SCUTTLE BUTT

[Schools Police]

On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 popochris50@aol.com wrote:

Just got word tonight that the disbanded Oakland Unified School District , Department of Police Services has Won its State Appeal and was ordered to be reinstated ASAP with a Make Whole Order for pay and benefits. The Appeal's Board agreed with the trial Judge on all 13 Charges concerning the Contracting Out our jobs to the City and breach of Contract.

It will be 31/2 years on June 30th, since we were disbanded!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris Haddad, former Oakland School Police

[Illegals **DL's]

If I overstay my resident visa and dont pay the $100/yr fee, not only do i get fined, but deported, much less a DL....and this is a 3rd world country. No, ur not missing anything, but someone is in DC..
I see, NOT ONE U.S. employer was fined/punished or sactioned for hiring illegals last yr (per ABC news this a.m.). Could this be the problem ?

MZT MX, Jim c


"C. Blevins" <cblevins@rraz.net> wrote:
Why is it so important that an illegal immigrant have a driver's license?  Perhaps there is something here that I don't understand.

An illegal immigrant is a person who is in this country unlawfully.  He/she should be apprehended and charged for unlawfully entering the country.  Maybe I'm getting stupid in my old age, but I just can't grasp giving the illegal immigrant anything which might imply they are legitimate.

C. Blevins

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[Ammunition Serial Numbers]

How do these people keep getting elected? 

C. Blevins
==
California Senate Bill 357, is expected to be heard in the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, June 28. Recently amended, this bill requires that all handgun ammunition carry a unique serial number engraved on both the bullet and the case and be registered to the purchaser. SB 357 bans the manufacture, transfer, and possession of non-serialized handgun ammunition after July 1, 2009, and possession of non-serialized ammunition would be a crime. SB 357 would also require ammunition vendors and manufacturers to register with the Department of Justice.

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[7 Point Badge]

humility
meekness
charity
chastity
moderation
zeal
generosity

jerry waltman

***

This awful decision which takes away property rights and seems
downright un-American was voted AGAINST by the three conservative
judges on the U.S. Supreme Court--Scalia,Thomas, and Renquist (You
know, the kind of judges that the Dems are trying to keep off our
courts by not allowing Congress to vote on them.)
It was the liberal and "moderate" justices who voted for this travesty.
G. Mate

Gary Cooper died still holding the rights to five points.   Six points is taken.   Eight points would look like a Chrysanthemum and who would want one, two or three.  Problem solved.

Bob Attwood

***

Are you sure it's not the Seven Sins.

Vic Sandoval

***

Q- I've been told there is some special meaning to the badges that have seven points.  Is this true?

A- The seven point star is said to have been  first used by the San Francisco Police Department. The seven points were decided  on to represent the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Virtue, Divinity,  Prudence, Fortitude, Honor, Glory and Praising God.
don discher

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[Highway5 Zero CHP Tolerance]

***

The phones have been ringing off the hook at the local CHP office....some knucklehead in Sacramento wanted to see himself on the news, and he sure did look dumb......The road dogs certainly don't work that way....

The other half of Jerry Waltman

***

I saw many 100+ 'ers Tue on I5 and only 3 patrols (which were working accidents). This mustta come from the feds, again saying we'll cut ur hiway funds if u dont write X # of citations for 1-2 or 3 MPH over. Another great mind at work in DC (anyone know actually who thunked this insanity up?) And come on OZ, u gotta have some 7000 pages of research to share w/us, or have u forgotten us like used rubbers ? Jim C .

***

In Florida a speedometer is considered calibrated if is 5% +/--  That works out to 3.25 mph either side of 65 mph.  There is a small town that has budgeted for income from speeding fines for years.  In response the legislature passed a law that you can only be warned, not cited, if less than 5 mph over the limit.  Besides, this reminds me of the story of the biker who got stopped on the Atlanta beltway doing 85 in a 65.  When asked if he knew why he was stopped, he responded:  "Because I was the only one you could catch?".  The officer laughed so hard he cut him loose with no citation.

Joe Thomas/6733

***

This is another example of ignorance on the part of CHP.  Whoever thought this one up, got up this morning and said to himself, "Golly, how can I look really silly today?"  Virtually anyone in their right mind knows a "zero tolerance" policy is not enforceable.  They would be tied up writing grandma for  66 in a 65 while 80 in 65 blows by them consistently.  In order for compliance to be obtained, laws, and the enforcers of those laws, have to be reasonable!   

It does not make sense to create a "zero tolerance" policy in order to go after speeders who recently are being clocked in excess of 100. 

A "zero tolerance" policy will not work here any more than it is working in the education field, where it resulted in a principal expelling a grammar school student for chasing another student with a paper gun while playing cops & robbers, using a "zero tolerance" policy against guns in school!  That principal still makes speeches supporting his actions!!!!

I, for one, would refuse to write a "66 in a 65," and I believe the general public "knows" this is wrong!  Believe me, grandma can't tell the difference between 66 and 65... she can't see that well, and she DOES have a license.  I might support a policy to remove "less qualified" drivers from the road.

Dave Hunter
  ----- Original Message -----
   Speeders Beware on I-5

  Jun 15, 2005 5:46 pm US/Pacific

  Speeders beware: go just one mile over the speed limit on Interstate
  5, and you could get a ticket.

  The California Highway Patrol is enforcing a zero-tolerance policy
  for lead-foots on the north-south highway. It started Wednesday
  morning and will end Thursday at 6am.

  The CHP says speeding on I-5 is a problem from Oregon to Mexico , and
  in the future, periods of zero tolerance will come without warning.

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[Valladon KTVU Hit Piece]

From: platteaux@aol.com

Subject: [openline] Overtime Audits

Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2005 13:08:47 EDT

The hit piece on Valladon calls for a response. I noted the presentation by Burris, critical of Valladon and others, claiming intimidation. I also note that de la Fuentes is rattling the audit saber again. How about auditing John Russo's personal and public finances, Burris's finances and those of the toadies who pal around with that group of parasites? Valladon's EARNED and DOCUMENTED overtime pay pales in comparison to the contingent fees sucked in by Burris and company and paid out of the city's coffers. Let it all hang out-but then some might find themselves blinded by sunshine. What a bunch of crap. I look forward to the other side of the story. I should live so long!

bob platt

***

From: "Victor Sandoval" <victorsandoval1@comcast.net>

Subject: Re: [openline] KTVU hit piece on Valladon and OPD overtime

Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2005 10:37:16 -0500

I called KTVU about this segment and asked why it was so one sided and I was told that there will be another segment aired that will show the Police Officer's side. But don't hold your breath.

Vic Sandoval

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[9 th Circuit Decisions]

Below are 2, I repeat 2 recent 9th  Circuit Court of Appeals decisions that are favorable to police! They are summaries from a litigation newsletter that I get.
Richard Bowser


Blanford v. Sacramento County

--- F.3d ---, 2005 U.S.App.LEXIS 7893 (9th Cir. May 6, 2005)(03-17146)

Subject: Sheriff / Immunity

Plaintiff was shot and severely injured after he ignored warnings and commands from police officers to stop and drop an edged sword that he was carrying.  It turned out he was wearing headphones, which were obstructed from view by his hat, and could not hear the warnings.  He later sued for excessive force and unreasonable seizure.  The officers argued that his bizarre actions combined with his unwillingness to respond to the police and his attempt to enter a private residence led them to believe that he posed an imminent threat of physical harm to the officers and others.   The district court granted summary judgment to the officers.  The Ninth Circuit affirmed, finding that the officers' belief that plaintiff posed an imminent threat was reasonable under the circumstances, and that due to the reasonableness of the threat, the officers were justified in using deadly force.   The Ninth Circuit also held that even if the officers' actions did not violate plaintiff's constitutional
rights, a reasonable law enforcement officer in their position at the time would not have known that shooting plaintiff was a violation of clearly established law, and therefore the officers were entitled to qualified immunity.   Judge Noonan dissented, stating that the bizarre behavior was not threatening and did not justify the force used. 



--- F.3d ---, 2005 U.S.App.LEXIS 8624 (9th Cir. May 16, 2005)(04-30098)

Subject: Fourth Amendment

U.S. v. Martinez

A police officer responded to a domestic disturbance call.  Upon arrival, he found a woman crying in the front yard and heard yelling from inside the house.  He entered the house, and notice firearms on a couch.  Both the woman and man were arrested for domestic battery, and the man was also charged with unlawful possession of firearms.  He sought to suppress the evidence of the discovered firearms as an illegal search.  The Ninth Circuit upheld the search.  Under the Fourth Amendment, warrantless searches and seizures inside a home are presumptively unreasonable. The two exceptions to this rule are exigency and emergency.  The court found that in this situation, the officer reasonably believed there was an emergency.  As a result, the subsequent observation of the firearms was not motivated by an intent to seize evidence, but by an intent to manage the domestic disturbance situation.

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[ Iraq ** Ben Griswold]

News from my son Ben on his third deployment in Iraq to his proud
Dad:


I got promoted on the 2nd out near our COC. They told me we were
having a company formation at 1745 and I need'nt be late. So I was
standing in the front rank luckily and our company First Sergeant
called us to attention and said, "LCpl Griswold, report to your
company commander!" So I marched up to Captain Kahn, "Good evening
sir, LCpl Griswold reporting as ordered." Then my first sergeant
read my promotion warrant, had me do an about face and told everyone
why I was promoted to Corporal and then noted that in this special
occasion out here, Maj. Gen. Huck signed my warrant. So it was
awesome and a surprise. All month my First Sergeant was like, "I
don't know Griswold, there's a lot of stiff competition from the
grunts, you lookin' to pick up Corporal, yada yada yada." All this
bull shit to make me think it wasn't going to happen. So when he
called me to report to the company commander, I had a shit-eating
grin on the inside, and felt like I mattered all of sudden. I've
noticed just in this first week that people listen a lot more when I
have suggestions, they act on them more often, and when people call
to our office, they're more obligated to ask me questions, since I
probably know what's going on around me. Either way, it's awesome,
and I can't wait to throw on those blues with that blood stripe
running down my legs and that EGA on my belt buckle. Not to mention
my Chesty Puller of a stack. Hehehe.

Kevin Griswold
7315 (almost at the double dipping point)

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[Dick Doporto ** Old S.O.S.]

More trivia lurking in the shadows of OPD history. In the early-1960s there existed SOS but it was called Special Duty (I think) staffed mostly on overtime. The original SWAT came into being during the Huey Newton trial in anticipation of increased BP nonsense. Our TO&E was made up of certain patrol districts equipped with military surplus: M-1 rifles and carbines, a sniper rifle, steel helmets painted blue and WWI gas masks. In the armory racks were old Riesling and Thompson submachine guns and BARs, and gas grenades. SWAT evolved into SRT and geared up with more sophisticated toys. As a SWAT team we cruised the city in unmarked cars during Newton 's trial but did set up security and observations posts. Ask Doug Krathwohl about his clashes with "No Neck" during some of the night escapades on the team.

Dick Doporto

[Jim Mari ** 1977 S.S.S.]

In a few hours I start my 900 mile drive to the OPD940 from Libby , Montana via Twin Falls , Idaho to pick up Sam Holtan. We will arrive
early on Thursday afternoon. I have compiled a list of interest at this late date.

On 10 May 1977 S.O.S. of OPD was disbanded. We had one Lt., three Sgts. and 30 Officers. Of these men there are 20 attending the OPD940; Is that some kind of record or what?? The men are listed in alphabetical order:

Manny Aquino, Iggy Chinn, Larry Eade, Larry Frederick, Dave Gingery, Jim Green, Terry Green(Lt), Cliff Heanes, Bob Heritage, Lance House,
Jim Lenzen, Kevin Leong, John Ludden, Sam Maddux, Jim Mari, George Mate, Paddy McGrew, Danny Murray(Sgt.), Paul Musch and Pete
Peterson. Pat Boyd and Harry Osmus are on the roster, but are not yet listed as attending.

There will be lots of stories and memories to share at the reunion such as our motto "Whatever It Takes" and a parting slogan "Redigete Istos In Pilum Merdamque". There was some question as to the correct translation of this slogan which will only be revealed at the
OPD940. At least not by me.

See you soon at the OPD940.

Jim Mari 6783

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[June 5, 2005 ** John Burris - Melvin Black Case]

It would be a nice gesture if all of us took a minute to send Mr. Whiting an e-mail documenting our respect for Mr. Burris. I did.
Tony Morgan

In a message dated 6/5/2005 9:24:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
Nodui@earthlink.net writes:

What  first got you in the news?

It was the Melvin Black case. In 1979, a 14-year-old African American kid was shot and killed by the Oakland Police Department. I had been working in the D.A.'s office and was appointed to be the independent investigator.

He distorted that case and built his reputation on the distortion.  I was on the scene, and fired one shot at poor Melvin. IA investigated, Homicide investigated, the FBI investigated, a federal grand jury investigated...and all came to the conclusion is a clean shooting.  I know the facts, and assume Burris does too...he didn't let that stand in his way then, and won't let facts stand in his way in the future.  The only thing good you can say about him is he found his niche and made a lot of money off the city of Oakland . 
Unfortunately, at the expense of OPD's reputation.

Joe Thomas/6733

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Subject: [openline] John Burris
Date: Sun, 05 Jun 2005 06:23:24 -0700
Oakland 's Johnnie Cochran

>John Burris is the go-to man when you're on the wrong side of the cops

- Sam Whiting

Sunday, June 5, 2005

You can't find Oakland civil rights attorney John Burris, 59, in the Yellow Pages and you can't find him in the white pages under B or even J. You have to look under L for Law Offices of.

How did this 77-year-old tackled by cops on the Carquinez Bridge find you?

I never know where people come from. Mainly it's referrals. It's a combination of being in the news with controversial cases, and I'm old.

What first got you in the news?

It was the Melvin Black case. In 1979, a 14-year-old African American kid was shot and killed by the Oakland Police Department. I had been working in the D.A.'s office and was appointed to be the independent investigator.

What did you learn from that case?

The police have an abiding interest in maintaining a perspective that has nothing to do with the facts. They will do whatever to create the impression that what they did was right.

Are your findings from 1979 still valid?

I've never met a police officer who will admit that the force used was unreasonable.

Where did you grow up?

Vallejo . I lived in a neighborhood that was predominantly black, but I went to a public school that was all white.

Why were you sent to an all-white school?

I don't know. Maybe it was a test question. I was pretty smart.

What made you an activist?

I was very observant about the civil rights movement. The thing that I most remember was the use of police dogs on people.

Is that when you decided to become a civil rights lawyer?

I filed it away in my head while I did the accounting thing.

You were an accountant?

I was one of the first black persons hired in a national CPA firm, in 1967. I'm 22 years old. I remember a guy telling me, "I want you to be the Jackie Robinson of this firm, of accounting."

So why didn't you become "the Jackie Robinson of accounting"?

I hated every moment of it.

So you went to law school?

I went to the Graduate School of Business at Berkeley . We founded the

National Black MBA Association. I was the president of the local chapter.

What made you switch to law?

I had to do this paper where I interviewed lawyers in the black community. I finished the MBA and started at Boalt Hall in September of 1970.

What is the nut of police cases?

Everybody wants money, to some extent, but I try to look to see if there is some way to improve the situation. Of course, the Riders case allowed for that to happen. Even though I had great fun doing Rodney King, that case did not have major impact. (Burris was a plaintiff's attorney in both cases.)

Will reform happen?

I've been suing the Oakland P.D. for 25 years, and right now is probably the first time that I see that there is a possibility of reform.

If there is reform, will you get less business?

Nothing would give me greater pleasure than not to have these people walk through the door that have been abused by the police.

What does your wife do?

My wife, Cheryl Amana, is a law professor at North Carolina Central. We've been married almost three years.

How does that work?

On Sunday night, she catches a plane, and she comes back Wednesday afternoon.

Where do you live?

On Campus Drive , in Oakland .

Do the cops know where you live?

I hope not.

Do they give you a hard time?

No one gives me a hard time.

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[June 4,2005 ** Balousek]

I would like a group photo of Coleman, Andrews and Martin at the 940.
Will someone please take this photo early on - before they're led
away in cuffs.


Phil:  Not to worry.  If taken into custody, the plan is for us to get popped early enough on Fri to bail out in time to make the Sat chow line..... 

THIS  is my ace in the hole.   "The Avenger of Bail" !!   http://www.bailbondgirl.com/about.htm

Keep fightin' buddy, you're tough enough to take anything on and come out on top. We KNOW you won't be missin' a Reno reunion next year ! 

Bill A.

-----Original Message-----
From: plbalousek <plbalousek@yahoo.com>
To: openline@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sat, 04 Jun 2005 21:15:35 -0000
Subject: [openline] Short Update


I got home from the hospital on June 1.  The surgery team was unable
to remove the tumor because it is on top of and sort of attached to a
main vein in the stomach/pancreas area.  The doc said that if he
nicked the vein I could bleed out on the table. 

Next step is radiation/chemo.  Before they can do any of that I have
to regain strength from the surgery.  I have an appointment in about
10 days to get some more information on what haens next. 

Thank you all for the emails and cards you have sent me.  Like I said
before - you guys are the best and most decent people I have had the
pleasure of being around.  I am looking forward to next years OPD 940.  

I would like a group photo of Coleman, Andrews and Martin at the 940.
Will someone please take this photo early on - before they're led
away in cuffs.

Phil Balousek
6553  

[June 4, 2005 ** Cops Right To Privacy]

Posted on Sat, Jun. 04, 2005

Do police have same right to privacy?

By Tom Lochner
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Police officers are public servants paid with taxpayer money and the public has the right to know what the police are doing in their community -- so says Mark Schlosberg, a policy director with the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California.

That includes access to an officer's personnel records during investigations of alleged misconduct, he said.

But police representatives, in particular police unions, say otherwise. They cite the Peace Officers Bill of Rights, which generally bans public access to police personnel information.

A panel discussion in Richmond Tuesday sponsored by the ACLU's BARK-PLUS chapter will deal with the issue of access to police personnel records and other rights and responsibilities of the police and the public. BARK stands for Berkeley , Albany , Richmond , Kensington; PLUS refers to four other West Contra Costa cities and unincorporated El Sobrante.

The panel will consist of two police officers and two lawyers. They include Officer Rudi Raab, a 23-year veteran of the Berkeley Police Department; James Chanin, a civil rights attorney; Sgt. Alan Normandy, a detective with the South San Francisco Police Department; and Schlosberg.

Tuesday's panel discussion will be the fourth in a series titled "Whose Body Is It?" Previous discussions dealt with drug policy, reproductive rights and death with dignity.

Richmond has a recent history of friction between police commissioners and police and union officials over the public's right to know versus a police officer's right to keep disciplinary and other personnel information private.

In April, former Police Commissioner Joan Kubota sued the city, claiming the City Council fired her in January due to pressure from the police union.

Kubota had probed complaints against Richmond police officers for the commission, which advises the police chief and city manager about excessive force and civil rights violations.

The commission sparred with the council, the city attorney's office and the Richmond Police Officers Association in 2003 and 2004, mainly over their conflicting interpretations of the state's police privacy protections and a commission perception that city government was reluctant to cross the union.

Mayor Irma Anderson told Kubota in a letter that the Council fired her because of a lack of objectivity and an inability "to gain the respect of the executive management team in the Police Department" and city leaders.

Roberta Spieckerman, a board member of the Northern California ACLU and the BARK-Plus chapter, said the omission of a Richmond representative on the panel was deliberate.

"This is an attempt to have people hear each other without moving to the rote responses," she said.

Reach Tom Lochner at 510-262-2760 or tlochner@cctimes.com.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/email/news/11814841.htm

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[June 4, 2005 ** Yearbooks]

From: CAP5192P@aol.com

Subject: [openline] Year Book

Date: Sat, 4 Jun 2005 21:50:29 EDT

This delay in the yearbook being published reminds me that a few years ago I sent I think, $50.00 to some OPD Sgt for a year book thingee. I never ever saw a "yearbook", nor my $50.00. This time I have the word of former Chief Word that this yearbook was strictly legitimate. I am beginning to wonder.

Cap Ford.

***

Back in the middle 70's when I was working Fraud Detail (remember that?) I had a case involving a yearbook publishing company which I think was in Arkansas .  I believe it was a high school alumni group that they scammed, and it was just like the deal we have going now, from a time standpoint. Since it was interstate, I turned it over to the feds, and later I heard that they prosecuted on it because the company had gotten a great deal of money from all parts of the country.  As I recall, they signed up the group, got all photos, stories, info, etc., and at just about the promised publication date, they advised that there were production problems,  the proofs would be sent to the customer for review, and when approved, they would print it.  Of course, the proofs showed that many changes were needed, so they were made and the proofs resubmitted.  All of the corrections were
not made, so they were resubmitted, etc, etc, ad nauseum.  Finally they were so far past the promised production date that the customer demanded a refund which they did not get.  that's when they called us.             

If one of us lives in the area of the company, or is travelling near its location, perhaps a visit would be appropriate.                            
             

JOHN OWEN  6038

***

From: "Dave Hunter" <Dave@Hunter.name>
Subject: Re: [openline] Yearbook Update (OPFRA/sp)
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 2005 09:13:19 -0700

When did we begin this yearbook thing? Seems like a couple of years. Are we subject to a scam or is this legitimate?

Did someone take this money (presumably a substantial amount) and is just putting us off and off etc? I, for one, am beginning to wonder if there will ever be a yearbook!

Dave Hunter

***

----- Original Message -----

From: John Dowd
To: openline@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, June 03, 2005 12:26 PM
Subject: [openline] Yearbook Update (OPFRA/sp)

I was told by Charles Gain that the OPD Yearbooks will NOT be out until September.

OPD Yearbook Liaison Cynthia Perkins confirmed this information with Turner Publishing. Cynthia's comment- "Unfortunately, the publisher has proven incompetent in his abilities. Sorry for the inconvenience."

**************

John Dowd

OPFRA/Secretary

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[June 2, 2005 ** Janice Rogers Brown]

Love that Janice Rogers Brown.  Would love to see her seated next to Ginsberg on Supreme Court to make it more interesting.

But don't people get it?  Police will get smarter in writing reports.  Management will get smarter in recording complaints.

Meanwhile everyone is staring at side carnivals of political correctness while their pockets are being picked, their houses burgled, their cars stolen and their community raped.

ronoz

Justice Janice Rogers Brown dissented, saying that Warrick's claim against the officers was "patently absurd.''


From: R Souza <Nodui@earthlink.net>
Subject: [openline] Access to Police Misconduct Records
Date: Thu, 02 Jun 2005 13:15:25 -0700


       COURT SETS RULES ON ACCESS TO MISCONDUCT RECORDS
06/02/05 12:25 PDT
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

The California Supreme Court today clarified the ground rules for when a criminal defendant can seek access to police personnel records to pursue>a claim that arresting officers may have had a pattern of misconduct.

The court said by a 5-2 vote that a defendant needs to show only that a scenario of alleged officer misconduct "could or might have occurred''and not that it probably occurred.

The panel issued its ruling in San Francisco in the Los Angeles case of Donald Warrick, who was accused of selling cocaine in 2002.

Three Los Angeles police officers who arrested Warrick said they saw him throw 42 small lumps of rock cocaine on the ground after Warrick saw their patrol car approach a downtown street corner known for drug trafficking.

Warrick claimed the officers didn't know who threw down the cocaine and fabricated the account accusing him. As part of his defense, Warrick sought to find out whether the officers' personnel records showed any previous complaints of dishonesty.

The high court majority said Warrick established an adequate claim for taking the first step toward gaining the personnel records.

Under a state law passed in 1978, that step is that a trial judge will look at the records, decide whether they are relevant and then disclose a limited amount of information about any relevant previous complaints.

In previous rulings, the state Supreme Court said defendants are entitled to take that step toward seeing personnel records when they can show a "plausible'' scenario of officer misconduct.

In Warrick's case, a state appeals court in Los Angeles said "plausible'' should be interpreted to mean "probable.'' The appellate court said Warrick wasn't entitled to the records because his claim wasn't convincing.

But the court majority in today's decision overturned the lower court ruling.

Justice Joyce Kennard wrote, "We conclude that a plausible scenario of officer misconduct is one that might have or could have occurred.''

The court majority said the procedures set by the 1978 state law provide an adequate balance between an officer's right to privacy and a defendant's right to a fair trial.

Justice Janice Rogers Brown dissented, saying that Warrick's claim against the officers was "patently absurd.''

Brown, joined by Justice Marvin Baxter, wrote, "An assertion that runs counter to experience, nature, logic and reason should be rejected -- even if it is technically possible.''

Brown has been nominated by President Bush to a seat on a federal appeals court in Washington , D.C. and under a recent Senate agreement is slated to have a filibuster-free confirmation vote soon.

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[June 2, 2005 ** Bodies in Cars]

From: "Rudy Martin" <rudyp@pacbell.net>
Subject: Re: [openline] Kennemore & Castlemont
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2005 09:49:25 -0700

Brings to mind a stop Tom Ball-Teaser (Baltazar) made on Madeline one day shift. There were so many people in the car that Tom puts out a call, "they're throwing bodies out of the car." There were about five guys in the car and when Tom stopped them, they threw out two that were hidden. About four of the people in the car split through the yards and Tom was left with the two whose life he saved by making the car stop. I get there and Tom points S/b and just as I get to the top of the fence Tom says be careful they have guns--I don't think we ever caught up to the bad guys that ran. The car split but the to guys left were on the way to be executed.

Rudy Martin

You got that right. Memories of the Island and Alameda Drive-Ins... I had a 59 Chevy and a girlfriend would drive alone past the ticket booth with the tailpipes dragging on the ground while 5 of us giggled, groped, and held on to our Country Club, Green Death, Thunderbird and Ripple refreshments... ronoz

From: "John Larsen" <flatfootinvestigations@nctac.com>
Subject: RE: [openline] I got one better! Re: Carstop/LAPD Ofcr Arrested
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2005 08:12:45 -0700

When I was a kid in Wisconsin we used to travel with 2 or 3 in the trunk every Friday night, how the hell else to you get in the drive in movie for free? It's not that bad back there and that is where the beer was hid.

John L.

From: "Jim" <jakinvestigation@surewest.net>
Subject: [openline] Got one better (+1)
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2005 16:28:37 -0700

Several years ago, a Sunday as I recall, I was working 6L51 (I guess it would be 6M51 today), there had been some kind of African festival at Arroyo Viejo park all day long. I had decided to try and get a tag or two at the red light located at 90th & MacArthur Blvd. Sho'nuff, it wasn't long before a white windowless van made a right turn through the red light onto W/B Mac. On my trusty Harlem Davis I pursued said vehicle getting it to eventually pull over in front of Castlemont High School (my Alma Mater-class of '60-'61). I parked behind the van in the usual fashion and approached the open driver side window. The driver was dressed in an African style dashiki gown, as was the right side passenger. The driver was unable to produce any license or other identification and was asked, then ordered, to exit the van. As he opened the door and began to get out he reached into the front (and only) pocket of his garment and pulled an unidentified object and threw it behind the curtain blocking the view into the rear of the van. As you can imagine I was somewhat distraught about this simple "mover" becoming a bunch of paperwork, not to mention that said object might well have been a weapon of some sort. After a short, successful, dust-up the driver was handcuffed at the rear of his van. I then recalled the Advance Officer School tactical training provided by Sgt. LaRoi Sargent and ordered the passenger, "YOU IN THE RIGHT FRONT! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" Lo and behold the passenger did as he was told and I now had two detainees at the back of the van. I think it was at this point I determined that I had passed the Traffic Division criteria of being allowed to ask for a cover unit on a car stop. After making the transceiver call I elected to continue on with the newly learned tactical commands. I did not know if there was anyone left in the van or not, but I was kind of enjoying this Adam 12 stuff. Sooo, In a loud voice I yelled, "YOU! IN THE BACK OF THE VAN!! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!!! Immediately the right side door opened and nine more male adults exited the van with their hands in the air. When the cover units arrived (seemed like an hour) I had eleven subjects leaning against three sides of the van and I had backed up several feet past my bike so I could almost see them all at the same time as I covered all eleven with my six-shot revolver.

JAK (Kennemore)

Leather God (Rtd.)

P.S. In case you're wondering; I never found what the driver threw in the rear of the van. He was arrested 40302(a) CVC, ten guys walked, and I think I towed the van.

From: "William Focha" <wfocha@sonoma-county.org>
Subject: [openline] I got one better! Re: Carstop/LAPD Ofcr Arrested
Date: Wed, 01 Jun 2005 06:26:27 -0700

Jamie,

Come up to Sonoma County and during the harvest season you will find this as a common event. The only difference would there wouldn't be a license or piece of governmental issued identification on the lot of them.

Bill Focha

***

From: "laptopcop" <laptopcop@yahoo.com>
Subject: [openline] I got one better! Re: Carstop/LAPD Ofcr Arrested
Date: Wed, 01 Jun 2005 05:51:35 -0000

I was working seatbelt enforcement that other day. I saw a car coming towards me whose right front passenger wasn't wearing her seatbelt so I flagged the car down.

Eventually I discovered that this 1994 Ford Thunderbird, which only has seating for 5 people, had 4 adults, 1 teen and 7 children in it. No one was in the trunk but damn, 12 people in one car. Never in 19 years of police work have I seen anything like it!

J. Kim 6M11

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***

--- In openline@yahoogroups.com, Jim Coleman <mztgringo@y...> wrote:

Re: woman arrested w/9 people in car in Nehall,and 2 in trunk post. Ease up CHP, we see that ever day in MX (and 4 or 5 on a m/c+cargo)and it was just Juan Sev. and i w/ our "cousins" trying to make it up to the reunion.

jim c

***

R Souza <Nodui@e...> wrote:
Woman arrested after officers find nine people crowded into car

Tuesday May 24, 2005

NEWHALL, Calif. (AP) A woman was arrested for investigation of child cruelty after the California Highway Patrol officer who pulled her car over found nine people crammed inside, including two children in the trunk.

``I have never heard of this,'' said Officer Wendy Hahn, a 24-year CHP veteran. ``There was no room left in the car, so she puts two of the kids in the trunk. We're trying to get people to buckle up, and this is what we find.''

Lavern Dunlap, 35, of Glendora was pulled over about 8 p.m. Friday on the Antelope Valley Freeway after another driver reported seeing a woman closing the trunk of her car with two children inside as the vehicle sat parked on the shoulder.

The CHP said Dunlap told the officer who stopped her she was heading from her home in Glendora to her sister's house in Palmdale, about a 60-mile trip.

The officer discovered a 15-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl in the trunk, four children in the back seat, an adult in the front passenger seat with a child on her lap and Dunlap behind the wheel. No one was wearing a seat belt, according to the officer, and the children in the trunk were sweating profusely.

The CHP said Dunlap told the officer she frequently puts one or two children in the trunk when she can't fit them all in the car, adding she is careful to check on them often.

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[June 2 2005 ** Overtime]

I cut this article out of today's Valley Times/Co Co Times.  If you look closely you might see a familiar name.  Makes OPD overtime whores look like small potatoes.

Frank Mellott

***
  
OAKLAND - Alameda County on Tuesday released the names of 746 county employees  who earned more than $100,000 last year, all but ending a yearlong effort by the  Contra Costa Times to obtain salary information for the county's highest-paid  employees.

The salary information shows that County Administrator Susan Muranishi is the highest paid county employee, earning $231,274 last year.
The other highest paid employees were Sheriff Charles Plummer, $210,671;  District Attorney Tom Orloff, $209,468; health director Dave Kears, $195,499;  and county counsel Richard Winnie and public defender Diane Bellas, who each  made $191,110.

The newspaper was denied access to the names of 42 county employees after their union persuaded a judge to bar their release pending the outcome a lawsuit the union filed against the county earlier Tuesday.
Officials from the union, Local 21 of the International Federation of 
Professional and Technical Engineers, were ordered back to court June 16 to make  their case for why the names should be withheld permanently. Lawyers for the Times, meanwhile, continue to argue that the names and salaries are public information.

Because no other county employees challenged the Times' request for salary information, the county released the names and salaries of most of the 788 county employees paid more than $100,000. In doing so, the county kept a promise to release the information unless directed otherwise by the judge. "The court was very clear," said Jeanine Nadel, the assistant county counsel who released the information. "Its ruling applied only to Local 21." County Supervisor Keith Carson, whose salary of $114,944 was below hundreds of employees in his charge, said he supports the release of the pay information.  But Carson also warned against gut reactions that might lead people to think the county work force includes a slew of overpaid employees.

"There are questions we must ask ourselves before we throw up our hands and say 'I don't think they're worth it,'" Carson said. The questions should include what other communities pay workers to do the  same jobs, "because I'm sure people want to know we're competing to keep  well-qualified people in Alameda County who will be there to help them when they  call the police or when they require treatment at one of our hospitals," Carson  said.

Among the many employees making more than $100,000 are public safety workers who often earn overtime pay. The county's ninth highest-paid county employee, for example, was Deputy Sheriff John Beauchamp, whose base pay of about $77,000  was boosted up to $184,094 because of overtime hours. "We have a good number of deputies like John who work their normal shifts,  and then work overtime because it's necessary to do so to provide the services  the citizens of Alameda County need us to provide," Undersheriff Michael  Peterson said.

Peterson said significant overtime demands are made of county deputies, who in addition to their regular duties are asked to provide security at McAfee Coliseum and the Alameda County Fair, support crime-fighting operations in  Oakland and keep the county's two jails fully staffed.
Peterson said Beauchamp is assigned primarily to Santa Rita Jail, and worked many overtime shifts to help keep the Dublin facility fully staffed at all hours. "I'm not embarrassed about these guys -- they work hard, and they work overtime even when they would rather be home with their families," Peterson said.

The release is the latest in a string of successes for the Times after an April decision by a state appeals court, which ruled that the names and salaries of public employees should be public information.
Since the ruling by the state First District Court of Appeal on April 18, four East Bay agencies have released the names and salaries of all employees making at least $100,000. They are BART, AC Transit, and the cities of Walnut Creek and San Ramon. Alameda County was the fifth public entity to respond after initially refusing requests for the pay figures. The one holdout remains the City of Oakland , which was sued by the Times last year for declining to provide salary information for its employees. Despite two lower court rulings against the city, a union of its employees last week asked the California Supreme Court to overturn the April appeals court ruling in favor of the newspaper.

***

You're kidding me??!!  THIS is what the young men of East Palo Alto are most worried about??!!   Not being TALL enough.   Worried about their HEIGHT!!??
Death, Drugs, and Destruction all around and the fellas are worried about being SHORT !!!!
You would THINK that being short would have it's advantages, you can DUCK under some of the gunfire!  You can........       What's that?   Oh.

They're worried about being SHOT.

Never Mind...........

BillyGangstaAndrews
(Isn't there a FUBU "Kevlar collection" available yet?)

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[May 31, 2005 ** East Palo Alto Chief]

Subject: [openline] COP Ron Davis
New Police Chief at the Helm in East Palo Alto
May 31, 2005 5:37 pm US/Pacific

East Palo Alto's new police chief Ronald Davis says he took the job for the challenges and the excitement.

But for him, that means the seemingly less-than-exciting task of listening.

"Community researcher Novantu Ankoanda found that young men in East Palo Alto have a real fear of being shot."

"The community is in a position to best know where the issues are at, where the problems are at, and who is creating the problems," Davis said. "To the extent that a police department can listen and hear what the community is saying, then that information is necessary to solve crime and respond to crime."

Davis is a former Oakland police captain. He says police can only reduce crime -- curing crime involves education and economics. For example, community researcher Novantu Ankoanda found that young men in East Palo Alto have a real fear of being shot.

"There are some kids out there just shooting. You know, randomly shooting," she said.

Stewart Hyland of One East Palo Alto says the city is divided into territories that cater to out-of-town drug buyers.

"It's primarily around drug selling," he said. "That's really a big part of the problem, and that's where the violence tends to come in."

Young men on the streets say they want jobs, but don't follow through, according to Ankoanda.

"One day, I came back with some applications for a job that required that you have to be in school. I told them that initially, and everyone was grabbing for the applications... but no one turned them in," Ankoanda said.

Chief Davis says he will focus on why crime occurs and who is committing it, while building relationships with the city's African American, Latino and Pacific Islander communities.

By Tony Russomanno

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[May13, 2005 ** Jim Beere ** Martin Snapp Article C.C. Times]

THIS IS A letter to James Patrick Beere II, who was born at 1:09 a.m. Sunday morning -- Mother's Day! (Weight: 8 pounds, 3 ounces.)

I want to tell you about your dad, Jim Beere.

He's an Oakland cop, working for the Special Victims Unit. His job is protecting the most vulnerable people in our community from the most predatory. Last year he rescued two girls, 12 and 14, from a pimp who was raping and prostituting them.

(Curiously, he's never seen the "Law & Order: SVU" TV show. Maybe because he sees enough of it in real life.)

When your mom, Raquel, met him, he was working undercover. He had long, straggly hair and beard, but she thought, "If he ever cleaned up, he could be a good-looking guy."

They were married by a justice of the peace in February 2003, followed by a big family wedding last August. The wedding was a bittersweet occasion because your dad's Marine unit had just been called up, and he shipped out to Iraq shortly afterwards. Your mom was already pregnant with you.

Your dad, a sergeant, was part of the first platoon to enter Fallujah, 24 hours before the attack began. His job was to seize two bridges, including the one where the bodies of four civilian contractors had been hung after they were lynched by a mob.

He was very brave. He has been nominated for a Silver Star for disarming six different bombs.

And here's the really scary part: Some were wired to be detonated by remote control. As your dad approached the bomb, a bad guy would be watching nearby, waiting to set it off when he got closer. But your dad cut the wires before he could push the button.

Your dad suffered two wounds. The first happened Oct. 28, when an AK-47 round shattered on a rock, riddling his hand with shrapnel.

"At first, I thought it was a bee sting," he says. He kept fighting for two more hours until the hand was swelling badly. A Navy corpsman took one look at it and said, "Man, you got pieces of a bullet sticking out of that hand!"

They offered to send him to the rear to have his wounds treated. But the attack was just about to begin, and your dad didn't want his "boys" to have to face it without him.

So he told the corpsman to cut out as much as he could right there in the field, then he went back to the fighting. He was still pulling pieces of metal out of that hand a month later.

The second wound happened on Highway 1, the road to the airport -- aka "the most dangerous stretch of road in the world." The bad guys detonated a 155 mm artillery shell under his vehicle.

"The people in the vehicle behind us were sure we were dead," he says.

Your dad survived, but he has permanent nerve damage in his hand from the first wound and a concussion and damaged left ear from the second.

But he says he's no hero. The real hero is your mother.

"The first time I got wounded, they called her at five in the morning. That was really rough for her. The second time, I was able to call her before they did."

Every time your dad called, your mom put on a brave face and never complained. She wrote and e-mailed him constantly, always reassuring him that there was nothing to worry about back home.

"She also served," he says.

Now that he's home, he's looking forward to showing you how to play football, basketball, and soccer. He'll teach you the two lessons his own dad taught him: always have fun and always give 110 percent.

The Marines' motto is "Semper fidelis" -- Latin for "Always faithful."

That's your dad. Your mom, too.

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[May13, 2005 ** Sgt. Beere]

But early on Feb. 22, he saved his own life and quite possibly the lives of a dozen other marines from Bravo Company who were taking a well-deserved catnap after an all-night operation in the city of Hit .

The split-second decisions by marines like Sergeant Beere are often made in the fog of war. During the same operation, his platoon accidentally killed two unarmed Iraqis who failed to obey orders to stop. Each situation reveals just how much pressure and how little time troops have to determine whether approaching cars mean them harm.

At about 5 a.m., the streets of the city were all but deserted when a sedan turned onto the road leading to the marines' temporary headquarters in a schoolhouse. The driver began to speed up toward the Abrams tank guarding the road, so the machine gunner opened fire with two long bursts that sent the car careening into a sewage canal in the middle of the road.

The driver, who was hit three times but still alive, rolled out of the car, and marines ran over to investigate. He was a Syrian who claimed in perfect, almost unaccented, English that he'd been forced to drive the car. (He later died on the way to the hospital.)

Beere then went over with another marine to check out the car.

As the marine in front of him leaned in the passenger-side front door to take out an AK-47 propped against the steering wheel, a man lunged out of the muck in the canal on the driver's side and went for a rocket-propelled grenade launcher in the back of the car. Beere quickly pulled his buddy back and to the side, swiped his pistol from his holster, and shot the man five times. The man fell back into the canal.

Beere took a few steps away to catch his breath and, turning back, saw the man coming out of the canal again, this time hitting a "clacker" in his hand - a detonating unit for mines and improvised bombs. Beere shot the man four more times, and he fell dead.

"I thought that was it for me, I really did," Beere said a few minutes later. He says he expected the whole car to go up in a ball of flames."The best I can figure is that he had a mine down there with him and was trying to blow up all the explosives in the car. I think the wet ruined the detonator," he says.

In this case Beere was right: the trunk was loaded with explosives. But troops don't always make the correct decisions. The marines of Bravo Company, who are finishing a six-month tour in Iraq , have fired on and killed unarmed Iraqis in cars on more than one occasion. In each case, they say, confused drivers either ignored or didn't notice warning shots and shouts to slow down as their cars sped toward Marine positions.

But with the suicide car bomb a favored insurgent weapon at checkpoints - in December, 9 Iraqis were killed and 13 were wounded by a suicide bomber at a checkpoint south of Baghdad, while in October, 16 people were killed and 40 were wounded by a car bomber at a Baghdad checkpoint - the troops aren't inclined to take chances. And their rules of engagement let them open fire if they feel threatened.

Such confusion, and the civilian casualties they create, are part of the tactic of using suicide bombers since it serves to drive a greater wedge between US troops and ordinary Iraqis.

"You feel awful when it happens," says one Bravo marine, who remembers treating an Iraqi who probably lost his arm after being shot by this marine's unit. "But I don't doubt the decision to shoot."

Marines interviewed for this story said they were willing to risk civilian casualties if it meant potentially saving the lives of their comrades.

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[May 8, 2005 ** Frank Mellott Where Is OPOA?]

In looking over the list of reunion attendees, there's one   name that really stands out to me among the missing: that of OPOA Prez , Bob   Valladon .   (For that matter I don't see the name of anyone I recognize   as a Board Member, unless Bob Crawford is still involved.)   While a few of   us might have a minor bitch or two with the Association, overall I think we   would all agree that it's served us pretty damned well over the years,   especially recently (e.g., five year contract worth almost 30% in raises,   differential pay in lieu of lineup pay for retirees).   I for one would   really like to see Bob, who has fought tooth and nail to take care of us old   "used-to- be's ", have a role in the upcoming festivities.   If he's   interested in attending and the OPOA isn't willing to spring for his ticket,   I'll put my money where my mouth is and do it myself.

Frank Mellott

[May 8, 2005 ** Re: Larry Eade , ACSO, misc ]

Somebody get a Green Sheet and get to Larry Eade's 926. He's lost it...

Tirade??!! Me??? He seems to have forgotten that I am the most even-tempered, never-ruffled person he's ever met. Well, with the possible exception of Walter Kivett .

Now, Larry, on the other hand...  calm and easy-going don't seem to fit. And I had no idea Larry was in such awe of Charlie Gain.....

No. Larry, I'm not going to tell the story of the burglar at Flint 's BBQ.

The hell I'm not... but only after an adult beverage, or maybe two.

On other topics-- Someone had Steve Landeros on their MIA list. I talked to Steve yesterday and he knows about the 940 and is attending. He mentioned talking to John Larsen recently; John, according to Steve, will be there too. It will be good to see both of them...

The OPD-ACSO thing...  Just to refresh some memories, Wayne Tucker is not the first person to jump from the ACSO boat to the luxury liner of OPD. Names like Karcuski (Sp?), Colleti , Rodrigue , Draper... oh yeah .. Goodson, Martin, all come to mind. There are probably a lot more. Tucker just came to the truth a bit later in life than the rest of us did.  :-)   I wonder if he will show up in Reno ??

And to the Road Warriors, Nichelini and Buna: Well done! But if you had a rig with a Cummins Diesel you would have charged up those hills... not the "chug" of that power-stroke thing.  2550 ft???   Hell, that's the altitude of my front porch... Can't wait to get the whole story of the Raider encounter.


Mike Martin
Sgt, Ret. (1971-1996)

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[May 8, 2005   * *   Pete Dunbar]

Actually, I thought Pete gave a rather nice benediction. Only set organized religion back 2000 years.

On a slightly different topic- Guvnor Arnold was doing one of his many daily photo ops on Thursday re. redistricting . He cut a ribbon on the ground that was supposed to represent district boundaries. Only thing wrong, he was an eigth of a mile off. One more thing-to avoid adverse publicity and protesters, Arnie has conducted a couple of the photo sessions in gated communities. Look for more of that to happen when he decides to take on the pension issue again.

Tony

-------------- Original message --------------

I appreciate Dave Evans wondering about me. I almost feel wanted.
Unfortunately, I am already committed for that weekend. Some of you know that I have been active with the Law Enforcement Special Olympics Torch Run for almost 20 years. That weekend is the annual Summer Games and law enforcement participates with awarding medals to athletes. I also will give an opening address at opening ceremonies on Friday night in Stockton .
 
I will chime in here about how well OPD was represented today at the
California Police Memorial in Sacramento . Dave Kozicki led his top-notch motors and other police cars in a big caravan this morning to join the group of over 20 of us who were already there. Jim Fisher sang the Star Spangled Banner that sent chills down my back-he has a great voice and we all got to enjoy it today. Officer Rob Race was a member of the honor guard and Steve Thurston was a member of the flag folding team. They were outstanding! Will and the families of the fallen officers deserved such an incredible tribute. Mayor Brown sat on the stage and gave Oakland more recognition with his presence. I had the honor of giving the benediction and didn't slur my words too much. Tony Morgan may have another opinion.
 
Saw the Woz , Ralph Lew , Brad Wolvington and a few other current and ex-OPD troops, including Pat Boyd and Art Brandwood .
 
I've done my update for the year. I will join our group going to Washington DC next week and am proud to represent Will and our other fallen warriors during the week.
 
Don't ever forget them or their families and never miss an opportunity to tell your loved ones that you love them everyday.
 
  Pete Dunbar

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[May 8, 2005   * *   OPD On The Road]

I have been following with interest the adventures of   Nichelini and Buna on their trek back east. Mike said they stopped at " Sheetz's " for fuel, which makes me believe they must be around the Pennsylvania Dutch country. I used to work with a Dutchman named Sheetz when I still lived in Pennsylvania and it seems there were a lot of them with the same.

Mike said they passed over the highest point east of the Mississippi at 2,550 feet. I'm afraid that's a little off the mark. Although there are   no eastern mountains to rival Mounts Whitney or Shasta, the highest eastern mountain is actually Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina at 6,684 feet. Other mountains over 6,000 feet include Mt. Washington in New Hampshire and Mt. Marcy in New York .

I think everyone from OPD (past and present) appreciates what Mike and Jamie are doing for all of us and wish them success on their journey.

Bill Clark

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[May 8, 2005   * *   Humble Pie]

It's been one of our Hallmarks that our guys/gals could dish it out and take it back... and eat humble pie occasionally....   I know I've choked on my share....

No doubt that all who started to read Larry's penitence instantly understood... so many years have passed... how great to get caught up...

Another note of interest is that Larry had no need to even mention Chief Hart's name before everyone knew who he was talking about.   In fact, to accommodate all those mentioning a preference to sit near the Silent Smiling Hero we may have to construct a table of King Arthur proportions.

As for Larry, he can join me at the TV Tray Table Seating Area behind the third pillar in the right rear furthest most quadrant of the room.

ronoz

From: Larry Eade <opd4ever@yahoo.com>
Subject: [ openline ] An apology
Date: Sat, 7 May 2005 23:05:40 -0700 (PDT)

I owe a former SOS team mate an apology. My intention was to recreate funny memories from the past. None of my posts have the intention of hurting anyone. Many of us can be defined by our former approaches to life. All of us had varied interests, and during the real estate boom of the 70's many police officers siezed the opportunity and made quite a bit of money. They worked for it, it didn't come without blood sweat and tears.

I attempted to post a humerous rendition of a particular partnership in SOS, Bob and Harry the SOS Real Estate Kings. Portions of the post, were tough for my team mate and for that I apologize. During the last 20 years many things have happened in our respective lives that the rest of us are not familar with. Well my former team mate had one hell of a serious battle just to survive. It looks like he fought the good fight and the good Lord was on his side. God Bless you!

It has been years since we have seen each other and that is what makes this reunion so important. Catching up, enjoying each others friendship, and taking the time to appreciate life and all our relationships over the years. I have apologized to my team mate directly and feel that it is important to let him know that no harm was intended, my humor was derived from the working relationship we had in the 70's. Good memories, where pranks and practical jokes were a way of life for the men and women of OPD (and he pulled his share of pranks - remember the firecracker in the shotgun barrel). So Bob please accept my humblest apologies and I can not wait to see you and Shirley in Reno .

>On a brighter note, I just looked at the roster and the greatest Police Chief of all time is going to attend. My career and my life have been greatly influenced by this leader of men. We never felt the politics of CIty Hall under his leadrship . He was always available to the troops, many of us remember the daily appearences at 0700hrs in the basement cafe. My admiration and appreciation for this great leader grow on a daily basis. We all owe so much to him, as a person and as a leader.

What America needs is a leader of his caliber to take over and bring this country to it's full potential as a world leader. There is no need for an introduction however he probably will not acknowledge the fact that he was the best of the best when it comes to Police Chiefs. Chief, I want to thank you for all the years of great leadership and the most rewarding career imaginable. So for all of us, George T. Hart, Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We can not wait to see you, for many of us your advice and leadership traits are still driving forces in our daily lives. You are truly the Best of the Best. See you in Reno !

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[May 7, 2005   * *   Current Members?]

Yes, it is true that many current members are not attending this OPD940
reunion.  What is of note is how many retired members wish they were.  We are an OPD heritage that begins at birth... the Recruit Academy as it is called, and it ends for each of us at the moment we are finally put to rest.   And yet, it extends back to 1860 when our OPD ancestors worked the beats before us.

But let's be real.  This reunion was started by some old farts who set a spark in a dry grassland of incendiary interest by many other retirees or soon to be retirees.  Is it the fault of the progeny who seem cut off from their progenitors, or the other way around... or is it mutual?

Whatever the reason for the apparent  preterition , there are so many
indications all would wish it otherwise.  In other words current members that have been approached have said they too wish to be included.... but they know nothing about it.  The sad fact is that the few bridge organizations that exist have experienced diminished and narrowed interest, except, unsurprisingly, when there is a grand get together, or an excuse for a grand get together, where all who wear the OPD tattoo can mix, frolic, fondle and embrace their mutuality.  But these events are coincidental and never planned purposefully.

Yes, we have an OPOA, but there seems to be little enthusiasm to include all members, current and former, and perhaps with good (apparent) reason.  Having worked very hard with OPOA matters many decades ago I know the focus of current problems for current members was exhausting in itself.  It probably isn't much different today.  Everyone loves Renee and she deserves it, but as one member mentioned overhearing her say to an active member who inquired, " oh , the reunion is for the retired guys."  When I asked Bob Valladon if he had seen something on the OPD940 website a month into the reunion effort he said, "I haven't seen it yet."  It certainly isn't their fault that we themed and named this reunion as an open   940   without addressing the matrix of protocols involved in an overall effort.

Yet, it is with sadness that many of us sit on the hill watching OPD in an apparent organizational disintegration.  It is even a possibility that the proud OPD will vanish altogether into the cloak of the ACSO eventually, perhaps wearing the long underwear of civilianization.  This has to be consuming the attention of the current membership.  I know from the correspondence network among the old timers, such that it is, that it is of sad interest to us also.

But anyway, let's have a wonderful time, and enjoy the camaraderie of the few current members among the sea of retirees.  But let's also sow a few seeds of discontent as to how things have become so dichotomous.

ronoz

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[May 6, 5005   * *   Why Ticket price differential]

Ron:

I was puzzled about one thing: Over the decades, I can't recall any event I've ever seen that had a higher ticket price for the first one, and then a lower price for guests. I was just wondering what the rationale for that might be. If this were a retirement, I could see how the first ticket might include an additional amount for a gift, but that's not applicable here , so I confess some puzzlement. Not a criticism, because I'm quite happy to let you guys do all the work, just a genuine question.

Fair question....

Ticket prices were front and center as a topic during several open meetings but I don't think I posted anything related to why the different prices.

Actually, I think most who grappled with this felt it was probably more fair for a couple of reasons...   But any of those present can chime in...

1.   This is not a picnic or dinner in the usual sense.   It involves travelling some distance from, in many cases, faraway places.   This was considered because there are costs in addition to ticket prices.   Therefore it was felt that those with spouses were digging extra deep.

2.   We worked from the top down.   That is to say we went over all the potential line items, guessed in round numbers at first and double checked with phone calls and visits next, and ultimately came up with the whole enchilada cost.

3.   The first time we simply divided the costs (which changes rapidly) by the number of anticipated members (which changes rapidly) and arrived at an equal number for members and spouses.   That number was $125 each, or $250 total.  

4.   We thought that $250 was cutting it right to the line and worried about underfunding .   But then having more members increased some costs but reduced others, and remember , the number of members changed dramatically in three weeks.   Also, the good showing allowed me to have some weight to negotiate the Nugget down for costs and up for more bennies.

5.   Bottom Line:   The Committee thought we were going to put out $250 per couple, but discussed that it should be $150 and $100 for so many separate little reasons that they would be too long and too unclear to list.   The clincher was probably that other Casino convention events all seemed to have multi tier charges for conventions of small and large sizes and that fortified other reasoning.

6.   But as fast as things are moving... between Wed when the final ticket cost issue was set at the Committee Meeting and Friday when I got to a meeting with Nugget execs I took advantage of their pleasure at our terrific and early turnout.   Thereby the entire cost was lowered significantly and the differential was reduced dramatically by lowering the ticket prices to $95 and $80.   Keep in mind I had promised to put out the ticket prices by that Sunday night on the Web and we hadn't even designed the Registration format yet.

7.   Although not a retirement there is going to be a very large extra gift and it will be for the OPD assemblage in the form of an OPD940 with all kinds of special presentations, not the least of which is the experience of getting so many guys together for such an extended time.

That is to say that spouses will get to enjoy the event, but members will relish and savor it... that alone is probably sufficient for the price differential in the minds of many.

Thanks, keep the questions and concerns coming... this will be posted under Scuttle-Butt....   ronoz

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[May 6, 5005   * *   Violated privacy]

From: "Ron Oz" <RONOZAWAY@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [ openline ] Reunion costs
Date: Fri, 06 May 2005 07:21:37 -0700

Whoa,

I tried to post the question about ticket costs in an anonymous way, and if I made a mistake I owe apologies and drinks to those whose privacy I violated.   I got to Tahoe late last night and hit the keys pretty fast but that's no excuse.   I get emails that don't see the light of day, but none of this operation is cloak and dagger, it's a 940, and it's best to air everything .

Larry, you're one of the good guys and I'd buy you drinks just for being who you are so I have no criticism for you at all.   No, I'm slapping my own wrist on this one.

I'm right now starting a new section under Announcements on the website called Scuttle-Butt to put these kinds of concerns, questions, suggestions, and so on.

So everyone is invited to put "it all out," put me or us on the spot about anything, and it'll get on Openline and OPD940.com anonymously.

Just mention in any email to me that you want something kept confidential or private and there will be no chance of it getting out.   Otherwise I'll use my discretion to see if the topic is of general interest and post it anonymously.   Part of that discretion is to keep you anonymous and I stand embarr ( ass)ed that in this case I failed.

Sorry...

ronoz

From: Larry Eade <opd4ever@yahoo.com>
CC: openline@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [ openline ] Reunion costs
Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 01:57:00 -0700 (PDT)

You cheap whining, sniveling malcontents (kidding). Both of you have planned events and know they have costs. They are in the middle of planning an event whose deadline is a short time away and the dynamics of the event are changing daily. They are adapting to meet all your needs. Geez , what do I get for my money. Bet both of you never asked that question at the London Lodge where you donated 33% of your income for 20 years. When they stabilize they will gladly take the time to answer. Some people got nerve! They are really using this phony reunion thing to bilk all of us retired cops out of $175.00. I'll bet your take home income is now more money than you were making when you were working!. Leave it to a cop to make the legend come to life, "Damn cops always want something for nothing!".

Dear Committe Members, thanks for putting on this event, glad to pay the money . See ya'll in Reno !

[XXXXX]> wrote:

> >I just got off the phone with [XXXXX]. He doesn't have a computer.   He and I think others want to know what they are getting for $175.00? His comment was " jeese that's a lot of money!" what do I get for that? He's anxious to go and I gave him the address to send the check.

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[May 6, 5005   * *   Ah yes, the Oakland Police Department]

From: "Jerry & Bronla " <waltmanb@c-zone.net>
Subject: [ openline ] Ah yes, ther Oakland Police Dept
Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 05:32:25 -0700

I look at the member roster on the reunion forum and the memories come flooding back.   I miss the evenhandedness of George Hart and guidance of John Ream.   The lofty goals of Joe Colletti and the down to earth manner of Jim Mitchell.   I miss the man who stood behind me one day and backed me to the hilt, Bill Fugler .   I won't soon forget the finest beat men going: Tony Freitas , Jim Parr, Al York and Dick Ticksman .   Capt Lewis, with his arm around my shoulder, saying"don't worry about it kid, you did the right thing".   I can't wait to see my beat partners, Ron Herron, Joe Thomas, Joe Cordova and my favorite jarhead, Tom Baltazar .   Then there is Jim"I am right around the corner" Coleman and my OPD father, Roy DeGraw . Berle " gol dang it" Murray and all the rookies I trained.   Marcus Midyett , Gary Kyle, Jerry Aguirre, Ivan Morse, Oly Hooper, Art Nichols ,Valeria Huichan and Jon Denson.

No list would be complete without the guys who were my heroes, Cliff Heanes , Rudy Martin,"the chicken" Steve Bunting, Marv Young, and Ray and Richard Rish ( like father, Like son).   "Colonel Klink" and Fred Farkas from homicide and Ben Woods who told me that I should have stayed in the Navy and took the commision not 2 minutes after my successful oral board.   Can't leave out the dope guys Jim Cole and the team of Gremminger and Downum .   The OPOA crew Ron Gunar and Bob Muzar .   My "baby sister" in the radio room, Virginia Tomek and good ol Sylvia, Peppermint Patty and Bob Ingersoll , seems like every time I got into the shit, Bob was on the radio.   The thoughts in my mind tumble down through all those years.

Gerald S .( Jerry) Waltman 6723P

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[May 5, 5005   * *   OPD940 leaves no one behind...]

From: "Ron Oz" <RONOZAWAY@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: [ openline ] OPD940 leaves no one behind...
Date: Thu, 05 May 2005 23:26:27 -0700

Some of the backdoor buzz is heartwarming and exciting, and it compels another reminder...

1.   Funds will be earmarked as you contribute to assisting anyone who might not be able to make it without some assistance.   Any such contributions can accompany your ticket registrations or mailed later to the same address.

2.   Work is in progress to provide rides to anyone not able to drive for whatever reason.

In both cases please contact Richard Bowser......      rbowser1947@yahoo.com because he has secure and discreet set up for this.

As mentioned earlier, Bob Crawford is in charge of ride vehicle and he may be contacted directly or through Richard.

There is no reason that anyone who wants to attend cannot do so....

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[May 5, 5005   * *   Paying Extra]

From: "Ron Oz" <RONOZAWAY@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: [ openline ] OPD940 Contribution...
Date: Thu, 05 May 2005 22:29:50 -0700

[Everyone can take heart, share camaraderie , swell with pride, and buy Jim Green a drink...]

[Richard Bowser... please contact Jim Green]

From: jim green <ratgreen1946@yahoo.com>
Subject: RE: [ openline ] OPD940 Reunion New Committee (or may sub-committee)
Date: Thu, 5 May 2005 08:25:14 -0700 (PDT)

Good morning Ron, at first I wasn't going to attend the first OPD reunion, because of family commitments, however that has changed much to my delight, I deleted all the past information relating to the reunion as now I would love to attend this great event however, I can't remember or maybe it is advanced age sitting in how do I get reservations and get my ticket?   I would also like to pay for an extra ticket for someone who cannot attend.

Just let me know.   Jim Green OPD retired, 6701.

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