DBMA Martial Arts Forum > Martial Arts Topics

Law Enforcement issues and LE in action

(1/143) > >>

Crafty_Dog:
Bring this post of XtremeKali over here to start a new thread:
==========


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Could not find an LEO thread.
Panel: Street gangs moving into suburbs By MICHAEL TARM, Associated Press Writer
Wed Jun 21, 10:03 AM ET



CHICAGO - Chicago street gangs are increasingly moving into the suburbs, driven by the demolition of housing projects that once hid their illegal activities and by the perception that police in smaller communities lack the experience to deal with them, a city crime commission found.


"People in the suburbs can no longer view gangs as an inner-city problem," said Jim Wagner, the Chicago Crime Commission's president who helped write a 272-page report released this week. "It's a problem they can no longer ignore."

The study surveyed 81 suburban police departments and found most had come into contact with gangs in their communities.

The report attributed the shift to gang members' perception that suburban police aren't as well-equipped to scrutinize and disrupt drug dealing and other illegal activities. It also cited the tearing down of high-rise housing projects in Chicago "that were hideouts for gangs, incubators for gang crime and were often impenetrable to law enforcement," Wagner said.

The document, titled "The Gang Book," is meant to serve as a guide for suburban police, parents and businesses who may know little to nothing about gangs. It includes photographs of gang hand signs and tattoos, as well as block-by-block maps showing which gangs control what parts of the Chicago area.

The Chicago area has many as 100 street gangs with an estimated 125,000 members, according to the report. Ten to 20 of those gangs, including the powerful Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings and Vice Lords, are well-organized entities.

Des Plaines Mayor Tony Arredia said suburban authorities are aware of the problem.

"Gang activity in the suburbs is not new," he said. "It hasn't been new since way before I was the mayor."
_________________
Freedom is for those who are willing to die for it

xtremekali:
From SWAT to Counter Terror Unit
Is your team prepared for counterterror operations?
Posted: June 19th, 2006 09:52 PM PDT

HENRY MORGENSTERN
SOLOMON BRADMAN
Security Solutions International
Officer.com

No one in law enforcement doubts that terror will eventually rear its ugly head in the U.S.A. Given that unfortunate certainty, will today's well trained U.S. SWAT and SRT Teams be able to tackle terrorists in the same way they valiantly handle some of the worst criminals? Are the tactics for terror the same?

To make things more difficult, SWAT teams must deal constantly with different situations and adapt quickly to new equipment and weapons both lethal and less lethal. Even if that were enough, there is always policy and procedure.

Terror situations bring a new challenge to this complex task. Terror poses unique, high risk and complex operations with or without hostages. With a little creativity, it is not very hard to envision the scenarios. Schools, cruise ships, shopping malls, theme parks. . .you get the idea?

Terrorists have a different modus operandi. They may be relishing the idea that an entire SWAT team will be breaching their safe house or apartment. The place may already be booby-trapped and ready for the terrorists to take the entire SWAT team with them. Especially with suicide terrorists, the most important part of the mission is to die and take as many people as possible with them.

Israeli counter terror units face this challenge very frequently. Their elite police SWAT unit for terror operations, known by its acronym -- the YAMAM -- must deal with such scenarios. The police in Spain also found themselves surrounding the apartment where some of the perpetrators of the train attacks were holed up. You can say that the Madrid train attacks, that killed 191 persons, was Spain's 911. More than 1,500 were injured, and survivors are still struggling to rebuild their lives.

Imagine tomorrow, intelligence sources have just notified your SWAT team that they have information that there are five suicide bombers in the final stages of preparation before they are all off to attack five soft targets in your city. You have learned that the safe house is located in a crowded suburb, and this time, not everyone in the house is a terrorist! Will you know what to do?

SWAT teams need to train for the above scenarios by first learning about the enemy they are up against and the new higher threat level they will face at the scene. Simple things like standoff distances are different when dealing with explosives. It is also important to learn that taking appropriate cover against IEDs is not the same as the type of cover and position you would take against someone shooting at you.

That being said, the use of bomb techs on the team to disable booby traps should be a staple, and incorporating all other resources such as K9 and robots should all be included. All involved must train, and the above scenarios worked on prior to the event. Proper communication and coordination can be the difference between success and failure.

Using all your resources to provide the utmost safety for your team is the key. In some cases patience is a virtue. If the terrorist sdo not have hostages, and you succeed in identifying and closing off their location, the ball is now in your court. Time is on your side, and the use of fast and dynamic entries are not the right choice. A slow and deliberate attempt that slowly escalates from a bull horn to less than lethal to flash bangs and up to whatever it takes, would be the appropriate response.

Believe it or not, the hardest part of the mission may be taking the terrorist alive. A successful CT mission brings the terrorist back alive, as they are the source of the needed intelligence to capture the others involved in planning the next attack. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a simple attack. Even a single suicide attack at a mall in Israel that kills a few unlucky victims requires numerous conspirators, including drivers, handlers, and safe houses. Someone gathers intelligence and others assist with the explosives, and training the bomber for the mission. This is why trying to capture the terrorist alive will in turn save more innocent lives by assisting in getting information to catch the others involved.

At a recent training undertaken by former YAMAM operatives for SSI, the SWAT team took on these challenges and strived to perfect the techniques that would later be incorporated in their CT training programs. The five days of active tactical training began with numerous drills in sealing the objective area in a situation with known terrorists and no hostages in a non-permissive environment. Once sealed, pressure on the terrorists is escalated to get them to come out and surrender if at all possible. Sealing the area begins either by infiltration by foot, or rapid closure using multiple undercover cars. Timing and coordination are very important, so as to leave no avenue of escape. In some cases, the instructors changed the situation as the teams were moving towards the objective. Live explosive charges were used to simulate booby traps.

The training week continued and included training in how to clear buildings and rooms occupied by terrorists, snatching, bus and car interdiction, the use of canines, and the replication of real world terrorist situations experienced by the SSI trainers. The scenarios were carried out in real time.

"We have never trained on what to do against suicide bombers, booby traps and explosives. This has truly open our eyes on what dealing with a terrorist situation will be like," was the comment of the SWAT commander attending the SSI program.

There is no doubt that with the high skill levels already established on our SWAT teams across the country, adding CTU tactics to the training already being conducted, not only makes sense, but is the key to winning the war on terror.

Henry Morgenstern is the president of Security Solutions International, a company that represents Israeli know-how in counter-terror training through several highly qualified colleges, security companies and individual presenters. . A U.S. and Israeli citizen who has work experience in the USA, South America, Europe and Israel, he was educated in the United Kingdom and took an honors degree from the University of Cambridge in 1974. SSI's Suicide Terror Training has been attended by over 150 agencies coast-to-coast.

lewis:
Even in places like Louisville, KY (where I am,) the trend of getting rid of the projects and moving these people out to the suburbs is common.  In the suburb of Louisville where I work, we have seen several apartment complexes go to Section 8.  We also have a large influx of Hispanics.  They are mostly peaceful, hard working people, but their gangs always come with them.  Everyone should be vigilant for their own personal safety, those of us wearing a badge have to be extra cautious.

xtremekali:
Shooting and Movement
Improve your survival potential
Posted: July 7th, 2006 06:02 PM EDT

STEVE DENNEY
Firearms Contributor
Officer.com

My students and fellow shooters often ask me what they should work on to improve their firearms skills. There are lots of things, but one that I recommend most highly is to include movement in your range routine. This opens up a whole new world for folks who spend their time on a fixed firing line, usually with others shooting at the same time. The essential need for safety, as well as the limitations of a static range environment, really stifles your real-world gunfight preparation. Some instructors, like John Farnam, make a point of emphasizing movement at their various courses. When the facility makes it possible, it should be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, many law enforcement venues, especially indoor ranges, end up being used primarily as fixed firing lane facilities. It's just easier. But the streets aren't easy.

When discussing movement, I like to point out that it takes several forms. There are basically three situations. First, your target is moving, but you are not. This is probably the easiest one to master, as you remain a stable gun platform while tracking and reacting to the target. It may be the least desirable, however, from a tactical standpoint, as it does make you a fixed target if someone is shooting at you. The second would be if you are moving, but your target is not. From a tactical standpoint, you may be harder to hit, but you also have destabilized your shooting platform, thereby decreasing your accuracy potential. The third situation would be that of both you and your target moving. This, of course, is the most difficult. Another facet of this is whether you are shooting then moving, or shooting and moving at the same time. In a given situation, any of these combinations can occur. And on the street, you can count on the fact that your target will likely be bobbing, weaving, ducking, diving, lunging, turning and maybe just falling down. The replication of these movement patterns is difficult in any range environment, with the exception of force-on-force scenarios. The fact that more and more of that type of training is being used is both encouraging and very revealing about the dynamics of real gunfights. I highly recommend it.

But, assuming you are working with a typical range facility, how should you approach shooting and movement? Well, the easiest method is to practice moving toward or away from your target. On many indoor ranges, this can be done by having someone run the target in and out while you shoot. This generally replicates at least part of the first case I mentioned above. It is the least you should do, if you have a suitable facility. You can also usually work out a way to safely move toward or away from your static target on most ranges, although it depends on who you may have to share the place with while you are there. But think for a moment about the movement pattern itself. At typical police gunfight distances, either advancing or moving directly away from your target doesn't really make the target any easier, or harder, to hit. If you can rapidly close distance from far away, yes, it will help. But at typical distances, it really should not matter, just for the sake of accuracy. Advancing toward your target may be a good tactical maneuver for other reasons, however. A criminal generally arms himself (or herself) in order to get what they want through fear and intimidation--not necessarily because they really want to shoot someone. Aggressively moving toward your target is not the reaction this sort of person is expecting. In the right circumstances, you can gain a real psychological advantage, if your movement shooting skills are up to the task. Moving away, however, can be problematic. Unless you are necessarily moving to available cover, backing up is not making you a more difficult target for your opponent and it may cause you to move in an unwanted direction--down. Tripping is a distinct possibility, and being on the ground will not improve your situation. In addition, if you have an aggressive opponent who is moving toward you, you are at a distinct disadvantage. You cannot possibly back up as quickly as your opponent can move forward. This is one reason why you can seize the initiative from your opponent by advancing yourself. You should practice both, but rearward movement is usually a last resort option.

It gets really interesting when you encounter lateral (or diagonal) movement. Here is where your practice can really pay off. You have the facilities to do so, where the usual street criminal does not (most criminals who carry a gun don't get much practice time. Thank goodness!). When your opponent moves laterally, it is harder to achieve accurate shot placement. If you are both moving, results will favor the prepared. That should be you. These things work both ways, so it is important to find a way to incorporate both target movement and shooter movement into your practice time. This is usually the tough one, as most facilities don't have the capability for the targets to move laterally. If yours does, great! Make the most of it. Work on shooting and moving at the same time, and on shooting and then moving (or moving and then shooting--you get the idea). There are, of course, safety considerations when people are moving and shooting in a training environment. It is worth the trouble to work it out.

What if you don't have the facilities? Participate in one of the so-called practical, tactical, or defensive shooting sports. Yeah, they are competitive and that does make them "games." So what? They may be the best/only game in town, so make the most of it. Each of the sports has different rules and procedures, but just being able to participate in dynamic situations, no matter how contrived, will rapidly improve your skills. I participate in the monthly matches run by First Coast IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association), at the Gateway Rifle and Pistol Club, in Jacksonville, FL. The cadre there regularly designs shooting stages that challenge you to not only move, but shoot from awkward positions and stances. We routinely do all of the movement combinations, shooting from sitting or lying down, strong-hand, weak-hand, near, far, with back-up guns, you name it. And the entry fee is a whopping $15! It helps that those guys are dedicated to the sport and that one of their leaders, Ed Sevetz, is a firearms instructor with an area sheriff's department. In fact, our April match, in remembrance of the 20 year "anniversary" of the FBI Miami shootout, was designed by Massad Ayoob. Each of the stages replicated, as near as possible, the shooting challenges that the FBI agents involved that day had to face--movement, distance, impaired vision, use of back-up guns, etc. There was also a film and discussion about the lessons learned at such a terrible price.

The Jacksonville group is not atypical of the IDPA clubs I have visited. Find one in your area, have some fun and improve your survival skills. Law enforcement personnel can use their duty gear for competition, or they can work from concealment, like the "civilians." You might also find out some very interesting things about the attitudes and abilities of armed citizens in today's society.

No matter how you do it, however, it is in your best interests to make practicing shooting with movement happen. If your department doesn't provide the training, get it elsewhere. As I have said many times, it is your life that is on the line.


Web Links:

International Defensive Pistol Association

Steve Denney is a former municipal police sergeant, USAF Officer and chief of security/safety officer for a large retirement and healthcare community. A former SWAT officer, crime prevention officer and both military and police firearms trainer, he is currently an instructor for LFI Judicious Use of Deadly Force, LFI Stressfire, and NRA and other defensive tactics disciplines. He currently trains police, military and private citizens. He is a charter member of ILEETA, a member of IALEFI, and serves on the Firearms Committee of ASLET.

xtremekali:
In a Troubled Area, Violence Competes Daily With Progress
The LAPD's 'South Bureau' continues to be a hot spot, with some fearing that civil unrest could erupt at any time.
By Matt Lait and Scott Glover
Times Staff Writers

July 17, 2006

Earl Paysinger doesn't mince words when talking about the 57 square miles of urban landscape he oversees as a Los Angeles Police Department assistant chief.

"It's a violent piece of real estate," the 30-year LAPD veteran said. "This part of the city has always been a great challenge for us."

The real estate he's referring to is South Los Angeles, an area singled out last week by a blue-ribbon panel as a deeply troubled hot spot where tensions between residents and police run so high that civil unrest could erupt at any time.

"It's hanging by a thread," said civil rights attorney Connie Rice, who spearheaded the panel's examination of the LAPD's Rampart Division scandal. "I would not be surprised if something were to blow there this summer."

Police officials and some community leaders acknowledge that there are serious problems to contend with ? but they do not believe the situation is as dire.

Paysinger, in fact, believes that relationships between the LAPD and the community are getting better.

South Los Angeles is policed by four LAPD divisions collectively known as "South Bureau." The district stretches from the Santa Monica Freeway to the Los Angeles harbor.

And, indeed, it is a troubled place: If it were its own city, Paysinger says, it would be the nation's most violent. The homicide rate in 2004 was four times the national average. One South Bureau division ? Southeast, with a population of 150,000 spread over 10 square miles ? had more homicides that year than North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Vermont combined. In recent years, as in most of Los Angeles, the bureau's homicide rate has gone down ? but it still runs three times higher than the citywide average.

Grandmothers, Paysinger says, have been known to put children to sleep in bathtubs to protect them from errant gunfire. Researchers believe some children suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder because of all the violence they witness.

Protecting the nearly 700,000 South Bureau residents from the mayhem are 1,460 LAPD officers.

"Those are not good odds," Paysinger said.

According to the report by Rice and the panel, a dangerous combination of factors makes that section of the city volatile: It includes poor, disenfranchised neighborhoods that feel victimized by gangs, drugs and the police who are supposed to protect them, and a "thin blue line" of officers who face life-threatening dangers as they try to keep peace with limited resources.

"These are not just underclass poverty descriptors," warned the Rampart report, "these are the trigger conditions for the city's next riot."

Friction between police and residents in South Los Angeles is nothing new. It touched off the Watts riots in 1965 and the civil unrest in 1992 after the acquittals of the officers involved in the beating of Rodney G. King.

In recent years, high-profile confrontations between South Bureau officers and suspects have riled residents and led to accusations of heavy-handed police tactics:

?  A Southeast Division officer in 2004 was captured on videotape repeatedly striking suspected car thief Stanley Miller with a metal flashlight after a pursuit.

?  An officer fatally shot 13-year-old Devin Brown in 2005 in the 77th Street Division after a car chase in which the youngster allegedly backed up toward the officer.

?  SWAT officers in 2005 mistakenly shot 19-month-old Susie Pena, whose father held her as a shield during a gun battle with police.

After each of those incidents, community leaders and residents accused the LAPD of using excessive force and demanded that officers be held accountable. In response, Chief William J. Bratton and Paysinger met with residents, listened to their complaints and assured them that full investigations would be conducted.

Andre Birotte Jr., the Police Commission's inspector general and a participant in some of those sessions, said he felt the city averted major unrest because Paysinger had invested time in forging key relationships in the community.

"My humble opinion is Earl has saved the city from burning down several times," Birotte said.

Residents are not the only ones frustrated by conditions in South Los Angeles. The perils of policing there were all too apparent last month when a 52-year-old robbery suspect shot and paralyzed Southwest Officer Kristina Ripatti.

The weaponry that officers seize also speaks to the dangers. Last year, police in South Bureau recovered more than 2,000 firearms; so far this year more than 1,000 have been confiscated ? more than in any other area of the city.

"These are the kinds of situations and episodes that make this a very challenging place," Paysinger said.

To overcome the community's mistrust of the LAPD, Paysinger and other police officials proactively try to educate residents on police tactics and keep them informed on both day-to-day activities and major events.

Even some LAPD critics acknowledged the efforts.

Najee Ali, an African American community activist who has helped organize protests against the LAPD, said Bratton and Paysinger "have made tremendous strides in trying to have a dialogue with South Los Angeles leaders, more than any other police administration. And that includes the black chiefs," he said.

The conflicting feelings about the LAPD were apparent last week as Sgt. Al Labrada drove through several housing projects in the Southeast Division. Many residents glared as he went past; a few, however, smiled and offered a quick wave or nod.

"People need more help here than anywhere else," said Labrada, who has worked in South Los Angeles for 10 years. "The majority are good people who want to be able to go to work and live here safely."

Paysinger was recently promoted by Bratton and will soon assume new duties away from South Bureau. His replacement will be Deputy Chief Charlie Beck, who was credited by Rice's panel with dramatically improving the department's relationship with residents in the Rampart Division.

In its report titled "Rampart Reconsidered: The Search for Real Reform Seven Years Later," the panel said Rampart experienced a "turnaround" after the 1999 corruption scandal because police officials embraced a "high road" policing model that emphasized community relationships and problem-solving over the aggressive paramilitary style that has long characterized the LAPD.

The panel recommended that the entire department adopt the same approach. They also called for the hiring of 3,000 more officers departmentwide.

In an interview last week, Rice said her concern about the South Bureau was based on dozens of conversations with residents, officers and others.

"I hope I'm wrong about this, but I don't like the vibe," Rice said. "The anger down there is so palpable. The anger actually blinds people to the good stuff."

John Mack, president of the Police Commission, said he agrees that the relationship between officers and residents in the city's south end is volatile, but not to the degree described by Rice.

"I don't want to be predicting an explosion," said Mack, a longtime civil rights activist who served as president of the Los Angeles Urban League before being appointed to the commission last year.

Mack said "a long history of friction and mutual distrust" has created an environment in which otherwise minor incidents take on added significance.

"It's a tense relationship," he said. "All you need is one incident to have things escalate."

Despite the tension, Mack said he believes police have gained ground in the way they are perceived by most of the community.

"I feel that we are making progress," he said. "Yes, it's too slow. Yet I feel that we are."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page