September 2008

Detroit police sergeant found hanged in park

A Detroit police sergeant whose wife was shot to death in a suspected contract killing has been found hanged in a suburban park.Police tell the Detroit Free Press that 38-year-old Sgt. David Cobb was found dead Friday night in Sterling Heights, a city 15 miles north of downtown Detroit.Cobb’s 47-year-old wife, Rose, was fatally shot Dec. 26 in a parking lot on Detroit’s east side. In April, police arrested 27-year-old Vincent Smothers, who told police Cobb hired him to kill his wife.Smothers claimed Cobb was having an affair and wanted his wife’s life insurance money. He is awaiting trial for murder.Cobb was arrested a day …Read more […..]

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Philly officers mourn cop fatally shot while pursuing suspect

PHILADELPHIA — A city police officer pursuing an armed suspect Tuesday afternoon was fatally shot, the fourth Philadelphia officer to die in the line of duty in the last year, authorities said. Another officer was wounded and the suspect was killed.The officer who died, Patrick McDonald, 30, was shot in the chest, Mayor Michael Nutter said. The other officer, 35-year-old Richard Bowes, was shot in the leg. He was in stable condition and expected to be OK, Nutter said.”We are in pain, and we are very angry about what’s going on here in our city,” Nutter said.Police said McDonald called for backup around 1:45 p.m., and …Read more […..]

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More Opinions of Stay at Home Dads,I Love You, Temper Temper, Hi, Smarty Pants

Recently I came across some differing opinions/reactions to my status as a stay at home dad. As I have explained before, many men have funny, negative, or weird reactions when they hear that I stay at home with Emma. The older guys think it is pretty strange as they grew up in a different time. That is understandable but still a bit aggravating.The younger guys are a mixed bag. The majority of the ones that have children tell me that I am extremely lucky to stay home with her–I totally agree– and they wish that they could do the same.The younger guys without kids, in general, haven’t got a clue. They think that it is shameful, …Read more […..]

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Sound Familiar?

The Department spokeswoman obviously is trying to put a spin on things. A friend of mine who is a copper at Chicago PD has cnfirmed that morale is extremely low and they are not going to go out of their way to make arrests for fear that they will be overly scrutinized and eventually punished. Seems certain chiefs like to make a reputation for themselves. This happens everyday and I am sure some people actually buy into department brass’ excuses. As many officers used to state at Northlake PD, it is all “smoke and mirrors.” CHICAGO — Serious crime is up but arrests are down in Chicago, and some police officers say they …Read more […..]

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Career physical fitness standards

By Ralph Mroz A vigorously discussed subject in police circles a decade ago was that of career physical fitness standards for police officers. The subject seemed to fall off the radar following the terrorist attacks on September 11th and the plethora of new law enforcement topics and concerns that resulted from them. Nonetheless, the idea stayed alive, with more agencies placing a premium (literally, with monetary bonuses) on physical fitness, and with high-profile stories about agency heads insisting that their officers be fit (LAPD, Chicago and Winter Haven, FL for example). There are arguments for and argument against career …Read more […..]

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Let the tears flow

If a victim starts crying during an interview, don’t immediately volunteer to stop the interview (“It’s OK. Let’s take a break and give you a minute to gather your thoughts…”) That kind of response can make a victim feel inadequate, weak and further out of control of him/herself. It can also divert their attention from the main goal of the discussion – which is trying to get you the important details of the event you need – to the task of just trying to hold back tears so you don’t have to stop the interview. If they start crying, offer them a Kleenex, but don’t …Read more […..]

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Off-duty Chicago cop praised for response to scissors attack in Utah

An off-duty Chicago police officer who had just finished eating breakfast Saturday morning at a pancake restaurant near Provo, Utah, may have saved the life of a man who was attacked in the parking lot by a mentally ill man wielding fabric scissors, police said.Police in Orem, about 5 miles north of Provo, said a man from Boise, Idaho, and his girlfriend, who is from Provo, were saying goodbye when Sergio W. Weffer, 33, of Salt Lake City approached them. Weffer then began stabbing the man, slashing him in the face, neck and arm, police said.The Chicago officer, who had been in Utah at a law enforcement conference, pulled his …Read more […..]

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