I was recently a guest on “Marilyn’s Musings” a blog hosted by F.M. Meredith, an award winning mystery author. Please drop by to have a look, or even leave a comment. Thanks!
All posts by davefreedland
Police and the Civilian Leadership Vacuum
There is a scene in the Al Pacino movie thriller, Sea of Love, where Pacino’s character, an NYPD detective, argues with his romantic interest, Ellen Barkin, that people distain police until they become victims of crime. Watching the evening news it would appear that the public not only disrespects the police, but actually blames our men and women in blue for the societal outbreak of violent crime.
The success of American law enforcement has been predicated upon a positive relationship with our civilian leadership. Budgets are dependent upon civilian leaders allocating resources, and frequently the careers of elected officials are reliant upon the continued absence of crime. As a new police lieutenant attending management school, it was refreshing to hear the Assistant Sheriff for San Diego County telling the class that being a leader meant “setting the tone” for the organization, and being a positive influence. The concept had staying power while rising within the ranks, and gave incentive to look for opportunities to set a positive tone wherever assignments may have led.
The 21st century of policing is faced with an extremely volatile environment consisting of economically depressed communities inhabited by youths whose absence of fathers frequently exceeds 70%. Couple this void of fatherly leadership in the home with the proliferation of cell phone cameras and the internet, and you have boundary-less delinquents no longer accountable to society engaging police, who are summoned by a public all too eager to find fault.
What is fostering this fault-finding attitude? It is the failure of our civilian leaders to set the proper tone. At the highest levels of our government our leaders set poor examples in their actions and words, giving license for others to follow suit. Statements such as, “Cambridge Police acted stupidly,” and references of the Ferguson Police shooting as an example of police brutality serve as missed opportunities for exercising leadership. An IRS official accused of targeting political opponents refuses to testify, and a Justice Department official refuses to prosecute her. A militant group of individuals stand outside a polling place, striking their hands with billy clubs, intimidating arriving voters, and that same Justice Department official refuses to prosecute. These are leaders who have a platform and a voice to generate respect for the rule of law, and correspondingly positively empower officers at the street level charged with the responsibility of enforcing it.
In his infamous book, Rules for Radicals, Saul Alinsky instructs the reader that “ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” If misconduct by law enforcement organizations is addressed by internal affairs bureaus, civilian review boards, grand juries, and consent decrees, the worst direction that a leader should take is that of ridicule. Tell us the goals of excellence which we seek to achieve, encourage us to strive to be examples of heroic acts, and inspire us to be the protectors of society that we have sworn to embody, so that we all can contribute to maintaining the peace and safety of the communities in which we live and serve.
The Militarization of Police – How Fiction can be More Accurate than the News
What immediately drew me to my favorite fiction authors, Tom Clancy and Vince Flynn, was their attention to detail with regard to weapons, tactics, and training. The work of each writer reflected well-researched data regarding the weapons that their characters carried, the tactics they employed, and the training needed to accomplish the missions upon which they embarked. The editor for my first novel, Lincoln 9, consistently reminded me of the importance of maintaining credibility by ensuring that the plot and the characters were realistic, despite the fact that the story was a work of fiction. She stated from experience that the first error caught by a prospective buyer who happened to be browsing the text, would result in their moving on to the next book cover, title, or author who caught their attention. It is unfortunate that the public is not more discerning in the headlines they read; and that those who seek recognition through their by-lines are more focused upon a particular narrative than accuracy. It would appear that fiction authors write with greater accuracy than those reporting the news.
An example of such careless authorship can be found in the media’s near hysteria over the alleged militarization of urban police. Armored vehicles, camouflage fatigues, and carbine rifles have created a new narrative alleging that law enforcement agencies in America are looking more like standing armies, than organizations staffed with peace officers. When an Orange County, California newspaper reporter recently sought to write an article featuring the armored truck housed at the police station for “America’s Safest City,” Irvine, California, the department’s command staff assigned a lieutenant to answer any and all questions regarding its mission and deployment. Clearly, the BEAR, or Ballistic Engineered Armored Response vehicle is an imposing mode of transportation that could generate legitimate questions regarding its resemblance to an asset found in a mechanized military division. It is fair to ask the vehicle’s cost, who paid for it, how often it is used, maintenance expenses, and deployment protocols. It is not appropriate for an author to create his or her own answers to those questions.
It was with great surprise that the completed article portrayed the vehicle as a classic example of government waste, in that it had been used only five times in five years, especially in light of Irvine’s famously low crime rate. It is frustrating that reporters so frequently miss such an opportunity to share a potentially interesting story, by a fabrication to fit the narrative that government has again squandered taxpayer money on another boondoggle.
So, is the real story more interesting? Let the reader judge. It was the events of September 11, 2001, that set in motion an effort by the federal government to enhance the ability of local level organizations to address future terrorist threats. Several grants were issued to provide funding for equipment and training, however, Orange County, California took this influx of money in a unique direction. County officials anticipated that the next attack on the homeland could delay or overwhelm local, state, and federal resources, so they created a counter terrorist team to address an incident independent from a federal or state level response. Funded solely by grants, the County established the Joint Hazardous Assessment Team, or JHAT. This team was initially comprised of SWAT officers from the Sheriff’s Department, Irvine Police, Anaheim Police, Huntington Beach Police, and Santa Ana Police Departments and teamed with bomb technicians, and paramedics from three fire agencies. They were trained by instructors from the military’s Special Forces (Navy SEALS and Delta), and equipped with specially designed Patriot breathing apparatus, chemical/biological retardant suits, and armored trucks called BEARs (Ballistic Engineered Armored Response vehicles). Their mission was to respond and address terrorist incidents occurring within the County until the FBI’s enhanced SWAT team from Los Angeles could be on scene, or the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team could be flown in from the East Coast. They train together with each piece of equipment two days every quarter, frequently with actors in hypothetical scenarios.
The Irvine Police Department and other participating agencies contribute SWAT officers who are the most experienced, and have participated in SWAT competitions both locally and nationally. The BEARs’ application to local barricade and hostage incidents is an added benefit, but their primary mission remains homeland security; and JHAT continues to train with that asset, toward that end.
Special Weapons and Tactics Teams are expensive to create, train, and maintain. Some small agencies boast of fielding them for recruitment purposes, or as a benefit during contract negotiations, but regionalization is a better use of such resources. An informed media would better serve their subscribers by exploring the waste and liabilities related to this issue, than to attack an asset based upon the frequency of use, as opposed to its intended mission. September 11th reminds us that an ideology has declared war upon our nation, and that we were first attacked at the local level. Law enforcement agencies soon realized that sharing information was beneficial, and that military technology may provide crossover benefits in protecting communities. Is it more interesting to question an asset that is seldom used, or does the story draw you in as you begin to learn its history and application?
What Motivates a SWAT Commander to Write a Novel?
You’ve written articles for trade magazines related to special weapons and tactics teams. What prompted you to venture into the world of fiction?
The stories involving SWAT incidents or homicides are fascinating tales that probe into what motivates individuals to commit violent acts. I found that when I attended social events related to my wife’s business, a co-worker would ask about my work, and soon others were drawn into the conversation. I felt that exploring the minds of the participants of these events would be more creative, and even more interesting and challenging to pursue.
Do you have any schooling or other experiences in writing?
During my first two years of college I majored in English; but when it was time to begin taking upper division courses, I decided to switch to political science. I was interested in government service, and a poli-sci major allowed you to specialize in public administration. In order to promote to lieutenant with the Irvine Police Department, it was required that candidates attain a master’s degree. Pepperdine’s program involved a thesis, that I completed which analyzed the crime prevention program the department used as a means of community outreach.
When I promoted to commander, I wrote a weekly column in a magazine circulated to one of the country’s largest homeowners’ associations. The column was entitled, “Commander’s Corner,” and addressed crime prevention, legal updates, and police/community relations. An interesting by-product of my articles was the community’s outreach to me. My photo accompanied the columns, and eating at restaurants in uniform frequently generated greetings and conversations from residents who recognized me. It was unnerving at first, not knowing if I was being approached by criminals, crazies, or citizens requesting I sign off on their equipment violation citations.
What does the title of your book, Lincoln 9, mean?
The main character, Scott Hunter, rose to the rank of lieutenant in charge of Investigations. His radio call sign is based on the phonetic alphabet, and his seniority. The letter, “L,” stands for lieutenant, but for radio clarity it is pronounced “Lincoln,” and he is ninth in seniority within the rank of lieutenant.
How long did it take you to write the book?
The manuscript took approximately two years, and just under one year to publish. Over the course of my 34-year law enforcement career, I would use day-timer calendars for scheduling, but would also use them for recording significant events. I would jot down cryptic phrases such as, “SWAT call-out Topeka,” to memorialize incidents and their locations to assist my memory for court testimony, and for topics to develop for the book.
Are you Lincoln 9?
No, I gave Scott Hunter several of my experiences, but I also provided him with characteristics from other members within the SWAT community with whom I have worked. He, like all of the characters, is a composite. I tried to provide some separation from my background by having him graduate from the University of Southern California (USC). Anyone who knows me recognizes that I’m a diehard Bruin fan, having graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Bruin / Trojan rivalry runs deep.
I did have an Alfred Hitchcock moment toward the beginning of the story. Hitchcock would often appear in the background of a scene, performing some menial function like dusting a painting as the butler. I’m the officer involved in the traffic collision on the freeway that ends up in a full length cast from his hip to his ankle from his injuries. That actually happened, and I did, in fact, attend the funeral of the first homicide victim.
Where did you find the character, Ashley Horton, Hunter’s romantic interest?
Halfway through the manuscript, my wife recommended that I add romance to the story to appeal to a broader audience. I’ve been married for over forty years, so dating was an endeavor from my distant past. However, during my rounds as a command officer, I would walk through the Records and Communications Bureaus, which were generally staffed with female employees, and I would pay attention to the conversations. Ashley’s first name came from the last name of a girl I first met in Junior High School, and her last name shall remain a mystery so as not to spoil the storyline.
Your story takes place in “America’s Safest City,” Irvine, California. Did you ever think that there would be enough crime material to write, considering the lack of criminal activity?
Irvine is a unique place on this planet. I once had a reporter call me in the watch commander’s office while conducting her usual crime update for the County. She jokingly asked, “Anything to report from the only beige city in Orange County?” Irvine has taken many innovative steps to reduce the vulnerability to crime. They’ve designed streets with numerous cul-de-sacs rather than grids, to make rapid egress from neighborhoods difficult for criminals. The environmental design for homes is geared toward preventing easy access and concealment. There’s an officer at every high school, and uniformed men and women teaching drug abuse prevention to scores of kids at the elementary school level. However, as mentioned in the book, the few crimes against persons that occur are violent events that leave graphic scenes. Several serial killers have either perpetrated their crimes in Irvine, or left their victims there. Even the traffic collisions have been spectacular pictures of carnage. There has been no shortage of writing material, or headlines of unusual crimes that would fit nicely into a novel format.
Do you have plans for another book?
Several characters in Lincoln 9 will appear in the next novel that will pick up where the last chapter ended. It will involve the crime of homicide, and provide the same level of suspense.
DAVE FREEDLAND 