in this issue . . . Protecting Citizens From Killers Takes Bravery, Aggression and Speed   Detectives and Stress   Hidden Compartments

 

By Rick Armellino Baker Ballistics, LLC People snap and then kill Workplace shootings, multiple murders, school shootings, and the increasing levels of attacks upon law enforcement officers add up to confirm the obvious - America is a violent and well-armed nation. The USA Bureau of Justice Statistics defines mass murder as the intentional killing of four or more victims at one location, within one event.  Mass murderers usually fall into one of three major categories: disgruntled workers, family annihilators and individuals with mental defects. The term "massacre" is used to identify a particularly newsworthy high-casualty count mass murdering incident, assuring the recording of its' permanent place in history. Different eras, different tactics Today, many police personnel are being trained to respond to active killing by following very controlled, methodical and well-choreographed tactical procedures. In an earlier and less complicated era of policing, stopping killers was a freestyle event left up to the resources of each individual responding officer. Using a minimum of equipment and no formal training, an older generation of American patrolmen did an outstanding job of protecting the public using just raw basics: bravery, aggression and speed.  They did not have the advantage of SWAT backup, body armor, or even portable radios.  Yet, with healthy doses of common sense and testosterone these early lawmen selflessly placed themselves into hazardous situations in order to do what the public expected. Active shooter response - A subset of IARD Active shooter training curriculums emphasize police activities initiated after shooting has begun.  This category of response fulfills only a small segment of the much larger overall responsibility of police to its citizenry - protecting innocents from all types of physical threats to their safety, including those that are imminent and developing.  Active killing by gunfire is not the only serious threat to the publics’ safety, but it is certainly the type of police response that is receiving the most attention within law enforcement circles. Immediate Action Rapid Deployment (IARD) tactics receive far less attention within police philosophical discussions even though it addresses immediate response to any and all potential and active threats to innocents, regardless of situation.  Approaching deranged individuals in an effort to save the lives of innocents is not a new procedure.  Prior to the availability of reliable communications and SWAT backup, IARD tactics were commonly used by patrol to assist the endangered public. U.S. Marines are tough opponents When the average citizen snaps and murders, the results are bad.  When a recently trained, physically fit and well armed former Marine decides to commit mass murder the situation can be catastrophic.  On August 1st, 1966, the citizens of Austin, Texas experienced a horrific event, forever known as "The Texas Clock Tower Massacre". An honorably discharged U.S. Marine named Charles Whitman was attending engineering school at the University of Texas in Austin and one night he snapped, savagely stabbing his wife and mother to death at each of their respective homes.  The morning after, Whitman secured his gun locker onto a wheeled dolly, rolled it into the university’s main administration building and headed up the elevator.  Weighing an estimated 250 pounds, the gun locker contained 5 rifles, 3 handguns, a sawed-off shotgun, ample ammunition, binoculars, food and water. This well trained homicidal and suicidal predator had chosen a tactically superior location to play out his last living events on earth.  In addition to the University of Texas administration building being a virtual stone fortress, it was located on a hilltop that overlooked much of the City of Austin.  Exiting the elevator on the 27th floor, Whitman lugged his gun locker up the stairs to the top floor and proceeded to shoot the four occupants, gaining full control of the observation deck. The University of Texas clock tower, surrounded by the concrete observation deck, was both a snipers' dream and a police nightmare.  The cement and stone block construction of this section of the building included recessed rain gutters, enabling him to remain low, unseen and well protected from return fire.  Whitman had a nearly unlimited ability to maneuver and change shooting positions at will.  He barricaded the doorways and then continued working his final plan - to kill every human in sight. Charles Whitman was a well trained Marine receiving above average grades for marksmanship, excelling at hitting moving targets.  For the next hour and a half Whitman methodically fired upon the citizens of Austin, killing 16 and wounded 31, hitting some as they attempted to pull seriously wounded victims to safety and others as they peeked out from behind cover to locate the sniper’s position.  Whitman may have been a heartless deranged killer, but he was amazingly quick, agile and an exceptionally good shot. Don't mess with Texas The brave citizens of Austin also knew how to shoot.  Red-blooded Texans were up for the fight, outraged that this maniac was killing their own.  Some scrambled home, grabbed their most accurate weapon and hurried back to the school to exchange gunfire with the unknown sniper. A local pilot rushed to the nearby airport and returned flying a small aircraft carrying a passenger armed with a scoped hunting rifle.  Unfortunately, low level air turbulence prevented accurate aiming at Whitman.  As the plane circled the tower it took 14 of Whitman’s well aimed rounds through various sections of the metal tube and fabric covered structure, narrowly missing both occupants.  The airmen retreated to a safe distance after realizing they were on the losing side of this air-to-ground battle. Patrolmen respond to the tower Two young Austin police officers, without prior coordination, steadily made their way into the administration building and up to the 27th floor.  Patrolman Houston McCoy, armed with a 12 gauge shotgun, had graduated the police academy less than three years earlier and Patrolman Ramiro (Ray) Martinez, armed with his Smith & Wesson .38 caliber duty revolver, had less than five years on the job. Martinez, revolver in hand, recalled his thoughts as he rode the elevator up towards the unknown sniper, “of course you could see the little lights flicker (on the elevator’s panel) as the floors go by.  I said an Act of Contrition, because as a Catholic I was taught that in case of imminent death, you know, you say an Act of Contrition."  As the elevator door opened he spied Patrolman McCoy and a man with a rifle, whom he did not know but assumed, was a plain clothes officer.  The three men conversed briefly and then slowly and deliberately climbed the stairs from the 27th floor leading up to the observation deck's reception area.  Upon reaching the top of the stairwell, they found two people dead and two critically injured at the reception area. Standing at the top of the stairs, Martinez remembers the armed plain clothes man whispered a question, “he said, ‘are we playing for keeps?’  And I looked at him, and I said, as I saw dead people there, and you know all the dead people outside, I said, ‘You damn right we are.’  He said, ‘Well, you better deputize me.’  That’s when I found out that he was a civilian.  And I said, ‘consider yourself deputized'." The hunter becomes the prey Patrolman Martinez began kicking the glass-paneled door leading outside to the observation deck.  It was jammed by the wooden dolly that Whitman used to transport his gun locker.  The dolly finally gave way and tipped over.  Martinez recalled this particularly anxious moment, “and then it went over, clanging.  And I braced myself. I figured that he, the sniper, could hear this.  And there was no response, but you know, all that shooting, I’m pretty sure he didn’t hear it.” The hastily assembled contact team, including the armed citizen, stealthily made their way outside onto the observation deck.  The sniper was not in view.  The sporadic and frequent crack of rifle fire was deafening, but sound alone could not determine exactly where on the deck the sniper was positioned; it was too loud and too close.  Martinez, McCoy and the armed citizen, in line and in that order, slowly rounded the first corner.  They couldn't see the sniper because the clock tower protruded and blocked their line of sight.  Continuing their approach, they soon spotted Whitman, who was intently firing his rifle pointed over the southwest corner.  Whitman, comfortably on the attack, was unaware he was no longer the hunter and was now considered the prey. An instant and successful attack Wasting no time, Martinez carefully aimed his revolver and described what happened next. "That's when I fired the first round, and I charged.  I hit him - left side somewhere - and he came up with the rifle.  He was trying to turn and to fire.  I kept charging him and shooting, and McCoy was right behind me.  I hollered at McCoy to shoot, and he did - hit him with the shotgun,” Martinez said. McCoy had instinctively shifted to Martinez’s right side and fired two shotgun rounds at Whitman.  McCoy recalls, “all of sudden he just slowly slid down into a laying position. He was no more dangerous. Still to this day I didn't need that second shot." Prophetically, Whitman had left a written journal which, in part, specifically requested the coroner to autopsy his brain.  When accomplished, a large tumor was discovered which was applying pressure to the region of the brain that controls violent and impulsive tendencies. It has been reported that the so-called Texas Clock Tower Massacre was the mass murder event that rallied law enforcements' call for the creation of the modern day SWAT team.   Twenty-five years later – Don’t mess with Texas, again October 17th, 1991 was the greeting card inspired holiday known as National Bosses’ Day, so, take your boss out to lunch.  Luby’s Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas was packed during lunch hour, containing at least 80 total patrons and employees. The unfortunate people inside Luby's had no warning of the life altering mayhem and carnage they were about to witness as a pickup truck suddenly crashed through a glass windowed wall, driven by 35 year-old George Hennard.  As the startled customers and employees looked towards the accident scene Hennard climbed out.  Sam Wink was seated inside the restaurant and watched Hennard climb out, noticing he was holding a large black semi-automatic handgun.  Hennard yelled something about injustice and immediately began shooting his high-capacity 9mm Glock.  Wink remembers, "he was firing at anyone he could shoot, he had tons of ammo on him." Panicked patrons scrambled to the rear of the restaurant, dove and cowered under tables.  Parents shielded their children with their bodies as a final sacrifice.  One man threw his body through a thick plate glass window, being severely cut as he saved himself and a few others who quickly followed. The first phone call came into 911 as a motor vehicle crash at Luby’s, followed within seconds by a second call reporting a vehicle crash with shots fired.  Two buildings down the street from Luby’s was a Sheridan hotel.  Inside, five Texan law enforcement officers were attending an auto theft prevention training seminar and one of the lawmen attending the class was an officer of the Killeen Police Department (KPD).  Also nearby were two KPD undercover officers out on assignment.  Police dispatch broadcast the urgent call for assistance, and all seven officers converged onto the chaotic and bloody scene nearly simultaneously. Immediate entry is made Captain J.W. Dunn has been with Killeen PD for 37 years and recalls the police response, “there was no waiting outside.  People were dying.  Back then there was no active shooter training.  It was spontaneous.  They entered and approached the killer from two sides.  I’m not sure if any of our officers were even wearing body armor.” The three Killeen officers made entry into the killing zone as the other four officers established a perimeter.  Once inside the entranceway, one KPD officer positioned himself near the entrance as the other two separated and carefully preceded down opposing interior sides of the building, stalking the shooter.  Hennard was intently and actively shooting at people piled up towards the rear and was not initially aware of their presence. The brave KPD officers courageously and aggressively engaged Hennard, repeatedly shooting and hitting him three times.  The dynamics of this massacre suddenly changed – once confronted and shot, Hennard's murdering of innocents abruptly stopped.  He lowered the Glock and bolted away from his attackers towards the rear of the restaurant.  He retreated into an alcove near the restrooms – shooting at no one else, not even at the two officers in pursuit as he was quickly cornered. A predictable ending Homicidal and suicidal killers of innocents are cowards, they attack the unarmed.  Once confronted by police, the murdering phase of their plan is interrupted and proceeds straight to the ending.  Only one more death and this planned event was over — Hennard wasted no time and promptly shot himself dead in the right temple. The Luby's massacre resulted in a total of 23 people killed and 20 others seriously injured.  The entire event lasted less than fourteen minutes from beginning to end.  Thanks to the immediate and brave actions by members of the Killeen Police Department, Hennard's deadly plan was interrupted before he could shoot the remainder of the citizens trapped inside. When waiting for SWAT has deadly consequences 1984 – San Ysidro McDonald’s Massacre:  No police entry during active killing.  The massacre lasted 77 minutes.  22 deaths, 15 wounded.  The killer, James Oliver Huberty fired a total of 257 rounds before he was fatally shot by SWAT sniper Chuck Foster, taking the shot from the rooftop of a nearby post office. 1999 - Columbine High School Massacre:  No police entry during active killing.  The massacre lasted 53 minutes.  13 deaths, 25 wounded.  The killers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold fired a total of 188 rounds of ammunition and detonated numerous pipe bombs before committing suicide 2 minutes after the entry of the first SWAT personnel. 2006 - Amish Schoolhouse Massacre:  No police entry during active killing.  Police had established a tight perimeter 25 minutes prior to the massacre and were waiting for SWAT, which was enroute.  The massacre lasted less than 2 minutes.  5 deaths, 5 seriously wounded (out of 10).  The killer, Charles Carl Roberts IV fired a total of 18 rounds before committing suicide. Every police agency has a unique "culture"  The general public expects local and state government to fulfill its' primary obligation to protect lives and property from the ravages of modern society's predators as expeditiously as possible. Some police departments have a well established culture of proactively and aggressively protecting their citizens, while others do not. Twenty-four years after San Ysidro and nine years following Columbine scores of police departments are finally creating, for the first time, official policy addressing response and training protecting citizens against an armed and hostile individual or active shooter. Policy that will determine under what circumstances entry will occur and the speed and aggressiveness expected of their officers. When the established culture of a particular agency is defensive and risk-adverse, the likelihood writing policy that expects an expeditious entry of patrol is unlikely. Not all police agencies trust and train their officers enough to grant them the authority and ability to take aggressive action in these situations. Waiting for SWAT is still a popular option, especially in the absence of active killing. A “report card” on quality of leadership The main purpose of government is to provide for the publics' safety and law enforcement is the unit of government tasked with that duty.  How quickly, efficiently, and effectively a department utilizes their patrol personnel when responding to assist a threatened innocent citizen is the de facto "report card" on the caliber of leadership currently managing that agency. Establishment of priorities falls squarely on the shoulders of upper management.  When the physical safety of citizens is not near the top of the priority list, leadership is misguided and public safety suffers. Virginia Tech was the “wake-up call” for this progressive chief One career police administrator who realizes that fast aggressive pursuit of an armed intruder in a public area is vitally necessary to save lives is Chief Marvin Fischer of the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Farmingdale, New York. Chief Fischer has made available to his officers; graphite stocked and holographic sighted M-4 long-guns, Baker Batshield® portable ballistic shields, ballistic helmets with clear armor face visors, and leg armor.  If time and circumstance allows, a responder can gear-up with complete "head to toe" ballistic protection, totally dominating entry into the killing zone. SUNY Farmingdale training instructors are currently teaching the entire department the skills necessary for their officers to take the initiative, using the new equipment, to save lives.  Says Fischer, “Virginia Tech was a wake-up call. This type of random violence can happen anywhere. I have been informed that SWAT assistance from the county could be as long a wait as thirty minutes and this is unacceptable”. Fischer recognizes the difficultly of asking some officers to become the hunters, “some of my older officers were hired on in the 1980’s as unarmed security guards and even they are now learning how to pursue armed individuals and will be prepared to neutralize the threat if that is what’s needed.  The mindset and training necessary to stop active killing demands a lot of our officers, but we have no choice but to prepare for the worst.” Clash of cultures - Officer safety versus public safety Officers have a job to do and no one expects them to become kamikaze warriors to save lives.  However, few expect them to remain passive observers of violence, either.  Somewhere in-between these two extremes exists a realistic policy that combines the proper balance of both officer and public safety. Police training teaches officers to be responsible for their own safety first, their partners second, and the general public third.  The balance between officer safety and aggressive response to extremely dangerous situations is a tough balance that has no clear-cut answer.  Generally, as officer safety increases, public safety decreases. The ability to pick and choose the location, timing and terms of the fight is the ultimate survival skill.  Officers should, whenever possible, limit conflicts to those which offer overwhelming odds of winning.  During an active shooter event this is impossible.  The violent predator determines when and where the fight, death or surrender will occur. When the fight can be avoided, does everyone win?  Not always.  Innocents trapped within close proximity to armed and hostile individuals are placed into much greater physical danger by a passive and non-aggressive police response.  Hope is NOT a strategy.  Every armed and hostile intruder must be considered homicidal and suicidal - a predator that has not yet entered the killing phase of their plan. Upon initial patrol arrival, there may be no indication of killing in progress.  Department policy that requires first responders to wait outside for the sound of gunfire within a structure to signal an entry emboldens the predator and grants the homicidal and suicidal individual more time to continue working their plan.  Plus the fact that killing inside may be occurring by knife attack or other silent methods. Hoping for the best should never be a component of any emergency response strategy.  Law enforcement cannot rely upon the “human goodness” of an invader not to inflict deadly violence upon innocents for the same reasons law enforcement trains officers to anticipate violence against themselves from every criminal suspect.  Early contact is key. Many agencies that have elected to use patrol assets for active shooter response have established policy that mandates time-consuming pre-conditions that must be met before entry is authorized to occur. Common pre-conditions before entry – Waiting for: Sounds of gunfire The optimum amount of responding officers to arrive Arrival of special weaponry and/or armor Communication with or arrival of supervisory personnel Accumulation of information Time works in the favor of the predator During a homicidal and suicidal invasion, time works in the favor of the predator, always.  Howell Township, NJ lawman Kevin Stout has the necessary response timing figured out and it does not work in favor of the predator. Stout has twenty-nine years in law enforcement, twenty-six of those years as a SWAT operator and is currently the commanding officer for the county's SWAT team.  He also serves as the New Jersey Chapter president of the Mid-Atlantic Tactical Officers’ Association. Stout is emphatic, "one properly trained individual officer taking immediate action can make the difference at the scene of a crisis", reminding us of a quote from a Russian military officer interviewed by John Giduck in his book Terror at Beslan, "There are two things you can be certain of, there is going to be a fight and people are going to die - our job is to limit the death".  Stout continues, "I think these words ring true during every active shooting event that has been recorded. Law enforcement may not be on scene early enough to save every life, but once on scene they have to get into the fight, take the fight to the assailant, disrupt the assailants’ actions preventing any further loss of innocent life, then eliminate the threat." What if this and what if that? It is possible to "what if" a response to an armed and hostile individual into a snail-like process that does little good to protect the public. Once entry is made, the amount of time it takes to enter the killing zone is greatly affected by the type of policy, training, and equipment dedicated for this purpose.  Officers should quickly move towards the suspected killing zone using a variable speed of movement to accommodate perceived threats to their security, which are likely to be plentiful. Successfully engaging active shooters is dynamic and is considered a “close quarter battle” (CQB) operation. The U.S military conducts many hazardous entries and continuously reminds their operators that during an approach into the killing zone "speed is safety".  Moving targets are tough to hit, slow and stationary targets are “sitting ducks”. At some point during this process a police officer will likely need to assume a greater personal risk than desired in order to save lives.  Will every door and room be searched while proceeding towards the suspect or sound of gunfire?  Will every citizen be challenged and searched before being allowed to pass? In most cases, back-up is not far behind and can deal with some of these time-consuming procedures.  The next wave of rescuers can assist with the living, dead, and dying, while they attempt to prevent the escape of any perpetrators and/or accomplices. When gunfire is heard the level of risk grows dramatically in direct proportion to the speed of getting to the threat.  That is the nature of the response.  The primary mission is establishing contact with the threat(s) in order to minimize the deaths of innocents.  Every second counts. Walking the walk? Actively pursuing the threat is dangerous, but is vitally necessary if the mission is actually saving lives, and not just informing the public you wanted to save lives but didn't have the time available to do it.  The bravery, aggression, and speed of operation utilized by well trained and well practiced patrol personnel helps prevent having to admit, "we were there, but the killing just happened too quickly". Officer safety, speed of entry, and pursuit is greatly enhanced by first responders trained and equipped with modern “close quarter battle” (CQB) type weaponry, including lightweight high-speed portable ballistic shields.  The use of a lightweight and short-stocked holographic sighted long-gun, such as the M-4, used in conjunction with a Baker Batshield®  is an ideal balance of speed and officer safety. Modern protective equipment allows an officer the option to quickly and silently move through “fatal funnels”, including: entranceways, hallways, windows, and doors.  Moving past wounded and/or panicked individuals is safer and the ultimate application of accurate gunfire to neutralize a threat within a crowded public setting is the final consideration to assure mission success.   Learning from the mistakes and successes of others History permanently records the details of each massacre including the name of the killer, the responding agency, what happened, and the total body count of the dead and wounded. Law enforcement leaders who want to improve the delivery of public safety to their citizens can learn from the mistakes and successes of those agencies who responded to a mass murder event.  So-called “peer review” evaluates and grades each situation by the circumstances including the amount of lives lost and saved after arrival of law enforcement personnel. Whether you are approaching armed and hostile threats before or during active killing, remember that the lives of your citizens are worth a good fight, and that they hired you to protect them.  Make sure that you and your agency are up to the task.

Rick Armellino is the Director and Chief Executive Officer of Baker Ballistics, LLC., the manufacturer of the Baker Batshield® personal ballistic shield. He has over thirty years experience in the body armor industry, including Director of Research and Development and President of American Body Armor and Equipment, Inc. Rick's body armor designs have saved over forty American LEO's from death or serious injury during attacks by gunfire. Recently, Rick has partnered with noted ballistic shield trainer, Lt. Al Baker (NYPD, ret.), to advance the concept of Immediate Action Rapid Deployment (IARD) tactics for use by first responders in the approach to armed and hostile individuals in public places.

 

Practical Police Psychology with Dr. Laurence Miller Dealing with the stress of criminal investigation: “It gets to you” Aside from the daily stresses of patrol policing, special pressures may be experienced by specially assigned homicide or sex-crimes officers who investigate particularly brutal crimes, multiple murders, serial killings or crimes against children. Stereotypes of the “hardboiled” detective, from inside and outside the law enforcement profession, have contributed to the underrecognition and undertreatment of chronic stress, critical incident stress and posttraumatic stress syndromes in this group. As described by retired Florida Department of Law Enforcement Director Dr. James Sewell, during a high-profile criminal investigation, the socially and culturally expected protective role of the police officer becomes highlighted at the same time as their responsibilities as public servants who protect individual rights are compounded by departmental and societal pressure to solve the crime. Stresses of murder investigations A multiple- or serial-murder investigation forces the officer to confront stressors directly related to his or her projected image of unwavering strength and determination, ability to respond competently and dispassionately to crises, and willingness to place the needs and demands of the public above his or her personal feelings. This is magnified in high-profile cases with greater media attention. The sheer magnitude and shock effect of many mass-murder scenes and the violence, mutilation and sadistic brutality associated with many serial killings – especially those involving children – often exceed the defense mechanisms and coping abilities of even the most jaded investigator. Revulsion may be tinged with rage when innocent victims or fellow officers have been killed or injured, and the murderer seems to be mocking law enforcement’s attempts to capture and prosecute him. As the investigation drags on, the inability to solve the crime and close the case further frustrates and demoralizes the assigned officers and seems to jeeringly proclaim the hollowness of society’s notions of fairness and justice. As noted above, all the more disturbing are situations where the killer is known but the existing evidence is insufficient to support an arrest or conviction. Stress and self-recrimination are further magnified when the failure to apprehend the perpetrator is caused by human error, as when an officer’s misguided actions or breach of protocol leads to loss or damage of evidence or suppression of testimony, allowing the perpetrator to walk. All of these reactions are intensified by a cumulatively spiraling vicious cycle of fatigue and cognitive impairment, as the sustained and exhausting effort to solve the case may result in sloppy errors, deteriorating work quality, and fraying of home and workplace relationships. Fatigue also exacerbates the wearing down of the investigator’s normal psychological defenses, rendering him or her even more vulnerable to stress and failure. Especially in no-arrest cases, and particularly those involving children, some homicide or sex crimes investigators may become emotionally involved with the victims’ families and remain in contact with them for many years. Some detectives become obsessed with a particular case and continue to work on it at every available moment, sometimes to the point of compromising their work on other cases and leading to a deterioration of health and family life. Special stresses of sex crimes investigations Adding to all this stress is the fact that there exists in many law enforcement agencies something of a rivalry among different departments, especially between homicide and sex crimes units. Even in this day of TV’s “Law and Order: SVU,” homicide is still regarded as the elite investigative unit in most departments. One way this prioritization manifests itself is in terms of allocation of departmental resources. For example, the case closure rate of homicides is almost always greater than that of sexual crimes (about 70 percent and 50 percent, respectively), despite the fact that homicide victims are by definition deceased, while sexual assault victims are typically alive and able to recount their experiences to investigators. Even more so than for other types of offenses, sex crimes – especially those against helpless victims such as children or the elderly – evoke a certain special revulsion and corresponding denial in most of us. Thus, the people who would choose to specialize in this type of crime may be imbued with a certain air of creepiness that serves to isolate and alienate them from the rest of their colleagues. After all, the thought of some people perpetrating violent, loathsome acts on others is so distasteful to the rest of us that anyone who would willingly immerse him- or herself in this kind of work must be two-thirds weirdo already, right? This probably represents a reaction formation defense against the morbid voyeuristic streak we all harbor about lurid crimes of this type – which also explains the wide television appeal. But when this reactive avoidance leads to alienation or ridicule of the sex crimes investigator within his or her own department, this officer is deprived of a valuable source of collegial support in the battle against stress and burnout. Media portrayals can have another unintendedly negative effect as well. By giving the public the impression that most cases can be tidily wrapped up in one episode, it may lead to unrealistic pressure on investigators to solve real-world cases that are typically more messy and ambiguous than the scripted scenarios on TV. This of course is just one example of the more general media-reality gap that surrounds most cop shows. Selection and training of criminal investigators In many departments, the appointment of officers to homicide or sex crime units is more a matter of seniority and promotion, and less a matter of specific training and selection criteria. Such is not usually the case with hostage negotiators, undercover officers, SWAT team members or other special operations personnel. FBI experts Lanning and Hazelwood recommend that, like members of these other specialized units, sex crimes investigators be volunteers who are carefully screened and trained. Aside from using their technical savvy, investigators will spend a good deal of time speaking with victims, families, witnesses, suspects and others who may be important to the case, so good communications skills are essential. Screening also involves weeding out unsuitable candidates. These include officers who have an overly lurid or voyeuristic motive for doing this kind of work; those who may be motivated solely or mainly by personal issues, including a personal or family history of criminal victimization or sexual abuse (although such a history does not automatically exclude the officer, providing he or she has dealt with the relevant issues); officers who have particular religious or political agendas; and those who see investigation as an easy career move, without the requisite commitment to the hard and dedicated work involved. Characteristics of successful investigators According to FDLE’s Dr. Sewell, a number of traits and behaviors, as well as essential knowledge, skills and abilities, appear to characterize the most successful criminal investigators. First, they possess a basic knowledge of the law and the legal system to guide their efforts. They have an extensive knowledge of investigative and forensic techniques and procedures — indeed, many of these professionals avail themselves of continued study and training, even on their own time and at their own expense. These investigators are able to take a broad and deep perspective on their cases, to perceive complex patterns and connections within standard typologies of criminals and crime scenes. But they’re also able to creatively “think outside the box” when necessary, to reel in elusive clues and flesh out skeletal inferences that may lead to valuable evidence. Criminal investigation is hard work, long work, and it’s often exhausting and ungratifying work. Successful investigators are able to marshal and sustain motivation and persistence to see the case through – whatever the conclusion may be. This requires a certain level of tenacity and commitment that is beyond a 9-to-5 mentality. It also requires the patience to deal with frustration and disappointments along the way, as well as the ability to be a self-starter and fight the boredom that can gradually gum up the engine of the investigator’s drive to follow through on the case. Certain cognitive and temperamental features characterize successful investigators. Naturally, a curious and inquisitive mind is an asset, characterized by the desire to go deeper into and know more about a phenomenon. This is aided by a highly developed attention to detail, enabling the investigator to perceive minutiae that are overlooked by other observers but that may well prove crucial to solving the case. Similar to a crisis negotiator, a good investigator is a “people person.” These types can read subtle interpersonal cues and can communicate effectively with suspects, witnesses or civilians in ways that induce trust and the willingness to come forth with important information. They can also flexibly adapt their communication style to their audience, without appearing to be “faking it.” Not faking it also applies to the investigators’ professional and personal integrity. Successful investigators take justifiable pride in upholding the law through their daily dogged work in solving crimes. From a practical perspective, law enforcement agencies that are perceived as basically fair and honorable are far more likely to elicit cooperation from their citizenry when it comes to gathering vital information about crimes. Coping strategies of criminal investigators A variety of coping strategies are used by criminal investigators to help themselves and their colleagues carry out their assignments. Some of these strategies are used spontaneously by officers, some can be encouraged by departmental supervisors, and others can be taught and trained by mental health professionals (see: Mental Toughness for Law Enforcement). Defense mechanisms and mental toughening A number of authorities have commented on the general mental hardening or toughening that takes place in the life of criminal investigators. This is the most familiar way of blocking unpleasant material for guys and gals who are used to taking a tough, suck-it-up attitude toward unpleasant aspects of the job. However, most of these mental toughening or hardening techniques are intended to be utilized for short-term emergency situations; they are not designed to comprise the officer’s full-time mindset. When it persists, however, this psychological hardening reaction can take a number of forms, some that may be conducive to productive coping, others less so. Compartmentalization or isolation of affect is where negative emotions are separated out and put in a “mental file cabinet” in order to allow the rest of the officer’s cognitive faculties to keep functioning. Individuals differ in their ability to make this mental separation without undue emotional leakage into other areas of work and family life. Intellectualization is the term used to describe the process of detoxifying an emotionally wrenching task or experience by adopting the stance of detached, objective, intellectual curiosity: for example, the emotional revulsion and horror of encountering the remains of a sexually mutilated corpse is diffused and diluted by immersion in the technical scientific minutiae of crime-scene investigation and offender-profiling. Sublimation refers to the process of turning a “bad” impulse into a socially acceptable, or even admirable “good” activity or vocation. The classic example is the potential criminal slasher who becomes a skilled surgeon: He still gets to cut into people, but he saves lives instead of taking them, and he makes a good living in the process. In the law enforcement arena, this often manifests itself in taking the morbid curiosity and anxiety we all have about sex and murder and channeling it into a productive career in forensic science. In this regard, sublimation is aided by intellectualization, which gives the immersion in the world of gore a scientific rationale. Again, as with the surgeon, this is not a form of psychopathology, but actually an adaptive defense mechanism. Similarly, humor involves being able to take an ironic and therefore more objective perspective on things that make us uncomfortable – think for a moment about the subject matter of most stand-up routines and sitcoms, and you’ll see why. Humor enables officers to deal with the grotesque by removing it emotionally by several stages in the form of a joke. Healthy humor enables officers to defuse stress and anxiety, share an experience in a supportive atmosphere, and encourage a healthy bonding among members of an elite “club.” By contrast, unhealthy humor mocks the officers or victims themselves, distresses surviving family members and sullies the department’s honor. It may thus be important for departmental leaders to model the appropriate expression of humor as an adaptive coping mechanism. One of the effects of healthy humor is to cement peer support among members of the investigative team and more widely among officers within the department. Typically, officers themselves report that recognition and support from their fellow officers constitute the most important stress-mitigating factor they can identify. Peer support can also be thought of more broadly in the form of collegial associations, such as memberships in professional societies, contribution to relevant publications and online databases, and so on – that is, building a nationwide and worldwide community of support, in addition to that within the department. Professionalism Implicit in what I’ve just said, the concept of professionalism subsumes all of the adaptive coping strategies noted above, as well as being a constructive principle of law enforcement generally. FBI trainers Lanning and Hazelwood have made some of these principles explicit for homicide and sex-crimes investigators. Professionalism begins with a certain attitude that says the investigator will do his or her best because of a general service orientation and specifically because the work provides professional satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. Professionalism encompasses the physical space in which the investigator works. There is no reason for the investigator’s office to be unnecessarily grim, but bear in mind that this office will have a wide variety of professionals and civilians circulating through it – from liaison officers of other agencies in multijurisdictional investigations, to distraught family members of slain or assaulted victims – so officers should choose their decor accordingly. Certainly, explicit illustrations, crime scene souvenirs or other inappropriate decorations should not be in plain sight. Confidentiality is an essential part of professionalism. Victims and their families must be certain that their sensitive material – testimony transcripts, crime scene photographs, videotapes, property used for evidence – will be seen only by those directly involved in solving and prosecuting the case. Aside from being the right and ethical thing to do, the assurance of reasonable privacy and dignity serves the practical function of encouraging better cooperation from victims and potential witnesses, which may yield information vital to closing the case. Professionalism extends to the investigator’s language and behavior. Again, this is not to encourage undertaker-like solemnity or schoolmarmish overcorrectness, but maintaining a certain decorum of speech and demeanor is important for the public and for co-workers. Remember, sex crimes investigators must struggle with the “creep factor” even among their colleagues, so anything that contributes to the impression of serious professionalism – proper and respectful handling of gruesome or pornographic evidence, for example – will serve to heighten credibility. Again, without encouraging inappropriate overformality, the use of technical terms, not slang, should be policy, especially when communicating with civilians. All professionals – doctors, lawyers, engineers, psychologists – have their own distinctive terminology that serves to facilitate communication among them and highlights the fact that these are members of serious professions with knowledge and experience in what they do. This is related to expertise as a key component of professionalism. New York City police officer and author Vincent Henry notes how truly dedicated investigators spend much of their own time, often at their own expense, reading books and journals, attending seminars and conferences, conferring with colleagues and downloading software, all to increase their knowledge and expertise in forensic investigation. For such professionals, education does not end with their basic law enforcement or criminal justice curriculum; rather, it is a process that extends and suffuses into all of one’s professional career. Personally, I wish more doctors had this attitude. Professional services Even in the face of the most heinously traumatic investigations, the majority of homicide and sex crimes investigators will not require professional mental health intervention. However, where necessary, such services should be available in an easily accessible and nonstigmatized way. Mental health services may include several options, such as critical-incident debriefing, individual stress-management counseling, or family therapy for emotional spill-over effects (see: Practical Police Psychology). As always, the department’s true commitment to its personnel is shown by the quality of support services it chooses to provide. FDLE’s Dr. Sewell has endeavored to adapt a stress-management protocol similar to a critical incident stress debriefing, or CISD, geared toward the particular needs of special-assignment law enforcement officers, such as detectives who deal with the investigation of multiple murders and other violent crimes. The major objectives of this process are: • Ventilation of intense emotions • Exploration of symbolic meanings • Group support under catastrophic conditions • Initiation of the grief process within a supportive environment • Reduction of the “fallacy of uniqueness” • Reassurance that intense emotions under catastrophic conditions are normal • Preparation for the continuation of the grief & stress process over the ensuing weeks & months • Education regarding normal and abnormal stress response syndromes • Encouragement of continued group support and/or professional assistance  • Preparing for the possible development of emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms in the aftermath of a serious crisis Dr. Sewell regards such interventions as appropriate for two specific groups and at two specific times. First, the stress of first responders who have just dealt with the trauma of the original scene must be confronted quickly and decisively. Second, the stress of assigned investigators must be handled regularly and as needed throughout the course of the investigation and prosecution. Where an officer seeks additional assistance, the follow-up sessions should be administratively encouraged and nonstigmatized. In sum, without the skill and dedication of criminal investigators, there literally could be no justice system. This group has its own special needs and deserves its own special kind of support. To learn more about these topics: Mental Toughness for Law Enforcement Practical Police Psychology Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide specific clinical or legal advice.  NOTE:  If you have a question for this column, please submit it to this website.

Laurence Miller, Ph.D., is a clinical and forensic psychologist and law enforcement educator and trainer based in Boca Raton, Fla. Dr. Miller is the police psychologist for the West Palm Beach Police Department, mental health consultant for Troop L of the Florida Highway Patrol, a forensic psychological examiner for the Palm Beach County Court, and a consulting psychologist with several regional and national law enforcement agencies. Dr. Miller is an instructor at the Criminal Justice Institute of Palm Beach County and at Florida Atlantic University, and conducts continuing education and training seminars around the country. He is the author of numerous professional and popular print and online publications pertaining to the brain, behavior, health, law enforcement, criminal justice and organizational psychology. His latest books are "Practical Police Psychology: Stress Management and Crisis Intervention for Law Enforcement" (Charles C Thomas, 2006) and "Mental Toughness Training for Law Enforcement" (Looseleaf Law Publications, 2008). Contact Dr. Miller at (561) 392-8881 or online at docmilphd@aol.com.

10 Common Hidden Compartments In Passenger Vehicles

By Andrew Hawkes

 

Officers often use the term “hidden compartments” when referring to large loads of narcotics hidden inside of vehicles.  The term is rather generic and I like to break the term down into more specifics.  Hidden compartments can encompass both Hidden NATURAL compartments, meaning areas of the vehicle that are hidden from the naked eye but are a natural part of the manufactured vehicle.  The second type of hidden compartment would of course be the Hidden FALSE compartment, the compartment that is specifically built into the vehicle to hide contraband. 

 

Both Natural and False compartments can be utilized by the drug trafficker effectively, and often there is no difference as to which one is more successful.  As a highly trained drug interdiction officer, you can successfully locate both types of compartments.

 

The drug hauler doesn’t think like an interdiction officer and that is what gets him/her caught.  He is thinking, “If I can build this super secret compartment that no one can find I will get away with hauling this 50 kilos of coke”.  He thinks about how well the compartment is.  On the other hand, a highly skilled interdiction officer doesn’t worry about where the dope is hidden.  He knows that if he picks up on the right indicators, if his interview leads to stories that don’t make sense, then he knows he is going to find the load of dope no matter where in the car it is.

 

With that theory in mind let’s take a look at 10 popular areas of concealment for drug trafficking, keeping in mind that this is not an all inclusive list, but only 10 out of hundreds of concealment methods.

1.         Wheels/Tires:  This can be a natural area of a vehicle that can be used to build a false compartment in where the drug trafficker feels that even an experienced interdiction officer will overlook.  Spare tires were popular for a long time until officers began to figure out that they were being used to transport dope.  So the traffickers switched to building and welding steel compartments to the inside of the wheels the vehicle was actually rolling on.  Be sure to check for odors by letting the air out, by checking the weight of the wheel tire combination, and by utilizing a narcotic canine when necessary.

 

2.         Bumpers:  False compartments can be built on the inside of both front bumpers and rear bumpers of passenger cars.  Make sure in your search techniques that you are able to compensate for any space or lack of space in bumpers.  Utilizing fiber optic scopes, density meters as well as canine can assist in this area.  Be sure to check the nuts and bolts that attach the bumpers to the car.  Do they have recent scar marks on them?

 

3.         Behind/Under the Backseat:  Extremely popular concealment location.  I like to refer to this area as the “lazy trafficker’s hidden compartment”.  For some reason they don’t think an experienced interdiction officer will bother to look under and behind the backseat.  WRONG.  Be sure to compensate for any space or lack thereof behind the backseat, between the seat and the trunk.  This is not only a popular natural hiding place, but a popular location to build a false compartment as well.

 

4.         Doors: Traffickers like to hide bundles of dope in the naturally hollow doors in the vehicle.  Simply by popping off the inside plastic cover they can access this area and simply put the covers back in place.  Check these areas by canine, and interdiction equipment.  An old school method is by tapping on the doors, they should sound hollow not solid.  Officer’s can also check for scarred bolts and nuts and check to see if the windows roll down all the way.  If they do not, this is a tell-tale sign of packages of dope hindering the windows from rolling down on the inside of the door. 

 

5.         Rocker panels and Fenders:  This natural area of the vehicle has been being used for years by Mexican smugglers.  You can check for bond on the front fenders in the engine compartment, any trip wires or fresh paint as well.  Rocker panels are areas of the vehicle frame that can be accessed through the wheel wells and can be hidden well.  Canine is best used on rocker panels.  Also check for bondo on the inside of the wheel well and /or fresh paint and added dirt/mud.

 

6.         Gas Tanks:  Another popular NATURAL hidden compartment.  The old method of the smuggler was to simply unbolt the gas tank from the vehicle, load it up with dope and re-attach it.  However, skilled interdiction officer’s picked up on this by noticing the tanks have been recently removed from the vehicle.  So then they started cutting through the frame, often underneath the backseat and cutting holes into the gas tank where they dropped their packages of dope inside then closed it up.  Look for fresh tampering underneath the backseat or trunk area, depending on the location of the tank. 

 

7.         Floors:  Can be a source of FALSE or NATURAL concealment.  An identical sheet metal floor can be constructed on top of the existing floor to resemble the factory floor.  Look for uncompensated space, maybe as small as one inch in height that would allow for kilos and kilos of dope to be lined beneath it.  I have also seen very thin vacuumed sealed bags of dope laid underneath the carpet of the vehicle.

 

8.         Dashboard:  Look for dope simply stuffed behind them or for false compartments that are often accessed by special trip wires, etc…Do Not overlook the air conditioner components as well.

 

9.         Undercarriage:  Often times the trafficker will attempt to weld steel boxes or compartments on the undercarriage of the vehicle.  These can usually be located by a thorough inspection of the undercarriage by crawling up under the vehicle or using a telescoping mirror.

 

10.        Pickup Trucks:  Do not overlook some of the great areas, natural and false being utilized by traffickers.  False beds can be welded just a few inches above and on top of the Original bed.  Look to see if the bed is flush with the tailgate when the tailgate is dropped and opened.  Also be aware of the same tactic but built underneath the original bed instead of above it, which will sometimes require the removal of the rear bumper to see the discrepancy.  False front walls of pickup beds can be made using the same techniques then covered up by a mounted toolbox.  Removal of the tool box may be required to locate it, either by probable cause or consent or canine sniff.  The natural hollow walls of a pickup truck can hold vast amounts of dope, often utilized by simply removing the taillights and packing it in.  Check these areas by removing the taillights, or by checking for solid sounds where it should be hollow or by interdiction equipment.

 

These are just a few of many areas of concealment for drug traffickers, but by becoming familiar with them and how to located them, you have just given yourself 10 areas of the vehicle to make sure that you clear before releasing the suspected drug trafficker. 

 

As always, stay safe and continue to fight the good fight.

 

Andrew Hawkes

www.highwaydruginterdiction.com

Disclaimer:  All training material and articles by Andrew Hawkes are sold and/or made available to law enforcement officers only through secure websites.  Any of his publications that are made public via internet without the written permission of Andrew Hawkes are unauthorized.

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