Don't Get Texted To Death

We send out Community Perception Surveys each month to random addresses of registered Papillion voters in an effort to find how our citizens think we do our job.  One part of the survey asks the respondent to identify a traffic enforcement issue that needs more attention by our officers.  More and more the surveys indicate that we need to "do something" about texting and driving.  These concerns indicate to me that our constituents have the wrong perception about the current Nebraska texting and driving laws. 

Unfortunately, with the exception of those who possess Commercial Driver's Licenses, current Nebraska statute only allows enforcement of texting and driving violations as a secondary offense.  Just as with seatbelt violations, an officer can only make a stop on a texting driver if another law is being broken at the same time.  In other words, we can't pull over a car just because the driver is stupidly texting, they must be stupidly texting and compound that act by simultaneously doing something else stupid. 

Much like you, nothing bugs me more than to be stopped at a light behind someone who continues to sit there after it goes green because they have their nose buried in their phone or laptop.  But until the Nebraska Legislature deems those actions dangerous enough, law enforcement will largely be handcuffed (get it?) to do anything meaningful about the practice. 

Now before you fire back that you saw a police officer operating an electronic device while he/she was driving, please be aware that the statute specifically excludes law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and ambulance drivers.  Whether right or wrong, those occupations rely on electronics to send/receive/acknowledge the most basic and emergency communications to each other and the dispatch center.  We DO have a department policy that restricts how the officer should use those devices, with the utmost concern for safety.

If you have a strong belief that our laws regarding texting and driving need changing, I encourage you to contact your state senator and let him/her know how you feel.  My view is that if a violation isn't important enough to be considered a primary offense, we shouldn't waste legislative ink to make it a largely useless secondary offense.  Or better yet, as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young used to tell us in Teach Your Children Well :  "You Who Are On The Road, Must Have a Code, That You Can Live By" --- Just don't be typing the code into your cell phone while driving, otherwise it may be a code you'll die by.   

 
BTW, the small print says:  lol no im nt busy im only driving

It's Always Nice to Get These Kinds of Emails

The internet, social media and email all make us extremely accessible.  I sometimes get to work in the morning and, before I can even choke down my first cup of coffee, am greeted with an email from someone not particularly happy with the outcome of a contact with one of our officers.  Whether the message had some merit or the sender just needed to vent, these emails tend to ruin my morning.  But I understand this comes with the job. 

Fortunately, I receive alot more positive comments than I do negative ones.  When an officer is singled out by name, I forward the email to the entire department and the officer's supervisor is free to use those comments when that officer's next performance evaluation comes due. 

Here's a cut and paste from an email I started my morning with today:

"I am sending this email to let you know about contact my husband had with your officer last evening. My husband was on his way home from soccer practice with a car load full of kids and apparently forgot lanes were mandatory and not optional so he made an improper turn into another lane.

Because of this he was stopped by Officer McClannan, who after writing him a written warning was kind enough to ask if there was anyone in the car that wanted some stickers. Of course my 1 and 3 year olds were ecstatic and very excited to get stickers and talk to the policeman!

I know that often times the public’s contact with the police is negative and you don’t often get a chance to hear the good “stuff”. My husband said your officer was very professional and kind while dealing with him and  then went the extra mile for the kids. I know how busy the officers are and he could have just got back into his car and went about his business but he took the extra time to interact with the kids.

It is him giving my children this positive view of the police makes me proud and just proves the reason I live in Papillion.

With kind regards

Kris __________"  

Now, I know what you might be thinking.  It's real easy to edit those cut and paste things.  But the only thing I removed was the last name of the sender.  Scout's honor.

The cup of coffee I was drinking when I read this one really tasted great.  I began to feel good about myself, thinking that I must be doing something right if we had these kinds of officers on the force.  But it really has nothing to do with me.  We don't conduct formal training on giving out stickers on traffic stops, there's no policy which requires our officers to be anything beyond civil when someone commits a traffic violation.  It simply comes down to the fact that Officer Kurt McClannan is a real nice guy who doesn't look at a minor traffic violator as a criminal and realizes that young kids in the car might be scared when a policeman pulls their dad over.  

Kurt doesn't fake niceness.  He spends alot of his off-duty time helping others, without bringing any attention to himself.  Fortunately for me, he brings that attitude to the job with him.  

After replying to the sender, I forwarded this one to the entire department, including Kurt's supervisor for use in his next performance evaluation -- just as I do with other thank you's I receive.  Only this time I'm also trying to figure out a way to include this into our formal training schedule.

Thanks Kurt -- for making us look great.      

About Mark on Veteran's Day

This will without a doubt be the longest one of these things I'll ever do.  Please bear with me.

For several years I taught Police and Society at Metro CC to a group of juniors and seniors from the Papillion-LaVista high schools who participated in their Criminal Justice Academy.  The program gives students who are interested in local, state or federal law enforcement the opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school.  The classes were held outside of normal school hours, very early in the morning.  Because of this, many of my students were not fully awake during a good portion of my ramblings.

In my first year of teaching I had a baby-faced student named Mark.  He was the exception, and always came to class prepared and alert.  Unlike myself when I was his age, he was interested, courteous and respectful of authority.  Mark was a true pleasure to have in class and ended up earning an A (I still have the grade book).  He seemed unusually mature for his age, expressed an interest in becoming a police officer, and I remember hoping that he'd someday apply with our department.

For several years after that I didn't see much of Mark.  Then one day he shows up at my house with my daughter after they started dating.  By then he was in college and enrolled in the Army ROTC program.  Turns out that his grandfather (who served in the military) and 9/11 served as inspiration to join the Army.  After that I saw quite a bit of him.  He hadn't changed much.  He still looked very young and was always respectful and pleasant.  Mark was a great kid to have around and I never worried when my daughter was in his company.  We spent many a holiday clowning around in the family room.

A fews year later my wife and I attended his Army commissioning at Creighton.  I think it was Mark's and his family's proudest moment.  I had been there myself at one time and could relate.  His uniform was immaculate as the lieutenant's bars were pinned.  I remember thinking how young he still looked in that grown-up uniform.  Next thing we know he completes several training courses throughout the U.S. and gets orders to Afghanistan.  It's my understanding that Mark was barely unpacked when he volunteered to take a patrol for another officer who was not feeling well.  Several hours later on August 30, 2010 1st Lt. Mark Noziska was killed instantly when an IED was detonated by a faceless, gutless fanatic who may have masqueraded as one of the civilians that Mark was sent there to protect.  He was 24 years old.  I got married and my oldest daughter was born when I was 24 years old.

Mark was buried in Grand Island where he grew up as a child.  His funeral procession was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.  It seemed as though the entire population of 50,000+ lined the streets between the church and the cemetery to pay tribute.  No one in our car could stop crying.

Next time you head west on Lincoln Street from 84th look left about 5 blocks down the road.  There you'll see 1st Lt. Mark Noziska Lane.  Usually there are flowers and maybe a flag at the bottom of the pole.  I find that gratifying, because I know that someone else out there still thinks of him.

Having served on active duty and in the reserves for almost 25 years, I've attended countless Veteran's Day celebrations.  Most involve speeches, music and alot of flag waving.  I don't much like to attend that stuff anymore, although I do put out my flag --- for 1st Lt. Mark A. Noziska.

If you are feeling generous, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to the Mark Noziska Scholarship Fund through the Papillion LaVista Schools Foundation, located at 242 West Grant Street.  Last I checked they almost had enough funding to provide for a perpetual scholarship.  I can't think of a better way to honor Mark and other veterans who have suffered loss.  Pretty soon this thing in Afghanistan will be over and there will be little evidence that our troops were ever there.  I sure hope Mark is remembered on many Veteran's Days for years to come.

                                                                                                                    

Keep Your Money

Each month we send out a number of random community perception surveys to see what our customers think about us and to elicit anonymous suggestions and concerns.  One I recently received had the following comment/question:  "I get contacted by 5 different police organizations.  Do you get any of the money?  You do a great job!" 

I really liked that last part, so even though it has nothing to do with this post, I decided to leave it in.  Thanks Mr. M for your kind comment.

This post is about the first part of his comment, primarily because I've been asked about this before.  What Mr. M speaks of are those annoying telemarketing calls that we all get from time to time in which someone purporting to represent the police want our money for this or that law enforcement cause.  Next time you get one of these (just before you hang up), take time to ask the caller if he or she is actually a police officer.  They are not allowed to lie, and I'll bet they'll answer they are not.  To answer Mr. M's question:  The Papillion Police Department has NEVER received a dime from any telemarketing program, nor has PPD ever solicited donations from individual taxpayers.  Once in a while we accept unsolicited donations from generous corporate, community and non-profit partners, usually for specific targeted programs (DARE, Neighborhood Watch, K-9 program, etc.), and we might apply for a corporate grant from time-to-time.  We firmly believe that our citizens donate enough to our causes via their annual tax bill, and there's no need to shake anyone down for more.

I think there's a certain creepiness about these types of telemarketing schemes.  Although never stated overtly, there's always a hint that these law enforcement "organizations" have special license to coerce a buck out of people, especially those who can't easily distinguish between their local police departments and national or state organizations which use proceeds to lobby one cause or another.  The other fact that's never stated is that about 75 to 90 percent of amounts collected go to the telemarketing firm, not the cause that's being advertised or peddled.

If you are inclined to donate to a worthy charity, find one that doesn't use most of their collections to fund administrative fees or salaries.  There are plenty of them out there (i.e. Salvation Army), and you can research many on the web (A good place to start is http://www.charitynavigator.org/ ).

The Bottom Line:  If someone calls you, wants to get in your wallet, and says they are representing us ---- THEY AIN'T REPRESENTING US.    

I Wish I Would Have Thought Of It - Show a Cop, Get a Pop

One of the very best things about hiring good people is that many of them are smarter than the boss.  Yesterday KETV News did a piece and today the Papillion Times printed a story about our "Show A Cop, Get A Pop" initiative at both Papillion high schools.  Essentially, this was a very simple idea to encourage our high school students to upload Nebraska's Underage Drinking Hotline number into their saved phone contacts.  Presumably, when prom and graduation parties come to the forefront later this spring, a student might remember to dial the number if they observe dangerous (and illegal) underage alcohol consumption going on around them.  The simple act of report the activity might very well save someone's life. 

But I digress.  The reason I make this post is to thank the officers who brainstormed and worked this idea in the first place.  Sgt. Kevin Covi and his band of merry men in Crime Prevention (A. Foster - PLVHS South SRO, B. Stigge, PLVHS SRO, T. Foster and K. McClannan - DARE Instructors' Extroidinare, and Phil Tackett - SRO and Permanent Room Dad at Papillion Jr. High) got together during one of their regular Crime Prevention meetings (a.k.a Grouphug) and came up with the idea.  They then obtained the full support of both Principals at the high schools and solicited the local Pepsi distributor to donate enough pop to give both schools a sugar high.  The first few days of this program have been a smashing success and we'll hopefully see a payoff later this spring. 

Good ideas happen around here everyday, I just wish I could take the credit for them.  Great job fellas, and keep up the good work.   

Another Fantastic Papillion Days

The annual P-Days celebration stresses our department more than any other time during the year.  Virtually all our men and women work extra shifts to make sure we have extra patrols on the Midway, in the park and during dualathon and parade activities.  In fact, we spend approximately 20 to 25% of our non-grant assisted overtime budget during the 4-days of festivities.  As I review the calls for service from the past week, I'm pleased to announce that, other than several alcohol-related arrests, we had virtually no crime associated with any Papillion Day's activity.  This stat speaks extremely well of our community and those who attended.  I'm also very proud of our men and women in uniform.  Although all of them work long hours and soak up alot of sun while wearing heavy gear, extremely uncomfortable bullet-resistant vests and hot uniforms, they also show more restraint and patience than is probably required.  Alcohol overconsumption seems to give some special powers to verbally assault our officers, but all took it in stride.  If you saw something positive about something an officer did, I'd like to hear about it.  Likewise, if you observed something you think needs improvement, please let me know.  We know we can't make everyone happy, but we'd sure like to try.  Thanks again for making Papillion Days fun and family friendly.      

Is It That Time Of Year Already?

PRIDE (Prevention Resources & Information on Drug Education) Inc. just sent out the 2011 Metro Area Prom and Graduation schedules to all area law enforcement agencies.  In addition to the dates, times and locations of proms and graduation ceremonies, it also lists the locations of post-prom celebration events.  We cops like to use these things as kind of a roadmap of the stars to figure out when and where we'll concentrate our forces and turn our attention to youth revelers who might take things a bit too far.  The last thing we want to do is ruin someone's special night, but we will if we have to-----because the stakes are too high.  Tragedies surrounding underage drinking still occur far too frequently, even though the word has never gotten out more.  Several years ago we began airing a stark music video created by the band Simple Plan on our local cable access channel (Channel 18 on Cox in Papillion).  Word had it that the band wrote the song after a close friend was killed by a drunk driver.  Although the message was brutally unpleasant, I received more thanks for putting it on than any other thing we've ever done before or since.  So we'll do it again this year, in hopes that at least one kid out there will modify his or her behavior as a result of seeing it.  Kids:  Think about how much of a hassle it would be to work your way through the courts for an underage drinking arrest while you are also trying to get ready for college, military or whatever else you want to do after graduation.  Parents:  Take time to hassle your kids just a little bit by keeping track of what they are doing, who they are doing it with, and where they are doing it.  The old hippie saying used to be never trust anyone over the age of 30.  During this time of year and for this purpose I ask you to flip that one just a bit to never fully trust anyone under the age of 19.  Please be safe and smart because we'll be out there party crashing.