Cops Charged In Beating

[Mr. Security]

Court TV is airing live coverage of the trial involving cops in Milwaukee, WI, who are charged with severely beating a man at a party. What's interesting is that a 12 year veteran, Ofc. Nichole Martinez, came forward and broke the "Blue Wall of Silence" by testifying against her fellow officers.

The officers involved have been fired and now are on trial. Her fellow officers, many of whom were her close friends, was mercilessly retaliated against by her coworkers up to and including failure to respond to her calls for back-up while working 3rd shift. She is now on medical leave.

I see this Blue Wall of Silence on Officer.com is alive and well under the guise of PC. Specifically, LEO's covering for officers caught DUI. Newer cops seem to be rejecting this code of silence and that is a good thing.

Do you think that security officers have a problem with a code of silence among themselves? If not, why not?

[ff000525]

No, yes, maybe. I think it all comes down to the officer, thier moral values, and thier loyalty to justice or thier friends. I haven't heard about that officer who testified against them and I live locally. Were did you come across that information? I've got an instructor who is a ret. Milwaukee detective and I've got a class with him in ohhh 20 minutes so I'll see what he knows about it. Gotta run...

[Mr. Security]

Like I explained, Court TV is airing this trial live. I heard this officer testify for the prosecution. You can see for yourself if you want by watching the trial. The defense will likely start their case on Monday.

[Guest]

What's interesting is that a 12 year veteran, Ofc. Nichole Martinez, came forward and broke the "Blue Wall of Silence" by testifying against her fellow officers.

Now that is a good cop.

The officers involved have been fired and now are on trial.

Good.

I see this Blue Wall of Silence on Officer.com is alive and well under the guise of PC. Specifically, LEO's covering for officers caught DUI.

All the time on O.com "I had to drive the off duty home because he was ' ill ' "

Do you think that security officers have a problem with a code of silence among themselves? If not, why not?

Yep. But it isn't as extreme as LEs. I have extended PC to other SOs in quite a few manners, that I will admit did breach the line and I won't do it again. (Just little things not Murder, DUI etc.)

[OccamsRazor]

I'm sorry, but I've never personally seen/heard/experienced anything to support the media's claim of the existence of the "Blue Wall of Silence". I rank it right up there with the "Right Wing Conspiracy", from which I still haven't received my membership cards.

There's a difference between most instances of PC, and covering-up a crime. I've never worked with an officer or deputy who wouldn't (and in a few instances, didn't) hesitate to report someone for a seriously illegal act. One was a DUI, one was theft, and one was excessive force.

In a security capacity, it's been almost the same, but then again 99% of the guys I work with are ex-LEOS or military, and know right from wrong.

I wouldn't base an opinion on anything from Officer.com. There are plenty of folks on there who would never dare to talk/act that was in the real world, and plenty of posers as well. It seems to have gone WAY downhill since the last time I was really active on there, last year. Don't believe everything you read.

[N. A. Corbier]

You can sort who's a cop, and who's not a cop, and who's just an alpha hotel regardless of status on Officer.com. I spoke with someone on the O.com team, and he noted that he was getting tired of this whole PC thing, and all the bickering.

Bet he almost wants to work for PoliceOne at that rate... But, seriously. Lots of folks say "Its verified, so its cool," yet its less to do with verification of sworn status and more to do with moderating the damned idiots.

Someone tried to dance all over an Illinois guy's thread about "private police" with "Oh, what a bunch of wannabes, f--k em all, they're not cops." I had to rain on his parade with actual law. The actual cop, of course, was "Ok, now I get it. Thanks." Did the cop have a problem? No, he wanted information. the "TacEMT" had a problem. Of course, he also has a problem getting a LE job...

We're lucky in that we don't have the rampant flame wars, the whining, and the rest of it. I'm lucky that the other places I'm on also don't have those problems - especially since some of the same guys from everywhere else are there.

Then again, the guy who runs SPE knows the name and agency of every verified cop on that site. Wannabes not apply, I guess.

[OccamsRazor]

You can sort who's a cop, and who's not a cop, and who's just an alpha hotel regardless of status on Officer.com. I spoke with someone on the O.com team, and he noted that he was getting tired of this whole PC thing, and all the bickering.

Bet he almost wants to work for PoliceOne at that rate... But, seriously. Lots of folks say "Its verified, so its cool," yet its less to do with verification of sworn status and more to do with moderating the damned idiots.

Someone tried to dance all over an Illinois guy's thread about "private police" with "Oh, what a bunch of wannabes, f--k em all, they're not cops." I had to rain on his parade with actual law. The actual cop, of course, was "Ok, now I get it. Thanks." Did the cop have a problem? No, he wanted information. the "TacEMT" had a problem. Of course, he also has a problem getting a LE job...

We're lucky in that we don't have the rampant flame wars, the whining, and the rest of it. I'm lucky that the other places I'm on also don't have those problems - especially since some of the same guys from everywhere else are there.

Then again, the guy who runs SPE knows the name and agency of every verified cop on that site. Wannabes not apply, I guess.

Which is the site where you have to fax in a copy of your creds on a department letterhead? I did that, was granted access, and became bored to tears within an hour or so.

[N. A. Corbier]

Which is the site where you have to fax in a copy of your creds on a department letterhead? I did that, was granted access, and became bored to tears within an hour or so.

That's probably RP. SPE is the defensive tactics site where you fill out an online form and Paul calls your supervisor for a brother to brother chat.

Some of our finest trolls come from RP.

[Mr. Security]

.... Yep. But it isn't as extreme as LEs. I have extended PC to other SOs in quite a few manners, that I will admit did breach the line and I won't do it again. (Just little things not Murder, DUI etc.)

I am guilty of it to some extent. I have known s/o's who slept on duty often, did paper tours, and even brought prohibited weapons to the site. I didn't report it because of the retaliation factor. I have to work with these guys and I don't want to dread coming to work. Therefore, I can understand what happens in some police departments when certain officers are not reported for wrongdoing.

However, I do draw the line when it comes to stealing, illegal drugs and the like. I can't change the system because I don't have the authority to do so. And even if I did, the office would likely fire me because I would dismiss too many guards. It's a tough situation, but the problem has to be corrected from the top down.

[Guest]

However, I do draw the line when it comes to....

Yeah thats what I do; draw the line with a few "deal breakers" that I won't tolerate no matter what, and then I let everything else pretty much just slide.
Its a good way of being cool about it, this way I don't worry about every thing other SOs do.

[1stWatch]

I make it a point not to find too many things wrong these days. I'm not a supervisor, so don't stir the waters too much, unless it's really blatant and then I certainly will say something to somebody. When I was a supervisor, there was no looking the other way on misconduct.

If you were asleep on property, you'd be sent home. Determinations for appropriate disciplinary action would be made in the morning. That issue wouldn't always end up with a termination, but oftentimes it would. Same thing applied to cops who wanted to sleep on my properties. Wake up and find another spot or I'll call your Lt.

Then again, sleeping was the least of worries most of the time. There were guards found with alcohol or drugs, dirty magazines, prostitutes, not wearing a uniform, or not even there. Then we'd have these people who would carry weapons onto the job when they didn't have the proper licensing for it. My favorite one was the guy who brought an asp to work, which he has to have an armed commission for to carry in this state, and was twirling it around like a parade baton while he was walking. He hit himself in the forehead with it before he realized I was there. Losers like these deserved to go home since I saw them as a cancer to the position due to their obvious disregard for morality and common sense. I would rather have the dumbest warm-body security icon who do the job honestly than some smartass who decides he can get away with all the above behavior and then some.

I used to think only silly security guards would act in this manner since the companies don't do much to screen them psychologically, but I found out wrong. Working around more of the patrol officers in the p.d. when they had a storefront office at one of my properties changed that. I found cops sleeping, regularly, for 6 to 8 hours at a time. Some were found on several occasions having beer parties. One was caught smoking a crack pipe. One was banging a prostitute in the back of the squad car.

When approached about these things, these people would respond by yelling or cursing, calling me a "smart ass" or saying they would make my life a "living hell." Try to make my life hell, please sir. Oh, by the way, the recording of this conversation will find its way to your commander. And it did. I became pretty intolerant of their misconduct, especially if I had to enforce a zero tolerance policy of misconduct or complacency for my own. Why do they get paid $35k per year to sit on their laurels when I got paid $9 per hour to run my ass off all night for 12 to 14 hours, usually with no lunch break?

If it was my call to make on the issue of reporting the cops beating someone severely, I would do it in a heartbeat. This officer who reported the others deserves a medal, not degradation which I'm sure she received from numerous people who should know better. Hearing about this reminds me of having to work guard duty in the e.r. and seeing a 14 year old kid get wheeled in with his skull mostly crushed and held together by one of those big bulky helmets. His story was he tried to walk away from the Garland police and they didn't like it. My take on it is bring the real police over to those who did this and lock them up. Now.

My take on the whole issue is if you sign up for the job, do it. Don't be a bothersome cancer to the whole profession by corrupting yourself and your colleagues. If you just want the feeling of power by putting on the uniform and the gun, do us all a favor and get the hell out. This is why I'm not a supervisor now. I can't "play ball" with a security company when the powers that be want me to look the other way on things like these. Granted, the battle can be won, but after all the nerve-racking stress involved it's just not worth it to me. The last time I was offered a sergeant position I turned it down.

[Mr. Security]

..... Same thing applied to cops who wanted to sleep on my properties. Wake up and find another spot or I'll call your Lt....

I wouldn't mind that part. They can park here anytime they want. Nothing like having a marked unit on the premises to keep the bad guys away.

[N. A. Corbier]

I wouldn't mind that part. They can park here anytime they want. Nothing like having a marked unit on the premises to keep the bad guys away.

I want the person in that marked unit conscious and able to detect attacks against them.

[Mr. Security]

I want the person in that marked unit conscious and able to detect attacks against them.

[HotelSecurity]

Works great during March Break in the hotels.