The Dispatcher Volume 3 Issue 1 June 2009

June 16, 2009 Volume 3, Issue 1

Edited by Severin Hall

Special Interest Articles:

News from the Surprise Police Employees Association

Things you need to know:

• Officer Involved Shooting, the Aftermath • A Message from the Traffic Services Unit • Current Events

Individual Highlights: When the smoke clears: Your legal first aid after a shooting

The Dispatcher

1

Watch your Speed

2

Recipe

3

The SPEA Board has been attempting to get several items approved since our last meeting. One major concern for most of our members is the approval of a lightweight “polo” type uniform. There have been several suggestions made and the board would like to thank Officer

Kennedy for funding the mock-up polo. The board realizes that Officer Kennedy has gone through great personal expense and effort to procure a uniform that will hopefully attain approval from the Uniform Committee and the Chief of Police. All employees are

encouraged to bring their uniform and apparel needs before the Uniform Committee for approval. Feel free to contact Officers Hall, Malone, or Lynch, Lt. Scartozzi or Gang, Det. Lipsky, Sgt. Reppert, or Shauna Vaughn for assistance.

When the smoke clears: Your legal first aid after a shooting By Chuck Remsberg Senior PoliceOne Contributor The shooting’s over. You’ve survived. The suspect is likely dead or wounded. And now your priorities change. Moments before, your sole focus was on protecting your life, your partner’s life or the life of some civilian. Now you need to protect yourself from a different threat: any potential legal actions that may be headed your way. In more than 20 years as a police attorney, John Hoag has represented more than 40 officers who’ve been

involved in shootings. As a lawyer for law enforcement unions throughout the Northwest, he has protected LEOs through departmental investigations, grand jury probes, review board hearings, and state and federal lawsuits. He knows firsthand how treacherous missteps can occur even in shootings that are slamdunk justified.

encounter.

Drawing from his experience, Hoag recently shared with PoliceOne 10 critical elements of legal “first aid” he believes are essential for you to tend to once the smoke has cleared from your armed

Keeping a checklist in your pocket may prove to be a godsend when you’re under stress and groping for guidance after a fight of — and for — your life…

If you belong to a strong bargaining unit or patrol where an Officers’ Bill of Rights is in force, some of these considerations are supposed to kick in on your behalf automatically. Otherwise, they’re issues to lobby for now with your department and to remember on your own after a lethal confrontation.

Follow the link to read the remainder of the article. http://www.policeone.com/offic

Watch Your Speed; a message from the SPD Traffic Unit We’ve all heard it, whether from a citizen at a spring training game, while testifying in court, or from a violator on a traffic stop, “yeah I was speeding, but how fast did you have to go to catch up to me?” I know that this is never a reasonable argument to justify speeding in any form. But there is something to be said for

the general premise. Most people have heard about the MCSO Deputy that was issued a civil citation on Grand Ave for 92 mph in a 45 mph. I have personally been harassed on a traffic stop for citing an individual for speeding when, “my buddies are drag racing down Grand Avenue, and nothing happens to

them.” We would like to remind every officer in this Department that you have taken an oath to uphold the laws of the State of Arizona. You also have a Statutory duty, to drive with due regard for the safety of all motorists, this should extend to your off duty driving as well. -Surprise Motors

“ With a stop light, green means 'go' and yellow means 'slow down'. With a banana, however, it is quite the opposite. Yellow means 'go', green m ” --Mitch Hedberg

Available SPEA Board Positions Interested in serving the Employees of the Surprise Police Department, without having to necessarily please the Department’s Administration? The newly elected SPEA Board still has vacant positions. We are currently seeking 1 Civilian Representatives. If

you, or someone you know is considering a position on the Board, seize the day, they may not be vacant for long. Current Board Members include, President-Doug Lynch, Vice-President-Tim Murel, Secretary-Jason Washburn, TreasurerRick Malone, Public Information Officer-

Severin Hall, Civilian Representative-Don Dial.

Get involved and help increase our numbers. Contact a Board Member to get enrollment paperwork for non-enrolled employees.

Test your OIT Where does the 15 MPH School Zone start and end? What are the hours for residential construction in Surprise?

Submit your own brain buster to the Editor. [email protected]

Answers will be posted in subsequent issues.

Recent Meeting Items During the most recent SPEA meeting several items were discussed, a brief overview will follow, for full details contact a SPEA member or feel free to raise concerns at the next meeting. We initially discussed cuts in PTO time 40 hours instead of 80 hours. We further mentioned that insurance premiums will be going up citywide, singles will now be paying $25/month for insurance, family's will pay the $25 plus 10% of current payments equal to about $40/month, all

pre tax. Several members revisited the issue of outer load bearing vest carriers. Polo shirts/uniforms were debated. Changes to discipline policy and off duty policies were mentioned (since this issue an off duty policy has been submitted pending approval). -changes to the current off duty schedule as well as other agencies working within the city were mentioned. We spoke on the issue of 2-man units on double squad days (320 gallon/week fuel savings). Also as a cost saving

measure throughout the city we mentioned, should further budget cuts be made, doing away with paid holidays for those who don’t work. Feel free to voice your concerns and suggestions at the next SPEA meeting.

Squad Representatives? The SPEA Board of Directors has been floating the idea of electing a representative from each of the squads who would be responsible for reporting all information from the Board to the members. We need your input regarding this measure, so far the response has been positive, but we

would also like to hear from any cynics who feel that this may not be a feasible option, and could submit another possible solution to keeping all members informed and involved.

“ We in America do not have governme

.” --Thomas Jefferson

Member Rosters & Current Information Surprise Police Employees Association E-MAIL: [email protected] [email protected]

We will be attempting to get current personal information for all of our members over the coming weeks, be sure to contact a Board member and ensure that they have your current contact

Meetings Be sure to check the website, www.spea.homestea d.com for updates and changes to and scheduling of upcoming meetings.

Classifieds We’re on the Web! See us at:

www.spea.homestead.com

List your items for sale here; just contact the editor at [email protected] !!!!

information. This is the best, most efficient way to make sure all members are kept in the loop, and up to speed. If you know someone who has been out of the loop, have them submit their name,

personal phone number and personal e-mail address to the Editor at [email protected].