Dear Pat
I attended your Street Crimes Seminar in Olathe, Kansas on January 30, 31 & 1 February 2012. I wanted you to know this was my third time in your seminar and it never gets old. I learn something new each time, or I pick up on something I may have missed before. I thoroughly enjoy these classes.
I have been in Law Enforcement going on 34 years now. I can see you are a very honest dedicated man for Law Enforcement. Thank you so much for all you do.

Sincerely & Respectively

Chief Jan W. Smith

Norwich Police Department

Norwich, Kansas

You’re a law enforcement officer heading out to work. What’s your most important tool? It’s your attitude.

It sounds simple, but I’ve been amazed at some of the attitudes I’ve seen in both cops and federal agents as they interact with the public, witnesses, and suspects. And this is an issue with not only newer law enforcement officers, but also with many veteran officers. All of us can fall into the trap of bad attitudes.

Sometimes we feel like everyone is against us. It’s us against the world. This feeling can even extend to the command staff in our departments or agencies. Many times in my career I’ve heard someone say, “He/she used to be OK, until they got promoted.”

Few people understand what we deal with on a daily basis as law enforcement officers. It’s not easy to maintain a positive attitude, when each day we see the underbelly of society. They don’t call us to join their B.B.Q. or house party when everyone is having a good time. We get called when the shit hits the fan and the fighting starts.

It’s important to remember that many people resent authority figures, especially law enforcement officers. In contrast, look how firefighters are treated by the public. If a citizen brings a cake or cookies into the firehouse, everyone is happy to dig in. If a citizen brings a cake or cookies into the police station, we throw it out for fear of being poisoned.

Don’t get me wrong. I have all the respect in world for firefighters, who also have a dangerous and difficult job. In fact two of my four sisters are Chicago firefighters, and I’m extremely proud of them. The truth is though, that we in law enforcement get treated differently. It’s just a fact of life, and we have to learn to live with it.

Many in law enforcement see these people as the enemy and treat them that way. This attitude is counterproductive and makes a difficult job even more difficult. It also creates unnecessary stress in your professional and personal like.

Example: You’re driving down the street when some ignorant fool blows by you and cuts you off. Your first reaction is to lay on the horn or even flip him off. We’re all human, and this is a common reaction we all have. But we control our own emotions.

I saw a commercial put out by the IL State Police on road rage. The message was simple. You make the choice, whether to escalate the incident or let it go. Be smart. Let it go!

# # #

On February 3, 2012 another law-enforcement officer was murdered by a gang-banging punk in Mobile Alabama.

Only 36 years old, police officer Steven Green was stabbed to death with an edged weapon by the brazen gang member he had transported to the Mobile County Metro jail. The gang member was arrested earlier by an off-duty officer who was shopping in the store the gang banger was attempting to rob.

Gang banger Lawrence Wallace wore a diamond shaped pendant that hung from a chain around his neck. As he was led to a squad car to be transported to the county jail, news cameras were rolling. On the news footage you can clearly see this punk folding this diamond shaped pendant into a triangular shape.

He does this by reaching around with one of his handcuffed hands. And yes, he was correctly handcuffed with his hands behind his back. During the “perp walk” he’s talking shit with a news cameraman. Telling him, “This is all part of the movie, man. I’ll be out before I get there.”

Sadly, he did escape. After officer Green removed Wallace’s handcuffs he was attacked and stabbed with an edged weapon. Officer Green died at the hospital a short time later. It makes me sad to say this, but I believe that Officer Green’s tragic death was preventable.

As of this writing it appears that officer Green was killed by a necklace pendant that the killer Wallace wore around his neck. In the video footage I saw that the necklace pendant had very sharp edges. It was obvious that it could be used as an edged weapon.

Many officers mistakenly believe that an edged weapon is some type of knife or sword. In reality an edged weapon can take many forms, too many to name here. Any sharp object, no matter what shape, can be wielded as an edged weapon.

In closing I just want to remind officers that when you take a suspect is taken into custody, please remove all objects from that suspect prior to removing his hand cuffs. It’s a tough reminder, but officers can never let their guard down – either on or off duty.

God bless Officer Green and his family. Please keep them in your prayers.

Respectfully

Pat McCarthy

# # #

A common problem in law enforcement is dealing with suspects and other individuals who have no identification or falsified documents.

Without proper identification or while hiding behind false identities, it’s easy for these people to lie to law enforcement and give false information as to their real identities. We don’t have the capability to fingerprint everyone to make a proper identification and must rely on the information that the subject provides.

With easy access to false documents, such as a drivers license or state ID, and sometimes even a falsified birth certificate and social security number, we can be faced with a difficult situation trying to determine the real identifies of the individuals we encounter in our work.

Books and websites show how to avoid paper trails. Titles like ID By Mail and How to Disappear in America show methods to create false identities. Internet companies sell custom-made identification cards for people tired of being tracked and monitored within government data bases and wish to regain their privacy.

When I was working the streets, if I encountered a subject who didn’t have identification or if I suspected that the identification they did have was bogus, I would use a little ruse that proved very effective in my efforts to learn the person’s true identity.

I would obtain all the subject’s pertinent information ( i.e., name, height, weight, D.O.B., social security number, etc.) and then pretend to run a computer name check on the bogus information they provided me. I would wait a few minutes and then grab the suspect telling them that they were wanted for murder in Texas or some other state. I guarantee they will now tell you the truth of who they really are.

I stopped a junkie burglar one time who had no identification on him. He gave me a story of how he had recently lost his wallet and hadn’t had the time yet to get new IDs. I had a good suspicion that he was giving me the bull, so I asked him for all his vital information, which he readily provided.

After obtaining his D.O.B., social security number, etc., I pretended to run a name check on him. I waited a few minutes and then grabbed him telling him he was wanted for murder. He started to freak out telling me that the information that he had just given me was false and that his real name was Billy Fender. He further stated that he had a theft warrant on him and that his drivers license was in his sock under his right foot.

He couldn’t remove his right shoe and sock fast enough, telling me to run his name and I would discover that he was in fact wanted, not for murder, but for theft. He handed me his real drivers license and when I ran a legit name check on him this time, I found an outstanding theft warrant. He was quite happy to get locked up for the theft warrant and not for the phony murder charge that I had originally confronted him with.

Another simple way to smoke out a subject you think is providing false information on their identity is to do the following. Get all their vital information and then engage the person in a conversation, such as how long they lived at the location they provided. Are they married or single? Just ask for general information to get them engaged and talking to you.

After a few minutes of idle chat, ask them very quickly, “What was your birthday again?” Watch them closely and many times you’ll see what I call the satellite delay. You catch them off-guard by quickly changing the topic to their birth date and they have to think for a minute about the birth date they just gave you a few minutes prior.

Here’s another technique to try. It’s similar to the one just mentioned about the birth date. After you get all their vital information, engage them in a similar conversation and then spring the trap. What astrological sign are you? Scorpio, Virgo, or Leo, etc.? You’ll probably see the same “satellite-delayed” reaction. It often takes the subjects by surprise and catches them off-guard, giving you a physical reaction that can reveal deception.

One more version of this catch-the-bad-guy-off-guard technique, is to again get all their vital information and engage them in conversation. As you’re talking to them add a year or two to the birth date they provided you. Example: They gave you a birth date that would make them 24 yrs. old. As you are talking to them make the statement, “So you’re 25 yrs. old right? Watch their reaction to reveal any signs of deception.

I’ve used these techniques in my 25-year career and tricked many bad guys into revealing the lies they told me. I encourage you to try these techniques. They worked well for me, and if you give them a try, I know they’ll work well for you too.

# # #

When you’re in law enforcement, how you deal with cover and concealment is critical to your safety. Throughout your career you need to be aware of it and constantly evaluate your methods as you patrol the streets in your city, county, or town.

There’s a difference between cover and concealment. ‘Cover’ refers to anything that will deflect, slow down, or even stop a round. There are two kinds of cover used by those of us in law enforcement, stationary cover and portable cover.

With stationary cover, we use objects found on the streets, such as trees, light poles, mail boxes, etc. The most common stationary object we use is the patrol car. But although the squad car door is commonly used for this, don’t rely on it for adequate cover. It provides very little protection and can be easily penetrated by most rounds.

Instead use the front end of your patrol car, which offers the best protection. Most rounds, even AK-47 and other high-powered rifle rounds, cannot penetrate the engine compartment.

In critical situations position your vehicle to maximize the protection it offers by parking it so you can use the engine compartment for your cover location.

Another common choice for cover is the trunk area. This is also a poor choice, since many rounds can penetrate it. Wheel wells of the front and back of your patrol car offer good protection against most handgun rounds, but high-powered rifle rounds will penetrate them and leave you vulnerable.

Portable cover consists of body armor, i.e. your bullet proof vest, portable light-weight shields, and ballistic blankets. Portable ballistic equipment will stop most handgun rounds, but they may not stop rounds from high-powered rifles.

New advances in technology will bring better protection for law enforcement officers. For example, there is now a ballistic panel that can be retro-fitted into the doors of patrol cars so the doors will offer better protection than they do now.

‘Concealment’ refers to anything that hides your presence or movements from the bad guy. But concealment doesn’t always offer you protection. You might be hiding behind something but can still be shot. Concealment without cover.

re are some concealment mistakes commonly made by officers involved in critical incidents:

1) Failure to consider the tactical advantage of the bad guys. Even though you might feel safe hiding behind an object that offers full concealment, if the object doesn’t offer full cover protection, you can be shot through that object. Rounds will penetrate it even if the shooter can’t actually see you. This would apply to the interior walls of most houses. If the bad guy fires wildly in your direction, he might be able to hit you, even without seeing you or knowing your exact location.

2) Not being aware that your body might be casting shadows that reveal your location to the bad guy. You’re hidden, but not protected.

3) Letting the beeps and other sounds from cell phones, radios, and watches give away your location. Always keep this in mind as you move tactically toward the bad guy.

Here are some do’s and don’ts to be aware of when faced with a critical incident:

Do

• Find cover early. A good tactical cop is always thinking cover. When you need it, you might have little time to look for it.

• Consider withdrawing instead of staying in place. It might be the safest option.

• Always think tactical advantage. You make the decision when and where to make the stop, so try to conduct stops in areas near cover.

• Vary your levels and sides when firing from cover. Never give the bad guy the same shot at you twice.

• Fire around cover, not over it. You’ll present a much smaller target for the bad guy to hit you. [Use the mail box photos as examples.]

Don’t:

• Change cover location just to make a change. Sometimes cops move around for no apparent tactical reason. Think smart when you change your cover location.

• Change your cover location with a partially loaded weapon.  Even if you only fired one or two rounds, reload and use the clip with the expended rounds as a back-up. The one or two rounds you’ve already fired can make a difference in a gun battle.

• Try to fire through cover. With the tremendous penetrating power of modern ammo, you might  wound another officer who is at the scene.

• Fire without identifying a specific target.

Your ability to evaluate cover and assess the threats  you face on the street can have a major impact on whether you survive a deadly force encounter. Learn to recognize what is good and bad cover. Always keep cover in your mind. When you need it, you’ll need it very quickly. Your life could depend on the cover choices you make.

Working undercover is an assignment that can be very rewarding and challenging. It also can be an extremely dangerous.

To be good at anything in life you have to like what you’re doing and have a strong desire to do it. This is even more true with undercover work. Undercover officers need to choose this unique work. They can’t be drafted into it.

In addition to a strong commitment, to be successful at working U/C you’ll need to have a very good understanding of how the criminal element operates. It’s one thing to be a good cop, but it takes a completely different mindset for success and safety as an U/C officer.

U/C work can take many forms, but I’m going to specifically talk about undercover narcotics work. During my 5 years working undercover in the Chicago P.D. Gang Unit, I learned first-hand how unique U/C work truly is. I saw that having a good knowledge of how the bad guys operate is essential and will determine how successful you’ll be.

I grew up in a lower middle-class neighborhood in Chicago, where many of my closest friends chose a very different path in life than I did. I became a cop, many of them became criminals. In my neighborhood you either became a cop, a firefighter, a burglar, or a drug addict.

I’m not saying everyone I grew up with turned out this way, but many guys in my neighborhood did. I believe my desire to become a cop helped me make the right choices most of the time. I did get to see how criminals operated, and, sadly, learned many of the bad guys’ habits from watching some of my closest friends destroy their lives as we grew up together.

I’m not very proud to admit it, but I did attend 3 separate Chicago high schools. In the five years it took me to finally graduate, I got a unique perspective most people never experience. I did eventually pull my head out of my ass and went to night school for almost 7 years.  While working as a cop, I took advantage of the Chicago PD’s tuition reimbursement plan and earned my Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

I hope that you will find the following information helpful if you choose to work an U/C assignment during your career.

The first step for a U/C officer is choosing an undercover identity. I highly recommend that you use your real first name and change your last name. There are several reasons for this advice, but the most important one is you will always remember your name. It may sound like common sense to be able to remember any name you would choose, but under very stressful situations you don’t want to take any chances.

I was once working U/C with a partner who’s real name was Jim. He used the name ‘Donny’ for his U/C identity. We were working a tavern in Chicago buying guns and dope from some bikers who hung out in this neighborhood bar.

One night my partner and I were shooting pool with a couple of bikers. It became Jim’s (Donny’s) turn to shoot. One of the bikers we were shooting pool with was standing only a few feet away from Jim. He called out “Hey, Donny, your turn.” Jim was not paying attention and didn’t respond to his U/C name, ‘Donny.’

I almost shit myself!  The biker called out again, “ Hey, Donny, man you’re up.” Still no response. I poked Jim with my pool stick and said “ Hey, Donny, it’s your turn.” Jim finally got the message and took his pool shot. I don’t know how it wasn’t noticed, but it was very clear to me Jim’s real name wasn’t ‘Donny.’ It should have been clear to anyone else who was paying attention, but thankfully we got away with that mistake.

I’m also a firm believer in using props for many types of police work, but especially U/C narcotics assignments. A simple “For Sale “ sign that you can buy at any hardware store works great taped to the back or side windows of your U/C vehicle and adds credibility to your undercover identity.

You can also take your family dog along for the ride. I used my dog Buck on many a dope buy, and he was a great prop that fooled many of the bad guys. I would also take along a cold six pack of beer to hand out to street corner dope dealers. I would pull up to a street corner operation and engage a dealer in conversation. As I ordered a bag of dope, I would hand the dealer a cold beer. It worked like magic. They never expected a cop to be handing them a beer. I also had a cold one in my hand as well. It helped me fit in.

Another trick I used for safety was that I had the front passenger’s seat firmly bolted in place as close to the car’s dash board as I could on all the U/C cars I used. This limited the space and movement of anyone who entered my U/C car to make a deal. If things were going to turn ugly, I wanted the advantage to be in my favor.

I also recommend that you never go into an undercover situation unarmed. Over the years I’ve talked to several U/C officers who don’t carry a gun when they buy dope. I think that ‘s a big mistake. If a dope dealer told me not to show up armed, I would carry two guns with me and I would have my cousin Billy, another U/C cop armed with two guns also.

Don’t let the bad guy set the terms of the deal. When you do that, you’re giving the bad guy the advantage and that’s the last thing you want to do.

Stay out of houses or apartments when doing deals. You’ll be much safer meeting in a public place. Bad guys are much less likely to try and stick you up or do harm to you when people are around. A public place also gives your back-up team more flexibility to cover the deal and keep you safe.

One last point, always keep safety as a top priority in any U/C operation. Don’t take unnecessary chances. No amount of dope is worth you or one of your

back-up officers getting hurt during a deal. Always remember, this job will still be here long after you retire.

#  #  #

One of the most exciting assignments in law enforcement is working in a narcotics unit or on a drug task force. It’s also one of the most dangerous jobs law enforcement officers perform.

Today’s police officers are the most well trained and equipped cops in the long history of police work. But being highly trained and well equipped is not going to make a difference when officers come up against a well armed suspect who is waiting in ambush.

I don’t have any inside information on the recent incident that occurred on Wednesday the 4th of January 2012 in Utah. I watched in horror as the news media reported on the tragic incident where six police officers were gunned down while serving a search warrant. As of this writing one officer is dead and five additional officers are hospitalized in serious to critical condition.

I really believe that it’s time for law enforcement to do some realistic and serious soul searching on this high-risk police function. There are numerous other options that should be considered prior to executing a high risk raid.

I know there are many situations where a high-risk raid must be executed. But many of the high risk raids that are conducted, placing officers at greater risk of being killed or seriously injured, could have been replaced with other, less threatening tactics.

Times change, tactics change. Officers should seriously consider less threatening options prior to executing a high-risk entry. Various ruses can also be used to take the suspect into custody.
Lure a suspect out of his residence. Or set up a surveillance to grab the suspect when he enters or leaves the residence. Once the suspect is in custody, then you can thoroughly search him and his residence.

In closing it is my personal option that a high-risk raid should be considered only after all other options have been considered. Please keep these wounded Utah officers in your prayers and pray for a speedy and complete recovery for all.

Respectfully

Pat McCarthy

Sometimes the only way to get a conviction on a suspect is by conducting a good interrogation. Identifying the suspect, finding him, and making the arrest is only half of it. Getting a detailed confession is the other half.

The suspect’s own words admitting to the crime is the most powerful evidence you can present in court. There’s a big difference between an interview and an interrogation. During an interview we gather information, such as: Who, what, where, when, why and how. During an interrogation we get the suspects to admit their role in a crime.

Conducting effective interrogations is a mind game. We are playing psychological chess with suspects. We are trying to sell them a term in prison, which most suspects are reluctant to buy.

A major problem that criminals face when they lie to the police is they cannot be certain what the police already know about their involvement in the crime. Good interrogators will ask test questions for which they already know the answer. These are questions asked just to see how truthful the suspect actually is. These questions are called control questions, and they can offer the interrogator great insight. If the suspect has nothing to hide, why would they lie about any question being asked of them?

Suspects being interrogated often provide great detail about unimportant events leading up to a crime, but will give only vague information about the crime itself. That’s because most people can’t lie well under pressure.

Telling the truth is easy. It relies only on their memory or recall of what actually happened. Lying, on the other hand, requires creativity and logic. Creating lies is a process that becomes more difficult under pressure.  So experienced officers who fully understand the facts of the case always apply pressure at the right times in the interrogation.

Why do suspects confess?  Most people have a natural desire to talk, and criminals are no different. So smart cops learn to develop rapport with suspects during an interrogation. These interrogators have good communication skills and can appear non-judgmental while interrogating suspects.

No matter how horrendous the crime, never express anger at a suspect for committing that crime. As we are sizing up the suspects, they are sizing us up also. Don’t bring up consequences of the crime during an interrogation. Instead, develop a theme that gives the suspect a logical reason for their criminal behavior. For example, “You took the money to pay bills, not to buy drugs or gamble.”

Other theme concepts can be developed to minimize the suspect’s involvement in the crime. Some examples include blaming rival gang members for a shooting. “If those fools hadn’t come onto your turf, threatening you, this incident would have never happened.”

Or you can blame alcohol for a particular crime. “I know you were drinking beer and smoking a little dope. It’s important to get that on the table. When someone is under the influence, their judgment can be affected.” You deliver the theme as a sales pitch to get suspects into the right frame of mind to confess. The most effective themes offer the suspect a somewhat logical reason for their criminal behavior.

There are many legal ways for law enforcement to get information from suspects. We certainly can bait them into believing that critical evidence points to their involvement. We can state that witnesses are involved, even if no witnesses exist. And we can tell suspects their foot prints or finger prints were found at the scene, even if they weren’t.

Conducting interrogations is one of the most critical phases of most criminal investigations. During an interrogation, officers must use active persuasion to convince suspects that there is enough evidence to charge them with the crime. The interrogating officer must convey complete confidence in the suspect’s involvement in the crime. “I know you did this, I just don’t know why you did this?” Be sure to show no doubt in your verbal and non-verbal communication.

Be tenacious and act like it. Emphasize how long you have been working the investigation and how many other officers have been involved in the case. Don’t look at your watch or pace around the interrogation room. Instead give the impression that you have endless time to work on the suspect. You are sure about their involvement in the crime and you’re going to prove it.

Pat McCarthy is a 25 year veteran of the Chicago Police Department. During his career Pat has worked Patrol, Special Operations, 6 yrs. on SWAT, 3 yrs. as a Sniper, 5 yrs. as an undercover Gang Cop, and 11 yrs. detailed to 3 separate Federal Task Forces. During that 11 yr. period Pat was deputized by the FBI and The U.S. Marshals Service. Pat is also the creator of the very popular ‘Street Crimes Training Seminar.”