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February
6, 2007 |

Table
of Contents:
I. Reflecting on Family Safety
Following Florida Tragedy
II. Upcoming
Street Survival Seminars


Reflecting
on Family Safety Following Florida Tragedy
By Dave and Sgt. Betsy
Smith Street Survival Seminar
Instructors
On Tuesday, January
30th, 2007 a convicted felon and murder suspect, Lionel Sands, and
his companion Daniel Brown apparently stalked and gunned down Mellie
McDaniel, the wife of Jackson County Sheriff John McDaniel as she
headed home from the grocery store. Mrs. McDaniel was able to
contact her husband via radio phone to advise him she was being
followed; as he called for assistance and told her not to go home he
heard her scream. The first responding deputy Harold Michael Altman,
was also murdered. The sheriff and other units responded, killing
both suspects.
Deputies found
ammunition, latex gloves, bleach, vinegar, handcuffs, duct tape, and
trash bags inside the killer's vehicle. In addition, both killers
wore disguises which included a wig and a glued-on mustache, but
their ultimate plan died with them.

Shortly after this
incident, we received a call from a good friend and fellow police
trainer, Greg May, coordinator of Public Safety Education at Gulf
Coast Community College in Florida. Greg is also a police officer
with Panama City Beach Police Department, and more importantly, a
husband and father.
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The home of
Jackson Co. (FL) Sheriff John McDaniel where his wife Mellie,
a deputy and two suspects were murdered.(AP Photo/Steve
Cannon) |
He'd already been
receiving requests for information and training for police families,
and knew that Calibre Press would be a good resource. The Jackson
County case hit Officer May especially hard as Deputy Altman was one
of his recruits. We decided that this tragic case brings up issues
we need to talk to our own families about, no matter how difficult
or uncomfortable it may be. Thanks to Officer May for his
inspiration and assistance.
When we talk about and
train for "off duty survival," we have to include our family members
in many aspects. Let your family know that you have an obligation to
keep yourself, your family, and the community safe on or off-duty.
More importantly, teach them that as members of a police family,
they also share this obligation.
Talk to them about good
v. evil, about being part of a "warrior family,' and how they can
help you AND each other. Keep it simple, keep it age appropriate,
and talk about this more than
once! These discussions should be a regular part of your
life as a crimefighter's family.
The Internet has made
our personal information more accessible than ever, including our
home addresses, relatives, even the vehicles we drive. Tell your
family about the dangers of Internet chat rooms and to NOT give out
any information that may give their true personal information or
indicate they have law enforcement in the family.
Teach them not to give
out personal information when shopping, in casual conversation, and
when meeting new people. Make sure they are very cautious about revealing your
identity as a police officer.
Teach your spouse or
partner to use your off duty weapon, and as your kids grow and
mature teach them also. It's a good idea to begin teaching your kids
(and spouse or partner) that sometimes bad people choose to do evil
and good people sometimes have to stop them, which may include you
or members of your family...THEM!
In other words, teach
them to be warriors! Don't hide or downplay what you do, and what
you (or they) may face someday. If you empower your family both
mentally and physically, they will be less vulnerable to
victimization. Our spouses and kids are usually much stronger than
we give them credit for (after all, they live with us, don't they!?)
Here are a few
additional "quick tips" to tell them during your family discussions:
• Be aware of other
people attending to you or your children, vehicle, your
movements
• Make sure "911" and
your jurisdiction's dispatch center is programmed into your cell
phones
• If you're being
followed, go to a crowded, busy place (such as a busy gas station or
store, the mall, local police or sheriff's department, courthouse),
identify specific locations in your own area that may be "safe
zones." DON'T GO HOME...this is
especially difficult for youngsters to understand, because home is a
"safe place" for them, so help them to understand why
they shouldn't just go home.
• NEVER allow yourself
to be taken into a vehicle or building. Learn tactics such as drop
and roll under vehicles, yelling, screaming, hitting, biting,
running in the opposite direction, whatever it takes to
get away.
• If you suspect you are
being followed or targeted, trust your instincts and take
appropriate action. Believe in your gut
instincts!
• Make sure you know how
to find your location, including using mile posts along the highway,
to tell help exactly where you are.
If you don't live in
your own jurisdiction, make sure you and your family know the local
cops; take them to the local police station to visit (bringing some
cookies or a dozen doughnuts couldn't hurt!), have them meet the
dispatchers, desk officers, and the officers who patrol your
neighborhood. Take advantage of the child safety and personal safety
courses taught by your own agency or another one; we often neglect
to get our family members involved in our own crime prevention
programming.
As we talk about in the
Street
Survival Seminar, you must teach your family some of your own
police tactics, including "cover and concealment," "crisis
rehearsal" and "tactical breathing."
More importantly, teach
them the "warrior mindset" that is so vital to survival. Teach them
to protect themselves, to "keep fighting no matter what!"
Our hearts go out to the
families of Mellie McDaniel, mother, grandmother, and loyal cop's
wife for so many years, and Deputy Harold ("Mike") Altman, one- year
veteran of the Jackson County S/O, son, husband, step dad, and now
fallen hero. Honor the sacrifice of these two people by sharing
their story with your own warrior family.
There are still some of
you that, even after reading this, will still believe that you
should maintain a "wall" between your family and your job. As this
example proves, now more than ever, we can't afford that luxury.
Bring your family into your world, our world, and teach them to
be part of our own warrior family of crimefighters!
Here
are some great resources that Calibre Press recommends to help in
teaching your family to stay safe:
The
Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence
By Gavin De Becker
Raising
Kids Who Can Protect Themselves By Mike and Debbie Gardner
Street
Survival Seminar (spouses are encourage to attended)
About
the authors
Former police lieutenant
Dave Smith developed the popular "Buck Savage" survival series
videos and was the lead instructor for the original Calibre Press
"Street Survival" seminar from 1983 to 1985, helping to develop the
popular "Tactical Edge" book. He served as the Director of Education
for the Enforcement Television Network, general manager of Calibre
Press, and is now the lead instructor of the "Street Survival"
seminar and a regular Newsline contributor. He can be reached at thebucksavage@aol.com
Sergeant Betsy Smith is
a 27-year veteran of law enforcement, currently serving as a patrol
supervisor in a Chicago, IL suburb. Betsy hosted various programs
for the Law Enforcement Television Network and served as a content
expert until joining Calibre Press in 2002. A graduate of the
Northwestern University Center for Public Safety's School of Staff
and Command, Betsy is a police trainer, author, and instructor for
the Calibre Press "Street Survival" seminar. She can be reached at
betsybrantner@aol.com
II.
Upcoming Street Survival Seminars
|
Seminar Location |
Dates |
Details |
|
Street
Survival Seminar Houston,TX |
February 12-13,
2007 |
Detail
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Street
Survival Seminar Spokane ,WA |
February 21-22,
2007 |
Detail
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Street
Survival Seminar Arlington,VA |
March 5-6,
2007 |
Detail
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Street
Survival Seminar Cincinnati
(Hamilton),OH |
March 12-13,
2007 |
Detail
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Street
Survival Seminar Boston,MA |
March 20-21,
2007 |
Detail
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Street
Survival Seminar Minneapolis,MN |
April 11-12,
2007 |
Detail
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Street
Survival Seminar Denver,CO |
April 17-18,
2007 |
Detail
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Street
Survival Seminar for WOMEN Las Vegas,NV |
April 25-26,
2007 |
Detail
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Street
Survival Seminar Cleveland,OH |
May 16-17,
2007 |
Detail
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Street
Survival Seminar Lake
Tahoe,NV |
May 22-23,
2007 |
Detail
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Not
coming to your area? Please contact
Slavka Younger at Slavka.younger@trinitylearning.com
to find out how you can bring Street Survival seminar to your
department. |
Help
us keep you safe. Send your story ideas and opinions, as well as
material for Weapons Warning and Concealment Gallery to Newsline.
Send e-mail to the editor: newsline@calibrepress.com
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