The misconception is that patrol officers are limited to certain tasks when they are assigned to street and road patrol. Actually, uniformed officers have many more opportunities to do good police work than they sometimes realize. As patrol officers, you are the first responders to most crime scenes, not the Investigators/Detectives, who do most of the follow-up investigations on serious crimes.

During every shift you work when you’re out performing your patrol duties, take advantage of the opportunities you find. Talk to the people in your area of responsibility and learn to develop the right approaches to good street communication

The jobs of the investigators are not more important than yours. In many situations, you have the advantage over them, because you will often have the better understanding of the crime problems occurring in your patrol area. And you will have a good handle on where the bad guys usually congregate.

Do your job right and you’ll have better street contacts to reach out to for information and intelligence. You make these contacts every shift you work, so you can take advantage of them when needed.

Almost all criminals use vehicles to get around. Whether it’s a dope dealer, a burglar, auto thief, or gang banger, they usually get around by driving or riding in a car. Patrol officers make traffic stops every shift they work, coming into contact with these criminals

There is no such thing as a routine traffic stop. Take advantage of the power of discretion afforded you in your daily patrol duties. You make the call whether to issue a ticket, a warning citation, or a verbal warning during any stop you make. Look beyond the traffic stop and try to develop information on other crimes that are occurring in your area.

Some law enforcement professionals don’t think that traffic stops constitute real police work. This mindset could not be further from the truth. Over the years thousands of patrol officers have made outstanding felony arrests from what started out as a routine traffic stop.

Many traffic stops have led to major arrests because the patrol officer was looking for something more than issuing a traffic ticket. Don’t get me wrong. Traffic patrol is an extremely important function of law enforcement, but it can and often does result in solving serious crimes. It’s a well known fact that more arrests are made from traffic stops than any type of undercover operation.

A prime example of the importance of traffic violation stops is the arrest of Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber who blew up the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with a truck bomb. This bombing killed 168 people and wounded over 500 others. A traffic stop by Oklahoma State trooper Charlie Hanger on McVeigh’s vehicle for no license plate led to the arrest and eventual execution of this madman.

Though you are sometimes limited in what you can accomplish when you’re working patrol, there are opportunities you should take advantage of. When working patrol as a young cop in Chicago, I was often assigned to shooting incidents where it was my responsibility to protect the crime scene and provide traffic control. That was part of my patrol duties, but I didn’t stop there. After the scene was processed and the detectives left the area, I became pro-active in efforts to help solve the case. To develop information on the case I would talk to people in the area I interacted with on a regular basis. Many times this led to information that helped solve the crime.

As a young patrol officer I learned the value of having business cards to pass out to people in my area of responsibility. If you stay connected with the people in your patrol area, both the criminal element and the legit people, you will be able to develop good information to help solve the crimes that are occurring in your area of responsibility.

I know from personal experience that taking that extra step to do good police work pays off. One of the proudest accomplishments in my career as a police officer is the fact that I was promoted to a Gang Detective meritoriously.

The Chicago Police Department has approximately 13,500 officers, which makes it the second largest police department in the U.S. Every time the department gave a detectives test, thousands of patrol officers would apply and take the exam, which made the competition intense. If it we’re up to my testing skills, I would probably have never been promoted. But because I worked hard and did work beyond my patrol duties, I was recommended for and promoted to the rank of Gang Detective.

If I could get noticed and meritoriously promoted, you can too. Always be proactive and professional. It will help you stand out from the rest of the officers in your agency. There is nothing more impressive than a squared away patrol officer. Stay safe and enjoy the job!

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All law enforcement officers, regardless of their assignments, are going to find themselves on the witness stand in court during some point in their careers. Some may testify on a regular basis, while others may only testify occasionally.

Whether you testify in Federal or state court, understanding the principles of courtroom testimony will greatly reduce the stress of testifying. This is important, because law enforcement officers need to be confident, comfortable, and prepared when called to provide testimony in court. In 25 yrs. as a Chicago police officer, some of the worst times I had in my career weren’t getting shot at or beaten up. They were getting grilled on the witness stand by a sharp and well prepared defense attorney. I hope that by reading this information, I can help you greatly reduce the stress you might experience when called to testify.
Each of your activities as a law enforcement officer opens you up to the chance of being called into court to explain your actions. And whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned officer, you can’t change who you are and shouldn’t even try. Each of us has our own way of processing and filtering information. Each or us has our own unique life experiences. So just be yourself, and don’t worry what people might think of you.

You’re there to do a job, and that job is to help the criminal justice system work properly. You do that by testifying truthfully and accurately. You answer the questions put to you if you can and don’t try to answer questions if you don’t know the answer.

Veteran officers who have testified frequently have seen a lot of good things in court and also many bad things. This can affect an officer’s ability to be completely neutral when on the witness stand testifying. Whether you are in state or Federal court, remember you are there to present evidence on behalf of the state or Federal government in order to win a conviction.

You’re not there to outsmart a defense attorney. Just present the facts of the case as you know them. And realize that there will be a lot of evidence presented at trial by many different individuals, not just you. Your job is to do your part.
Judges and juries have a lot of ways to decide a case. If you appear to be an advocate for a conviction as opposed to being a neutral witness, your testimony might be viewed as being less credible to a judge or jury. We all want to get a conviction, but the verdict will be up to the judge or jury to decide, not you.

When you’re a witness, you’ll be in the spotlight. You’ll be cross examined about all the activities you’ve been involved in surrounding the case. Don’t get cute or cocky with defense attorneys. Don’t try to outsmart them. It’s a lot easier for a defense attorney. They only have to ask the questions. You as a witness have to answer them.

The foundation of being a good witnesses is to tell the truth. Be as honest and forthright as you can. It’s not your job to be an advocate for conviction, so don’t appear that way. Juries can sense when you appear to be not completely neutral. And believe me, a defense attorney will use this against you during the trial. Another thing the defense attorney will try to show a judge or jury is that you can be very aggressive. They will try to get under your skin and get you aggravated by challenging your credibility. Don’t fall into that trap. Remember it’s a psychological game they are playing with you.

Your job on the witness stand is to convince a judge or jury that you are trying to do the right thing. You are just doing your job. You don’t have a personal stake in whether the defendant goes to jail or not. Your personal stake is that you did your job and acted professionally and did nothing to compromise your credibility. Nevertheless, you should expect your credibility to be attacked on the witness stand. Many times that’s all a defense attorney has to work with. It’s important to understand that we live in an adversarial system. That is how our criminal justice system is set-up. Don’t take it personally.

Make sure to write a good, concise case report. If you are not good at report writing, check out the reports of other officers who do write good reports. Read those reports and see how they structure their narratives. Learn from them and make adjustments in your reports.

Always write your reports from the perspective of a defense attorney. When you are writing your reports, imagine that you are going to be the defense attorney defending this case. If you write your reports with this mindset, you’ll give the defense attorney less opportunity to work you over on the witness stand. What would you be looking for when exploring areas to attack? What are the weaknesses in this police report? Don’t lie about anything. Don’t be afraid to admit any mistakes you have made during the case. Nobody is perfect. There is often an issue of police officers overreaching in their efforts to obtain a conviction. Remember you don’t have to have an answer for every question asked. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t remember,” you’re not supposed to remember everything. No baseball player gets a hit every time they are at bat, and no sales person makes a sale every time they try. Police work is no different. You win some and you lose some. It’s a fact of life. Accept it, learn from the experience, and move on.

For 25 yrs I testified in both state and Federal court – and every time I was nervous. Don’t let that nervousness overcome you. What you did right will come out and what you did wrong is probably not as important as the defense attorney will try to make it out to be. Remember, the benchmark of all law enforcement officers on the witness stand is that we are just trying to do our jobs. We are not coloring the circumstances or trying to make up answers to questions that we don’t know. We are not trying to be an extra prosecutor. You are just a regular Joe or Jill doing your job.

Sincerely & Respectively

Chief Jan W. Smith

Norwich Police Department

Norwich, Kansas

It sounds simple, but I’ve been amazed at some of the attitudes I’ve seen in both cops and federal agents as they interact with the public, witnesses, and suspects. And this is an issue with not only newer law enforcement officers, but also with many veteran officers. All of us can fall into the trap of bad attitudes.

Sometimes we feel like everyone is against us. It’s us against the world. This feeling can even extend to the command staff in our departments or agencies. Many times in my career I’ve heard someone say, “He/she used to be OK, until they got promoted.”

Few people understand what we deal with on a daily basis as law enforcement officers. It’s not easy to maintain a positive attitude, when each day we see the underbelly of society. They don’t call us to join their B.B.Q. or house party when everyone is having a good time. We get called when the shit hits the fan and the fighting starts.

It’s important to remember that many people resent authority figures, especially law enforcement officers. In contrast, look how firefighters are treated by the public. If a citizen brings a cake or cookies into the firehouse, everyone is happy to dig in. If a citizen brings a cake or cookies into the police station, we throw it out for fear of being poisoned.

Don’t get me wrong. I have all the respect in world for firefighters, who also have a dangerous and difficult job. In fact two of my four sisters are Chicago firefighters, and I’m extremely proud of them. The truth is though, that we in law enforcement get treated differently. It’s just a fact of life, and we have to learn to live with it.

Many in law enforcement see these people as the enemy and treat them that way. This attitude is counterproductive and makes a difficult job even more difficult. It also creates unnecessary stress in your professional and personal like.

Example: You’re driving down the street when some ignorant fool blows by you and cuts you off. Your first reaction is to lay on the horn or even flip him off. We’re all human, and this is a common reaction we all have. But we control our own emotions.

I saw a commercial put out by the IL State Police on road rage. The message was simple. You make the choice, whether to escalate the incident or let it go. Be smart. Let it go!

# # #

Only 36 years old, police officer Steven Green was stabbed to death with an edged weapon by the brazen gang member he had transported to the Mobile County Metro jail. The gang member was arrested earlier by an off-duty officer who was shopping in the store the gang banger was attempting to rob.

Gang banger Lawrence Wallace wore a diamond shaped pendant that hung from a chain around his neck. As he was led to a squad car to be transported to the county jail, news cameras were rolling. On the news footage you can clearly see this punk folding this diamond shaped pendant into a triangular shape.

He does this by reaching around with one of his handcuffed hands. And yes, he was correctly handcuffed with his hands behind his back. During the “perp walk” he’s talking shit with a news cameraman. Telling him, “This is all part of the movie, man. I’ll be out before I get there.”

Sadly, he did escape. After officer Green removed Wallace’s handcuffs he was attacked and stabbed with an edged weapon. Officer Green died at the hospital a short time later. It makes me sad to say this, but I believe that Officer Green’s tragic death was preventable.

As of this writing it appears that officer Green was killed by a necklace pendant that the killer Wallace wore around his neck. In the video footage I saw that the necklace pendant had very sharp edges. It was obvious that it could be used as an edged weapon.

Many officers mistakenly believe that an edged weapon is some type of knife or sword. In reality an edged weapon can take many forms, too many to name here. Any sharp object, no matter what shape, can be wielded as an edged weapon.

In closing I just want to remind officers that when you take a suspect is taken into custody, please remove all objects from that suspect prior to removing his hand cuffs. It’s a tough reminder, but officers can never let their guard down – either on or off duty.

God bless Officer Green and his family. Please keep them in your prayers.

Respectfully

Pat McCarthy

# # #

Without proper identification or while hiding behind false identities, it’s easy for these people to lie to law enforcement and give false information as to their real identities. We don’t have the capability to fingerprint everyone to make a proper identification and must rely on the information that the subject provides.

With easy access to false documents, such as a drivers license or state ID, and sometimes even a falsified birth certificate and social security number, we can be faced with a difficult situation trying to determine the real identifies of the individuals we encounter in our work.

Books and websites show how to avoid paper trails. Titles like ID By Mail and How to Disappear in America show methods to create false identities. Internet companies sell custom-made identification cards for people tired of being tracked and monitored within government data bases and wish to regain their privacy.

When I was working the streets, if I encountered a subject who didn’t have identification or if I suspected that the identification they did have was bogus, I would use a little ruse that proved very effective in my efforts to learn the person’s true identity.

I would obtain all the subject’s pertinent information ( i.e., name, height, weight, D.O.B., social security number, etc.) and then pretend to run a computer name check on the bogus information they provided me. I would wait a few minutes and then grab the suspect telling them that they were wanted for murder in Texas or some other state. I guarantee they will now tell you the truth of who they really are.

I stopped a junkie burglar one time who had no identification on him. He gave me a story of how he had recently lost his wallet and hadn’t had the time yet to get new IDs. I had a good suspicion that he was giving me the bull, so I asked him for all his vital information, which he readily provided.

After obtaining his D.O.B., social security number, etc., I pretended to run a name check on him. I waited a few minutes and then grabbed him telling him he was wanted for murder. He started to freak out telling me that the information that he had just given me was false and that his real name was Billy Fender. He further stated that he had a theft warrant on him and that his drivers license was in his sock under his right foot.

He couldn’t remove his right shoe and sock fast enough, telling me to run his name and I would discover that he was in fact wanted, not for murder, but for theft. He handed me his real drivers license and when I ran a legit name check on him this time, I found an outstanding theft warrant. He was quite happy to get locked up for the theft warrant and not for the phony murder charge that I had originally confronted him with.

Another simple way to smoke out a subject you think is providing false information on their identity is to do the following. Get all their vital information and then engage the person in a conversation, such as how long they lived at the location they provided. Are they married or single? Just ask for general information to get them engaged and talking to you.

After a few minutes of idle chat, ask them very quickly, “What was your birthday again?” Watch them closely and many times you’ll see what I call the satellite delay. You catch them off-guard by quickly changing the topic to their birth date and they have to think for a minute about the birth date they just gave you a few minutes prior.

Here’s another technique to try. It’s similar to the one just mentioned about the birth date. After you get all their vital information, engage them in a similar conversation and then spring the trap. What astrological sign are you? Scorpio, Virgo, or Leo, etc.? You’ll probably see the same “satellite-delayed” reaction. It often takes the subjects by surprise and catches them off-guard, giving you a physical reaction that can reveal deception.

One more version of this catch-the-bad-guy-off-guard technique, is to again get all their vital information and engage them in conversation. As you’re talking to them add a year or two to the birth date they provided you. Example: They gave you a birth date that would make them 24 yrs. old. As you are talking to them make the statement, “So you’re 25 yrs. old right? Watch their reaction to reveal any signs of deception.

I’ve used these techniques in my 25-year career and tricked many bad guys into revealing the lies they told me. I encourage you to try these techniques. They worked well for me, and if you give them a try, I know they’ll work well for you too.

# # #

There’s a difference between cover and concealment. ‘Cover’ refers to anything that will deflect, slow down, or even stop a round. There are two kinds of cover used by those of us in law enforcement, stationary cover and portable cover.

With stationary cover, we use objects found on the streets, such as trees, light poles, mail boxes, etc. The most common stationary object we use is the patrol car. But although the squad car door is commonly used for this, don’t rely on it for adequate cover. It provides very little protection and can be easily penetrated by most rounds.

Instead use the front end of your patrol car, which offers the best protection. Most rounds, even AK-47 and other high-powered rifle rounds, cannot penetrate the engine compartment.

In critical situations position your vehicle to maximize the protection it offers by parking it so you can use the engine compartment for your cover location.

Another common choice for cover is the trunk area. This is also a poor choice, since many rounds can penetrate it. Wheel wells of the front and back of your patrol car offer good protection against most handgun rounds, but high-powered rifle rounds will penetrate them and leave you vulnerable.

Portable cover consists of body armor, i.e. your bullet proof vest, portable light-weight shields, and ballistic blankets. Portable ballistic equipment will stop most handgun rounds, but they may not stop rounds from high-powered rifles.

New advances in technology will bring better protection for law enforcement officers. For example, there is now a ballistic panel that can be retro-fitted into the doors of patrol cars so the doors will offer better protection than they do now.

‘Concealment’ refers to anything that hides your presence or movements from the bad guy. But concealment doesn’t always offer you protection. You might be hiding behind something but can still be shot. Concealment without cover.

re are some concealment mistakes commonly made by officers involved in critical incidents:

1) Failure to consider the tactical advantage of the bad guys. Even though you might feel safe hiding behind an object that offers full concealment, if the object doesn’t offer full cover protection, you can be shot through that object. Rounds will penetrate it even if the shooter can’t actually see you. This would apply to the interior walls of most houses. If the bad guy fires wildly in your direction, he might be able to hit you, even without seeing you or knowing your exact location.

2) Not being aware that your body might be casting shadows that reveal your location to the bad guy. You’re hidden, but not protected.

3) Letting the beeps and other sounds from cell phones, radios, and watches give away your location. Always keep this in mind as you move tactically toward the bad guy.

Here are some do’s and don’ts to be aware of when faced with a critical incident:

Do

• Find cover early. A good tactical cop is always thinking cover. When you need it, you might have little time to look for it.

• Consider withdrawing instead of staying in place. It might be the safest option.

• Always think tactical advantage. You make the decision when and where to make the stop, so try to conduct stops in areas near cover.

• Vary your levels and sides when firing from cover. Never give the bad guy the same shot at you twice.

• Fire around cover, not over it. You’ll present a much smaller target for the bad guy to hit you. [Use the mail box photos as examples.]

Don’t:

• Change cover location just to make a change. Sometimes cops move around for no apparent tactical reason. Think smart when you change your cover location.

• Change your cover location with a partially loaded weapon.  Even if you only fired one or two rounds, reload and use the clip with the expended rounds as a back-up. The one or two rounds you’ve already fired can make a difference in a gun battle.

• Try to fire through cover. With the tremendous penetrating power of modern ammo, you might  wound another officer who is at the scene.

• Fire without identifying a specific target.

Your ability to evaluate cover and assess the threats  you face on the street can have a major impact on whether you survive a deadly force encounter. Learn to recognize what is good and bad cover. Always keep cover in your mind. When you need it, you’ll need it very quickly. Your life could depend on the cover choices you make.

To be good at anything in life you have to like what you’re doing and have a strong desire to do it. This is even more true with undercover work. Undercover officers need to choose this unique work. They can’t be drafted into it.

In addition to a strong commitment, to be successful at working U/C you’ll need to have a very good understanding of how the criminal element operates. It’s one thing to be a good cop, but it takes a completely different mindset for success and safety as an U/C officer.

U/C work can take many forms, but I’m going to specifically talk about undercover narcotics work. During my 5 years working undercover in the Chicago P.D. Gang Unit, I learned first-hand how unique U/C work truly is. I saw that having a good knowledge of how the bad guys operate is essential and will determine how successful you’ll be.

I grew up in a lower middle-class neighborhood in Chicago, where many of my closest friends chose a very different path in life than I did. I became a cop, many of them became criminals. In my neighborhood you either became a cop, a firefighter, a burglar, or a drug addict.

I’m not saying everyone I grew up with turned out this way, but many guys in my neighborhood did. I believe my desire to become a cop helped me make the right choices most of the time. I did get to see how criminals operated, and, sadly, learned many of the bad guys’ habits from watching some of my closest friends destroy their lives as we grew up together.

I’m not very proud to admit it, but I did attend 3 separate Chicago high schools. In the five years it took me to finally graduate, I got a unique perspective most people never experience. I did eventually pull my head out of my ass and went to night school for almost 7 years.  While working as a cop, I took advantage of the Chicago PD’s tuition reimbursement plan and earned my Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

I hope that you will find the following information helpful if you choose to work an U/C assignment during your career.

The first step for a U/C officer is choosing an undercover identity. I highly recommend that you use your real first name and change your last name. There are several reasons for this advice, but the most important one is you will always remember your name. It may sound like common sense to be able to remember any name you would choose, but under very stressful situations you don’t want to take any chances.

I was once working U/C with a partner who’s real name was Jim. He used the name ‘Donny’ for his U/C identity. We were working a tavern in Chicago buying guns and dope from some bikers who hung out in this neighborhood bar.

One night my partner and I were shooting pool with a couple of bikers. It became Jim’s (Donny’s) turn to shoot. One of the bikers we were shooting pool with was standing only a few feet away from Jim. He called out “Hey, Donny, your turn.” Jim was not paying attention and didn’t respond to his U/C name, ‘Donny.’

I almost shit myself!  The biker called out again, “ Hey, Donny, man you’re up.” Still no response. I poked Jim with my pool stick and said “ Hey, Donny, it’s your turn.” Jim finally got the message and took his pool shot. I don’t know how it wasn’t noticed, but it was very clear to me Jim’s real name wasn’t ‘Donny.’ It should have been clear to anyone else who was paying attention, but thankfully we got away with that mistake.

I’m also a firm believer in using props for many types of police work, but especially U/C narcotics assignments. A simple “For Sale “ sign that you can buy at any hardware store works great taped to the back or side windows of your U/C vehicle and adds credibility to your undercover identity.

You can also take your family dog along for the ride. I used my dog Buck on many a dope buy, and he was a great prop that fooled many of the bad guys. I would also take along a cold six pack of beer to hand out to street corner dope dealers. I would pull up to a street corner operation and engage a dealer in conversation. As I ordered a bag of dope, I would hand the dealer a cold beer. It worked like magic. They never expected a cop to be handing them a beer. I also had a cold one in my hand as well. It helped me fit in.

Another trick I used for safety was that I had the front passenger’s seat firmly bolted in place as close to the car’s dash board as I could on all the U/C cars I used. This limited the space and movement of anyone who entered my U/C car to make a deal. If things were going to turn ugly, I wanted the advantage to be in my favor.

I also recommend that you never go into an undercover situation unarmed. Over the years I’ve talked to several U/C officers who don’t carry a gun when they buy dope. I think that ‘s a big mistake. If a dope dealer told me not to show up armed, I would carry two guns with me and I would have my cousin Billy, another U/C cop armed with two guns also.

Don’t let the bad guy set the terms of the deal. When you do that, you’re giving the bad guy the advantage and that’s the last thing you want to do.

Stay out of houses or apartments when doing deals. You’ll be much safer meeting in a public place. Bad guys are much less likely to try and stick you up or do harm to you when people are around. A public place also gives your back-up team more flexibility to cover the deal and keep you safe.

One last point, always keep safety as a top priority in any U/C operation. Don’t take unnecessary chances. No amount of dope is worth you or one of your

back-up officers getting hurt during a deal. Always remember, this job will still be here long after you retire.

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