Freight Train Wreck Union Station September 1972

Working a 4-12 in Sept of 1972 in Car 77 with Dennis Phillipkowski.  We were down at the Train Station waiting for the 5 o'clock traffic to clear up.  A train rolling through at a pretty good clip derailed and we were like in shock at first watching the box cars come off the tracks.  We just simply reported it over the car radio and and waited for it all to settle.  No one was injured and no real damage done besides the boxcars themselves and the tracks.  Quite a train block for a few days till it was all cleaned up.  Awesome sight watching the boxcars tumble.
Those days we had no cameras and it's sad because there really is no record of the event.

Criminals Support Gun Control

I've spoke with burglars who openly confess they see burglary as a job. They wake up and plan their day deciding which burglary they will commit next.

Christmas Crime

When reports of shopping couples being shot, killed and robbed at Christmas time surface, I really can't help but think that everyone in the country needs to be armed in today's world in order to survive.
The pundits who think that guns are unsafe and that guns cause unnecessary waste of life really need to re-think their opinions.  Seeing innocent people die at the hands of thugs and criminals in the streets, over and over again, is more than enough to justify the arming of citizens.  If a person contemplating committing a crime, had to think twice not knowing whether or not the intended victim was armed perhaps it could serve as a real deterrent.
I know that a person has the right and actually can obtain a permit to carry. But, unfortunately because the issue of permits are stringent and are long difficult processes, many citizens just simply skip getting themselves one.
Proper training and qualification plus a real understanding of just what is and is not self defense is all part of arming oneself to protect against criminals.  Keeping yourself and your family or perhaps even another person from becoming a victim could be furthered by more, not less, guns on the streets of our cities.
With all the rhetoric on guns flying around these days, rational normal people have already seen and formed conclusions about the proper use of a weapon for defense.  Our country was formed and is what it is today because of the use of firearms. I really wish that our Government was more concerned about viable ways to protect their people, than to waste time, effort and money on some of the other non sensible endeavors that they do.
Example;

 NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - Police on Monday were seeking a pair of suspected carjackers who shot to death a lawyer who was Christmas shopping with his wife at a high-end New Jersey mall and then fled in the couple's luxury SUV, prosecutors said.

Changing Times

I really suspect there's not much new in the way the Police operate today as compared to 22 years ago or for that matter 50 years ago.
For sure the technology has changed and the equipment I'm sure is far advanced in terms of effectiveness; however, people don't change in the ways they think or respond to the tasks they are attempting to perform. For example, the main thrust of the police has always been and will always be to "Serve and Protect" the citizens. That being said, several different facets exist that govern what takes place in striving to accomplish that goal.
Politics, scheduling, recording, Public Relations, social skills, being pro-active, maintaining high levels of management and organizational professionalism attributes on behalf of the leaders, who remain and always will remain human, those things don't change much.
Having the right people in the right place throughout the department is crucial and key. Without cohesive and qualified, competent, individuals comprised of people making up the many segments and teams of the PD the performance of the department will begin to under achieve.
Having been part of and witnessing many changes during my tenure with the dept. I seen it demonstrated many times the good and bad that can and does exist in a department without the proper leadership and guidance.
The good times that a department enjoys depend on how many of the aforementioned attributes exist in proper proportions at any given time. For the most part, if the department has many divisions or teams that work like well oiled machines, the department is assured to be viewed by everyone as professional. Likewise bad times were usually during transitional periods which consisted of divisions or teams that were divided or made-up of people who were not placed in jobs where they performed best.
In looking back, I recall times when certain changes like, for-instance transfers, re-assignments or even an officer's retirement left a huge hole in the cohesive structure of a team or division within the dept. Many times it took some time to re-adjust while that change or hole began to mend or heal.

Oneida County Law Enforcement Coalition

I'm always happy to see our area Police Officer's honored. To be recognized for doing a good job holds more personal rewards than what any amount of money ever could. To be recognized for doing a job above and beyond that which is required fills a Police Officer's soul and makes every bit of the daily grind and routine work worth while.

I'm also moved to say how much I appreciate whoever it was that began the good endeavor of The Oneida County Law Enforcement Coalition, Thank You very much.

If you are a Police Officer and have never received commendations for your efforts or recognition for exceptional work, I encourage you not to let any negative thoughts into your heart or mind because of that. Your day "MAY" or "MAY NOT" ever come, however, be encouraged and do what's right and be inspired by those who do get recognition.

You don't always receive the proper recognition due you each and every time you do your job. There are always, always, other factors that enter the equation. Call me sometime if your puzzled by that statement and I'll explain it in further detail.

The point that's important here is that a Police Officer always needs to be able to look in the mirror and see someone who has done their best under the circumstances.

You may not realize it right now but, you are logging time in the Public Service of your community that you will re-live over and over in years to come. If you don't hear anything else here reading this blurb, then hear this. Don't ever, never do anything that you will not be proud of in the future. Always endeavor to do the very best for your self, your family, your brother officer's and your fellow citizens. I'm not talking about criminals and riff raft, they take care of themselves. I'm talking about the respectable law abiding citizens you never talk to but have taken an oath to protect and make possible a quality way of life they otherwise would not have without the UPD.

May the wind always be at your back and may all your good efforts be blessed in a mighty way by God Almighty. Keep up your good work.