Membership Report - Nothing new to report.

Correspondence and Bills- A thank you card from offi cer Victoria Johnson was read to the board, thanking everyone for the thoughtful donation following the recent events that befell the Johnson family.

Association New Business - President Resigning – President Bobby Holguin announced that he will be resigning from the remaining balance of his term as president.  Bobby cites health issues as the reason for his departure, which will be effective on June 12, 2009. Bobby will preside over the next general membership meeting as his last act in office.  Discussion followed this announcement regarding a replacement for Bobby and the stipulations in the by-law that cover a vacancy.  A motion was made by Treasurer Adrian Pina to appoint 1st Vice President Robert Gomez as interim president upon the resignation of Bobby Holguin to complete the term that Bobby will be vacating; seconded by Region II Director Joe Olvera to appoint 1st Vice President Robert Gomez. Ron Martin will then take over the duties of the 1st Vice President. This motion passed by a hand vote of 10 in favor, three opposed and two abstentions.

Civilian Employee Meeting – The civilian employee union wants to meet with the EPMPOA board of directors to discuss civil service issues and how we might help each other.

PAC - R. Gomez - 2009 Election - We did well on the recent elections!  A grass roots effort is being organized to assist with the reelection efforts for Melina Castro.  A few board members volunteered to help accomplish this goal in the upcoming days.  All of the previously approved money that was to be used in support of various candidates during the election was not used.  1st Vice President Robert Gomez will be giving the amounts used in a future report.

Safety - R. Martin - Communication Issue - A letter has been sent to Chief Allen regarding communication issues and the lack of dispatchers and the fact that OC spray and ballistic vests are not currently being issued by central supply.

Discipline - R. Rodriguez - Randy was not present at this time to give his report.  He was sitting on on the interview board for the selection of the vacant academy sergeant position.

Donations - H. Rivera - Henry advised that he had nothing new to report at this time. 2nd Vice President Ron Martin opened discussion regarding a donation for Bobby Zavala who is dealing with a serious medical issue. 2nd Vice President Ron Martin made the motion to donate the amount of $1,500 to Bobby Zavala to help defray his medical costs; seconded by 1st Vice President Robert Gomez.  The motion passed by unanimous voice vote.  Robert Gomez made the motion to move $5,000 from the general account to the Ernie Gomez fund account.; seconded by Secretary Michael J. Short. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote.

Grievance - R. Gomez - Ron Martin has filed a grievance on the city’s refusal to pay him continuation overtime.  Discussion followed.  Bion Bell made the motion to authorize the payment of the cost that would be required for an open records request of past payment of overtime. The motion died due to the lack of a second. Henry Rivera made the motion to table this issue until next month’s meeting for more investigation; seconded by Region VI Director Jesus Herrera. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote.

By-Laws - A. Nevarez - Nothing new to report.

Scholarship - R. Martin - 15 applications were received. Ron suggests that the top four be awarded scholarships at the June meeting. Treasurer Adrian Pina made the motion to award the top four applicants the amounts of $1,000, $1,000, $500 and $500 respectively; seconded by Region IV Director Patrick Natividad. The motion passed.

Novelties - H. Rivera - Nothing new to report.

Building - A. Pina- Repairs to the gazebo are being completed at this time.

Battle of the Badges – Work has begun on Round 2 of this event. Details to follow.

EPMPOA Golf Tournament – The golf tournament will be held on August 27. The planning for this event is now in progress.

Member of the Month Nominations – Region I Director Mark Campos made the motion to give the award to two members this month. Mark nominates Central Officers Martin Ramirez #2100 and John Duckett #2676; nomination was seconded by Region II Director Henry Rivera.  The motion passed by unanimous voice vote.  These two officers recently started their own business and, in the midst of trying times in the economy, they donated T-shirts to sell for the benefit of Sgt. Bobby Zavala. Their sacrifice and dedication to their own is an example to all EPMPOA members. Thanks guys for you continued support!

A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Secretary Michael J. Short; seconded by Region I Director Mark Campos. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote, and the meeting was adjourned.

Discipline is one of the most important and controversial topics in law enforcement. When the subject comes up, everyone pays close attention because it affects us all. Most law enforcement officers from the rank and file up to chiefs and sheriffs want personnel to comply with the “book” or the “manual” or whatever it is called in your agency. Both association leaders and management report that only a handful of officers cause the majority of disciplinary problems, which means the vast majority of law enforcement officers are rarely subject to the disciplinary system. But what happens when a good officer makes a mistake and is hit with severe punishment, typically a suspension without pay? It can turn a productive employee who has a positive attitude into a bitter one who becomes angry, unproductive and patiently waits to get revenge for what he or she feels is mistreatment by the department and management.

Law enforcement agencies work hard to ensure that the best candidates are selected and that they are well trained. But even the best of us can make a mistake. The underlying philosophy behind law enforcement discipline has long been the traditional “burn ‘em to learn ‘em” concept. That means punish the officer severely so he or she won’t repeat the same mistake.  But the reality is a suspension harms the officer’s family as much as it does the officer. We need to ask the obvious question. Does discipline mean punishment? And is there real value in the current punishment methodology? There are some significant differences between discipline and punishment although the two terms are often used synonymously.

Discipline means you learn from your mistakes. Punishment means you suffer for your mistakes. The crux of the problem is that punishment does not work if you expect to improve performance. A coach cannot punish athletes into world class performance. Instead, effective coaches teach, educate, and train, as opposed to punishing, which rarely if ever leads to outstanding performance.

When it comes to economic punishment, many officers find ways to avoid it. Some turn to secondary careers during the suspension period, which negates the financial burden. Others have insurance policies which reimburse them for suspended days off, which also negates the impact of punishing by withholding pay. The most likely outcome the agency can count on from withholding pay is that the officer will become bitter and alienated from the agency. Punishment is more focused on past misbehavior than on changing future behavior, which should be the goal of the program.  There should be a rational link between what the agency plans to do (proposed discipline) and what was done (the misconduct). When you think about it, there is no rational link between officer misconduct and taking away that officer’s pay.

Some law enforcement organizations around the country are starting to discuss ways they can improve the disciplinary system and move away from the punishment model. In California, Lee Baca, the Sheriff of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, is undertaking an impressive effort to change the way his deputies are disciplined. The innovative system provides an alternative to the traditional approach of suspension without pay. Called “Education Based Discipline” or “EBD” for short, the program seeks to prevent the negative outcomes that exist with the present system, including the stigma of being ineligible for promotion and the inability to transfer.

Sheriff Baca has been invited to speak about this new approach to discipline when he addresses the presidents of the police associations of the 50 largest cities in America at the Harvard Law School this April. EBD is centered on the theory that people cannot be punished into excelling in life. Excellence can only be attained through learning and practice. For example, athletes who excel usually have superior knowledge, skills and abilities which have been taught and developed by coaches. Achievement also results from a desire within the athlete to excel.

All the research available shows us that punishment rarely leads to that kind of performance. Because physical and mental abuse rarely results in a positive change in behavior, education based discipline focuses on providing information and teaching new skills to the offending officer so they will be able to better handle a similar situation the next time it occurs.

One of the key things that must happen to elicit a change in behavior is to show respect to the officer, their family, and the system.

A n o t h e r way to show respect is to make it clear to the offending officer that they have a choice in terms of what form of discipline they will experience. EBD gives an officer the option of participating in behavior focused education and training, or sticking with the traditional system of suspension without pay. It is hoped the officers who choose the EBD approach will develop more competence, discipline, integrity, and better communication skills.

Another exciting expectation is that EBD will help reduce management employee conflict. Officers opting for the new system will avoid becoming bitter and unmotivated. In addition, cash-strapped agencies and unions should see significantly reduced legal representation costs. The next issue of American Police Beat will explore the education-based discipline program currently underway in Los Angeles County in more detail. Topics will include what things have to be in place before you can implement the program in your own agency, how to get all the major stakeholders on board, and details about the courses, teaching techniques, and the theoretical ideas that form the basis of the system.

Greetings from the CRCC.

Well another month has passed and with it comes some changes. I would like to say hello to Acting Commander Chaires. I hope the CRCC treats you well while you are at the helm, and anything that we the CRCC can do for you, just ask.

I would also like to say goodbye to the president of the EPMPOA and fellow classmate Robert (Bobby) Holguin. His continuing health problems resulting from his motorcycle accident have expedited his retirement. Bobby will be hanging up his badge, gun and motorboots. I can personally say that Bobby has done a great deal of work and made very positive changes for the EPMPOA. He was behind the last contract, which was by far one of the fastest contracts to be ratified by the members and the City Council.

We gained far more than what was given up, which is very rare in the last few years of negotiations with the City. We had some good time in patrol back in the “Valley Days” and also in Motors. Bobby is a good officer, a great Association President, and a very good friend. You will be missed!

I would like to end this article on this note, but recent events have prompted some questions about dealing with the media. We, the El Paso Police Department, treat the media fairly and should be treated by the media fairly back. If asked to leave an area which is hazardous to occupy, or part of a scene, the media should comply on the first request; not the fifth. I am not writing this as an opinion, but stating basic common sense principals of crime scene management and basic pedestrian safety. Here’s the scenario: If a reporter is walking down the middle of the street, and has been asked not to do so during a traffic checkpoint, then a citation for pedestrian in the roadway is a proper and fair way to deal with the situation. I would not think that this reporter could just call someone on the second floor and -- bam! -- voided citation. Does this sound like something that could happen here?  I believe that if you set the ground rules the rules will be followed. If you start to let the news “bullies” push the boundaries, then the boundaries will never be the same.

I will end the article on this note, watch your backs, watch your partners' backs, and keep your head low. Stay safe!

Greetings to all the fi ne men and women who represent the Hill!

First and foremost, Henry, Manny, and I want to apologize for the lack of articles in the Silver Badge. There have been some editorial issues that are being resolved. Since we have not had an article in some time we have compiled the information that you guys missed out on.

I want to compliment everyone for the hard work and determination. No matter what obstacles are in your way, you all always adapt and overcome.  The main issues that have arisen are the fact that NO overtime is authorized and that for 2009, there will be NO academy classes! We must realize that this is not permanent, and time restrictions on overtime may be lifted and academy classes will resume. Meanwhile, I appreciate all the hard work between shifts, so that all requirements are being maintained. We must realize that Chief Allen works with the City as much as possible and this is one of those times that we have to do our part. If we don’t, Chief Allen can be replaced with someone else (from what I gather from the majority of the station, we want to keep Chief Allen).  With the budget as tight as it is, we must also take better care of the equipment and have it serviced as needed. Many of the spotlights on vehicles do not work, the radars have been messed with (loose and falling down), and the MDT have unnecessary items on them. Another thing we ask is to please remember to take out your trash when you are done, as your mommy is not here to clean up after you. These are issues that have presented themselves to us and we are bringing it to you, the hard workers of this department.

The Pebble Hills Regional Command would like to extend its congratulations to the El Paso Police Department’s first two NASA certified officers. Officer C. Burns and V. Johnston both took their first flight in the Valley while responding to a call to assist officers. Officers were close to crossing into international airspace, but Officer Burns was able to avoid an international incident by deploying the unit’s anchor system, which left the unit hanging from a pole. Both astronauts -- I mean officers -- were not harmed during the flight (incident), but they did manage to max out their frequent fl ier points and scared several birds and squirrels in the process.  Due to the height of the astronauts jump to safety, the U.S. Army is looking to issue both officers Airborne Parachute Badge’s for their successful jump to safety (certification ceremony will be forthcoming).

Here are some worth cases worth mentioning:  PIZZA DELIVERY DRIVER ROBBERY - An off duty fireman was robbed of his vehicle at gunpoint. Immediately, Patrol Officers and TAC 2 Officers responded. TAC 2 Officers C. McBain and R. Hernandez were in plain clothes and responded to the area. They later observed the offender(s) walking through Marty Robbins Park and then hide something in the Port-a-Potties. The offender(s) were then taken into custody, and were identified by the victim. The victim’s vehicle was recovered at an apartment complex on George Dieter.

Referencing this case the next day, Baldy (aka Chocolate Gummy Bear), Officer M. Chavez #2064, and CAP took the last subject down at gunpoint on a bus in the central area after he attempted to elude the officers. He was carrying the outstanding black handgun used in the robbery. Great job!

POLITE ROBBER - Officer J.T. Bolt responded to the scene (Payless Shoes on Zaragoza) and provided the 85 on the vehicle and subject. Again, “The Chocolate Gummy Bear” left the station to assist, and identified the subject after he met with his girlfriend at the residence. Det. M. Lara was then able to get a confession from the subject, who admitted to two other Circle K robberies in Pebble Hills area. The subject thanked “CGB” and stated that his cocaine habit had caused him to do the robberies to keep up with his habit. Good team effort!

SERIAL BURGLARS ARRESTED - On May 1, TAC 1 Officer A. Lozano observed a vehicle with three subjects driving into a neighborhood and later, to a reverse park at 10305 Blackwood. After several minutes, he observed a female run back into the car carrying property. The officer followed the vehicle, but was caught behind traffic a red light.

The next day, TAC officers initiated surveillance at 1044 Mirage where the vehicle was located. Three key subjects were identified during a nine day surveillance.  Warrants for burglary of habitation at 10305 Blackwood were obtained for Reyna and Figueroa and they were executed on May 11 at 1061 McCrae # E-7. The residence was searched and stolen property was recovered from there and at 1117 Shoreline. Both provided statements of accused.  At this time, the following burglary of habitation cases have been cleared:

10305 Blackwood 09-119105; 2420 Anise 09-120215; 3204 Suffolk 09-111225; 2240 Seagull 09-120243, and 1601 McCrae 09-122212.

Warrants are pending against: Iris Basoco (6-26-83) of 3030 Tierra Humeda and Cora Gomez of 9817 Daphne.  Good job!

STOLEN VEHICLE RECOVERED - Officer S. Richardson while working special detail at 1550 Hawkins was approached by the victim who advised that his vehicle had just been stolen. Officer Richardson put out the vehicle 85 and Officer Bowden spotted the vehicle on I-10. The subject lost control and  vehicle came to a stop at Gateway East and Tower Trail. The subject then exited the vehicle and Pebble Hills Graveyard officers were able to take him into custody after a brief foot pursuit. Good spot, and team effort!  In this case, Officer Richardson was also awarding the Humanitarian Award as the video footage of the foot pursuit showed him picked up various articles of trash as officers were in foot pursuit of the subject.

TWO STOLEN VEHICLE RECOVERED - Officers Elicerio 2246 and Burns 2688 3F176 ,while patrolling observed a Ford Mustang, parked at the Bank of America ATM machine. Officers observed two male suspects walking the parking lot of 1810 Zaragoza.  Officers checked the vehicle and suspects. Officers learned the vehicle was stolen. Both subjects were arrested.  Also, Officer Amparan working Comp Step conducted a traffic stop on a Ford Pick up reference a traffic violation. The truck had Mexican plates so, Officer Amparan ran the VIN and found that the truck was stolen out of our agency. ATTF was called to the scene and the subject was arrest for UUMV.  In both cases, great investigative work!

Several issues and concerns have also been brought to our attention and we would like to address these to alleviate any and all confusion.  Many officers have approached us and asked us, “We don’t have money for equipment or overtime, but we can paint the station or buy new copiers?”  These issues were brought to the commander and he answered our questions, so we are relying the information to you guys. The paint comes from a different part of the budget. The commander was asked if he would like the station to be painted; if he refused some other building would have been painted. Since the station is looking a little run down, he took the paint. The station looks a lot better, even though we have to deal with the fumes, but soon this project will be complete.

The second issue with the purchasing of new copiers is that the copiers were not purchased they are on a contract and the station did not expend any amount of funds extra then it already had. The old ones were replaced by the company that the contract was through. The commander has placed a order for slings so that all shotguns and bean bag launchers can be equipped. Also I requested, plus sizes for some of the burly men on graveyards (Nick, Kenny, and Alex). Not trying to drop dimes, but when theses guys try to sling a shotgun or M4 it looks like a bow tie!  If anyone has a noteworthy case or an issue they feel needs to be addressed, please feel free to contact Henry, Baldy, or myself (Victor).

Remember this is your department and you have a say.  In closing, I we would like to thank everyone for their hard work as crime is down in our Region. The detectives are working hard, clearing cases, and issuing warrants for us to pick up. Once again Great Job for your continual effort as you guys are kicking butt and taking names.  Until next time, be safe.

Hope everything is going well. Here at the Hill, things are going just fine. If you happen to be in the neighborhood drop on by and see that the Hill has gotten a fresh new coat of paint. The old building should be more pleasing to the eyes now. The only problem is that you’ll have to sit on the old rag tag chairs we have. Just make sure you pick one that doesn’t cause you to fall over and you’ll be fine. The secret to all this is for you to go ahead and log in to the computer because by the time you do find a semi-alright chair, go get something to drink, go use the facilities, talk to your friends, place your order at Pirco’s, ask the Sergeant a question, get your response from them, go pick up the order you place at Pirco’s, walk back, eat the meal, throw the trash away, the I-Leads icon could be coming on. Sometimes it gives you added time, allowing you to run home and iron your uniform just for the heck of it if you choose to do so.

I don’t know but the previous chief of police, who is the sheriff now, staked his life and reputation on the I-Leads program, guaranteeing its greatness and expediency. I don’t know! I just don’t see it!  Well with the new paint job the men and women here at the Hill have an added bounce to their steps. Business has been better than usual here the Hill. Despite the shortage of personnel and equipment the men and women have done the most with what they have. You have to work at this station to understand it better. The minimal boundaries to the north, south and west, are just that minimal, but toward the east, the land is wide open and growing at the printing of this article. So, to say the men and women of this command do a heck of a job is cheating them out true compliments. Keep up the good work and we’ll hear less and less of the commander’s battle cry: “NO OVERTIME…NO OVERTIME”.

With that said, a huge shout out goes to all the shifts; keep up the good work. This next line goes out to Sgt. J. Garcia, Sgt .Morales, Sgt. Harris and Sgt. Gomez who wanted to see their name in print.  Until next time, ADIOS!

Greetings Officers and Civilians of the WSRCC.  The Westside Graveyards would like to welcome a new addition to the shift. Rachael Marie Evans was born on Tuesday, March 10. A big congratulation to the Evans family. Officer Evans #2694, wife Maria and baby are doing fine.

The past month has been very busy here at the WSRCC during the month of May. On May 12, at 3:00 p.m., a suspicious subject call went out at 1105 Sun Shadow in reference to two subjects running through the yard. Descriptions of the subjects were given to the responding Officers dair and Caves, as well as direction the subjects were going (on foot). The officers were also advised that the subjects were carrying a black briefcase. Minutes later, a call went out at 1108 Feather Hawk referencing a Burglary of Habitation information call. Officers Adair and Caves responded and made contact with the complainants (Mr. and Mrs. Glover) when they learned that several items were taken, including a black laptop computer. The rear door of their residence was kicked in.  Officer Adair checked the area for the subjects from the Sun Shadow call and observed a white small two-door vehicle leaving passing him with two subjects inside matching the description given by witnesses prior.  Meanwhile, Officer A. Dominguez was located at 1400 Resler, GECU, during plain clothes assignment (bank robberies). He heard the radio transmissions and began driving southbound on Resler. He observed the vehicle mentioned on the radio by Offi cer Adair and advised approaching Officer Greco to stop the vehicle. Officers Bechtel and Acosta, 1F144, were in the area, unrelated to the calls, and observed the white Geo Storm commit a stop sign violation at Canyon Run and Resler. Officers Bechtel and Acosta attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the vehicle continued on to Helen of Troy and then turned left onto Plaza Central where the two subjects jumped out of the vehicle and left the vehicle running. The vehicle came to a stop at the intersection of Plaza Central and Plaza Redonda where it hit a stop sign.  Both subjects fl ed on foot, running westbound into a yard at 7469 Plaza Redonda where subject Torres, passenger, cut his face when he ran through the front yard and hit a palm tree. The officers gave chase on foot and followed the subjects through another yard at 7473 Plaza Redonda. The subjects crossed Helen of Troy and entered Hut Brown Middle School through the school yard, then into the school and came out on the Westside of the school near some portable class rooms and a basketball court. Officers Acosta and Bechtel gave information over the radio to assisting units, and Officer Dominguez staged his vehicle within the school’s parking lot, west of the school. Officer Bechtel gave verbal commands to the subjects to get on the ground, who complied when they noticed Officer Dominguez approaching them from the west.  Officer Aguirre was as the scene to assist with taking the subjects into custody. Officer Aguirre noticed that when he handcuffed subject Rubio, a men’s Guess watch fell out of his front right pant pocket. Both subjects were taken into custody without incident and escorted back to Plaza Central and Plaza Redonda where the vehicle was located at. The officers immediately called EMS for the subjects who were both transported to Providence for their injuries. The subjects were escorted by Officer Aguirre in the ambulance. While at the hospital, Officer Aguirre located $80 with subject Rubio. Subject Torres had $417 in his possession.  After the subjects were medically released, a nurse approached Officer Aguirre and gave him two men’s watches and one women’s watch.  Officer Caves remained at the original burglary call on Feather Hawk and took Mr. Glover’s (complainant) information on the missing property. TAC officers and dayshift officers along with evening shift officers responded to the accident scene, provided traffic control and took witness information.  Assisting TAC officers located property at Sun Shadow (laptop) as well as other items left behind by the subjects on Imperial Ridge. Officer Mena completed the accident report. Officer Dominguez finished the burglary report. Officers Acosta and Bechtel worked up the warrants for evading.  The subject vehicle was impounded with a hold for TAC. Street department was notified to repair the damage to the sign. CSU 22 and 24 responded to Feather Hawk and processed the scene. CSU 24 responded the Plaza Central and Plaza Redonda and processed the vehicle. After the subjects were taken back to WSRC for processing, CSU 22 responded and took photographs of the subject’s shoes and took the shoes into evidence. The subjects were interviewed by TAC and booked on the Evading charge. Sgt. White advised that the burglary warrant would be worked up the next day and the subject would be rebooked.  Complainant Mr. Glover and his wife responded to the station where TAC officers compiled a line-up. The following witnesses from 1108 Sun Shadow call identified either one or both subjects: Elsa Valdez (06-28-71) 6248 Snow Heights; Nathan Ramos (04-13-87) 429 Irondale #B; and Maritza Schlak (01-29-62) 1108 Sun Shadow.  The witness from 7125 Imperial Ridge, Jefferson Justice identified one subject.  Mr. and Mrs. Glover identified the watches found in subject Rubio’s possession as well as the watches left behind under the pillow at the hospital to belong to him. Mr. Glover also identified the laptop to be his as well as a key chain and a Disney Coin. TAC officers are currently still investigating and the subjects are still being interviewed.  The officers responding to and investigating this incident displayed exceptional teamwork and used very good officer safety techniques. No officer was injured, and no equipment was damaged during the incident.  All officers, including CSU 22 and 24, conducted themselves courteously while dealing with the witnesses, complainants as well as the subjects, and should be commended for their professionalism. The officers exhausted their resources and were able to take these two criminals off the streets by using their investigative skills and by effectively communicating their information to affect the arrests.

Good job by WSRC evening shift officers, who assisted in the arrest of a wanted subject!  Officers Machorro #2205 , Hernandez #2139 and Dominguez #2188 were sent to Providence Hospital to locate a wanted subject, Angel Aguilar, (05-01-91), who had evaded Central TAC officers back in March and was wanted for multiple criminal warrants. The subject tried to evade officers inside the hospital, but the officer utilized the hospital’s video and security system, plus interviews with hospital staff to verify that the subject did not leave the hospital building. The officers searched the hospital thoroughly and found the subject had double backed to a room of a patient he was visiting.  Aguilar was arrested without incident and booked on his multiple criminal charges. Good team work by these evening shift officers. 

Officers J. Chavez #2502 was dispatched to a graffiti in progress at Rubin and Carousel on today’s date. Officers M. Greco #2412 and E. Raymomd #2661 arrived at that location to assist and located the below listed subject and 4 other subjects (juveniles) still at the scene (subjects matched description given by the caller). Officers did an excellent job in investigating the incident as they could smell the fresh odor of paint, found fresh paint (taggings) at the bus stop, matched it with paint on the subject’s hands, and conducted a thorough search of the immediate area which resulted in the finding of the can of spray paint hidden in a natural niche within the bus stop roof (same paint). Officers also found that a passing bus had been tagged by the offender. The subject was placed under arrest and transported to the WSRCC.  Officer Chavez then elicited the help of Officer Sam Rangel #2482, who interviewed subject Zavala and obtained a statement from him admitting to the tagging. Zavala also gave a lot of information on several others of his tagging crew and their recent activities.  I’m pretty sure I missed a few other good cases out there this past month, but I would just like to say again to all the supervisors, please remember to recognize your officers for the good job that they do. There is a lot of good work being done on the Westside; we just don’t hear enough about it. There are supervisors who do recognize their officers. It just needs to be done by all supervisors. Believe me, it goes a long way when officers are recognized for the hard work that they do.  Officers, don’t forget to watch your six while on the streets. There are a lot of offenders out there that will try to take you down the minute they sense fear in you. 

I would also like to remind everyone to keep our fellow Westside Officer Edgar Macias #2638 in your thoughts and prayers while he is serving our country in Afghanistan.  Until next time, this is Officer Rick Yanez from the Westside Regional Command Center.