now entering a turning point in your lives. You have an opportunity to make a difference in this world. You are going forward to carry the torch for what I believe to be the most noble profession on earth. You have just opened a large door to a long-lasting career as one of America’s finest. There are many hallways to enter that will lead you in many directions as you walk through that door. Choose your hallway carefully. Look to the future—not just a year from now, but 5, 10, 20 years ahead. Contemplate wisely where you wish to be when you are considered a veteran.

Remember that you will wear numerous hats in your career, not always those of a police officer, detective, or undercover officer but those of a problem solver, preacher, negotiator, teacher, parent, medic, mediator, and marriage counselor. You will be expected to solve everyone’s problems within an 8-hour shift while oftentimes barely having enough time to deal with your own.

Be safe in your daily charge. Protect those whom you are sworn to protect. Remember that crime does not recognize jurisdictional boundaries, political pressures, or departmental policies. Always remember the Law Enforcement Oath of Honor, which says:

On my honor, I will never betray my badge, my integrity, my character, or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. I will always uphold the Constitution, my community, and the agency I serve.

So, be fair and impartial, but, above all, remember to be human.

Wear your uniform proudly, and do not dishonor it for there are over 19,000 names of men and women who gave their lives for it etched in granite on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial (NLEOM) wall in Washington, D.C. Remember always to wear your seat belt! More police officers are killed every year in traffic crashes than by any other means.

Be a professional. Remember that character, integrity, and respect are not your right to possess—they must be earned. Remember that character often is revealed in the little things, like who you are and how you conduct yourself when no one is watching. In describing officers in the preface to her book Brave Hearts, author Cynthia Brown said:

They share a passion for their work and a conviction that they are doing something important with their lives. Despite the constant exposure to America’s dark side, they all view their work as a privilege and a job they are lucky to have.1

Do not be swayed by the cynicism of others in your mission. While we cannot change the direction of the wind, we can adjust our sails. Do not become pessimistic. Walk proudly and with dignity, for pessimism is for the faint of heart, and dignity is not negotiable.

By your presence here you have joined hands with the largest brother- and sisterhood on earth, with a bond that cannot be broken. You most likely are familiar with the Thin Blue Line, a symbol for law enforcement everywhere. The blue represents officers and the courage we find when faced with insurmountable odds.

The black represents a constant reminder of our fallen brother and sister officers. And, The Line is what law enforcement protects—the barrier between order and chaos, between decency and lawlessness. This symbol represents the camaraderie that law enforcement officers all share, a brotherhood like no other.

As stated in the Bible in Proverbs 28:1 and also on the wall at the NLEOM: “The wicked flee, when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” So, I challenge you to be a lion. Go forward from here and become proud new members of the Thin Blue Line. Thank you.

Endnotes
1 Cynthia Brown, Brave Hearts: Extraordinary Stories of Pride, Pain, and Courage (Bloomington, IN: Xlibris, 2010).

This speech is also printed in the March 2012 issue of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin.

Apr 1210

It’s National Library Week. Go Inside Library Police and Police Libraries

Perhaps you are at a library right now, reading this and researching your future career in law enforcement.  Did you know, in some locales, there are officers dedicated to policing public libraries?

Perhaps you’re envisioning Seinfeld’s run-in with Mr. Bookman, the library investigator …

… but these are bonafide law enforcement agencies dedicated to crime prevention, public safety, and preserving peace and order. For example:

  • The District of Columbia Library Police (DCLP) is the government agency responsible for the safety, security and law enforcement services for all of the 25 locations of the DC Public Library system.  DCLP officers enforce city laws and library policies.  They provide 24-hour emergency response, make arrests, write citations, and conducted preventative / directed patrols.
  • The Library of Congress once had a dedicated police force responsible for policing the building and its grounds.  In 2003, Congress voted to transfer the officers and their responsibilities to the U.S. Capitol Police.  This merger was complete in 2009.

Granted, these examples are not the norm.  Most libraries and other public buildings are policed by the law enforcement agency of the jurisdiction in which they are located.  Search for a police agency near you.

Free and open to the public by design, libraries can attract their fair share of homeless.  This, combined with the increased amount of technology associated with libraries and their patrons, has lead to spikes in crime in and around libraries, requiring extra police presence. In Mountain View, California, a part-time Library Police Assistant position was created to help respond to and prevent library crimes, improve community relations, and provide a direct link between the library and the police department.

There are also police libraries, which can serve various functions and audiences.  They can be an archive for departmental history.  They can serve as a repository for officer training materials.  They can catalog information on local ordinances, crime, and laws.  Or they can do any combination thereof.   The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is home to the country’s oldest police library.

Check with your local library for ways to celebrate National Library Week.  While you’re there, roll over to the non-fiction section.  In the area of call number 363 you’ll find books related to law enforcement and law enforcement careers.

Mar 1228

Apps for Law Enforcement

Smart phone apps are becoming increasingly commonplace tools for law enforcement. While some are designed specifically for police, others have more broad appeal and application. Either way, apps can be convenient and cost-effective resources for officers in the field.  Cops use apps for everything from cataloging crime scenes to looking up laws and statutes.  Even the IACP has gotten in on the act, creating the Police Officers Guide to Recovered Firearms.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the other top law enforcement apps for 2012.

1. U.S. Cop(Android)

This app is big—over 1,276 pages of content in a searchable, easy-to-use format. It includes training articles and videos to give you a refresher on CPR, accident investigation, search procedure, etc. Some of the most valuable bells and whistles include a pill identifier, tips for detecting concealed weapons, and an abundant library of case law on nearly every subject you’re likely to encounter, from drug interdiction to search procedure to warrant execution. It’s a bit pricey, and there are free apps that can perform some of the same functions, but it’s by far the most comprehensive dedicated law enforcement app on the market. Cost: $3.99

2. DroidLaw (Android)

This is a shell app that allows you to download your state’s legal code for instant access wherever you are. For research on the fly, or if you just don’t want to have to haul out the code book every time you have a procedural question, this is a great time-saver. DroidLaw supports state civil, criminal, and evidence procedure, as well as Constitutional law, so you can always be sure you’re on the right side of the rules. The app is targeted toward legal professionals and law students, so there’s an extensive library of available content; but fortunately, since you download everything piecemeal, you don’t have to clutter your phone with anything unnecessary. Cost: Free.

3. Offender Locator (iPhone)

Accessing official records can take a while, and it helps to have an extra source of information on the individuals you contact on the job. Offender Locator allows you to cross-check state and national registered offender databases before you make a visit so you’ll know exactly who you’re dealing with in any situation. You can search for offenders individually by name, address, or location, and all other registered offenders in the area will appear as pins on your GPS map. Just click a pin to open a detail screen with the individual’s basic information and offense record. Cost: $0.99

4. Smart Tools (Android)

For cataloging crime scenes and other forensics work, this app is indispensable. It uses your Android phone’s accelerometer and camera to make a surprising array of accurate measurements, including distance, height, width, area, angle, slope, etc., so you can quickly get the lay of the land and make a precise report. It also detects sound levels and vibrations, and even includes a simple metal detector which can be invaluable in looking for bullets and casings, among other things. The quality of the results (particularly with sensitive functions like vibrometry and metal detection) depends on a phone with a high-quality accelerometer; flaky readings were reported with HTC phones, while T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S users gave the app higher marks. Cost: $2.50

5. Cargo Decoder (Android; iPhone app in development)

This app can literally be a life-saver for police and first-responders in accidents or crimes involving freight trucks and tankers. If you arrive at the scene of an accident to find a damaged tanker or semi spilling something you don’t recognize all over the freeway, knowing what you’re dealing with can be a matter of life or death for you as well as those involved in the collision. If you’re unsure of a freight container’s contents, just enter or say the four-digit number from the vehicle’s DOT placard, and you’ll have instant access to the vehicle’s contents as registered. The app can be used outside of your network coverage, and it’s free (and ad-free); you’ll be periodically asked to support the app by upgrading to a $0.99 “plus” version, but the developer calls Cargo Decoder his “way to give back to the first responders who are always there for us”. Cost: Free.

Contributor:  Jane Johnson is a writer for GoingCellular, a popular site that provides cell phone related news, commentary, reviews on popular providers like T-Mobile.