Public Safety Signals » guns

The Attacks in Norway

Steven — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:24:39 +0000

We join the Norwegian people in mourning the death of those lost in the recent terrorist attack.

It is alleged that on July 22, 2011, 32-year-old, Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian citizen, bombed government buildings in Oslo, Norway, and was also responsible for the mass killing at a Labour Party youth camp (on the island of Utøya, Norway).

Today, July 28, counter terrorism experts from the European Union and Norway will meet in Brussels to discuss ways in which such attacks can be prevented in the future.

What are your thoughts?

The Killing of Officer David S. Crawford

Steven — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:59:19 +0000

We are outraged and saddened by the death of Officer David S. Crawford, 46, a 25-year veteran of the St. Petersburg, Florida, Police Department. This follows the deaths of two St. Petersburg officers, and the wounding of a U.S. Marshal, on January 24, 2011 (www.cnn.com).

Is there anything the law enforcement community can do, that isn’t already being done, to combat such disregard for law, order, and human life?

Please share your thoughts. Your insights are important!

11 Law Enforcement Officers Shot in a 24 Hour Period

Steven — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:49:14 +0000

Earlier in the month, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reported that beginning on Sunday, January 23, a tragic wave of violence against America’s law enforcement officers took place, with 11 officers shot within a 24 hour time frame in 5 states.

In addition, it was reported that gunfire fatalities has claimed the lives of 12 officers in 2011 – a 50% increase from a year ago today.

There is a perception among many law enforcement officers that there is a war on cops. What are your thoughts?

The Right To Public Safety

Joseph Pascarella — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:58:54 +0000

The debate over firearms control is enjoying yet another historical evolution as the United States Supreme Court is attempting to interpret and apply the Second Amendment in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller. The raging and eduring debate is focused on one phrase, and perhaps one comma in the twenty-seven word amendment:

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Does this mean that the government militia has the right to bear arms, or that individual citizens may bear arms as part of a miltia, or can individual citizens alone have the right to bear arms?

Firearms control is a topic that is hotly debated and perspectives are based and differ due to the various backgrounds, ideologies, and regional cultures of the United States. Perhaps the case of District of Columbia v. Heller will settle the debate over the original intent of the frames of the Bill of Rights.

Joe Pascarella

LAPD SWAT member killed in the Line of Duty

Joseph Pascarella — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 12:43:53 +0000

Tragically, a Los Angeles Police Department LAPD officer, Officer Randal Simmons, was murdered in the Line of Duty this past week while attempting to apprehend a man who was barricaded in his home after the man had murdered three family members.

Officer Randal Simmons was assigned to the elite SWAT Team of the LAPD and it was the first Line of Duty Death in the storied history of the SWAT Team.

SWAT is an acronym for “Special Weapons and Tactics” and members of the SWAT Team are the most proficient, highly trained, and specialized members of the police. There is a saying in policing circles, “when a citizen is in trouble, the citizen calls a cop, when a cop is in trouble, they call the SWAT Teams (and other specialized Emergency Service Police Officers). The LAPD SWAT time is legendary both within and outside of the Public Safety community.

This horrific incident, in which a man with reportededly a history of mental illness, highlights the danger and potential deadliness of “domestic disturbances” that are responded to by public safety officers on a daily basis. Often, public safety personnel have very little information what is going on inside a confined location and must make decisions with vague or incomplete information.

Take care and stay safe.

Joe Pascarella

Deadly Mall Shooting in Suburban Chicago

Joseph Pascarella — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 12:37:17 +0000

Yesterday, during an apparent Robbery at a shopping mall in Tinley Park, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), five persons were murdered in a robbery that went bad. Additionally, the alleged offender has not yet been apprehended. Accoring to the early investigations, up to 37 persons in one store were held hostage during the robbery.

Large gatherings such as shopping malls present enduring Safety issues for public safety given the prevalence of firearms in the United States. Although estimates are very difficult, firearms, both legally and illegal, are very pervasive in the United States. This is especially challenging for Public Safety agencies given the continued population growth and development in the United States. Firearms control policy has been an emotional debate in recent United States history and during this upcoming presidential election, that policy is likely to be debated once again.

Take care and stay safe.

Joe Pascarella