Week 6 covered Firearm Safety and the FATS Simulator. Unfortunately due to a personal emergency I was unable to attend. Disappointed about that but life happens. Week 7 was delayed due to weather this week so we will meet next week for VIPS, Recruitment/training of sworn officers, etc.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
Volunteering and Citizens Academy Alumni Assocations
I haven't said much about volunteering lately. It's not because I haven't been volunteering, because I have! I just haven't had much to share lately...
I spend one day a week at Wayside Waifs. Although I have to admit I haven't been good about that lately. Seems like it's one day every other week. I will be heading over there shortly today though. Can't wait to see what new kitties and puppies are looking for their forever homes. The joy in volunteering at Wayside Waifs is seeing the animals get adopted and go to their new forever home. If I have become attached to an animal that generally means they have been at Wayside for too long but that increases the joy when they do finally get to go to their forever home!
I take call for the Red Cross one evening a week and more if I see a large gap on the calendar and I am available. I took call 2 days this week and fortunately didn't get a call. I say fortunate because if I receive a call that means that someone is having a bad day and has either experienced a fire or some other disaster. I appreciate being able to help people but I wouldn't wish a disaster on anyone! I still have nightmares from my fire and it's been almost a year since it happened...
I am bringing up the subject of volunteering today because it came up this week in the Citizen's Police Academy. If you have been reading my posts you know I am currently attending Raytown Missouri Police Department's Citizens Academy. This week Marilyn (CA coordinator) encouraged the participants to think about forming a Citizens Academy Alumni Association. I had actually inquired about a Citizens Academy Alumni Association at the last academy I attended but it wasn't something of interest to their organization. The response I received was that their funding comes from tax dollars, grants, SCAAP funds, etc so therefore they don't have the need for fundraising. It led me to believe that the main purpose of a Citizens Academy Alumni Association is fundraising but the more I researched other organizations I learned that fundraising may or may not be a goal of the Citizens Academy Alumni Association. Here are some of the goals for Citizens Academy Alumni Associations that I have learned about: provide educational opportunities for citizens (to make better informed citizens and foster better communication between law enforcement & citizens), provide volunteer opportunities for citizens with the law enforcement agency in which they attended a Citizens Academy, help promote the law enforcement agency within the community via community activities, etc. Having learned a little bit more about Citizens Academy Alumni Associations it is something I would like to consider pursuing. I am still a little disappointed that JCSO wasn't interested in forming one but you know the saying... if one door closes, another one opens... I am looking forward to seeing what door(s) opens for me this year. I am not a resident of Raytown so I don't know if it's in my or their best interest for me to volunteer for their organization. I guess I will take it a day at a time and see what opportunities are available and what their needs are. I will be volunteering for another local agency too so I need to be careful and not spread myself too thin. People who know me keep cautioning me not to wear myself out trying to do too much. I guess I am still trying to find my niche and that's why I am trying different things. I have enjoyed learning new things and meeting the wonderful people in each organization I have volunteered with! Looking forward to more opportunities and meeting even more wonderful people!
I spend one day a week at Wayside Waifs. Although I have to admit I haven't been good about that lately. Seems like it's one day every other week. I will be heading over there shortly today though. Can't wait to see what new kitties and puppies are looking for their forever homes. The joy in volunteering at Wayside Waifs is seeing the animals get adopted and go to their new forever home. If I have become attached to an animal that generally means they have been at Wayside for too long but that increases the joy when they do finally get to go to their forever home!
I take call for the Red Cross one evening a week and more if I see a large gap on the calendar and I am available. I took call 2 days this week and fortunately didn't get a call. I say fortunate because if I receive a call that means that someone is having a bad day and has either experienced a fire or some other disaster. I appreciate being able to help people but I wouldn't wish a disaster on anyone! I still have nightmares from my fire and it's been almost a year since it happened...
I am bringing up the subject of volunteering today because it came up this week in the Citizen's Police Academy. If you have been reading my posts you know I am currently attending Raytown Missouri Police Department's Citizens Academy. This week Marilyn (CA coordinator) encouraged the participants to think about forming a Citizens Academy Alumni Association. I had actually inquired about a Citizens Academy Alumni Association at the last academy I attended but it wasn't something of interest to their organization. The response I received was that their funding comes from tax dollars, grants, SCAAP funds, etc so therefore they don't have the need for fundraising. It led me to believe that the main purpose of a Citizens Academy Alumni Association is fundraising but the more I researched other organizations I learned that fundraising may or may not be a goal of the Citizens Academy Alumni Association. Here are some of the goals for Citizens Academy Alumni Associations that I have learned about: provide educational opportunities for citizens (to make better informed citizens and foster better communication between law enforcement & citizens), provide volunteer opportunities for citizens with the law enforcement agency in which they attended a Citizens Academy, help promote the law enforcement agency within the community via community activities, etc. Having learned a little bit more about Citizens Academy Alumni Associations it is something I would like to consider pursuing. I am still a little disappointed that JCSO wasn't interested in forming one but you know the saying... if one door closes, another one opens... I am looking forward to seeing what door(s) opens for me this year. I am not a resident of Raytown so I don't know if it's in my or their best interest for me to volunteer for their organization. I guess I will take it a day at a time and see what opportunities are available and what their needs are. I will be volunteering for another local agency too so I need to be careful and not spread myself too thin. People who know me keep cautioning me not to wear myself out trying to do too much. I guess I am still trying to find my niche and that's why I am trying different things. I have enjoyed learning new things and meeting the wonderful people in each organization I have volunteered with! Looking forward to more opportunities and meeting even more wonderful people!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Week 5 - Raytown Police Department Citizen's Academy
Week 5 included Crime Analysis, Crime Scene Investigation, Emergency Management and Q&A with 2 officers from patrol.
Kyle Stoker, a Crime Analyst talked about the Crime Analysis team. The team was put together in 2000. At any given time there are at least 1-2 Crime Analysts on duty. The philosophy is to "Work Smarter, Not Harder!".
Raytown is 9.9 square miles and has approximately 29,000 residents. In 2012, there were 29,306 calls for service, 3062 Incident Reports written, 3395 Arrests, 8297 Tickets handed out and 591 Accidents. It's enough to keep RPD busy but doesn't require as big of a Crime Analysis team as some of the bigger surrounding cities. CAs routinely look at statistics regarding crime patterns, trends and suspects and use tools such as maps, bulletins and forecasts. Career criminals are responsible for most of the crime and that's why Crime Analysis is so important. Only a minimal amount of the crime is random or unpredictable when career criminals are responsible. Most crime is targeted, predictable and connected. Crime includes a victim, offender and a place.
The types of crime that are counted in the statistics often referred to as the "crime rate" include: Homicide, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Larceny, Auto Theft and Arson. Raytown sees a steady trend upward in crime like its neighboring cities. Typically when analyzing crime a CA will look at the most recent 3 year period as a comparison. Some 2012 stats Kyle shared with the class include: 19% of burglaries in Raytown happened at a home where the door was unlocked or a window was left open; 57% of theft from cars involved cars that were unlocked; and 45% of cars that were stolen had the keys in them or the car was left unattended while running. Why share these stats? To show that crime is preventable! Some other ways to help prevent crime include: Neighborhood Watch Groups, Volunteers in Police Service, CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) and Crime Mapping (raidsonline.com).
Next up, Detective Justin Pool discussed Crime Scene Investigation. I went in to great detail about Crime Scene Investigation and what a Crime Laboratory does in my last citizen's academy so I won't go in to much detail here. If you want to learn more about CSI read my entry about it by following this link Week 11 - Introduction to and Tour of Crime Laboratory - JCSO Citizen's Academy.
“The dust and debris that cover our clothing and bodies are the mute witnesses, sure and faithful, of all our movements and all our encounters.” ~Edmond Locard (1877-1966), Pioneering French Criminologist
"Trace evidence is one of the most valuable, misunderstood, misused and underutilised forms of physical evidence." ~ Dr. Peter R. De Forest
Raytown Police Department has 7 detectives and all have a role in Crime Scene Investigation. CSI is about Evidence - Statements - Confessions. Evidence doesn't lie! The role of the first responder (officer) on the scene is to safeguard the scene. They will brief the detectives that arrive on scene. Chain of Custody must be maintained. Ie... what did you get from who, when, where? Processing a scene includes the following steps: Interview, Photograph, Search, Diagram, Process, Collect. The final goal is to apprehend the suspect and bring justice to the victim. One CSI must be on call at all times. Crimes investigated include but are not limited to: Homicide, Suicide, Rape, Robbery, Assault, Burglary, Auto Theft, Forgery, Stealing. The Metro Squad can be called in to assist as needed. Death Investigation is the most common investigation assistance is needed with. The Jackson County Medical Examiner is utilized in cases of Homicide, Suicide and Accidental Death. If evidence is collected that needs to be analyzed by a lab, RPD will send to either the Missouri Highway Patrol Lab in Jefferson City or Kansas City MO Police Department. MHP is generally not as backlogged and is used preferentially by RPD.
Major Frank Stranimier spoke about Emergency Management. RPD does not currently have a CERT Program but are hopeful to get one going soon. CERT training is available through Central Jackson County Fire, Kansas City Missouri (I believe it's through the Police Department but could be through Emergency Management) and Blue River Community College. There are programs available on the Kansas side as well which is likely where I will complete my CERT program. The Emergency Management team for RPD is responsible for alerting residents to threats. Most common threats are weather related such as ice storms, tornadoes, flooding. Major Stranimier strongly encourages residents to purchase an all weather radio. (If you purchase at Price Chopper some of the money goes back to the EM department for education). Also stressed was putting together an emergency kit for your family. Other civil emergencies that Emergency Management is responsible for include: Silver Alerts, Amber Alerts, HazMat Incidents. Information is publicized through Nixel message, Public Service Announcements and of course the local media. RPD is part of MEMC (Metropolitan Emergency Managers Committee) which is part of MARC (Mid America Regional Council). This is a coordinated effort across the metro so that all area communities are getting the same message.
Emergency Management is something I am interested in getting more involved in. I am proud to be a Disaster Services Technician with the American Red Cross and look forward to advancing my training with the Red Cross and through CERT. A community and it's residents can never be too prepared for an emergency! Having been through my own emergency strengthened my resolve to want to do more in my community.
Last but not least... Officers Joe Holt and Larry Doty talked about their experiences with the department as a new officer (Officer Holt has been with the department for 2 years) and as a seasoned officer (Officer Doty is the longest tenured Officer having started with RPD in 1974). Officer Holt attended the Blue River Community College Police Academy and Officer Doty attended KCMO's Police Academy staying true to RPDs commitment to hire from both academies. Both Officers stressed that they chose RPD because of the small town feel to it versus the big city department. They feel like RPD is a family. They encourage anyone pursuing a career in law enforcement to get support from their family. It is important to have that support in order to have a successful career and home life. I enjoyed the stories both Officers shared. Thanks guys for taking the time to present to the Citizen's Police Academy!
Next week we will be at Blue River Academy for Firearm Safety and FATS Simulator. All class participants will have an opportunity to practice on the FATS Simulator if they want to. Looking forward to it!
Kyle Stoker, a Crime Analyst talked about the Crime Analysis team. The team was put together in 2000. At any given time there are at least 1-2 Crime Analysts on duty. The philosophy is to "Work Smarter, Not Harder!".
Raytown is 9.9 square miles and has approximately 29,000 residents. In 2012, there were 29,306 calls for service, 3062 Incident Reports written, 3395 Arrests, 8297 Tickets handed out and 591 Accidents. It's enough to keep RPD busy but doesn't require as big of a Crime Analysis team as some of the bigger surrounding cities. CAs routinely look at statistics regarding crime patterns, trends and suspects and use tools such as maps, bulletins and forecasts. Career criminals are responsible for most of the crime and that's why Crime Analysis is so important. Only a minimal amount of the crime is random or unpredictable when career criminals are responsible. Most crime is targeted, predictable and connected. Crime includes a victim, offender and a place.
The types of crime that are counted in the statistics often referred to as the "crime rate" include: Homicide, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Larceny, Auto Theft and Arson. Raytown sees a steady trend upward in crime like its neighboring cities. Typically when analyzing crime a CA will look at the most recent 3 year period as a comparison. Some 2012 stats Kyle shared with the class include: 19% of burglaries in Raytown happened at a home where the door was unlocked or a window was left open; 57% of theft from cars involved cars that were unlocked; and 45% of cars that were stolen had the keys in them or the car was left unattended while running. Why share these stats? To show that crime is preventable! Some other ways to help prevent crime include: Neighborhood Watch Groups, Volunteers in Police Service, CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) and Crime Mapping (raidsonline.com).
Next up, Detective Justin Pool discussed Crime Scene Investigation. I went in to great detail about Crime Scene Investigation and what a Crime Laboratory does in my last citizen's academy so I won't go in to much detail here. If you want to learn more about CSI read my entry about it by following this link Week 11 - Introduction to and Tour of Crime Laboratory - JCSO Citizen's Academy.
“The dust and debris that cover our clothing and bodies are the mute witnesses, sure and faithful, of all our movements and all our encounters.” ~Edmond Locard (1877-1966), Pioneering French Criminologist
"Trace evidence is one of the most valuable, misunderstood, misused and underutilised forms of physical evidence." ~ Dr. Peter R. De Forest
Raytown Police Department has 7 detectives and all have a role in Crime Scene Investigation. CSI is about Evidence - Statements - Confessions. Evidence doesn't lie! The role of the first responder (officer) on the scene is to safeguard the scene. They will brief the detectives that arrive on scene. Chain of Custody must be maintained. Ie... what did you get from who, when, where? Processing a scene includes the following steps: Interview, Photograph, Search, Diagram, Process, Collect. The final goal is to apprehend the suspect and bring justice to the victim. One CSI must be on call at all times. Crimes investigated include but are not limited to: Homicide, Suicide, Rape, Robbery, Assault, Burglary, Auto Theft, Forgery, Stealing. The Metro Squad can be called in to assist as needed. Death Investigation is the most common investigation assistance is needed with. The Jackson County Medical Examiner is utilized in cases of Homicide, Suicide and Accidental Death. If evidence is collected that needs to be analyzed by a lab, RPD will send to either the Missouri Highway Patrol Lab in Jefferson City or Kansas City MO Police Department. MHP is generally not as backlogged and is used preferentially by RPD.
 |
| Major Stranimier |
Major Frank Stranimier spoke about Emergency Management. RPD does not currently have a CERT Program but are hopeful to get one going soon. CERT training is available through Central Jackson County Fire, Kansas City Missouri (I believe it's through the Police Department but could be through Emergency Management) and Blue River Community College. There are programs available on the Kansas side as well which is likely where I will complete my CERT program. The Emergency Management team for RPD is responsible for alerting residents to threats. Most common threats are weather related such as ice storms, tornadoes, flooding. Major Stranimier strongly encourages residents to purchase an all weather radio. (If you purchase at Price Chopper some of the money goes back to the EM department for education). Also stressed was putting together an emergency kit for your family. Other civil emergencies that Emergency Management is responsible for include: Silver Alerts, Amber Alerts, HazMat Incidents. Information is publicized through Nixel message, Public Service Announcements and of course the local media. RPD is part of MEMC (Metropolitan Emergency Managers Committee) which is part of MARC (Mid America Regional Council). This is a coordinated effort across the metro so that all area communities are getting the same message.
Emergency Management is something I am interested in getting more involved in. I am proud to be a Disaster Services Technician with the American Red Cross and look forward to advancing my training with the Red Cross and through CERT. A community and it's residents can never be too prepared for an emergency! Having been through my own emergency strengthened my resolve to want to do more in my community.
Last but not least... Officers Joe Holt and Larry Doty talked about their experiences with the department as a new officer (Officer Holt has been with the department for 2 years) and as a seasoned officer (Officer Doty is the longest tenured Officer having started with RPD in 1974). Officer Holt attended the Blue River Community College Police Academy and Officer Doty attended KCMO's Police Academy staying true to RPDs commitment to hire from both academies. Both Officers stressed that they chose RPD because of the small town feel to it versus the big city department. They feel like RPD is a family. They encourage anyone pursuing a career in law enforcement to get support from their family. It is important to have that support in order to have a successful career and home life. I enjoyed the stories both Officers shared. Thanks guys for taking the time to present to the Citizen's Police Academy!
Next week we will be at Blue River Academy for Firearm Safety and FATS Simulator. All class participants will have an opportunity to practice on the FATS Simulator if they want to. Looking forward to it!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Week 4 - Raytown Police Department Citizen's Academy
I'm starting to sound like a broken record but... Week 4 was a busy week!
Detective Nancy Willis spoke about Domestic Violence. Raytown PD has 7 detectives. Of the seven only 2 are assigned to specific tasks. Detective Clear is assigned to Juvenile cases (he presented last week) and Detective Willis is assigned to Domestic Violence cases.
Domestic Violence is defined as behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or dating. ANYONE CAN BE A VICTIM!
Examples of abuse include:
Raytown PD always dispatchers 2 officers to DV calls. These can be some of the most dangerous calls for officers and all involved. A General Order Summons or Felony warrant will be issued depending n the severity of injuries. Generally a broken bone is severe enough to warrant the felony charge.
Robin Slater from Hope House presented. Hope House has 2 metro area locations. For safety of those helped at Hope House, the locations will not be disclosed. Hope House has provided 30 years of Hope! Services provided by Hope House include: Court advocates (to assist with orders of protection and other legal matters), support groups, counseling services, safe shelter. There are currently no shelters for men but Hope House will help find resources for men affected by domestic violence in need of a safe place to stay. Approximately 10,000 people are helped annually by Hope House through the shelter and the outreach programs. Their shelters are full every night. Great Job Hope House! Unfortunately this is a needed service, but it is good to know there is help! If you or someone you know needs help you can call 816-461-HOPE.
In 50% or more cases of DV, children are in the home which means they can be affected too. On average an individual will be in and out of a shelter 7 times before permanently leaving the violent home. The Cycle of Violence includes: 1) Walking on egg shells (ie trying to make it work); 2) Battery phase; 3) Honeymoon phase (denial that it will keep happening, honey I'm sorry, it won't happen again phase). Addiction is often a contributor to DV. The individual must be clean in order to stay in a shelter at Hope House. If they are not clean of drugs/alcohol Hope House will help with resources other than shelter there. The most dangerous time for a victim of DV is when they make the decision to leave the situation. That is when resources such as Hope House and Rose Brooks (KS) are so important! Kudos to Raytown Police Department for including this topic in the citizen's academy! It is great to see safety and citizen programs part of the education included in the citizen's academy.
Civilian Nicole Grivno presented about Senior Programs. The City of Raytown/Raytown Police Department has 4 specialty programs for the elderly. They include:
Cpl Dyon Harper presented about the role of PIOs and RPDs presence on social media. The Public Information Unit was formed in 2011. RPD has always had Public Information Officers to handle day to day media inquiries, provide information on critical incidentes, etc. but did not have a specific unit until 2011. The unit consists of 7 PIOs and 2 Supervisors. PIOs rotate call so that a PIO is on call 24/7. The focus has shifted from traditional media to communicating directly with citizens via social media. PIOs help get information out to the media and public but are also responsible for establishing a staging area for media during incidents. This allows the media to be informed and out of the way of the incident.
Social media is the forefront of information exchange. Raytown PD has a presence on the following social media platforms:
And lastly, Sgt. Gill Anderson presented on the Crisis Negotiation Team. In 2011 the Crisis Negotiation Team formed separate from SWAT. Why negotiators? They are sworn to save lives, to enhance the special operations capabilities, and for legal liability. They negotiate with suicidal persons, homicidal/suicidal persons, hostage takers, emotionally disturbed, terrorists, etc. The 3 Cs of negotiation include: Context, Containment and Conversation.
A Crisis Negotation Team includes a commander, primary, coach, scribe and intel/floater. Each have unique jobs. CIT training through NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is required for all team members part of the RPD CNT. Special equipment they use includes: rescue phone, crisis response phone and cellular response console. CNT members recieve training through any of the following organizations: IAHN (International Association of Hostage Negotiators), FBI, CSM (Center for Strategic Management) or CNA (Crisis Negotiators Association).
Next week is another night of lecture at the library. Topics will include: Crime analysis, crime scene investigation, emergency management (I am interested in this so I am looking forward to what is presented on this topic) and Q&A with patrol.
Detective Nancy Willis spoke about Domestic Violence. Raytown PD has 7 detectives. Of the seven only 2 are assigned to specific tasks. Detective Clear is assigned to Juvenile cases (he presented last week) and Detective Willis is assigned to Domestic Violence cases.
Domestic Violence is defined as behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or dating. ANYONE CAN BE A VICTIM!
Examples of abuse include:
Violence can be criminal and includes physical assault (hitting, pushing, shoving, etc.), sexual abuse (unwanted or forced sexual activity), and stalking. Although emotional, psychological and financial abuse are not criminal behaviors, they are forms of abuse and can lead to criminal violence.
- name-calling or put downs
- keeping a partner from contacting their family or friends
- withholding money
- stopping a partner from getting or keeping a job
- actual or threatened physical harm
- sexual assault
- stalking
- intimidation
Raytown PD always dispatchers 2 officers to DV calls. These can be some of the most dangerous calls for officers and all involved. A General Order Summons or Felony warrant will be issued depending n the severity of injuries. Generally a broken bone is severe enough to warrant the felony charge.
Robin Slater from Hope House presented. Hope House has 2 metro area locations. For safety of those helped at Hope House, the locations will not be disclosed. Hope House has provided 30 years of Hope! Services provided by Hope House include: Court advocates (to assist with orders of protection and other legal matters), support groups, counseling services, safe shelter. There are currently no shelters for men but Hope House will help find resources for men affected by domestic violence in need of a safe place to stay. Approximately 10,000 people are helped annually by Hope House through the shelter and the outreach programs. Their shelters are full every night. Great Job Hope House! Unfortunately this is a needed service, but it is good to know there is help! If you or someone you know needs help you can call 816-461-HOPE.
In 50% or more cases of DV, children are in the home which means they can be affected too. On average an individual will be in and out of a shelter 7 times before permanently leaving the violent home. The Cycle of Violence includes: 1) Walking on egg shells (ie trying to make it work); 2) Battery phase; 3) Honeymoon phase (denial that it will keep happening, honey I'm sorry, it won't happen again phase). Addiction is often a contributor to DV. The individual must be clean in order to stay in a shelter at Hope House. If they are not clean of drugs/alcohol Hope House will help with resources other than shelter there. The most dangerous time for a victim of DV is when they make the decision to leave the situation. That is when resources such as Hope House and Rose Brooks (KS) are so important! Kudos to Raytown Police Department for including this topic in the citizen's academy! It is great to see safety and citizen programs part of the education included in the citizen's academy.
Civilian Nicole Grivno presented about Senior Programs. The City of Raytown/Raytown Police Department has 4 specialty programs for the elderly. They include:
- HEAR (Health Emergency Assistance Registry),
- Postal Carrier Alert Program (postal carrier will call for help for residents in this registered program who appear to need assistance),
- Project Lifesaver (a program to locate missing persons suffering from Alzheimer’s and other related dementia-type disorders or mental dysfunction disorders), and
- Safe Return (a similar program to Project Lifesaver program that gives assistance to
Cpl Dyon Harper presented about the role of PIOs and RPDs presence on social media. The Public Information Unit was formed in 2011. RPD has always had Public Information Officers to handle day to day media inquiries, provide information on critical incidentes, etc. but did not have a specific unit until 2011. The unit consists of 7 PIOs and 2 Supervisors. PIOs rotate call so that a PIO is on call 24/7. The focus has shifted from traditional media to communicating directly with citizens via social media. PIOs help get information out to the media and public but are also responsible for establishing a staging area for media during incidents. This allows the media to be informed and out of the way of the incident.
Social media is the forefront of information exchange. Raytown PD has a presence on the following social media platforms:
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RaytownPolice
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaytownPD
- Blogger: https://twitter.com/RaytownPD
- Nixie: http://www.nixle.com/
- Press Releases and Incident Reports are housed on their WordPress blog: http://piorpd.wordpress.com/
- Webpage: http://raytown.mo.us/
And lastly, Sgt. Gill Anderson presented on the Crisis Negotiation Team. In 2011 the Crisis Negotiation Team formed separate from SWAT. Why negotiators? They are sworn to save lives, to enhance the special operations capabilities, and for legal liability. They negotiate with suicidal persons, homicidal/suicidal persons, hostage takers, emotionally disturbed, terrorists, etc. The 3 Cs of negotiation include: Context, Containment and Conversation.
A Crisis Negotation Team includes a commander, primary, coach, scribe and intel/floater. Each have unique jobs. CIT training through NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is required for all team members part of the RPD CNT. Special equipment they use includes: rescue phone, crisis response phone and cellular response console. CNT members recieve training through any of the following organizations: IAHN (International Association of Hostage Negotiators), FBI, CSM (Center for Strategic Management) or CNA (Crisis Negotiators Association).
Next week is another night of lecture at the library. Topics will include: Crime analysis, crime scene investigation, emergency management (I am interested in this so I am looking forward to what is presented on this topic) and Q&A with patrol.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Ride Along with Raytown Police Department
This citizen's police academy, like many, includes a ride along if the participant chooses to do so. Everything we participate in is voluntary. You can choose to do the ride along or you can pass. Why anyone would pass on an opportunity to do a ride along if attending the academy is beyond me though. If you chose to attend the citizen's academy that generally means you have some interest in law enforcement whether it be a future career, wanting to know more about law enforcement involvement in your community, or in my case - work requested I do a ride along (because I do stress tests on police officers/sheriffs deputies/state troopers/etc) plus I have a general curiosity from having friends who are police officers and/or sheriff's deputies. If you have an opportunity to do a ride along I would recommend doing it. It's your best opportunity to see first hand what an officer does on a day to day basis and ask questions!
Some people fear safety is a concern. Sure, safety is a concern. There are no guarantees in life. Being a law enforcement officer is a dangerous job and you take on a certain level of risk when you sign up to do a ride along with an officer but I can say I have always felt safe on a ride along and won't hesitate to do another one when the opportunity comes up.
Every ride along starts with instructions from the officer regarding what you can and can't do. You have plenty of opportunity to ask questions as needed.
I have completed one ride along with Raytown Police Department. (You can do a ride along with RPD even if you are not attending their citizen's academy. Click here for the form.) I won't post anything specific about my ride along (it was pretty quiet) other than to say... the patrol car survived (ie., no fire this time like one of my ride alongs with a different department ended), I didn't learn what the back seat of the car feels like nor experience the view and I have yet to wear these:
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