THE FIVE POINT PRESSA publication for the employees of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office

Building Bridges: Brick By BrickTCSO Hosts National Crime Prevention Council Conference

Volume 1, Issue 4 Spring/Summer 2006

By Barbara Cilley, Planning Manager

WHAT’S INSIDE . . .Sheriff’s Spotlight .............................. 2Training Academy ............................... 3Regional Radio System ....................... 3Direct Supervision .............................. 4E-Citation ............................................. 5Digital Video ....................................... 6Restoring Peace .................................. 7Police Games ....................................... 8Deputy UBI ........................................ 10Granny’s House ................................. 11Employee Profile ............................... 12 NCPC Conference continued on page 9

Community leaders, representativesfrom local law enforcement agencies,religious leaders - all came together fora working day of problem-solving andbrainstorming to address the issue of“crossing the divide.”

photo taken by Kim Orts

The National Crime PreventionCouncil (NCPC) conference,

Building Bridges Brick by Brick, startedwith the Sheriff submitting the winningbid in August of 2005. The Sheriff’sproposal identified Travis County’s andAustin’s problems in clear language thatled NCPC to believe that theirorganization could bring to the table aprocess that would provide ideas andsolutions to improve the I-35 divide. Inadvance of the conference, the team ofMonica Palacio, Fabienne Brooks, andSarah Godshall visited Austin and TravisCounty several times. The Sheriff’sOffice and the NCPC team during these

visits coordinated and interviewed across-section of fifty communityleaders, faith-based leaders, and lawenforcement officials.

From the beginning, four key themesemerged from the interviews with lawenforcement staff from across thecommunity and community leaders:

1. The need to “cross the I-35 divide;”

2. Fear and lack of trust that AfricanAmerican and Latino/Hispanicresidents feel in the presence of lawenforcement officers;

3. The need for systems and institutionsto protect the safety of policeofficers while ensuring the safety ofTravis County residents; and

4. Ongoing and reliable education andprevention strategies.

Using this information, the Sheriff’sOffice and NCPC developed a one-day conference that had a goal of helpingto develop strategies for an actionagenda to help solve problems identifiedthrough the interviews and a structuredcommunity dialogue. The structured-community dialogue was the mechanismfor beginning serious and creativediscussions around how lawenforcement and the minoritycommunity could break downcommunication barriers and beginworking in partnership.

Spring/Summer 2006 Page 2

THE FIVE POINT PRESS

Editor ................................. Kelly PageManaging Editor ... Jeannie MaldonadoGeneral Reporter ......... Josie MatthiasGraphic Design ......... Karen Maxwell

Thanks to these employees whocontributed articles, pictures and ideas.

Barbara Cilley M’Lisa DalleyBucky Eacret Joseph FloresGeorge Fuentes David HughesMark Maxwell Charyl NaronRobin Osborn Mark SawaDerrick Taylor Roger WadeChris Wallace Rick WhiteheadBryan Whoolery

The newsletter of TCSO for TCSO

SHERIFF’S SPOTLIGHT

During the year and a half that I havebeen in office I’ve witnessed a

number of employees who havepersonally experienced a catastrophicevent in their life or that of a loved one.Because the Travis County Sheriff’sOffice (TCSO) is family oriented,employees often host small events toraise money for others in time of need.A lot of energy is put into these eventsbut unfortunately the end result is notalways as successful as hoped.

Recently, my personal awareness washeightened by the illness of ReeseKlaerner, the child of Officer BradKlaerner and his wife Laura. I went tovisit the family at the hospital at lunchtime, and the family was out of thehospital at the time. The hospitalallowed me to go into the intensive careunit (ICU) to visit baby Reese. When Iwent into the room I saw a helpless littlebundle connected to numerous tubesand machines, it was baby Reese.Seeing Reese’s helpless state was morethan one person’s heart can bear andmade me realize that we, as an agency,needed to do something to assist theKlaerner family. My next step was toapproach Tim Henry, President of the

Travis County Sheriff’s Officers iAssociation (TCSOA) to seekassistance in implementing a plan ofaction. Henry began organizingfundraising efforts, such as a BBQ andbake sale, as well as teaming-up withthe Travis County Sheriff’s LawEnforcement Association (TCSLEA)for additional planning. I then issued apersonal challenge to TCSO employeesto go beyond just purchasing the food,but to contribute from their hearts to theKlaerner family. The Associations wereable to assist during this time of need;but I wanted to do more for this family,as well as for other TCSO families whoare experiencing or may experience apersonal crisis in the future.

I then contacted Roger Wade, Presidentof the Sheriff’s Memorial & BenevolentSociety (SMBS), and told him that amonetary fund needed to be created toassist employees in time of personalcrisis. My goal for the proposed fundis to raise $100,000.00 by the end ofthe year. With that said, I havecommitted to suspending my futurecampaign fundraising efforts until wehave reached the $100,000.00 goal forthe SMBS specifically for TCSO

employees who are experiencingcatastrophic events. My campaigncontributors have been contacted andencouraged to join our efforts in raisingfunds for the SMBS.

Just recently, the first step in raising thesefunds was accomplished. SeveralTCSO employees and various businessdonors came together to orchestrate adinner and silent auction at the beautifulWild Onion venue and a golftournament at the Star Ranch Golf Club.These two events grossedapproximately $30,000.00. Anupcoming event will be a concertfacilitated by the management ofAntone’s, as well as a raffle drawingwhich will include a 50" flat screenSamsung television, a Dell notebookcomputer, and a Harley Davidsonmotorcycle.

In conjunction with the fundraisingefforts, TCSO is researching anddeveloping a proposal to present to theCommissioner’s Court allowingemployees to donate their vacation and/or sick-time hours to otherdepartmental employees, experiencingcatastrophic events, who are without

Sharing the 21 year tradition of an entry in the Elgin Western Days parade with “theMoonriders,” is a sampling of officers representing Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamiltonand the county’s Corrections Bureau. Braving the raindrops that wilted starched uni-form shirts, these three horsepersons proudly carried the Texas colors for all to see andadmire. Left to right they are: Ruth Sanchez, Danny Voights and M’Lisa Dalley.

photo submitted by M’Lisa Dalley

Spotlight continued on page 9

Spring/Summer 2006 Page 3

Training Academy continued on page 10

TCSO Training AcademyPromoting Professionalism & Realistic PreparationBy Mark Sawa, Lieutenant

The Travis County i Sheriff’sAcademy is committed to

increasing the professionalism of lawenforcement and corrections throughoutthe Sheriff’s Office and Travis County.One critical component i of thatprofessionalism is quality training forpersonnel of the law enforcement andthe correction communities. We cancontribute to that professionalism byproviding quality training courses.

Our training calendar currently offers avariety of training opportunities for themany diverse functions and serviceswithin law enforcement and corrections.The courses in this training calendarbenefit both seasoned officers anddeputies, as well as officers anddeputies with less experience.

While all officers and deputies canbenefit from courses related to officersafety topics, such as Use of Force in aJail Setting, Weapon Retention, EdgedWeapon iDefense and Two-manTactics, newer officers can build on theirbasic skills by taking some of our newlyoffered courses such as FamilyViolence, Prison Rape Elimination Act,Report Writing, and PC affidavits andInterpersonal Communications Skills.

The courses in our training calendar areavailable for Travis County Sheriff’sOffice employees, officers from allmunicipal and county agencies in TravisCounty, as well as any law enforcementor correction officer from around thestate. Regardless of an officer’s pasttraining and experience, the coursesoffered in this training calendar providemany opportunities to learn and applynew skills, or build on existing skills toimprove the quality of service to thecommunities we serve.

Two of the very newest additions to theTraining Academy are the AdvancedInteractive Systems (AIS) PRISimTM

Firearms Simulator and the Doron’s550LE interactive driving simulator.

AIS PRISimTM simulators provide highlyrealistic use-of-force training thatdevelop the skills required for personnelarmed with both lethal and non-lethalweapons. Flexible deployment optionsallow training to be delivered at fixedfacilities or at any off-site location suchas the command centers or show-upareas throughout the county.

The PRISimTM platform producesexceptionally realistic video-basedenvironments for all aspects of firearmshandling, including marksmanship,decision-making, and tactical strategies.PRISimTM utilizes broadcast-qualityDVD technology to create vivid digitalenvironments that are as close as youcan get to the real thing. PRISimTM

delivers all the hard realities of a realoperational encounter. The judgmentcalls, indecision, sudden fear, partialunderstanding, blindside surprise, andeye-blink response are all part of thetraining experience that conditions thetrainee for survival. Our integratedShootBackTM and video capturetechnologies add a vital intensity leveland the training discipline to recordstudent performance.

Realistic Interaction

The goal of the Training Academy insimulated training is to make theexperience “as real as it gets” - tomentally challenge the participant andcreate the physical conditions similar toa real-world event. It becomes the jobof the instructors to ensure that every

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office(TCSO) is now completely utilizing

the Regional Radio System (RRS) forradio and IP mobile communication.This project was initiated by the City ofAustin who formed a partnership withTravis County to address the inabilityfor local agencies to communicateeffectively with each other over theradio. The RRS covers approximately1,200 square miles and is used by over80 departments. There are over 9,600portable radios and mobile devices onthe RRS. The coverage areas andagencies on the system are beingexpanded to include Williamson Countyand part of the Texas Department ofPublic Safety.

The TCSO currently has over 700radios and mobile data computersrunning on the RRS. Radios for theRRS were purchased based on a onenew radio for one old radio exchange,with the exception of 40 additionalradios that went to Corrections. Theseextra radios were purchased withmoney from Travis County EmergencyServices.

The TCSO Law Enforcement Bureauwent live on the RRS during the summerof 2003. The mobile data computersin use by deputies access the RRS forcomputerized aided dispatch (CAD)data along with state and federal data(TCIC/NCIC). The RRS is also thenetwork used by automatic vehiclelocation (AVL) devices which allow forthe visual tracking of vehicles.

The Corrections Bureau went live withthe RRS in May 2006. The original go-live date was delayed due to issuesconcerning signal penetration inside

New RegionalRadio SystemBy Robin Osborn, Lieutenant

Radios continued on page 5

Spring/Summer 2006 Page 4

Direct Supervision Strategies: Back to BasicsBy Bucky Eacret, Lieutenant and Mark Maxwell, Sergeant

Think like a good supervisor (a supervisor of inmates),Expect the best: The self-fulfilling prophecy,Set clear expectations with inmates,Use positive reinforcement techniques,Hold inmates accountable for their behavior,Treat inmates with respect and consideration: The Golden Rule,Be just and fair,Rely on the least restrictive supervisory techniques necessary,Manage the unit by walking and talking,Identify and address inmate concerns,Be a source of information and services,Encourage inmates to take responsibility for themselves,Plan and supervise unit activities,Develop and measure personal goals for the unit,Apply policy and procedure appropriately to achieve unitgoals and objectives,Take the initiative to keep your supervisor andco-workers informed,Take the initiative: just do it,Take calculated risks,Be creative in managing the unit,Be flexible in managing the unit,Be a role model for the unit, andBe yourself.

22 Direct Supervision Housing Unit StrategiesWe recently had the privilege ofattending the “How to Run a

Direct Supervision Housing Unit – Trainthe Trainers” class at the NationalInstitute of Corrections (NIC), inLongmont, Colorado. The class wasgreat, the accommodations and foodwere excellent, and we even got to seesome snow. We would like to share asmall portion of the information welearned in this article. We will also beteaching the material to supervisors andofficers over the next few years.

Here are a few highlights:

1. The direct supervision housing unitofficer must be proficient in using theirinterpersonal skills to accomplish theirdaily objectives, as well as and maintaincontrol using the least restrictive meansavailable.

2. In a direct supervision housing unit,officers should start at the lowest levelsupervision technique as possible. Thenif needed, you have a full range ofescalating options that are available andstaff will have the flexibility in dealingwith inmate behavior.

3. Direct supervision is a state of mind,rather than a state of jail construction.You should not let the physical plant bean excuse for failure. The overall goalof direct supervision is to achieve theactive and continuous supervision ofinmates in a safe and clean environmentat all times. Several jails havesuccessfully implemented directsupervision strategies even in podularor linear housing units. While directsupervision works best when coupledwith appropriate jail design, theconcepts are the most important.

4. Inmates generally can be “informally”classified into three simple categories:

Aggressors (most likely to attackor take advantage of others),Vulnerables (most likely to bevictimized), andSituation Normals (averageinmates who do their time andcause very few problems).

5. Officers supervising directsupervision housing units often need tochange housings within the unit in orderto manage the unit more safely andsecurely.

6. Officers need to establish theirleadership, management style andsupervisory expectations with theinmates the first time they work the unit,

and then continuously reestablish it asthe composition of the unit changes.

It is very important to establish asuccessful and positive supervisoryrelationship early in the unit. In orderto establish a management style withina direct supervision unit, officers needto be assigned to a unit for an extendedperiod of time, not to exceed 90 days.

We are grateful for the trainingopportunity, and we look forward toteaching the concepts.

Spring/Summer 2006 Page 5

some of the jail facilities. Correctionswaited until all of the RRS towers werein place to prevent the unnecessarypurchase of hardware to amplify theradio signal. Additionally, the personalalarm functionality on the radios did notmeet operational needs.

The RRS allows for any user on thesystem to communicate with anotheruser on the system. This allows for theTCSO to communicate with any otherTCSO user in addition to several otherdepartments including EmergencyMedical Services, Austin FireDepartment, Austin Police Department,Aviation Police Department and theUniversity of Texas Police Department.There are also channels on the systemdedicated to use in an emergency ordesignated event that allows forcommunication between local RRSusers and state and federal agencies. Insuch an event, all applicable users wouldbe informed which channel to go to soeveryone can communicate on the samechannel or set of channels.

Radioscontinued from page 3

What is E-Citation?By Barbara Cilley, Planning Mgr.

On June 15th the Commissioner’sCourt approved new E-Citation

technology for Travis County lawenforcement. The first phase of theproject will equip 35 officers with hand-held devices that will be used to givecitations to the public. This phase equipsall officers who are focused on trafficenforcement with the devices. When allphases of the project are implemented,Travis County will be able to eliminatethe need to enter citations manually intothe Records Management System andthe Justice of the Peace casemanagement system.

Here’s how the technology works. TheOfficer will swipe driver’s licensesthrough the hand-held device. Thedevice will read the magnetic strip onthe back of the license and populate allthe data fields in the hand-held device.The officer will enter other fields suchas miles over the speed limit. The officerthen hands the device to the citizen fortheir electronic signature. A clearlyreadable citation that is also smudgeproof is printed out on a compact printermounted in the officer’s vehicle. At theend of shift, the officer will take thehand-held device and wirelesslytransmit the citation information into acradle that will upload the informationelectronically into RMS and then laterinto the JP system.

This project will have advantages forboth the Sheriff’s Office and the Justicesof the Peace. Instead of having tointerpret officer’s handwriting on acitation, clerks will have a clearelectronic version of the ticket. Thecitation will be available for collectionwithin 48 hours. Over time, this processwill help to remove ticket backlogsbecause ninety percent of the data entryprocess has been eliminated.

Although the project is designed tomake the system more efficient, it isclear that there will be other benefits toimplementing this system. In the past,citizens have complained they have beengiven a ticket and had a hard timepaying the ticket because it was notentered into the system. With E-Citationimplementation, there should be littledelay in getting the citation into thesystem. Citizens will be able to use theircredit cards to pay their tickets twodays after they have been issued.Another side benefit of the project isthat citations will be rarely lost in theprocess. Studies have shown that twopercent of the citations are lost in thisprocess. With this new system oftechnology, the lost rate shoulddisappear.

This new technology should make theentire citation process more manageablefor both the public and officers. Storingand retrieving information will be fasterand more efficient. New electronicreporting requirements to the State oncommercial driver’s license can easilybe achieved. E-Citation is a technologyproject that will help the Justice Systempipeline for citation issuance.

Partnering with the Easter Bunny Foundation, Sheriff Hamilton and the BunnyTeam provided toys and smiles for about 150 children at the Children’s Hospital.Pictured L-R, Jeff Givens, Derrick Taylor, Cristina Warren, Colleen Stark as theEaster Bunny, Kimberly Geddis-Torres, Sheriff Hamilton, and Roger Wade.

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Spring/Summer 2006 Page 6

New Technology: Digital VideoBy Rick Whitehead, Captain

Mobile video first came to TCSOin the early to mid ‘90’s. These

systems used a standard VHS tapewith a vault mounted in the trunk andthe camera and controls mounted in anoverhead console. These systems haveevolved somewhat over the years anddespite advances in other technologies,are still widely used today. Cost hasremained around $3,400 a unit. Anothersystem from the late ‘90’s was the Hi 8mm units and we also have some ofthese. The success of the Hi 8 was veryshort lived. During our “test drive” theyshowed lots of promise but failed in thelong term application and we arereplacing them as rapidly as we can.

Much like your cable TV at home,digital technology has continued toevolve in the mobile vision arena. Wefirst looked at them about 3 to 4 yearsago, but found $6,000+ a unit to be tooexpensive. However, in recent monthsthat price has come more in line withthe VHS units.

Recently we have considered theseunits:

EyeNx – LawVision – has beenspecifically designed for use in vehiclesby utilizing existing analog or new digitalequipment by running the video throughthe MDC’s. It eliminates the VCR,increases the space in the trunk, andreduces installation costs; however,with it tied to the MDC, if you lose ityou lose everything.

Panasonic Toughbook Arbitrator–uses digital recording and data-compression technologies to achieve areliable and easy-to-query incidentdocumentation system. Since wealready employ the Toughbook as ourMDC this seemed like a logical fit butsince it uses the MDC as its storage

device it causes us the same concernsas previously mentioned.

Integrian–DigitalPatrol ler–technology is not based on or derivedfrom consumer technology but ratherdesigned from the ground up as a toolfor use in the harsh environments ofpublic safety. What is unique about thissolution is that it has separate,independent dual hard drives that storeup to 40 hours of video.

Through our test and those of otheragencies (San Antonio PD and DallasPD) we’ve locked in on theDigitalPatroller.

The standard DigitalPatroller solutionconsists of three tightly integratedsubsystems characterized by whereeach part of the system is located: TheDigitalPatroller In-Car i System(cameras, video screen, hard drives,etc.) will be installed in each new vehicle.The Data Transfer System will belocated in the parking lot of either thesub stations and/or fuel pumps. TheData Storage & Retrieval System(server) will be located in the Gaultbuilding.

Perhaps one of the most importantadvances related to DigitalPatroller isthe fact that users may now wirelesslystream video from the vehicle to remotelocations using either public (i.e. cellphone) or private networks. Theimplications of this are enormous. Thefirst officer on a scene of a majorincident can now transmit videoinformation back to a command post.During a pursuit a shift commander canview the pursuit live and make relateddecisions based on what he or she isseeing versus the radio traffic.

These units are being installed in ournewest units beginning in mid-June.

Digital Video Q&A:

1. What are some problems inherentin analog videotape systems?While analog videotape has been arelatively efficient and inexpensive wayof storing video signals, analog recordinghas distinct drawbacks: Analog signalsstored on magnetic tape degrade overtime. Recording, playback, and the lifespan of stored tapes can be negativelyimpacted when ambient temperature andhumidity are not maintained withinrelatively narrow parameters.

2. Analog systems are substantiallycheaper than any digital system.Why should we pay more to purchasea digital system?If price was our only concern, analogvideotape systems would do the job.However, what may be saved in theinitial purchase price of the system caneasily be spent in operationalcompromises and significant unforeseencosts needed to adequately support ananalog videotape system.

3. What is the difference betweenanalog and digital recording systems?Digital video has become the modernstandard in policing for a number ofreasons: Evidentiary integrity: digital filesare far more secure than analog VHStapes, which can be tampered with, lostor damaged over time. Far superiorsearch and storage mechanisms:countless digital files can be searchedand retrieved in moments. Clips areeasily downloaded to DVD to take tocourt. Searching analog archives isextremely labor-intensive and time-consuming.

4. Are there any technical issues withdigital recording systems?Yes, converting video from a camera intodigital form creates massively largecomputer files. Even today’s fastestbusiness and personal computers cannothope to compress and decompress videoin real time. If degraded quality levelscan be tolerated, this method of digitalcapture, storage, and retrieval has beenpossible for some time (a good exampleis streaming video over the Internet).

Spring/Summer 2006 Page 7

Bridges to Life is a faith-basedprogram which started in the Texas

Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)system. Miraculously it began as avictim’s path to healing. John Sage, asuccessful businessman in Houston,Texas comes from a large family. As isoften the case, he and the sister closestto his age became fast allies, pledgingto fight for each other unto death.

On June 30, 1993, Marilyn, JohnSage’s sister was brutally murdered bytwo offenders burglarizing her home.Throughout the apprehension, trial, andeventual sentencing of the offenders todeath by injection, John received nopeace and continued into a spiraldepression in which his business, family,and spiritual relationships began tosuffer. Through the TDCJ VictimServices Division he was able to beginparticipating in victim programsdesigned to assist the victim in healing,as well as to assist the offenders inmaking positive spiritual changes in theirlives. John Sage was not only able toreach such a place of spiritual healing,but from that place was able to start afaith-based program that has been in theTDJC system since the year 2000. Thatprogram is the Bridges to Life .

Their statistics for success with violentoffenders speaks to the depth of changefor which the program serves as acatalyst. The latest recidivism statisticsfor the Bridges to Life program include:

2,005 inmates have completedBridges to Life since 20001,706 released from prison218 returned to prison- this is a12% recidivism rate thus far with137 new convictions (8%); & 81technical violations (4.9%)

Only 1% of released offendershave returned for violent crimes.

New Program Brings Healing to Inmates and VictimsBy Charyl Naron, RAVE Program Director

From the Bridges to Life program asecond program was designed whichis more intensive. This programincludes more individual reading andwriting assignments, as well as personaljournaling. The program was writtenby Kirk Blackard, a long time friend ofJohn’s and an advocate of the Bridgesto Life. Restoring Peace involves thesame faith-based concepts of healingprovided by Bridges to Life and is atribute to the courage of all whoparticipate in the program.

One beneficial part about RestoringPeace is that it provides the reader/participant access to the samereconciliation process we i havewitnessed inside the prison walls. Theproblems and circumstances may notbe as serious as those of the offendersand victims involved in Bridges To Life,but the journey to restore peace in theirlives can be much the same.

The principles of Bridges to Lifediscussed in Restoring Peace are bothsimple and complex. A “willing heart”is essential in understanding andabsorbing this book and program. Thiscan begin by simply reading RestoringPeace with an open mind. After readingits concept, stories, questions and thenadapting them specifically to your life,change can occur more often than not;most especially with the help andguidance of mentors and facilitators.Restoring Peace allows the participantsto focus on the spiritual concepts thatmay be broken in their lives, such asfaith, forgiveness, confession, and/orrestitution. Participants in RestoringPeace are typically shown the answersto questions in their lives that havehaunted them and seemedunanswerable.

When I approached John Sage aboutstarting Restoring Peace at the TCCCas a component of the Resolve toAbolish Violence Everywhere(R.A.V.E.) program he expressedhesitancy. However, I was able toreassure him that the officers of thisfacility are dedicated individuals, muchdifferent than what he may haveexperienced elsewhere. I assured himof our professionalism and the desireto assist others in making positivechanges. I encouraged him to visit ourfacility and meet us before making afinal decision. John came to TCCC inNovember of 2005 and was veryimpressed with the facility and theprofessionalism of those he met. It iswith pride that I am able to share withyou that the Travis County Sheriff’sOffice is the first county jail in the Stateof Texas to implement either RestoringPeace or the Bridges to Life program.We have successfully graduated twoclasses of 15 since its inception. Allparticipants, community volunteers,victims of crime, offenders and stafffacilitators agree that the program hasbeen life changing for them. While wedo not look for perfection in each other,we are able to recognize the often deepchanges that have occurred. Wecelebrate with all the restoration ofpeace, and know the likelihood forviolence in our community and the livesof the offenders will be reduced.

A quote from Ernest Hemingway’sFarewell to Arms best sums up the truthof healing we see in all those touchedby the Restoring Peace program:offenders, victims, volunteers, evenstaff.

“The world breaks everyone,and afterwards, some arestrong in the broken places.”

Spring/Summer 2006 Page 8

Spring-Summer 2006 Police Games

I recently had the opportunity toparticipate in the 2006 Police Games

which were held in South Padre Islandand hosted by the Brownsville PoliceDepartment. I had not competed in thePolice Games since 2001 and wasextremely impressed with the level oforganization of this year’s event. Thefirearms range, obstacle course, trackfacilities and other venues were firstclass and well structured. It wasrefreshing to see some familiar faces

from the Sheriff’s Office at registrationand at some of the events, as well asacquaintances from other agencies.

For those of you who are not familiarwith the games, they are competitiveevents ranging from bowling to TexasTough Cop that enables commissionedpolice officers the opportunity tocompete against fellow Police Officersfrom around the State. The idea ofpromoting physical conditioning,through competitive athletic events,originated in California. The games haveserved to enhance physical fitnessamong police officers, an essential andintegral part of police work. They haveprovided a means for the effectiveexchange of experience and ideas in acompetitive yet congenial atmosphere.The games have also enabled the publicto see their police officers in a new anddifferent perspective, to learn moreabout them through their performanceand accomplishments in friendly buthighly competitive sporting events.

By Bryan Whoolery, Sergeant

Well, it is that time again – time forthe Alzheimer’s Association’s

Memory Walk! Sheriff Hamilton willserve as Honorary Chair for the 20065K Memory Walk. He is urging youall to join him on September 30th atAustin High School and to ‘MaintainYour Brain’. Proceeds from the walkwill improve services and care offeredby the Alzheimer’s Association.

Did you know, increasing evidenceshows that managing your numbers –your blood pressure, cholesterol, and

blood sugar levels, as well as your bodyweight – contribute to healthier agingand may help decrease your risk forAlzheimer’s? Debbie Hanna, Presidentof the Alzheimer’s Association – Capitalof Texas Chapter said that it is her hopethat “the community is motivated to getinvolved in Memory Walk and that theywill continue to increase theirunderstanding of the disease.”

In the near future you will be receivinginformation from Travis County Sheriff’sOffice team leaders asking you to join

Upcoming Alzheimer’s Association’sMemory Walk, September 30th

the Sheriff on September 30th. Ouragency’s goal is to exceed 300participants for the Sheriff’s team, aswell as be successful with our fun-filledopportunities to raise money for thisworthy cause!

To learn more about the Memory Walkvisit the chapter website at www.alz-austin.org.

By Kelly Page, Community Relations Outreach Director

Congratulations to all those whoparticipated in this years event, and Iwould like to urge everyone to make aconcerted effort to participate in nextyear’s games which will be held onGalveston Island.

Mark Knight, participated in Shootingand TX Toughest LE Officer; BernardoRivera, Bronze Karate; Kimberly Orts,Silver 100M Sprint and Silver 200MSprint; Bryan Whoolery, Gold ObstacleCourse, Gold TX Toughest LE Officer;Rodney Blackmon, participated in SaltWaterFishing; Robert Frederick BronzeSaltwater Fishing; Kelly Franks, GoldWomen’s Softball, Silver CoedSoftball; Shane Dembowski, BronzeArchery 300 event; Mike Negus,Bronze Straight Pool, Bronze 8 Ball,Bronze 9 Ball; Mary Jo Gilbert, SilverGolf-Individual Handicap, Gold Golf-Individual Age; Mary Jo Gilbert-JoyMooney (APD Commander), GoldGolf-Team Handicap, Gold Golf-TeamAge; Stan Roper-Scott Parker, GoldBowling Doubles; TCSO Semi-Autos(Bob Lawson, Robert Jones, JasonHall, Scott Parker, Stan Roper) BronzeBowling Team event.

Mark Knight, left, preparing for the TXToughest LE Officer competition.

Spring/Summer 2006 Page 9

Two hundred and fifty were invitedto the conference and over 116people attended the all-dayfacilitated conference at the MountZion Baptist Church on Tuesday,February 28th. The tone for theevent was set through an eveninggospel musical held at the church theday before the conference. The gospelmusical event featured a wide varietyof church choirs and gospel stars. Theconcert was designed to use music asthe first bridge to bring the communitytogether.

The conference began with the firstround of dialogue focused on relating apersonal success story that challengedthe stereotype of the divide. Thepersonal stories were summarized in theconference proceedings and includedcomments such as, “being accepted asan Austin Police Department (APD)narcotics officer in spite of being black,meeting ‘Hollywood’ Henderson andbeing told you can do anything, notreacting to a racial slur, took a Hispanicboy home when he was seven years old,overcoming fear of difference to helpthose in need.” The stories were allrelated in an atmosphere thatencouraged the participants to expandtheir horizons and think outside of thebox.

The second round of discussion wasconcentrated on sharing a directexperience that related to working withlaw enforcement. The intent was to laythe foundation for the lessons theseexperiences exemplified. It wasdesigned to reinforce that there arepositive experiences with lawenforcement that can be repeated andexpanded. Comments from this round

ran the gamut of, “get to know officersbefore a situation, talk to officers whopatrol an area; this helps both sides, lawenforcement officers are human too instressful situations, build lawenforcement relationships with youngpeople through tutoring and mentoring,realization that as an officer you can bewrong at times.”

The third and final round was devotedto recommendations for improvingpolice-community relations. It wasintended to help provide the basis forgoing forward from the conference.These suggestions will help frame thestarting point for a newly formedBuilding Bridges steering committee.This committee met for the first time onJuly 6th to work with the national NCPCteam and the Sheriff’s Office. TheSteering committee makeup reflects thewide variety of participants whocontributed to the conference. Theiragenda will be based on the thoughtsand reflections of the conference. Overthe long-term the committee will helpto achieve the goal of bringing lawenforcement and the community closertogether so that the community can getbeyond stereotypes that are held by allsides of the dialogue.

NCPC Conferencecontinued from page 1

leave. This proposal is encounteringsome resistance due to complicationsexperienced in a similar past countyeffort. However, I am committed inpursuing this proposal with the supportof the TCSOA and the TCSLEA.

I must confess that I am saddened andtroubled by the lack of commitment bymany TCSO employees to volunteertheir time to participate in theseimportant fundraising efforts. Theseefforts are for you and your colleagues,those who work side by side with youeveryday. The people who will benefitfrom these efforts are individuals thatyou assist during a work-related call forhelp, that you share lunch with, that youcongratulate on the birth of a child, orthat you mourn along with when theyhave lost a loved one. I don’t believethat everyone fully comprehends theimportance of extending your hand andtime to a fellow co-worker.

All fundraising events take time toorganize. These events need you - I amasking you to step forward andvolunteer. Moreover, I challenge allsupervisors to consider allowingemployees, if the workload permits, toparticipate in TCSO fundraising andCommunity Outreach efforts duringwork hours. Furthermore, I want tothank those supervisors who havealready answered our requests for help,as well as thank the TCSO employeeswho have consistently volunteered theirtime for this agency and others.

In closing, I want to share a quote withyou from former President Bill Clinton,“Volunteering is an act of heroism on agrand scale. And it matters profoundly.It does more than help people beat theodds; it changes the odds.”

Spotlightcontinued from page 2

photo taken by David Hughes

Our own Deborah Higgins sings a solowith the Metropolitan A.M.E. churchchoir during the gospel musical held theevening before the conference.

The Sheriff’s Memorial and Benevolent Society (SMBS) is organizing several fundraising opportunities. Thisorganization is working to build a resource for all TCSO employees and their families. Funds areused for immediate expenses following catastrophic events, memorials, scholarships, other educa-tional programs and the support of any public safety project or program. There are lots of waysyou can participate - and you might even have fun along the way! Contact Roger Wade or one ofthe other SMBS board members for more information on how you can participate.

5 Day Western Caribbean Cruise, February 5 - 10, 2007, from Galveston on Carnival’s Ec-stasy. For more information check the SMBS website, www.tcsheriff.org/smbs_cruise.htm.

Cook Book: Recipes are still being collected. If you have a favorite recipe, please share it for inclusion in thisproject. And be sure to purchase copies for family & friends once they are published.

TCSO Calendar for 2007: This is an opportunity to have fun, and promote fitness, while raising funds for a greatcause. Both males & females from all sections of TCSO are encouraged to participate. This will be a terrific giftidea once released, so watch for it December 2006.

Deputy UBI ReportingBy Roger Wade, PIO

Texas has more counties (254) thanany other state. Forty one counties

in Texas are each bigger than the stateof Rhode Island. Rockwall County isthe smallest county at 149 square miles.Brewster County is the largest 6,204square miles. Angelina County is theonly one named for a woman.

There are more thanone-quarter millionmiles of roads in Texas,the largest roadnetwork in the nation.

The longest highwayin any one state isUS83. It runs903 miles fromBrownsville tothe Panhandle.

The shortest highway in Texas isLoop 168 in downtown Tenaha inShelby County. The road is 0.074miles long, or approximately 391 feet.

About 1.6 million gallons a year ofwhite and yellow paint are used to stripethe highways of Texas.

Facts gathered from “The GreatState Of Texas Almanac 2006”

Spring/Summer 2006 Page 10

Training Academycontinued from page 3

trainee focuses on the task at hand, andnot the artificial constraints of thesimulator. As part of every trainingenvironment, the instructors canintegrate scenario branching to alteroutcomes based upon trainee decisionsand interactions. Based upon thetrainee’s verbal responses, theinstructor can alter the scenariooutcomes. This means that everysituation has multiple endings, thusmaking it practically impossible tomemorize the enactments.

With PRISimTM as our training platform,we can choose from a wide variety offirearms and accessories to meet ourspecific training needs. PRISimTM

firearms options range from full-dutyfirearms with laser-firing variations tohandguns and automatic weapons. Inaddition, trainees can also interact withthe PRISimTM platform using OC sprayand flashlights.

The second addition is the Doron’s 550LE interactive driving simulator. The550 LE is designed to provide adynamic training environment for a widevariety of law enforcement and

corrections situations. Each 550 LE isa single operator unit that allows thedriver to interact with computer-generated vehicles in a realisticenvironment. Multiple 550 LE units canbe linked to create real-time scenarios,thus enabling the development of team-based skills and essential agency policytraining.

The Doron’s Scenario Developer is apowerful tool that enables drivingsimulator instructors to easily andquickly create unique training scenariosto meet their specific training objectives.With Doron’s Scenario Developer, theinstructor simply selects objects and avehicle, places them into the VirtualWorld™ and then the students “drive”the vehicle where they want it to go.The system automatically records andsaves the vehicle and its path.

Because the Scenario Developer is soeasy to use, new or special scenarioscan be rapidly developed, crashsituations can be recreated quickly andeasily for use in training, re-training orother job-related needs.

The Training Academy looks forwardto providing you with the best trainingthat we can.

Spring/Summer 2006 Page 11

By Kelly Page, Community Relations Outreach Director

On June 7th Sheriff Greg Hamiltonlaunched a proactive community-

wide effort to address Teen DatingViolence by collaboratively joining withCarolyn Mosley, mother of the lateOrtralla Mosley, a victim of teen datingviolence; SafePlace-Austin; Women’sAdvocacy Project-Teen JusticeInitiative; Sherry Matthews AdvocacyMarketing; Austin Graphics, and theAustin Film Festival.

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office(TCSO) and its partners are committedto raising awareness of teen datingviolence through:

Public Service Announcements(PSA) – “Violence is Not a Signof Affection” and “Help theHealing Begin,”Print Campaign – “If he hurtsyou, he loves you not – Violenceis Not a Sign of Affection,”

Providing free trainingopportunities for local lawenforcement and school personnelby utilizing the Center for DiseaseControl’s “Choose Respect”curriculum, and conductingactivities with collaborativepartners and local youth.

Additionally, in October, in recognitionof National i Domestic ViolenceAwareness month, an initiative with theAustin Film Festival (AFF) will beannounced. At that time we willdisclose details of an upcoming contestfor Travis County teens to create a PSAon Teen Dating Violence. AFF will befacilitating filmmaking training seminars,at no charge, for students and will behosting panels during the AFF forstudents. The top three selected PSAswill be announced in February duringTeen Dating Awareness and Preventionweek.

TCSO would like to thank TravisCounty Media Services, Eagle HighSchool – Eagle, Idaho, and local teensNicci Avey, Katra Harris, and JuanRamirez for their contributions increating the PSAs utilized in thiscampaign.

To learn more information about thiscampaign link to:www.tcsheriff.org/tdv-campaign.htm

photo taken by Joseph Flores

This TCSO vehicle will help spread themessage that Violence is Not a Sign ofAffection. Austin Graphics donated thematerials to wrap this unit and SherryMatthews Advocacy Marketing donated thegraphic design.

We all know someone who coulduse a little help with finances,

childcare, food or simply coping withlife stresses. As a deputy in theCommunity Outreach Unit for the TravisCounty Sheriff’s Office, I have had theopportunity to participate in severalprograms to help the community. Thisyear TCSO teamed with Habitat forHumanity and helped build a muchneeded home for an East Austinresident. During the build, an idea ofbuilding another home for someone elseand giving it to him or her free and clearof any financial responsibility, wasbrought to our attention. The idea wasdiscussed with Sheriff Hamilton. Heimmediately said, “Go for it!”

We met Geneva Houston,affectionately known asGranny, in February 2006.Granny bought a house in

East Austin in 1961. She and herhusband planned to fix up the old house,but tragedy struck and Granny’shusband died before they could buildup the house. That did not stopGranny’s drive to help others despiteher own needs. Over the last 40+ years,she raised dozens of children in the small675 square foot house. She fed andstill feeds the poor, as well as neighborsin her area. Granny has been a pillar inthe community despite being 76 yearsold and handicapped. She currentlytakes care of her 59-year-oldhandicapped nephew. Granny does alot of wonderful things for others despitebeing on a fixed income and driving a

1976 Cutlass, her only vehicle since shefirst drove it off the showroom floor in1976. She makes frequent trips to thelaundry mat and takes her nephew toroutine doctor’s appointments.

When we first met Granny, she was inher backyard digging, unclogging hersewage system. At least twice a monththat was one of her chores. She alsohad to nail, tack and or staple linoleum,cardboard and tile to her ceiling to coverholes. She had poles holding up partsof the ceiling where patchwork was notenough. She had no central air orheating, only box fans and a dangerousspace heater. Her floor caved in yearsago and was unsteady. There wasexposed wiring, separated boards in thewalls and leaks in the toilet and bathtub.The pier and beams were cracked.

Granny’s HouseBy Derrick Taylor,Senior Deputy

Granny’s House continued on page 12

Teen Dating Violence Campaign is Launched

Spring/Summer 2006 Page 12

EMPLOYEE PROFILE: Richard Taylorby Chris Wallace, Communications Manager

On August 13, 1991, Rick Taylor,a tall skinny young man, walked

into the TCSO Dispatch office for hisfirst day of work as a Dispatcher. Hewore our issued uniform, a tan shirt anddark brown polyester pants. Back then,the dispatch office was located in thebasement of the Courthouse. We hada total of four workstations and ourdot matrix printer was so loud, we hadto have a sound proof cover over it soyou could hear the radio when it wasprinting.

August 13th wasn’t Rick’s firstexperience with the Sheriff’s Office. Hejoined the Explorers in 1985 whileattending Travis High School. He hasfond memories of ride-outs with TipBirdwell, Stan Roper, TommyBlackwell, and [then] Sgt. Scott Parker.He also had ride-outs with [thenDeputy] Jim Sylvester – and says hehas stories. How did that trash can fullof water get in Rick’s locker? Afterhigh school he worked as a dispatcherat Lakeway PD before joining theSheriff’s Office.

Over the years, Rick has receivednumerous letters of appreciation andcommendation for his work inCommunications. He’s always loved

“tinkering” with things and from themoment he began his employment, hewas very interested in the workings ofthe Computer Aided Dispatch System(CAD). You could always count onRick to trouble shoot problems with theequipment or to program a new code.In April 2001, this initiative wasrewarded when he was assigned towork on the Combined TransportationEmergency Communications Center(CTECC) CAD Project. Rick wasinstrumental in developing andprogramming the highly advanced CADsystem we use today. In April of 2002,Rick was promoted to 911Telecommunications SpecialistSupervisor. With over 15 years ofservice, Rick’s fondest memories are ofthe various shift parties, get-togethersand of the many close friends he’s made.By far, his most difficult day was Feb15, 2001, when Deputy Keith Ruiz was

killed in the line of duty. Rick wasworking the radio during the incidentand continues to feel the effects to thisday.

When Rick is not working, he enjoyswatching movies, listening to music andspending time with his family at theirexotic game ranch. He also has fondmemories of his trips to France to visitfamily as well as visits to England –where he saw Madonna in front of herhotel. His favorite movie is “JurassicPark” and his favorite musical group is“Dead or Alive” - long live the 80’s!

To my knowledge, no one has workedin TCSO Communications as long asRick. He recalls that when he receivedhis 10-year Service Award, SheriffFrasier announced that all ten years hadbeen spent in Dispatch and thatexplained why he’s so “crazy.”

During his time here, Rick has manydifferent experiences, taken all types ofcalls, and dispatched countlessincidents. He draws on this experienceand knowledge to assist our newestteam members. Occasionally, we’ll takethe time to reminisce about the “olddays” and marvel at all of the newtechnology that has been introduced inCommunications over the years. Hisability to adapt to these changes hasmade him a valuable asset to our Office.

There were electrical cords runningacross the ceiling to provide electricityto different parts of the house. Grannystill pushed on without complainingwhile helping others.

The Sheriff’s Office has teamed withlocal builders to tear the house downand rebuild it. The house wasdemolished on May 24th 2006. ChascoConstruction agreed to oversee theproject. Many local businesses andvolunteers have stepped up to be partof this project. Target has donated

items for the house to almost furnish itcompletely. Landscape, cabinet door,countertop and cement companies havealso committed their resources.Ultimately, Granny will have somethingwe all hope for, a safe place to callhome.

Completion date of the house has notbeen determined because volunteerswho have regular jobs are building it.We are hoping to hand her the keys 45-60 days after the foundation is poured.

Granny’s Housecontinued from page 11

Demolition of Granny’s House, May 24th.

photo submitted by Derrick Taylor