1 11 27 - leb

The FBI National Academy

By Troy Lane

Coordinated Terrorist AttacksBy Brian K. Houghton

and Jonathan M. Schachter

Physical FitnessBy Daniel E. Shell

1

For emergency responders, coordinatedattacks bring not only greater danger tothe public they serve but also thepotential that responders themselvesmay be targeted.

Innovations in their profession requirelaw enforcement officials to seekopportunities for advanced training.

11

ISSN 0014-5688 USPS 383-310

Features

Departments

27By addressing several important issues,department leaders can properly plan aneffective physical fitness program fortheir officers.

7 Focus on Community

Policing

Community Partnerships

17 The Bulletin Honors

18 Bulletin Reports

School Safety

Drugs

Victims

Training

20 Police Practice

Productivity Analysis for

Basic Police Patrol Activities

25 ViCAP Alert

Unidentified Homicide Victim

26 Book Review

Common Sense

Police Supervision

United StatesDepartment of Justice

Federal Bureau of InvestigationWashington, DC 20535-0001

Robert S. Mueller IIIDirector

Contributors’ opinions and statementsshould not be considered an

endorsement by the FBI for any policy,program, or service.

The attorney general has determinedthat the publication of this periodical is

necessary in the transaction of thepublic business required by law. Use

of funds for printing this periodical hasbeen approved by the director of theOffice of Management and Budget.

The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin(ISSN-0014-5688) is published

monthly by the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation, 935 PennsylvaniaAvenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.

20535-0001. Periodicals postage paidat Washington, D.C., and additionalmailing offices. Postmaster: Sendaddress changes to Editor, FBI LawEnforcement Bulletin, FBI Academy,

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Editor

John E. Ott

Associate Editors

Cynthia L. Lewis

David W. MacWha

Bunny S. Morris

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This publication is produced by

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Development Division.

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Cover Photos

© Kurt Crawford

Send article submissions to Editor,

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,

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Room 201, Quantico, VA 22135.

May 2005Volume 74Number 5

hy would experi-enced, high-rankinglaw enforcement of-

The wisest mind has somethingyet to learn.

—George Santayana(1863-1952),

U.S. philosopher

Wficers leave their jobs, families,and the communities they serveto spend 10 weeks in a remote,Spartan environment that offersmental, emotional, and physicalchallenges that many may nothave faced in some time? Whatbenefits would such an experi-ence hold for command-levelpersonnel who have endured therigors and inherent dangers oftheir profession? What can theybring back to their agencies

that can enhance the servicethey provide to their communi-ties? Do the advantages ofsuch continuing educationoutweigh the potential difficul-ties associated with leadersabsent from their posts fornearly 3 months?

The need to remain abreastof innovations in their profes-sion prompts executives to seekopportunities for advancedtraining. Many effective con-tinuing education programsexist for members of the lawenforcement community. The

May 2005 / 1

© Kurt Crawford

Personal and DepartmentalBenefits of Continuing EducationThe FBI National Academy ExperienceBy TROY LANE

2 / FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

FBI has offered one for the past70 years, which began small butdeveloped into a highly re-garded management trainingtool.

OVERVIEWOF PROGRAM

Director J. Edgar Hooverstarted the FBI National Acad-emy to increase the profession-alism and training of local lawenforcement officers nationwidein response to growing prob-lems faced throughout thecountry. Founded on July 29,1935, with 23 students inattendance, the National Acad-emy (NA) currently provides awide range of leadership andspecialized training, as well asan opportunity for professionalsto discuss ideas, techniques, andexperiences.

Officers attending the NAshare the facilities of the FBI

Academy with FBI agent train-ees, in-service students, andacademy faculty and staff.1 Inaddition, the DEA houses itsacademy nearby and uses manyof the same amenities. As withother institutions of higherlearning, the NA lodges stu-dents in dormitory rooms andprovides them with a wide arrayof services, including a dininghall, library, pool, televisionrooms, computer labs, andshopping areas.

Selection Process

How do law enforcementofficers get selected to attendthe NA? First, they must be—

• nominated by the heads oftheir agencies;

• at least 25 years of age;

• duly sworn officers infederal, state, or local lawenforcement agencies;

• within a certain height-weight standard;

• mentally and physicallycapable of performance;

• at least the rank of lieutenant(or equivalent); and

• willing to remain in the fieldof law enforcement for atleast 3 additional years.

For heads of agencies, theirgoverning bodies or officialsmust nominate them. A citycouncil member, mayor, or citymanager would select a chief ofpolice, whereas a county com-missioner or similarly appointedofficial would choose a sheriff.

Next, agencies obtain offi-cial applications from their localFBI offices. Nominees mustcomplete the extensive formsand have them signed by theirchief executives. Then, theyreturn them to the FBI, whichchecks the applications for com-pleteness and places the candi-dates’ names on a waiting list.

When openings occur, theFBI informs applicants of theirselection to attend the academy,pending results of a thoroughbackground investigation andphysical examination to deter-mine their ability to performstrenuous physical activity.Upon completion of these twophases, the NA schedules thecandidates for an upcomingsession. The entire processcan take as much as a year tocomplete.

Captain Lane serves with the Kansas StateUniversity Police Department in Manhattan.

“

”

Many effectivecontinuing education

programs exist formembers of the law

enforcementcommunity.

May 2005 / 3

Academy Training

Once selected to attendthe NA, applicants receive alengthy list of available classes.With the exception of physicaltraining, the University ofVirginia accredits all coursesand awards college credit tostudents who successfullycomplete them. For certainclasses, the university bestowsgraduate level credit for officerswith bachelor’s degrees.

Students must attend oneclass in legal matters (exceptforeign students), behavioralscience, law enforcementcommunication, leadership,forensic science, and physicaltraining (a noncredit course)and can earn up to 19 credithours. While numerous coursesare available in each of thesesubjects (except physical train-ing), students may select onlyone class per area. The programalso offers other noncreditcourses. In addition, the NAhosts a weekly EnrichmentNight wherein a variety ofspeakers give presentations onvarious law enforcement-relatedtopics, such as risk manage-ment, cults, and terrorism.

Monday through Friday,students attend classes, set in2-hour blocks. They must wearmandatory dress uniforms,consisting of color-coordinatedshirts and khaki pants, duringbusiness hours on weekdays,even when not in class. FBI

agent trainees wear similaruniforms.

In addition to physical train-ing classes, students are encour-aged to participate in the FBIFitness Challenge, a set of in-creasingly difficult and demand-ing physical endurance events.2

Weekly sessions, named aftercharacters or objects in TheWizard of Oz, start with a 1.8-mile run called Not in KansasAnymore and end with theYellow Brick Road, a 6.1-milerun and obstacle course. Allstudents who complete the Fit-ness Challenge receive a yellowbrick, which some alumni list asa valued memento.

Besides providing a varietyof courses, the NA also broad-ens the experience with severalgroup outings, such as visits tonational landmarks in Washing-ton D.C., and nearby policedepartments. The International

Night allows foreign attendeesto showcase their homelands.Often, these students dress intraditional attire, prepare nativefood and drink, and inviteforeign delegates currently inthe United States to help edu-cate their classmates about theircountries.

Students receive all of thistraining at no cost to theiragencies. The sponsoringdepartment only has to continuepaying the salary of the officerattending. The NA provides thefunds for housing, dining, andtravel. Students or their spon-soring agencies only have tocover personal expenses andthe price of uniforms.

Alumni Association

All NA graduates can jointhe FBI National AcademyAssociates, a professional,worldwide organization. These


alumni continue to providelocalized training and, once ayear, host a national conference.Members exert considerableprofessional influence as lead-ers in organizations, such as theInternational Association ofChiefs of Police, the NationalSheriff’s Association, theNational Organization of BlackLaw Enforcement Officers, theInternational Association ofWomen in Policing, and theNational Association of StateDirectors of Law Enforcement.One of every five active-dutygraduates now heads a lawenforcement agency, and mostalumni participate in the train-ing-oriented organization.

ATTENDANCE BENEFITS

What are the personal andprofessional benefits of attend-ing the NA? While most would

agree with the immediateanswer of improving lawenforcement standards, knowl-edge, and cooperation through-out the world, the author de-cided to ask his fellowgraduates what they specificallyconsidered as the major per-sonal and departmental benefitsof participating in the program.3

For him, networking repre-sented the greatest personalbenefit. After all, as publicservants, officers may strive toperform their duties better orprovide superior service, butthey do not compete for amarket of customers. Therefore,they share their ideas freely andlook to others for new ones.

Personal Benefits

The author received a di-verse range of responses to thequestion of personal benefits

of attending the NA. However,networking—the ability to reachout and contact officers fromdifferent departments through-out the world—ranked the high-est. Time away from homes,families, and the rigors of workand daily life also representedimportant parts of the experi-ences of many graduates. Theyformed friendships, found newideas for work, changed theirlifestyles and attitudes, ad-vanced their careers, and im-proved their academic stand-ings. Many, subjected to diversecultures different from theirown, came away with a betterunderstanding of the challengesfacing all members of the lawenforcement profession, regard-less of their jurisdictions.

Networking

Aligning themselves withother professionals throughoutthe world who share the sameprofession proved an immensebenefit. As one graduate ex-plained, “From an administra-tive perspective, the value insending other command officersto the academy is to broadentheir understanding of lawenforcement from a nationalpoint of view to make themrealize that most of the prob-lems they face have been facedby others who probably cameup with some sort of good wayto address it.” For example, ifa department is consideringimplementing a new procedure© Brian Boetig

May 2005 / 5

or looking for equipment tohelp in records management,no doubt one of the many activeor retired NA alumni has “beenthere, done that.” If officersneed directions to a state lab-oratory or training location, nodoubt nearby graduates canhelp. Often, they open their ownhomes to others based simplyon the fact that the requestor isa fellow graduate. As an alum-nus said, “There is an unwrittentrust between National Acad-emy brethren that can’t bematched by any other organiza-tion.” Another summed up hisexperience as “breakfast with an officer from China, lunchwith an officer from Korea, and dinner with an officer fromEngland—in other words, theextension of contacts all overthe world.”

Lifestyle Changes

This category revealed thedepth that many graduates wentto in explaining their feelingsabout the NA experience andhow it enriched their lives. Onesaid, “The opportunity to take 3months, get away from every-thing, and be able to think andself-reflect was key.” He com-mitted himself to several goalswhile away, such as getting intoa physical fitness routine andreflecting on his family andwork. He felt that the time awaymade him a better administra-tor, a better person, and a betterhusband and father. Another

alumnus stated, “My family lifehas become better on all differ-ent levels. I learned to commu-nicate with my wife, she learnedhow to become more indepen-dent, and my kids learned toappreciate their father a littlemore.”

Academic Fulfillment

One graduate indicated thatafter attending the NA, his per-sonal goal of completing col-lege became key to him. He feltthat it was this experience thatenabled him not only to finishhis bachelor’s degree but toobtain his master’s and doctor-ate as well. He now teaches asa visiting assistant professorin addition to his duties as anassistant chief of police.

Career Enhancement

While most alumni did notlist this as one of the more

rewarding benefits from attend-ing, they did acknowledge thatgraduating from the NA helpsa law enforcement officer’scareer. One said, “Most citymanagers will not even considerchief candidates unless theyhave been to the NationalAcademy.” While this statementwould not apply in all cases, aquick look at police executiveemployment Web sites oradvertisements in professionaljournals will show the impor-tance of obtaining advancedtraining for law enforcementmanagers.

Departmental Benefits

As with the personal ben-efits, the author found network-ing the most substantial benefitto the agency as well. Many ofthe NA alumni reported thatwhen their departments neededassistance from an outside


agency, a call to a fellow gradu-ate in that or a nearby depart-ment made the difference.Knowing officers from differentcountries or agencies or thosewith specific abilities oftenproved helpful as well.

Return Investment

Many NA graduates com-mented on the benefits theiragencies received from thetraining they brought back. Onesaid, “I know that my staff willhave the benefit of policemanagement education that isunequaled and doesn’t cost thecity much money.” Anotherremarked, “Staff officers returnwith a new enthusiasm for theircareer, are dedicated to a life ofphysical fitness, and have manynew tools in their tool boxes.”He added that graduates becomerole models for younger em-ployees and more aware of the“big picture” of law enforce-ment worldwide.

Focus on Training

“It is probably the only timethat law enforcement agenciescan send managers away fortraining and let them have timeto focus solely on training,” saidone graduate. This statementrevealed a unique aspect of theprogram, which stresses tosponsoring agencies that attend-ing officers must remain freeof responsibilities while at theacademy so they can immersethemselves in their studies.

Even their families know andrespect this request. For manyalumni, the NA constituted theone time in their professionallives when they truly left thework behind and concentratedon learning.

CONCLUSION

The FBI National Academyoffers advanced training insenior law enforcement man-agement. Departments sendtheir officers for a variety ofreasons. Perhaps, they seek an

diverse solutions to commonproblems. Or, perhaps, theywant to enhance their résumés.

No matter the reasons, boththe departments and the officerswill reap benefits that mayoccur immediately or not cometo fruition until years later. Bycontinuing to enhance theirknowledge, skills, and abilities,law enforcement officers andtheir agencies can improveservice to their communitiesand remain a bulwark againstthe increasing threat to thesafety and security of thiscountry.

Endnotes

1 For additional information on the FBI

Academy, see Julie R. Linkins, “FBI

Academy: 25 Years of Law Enforcement

Leadership,” FBI Law Enforcement

Bulletin, May 1997, 1-12.2 For additional information on the FBI

Fitness Challenge, see Patti Ebling,

“Physical Fitness in Law Enforcement:

Follow the Yellow Brick Road,” FBI Law

Enforcement Bulletin, October 2002, 1-5.3 The author, a graduate of the 212th

Session of the FBI National Academy,

queried his fellow NA graduates via e-mail

and received numerous responses. He

included some in this article to illustrate

how the majority of respondents answered

his questions about the benefits of

attending the NA.

outlet for networking with otheragencies. Maybe, they want toreward officers for years ofexcellent service. Or, possibly,their personnel need enhancedtraining provided only by theacademy that they could bringback and share with others.

Officers go to the academywith their own expectations ofwhat it will do for them. Maybe,they hope to become better-equipped managers and learn

One graduateindicated that after

attending the NA, hispersonal goal of

completing collegebecame key to him.

”

“

The author gratefully acknowledgesthe help that his fellow graduates ofthe FBI National Academy gave him inthe preparation of this article. Inparticular, he thanks Lance Burris,Jeffery Butters, Don Raley, DickSchurman, John Summers, RonaldThrasher, and Bill Wilmot.

May 2005 / 7

uring the past decade, crime has decreasedin urban areas, but, subsequently, some

rural communities have experienced an increasebecause offenders have been forced away fromlarge cities.1 This trend threatens the quality of lifein many suburban and rural areas. Therefore, agrowing number of townships are taking a proac-tive posture against this movement by focusing oncommunity-based crime prevention programs,which unite communities in the fight to thwart thespread of crime.

The Challenge

McDonough County, Illinois, is in the westernpart of the state with a population of approximately40,000 and includes Macomb, a university townof 20,000 residents plus 12,000 college students.

Although Macomb offers a family friendly atmo-sphere with a low crime rate, harbingers of gangand drug activities surfaced, perhaps from an in-flux of individuals seeking a haven from the in-creased law enforcement efforts in larger cities.Drug arrests began to occur and evidence of graffitiappeared. Therefore, citizens of Macomb decidedto handle these problems by drawing from theircommunity-based, crime prevention program ex-periences. Macomb’s results may serve as a modelfor other cities confronting similar trends.

The Concept

Many of today’s crime prevention approachesare based on an experiment conducted in a NewJersey community years ago, which spotlighted theimportance of maintaining neighborhoods to keepcommunities relatively crime free.2 The brokenwindows theory holds that such issues as streetmaintenance and lighting, limits on the number offamilies living in a single dwelling, and control ofabsentee landlord rentals reduce crime. Addition-ally, attention to minor infractions that erode well-kept, safe environments, such as loud music, aban-doned cars, and graffiti, can prevent the spread ofgang violence, drug abuse, and other criminal con-duct. Macomb applied the broken windows con-cept in a rural environment by forming communitypartnerships that result in a continuous focus onquality-of-life issues.

The Approach

In early 1994, Macomb formed a Crime andQuality of Life Advisory Committee, changing thename in 1996 to Community Quality of LifeCommittee and expanding the purview to includeall of McDonough County. The committee seeks“to support efforts that contribute to the excellenceof our community and to monitor and give adviceregarding maintaining and enhancing communityquality of life, including the prevention andreduction of crimes that adversely impact ourneighborhoods.”3

D

Fostering CommunityPartnerships That PreventCrime and PromoteQuality of LifeBy Clyde L. Cronkhite, D.P.A.

© Mark C. Ide

Focus on Community Policing


(a member of the committee) and graduateassistants from the local university’s de-partment of law enforcement and justiceadministration analyzed 26 years of crimetrends in Macomb and McDonoughCounty, comparing them with eight con-tiguous counties and totals for the stateof Illinois. They selected “communitywellness” indicators (e.g., poverty andwelfare rates, per capita income, singleparent families, births by mothers under18 years of age, truancy violations, andemergency room admissions) from theirresearch.

The committee meets at least fourtimes a year, and members review theseindicators. Then, they publish a commu-nity “report card” or “wellness report.”Any indication that the community is ad-versely affected requires recommenda-tions for combating the negative factorsbefore they become substantial problems.

As a result of the crime trend analysis,committee members noted early signs ofsubstance abuse and gang involvement inthe crime trends. As a result, the commit-tee formed a youth task force that meetsmonthly. The task force determines the

extent of the problem, confirms what is being doneabout the issue, recognizes any unnecessary dupli-cation of services, decides the need for additionalaction and what it should be, and recommendssteps that advisory committee members shouldtake.

The school superintendent and a local religiousleader oversee the youth task force. Several of theadvisory committee members, such as the policechief and director of the housing authority, serveon the task force as well. Additionally, personswho deal daily with youth problems comprise partof the task force, along with an individual from theuniversity who is an expert in substance abuseproblems.

The committee recruited concerned citizenswho have a responsibility for quality of life andcriminal justice academicians from the local uni-versity, as well as other community leaders. Sev-eral committee members, such as the fire chief,sheriff, mayor, school superintendent, executivedirector of the housing authority, and the local statesenator, were selected because their positions havethe responsibility and authority to provide a pros-pering neighborhood.

The major responsibility of the advisory com-mittee involves developing a method for measur-ing the quality of life in the community, setting abaseline, and monitoring its status. To completethis task, a criminal justice research specialist

Community Wellness Indicators

• Population size, density, age, ethnicity,and education

• Single parent families

• Births by mothers under 18 years of age

• Poverty, welfare, unemployment, and rentaland unoccupied property rates

• Per capita income

• Retail and wholesale sales

• Property tax assessment

• Tax revenues

• Ratio of police officers and firefightersper 1,000 residents

• Index crimes

• Arrest index

• Traffic accidents

• Emergency room admissions

• Calls for emergency services

• Reports of school confrontation and truancy

May 2005 / 9

Task force members have made several recom-mendations, such as school dress codes, truancyenforcement, a youth teen center, and ordinancesto restrict alcohol and tobacco use by minors tocombat the growing crime trend. At the youthcenter, teens socialize in a nonalcoholic environ-ment and participate in an annual film festival.Also, the task force uses the local cable televisionchannel and area newspapers to alert parents aboutgangs and substance abuse among teens.

Task force members collected informationabout nearly 100 community activities available toyouths and conveyed it to parents and teensthrough the local media and aWeb site. They also made theinformation available to practi-tioners who deal with youngpeople in trouble. Members en-couraged police officers to divertunderage offenders to thesecommunity activities, rather thancounseling and releasing them.

Additionally, when rentalproperty inhabited by studentsaround the local university beganto deteriorate, the task force rec-ommended an adopt-a-streetprogram, which made various university studentorganizations responsible for preserving quality oflife in their own neighborhoods. This program,implemented throughout the police department,has proven successful.

Recognition Days

The advisory committee recommended spot-lighting people who and activities that enhancewell-maintained communities. This evolved into ayearly event held each September and includesexhibits and demonstrations by most county publicsafety agencies. Local schools bring students to theevent where thousands of community membersmeet police, fire, emergency, and rescue officers.Community members have the opportunity to

thank these public employees and have their pic-tures taken with them, pet the police dogs, climbthe fire equipment, sound the police siren, andperform other such activities. The celebration in-cludes a supplement in the local newspaper thatcommends and provides photographs of membersof the county public safety agencies. The commit-tee gives awards to individual agencies, as well asto citizens who contribute to a safe community.This yearly event fosters communication and trustbetween the public safety agencies and the com-munity and promotes awareness of the relationshipbetween public safety and community quality of

life. During the past 10 years,nearly 100 citizens and organiza-tions have been honored for theircontributions to local quality oflife.

Conclusion

As crime, particularly druguse and gang violence, seepsinto smaller communities, sometownships are implementingprocedures to deter its spreading.The crime prevention and qual-ity-of-life effort in McDonough

County, Illinois, seeks to prevent this ever-increas-ing threat. An advisory committee oversees theprogram and promotes cooperation and coordina-tion among the various entities that have a respon-sibility for ensuring a flourishing community.

The committee established and continuallymonitors community wellness indicators. Whenthese indicators disclose the beginning signs ofactivities that adversely will impact quality of life,committee members create task forces to recom-mend remedies. Then, these solutions are imple-mented through the committee and aim to preventcommunity infections before they become serious.

When this project began in the early 1990s,crime had begun its downward trend across thecountry.4 However, in Macomb, Illinois, as in

“

”

This program,implemented

throughout thepolice department,

has provensuccessful.

many smaller communities, crime was on the rise.After the implementation of this program, crimehas decreased and quality of life has become ahallmark of the community.

Anyone involved in resolving social problemsrealizes that no perfect solutions exist. However,insightful, preventative activities can inhibit andeven preclude many adverse conditions that resultin the deterioration of community quality of lifeand the increase of crime. The approach taken byMcDonough County may serve as a useful modelto other localities working to prevent crime andpreserve a nurturing community.

Endnotes

1 Dr. Michael Hazlett, Western Illinois University, Department

of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, “Community

Quality of Life 1993-1994,” Community Wellness Factor Report.

Dr. Cronkhite, a former police practitioner, is a law enforce-ment and justice administration professor, commentator,and consultant at Western Illinois University in Macomb.

2 For more information on this topic, see Frank Perry,

“Repairing Broken Windows: Preventing Corruption Within Our

Ranks,” FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, February 2001, 23-26;

and J.Q. Wilson and G. Kelling, “The Police and Neighborhood

Safety: Broken Windows,” The Atlantic Monthly, March 1982,

29-38.3 The mission statement is restated in the minutes of the first

Crime and Quality of Life Advisory Committee (CQLAC)

meeting each year. These minutes are kept by the current CQLAC

chair, Mr. Bill Jacob, Executive Director, McDonough County

Housing Authority, 322 West Piper Street, Macomb, Illionois

61455.4 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation,

Crime in the United States, 1992 (Washington, DC, 1993).


The FBI Law Enforcement Bulle-tin staff invites you to communi-

© Digital Vision

cate with us via e-mail. Our Internetaddress is [email protected].

We would like to know yourthoughts on contemporary law en-forcement issues. We welcome yourcomments, questions, and suggestionsabout the magazine. Please includeyour name, title, and agency on alle-mail messages.

Also, the Bulletin is available forviewing or downloading on a numberof computer services, as well as theFBI’s home page. The home pageaddress is http://www.fbi.gov.

The Bulletin’sE-mail Address

May 2005 / 11

ith elections only afew days away, theterrorism threat level

is at high, and law enforcementpersonnel are on the lookout forsuspicious behavior that mayindicate an imminent terroristattack. As the morning com-mute gets underway, threebombs explode on a commutertrain at a downtown station,killing and injuring those in thepath of the blast wave andshrapnel. Law enforcementofficers and emergency medical

personnel respond, but, as theymobilize, four more bombsexplode in another train arrivingat the same station, instantlydoubling the number of peopledead and wounded. Soon,another bomb goes off inside atrain a few miles away, requir-ing public safety personnel andresources there as well. Thenightmare reaches its peak 5minutes later as two morebombs blow apart a commutertrain at still another downtownlocation, killing and injuring

even more people. The emer-gency response community nowfaces mass fatalities and seem-ingly countless injuries at threeseparate sites. Though thisscenario sounds like the subjectof novels and Hollywoodthrillers, it actually took placeon March 11, 2004, in Madrid,Spain.1 This type of incident,like many similar ones in recentyears, has important implica-tions for the ways in whichlocal responders prepare forterrorist attacks of all kinds.

W© Mark C. Ide

Coordinated Terrorist AttacksImplications for Local Responders

By BRIAN K. HOUGHTON, Ph.D., and

JONATHAN M. SCHACHTER, Ph.D.


DEFINITIONS

AND TRENDS

Coordinated terrorist as-saults include elements thatoccur simultaneously or nearlyso and are conducted by a singleterrorist organization or jointlyby sympathetic groups. Histori-cally, however, the vast major-ity of hazardous device-basedterrorist attacks have not fit thisdescription, but have been“simple” in design, featuringonly one component, such as asingle, placed bomb or a suicidebomber. Nevertheless, in recentyears, the number of coordi-nated assaults has increased,especially among the terroristgroups of greatest concern tothe United States. Moreover,since 1983, half of the 14terrorist incidents with 100 ormore fatalities were coordinatedones.2

A mix of interrelated rea-sons makes coordinated attacksappealing to terrorist groups.Such incidents have the poten-tial to cause greater damagethan simple operations in termsof the lives, property, andgeographic areas affected,as well as the psychologicalimpact. The increased destruc-tion lends credibility to theterrorist organization as itreflects an ability to plan andexecute sophisticated opera-tions, implies a multiplicity ofpersonnel and supporters, andcreates the impression that thegroup can cover many areas at

the same time. This combina-tion of perceived and actualdestructive power and resultantcredibility makes such attacksand the organizations thatperpetrate them more “news-worthy,” allowing such groupsto gain public attention, one ofthe main goals of all terroristcampaigns.

scene might exist, but, takentogether, they constitute a singleattack, with repercussionsgreater than those of the indi-vidual-component category.With this in mind, understand-ing how terrorists use coordi-nated assaults can assist localemergency responders in betterplanning, training, and organiz-ing to respond to such incidents.

Parallel Devices

Parallel devices allowterrorists to inflict greaterdamage in any one incident sitewithout having to construct ortransport a single, larger onerequired to create similarresults. In other words, ratherthan relying on one large bomb,terrorists can use two or moresmaller, yet equally lethal, ones.The reasonable assumption thatsmaller devices are less vulner-able to detection raises thelikelihood of the attack’s exe-cution. Moreover, regardless ofthe size of the bomb, even ifone or more of the perpetratorsis intercepted, others still maymanage to complete theirmissions. Thus, parallel devicesprovide terrorists with greaterassurance that they will executeat least part of their plannedattack.

The use of parallel devicesalso allows terrorists to createmultiple focus points at theincident site, thereby expandingthe overall perimeter affected bythe attack. With this expansion

Overall, coordinated terror-ist incidents fall into three maincategories: 1) parallel deviceattacks, where participants usemore than one device simulta-neously or almost simulta-neously in the same location;2) secondary attacks, where theinitial assault is followed by oneor more additional attacks in thesame location, typically target-ing responders; and 3) multipledispersed attacks, where groupsstage simultaneous or near-simultaneous ones at differentlocations. Depending on thetype, more than one incident

The potential forcoordinated attacks

means that localresponders must have

the capability torespond to multipleincidents at multiple

locations.

”

“

May 2005 / 13

comes greater demand for bothresponders and resources, whichcan tax emergency reactionelsewhere in the jurisdiction. Atthe same time, this high conc-entration of forces in a singlelocation potentially increasestheir susceptibility to secondaryattacks.

The triple-suicide bombingcarried out by Hamas on Sep-tember 4, 1997, on the Ben-Yehuda pedestrian mall inJerusalem can demonstrate aparallel device attack.3 In thatone, three males, one dressed asa woman, each detonated a 4- to5-pound bomb packed with nutsand bolts to create puncture, aswell as blast, injuries. Fivepeople were killed and 181were wounded.

Attackers also employedparallel devices in the October12, 2002, attack in Bali, whichkilled 202.4 The first blast, froma relatively small bomb, drewpeople out onto the street andwas followed 10 to 15 secondslater by a much larger explo-sion, which caused most of thedestruction. The near-simulta-neous attacks increased thelethality of the bombings,which targeted mainly Westerntourists.

Secondary Attacks

Secondary attacks have twoor more stages of attack. Thefirst one draws in emergencyresponders, regardless of theextent of deaths and injuries.

In the second, the respondersthemselves become the targetand include not only law en-forcement, fire and rescue, andemergency medical personnelbut civilian Good Samaritansas well.

Targeting responders servestwo main purposes. First, itthreatens to delay or denytreatment to victims from thefirst stage of the attack, increas-ing the likelihood of death andthe severity of injuries. Second,killing, injuring, or otherwisehindering responders exacer-bates the public’s feelings offear and helplessness by demon-strating the vulnerability ofsociety’s guardians. To theextent that symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder resultfrom both the trauma and theperceived powerlessness toinfluence events and outcomes,

this type of attack might makesuch reactions more likelyamong responders and thepublic alike.

The Provisional IRA oftenused secondary devices.5 Simi-larly, two bombings in 1997—one at a clinic in suburbanAtlanta that provided abortionsand one at an Atlanta gaynightclub—also involved theuse of secondary devices.6

Multiple Dispersed Attacks

Dispersed attacks, like theother two types of coordinatedassaults, seek to expand theextent and spread of damageand fear. When carried outwithin the same jurisdiction,they also threaten to exhaustresponse resources morequickly, which, as in the caseof secondary attacks, could leadto delays in treatment or an

© Mark C. Ide


increase in fear due to the per-ception of responders beingoverwhelmed.

The scope of the spread indispersed attacks determinestheir impact on local respondingagencies. Thus, for example, thecrash of hijacked United Flight93 near Shanksville, Pennsyl-vania, on September 11, 2001,taxed the responders in that andneighboring communities, butdid not pull local respondersfrom New York City, wherethey were needed to respond tothe attacks on the World TradeCenter.7 If planes were forceddown in two locations onopposite sides of the same city,however, that city would haveto divide its resources or relymore heavily on mutual aid.

Attacks carried out acrossjurisdictions or operationalareas (or even across countries)create more political-strategicthan local-tactical dispersioneffects. The multiplicity of al-Qaeda’s assaults on the U.S.embassies in Kenya and Tan-zania in August 1998 (acrosscountries) and of the ones ofSeptember 2001 (across states),for example, demonstrated tothe world that al Qaeda couldplan and execute highly lethal,near-simultaneous operations,hundreds of miles apart, againstthe world’s most powerfulcountry. In both of these cases,the group had multiple tacticaltargets but only one strategictarget—the United States.

Al-Qaeda’s capability undoubt-edly earned the group politicalcapital both in terms of beingtaken seriously by the inter-national community and for re-cruitment purposes around theworld.

Al Qaeda and the groups ithas inspired continue to rely ondispersed attacks, as evidencedin the May 2003 incidents inMorocco and Saudi Arabia.8

These were at once dispersedacross and within countries.

IRA executed a number ofdispersed assaults, including thefirebombing of two departmentstores, the hijacking and bomb-ing of a pair of taxis in London,and the placing of bombs intrash cans a block apart to targetthose fleeing the first blast.10

The March 20, 1995, AumShinrikyo sarin gas attack onthe Tokyo subway, which killed12 and injured more than 1,000,also comprised multiple dis-persed incidents.11 The attackersreleased gas via crude dispersalmechanisms simultaneously onfive different subway cars onthree separate lines.

Hoaxes also can cause fearand panic in a population, andterrorists have used simulta-neous multiple dispersed hoaxesto create trouble for emergencyresponders. In January 2004,terrorists contacted law enforce-ment personnel in Belfast,Northern Ireland, indicating thatthey had placed multiple carbombs around the city.12 Thesubsequent response to the callsstrained the responder commu-nity and locked down trafficthroughout the city. Given thecredible threat, local law en-forcement agencies had nochoice but to respond.

SIMILARITIES

Probably due to ease ofplanning and manufacture, theindividual-component portionswithin coordinated incidentshave tended to be of the same

The incidents in these twocountries were dispersed ineach—five simultaneous as-saults in Casablanca and threesimultaneous ones in Riyadh.

Other terrorist groups havecarried out multiple dispersedattacks. The Hizbullah bomb-ings of the U.S. Marine barracksand French military headquar-ters on October 23, 1983, killed241 and 58, respectively.9

Almost a decade later, in thespring of 1993, the Provisional

Dispersed attacks,like the other two

types of coordinatedassaults, seek toexpand the extent

and spread ofdamage and fear.

”

“

May 2005 / 15

type, such as simultaneous orsubsequent pipe bombs, carbombs, or suicide bombers.Little reason exists to believethat this trend will continue, es-pecially in light of some recentexamples of mixed-type attacks.

On December 1, 2001, justyards from where the triple-suicide bombing took place inJerusalem more than 4 yearsearlier, Hamas carried out adouble-suicide bombing, fol-lowed approximately 20 min-utes later by a car bomb.13

Eleven people were killedand approximately 180 werewounded in the combinedexplosions. This one provesnoteworthy not only because itprovides an example of differ-ent means being used in thesame assault but also becauseit demonstrates that the typesof coordinated attacks can becombined. The two suicidebombers made this a paralleldevice attack, while the carbomb turned it into a secondaryone as well. Clearly, the catego-ries described are not mutuallyexclusive.

Another mixed-type andmixed-category attack is thesimultaneous al-Qaeda suicideand car bombings of an Israeli-owned hotel in Mombasa,Kenya (parallel devices), whichoccurred at the same time as theattempted shooting down of anIsraeli 757 jetliner in the samecity (dispersed attacks) onNovember 28, 2002.14 While

the aircraft emerged undam-aged, 13 people were killed andapproximately 80 were injuredin the hotel bombings.

IMPLICATIONS

Coordinated attacks are nota new phenomenon. However,their increasing frequencymakes it worth reviewing someof the implications for localresponding agencies.

Resist DeployingAll Resources

Agencies may find it tempt-ing, especially in the face of afirst terrorist attack, to “hyper-respond,” sending everyone andeverything to the incident site.But, they should resist thistemptation for two reasons.First, secondary attacks couldtarget responders and equip-ment. It is prudent to hold someback (though obviously notto the detriment of necessarypatient care or public safety) inanticipation of such an occur-rence. Second, dispersed attacksor other types of routine emer-gencies will demand responderselsewhere. As is the case withany mass-casualty event, rapidavailability of mutual aidremains critical.

Plan, Exercise, and Train

Local responders know wellthe importance of prior plan-ning and frequent and realistictraining and exercises for mak-ing complex technical proce-dures a matter of habit. In thisregard, responding to coordi-nated assaults is no differentfrom reacting to any other typeof emergency. Responders’actions reflect the extent towhich they have prepared andtrained for such occurrences.Moreover, as response to haz-ardous device assaults involvesfire and rescue, emergencymedical, law enforcement, andother agencies, all must train

Decentralize Equipmentand Personnel

The potential for coordi-nated attacks means that localresponders must have the capa-bility to respond to multipleincidents at multiple locations.Positioning equipment andpersonnel in a central site mightmake organizational sense, butcould turn into a liability in theevent that attacks occur at oppo-site extremes of the operationalarea or if the equipment or per-sonnel themselves becometargets.

© Mark C. Ide


together for coordinated attackscenarios.

With this in mind, localagencies should add coordinat-ed attack response “playbooks”to their emergency operationsplans. Alternatively, they couldinclude coordinated attackscenarios in other existingplaybooks for similar situations.Agencies should rigorouslypractice the new proceduresso responders at all levelsbecome thoroughly familiarwith them.

Coordinated attack responseplanning and training shouldaddress command-level issuesas well. Emergency responseagencies should consider suchquestions as whether to desig-nate single or multiple incidentcommanders at the dispersedlocations and how best to allo-cate and coordinate limitedresources among multiple attacksites.

Protect the Force

It is difficult to know inadvance whether secondaryattacks will occur. An attackfollowed by a secondary oneappears the same as a singleassault until responders recog-nize that they have become thetarget. Therefore, respondersmust assume that terrorists willattempt one. This puts a pre-mium on force protection, arole that falls primarily to lawenforcement officials who cantake a number of simple but

crucial steps at the scene to helpdeter or prevent secondaryattacks. These include establish-ing a secure perimeter farenough from the locus of thefirst assault to allow respondersto do their jobs safely; sweepingfor secondary devices; andmonitoring, photographing, andinterviewing bystanders, amongwhom might be eyewitnessesand terrorist spotters. Of impor-tance, force protection, whileessentially a law enforcement

assaults bring both addedlethality and “newsworthiness.”Al Qaeda is not the only terror-ist group attacking in thismanner. Terrorists around theworld are learning from eachother’s successes and adoptingand refining this tactic. Foremergency responders, coordi-nated attacks bring not onlygreater danger to the public theyserve but also the potential thatresponders themselves may betargeted. To mitigate the effectsof such incidents, law enforce-ment agencies and other localresponders must incorporatecoordinated attack scenariosinto their planning, training,and deployment.

Endnotes

1 Lawrence Wright, “The Terror Web,”

The New Yorker, August 2, 2004; retrieved

on August 5, 2004, from http://

www.newyorker.com.2 Pre-2001 data from Chris Quillen,

“Mass Casualty Bombings Chronology,”

Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 25

(2002): 293-302.3 Serge Schmemann, “Bombings in

Jerusalem: The Overview,” New York

Times, September 7, 1997, sec. A1; and

MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base;

retrieved on August 4, 2004, from http://

www.tkb.org/Incident.jsp?incID=2340.4 U.S. Department of State, Patterns of

Global Terrorism 2002 (Washington, DC,

April 2003), 18; retrieved on February 1,

2004, from http://www.state.gov/

documents/organization/20177.pdf.5 George Buck, Preparing for Terror-

ism: An Emergency Services Guide

(Albany, NY: Delmar, 2002), 18; and

Owen Bowcott, “Soldier Dies as IRA

Bombers Ambush Patrol,” The Guardian,

February 10, 1993, 2.

function, cannot be properlyexecuted without the coopera-tion of and coordination withfire and rescue, emergencymedical, and other respondingagencies.

CONCLUSION

Along with the recentincrease in coordinated attackshas come a corresponding risein fatalities and injuries. Terror-ists feel the need to create evergreater impact on their targetedsocieties, and coordinated

Agencies shouldrigorously practice the

new procedures soresponders at all levels

become thoroughlyfamiliar with them.

”

“

6 John Harmon, “Terrorism: It’s Getting

Less Disciplined, More Dangerous,” Cox

News Service, March 31, 1999.7 This does not include federal

resources, which could be a different

matter.8 “Bombs Kill at Least 20 in Downtown

Casablanca,” CNN.com, May 19, 2003;

retrieved on August 4, 2004, from http://

www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/05/16/

morocco.blasts/; and “U.S., Saudis

Suspect al Qaeda in Riyadh Blasts,”

CNN.com, May 13, 2002; retrieved on

August 5, 2004, from http://www.cnn.com/

2003/WORLD/meast/05/12 saudi.blast/.9 Audrey Kurth Cronin, CRS Report

for Congress, Congressional Research

Service, Terrorists and Suicide Attacks,

August 28, 2003; retrieved on February 2,

2004, from http://www.mipt.org/pdf/

CRS_RL32058.pdf.10 “Bombs Set Shops Ablaze,” Daily

Mail, May 10, 1993, 5; “Hijacked Drivers

Chose to Risk Death,” The Times, April

27, 1993; and Ronald Faux, “Warrington

Weeps for Lives Shattered by IRA

Bombers,” The Times, March 22, 1993.11 Many sources list over 5,000 injured

in this attack. However, around 4,000 of

those were diagnosed as “worried well.”12 Claire Regan, “UDA Blamed for

Hoax Alerts,” Belfast Telegraph, January

16, 2004.13 Lee Hockstader, “Two Suicide

Bombers Kill at Least 10 in Jerusalem:

Attacks, Nearby Car Blast Wound 170 in

Heart of City,” Washington Post, Decem-

ber 2, 2001, sec. A1.

14 Emily Wax, “Suicide Bombers Kill

12 at Resort in Kenya: Hotel Hosted

Israelis, Missiles Fired Nearby at Plane,”

Washington Post, November 29, 2002,

sec. A1.

The statements in this article reflectthe personal opinions of the authorsand not necessarily those of theorganizations with which they areaffiliated.

Dr. Schachter is a lecturer at North-western University in Evanston,Illinois.

Dr. Houghton is the director ofresearch at the Memorial Institute forthe Prevention of Terrorism in Okla-homa City, Oklahoma.

May 2005 / 17

he California HighwayPatrol Academy in Sacra-

mento presents its World TradeCenter 9/11 Memorial Foun-tain, which honors the men andwomen who died in those at-tacks. Dedicated on August 11,2004, the fountain features tworectangular black marble pil-lars, representing the twin tow-ers, resting on a square con-crete pedestal. A donated pieceof a steel I beam from theWorld Trade Center rests be-tween the two marble build-ings. Behind the towers sits alarge upright rectangular structure inscribed with the initials “WTC”; water flows over it,coming to rest in a pool at the foot of the pedestal.

T

The Bulletin Honors

Bulletin Reports


Bulletin Reports is an edited collection of criminal justice studies, reports, and project findings. Send your

material for consideration to: FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Room 201, Madison Building, FBI Academy,

Quantico, VA 22135. (NOTE: The material in this section is intended to be strictly an information source and

should not be considered an endorsement by the FBI for any product or service.)

Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2004, sets forth data oncrime at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, princi-pals, and the general population. A joint effort by the Bureau ofJustice Statistics (BJS) and the National Center for EducationStatistics, this annual report examines crime occurring on campus,as well as on the way to and from school. It provides the mostcurrent detailed statistical information on the nature of crime inschools. Information was gathered from an array of sources, includ-ing editions of the National Crime Victimization Survey, SchoolCrime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey,Youth Risk Behavior Survey, School Survey on Crime and Safety,and the School and Staffing Survey. Highlights include the follow-ing: students ages 12 through 18 were victims of about 309,000serious violent crimes away from school compared with about88,000 on campus; between 1993 and 2003, the percentage ofstudents in grades 9 through 12 who reported being in a fightanywhere declined from 42 to 33 percent;and in 2003, 5 percent of students ages 12through 18 reported being victims of nonfa-tal crimes, 4 percent said they experiencedtheft, and 1 percent advised being victims ofviolent incidents. This report is availableonline at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/iscs04.htm.

School Safety

The Office of Community Oriented Po-licing Services (COPS) presents Drug Deal-ing in Open-Air Markets, which describes theissue and reviews the factors that increase therisks of drug dealing in open-air markets. Theguide also identifies a series of questions thatassist in analyzing a local problem and re-views responses and what is known aboutthem from evaluative research and policepractice. This publication is available elec-tronically at http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1423.

Drugs

May 2005 / 19

State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies, 2002,published by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), includes datapertaining to personnel, facilities and resources, trainees, andcurricula. Information was derived from the 2002 Census ofLaw Enforcement Training Academies. Special topics includetraining related to terrorism, community policing, and racial profil-ing. Highlights feature the following: among basic law enforce-ment academy classes that completed training during 2002, anestimated 61,354 recruits started training and 53,302 (or 87 percent)successfully completed or graduated from the program; in 2002,academies employed about 12,200 full-time and 25,700 part-time trainers or instructors; and the total expenditures of training

academies during fiscal 2002 wasan estimated $725.6 million, in-cluding $351.2 million amongcounty, regional, or state acad-emies, $299.4 million among cityor municipal academies, and $75.1million among college, university,or technical school academies.This report can be accessed athttp://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/slleta02.htm.

Training

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) offers Vio-lent Victimization of College Students, 1995-2002,which examines the subject and compares the find-ings with persons of similar ages in the general popu-lation. In addition, the report describes the extent towhich student victimization occurs at on- and off-campus locations and settings and analyzes the in-volvement of alcohol and other drugs. The reporthighlights the following statistics concerning persons18 to 24 years of age between 1995 and 2002: malestudents were twice as likely to be victims of overallviolence than females in college (80 versus 43 per1,000); among races, Caucasian students had thehighest rates of violent victimization; and, for fe-males, those not in college were over 1.5 times morelikely than students to be victims of violent crime (71versus 43 per 1,000). This report is available online athttp://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/vvcs02.htm orby contacting the National Criminal Justice ReferenceService at 800-851-3420.

Victims


aw enforcement officers prove valuable totheir communities in a variety of ways, not

all of which can be measured easily. To this end,agencies often struggle to find methods to fairlyevaluate their personnel. Departments must givefactors, such as officer competence and courtesy,appropriate weight. Managers need to value thequality of the tasks performed and not focus onlyon the quantity.

However, fully and accurately evaluating per-sonnel does require a fair measurement of produc-tivity. “Understandably...law enforcement organi-zations do not condone ‘quotas’.... Rather, eachagency does have certain expected levels of perfor-mance that they attempt to monitor officers’ per-formance by. The key is in developing some realis-tic measurement devices that will substantiatethat the officer is working and that this work ismeaningful to the community.”1 While depart-ments must avoid mandating specific numbers forperformance criteria, they still can gauge anofficer’s productivity by analyzing certain measur-able activities related to the job. This then can

provide useful insight for incorporation into theemployee’s overall evaluation.

The Conway, Arkansas, Police Department hasa system in place to conduct quantitative, employ-able measures of its officers’ performance. Fur-ther, it has found that in response to fair and mean-ingful evaluation, its personnel strive for higherstandards. “When employees feel their hard workcounts for something, they strive to do their best.”2

OFFICER REPORTS

Daily Activity Report

The officer’s daily activity report collects theraw data for eventual use in the monthly productiv-ity analysis report for the shift. The information isdivided into two control areas: 1) items that theemployee has no control over (e.g., assignmentsfrom dispatchers, such as calls for service, incidentreports taken, accidents worked, and alarms re-sponded to) and 2) areas that the officer has totalcontrol over (e.g., contacts with citizens or viola-tors, citations written, warnings issued, and arrests

Police Practice

L

Productivity Analysisfor Basic PolicePatrol Activities

By Roy H. Herndon III

© Brian Boetig

May 2005 / 21

made). Each agency canmake its own assessmentof which functions fitinto each category anddesign its daily report ac-cordingly. By examiningthese two control areas,departments can analyzean officer’s activitiesand compare them withthe time afforded theindividual to performthose duties.

In the daily activityreport used by the Con-way Police Department,the “criminal arrest” and“traffic arrest” sectionsrepresent the total con-trol area, while “reportsand calls” pertains to theno-control category. The“hours spent” portionreveals the total numberof hours available forpolice patrol functions.Agencies must ensurethat they retain docu-mentation of every calland activity. The Con-way Police Departmentkeeps warnings in writ-ing and records miscel-laneous other calls in thenarrative area of thedaily report. Then, the items can be compared withthe dispatch log to verify that personnel did notmiss or drop any calls or attempt to pad theirstatistics with fictional activities. While it mayseem time consuming to verify each officer’s dailyreport, this task requires only a small portion of theshift commander’s day.

Monthly Activity Report

The officer’s monthly activity report lists, byday, the totals from each section of the daily re-ports. Hours scheduled on duty usually will equal40 per week, on 8- or 10-hour shifts, totaling be-tween 160 to 190 per month. The number of hoursavailable for police patrol activities equals those

Police Department

1) Alarm call: 1416 Willow Street - false, human error

2) Alarm call: 1201 Oak Street - false, mechanical

3) Traffic assist: Salem Road and Prince Street

4) Road hazard: U.S. Highway 64 and 65 split - pipe in roadway

5) VIN assist @ P.D.

6) Visit with a citizen at the station

Others Logged/Notes:

Officer's Daily Activity Report

Felony

Criminal Arrest

Traffic Arrest

Reports and Calls

Misdemeanor 2

Moving

11

2

2 3

Hours Spent

DWI

0

0

4

Accidents Incidents Other 6

10 On Detail: Court 2

T.Jones 1357 03-01-04 51Officer Badge No. Date District

4063 12 16758 16800 42Unit Spike Odometer Reading Total Miles

Scheduledon Duty

Warning

Nonmoving


Officer

Miles D

riven

Felo

ny A

rrests

Misd

emean

or A

rrests

DW

I

Movin

g C

itations

Nonm

ovin

g C

itations

Warn

ing T

ickets

Enfo

rcemen

t Serv

ices

Accid

ent R

eports

Incid

ent R

eports

Oth

er Calls

Total S

ervice C

alls

Total H

ours

Hours o

f Sick

Tim

e Used

Hours o

n D

etail (e.g.,

Court, V

acation)

Hours W

ork

ed

Averag

e

Fitzgerald

Allen

Brady

Clark

Davis

Evans

Gill

Hardy

Lewis

Martin

Taylor

Yates

Column

Totals

Average

0.551

1.056

0.798

0.593

0.599

0.700

0.915

0.810

0.597

0.654

0.828

0.518

8.62

0.72

450 1 0 0 7 1 4 13 0 14 16 30 160 0 82 78

578 0 0 0 16 11 6 33 3 22 55 80 160 0 53 107

731 4 5 0 4 9 16 38 5 30 26 61 160 0 36 124

629 1 2 0 4 0 22 29 5 19 20 44 160 16 21 123

568 2 2 0 5 3 15 27 2 26 36 64 160 0 8 152

949 5 14 0 2 15 10 46 6 36 17 59 160 0 10 150

635 1 6 0 2 10 10 29 3 42 44 89 160 0 31 129

715 1 5 0 2 7 25 40 3 22 33 58 160 8 31 121

822 0 1 1 5 12 13 32 8 27 16 51 160 0 21 139

508 2 4 0 2 10 9 27 4 35 21 60 160 8 19 133

192 1 0 0 5 1 3 10 4 19 20 43 160 0 96 64

847 0 3 0 5 10 12 30 5 18 4 27 160 0 50 110

7624 18 42 1 59 89 145 354 48 310 308 666 1920 32 458 1430

635.33 1.5 3.5 0.1 4.9 7.4 12 29.5 4 26 26 55.5 160 2.7 38.2 119

Monthly Productivity Analysis Report by Shift

May 2005 / 23

scheduled on duty minus those spent on detail.Departments may differ on what constitutes timeon detail; the key is to apply a uniform standard forall personnel. The Conway Police Departmentconsiders time on detail as any activity that takesthe officer away from normal patrol functions dur-ing the scheduled work day, excluding meal andrest breaks as officers remain subject to call atthese times. Leave falls within this category andsick time is tracked separately to guard againstpossible abuse.

All items in the officer’s monthly report aretotaled at the bottom. This information then be-comes used in the monthly productivity analysisreport for the shift.

SHIFT REPORTS

Monthly Productivity Analysis Report

The monthly productivity analysis report forthe shift allows the supervisor to clearly see areasof interest and make comparisons of individualperformance against overall shift averages (andnever against those of another officer). Supervi-sors can use this analysis to encourage employeesto strive for the shift averages or to commend anofficer for exceeding them. Over time, continuedhigh or low performance levels will reflect in theemployee’s appraisal, and the manager will haveample documentation to support the rating.

Also, because of the differences and variables,agencies should not make comparisons betweenthe shifts. Departments should compare shift

averages only with those of the division, and theymust consider the differences between the shiftsand any specialty sections (e.g., traffic reconstruc-tion, motorcycle, or code enforcement). This al-lows for a broad analysis for the entire division.

Upon analysis of the data, several items imme-diately stand out in the “total” row. These includemiles driven by the shift; enforcement activities forthe month (e.g., citations, arrests, or warnings);calls for service (e.g., accidents worked or inci-dents reported); number of scheduled work hours;and those spent on patrol and on detail. The “aver-age” row at the bottom of the report reflects theshift average for each item.

The “average” column at the right side of thereport reflects each officer’s ratio for activitiesperformed compared with the amount of timeavailable to accomplish those functions; thisserves as the foundation through which managerscan determine productivity levels for each em-ployee. Departments can calculate this ratio byadding the number of enforcement activities tototal calls for service and then dividing that sum bythe number of hours worked. Then, managers cansee how employee performance compares withideal standards.

Annual Reports

After collecting and documenting sufficientdata in the monthly productivity analysis reports,departments can consolidate them into an annualreport for submission to the division commanderand, ultimately, to the chief of police. As annual

Enforcement activities (354) + Calls for service (666) = Total patrol activities (1,020) = Ratio (.72) ----------------------------------

Hours worked (1,430)

Formula for Determining an Officer or Shift Ratio

reports accumulate, long-term analysis of this in-formation will reflect trends and provide insight tohelp managers identify community problems orareas in need of improvement.

CONCLUSION

The value of officers is not always easily mea-sured. Certainly, desired qualities, such as integrityand bravery, do not show up in a productivity re-port. But, some measurable performance standardsmust exist. These enable supervisors “to bring san-ity, fairness, and consistency to supervisory tasks,enhance performance levels, and make promo-tions, awards, and disciplinary actions fair.”3

The Conway Police Department uses a methodthat allows for objective measures of officer pro-ductivity. The agency has found that the system notonly provides a solid foundation on which to baseits employee ratings but also motivates its person-nel to continue to improve in response to a fair andmeaningful performance evaluation system.

Endnotes

1 Mike Mashburn, “14 Points,” CJI Management Briefs 4, no.

3, sec. 11 (1999): 1-3.2 Michael Kramer, “Designing an Individualized Performance

Evaluation System: A Values-Based Process,” FBI Law Enforce-

ment Bulletin, March 1998, 20-26.3 Tony Jones, “Developing Performance Standards,” Law and

Order, July 1998, 109-112.

Lieutenant Herndon serves with the Conway, Arkansas,Police Department.

Wanted:Notable Speeches

he FBI Law EnforcementBulletin seeks transcriptsT

of presentations made by crim-inal justice professionals forits Notable Speech depart-ment. Anyone who hasdelivered a speech recentlyand would like to share theinformation with a wideraudience may submit a trans-cript of the presentation to theBulletin for consideration.

As with article submis-sions, the Bulletin staff willedit the speech for length andclarity, but, realizing that theinformation was presentedorally, maintain as much ofthe original flavor as possible.Presenters should submit theirtranscripts typed and double-spaced on 8 ½- by 11-inchwhite paper with all pagesnumbered. When possible, anelectronic version of the tran-script saved on computer diskshould accompany the docu-ment. Send the material to:

Editor, FBI LawEnforcement BulletinFBI AcademyMadison Building,Room 201Quantico, VA 22135telephone: 703-632-1952,e-mail: [email protected]


Conway Police DepartmentRatio Standards

Substandard – Below .50Average – .50 to .65Above average – .66 to .80Excellent – .81 to 1.0Outstanding – Above 1.0

May 2005 / 25

n October 16, 1997, a man hunting in awooded area near Indian Creek Road,

possible reddish tint, and agap between the two upper-front teeth. The victim mayhave been wearing a whitewith broad blue stripes casual,sleeveless top, size unknown,which was found near the re-mains outside of the plasticsheeting. The victim’s eyecolor and estimation ofweight could not be deter-mined. No jewelry was recov-ered. It is believed that thevictim had been deceased fora period of up to 1 year beforethe discovery. Based on theevidence collected, the fe-male victim probably died asa result of a homicide. Thevictim’s National Crime In-formation Center number isU071281620.

Alert to Law Enforcement

Law enforcement agencies should bring thisinformation to the attention of all crime analysisunits, officers investigating crimes against per-sons, and missing person units. A dental chartis available and the victim’s DNA has beenregistered with the FBI Laboratory, National Miss-ing Person DNA Database. Any agency thatbelieves that this unidentified homicide vic-tim matches their missing person should contactInvestigator Sergeant Charles Berry of the Madi-son County Sheriff’s Office at 256-532-3713 [email protected]; or Crime Analyst GlenW. Wildey, Jr., of the Violent Criminal Apprehen-sion Program (ViCAP) Unit at 703-632-4166 [email protected].

Unidentified Homicide Victim

south of Kelly Springs Road in the vicinity ofHuntsville in Madison County, Alabama, discov-ered skeletal remains wrapped in plastic sheetingcommonly used in building construction, securedwith gray duct tape. The crime scene was pro-cessed, and the remains were recovered and trans-ported to the Alabama Department of ForensicSciences in Tuscaloosa for examination.

Skeletal Remains Examination

The skeletal remains were those of a whitefemale, approximately 15 to 19 years old, between4 feet 10 inches to 5 feet 1 inch tall, with shoulder-length dark blond or light brown hair with a

Photograph of clay sculpturecraniofacial reconstruction of victimby Gigi Waite of Cleveland, Ohio.Front right tooth was chipped afterskeletal remains were recovered.

A computer-generated facial recon-struction of victim as created byNational Center for Missing andExploited Children.

O

ViCAP Alert

Book Review


Common Sense Police Supervision:Practical Tips for the First-Line Leader,third edition, by Gerald W. Garner, CharlesC. Thomas Publisher, Springfield, Illinois,2003.

Common Sense Police Supervision is anoutstanding book by an author with in-depthknowledge of supervision in the field of lawenforcement. It is a book designed, researched,and written by an experienced professionalwho presents a functional and applicableapproach to the demands of law enforcementsupervision.

Unlike in other careers, supervising lawenforcement personnel, who have an awesomelife-and-death responsibility in their dealingswith the public, is not an easy task. In theexercise of effective law enforcement, supervi-sors bring not only their life experiencesand duty performance in different assignmentsbut also their common sense, which requiresthe application of sound judgment and prudentperformance activity backed up with reasoningand logical decision making. This bookcontains a great deal of common-sense infor-mation for supervisors of law enforcementpersonnel.

In the first two chapters, the author presentswhat basic law enforcement supervision en-tails and what a member transiting from theline operation into line or other supervisionarenas should know and expect to become aneffective supervisor. Chapters 3 through 5address the need to know ethics in supervisionand the qualities of effective leadership charac-teristics, as well as the educational role that asupervisor must exercise.

The law enforcement leader as an evaluatoris critical as outlined in chapter 6 where theauthor provides sound approaches in terms of

guidelines and pitfalls. The next chapter identi-fies what is important to the supervisor con-cerning the fair distribution of discipline. Inchapters 8 through 10, the author documentsthe topics of common-sense planning andestablishing goals and objectives for employ-ees and follows these with a chapter on theelements, hazards, and benefits of effectivecommunication.

The next several chapters address com-mon-sense aspects of law enforcement leaders,including their role as counselor and complaintprocessor; how they can deal with special in-ternal problems, such as strife; and their role incommunity policing, as well as in officer sur-vival. The final two chapters, new to the thirdaddition, also entail common-sense aspectsthat leaders must know and exercise when rep-resenting their agencies on television or radioand when preparing news releases. The authorhas documented the traps to avoid, while, inthe last chapter, he sets forth what it takes toachieve exceptional customer service.

Common Sense Police Supervision appliesto the experienced, as well as the newly pro-moted, supervisor and to those members aspir-ing to become one in the future. This bookcovers content applicable to all law enforce-ment agencies at the town, city, county, state,and federal level. It is an interesting read, andthe information proves supportive to theassessment center process.

Reviewed byMajor Larry R. Moore (Ret.)

U. S. Army Military Police CorpsCertified Emergency Manager

International Association ofEmergency ManagersKnoxville, Tennessee

nique work demandsand corresponding stresslevels increasingly

require that those in the lawenforcement profession estab-lish lifelong wellness habits.However, one 40-year longitu-dinal study from 1950 through1990 found that, appallingly,the life expectancy of a retiredmale police officer in theUnited States was 66 years.1

Why do some officerssuccumb to life-threateninghabits, such as the lack ofphysical activity and exercise,smoking and excessive drinkinghabits, and depression, that

increase the risk of obesity? Tocounter the obesity epidemicand general lack of physicalfitness, law enforcement profes-sionals should spend as muchtime as necessary adequatelyestablishing lifelong wellnessroutines.

Examining the Research

Using the body mass index(BMI)—a measurement tool todetermine excess body weightin relation to height—obesityclassifies as a range of 30 orhigher and overweight between25 to 29.9. The BMI has be-come a potential indicator of

hypertension, certain cancers,and diabetes. Estimates placeranges of overweight andobesity between 60 and 65percent in the general popula-tion with approximately one-third of the general populationclassified as obese.2

Many statistics and relatedinformation exist about thehealth status of the generalpopulation, and several concernthe law enforcement profession.In October 2003, the authoradministered a questionnaire to75 law enforcement executivesand other professionals. Partof the questionnaire included a

U

May 2005 / 27

Physical FitnessTips for the Law

Enforcement ExecutiveBy DANIEL E. SHELL


BMI exercise and nutritionalassessment. Based on the BMI,80 percent of the respondentsclassified as overweight withapproximately one-third identi-fied in the obese category.3

Additionally, research hasidentified 53 stressors associ-ated with police work.4 Officerssuffer more often from heartdisease, hypertension, anddiabetes than the general public.They have an above averagerisk for heart attacks, obesity,arthritis, ulcers, and cancerwhile also prone to bouts ofdepression and suicide. Further,nearly 30 percent of policeofficers overindulge in alcoholcompared with 10 percent of thegeneral population.

The costs for illnesses anddiseases are staggering. Afteradding expenses for injuries, the

impact is beyond calculation.Many of the maladies to whichcountless law enforcementpersonnel succumb refer to“modifiable risk factors,” whichmeans that health conditionsand related costs can be af-fected. For example, diseasecosts include heart diseasesat $183 billion; cancer, $157billion; diabetes, $100 billion;and arthritis, $65 billion.5

Identifying the Issues

Most entry-level law en-forcement training academiesemploy a significant amountof hours of physical trainingas a key component in theircurricula, yet some may lackmandated guidance or standardsrelative to contemporary well-ness or exercise science. Fur-ther, such training sometimes

does not link physical fitnesswith the skills needed for thejob. Exercises used in academytraining should be performedcorrectly and be relative to thehealth requirements or jobduties of veteran officers.Unfortunately, some depart-ments have abandoned fitnessstandards after being sued byemployees for failing to makethese crucial connections.Further, disconnects in educa-tion and training can manifestunfavorably later in law en-forcement officers’ careers.Performing physical activityrequires a sufficient knowledgebase and a commensurate levelof education and skill to avoidhazardous and even deadly life-styles to an employee’s health.

Furthermore, departmentleaders must believe and partici-pate in lifelong wellness fortheir employees to embrace theconcept. Some law enforcementorganizations assign an indi-vidual to implement the stan-dards without conducting theproper research regarding theneeds of their particular agency;doing so may set up the depart-ment to fail. The standards im-plementation approach is effec-tive but, generally, not the firststep. Organizations must haveadequate internal marketing anda genuine interest in employeehealth to respond to resistancefrom employee groups thatmight seek to thwart attemptsto impose such mandates.

“

”Mr. Shell, a retired lieutenant with the Maryland State Police,currently serves as the special projects coordinator for the Divisionof Public Safety Leadership at Johns Hopkins University.

...trainingsometimes doesnot link physicalfitness with the

skills needed forthe job.

May 2005 / 29

The law enforcement com-munity should examine itsphysical fitness training andlong-term health programs toensure an efficient and compe-tent force. The beginning pointfor establishing lifelong well-ness habits starts with incor-porating best practices (e.g.,exercise science) in entry-levelfitness programs. The physicaltraining goal should match othermandated, physically demand-ing classes, such as arrest andcontrol strategies and defensivetactics, that directly align withthe actual skill needs of patrolofficers. Contemporary exerciseincludes screening and testingfitness levels and designingindividual exercise prescriptionslinked to other physical de-mands of the law enforcementprofession. Departments can useprofessional resources to edu-cate their law enforcementpersonnel to incorporatewellness habits at entry-leveltraining that will last an entirecareer and, further, lifetime. Forexample, one research andeducation organization used lawenforcement job task analysisdata to develop correspondingfitness assessments, testingprotocols, and related standardsapplicable to police andfirefighter personnel.6

Arguments for not imple-menting fitness standards oftencenter around the cost involvedand, perhaps, a union’s disap-proval. Certainly, department

heads should take cost-effec-tiveness into considerationwhen developing long-termhealth programs. And, theyshould examine other far morecostly factors, such as policeacademy and related on-dutyinjuries, chronic use or abuseof sick leave, and early medicalretirements. Organizationsshould implement plans toredirect this money to lifelongwellness initiatives. Every lawenforcement agency shouldconsider several factors as aworthwhile investment and

Mounting evidence points to thephysical trainer as a critical linkin the chain of physical fitness.The obesity epidemic andcorresponding need to hire themost skilled physical trainersshould particularly concernthose in the law enforcementprofession, their loved ones, andthe communities they serve.

The goal of reengineeringhow and who should conductthe training can foster themomentum a department re-quires to educate, train, andsustain during the most stressfultimes, producing a workforcewith a level of health and fitnesscommensurate with the jobdemands. Such a combinationensures that law enforcementleaders have personnel whoembrace a quality of life, whichincreases dedication to theprofession during their tenureof employment and beyond.

Before hiring a physicaltrainer, managers should knowthe person’s background,education, and certifications.Assigning unqualified trainerswho place aggressive physicaldemands on personnel canprove harmful and even deadly.Departments should contactaccredited professional organi-zations in the physical fitnessindustry, steering clear of vogueprograms. Also, by teamingwith the department’s humanresource manager, physician,cafeteria staff, union leaders,training academy director,

Organizationsshould implementplans to redirect

this money tolifelong wellness

initiatives.

”

“savings, including corporatewellness programs; insurancecompanies that offer lowerpremiums to organizationsdemonstrating a commitmentto lifelong wellness plans; andexercise and nutritional scienceeducation for employees.

Selecting a Physical Trainer

What does the law enforce-ment profession need to succeedin lifelong wellness initiatives?


certification personnel andprofessionals from accreditedfitness organizations, agenciescan begin holistically selectinga physical trainer. Once such apartnership is formed, organiza-tions should ensure that trainersdevelop programs that matchphysical fitness demands withthe body movements, jointactions, and biomechanics ofan employee’s particular jobduties. For example, withoutproperly training the shoulderand rotator cuff muscles (oftenneglected in shoulder training),the demands of defensive tacticstraining can end a career.

Departments should ensurethat their physical trainers teachcontemporary exercise scienceand use a functional fitnessassessment, identifying thestrengths and weaknesses inpeople seeking to be trained to

a specific level of performance.Such an evaluation results inmore individuals doing well, asopposed to a “one size fits all”approach in which only somesurvive. Those who do not pre-vail often are viewed as unableto “cut it” when, in fact, theyreceived poor training.

Further, positive rein-forcement generates favorableresults. The use of exerciseas punishment for infractions(in the academy environment)does not reap rewards. In fact,it serves as a negative rein-forcement, which will turnpeople away from embracingthe important aspects ofexercise.

Conclusion

The goal of lifelongwellness is not to produce a“super” law enforcement officer

who can push cars; jump overbuildings, walls, or other ob-stacles; and run all day. Lawenforcement agencies shouldimplement programs thatprepare officers within theirown genetical potential toperform their jobs in goodhealth for the length of theircareers. The physical trainerplays a critical role in producingthis type of officer. By usingexisting exercise and nutritionalscience, technology, and theexpertise of those most knowl-edgeable in the industry, agen-cies can complete this mission.

No matter the perspectives,operations, budgets, resourceallocations, or human resources,the up-front preparation in en-suring wellness in law enforce-ment academies and beyond canprove far less costly than notdoing so. Lifelong wellness andfitness proves an investmentnow and in the future of Amer-ican public safety personnel.Thus, selecting the best physicaltrainers for them is paramount.Law enforcement leaders shouldthoroughly review variedaspects of the health and fitnessarena before placing an indi-vidual in this essential position.Further, they should examinewhether the person needs to bein a sworn position.

Leaders should prepare fora department of healthy and fitpersonnel by recruiting, hiring,training, and educating the

Recommendations for Agencies in the Questfor Lifelong Wellness

• Take time to properly plan an effective physicalfitness program

• Hire qualified, professional trainers

• Develop fitness programs that match individualjob duties

• Conduct internal marketing to educate employeesand gain support

• Ensure consistent advocacy from agency leaders

• Discover the ongoing rewards

workforce for the future. Phys-ical activity, exercise, and nutri-tional lifestyle changes are notblocks of time in stand-alonepresentations. Rather, they offera lifetime of rewards if imple-mented and maintained cor-rectly. Investing the time toproperly plan a fitness programand select the most desirablephysical trainer for the depart-ment will glean the most posi-tive results; planning the pro-gram takes time and effort.

Endnotes

1 J.M. Violanti, J.E. Vena, and S.

Petralia, “Mortality of a Police Cohort:

1950-1990, American Journal of Indus-

trial Medicine 33, no. 4 (1997): 366-373.2 U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services, Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, National Center

for Health Statistics, National Health and

Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2000.3 The Police Executive Leadership

Program Class Exercise and Nutrition

Questionnaire, administered by Daniel E.

Shell, Division of Public Safety Leader-

ship, Johns Hopkins University (Balti-

more, MD, October 2003).

4 Information in this paragraph was

derived from Scott Teeter, “Police

Officers’ Stress Can Be Managed,” The

Oak Ridge Online-Community, August 20,

1998; retrieved on November 16, 2004,

from http://www.oakridger.com/stories/

082098/com_police.html.5 U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services, National Institutes of

Health, National Cost of Illness for

Selected Diseases, 2000; http://

www.nih.gov.6 For more information, visit the

Cooper Institute at http://

www.cooperinst.org.

May 2005 / 31

The Bulletin invites criminal justice professionals to submit reviews of recentlypublished nonfiction books they have read on topics relative to their field of

expertise for possible inclusion in its Book Review department. The magazine pub-lishes only positive reviews of between 350 and 500 words or 1½ to 2 pages double-spaced. As with article submissions, the Bulletin staff will edit book reviews for style,length, clarity, and format.

Book reviewers should include two or three compelling points that the authormakes, along with the complete title of the work; the names of the authors or editors;and the publishing company, city and state, and publication date. As a guide, the staffsuggests that reviewers examine book reviews in past issues of the Bulletin to ac-quaint themselves with the magazine’s requirements. Reviewers should submit theirbook reviews typed and double-spaced on 8½- by 11-inch white paper with all pagesnumbered. Reviewers should include an electronic version of the review saved oncomputer disk. Send book reviews to:

Editor, FBI Law Enforcement BulletinFBI AcademyMadison Building, Room 201Quantico, VA 22135telephone: 703-632-1952e-mail: [email protected]

Wanted:Book Reviews


FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Call for Authors

Why Should You Publish an Article?

• Allows you to share your experiences

• Provides you with a wider audience

• Increases your credibility

• Enhances your professional image

• Improves your chances for promotion

What Should You Write About?

Write about topics that interest you. Writeabout problems that you, your department, orcommunity have solved. Possible Bulletin topicsinclude the following:

• Administrative/personnel issues

• Crime problems and solutions

• Domestic violence

• Drugs

• Equipment

• Ethics

• Environmental crimes

• Firearms

• Future of policing

• Information resources

• Investigative techniques

• Juveniles

• Leadership/management concerns

• Negotiation/interviewing skills

• Police-community relations

• Technology

• Training

How Do You Write an Article?

Authors should write in third person and useactive voice. They should supply referenceswhen quoting a source exactly, citing orparaphrasing another person’s work or ideas,

or referring to information that generally is notwell known. Authors should study several is-sues of the magazine to ensure that their writingstyle meets the Bulletin’s requirements. Mostimportant, authors should contact the Bulletinstaff for the expanded author guidelines, whichcontain additional specifications, detailedexamples, and effective writing techniques, oraccess www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/leb.htm.

The Bulletin judges articles on relevance tothe audience, factual accuracy, analysis of theinformation, structure and logical flow, styleand ease of reading, and length. The staff editsall manuscripts for length, clarity, format, andstyle.

The Bulletin generally does not publisharticles on similar topics within a 12-monthperiod or accept articles previously published orcurrently under consideration by other maga-zines. Because it is a government publication,the Bulletin cannot accept articles that advertisea product or service.

How Do You Submit an Article?

• Send a query letter and short outline or

• Submit a completed manuscript to—

Editor, FBI Law Enforcement BulletinFBI Academy, Quantico, VA 22135Telephone: 703-632-1952E-mail: [email protected]

The Bulletin staff will review queries andarticles and advise the authors of acceptance orrejection. The magazine cannot guarantee apublication date for accepted articles.

Authors should submit three copies of theirarticles typed and double-spaced on 8½- by11-inch white paper with all pages numbered.Authors should include an electronic version ofthe article saved on computer disk. A photo-graph of the author(s) should accompany thearticle. Authors also may e-mail articles.

The Bulletin Notes

Law enforcement officers are challenged daily in the performance of their duties; they face each

challenge freely and unselfishly while answering the call to duty. In certain instances, their actions

warrant special attention from their respective departments. The Bulletin also wants to recognize

those situations that transcend the normal rigors of the law enforcement profession.

Nominations for the Bulletin Notes should be basedon either the rescue of one or more citizens or arrest(s)made at unusual risk to an officer’s safety. Submissionsshould include a short write-up (maximum of 250words), a separate photograph of each nominee, and aletter from the department’s ranking officer endorsingthe nomination. Submissions should be sent to theEditor, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, FBI Academy,Madison Building, Room 201, Quantico, VA 22135.

Sergeant Breck

Sergeant Robert Breck of the Utah Highway Patrol was one of the firstresponders to a 59-vehicle accident that occurred amidst heavy fog, lowvisibility, and icy road conditions. Sergeant Breck discovered a youngwoman trapped in her vehicle under a truck trailer, both of which werebecoming enveloped by flames because of erupted fuel tanks. Unableto free her, Sergeant Breck feverishly fought the fire with extinguishersand calmed the victim. He remained with her, even as the smoke intensifiedand wreckage began to collapse, until additional help arrived to removethe young woman from the vehicle. Because of the heroic actions ofSergeant Breck, the victim escaped with only minor injuries.

Early one morning, Officer Alan Farnham of the Chesapeake, Virginia,Police Department responded to a house fire. Arriving before the firedepartment, he observed that flames had fully engulfed the front of thehouse. After learning from a resident that an elderly bedridden woman wasstill inside, Officer Farnham immediately ran to the rear of the residenceand forced entry through a door. Upon searching the smoke-filled house, hefound the victim lying in bed and carried her outside to safety just as firedepartment personnel arrived. The brave actions of Officer Farnham savedthe woman from the blaze that destroyed her home.

Officer Farnham

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