98 posts, software headaches, hardware grief and as much fun as you can have with your pants on. Comments don’t always come from sane or sober people. I never expected everyone would agree with me or I would have been able to run unopposed for President. If I haven’t pissed each of you off at least once I’d feel I haven’t done my job. I know I’ve gathered some loyal readers all over the USA, the UK, Australia and I even have a regular visitor in Hong Kong. Someone at the Sergeant of Arms at the US Senate (I’m assuming he or she works in a protective position) stops by daily. I’ve got a mix from the law enforcement community, gun rights activists, many news media folks and some entertainment professionals. I want to thank you folks for navigating your web browsers my way. I’m going to include video that I produce myself whenever I can. I’m always up for story ideas from my readers. The problem I have is that I’m a one-man band right now and can’t do everything I want. This h...

The year was 1969. It was one of those years that Chicago hit the record books for the most cops murdered in the line of duty during any 12 month period. Cowardly sniper attacks were being committed all over the country against police officers. It was no coincidence that the Black Panther Party was trying to promote an armed revolution to overthrow the country. The Party leaders were Clamoring for the killing of cops that they were calling pigs. Everyone had a clear understanding that cops attempting to arrest these terrorists were marked for death and that shooting first and shooting straight was important for officer’s very survival. That cold December 1969, pre-dawn infamous raid resulted in the arrests of several Panthers, the recovery of their weapons and the deaths of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark. Hampton and Clark died the way they lived, by the sword. They were criminals and morally responsible for the deaths of all the cops through their advocating of the killings. Unbelievably...

L.A. County Sheriff’s officers have found themselves in an international investigation examining whether the Ferrari’s owner Stefan Eriksson possessed another exotic sports car, a Mercedes SLR that was reported stolen to Scotland Yard. Eriksson reportedly has an extensive car collection that includes cars like that destroyed Ferrari Enzo that were not, “street legal”. Read the latest here . There's more here .

There are times when politicians and bureaucrats that appoint cops order them to take action that’s in direct conflict with the United States Constitution. All cops are required to take an oath to defend and protect that Constitution. Some cops will blindly follow orders as too many did in Germany during Hitler’s Third Reich. The Nuremberg War Crimes Trial set the standard that following orders is no excuse to escape punishment. Hurricane Katrina was blight on America not just for a weather related disaster but also for a greater disaster, the destruction of basic American Freedom, Liberty and human dignity. Notwithstanding the relentless and unending bureaucratic blunders aggravating the human misery, some government agents began a crime wave of their own. The former Chief of the New Orleans Police Department conspired with others to commit home invasions and armed robberies against New Orleans homeowners. Officers from the NOPD and agencies as far away as the California Highway Patro...

Strange white powder appears in some college dorm. Panic sets in as thousands of tax dollars are spent on a major terrorist investigation that’s waged by local, state and federal authorities. It seems some bonehead claimed the powder was the deadly poison called Ricin . The news media quickly brought out an army of terrorism expert-pundits to frighten everyone. They need to outlaw those damned doughnut sprinkles! Some harried and late traveler passes by an airport security gate where the low-wattage TSA monkeys are dozing off. The apes wake up and quickly initiate an airport lockdown and a national news story. Some seventh grade school kid brings his father’s antique handgun to school for a show and tell program. Yep, even though nothing has happened the kid makes the nightly news. This lad whoever he is should quickly run out and get an agent for a book and movie deal while he’s still hot news. A tourist poses in front of a tourist attraction for a photo being taken by yet another tou...

Having been a cop and working in the criminal justice field for years, cop TV shows attracted my viewing. There were the good series like Joe Wambaugh’s Police Story, and that less believable but nonetheless entertaining offering from Michael Mann, Miami Vice. There were also the shows I absolutely hated such as The Rookies, Policewoman, SWAT and Starsky & Hutch. The year was 1990 when people still regularly watched prime time TV. COP ROCK came from Steven Bochco , who was still fresh with the success of his show, Hill Street Blues. COP ROCK is still considered one of television's most notorious flops of all time. COP ROCK took the viewers on a magic carpet ride from the simulated reality of police adventures to Broadway musicale fare. Gone was the reality that I never missed since TV and films seldom capture the real world of cops and robbers. At nearly $2 million per episode, ABC pulled out all the stops utilizing the award winning musical talents of Mike Post, Randy Newman a...

As I've expected the police have been busy recovering money and rounding up suspects. The odds of breaking a case where a gang of criminals is involved increases by the number of participants. This gang was too large to avoid quick discovery and capture. Read more and watch the video here... Still more progress 2/25/06.

I knew this powder keg was going to explode soon. It’s not been a secret, just something nobody wanted to talk about. Hurricane Katrina destroyed massive amounts of paperwork, evidence, laboratory work needed for thousands of pending criminal cases. Additionally, thousands of displaced crime victims and witnesses won't be returning to New Orleans to testify in court. Another huge problem is that a large percentage of the members the New Orleans legal community suffered the total loss of their offices, homes and most important, paying clientele. Many of these lawyers had to retire, change careers or move elsewhere. If all that was not enough, the bankrupt local government simply does not have the funds to provide defendants needed lawyers handle the cases including those that came after the Hurricane. The result of this mess is thousands of dangerous criminals must be released from custody as speedy trial and right to counsel issues force the courts to dismiss the cases. Shortly as ...

Even before this case is solved, and I predict that it will, agents and filmmakers are already scrambling to fill the various roles. This is about that kidnapping of a security manager and his family to facilitate the UK’s largest ever heist, in Tonbridge, Kent, which is located some 20 miles southeast of London. The hold-up was pulled off this week by a ruthless, armed gang in a country where the laws have made sure only criminals can have guns. Sweden's Securitas AB, the world's biggest security firm has suffered a disastrous public relations nightmare over their failure to prevent the loss of this fortune from their facility. Visions from Chicago’s, St. Valentine’s Day Massacre surround this story as in that case the perpetrators donned police uniforms and used a phoney police vehicle in the looting of the depot. The robbers are said to have worked with military precession as they engaged in heavy lifting, moving the cash bundles for over an hour. If only there was a role fo...

This morning, the L.A. Times provided in inside view of the business affairs of Stefan Erikssen, of Bel-Air, the 44 year-old Swedish ex-convict who walked away from the million-dollar wreck of that Ferrari Enzo. Many of us wonder where someone acquires the kind of money it takes to be able to ride down Pacific Coast Highway in that kind of style. Tales of a counterfeiting conviction, the development and marketing of a must have, hand held, gamer’s gizmo and the failure of a business promoting the thing.

The four-day Las Vegas SHOT SHOW is over but my readers can take a coveted look at some if the really great products designed to keep both cops and law-abiding civilians safe. I was privileged to fondle, examine and photograph all the hardware I covered in a special blog just for this show. Click here and take a look !

The victim was shot execution style. What does that phrase mean? To me it sounds like they took the victim blindfolded to a stake in the ground, first offered him a cigarette then a squad of Riflemen shot him dead. Too often what it really means is that the person who uses that phrase while describing a homicide exaggerates and can't be believed. He was shot at point blank range. Go ahead define that term if you dare! I remember watching a defense lawyer destroy a cop’s testimony on a murder case. Tell us officer, what’s the definition of the term, point blank range that you just used? I watched the homicide detective react like a deer caught in the headlights. He stuttered, coughed, babbled and finally confessed he was just not sure what that meant. I watched as members of the jury laughed out loud. That came back to haunt the detective again in the defense lawyer’s closing argument to the jury. The jury acquitted the defendant who later sued the police department and received a s...

I’m all for cops having the right tools for the job. I’m not so sure the Taser stun gun is right for anybody. I’m not worried about the deaths blamed on this device or cops using them for eliciting confessions from suspects. I’m concerned this one shot gizmo with a 15-foot range has been over-ratted by an aggressive marketing campaign. The right clothing will stop this thing cold and the user does not get a second chance. Of course there is always the possibility the thing will fail altogether. I was really dismayed when United Airlines wasted lots of money getting these Tasers as a anti-hijacking weapon for their pilots. Every airline pilot should be trained and armed with a handgun. Those refusing to do so should be invited to leave and go flip burgers somewhere. As a firearms trainer the only use I can see for the Taser is to deal with an unarmed person who refuses to submit to an arrest. Of course an officer with proper backup can accomplish a difficult arrest without injury to him...

Be sure to click on this picture to see this baby right! This was the hot story in L.A. this morning, as L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies were scratching their heads trying to figure out who was going to get a pocket full of citations. Early claims were that the car was traveling at 200 miles per hour. The suspected occupant was hardly scratched but remembered how to dodge and duck when the tough questions were hurled at him. So far, no citations have been issued. Now the insurance company involved can raise all our rates to pay this claim. Hit this link to see two news videos and read more! Here's an update...

This is how one chase ended on a highway. In hindsight running from the police was a really bad idea. This video is not for the faint of heart...

Hurricane Katrina did not give ua anything to smile about except this guy. I think he needs a top notch agent! He could make the rounds of the late night and even morning TV shows. Perhaps he could swing a huge commercial deal with his favorite beer maker. That grin he has on his mug is abso looter ly priceless. Since AP published this fellows likeness folks everywhere have taken to photoshopping the "beer looter dude" into new and really comical scenes. There’s even a Beer Looter Dude movie now!

I borrowed this photograph of a Hollywood casting director’s dream of a perfect actor to play a retired Chicago cop. I once met John Mahoney several years ago at a “Frasier” wrap party that Kelsey Grammer invited me to attend at Paramount Studios. It’s no coincidence that Mahoney is a Chicago boy. I recently got involved in the defense of a criminal case involving a retired cop who will soon be 80 years old. This old warhorse had a venerable 35-year career with the Chicago Police Department with the awards and letters making anyone proud of his service. He had suffered a stroke several months before the event that brought him a charge under California law of, Brandishing a Firearm. It’s only a misdemeanor. Dishonor is the only real penalty that’s possible for this well liked oldster. In a nutshell the old copper observed suspicious behavior and took some action. Nobody was hurt but the alleged “victim” has a lawyer and is really only looking to get rich with a lawsuit against my client...

When I was high school age in the mid-1960s, the small Honda motorcycles were in vogue. My job at The Pup In The Ruff, hot dog stand at Montrose and Broadway (It’s still there being run by my old boss Jake Siegel who looks younger than I do.) allowed me to have enough money to by a really nice 90 cc bike. I knew some other lads my age with similar bikes and we hung out together hoping not to get into too much trouble with the cops. There were about a half dozen of us, younger versions of Marlin Brando or at least we thought so. Our clothes and haircuts were right out of West Side Story. We hung out around Nelson and Sheffield. The ones I remember were brothers, Tom and Jerry. One of the other guys was Jose, a Puerto Rican who had a way with the girls. Jose had a 90 cc bike and used it like a stealth fighter plane. I remember Tom and Jerry’s dad telling Jose he was not going to live long because of his driving. That caused a macabre bet to be made. Tom and Jerry’s dad had a $50.00 bill...

You know the one I’m talking about! It’s the one where the bad guys score points by killing cops. Let me make it clear I don’t want to see killing cops made fashionable or in any way legitimate. I’ve seen too many murdered cops on Cook County Morgue autopsy tables. I can never get the face of Joanne Crowley out of my mind as I passed the folded American flag to her at her husband, Pat Crowley’s funeral in the fall of 1976. This poor widow was now burying her second Chicago policeman, at the very same church! Just a few years earlier, Joanne Crowley’s first fiancee, Tom Kelly was also murdered in the line of duty. Officers Kelly and Crowley were great cops and good friends who were gunned down by the most vicious of Chicago’s criminals. I dare not to think of the emotional toll these senseless murders have taken on that fine woman. The sound of Joanne Crowley constant screaming during Pat Crowley’s wake and funeral will haunt me for the rest of my life. So what do we do about that fi...

Do you remember Maxwell Smart from the TV spy-spoof series called Get Smart? The late actor, Don Adams played the lead role. His scene scripts often went like this: Cmdr. Drury: Smart, you appear to be in pretty good shape, do you work out? Maxwell Smart: I jog one hundred miles every day! Would you believe it? One hundred miles! Cmdr. Drury: I find that hard to believe. Maxwell Smart: Would you believe fifty? Cmdr. Drury: No! Maxwell Smart: How about two push-ups and a deep breath? It seems that the Chicago Police department have since revised their claims about yesterday’s gun raid. Officer Kristina Schuler told the Chicago Tribune that instead of seizing 300 guns they actually only have 276. They’ve now named the gun collector at the heart of the story as, James R. Patrick, 63. Gone are the claims he was selling his collection to street gangs. Those claims were the basis of probable cause needed to obtain the search warrant from a judge. My guess is the “tips” to police were manufac...

The good Lieutenant, Stephen Glombicki informed the Chicago Tribune and AP of the seizure of some 300 weapons from an unnamed 63-year-old man at his house in the 3700 block of West 62nd Place. The story sounds so familiar as I’ve heard it several times before, as the great Yogi Berra once said,"This is like deja vu all over again." “Tips” come into the Chicago Police Department that a man, (always a serious gun collector) is selling guns to street gang members. The well-connected officers of the CPD gun-chasing unit mobilizes, using the “tip” information obtains a search warrant, kicks down the collector’s door and takes his collection while demonizing him to the world as a dangerous and deranged criminal. At the same time police officials and Mayor Daley tell us had that raid not occurred there would have been bodies of dead school children all over the streets of Chicago. Of course our heroes make outlandish claims about the power of the seized guns and explain how grenades...

The Feds unsealed more of the Pellicano Indictment snaring the biggest fish yet. Los Angeles lawyer, Terry Christensen , 65, and his billionaire friend, entertainment mogul, Kirk Kerkorian were indicted for intercepting the phone calls of Lisa Bonder Kerkorian to gain tactical advantage in their pending high octane divorce proceedings. Christansen has a huge problem here because Pellicano not only wiretapped Lisa Bonder Kerkorian’s phone; he recorded his own conversations with Christensen. We can expect a huge legal fight to exclude the calls illegally recorded by Pellicano as evidence against Christensen. I’d venture to say new law might result over this prosecution of Christensen. I must say that I find it really hard to believe that Christensen would have actually incriminated himself in conversations with anybody because of his long stellar history as a big gun lawyer. The fallout from the expected civil litigation may well include record jury verdicts once the criminal cases have...

My fellow cops often criticize me for my unusual opposition to the death penalty. Unusual because nearly every cop in America champions the notion of that final retribution is a way to achieve crime prevention. I have long ago reached the conclusion that Capitol Punishment is fraught with human error and mischief. Here’s yet another example of chicanery and derailed justice. Steven L. Manning , a former fellow Chicago cop no less, was framed for Murder and kidnapping with the aid of a bogus jailhouse snitch. Today, Manning, who was already awarded $6.5 million in damages against the FBI by a jury filed another lawsuit in U.S. DistrictCourt. This time against the Village of Buffalo Grove and two former police officers for their alleged role in the conspiracy to convict him. Manning in the new lawsuit, is now demanding unspecified damages against former police chief Gary Del Re, officer Robert Quid and the village. Manning had some serious baggage that landed him a spot as an FBI inform...

Okay, I’m being cute about this impressive little item from the Technology Division of Remington arms. There’s no question that this gee wiz gizmo will save lives of both cops and citizens. It’s a wireless high-resolution color video camera with audio no larger than the size of a baseball. You can plant it, throw it or roll it to the area you want to observe. It rights itself and you can remotely position the camera to view in any needed direction. You can simply view the large handheld color monitor and if needed connect to your digital recording device. This sweet little toy will cost about $4,500.00 per unit.

I’m off to the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas, NV for the rest of this week. For gun-lovers and such the SHOT SHOW is like a child’s trip to Disneyland. All the top manufacturers exhibit their latest goodies. The show is so huge that it’s impossible to stop at every booth and still see the entire show. I created a special blog just for the SHOT SHOW where I intend to put up lots of video, photos and interviews for your enjoyment. I suspect that I’m going to run into trouble getting my postings up until I return, but stay tuned… I have a special blog for this show.

Here's the file . it should take you to my hosting site were you can download a 60 page-- .pdf file and learn all about the Telesluth computer program to intercept telephone calls.

It’s safe to say we will all find out soon. Former, fellow private eye, Anthony Pellicano has spent the last couple of years at Club Fed for weapons violations. That case may be small potatoes compared to what he may be facing over an extortion and wiretapping beef . This is a parallel case has been building since the day Pellicano's Sunset Boulevard office was raided by local and federal officers in November of 2002 . In addition to laws against surreptitiously intercepting the conversations of others, California has a really backward law that requires all parties to any conversations to give consent to anybody recording the conversation. To record without permission is a serious felony. That law only serves to protect, extortionists, crooked public officials and liars. Supposedly law enforcement agents found CDs, of high profile Hollywood types chatting away on the telephone in Pellicano's office. The guess is that Pellicano somehow unlawfully intercepted and recorded tho...

The courts and do-gooders have spoken. All inmates are to be integrated regardless of what group becomes the minority. It makes no difference whether they are an oil and water mix of violent criminals that want to kill each other on the basis of race alone. Such politically correct hogwash killed one inmate and sent 100 others to the hospital in a Los Angeles County Jail facility today. Is the feel good political correctness worth the loss of life? The financially strapped taxpayers are forced pay millions for the medical treatment over unnecessary injuries that result from the clashes between inmates. Then the inmates can be counted on to sue for millions more for being victimized. I agree with very little of what the ultra-Liberal Sheriff Lee Baca supports. However I’m with him in his desire to allow for separate and equal segregation of his jail inmates to keep the peace while providing safer working conditions for his jailers. We can’t afford to do it any other way.

I’m shocked and saddened to see the picture of my friend, Bob Woodruff taken just before the explosion. His helmet and body armor is the kind of stuff that busy street cops wear in the United States. This is light duty gear and woefully inadequate for a combat zone where military operations are in progress. Street cops don't face bombs and rockets. Now I know why Woodruff and Vogt were so badly hurt. ABC NEWS had a duty to provide and require acceptable protective wear for these journalists and failed to make it happen. Update Febuary 4, 2006: I went to the Supply Sergeant surples store in Santa Monica this morning and found a real U.S military flack jacket size 42 (That would fit Woodruff just fine) and a genuine U.S. military Kevlar helmet. With tax it’s all out the door for $400.00. That’s a cheap price to pay considering what it would have prevented. The bad news is they would not let me shoot video of the stuff. But there are lots other places to go where these can be obt...

The result of this idea from the folks who hate gun and gun rights will bring with it tragic and unintended consequences. Lots of law enforcement folks practice on their own time and at their own expense. The same holds true for the thousands of security personnel, private detectives and ordinary people who need to defend their families along with themselves. None of these people will be able to afford to train and practice as a result of any punitive tax. I wonder how many innocent people will have to die because of government imposed, poor marksmanship? Of course all of the firing ranges will have to close and even if you could afford the ammo tax there will be no place to practice. The legendary, Congressional Medal of Honor winner, Sgt. Alvin York did not learn his shooting skills in the Army. He developed his ability to protect our way of life as a civilian. That was long before we wrapped ourselves in thousands of gun impairments and gun bans. This punitive ammo tax idea comes fr...

Pretty, privileged and indiscrete is the best way to describe this media driven creature. I guess Paris Hilton is absolute proof that there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Hardly a day goes by when you aren’t bombarded with pictures of Hilton and her sordid stories. There’s no escape from the Hilton persona. Now we are hearing the latest, really sordid Hilton gaffe. It seems Hilton somehow forgot to pay rent for a storage facility that housed her collection of raunchy homemade videos and photos we’ve not seen along with a diary, sex toys, personal papers, computers, heirlooms, clothes, and furniture. All of this hot property fell into the hands of the highest bidder who responded to the auction of the contents of Hilton’s locker. Now those salacious goods are on another auction block. This time the asking price is a cool $20,000,000.00! Hilton has something in common with the likes of Tonya Harding, Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell, Amber Frey, Darva Conger and Michael Jackson. What is that...

Learn new and exciting pursuit methods from the pros at the CHP! Here we have a young officer who has the right idea. Chase and catch the bad guys. No animals were hurt while filming this segment. Tape courtesy of KCBS-TV...

Here is that actual tape of that shooting by a San Bernardino deputy Ivory J. Webb IV, 45 being reviewed by Cal State Prof. Bruce Berg...