98 posts, software headaches, hardware grief and as much fun as you can have with your pants on. Comments don’t always come from sane or sober people. I never expected everyone would agree with me or I would have been able to run unopposed for President. If I haven’t pissed each of you off at least once I’d feel I haven’t done my job. I know I’ve gathered some loyal readers all over the USA, the UK, Australia and I even have a regular visitor in Hong Kong. Someone at the Sergeant of Arms at the US Senate (I’m assuming he or she works in a protective position) stops by daily. I’ve got a mix from the law enforcement community, gun rights activists, many news media folks and some entertainment professionals. I want to thank you folks for navigating your web browsers my way. I’m going to include video that I produce myself whenever I can. I’m always up for story ideas from my readers. The problem I have is that I’m a one-man band right now and can’t do everything I want. This h...

The year was 1969. It was one of those years that Chicago hit the record books for the most cops murdered in the line of duty during any 12 month period. Cowardly sniper attacks were being committed all over the country against police officers. It was no coincidence that the Black Panther Party was trying to promote an armed revolution to overthrow the country. The Party leaders were Clamoring for the killing of cops that they were calling pigs. Everyone had a clear understanding that cops attempting to arrest these terrorists were marked for death and that shooting first and shooting straight was important for officer’s very survival. That cold December 1969, pre-dawn infamous raid resulted in the arrests of several Panthers, the recovery of their weapons and the deaths of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark. Hampton and Clark died the way they lived, by the sword. They were criminals and morally responsible for the deaths of all the cops through their advocating of the killings. Unbelievably...

L.A. County Sheriff’s officers have found themselves in an international investigation examining whether the Ferrari’s owner Stefan Eriksson possessed another exotic sports car, a Mercedes SLR that was reported stolen to Scotland Yard. Eriksson reportedly has an extensive car collection that includes cars like that destroyed Ferrari Enzo that were not, “street legal”. Read the latest here . There's more here .

There are times when politicians and bureaucrats that appoint cops order them to take action that’s in direct conflict with the United States Constitution. All cops are required to take an oath to defend and protect that Constitution. Some cops will blindly follow orders as too many did in Germany during Hitler’s Third Reich. The Nuremberg War Crimes Trial set the standard that following orders is no excuse to escape punishment. Hurricane Katrina was blight on America not just for a weather related disaster but also for a greater disaster, the destruction of basic American Freedom, Liberty and human dignity. Notwithstanding the relentless and unending bureaucratic blunders aggravating the human misery, some government agents began a crime wave of their own. The former Chief of the New Orleans Police Department conspired with others to commit home invasions and armed robberies against New Orleans homeowners. Officers from the NOPD and agencies as far away as the California Highway Patro...

Strange white powder appears in some college dorm. Panic sets in as thousands of tax dollars are spent on a major terrorist investigation that’s waged by local, state and federal authorities. It seems some bonehead claimed the powder was the deadly poison called Ricin . The news media quickly brought out an army of terrorism expert-pundits to frighten everyone. They need to outlaw those damned doughnut sprinkles! Some harried and late traveler passes by an airport security gate where the low-wattage TSA monkeys are dozing off. The apes wake up and quickly initiate an airport lockdown and a national news story. Some seventh grade school kid brings his father’s antique handgun to school for a show and tell program. Yep, even though nothing has happened the kid makes the nightly news. This lad whoever he is should quickly run out and get an agent for a book and movie deal while he’s still hot news. A tourist poses in front of a tourist attraction for a photo being taken by yet another tou...

Having been a cop and working in the criminal justice field for years, cop TV shows attracted my viewing. There were the good series like Joe Wambaugh’s Police Story, and that less believable but nonetheless entertaining offering from Michael Mann, Miami Vice. There were also the shows I absolutely hated such as The Rookies, Policewoman, SWAT and Starsky & Hutch. The year was 1990 when people still regularly watched prime time TV. COP ROCK came from Steven Bochco , who was still fresh with the success of his show, Hill Street Blues. COP ROCK is still considered one of television's most notorious flops of all time. COP ROCK took the viewers on a magic carpet ride from the simulated reality of police adventures to Broadway musicale fare. Gone was the reality that I never missed since TV and films seldom capture the real world of cops and robbers. At nearly $2 million per episode, ABC pulled out all the stops utilizing the award winning musical talents of Mike Post, Randy Newman a...

As I've expected the police have been busy recovering money and rounding up suspects. The odds of breaking a case where a gang of criminals is involved increases by the number of participants. This gang was too large to avoid quick discovery and capture. Read more and watch the video here... Still more progress 2/25/06.

I knew this powder keg was going to explode soon. It’s not been a secret, just something nobody wanted to talk about. Hurricane Katrina destroyed massive amounts of paperwork, evidence, laboratory work needed for thousands of pending criminal cases. Additionally, thousands of displaced crime victims and witnesses won't be returning to New Orleans to testify in court. Another huge problem is that a large percentage of the members the New Orleans legal community suffered the total loss of their offices, homes and most important, paying clientele. Many of these lawyers had to retire, change careers or move elsewhere. If all that was not enough, the bankrupt local government simply does not have the funds to provide defendants needed lawyers handle the cases including those that came after the Hurricane. The result of this mess is thousands of dangerous criminals must be released from custody as speedy trial and right to counsel issues force the courts to dismiss the cases. Shortly as ...

Even before this case is solved, and I predict that it will, agents and filmmakers are already scrambling to fill the various roles. This is about that kidnapping of a security manager and his family to facilitate the UK’s largest ever heist, in Tonbridge, Kent, which is located some 20 miles southeast of London. The hold-up was pulled off this week by a ruthless, armed gang in a country where the laws have made sure only criminals can have guns. Sweden's Securitas AB, the world's biggest security firm has suffered a disastrous public relations nightmare over their failure to prevent the loss of this fortune from their facility. Visions from Chicago’s, St. Valentine’s Day Massacre surround this story as in that case the perpetrators donned police uniforms and used a phoney police vehicle in the looting of the depot. The robbers are said to have worked with military precession as they engaged in heavy lifting, moving the cash bundles for over an hour. If only there was a role fo...

This morning, the L.A. Times provided in inside view of the business affairs of Stefan Erikssen, of Bel-Air, the 44 year-old Swedish ex-convict who walked away from the million-dollar wreck of that Ferrari Enzo. Many of us wonder where someone acquires the kind of money it takes to be able to ride down Pacific Coast Highway in that kind of style. Tales of a counterfeiting conviction, the development and marketing of a must have, hand held, gamer’s gizmo and the failure of a business promoting the thing.

The four-day Las Vegas SHOT SHOW is over but my readers can take a coveted look at some if the really great products designed to keep both cops and law-abiding civilians safe. I was privileged to fondle, examine and photograph all the hardware I covered in a special blog just for this show. Click here and take a look !

The victim was shot execution style. What does that phrase mean? To me it sounds like they took the victim blindfolded to a stake in the ground, first offered him a cigarette then a squad of Riflemen shot him dead. Too often what it really means is that the person who uses that phrase while describing a homicide exaggerates and can't be believed. He was shot at point blank range. Go ahead define that term if you dare! I remember watching a defense lawyer destroy a cop’s testimony on a murder case. Tell us officer, what’s the definition of the term, point blank range that you just used? I watched the homicide detective react like a deer caught in the headlights. He stuttered, coughed, babbled and finally confessed he was just not sure what that meant. I watched as members of the jury laughed out loud. That came back to haunt the detective again in the defense lawyer’s closing argument to the jury. The jury acquitted the defendant who later sued the police department and received a s...

I’m all for cops having the right tools for the job. I’m not so sure the Taser stun gun is right for anybody. I’m not worried about the deaths blamed on this device or cops using them for eliciting confessions from suspects. I’m concerned this one shot gizmo with a 15-foot range has been over-ratted by an aggressive marketing campaign. The right clothing will stop this thing cold and the user does not get a second chance. Of course there is always the possibility the thing will fail altogether. I was really dismayed when United Airlines wasted lots of money getting these Tasers as a anti-hijacking weapon for their pilots. Every airline pilot should be trained and armed with a handgun. Those refusing to do so should be invited to leave and go flip burgers somewhere. As a firearms trainer the only use I can see for the Taser is to deal with an unarmed person who refuses to submit to an arrest. Of course an officer with proper backup can accomplish a difficult arrest without injury to him...

Be sure to click on this picture to see this baby right! This was the hot story in L.A. this morning, as L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies were scratching their heads trying to figure out who was going to get a pocket full of citations. Early claims were that the car was traveling at 200 miles per hour. The suspected occupant was hardly scratched but remembered how to dodge and duck when the tough questions were hurled at him. So far, no citations have been issued. Now the insurance company involved can raise all our rates to pay this claim. Hit this link to see two news videos and read more! Here's an update...

This is how one chase ended on a highway. In hindsight running from the police was a really bad idea. This video is not for the faint of heart...

Hurricane Katrina did not give ua anything to smile about except this guy. I think he needs a top notch agent! He could make the rounds of the late night and even morning TV shows. Perhaps he could swing a huge commercial deal with his favorite beer maker. That grin he has on his mug is abso looter ly priceless. Since AP published this fellows likeness folks everywhere have taken to photoshopping the "beer looter dude" into new and really comical scenes. There’s even a Beer Looter Dude movie now!

I borrowed this photograph of a Hollywood casting director’s dream of a perfect actor to play a retired Chicago cop. I once met John Mahoney several years ago at a “Frasier” wrap party that Kelsey Grammer invited me to attend at Paramount Studios. It’s no coincidence that Mahoney is a Chicago boy. I recently got involved in the defense of a criminal case involving a retired cop who will soon be 80 years old. This old warhorse had a venerable 35-year career with the Chicago Police Department with the awards and letters making anyone proud of his service. He had suffered a stroke several months before the event that brought him a charge under California law of, Brandishing a Firearm. It’s only a misdemeanor. Dishonor is the only real penalty that’s possible for this well liked oldster. In a nutshell the old copper observed suspicious behavior and took some action. Nobody was hurt but the alleged “victim” has a lawyer and is really only looking to get rich with a lawsuit against my client...

When I was high school age in the mid-1960s, the small Honda motorcycles were in vogue. My job at The Pup In The Ruff, hot dog stand at Montrose and Broadway (It’s still there being run by my old boss Jake Siegel who looks younger than I do.) allowed me to have enough money to by a really nice 90 cc bike. I knew some other lads my age with similar bikes and we hung out together hoping not to get into too much trouble with the cops. There were about a half dozen of us, younger versions of Marlin Brando or at least we thought so. Our clothes and haircuts were right out of West Side Story. We hung out around Nelson and Sheffield. The ones I remember were brothers, Tom and Jerry. One of the other guys was Jose, a Puerto Rican who had a way with the girls. Jose had a 90 cc bike and used it like a stealth fighter plane. I remember Tom and Jerry’s dad telling Jose he was not going to live long because of his driving. That caused a macabre bet to be made. Tom and Jerry’s dad had a $50.00 bill...

You know the one I’m talking about! It’s the one where the bad guys score points by killing cops. Let me make it clear I don’t want to see killing cops made fashionable or in any way legitimate. I’ve seen too many murdered cops on Cook County Morgue autopsy tables. I can never get the face of Joanne Crowley out of my mind as I passed the folded American flag to her at her husband, Pat Crowley’s funeral in the fall of 1976. This poor widow was now burying her second Chicago policeman, at the very same church! Just a few years earlier, Joanne Crowley’s first fiancee, Tom Kelly was also murdered in the line of duty. Officers Kelly and Crowley were great cops and good friends who were gunned down by the most vicious of Chicago’s criminals. I dare not to think of the emotional toll these senseless murders have taken on that fine woman. The sound of Joanne Crowley constant screaming during Pat Crowley’s wake and funeral will haunt me for the rest of my life. So what do we do about that fi...

Do you remember Maxwell Smart from the TV spy-spoof series called Get Smart? The late actor, Don Adams played the lead role. His scene scripts often went like this: Cmdr. Drury: Smart, you appear to be in pretty good shape, do you work out? Maxwell Smart: I jog one hundred miles every day! Would you believe it? One hundred miles! Cmdr. Drury: I find that hard to believe. Maxwell Smart: Would you believe fifty? Cmdr. Drury: No! Maxwell Smart: How about two push-ups and a deep breath? It seems that the Chicago Police department have since revised their claims about yesterday’s gun raid. Officer Kristina Schuler told the Chicago Tribune that instead of seizing 300 guns they actually only have 276. They’ve now named the gun collector at the heart of the story as, James R. Patrick, 63. Gone are the claims he was selling his collection to street gangs. Those claims were the basis of probable cause needed to obtain the search warrant from a judge. My guess is the “tips” to police were manufac...