The military does it. World leaders do it. So why can't law enforcement do it? The fact is that a parley can and often does result in conflict resolution. In some cases it may be the only means by which to foil a deadly plot or bring an end to a cycle of violence.
A parley is not a substitute for bringing justice to those responsible for crimes. But it can be an acute solution to an urgent situation. To give an example I'll address a case that I was involved with in Danville, Il while I was still serving as a police sergeant there. From 2006 through 2008 Danville had experienced a rash of violent crimes, from murder to planned attacks on officers. Most of the crimes were gang related and one gang in particular was responsible for most of the activity. They were known as the Motown Stones, a set of the Black P Stones that is based in the Motown neighborhood of Chicago. They had deployed members to Danville to establish a branch there. They set up a flourishing criminal enterprise which included drug trafficking and all sorts of violent crimes. They flew under the radar for years because of the lack of law enforcement officers who were educated on the organization.
When I began training with Denny Davis I asked to be taught about the Stones first because they were the biggest threat to public safety at that time. Denny brought out a 4 inch binder that was full of Stone literature. I began combing through the material page by page and realized for the first time just how sophisticated the organization was. I explained to Denny my concerns about the violence they were inflicting within our community and the need for an immediate solution to stop it. Area law enforcement personnel were not able to get to the inner circle of the organization and, unless the leadership was disrupted, the gang would continue their wave of violence.
In the early stages of my training I did not yet have a rapport with the Stones. Denny, on the other hand, did and volunteered to participate with me in a parley with some gang chiefs in Chicago. Denny suggested that a parley could result in a halt to the violence and terminate plans the gang had to murder police officers.
Before I go further I want to be very clear about something. In no way, shape or form were we going to cut deals with the devil. We would continue to seek justice for those responsible for crimes already committed. We had gathered intelligence about plans for future crimes and knew that law enforcement could not keep pace. The threats were imminent and something needed to be done immediately to stop it.
So on one of my days off Denny and I set out for Chicago to parley with some particular leaders of the organization. Our mission was to make it very clear to the leadership that if the violence continued in Danville we would hold them responsible. We didn't have to explain to them about the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act). They were well aware of the act and knew what they were facing if we tied them to organized criminal activity. They assured Denny and I that steps would be taken to bring members of the organization under their control within law.
The parley was quite effective. We saw an immediate change in the climate on the streets. In fact, the parley was the beginning of the end for the Danville branch of the treacherous organization. The branch's leadership was called back to Chicago. The criminal activity slowed and gave law enforcement a chance to get caught up on their investigations. The streets were safer and the violence suppressed. The parley was an obvious success.
A few months after the parley Larry Thomason, the director of public safety for Danville, caught wind of it. You see, I hadn't told him about it for several reasons. First, he wouldn't understand it, he wouldn't have approved it, he wouldn't have joined us and he didn't believe we had a gang problem anyway. So what would have been the point in telling him? Anyway, he asked me about it and I told him what we did. He never said anymore to me about it. Kind of weird I thought but par for the course. He had at one time written a memorandum to the officers stating, in part, that the officers should "take care of the small items first (ordinance violations) and hopefully they stifle the larger ones from occurring." I'm not making this up, that's what he wrote. I have the memo.
My point here is two fold. First, parleys should be utilized when necessary but not be employed as a substitute for prosecution. They are an effective tool which law enforcement should use when a particular situation calls for it. It's not a new idea, it has been around for centuries but many may misunderstand the purpose. No deals are being made with the devil, in fact, by keeping it real with your adversary you make them very aware of what is about to occur. By reading my previous posts it will all make sense. And, secondly, administrators should educate themselves about gangs and be supportive of their officers efforts in fulfilling their mission. Don't stifle progress. Be in touch and encourage sound strategies which lead to safer streets. That was a luxury I did not have in Danville. I had to deal with incompetent administrators which wasted much of the energy I could have expended on the streets.
Finally, I want to say that before you parley know your enemy. Learn everything there is to know about them. Don't walk in blind, it could result in tragedy. Be the shot caller. You dictate but do so with respect or you will get nowhere. Is there a risk? Yes there is. But the risk can be managed and reduced if you know what you're doing. I don't want to give the impression that Denny and I just one day decided to go to the south side of Chicago and meet some gang chiefs. There was much preparation involved and others were aware of what was happening. We didn't act haphazardly. Our moves, actions and words were very calculated and, of course, we were properly prepared if things went bad.
It's like I said before, law enforcement officers are expected to take calculated risks to protect the public. Police work is not for the faint hearted. Officers need to be brave, skillful, smart and dedicated. If they don't have these characteristics they should not be in that line of work.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Monday, November 24, 2014
When Good Becomes Evil
We're seeing it yet again in a place called Ferguson. A man who swore to uphold the constitution and dedicated his life to the protection of the innocent is being labeled as the bad guy because he was forced to use deadly force during the commission of his duties. The deceased, meanwhile, is being labeled as an innocent "victim" of police brutality which was allegedly perpetrated because of the color of his skin.
It simply amazes me at the way these types of situations get turned upside down, seemingly overnight, before anyone, other than the two men directly involved in the encounter, know what really happened. And it happens because everyone has their own agenda. Of course the press wants to sell news so they are going to jump all over it, the pundits come out of the woodwork because they get a paycheck too, those still playing the race card see it as a way to promote their agenda and the criminal element see it as a free pass to loot and pillage.
Let's boil out all of the impurities until we are left with the facts as we know them. What we have is a white police officer enforcing the law against a black law breaker. The contact escalated into a deadly force situation which left the black man dead. That's about all we really know. But everyone wants to put their own spin on things such that it meets their own self interests.
I hear that the black man was unarmed with a gun. O.K. What's that got to do with it? Since when are police only allowed to use deadly force against armed assailants. The fact is that anyone who is living and breathing can pose a deadly threat if they so choose to, armed or not. Each situation must be judged on its own merits and not on preconceived notions or beliefs.
Both men bled red that night. The color of their skin is irrelevant. Let's let our justice system work and wait until the truth is revealed before we rush to judgement. What's troubling is that there are people on both sides of the issue that have already rendered judgement, and if the grand jury decision goes against what they believe, there will be civil unrest. It's a lose lose situation for those who try to promote justice.
It is prophetic that in the end times good will be viewed as evil and evil accepted as good. That is what is happening today. Everything from gay marriage to organized crime is deemed "good" while truth and justice is seen as "bad". Our forefathers would role over in their graves if they knew what was happening in the country they fought and died for.
So hang on Ferguson, you are about to go through another round of violent protests because irregardless of the grand jury decision it will be deemed as bad. It is shameful and disgraceful that we, the people of the United States of America, sit idly while the principles upon which our great nation was founded upon get ripped to shreds.
It simply amazes me at the way these types of situations get turned upside down, seemingly overnight, before anyone, other than the two men directly involved in the encounter, know what really happened. And it happens because everyone has their own agenda. Of course the press wants to sell news so they are going to jump all over it, the pundits come out of the woodwork because they get a paycheck too, those still playing the race card see it as a way to promote their agenda and the criminal element see it as a free pass to loot and pillage.
Let's boil out all of the impurities until we are left with the facts as we know them. What we have is a white police officer enforcing the law against a black law breaker. The contact escalated into a deadly force situation which left the black man dead. That's about all we really know. But everyone wants to put their own spin on things such that it meets their own self interests.
I hear that the black man was unarmed with a gun. O.K. What's that got to do with it? Since when are police only allowed to use deadly force against armed assailants. The fact is that anyone who is living and breathing can pose a deadly threat if they so choose to, armed or not. Each situation must be judged on its own merits and not on preconceived notions or beliefs.
Both men bled red that night. The color of their skin is irrelevant. Let's let our justice system work and wait until the truth is revealed before we rush to judgement. What's troubling is that there are people on both sides of the issue that have already rendered judgement, and if the grand jury decision goes against what they believe, there will be civil unrest. It's a lose lose situation for those who try to promote justice.
It is prophetic that in the end times good will be viewed as evil and evil accepted as good. That is what is happening today. Everything from gay marriage to organized crime is deemed "good" while truth and justice is seen as "bad". Our forefathers would role over in their graves if they knew what was happening in the country they fought and died for.
So hang on Ferguson, you are about to go through another round of violent protests because irregardless of the grand jury decision it will be deemed as bad. It is shameful and disgraceful that we, the people of the United States of America, sit idly while the principles upon which our great nation was founded upon get ripped to shreds.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Setting the Record Straight
I was recently made aware that rumors are swirling through circles, including the legal profession, in Danville, Il regarding a trip Denny Davis and I made to Chicago to save a girl from dying at the hands of a Conservative Vice Lord in Danville. The record needs to be set straight lest inaccurate and false accounts of what really happened and why be circulated.
In 2008 a juvenile reported to me that she had been raped by an adult gang member in Danville. The gang member is a documented Conservative Vice Lord and was responsible for dealing large quantities of cocaine in Danville. The suspect threatened to kill the girl if she told police what happened. Needless to say she feared for her life but put her trust in the system, expecting the rapist to be brought to justice.
The suspect was arrested, only to be let go hours later under the authority of then-State's Attorney Frank Young. The suspect quickly moved to carry out his threat to kill the juvenile.
Within days I received information from a very reliable source of information that the rape suspect was planning to have the juvenile killed, and possibly her family, by wiring some type of incendiary device to a gas line in their house. The source had surreptitiously acquired possession of the device and wanted to turn it over to me to prevent the tragedy. The source was understandably fearful that if the gang found out of his cooperation with police he, himself, would be killed. There obviously was a sense of urgency surrounding the recovery of the device and the protection of the source, the rape victim, and possibly other innocent civilians.
There was just one catch with this entire scenario. The source had recovered the device from the would-be assassin in Chicago. He needed me to come there to retrieve the device. And it needed to be retrieved that day. It just so happened that when I received the call from the source of information I was at Denny Davis' residence doing some gang training. Denny heard me speaking with the source on the telephone and offered to go with me to Chicago if that's what we needed to do. Denny has extensive training with explosives and he also has contacts with the Chicago Police Department Gang Crimes Unit.
I had a decision to make. Just weeks earlier I was issued an order exclusive to me that I could not work with an outside agency without giving the heads of my department a 48 hour advance notice. The reason for this was quite clear. At that time I was working with the FBI on an investigation targeting a prosecutor with the Vermilion County State's Attorney's office. The prosecutor was allegedly committing drug related offenses and I had much information to support the allegations. The heads of my department were cozy with this prosecutor and State's Attorney Frank Young. They were not supportive of what I was doing and tried to handcuff me by issuing me this order.
The decision I had to make was a rather easy one. If I waited 48 hours to work with the Chicago Police Department people would likely be murdered. If I acted immediately I would most likely be able to save lives. It was a no brainer. Oh, I knew I would be in violation of the department's order but when faced with saving lives or following an order I would choose the former without a second thought.
I accepted Denny's offer to go with me. He personally knows some Chicago P.D. personnel and his training with explosives could prove beneficial. We're not talking about the average citizen when we speak of Denny Davis. He worked with the Illinois Department of Corrections for 30 years. He attained the rank of major and was their go-to gang man. He knows his business and he knows it well. His training and experience would prove to be life saving on this trip.
Denny and I drove to Chicago and, while enroute, made several attempts to get in touch with the people Denny knows. As we neared the city we had yet to make contact but I received a call from my source who was frantic. He was scared for his life and said if we could not meet him within 10 minutes he was going to get rid of the device. I dictated the meeting place which was a secure location just off of the expressway on the south side of Chicago. The source was to be alone. As we approached the location we observed the source complying with the directives given. We made contact and he displayed a device Denny immediately recognized to be a 3 inch titanium salute. The device was not dangerous as it was but could be if used improperly. We took the device from the source and departed the area.
We started back for Danville with the device while continuing our attempts to get ahold of the proper authorities. We subsequently made contact with the Chicago Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. We also contacted then-Assistant State's Attorney of Vermilion County, Randy Brinegar. Everyone we spoke with from these agencies commended our actions
We weren't done though. The person who was to use the device to murder the juvenile in Danville was still at large. We obtained information on where this hitman was hiding and informed the ATF. They, along with the Chicago Police Department, arrested him. He was immediately sent back to prison as the Illinois Department of Corrections wanted him also for parole violations.
The following day I informed my boss, a deputy director of police, of my actions and what was retrieved. He told me to call the bomb squad then he went home for the day. I called the University of Illinois Bomb Squad and informed them of what I had. They instructed me to drive it to a predetermined location to turn it over to them. The bomb squad member I met with took the device, threw it in the trunk of his car and drove off. He said that his team would destroy it.
The director of public safety for the City of Danville, Larry Thomason, took issue with what Denny and I did. He ordered me suspended without pay. Long story short, I filed a grievance in response to the punishment he handed out and I never served any suspension time.
So there you have it. These are the cold hard facts and I have documentation and physical evidence to support everything I have written. Of course the "what ifer's" came out of the woodwork after the ordeal and my only response to them is this, what if we had not acted. Lives would have been lost. Period. I upheld my oath and I am very grateful to Denny Davis for helping me. Law enforcement officers are expected to take calculated risks to protect the public. Had I not acted I would have been derelict. So for those of you who want to judge me, until you have walked a mile in my shoes, don't.
In 2008 a juvenile reported to me that she had been raped by an adult gang member in Danville. The gang member is a documented Conservative Vice Lord and was responsible for dealing large quantities of cocaine in Danville. The suspect threatened to kill the girl if she told police what happened. Needless to say she feared for her life but put her trust in the system, expecting the rapist to be brought to justice.
The suspect was arrested, only to be let go hours later under the authority of then-State's Attorney Frank Young. The suspect quickly moved to carry out his threat to kill the juvenile.
Within days I received information from a very reliable source of information that the rape suspect was planning to have the juvenile killed, and possibly her family, by wiring some type of incendiary device to a gas line in their house. The source had surreptitiously acquired possession of the device and wanted to turn it over to me to prevent the tragedy. The source was understandably fearful that if the gang found out of his cooperation with police he, himself, would be killed. There obviously was a sense of urgency surrounding the recovery of the device and the protection of the source, the rape victim, and possibly other innocent civilians.
There was just one catch with this entire scenario. The source had recovered the device from the would-be assassin in Chicago. He needed me to come there to retrieve the device. And it needed to be retrieved that day. It just so happened that when I received the call from the source of information I was at Denny Davis' residence doing some gang training. Denny heard me speaking with the source on the telephone and offered to go with me to Chicago if that's what we needed to do. Denny has extensive training with explosives and he also has contacts with the Chicago Police Department Gang Crimes Unit.
I had a decision to make. Just weeks earlier I was issued an order exclusive to me that I could not work with an outside agency without giving the heads of my department a 48 hour advance notice. The reason for this was quite clear. At that time I was working with the FBI on an investigation targeting a prosecutor with the Vermilion County State's Attorney's office. The prosecutor was allegedly committing drug related offenses and I had much information to support the allegations. The heads of my department were cozy with this prosecutor and State's Attorney Frank Young. They were not supportive of what I was doing and tried to handcuff me by issuing me this order.
The decision I had to make was a rather easy one. If I waited 48 hours to work with the Chicago Police Department people would likely be murdered. If I acted immediately I would most likely be able to save lives. It was a no brainer. Oh, I knew I would be in violation of the department's order but when faced with saving lives or following an order I would choose the former without a second thought.
I accepted Denny's offer to go with me. He personally knows some Chicago P.D. personnel and his training with explosives could prove beneficial. We're not talking about the average citizen when we speak of Denny Davis. He worked with the Illinois Department of Corrections for 30 years. He attained the rank of major and was their go-to gang man. He knows his business and he knows it well. His training and experience would prove to be life saving on this trip.
Denny and I drove to Chicago and, while enroute, made several attempts to get in touch with the people Denny knows. As we neared the city we had yet to make contact but I received a call from my source who was frantic. He was scared for his life and said if we could not meet him within 10 minutes he was going to get rid of the device. I dictated the meeting place which was a secure location just off of the expressway on the south side of Chicago. The source was to be alone. As we approached the location we observed the source complying with the directives given. We made contact and he displayed a device Denny immediately recognized to be a 3 inch titanium salute. The device was not dangerous as it was but could be if used improperly. We took the device from the source and departed the area.
We started back for Danville with the device while continuing our attempts to get ahold of the proper authorities. We subsequently made contact with the Chicago Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. We also contacted then-Assistant State's Attorney of Vermilion County, Randy Brinegar. Everyone we spoke with from these agencies commended our actions
We weren't done though. The person who was to use the device to murder the juvenile in Danville was still at large. We obtained information on where this hitman was hiding and informed the ATF. They, along with the Chicago Police Department, arrested him. He was immediately sent back to prison as the Illinois Department of Corrections wanted him also for parole violations.
The following day I informed my boss, a deputy director of police, of my actions and what was retrieved. He told me to call the bomb squad then he went home for the day. I called the University of Illinois Bomb Squad and informed them of what I had. They instructed me to drive it to a predetermined location to turn it over to them. The bomb squad member I met with took the device, threw it in the trunk of his car and drove off. He said that his team would destroy it.
The director of public safety for the City of Danville, Larry Thomason, took issue with what Denny and I did. He ordered me suspended without pay. Long story short, I filed a grievance in response to the punishment he handed out and I never served any suspension time.
So there you have it. These are the cold hard facts and I have documentation and physical evidence to support everything I have written. Of course the "what ifer's" came out of the woodwork after the ordeal and my only response to them is this, what if we had not acted. Lives would have been lost. Period. I upheld my oath and I am very grateful to Denny Davis for helping me. Law enforcement officers are expected to take calculated risks to protect the public. Had I not acted I would have been derelict. So for those of you who want to judge me, until you have walked a mile in my shoes, don't.
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