Law Enforcement Journal

By Jim DeVries, MCOLES Board Member The past few months have proven to be challenging for MCOLES. At its June meeting, the Commission received notice that Executive Director Raymond W. Beach, Jr. would be retiring. On behalf of the Commission, I want to thank Ray for his service and accomplishments and wish him well in his retire... Read More »

MERS Update

MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF MICHIGAN BRIDGED BENEFIT PROGRAM On July 15, 2009, the Board conditionally amended Plan Document Section 43 and Section 43a in response to requests by member municipalities for the creation of a bridged benefit program. the Bridged Benefit Program is an optional provision for adoption ... Read More »

Police Officers of the Year 2009

KENT COUNTY DEPUTIES MIKE HOPKINS, MARIO MOREY AND CHRIS HAWLEY With an armed gunman on the loose, back-up officers can make the difference between life and death. But reinforcements were a luxury time wouldn’t afford to three Kent County deputies last summer. The three deputies — Mike Hopkins, Mario Morey and Chri... Read More »

FIRST-TIME REPEAT WINNER OF THE HORSE’S ASS AWARD

By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor Eavesdropping on personal and union telephone calls, discriminating against employees, disciplining deputies for lost badges while saving lives, and incarcerating correction officers so they know what it feels like to be an inmate was just the beginning for Leelanau County Sheriff Michael Oltersdorf. I... Read More »

JOHN R. SANTOMAURO IS POAM’S ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR

By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor Honesty. Integrity. Humility. Without those qualities it’s nearly impossible to survive in a Public Safety Director’s Job, especially in a large community where the population has more than doubled within a decade. Political pressures and all the other issues that come with the job as Canto... Read More »

Think Before You Speak

By Frank Borelli ©2009 New American Truth “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” -Abraham Lincoln “Everything is a matter of perception.” -Shawn Davenport What do those two quotes have in common? Whether or not you are a fool is a matter of percepti... Read More »

When is Law Enforcement Going to Get a Government Bailout?

By Barry Sherman Our government has spent hundreds of billions of dollars bailing out Wall Street, banks, and the auto industry. When are they going to realize that the most essential service that keeps order in society and prevents it from turning to anarchy is being gutted and needs a serious bailout? It has been ten years... Read More »

PAUL POSTAL IS NEWEST POAM EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER

By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor Grand Traverse County Deputy Sheriff Paul Postal has always been impressed with the work that POAM has done for his fellow deputies, especially the personal commitment given to them by his business agent, Pat Spidell. Postal now has the opportunity to improve the organization through his appointment as... Read More »

Arresting a Caregiver of Minor Children

By Donna Selman, PhD In 2002, the National Institute of Justice put out a call to law enforcement officials requesting information about policies regarding the arrest of primary caregivers of minor children. Locally, the individual experiences of law enforcement officers demonstrated the urgent need for not only information reg... Read More »

The Legislative Director's Chair - Fall

Goal to Maintain Benefits Prompts Discussion by Kenneth E. Grabowski Do you want to maintain your health care? Or how about your pension benefits, or even your JOB for that matter. Well that's what many in this state are facing. The dire economic realities in this state have to be addressed and considered by a... Read More »

Vice-President's Viewpoint - Fall

by Dan Kuhn As I near the end of my police career I’ve noticed something that I think could become even more of a problem then I initially anticipated. During my 20 plus-year career there have been two advances in technology that have made the strong impact on my daily life as a cop in the City of Saginaw. The first is th... Read More »

From the President’s Desk - Fall

by Jim Tignanelli It has been awhile since we last spoke and it has been an eventful year here at the POAM. Our gathering at the Tune Inn in Washington, D.C. during Police Week in May was an exceptional evening. It is gratifying to see so many law enforcement officers and their friends/ family on that afternoon and evening. Of ... Read More »

MATT VAN LIERE AND VINNIE FINN RECEIVE LOYALTY AWARD

By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor The POAM bestowed one of its most coveted awards to Ottawa County Deputy Sheriff Matthew VanLiere and Roseville Police Officer Vinnie Finn at its Annual Convention in Grand Rapids. The officers were the 2009 recipients of POAM’s Loyalty Award. The special recognition is given to local union leade... Read More »

The Cutting Edge - Bullet Proof Seats

Bullet Proof Seats Save Police Departments Big Money By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor Let’s describe a scene that is all too familiar to law enforcement personnel. It’s the unavoidable, ever present hole in the vehicle seat… and you can bet that it is present in many law enforce... Read More »

Cereal Killers - Cops & Doughnuts

By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor Allen White fondly remembers frequenting the Clare City Bakery as a young man growing up in Clare, Michigan. As a matter of fact so did his father and his fathers’ father. Of course, as the stereotype would have it, he never stopped enjoying the coffee and doughnuts when he became a full-time pol... Read More »

Law Enforcement is About Fairness, Not Numbers

By Senator Glenn Anderson-Westland(D) Throughout my career, I have had the good fortune of working closely with our law enforcement community on a number of issues. The men and women I have met have chosen a career in law enforcement out of a desire to serve and protect the public. This is made clear by the pride officers take ... Read More »

Gutscher Prevails for Retirees

By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor Over the last few years, one of the most frequent topics surrounding incoming calls to the POAM office involve retiree health care. Typically the comments are, “nobody informed me of a change,” or “this isn’t the same prescription rider I had three years ago when I retired.&rdqu... Read More »

NO‑COST LODGING FOR COPS VISITING THE MAYO CLINIC

By Mike Walsh, Rochester, Minnesota Police Department Rochester has long been known for the Mayo Clinic and the fine medical care provided there. People from all over the world come to Mayo for medical needs, including law enforcement officers and their family members. It is not at all uncommon for Officers from the Rochester P... Read More »

EMOTIONAL BACKUP

by Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor Crisis is something most employees attempt to avoid when they arrive at their workplace. For employees of Southfield-based Incident Management Team (IMT), crisis is expected. IMT is the internationally respected crisis management company that responds to calls to the Police Officers Association of Mich... Read More »

An Examination of Michigan’s Law Enforcement Policies, Procedures and Practices When Arresting a Caregiver of Minor Ch

On October 29, 2007, the Ann Arbor News ran the following story: “Husband arrested first, wife soon follows.” A couple ended up in jail, both facing drunken driving charges, after Ypsilanti Police first pulled over the husband, who was driving with his young son in the car, and then arrested the mother when she showed up to pick up the... Read More »

Oakland Police Academy - Training Schedule

An Education in Media Distortion of Criminal Justice

By Barry Sherman If you want to know the influence television has on young people, just talk to new college students during their initial academic advising session. The show C.S.I. has created a whole generation of undergraduates who want to be crime scene investigators. They think they can major in criminal justice or forensic... Read More »

Tales From the Trenches

By Dave LaMontaine During a recent conversation between Executive Director Orlowski and myself, we were lamenting the lack of interest of deputy sheriffs’ in politics. I had previously discussed the situation we had in Monroe County, and Larry asked me to tell the story. Well friends, I do believe it is a story worth tel... Read More »

What to Say and Do When Injured on the Job

By Arthur A. Borella and Richard M. Amsbaugh Most workers compensation cases which are disputed have one or more problems in common. You can minimize those problems by following certain rules when you get injured at work. 1. Report any injury, pain, or problem immediately. Most people have a tendency to downp... Read More »

Dearborn Re-Institutes Defined Benefit Pension Plan

By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor After nearly two years of tough negotiations with the previous contract and administration and an ensuing Act 312 petition filed by the City of Dearborn against the Police Officers Association of Michigan and the Police Officers Association of Dearborn, Arbitrator Donald Burkholder rendered an award se... Read More »

A Fresh Look at 12 Hour Shifts

By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor In the late 1950's and early 1960's, an unusual employee-driven process took root in America as fatigued shift workers convinced management that major scheduling changes were needed. By the 1970's and 1980's, many businesses were favoring 12-hour "compressed" work sets of two to four days, over t... Read More »

Mixing Police and Politics

By Barry Sherman First, let me start out by telling you when I feel these two do mix. Several weeks ago I received a call from a newspaper reporter who was writing a story on a local police labor organization who had worked successfully on defeating an incumbent mayor. Her question to me centered on whether or not this typ... Read More »

Honor Guard School

By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor "This honor guard training camp motto reminds students that those who are honored have given all there is to give. The least an honor guard member can do is to give his or her best in tribute to the deceased police officer or firefighter," said Randy Kantner, Goshen Police Department Honor Guard m... Read More »

Time to Review And Renew POAM's Criminal Defense Plan

By Ed Jacques LEJ Editor Five dollars a month! That's all personal security and peace of mind costs. After all, would you let your medical COBRA coverage lapse if you had to leave your current job? At a cost of almost $10,000 a year, most of us would do whatever it took to provide medical coverage for our family. Mortga... Read More »

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