News Reporting Rising Gun Sales- Our Resident Police Expert Weighs In Our distinguished expert served 15 years as a cop. During that time he was a financial crimes detective, certified hostage negotiator, and police sergeant. He was also awarded two Distinguished Service Cross medals, and was nominated for a Presidential Medal of Valor. For his work telling the stories of police officers, he has won four Edward R Murrow awards and two Heartland Emmy Awards. He is currently speaking to police departments around the country helping reduce police suicides. So WHO WAS our special guest? Why South Florida's very own Detective of the Air, retired sergeant Steve Warneke! While Steve strongly supports the second amendment and the right to bear arms, he cautioned against just anyone going out and buying a weapon. "I'm in favor of gun ownership but with one big caveat— You've got to know how to use it." Guns in the hands of unskilled people are dangerous. Even with training, accidents are still possible. Steve told stories of people TRAINED in how to effectively use a gun, who still have accidentally shot themselves. "I worked at a gun range before I was a police officer and there was a gunsmith there that had been handling guns for 20-some years and he came in one day and he's got this huge bandage around his arm and his fingers... " 'I shot my finger off. I was working on a gun, and I shot my finger off.' This is a guy who had been handling guns for twenty years." He also warned listeners against buying a gun whilst being ill-prepared with a terribly sad story about a young boy who found his father's gun... and while showing it to his friend, accidentally shot him in the head, killing the boy instantly. Steve's main message hit home: If you buy a gun, you're now introducing it into every situation. "This is my advice... If you don't know what you're doing and you go buy a gun and you end up in an altercation that otherwise would not have had a gun, what you have done is introduced a gun into every altercation." Being a non-responsible gun owner increases the danger to you and everyone else. Take the time to learn what you are doing. The Steve Warneke Show is LIVE SATURDAYS at 10AM EST to 850 WFTL on your South Florida AM dial or you can stream live during the show at www.850wftl.com. If you haven't already, or need more information, listen to the recorded show HERE! or watch the show on Facebook! IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION YOU WANT ANSWERED, A PROBLEM YOU WANT US TO INVESTIGATE, OR A COMPLAINT TO SHARE WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS, TELL US HERE AND WE'RE ON THE CASE! IF YOU ARE A TRUSTED BUSINESS, APPLY HERE TO BE ON STEVE'S TEAM OF EXPERTS! Until next time...

Do you have charities calling you up asking for donations? Unsure of whether it's a worthy cause or just a scam? Our host, a former financial fraud detective, tells you how to know the difference, plus recommends the top 10 police charities! The Steve Warneke Show also got a call from one of 850 WFTL loyal listeners, Constantine, who reported that she had been contacted by a police department via phone to make a donation and wasn't sure whether it was legitimate or if someone was taking advantage of her. Having spent several years in the past as a financial crimes detective, Your Detective of the Air and host, Steve Warneke, was ready for this one! We were able to locate a recent scam in the West Palm Beach, Constantine's hometown, where someone was posing as the police department. Steve informed listeners that as far as we are aware police departments DO NOT SOLICIT MONEY BY PHONE. There are some organizations like the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) who do engage in phone solicitation for donations. For instance, the Davie FOP, do in fact contract with J&G of South Florida to conduct telephone solicitations to help raise money. The Davie FOP uses donation money to support charitable community projects, such as Concerns of Police Survivors, Special Olympics, Youth Athletic programs, Davie Police Athletic League, college scholarships to local students, and other local programs.  In addition, proceeds are also used to benefit families of fallen officers, our local law enforcement community, local businesses, and the community. If you're ever in doubt, Steve advised listeners to ask the charity for their tax ID number, website, and callback number, then do some research! You can then verify the tax ID number matches the organization. Then, look up the organization and see if the website and phone number match what was given to you. Or to avoid any question of trouble, take the initiative and just simply google charities you believe in and want to be involved in and donate to those instead! As a regular contributor to Police One's online blog, Steve found a list of the top 10 recommended police charities you could donate to if you're interested! If you haven't already, or need more information, listen to the recorded show HERE! AND IF YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT YOU WANT STEVE TO INVESTIGATE, SUBMIT YOUR STORY HERE! IF YOU ARE A TRUSTED BUSINESS, APPLY HERE TO BE ON STEVE'S TEAM OF EXPERTS! Until next time..! The Steve Warneke Show is LIVE SATURDAYS at 10AM EST to 850 WFTL on your South Florida AM dial or you can stream live during the show at www.850wftl.com.

I never thought I would live to see the day where uniformed police officers performing their duties would not only be doused with buckets of water, but also just walk to their patrol cars and do nothing. This is not necessarily a testimonial to these officers, but rather a testimonial as to just who is winning in the war on cops. Here are the main weaknesses in our society exploited by anarchists and criminals that have led us down this dangerous road to the point where this is tolerated: First is biased, one-sided media coverage. It’s the same cycle: an incident is caught on tape. The public becomes outraged. The police department doesn’t comment except to say, “We are investigating.” The media shows it over and over and interviews people who are outraged and don’t understand. By the time the police department makes a finding, nobody cares about it anymore, and instead everyone is outraged about the next incident. Second is our politicians are more concerned with placating a misinformed public than they are with the rule of law. It seems like every time there is a high profile incident, politicians have a knee-jerk reaction. They comment off the cuff without understanding the incident or police policy, usually just instituting mandatory training for everyone. They put into place new, restricting policies and rules. Politicians are scared to stand up and say, “Yes, that’s what happens when you resist the police.” Finally, more and more case law and department policies are aimed at restricting police power and discretion. When I was an officer they told us, “Case law says that a police officer’s peace may not be disturbed.” In other words, we couldn’t charge people with disturbing the peace when we were the victim. Why not? It didn’t say that in the statute. In many places including New York, verbal taunting is not against the law. Why not? It should be. There is an explosion of videos from people filming themselves while verbally taunting the police, trying to bait them into taking action. Why is that allowed? Let’s arrest them. Watch the disgusting news coverage of water being thrown on the cops HERE. Please pay special attention to the reporter’s narration as he notes the actions against the police are sickening, but also unlikely to cause injury. What is really sickening here is the tone of this entire news story and the attitude toward what happened to those officers. The message police are receiving from the media, their administration, politicians and the public when you read between the lines of what is happening is, “Unless it’s a mass shooting, we would rather you walk away then have to explain and justify your actions.” Basically, do nothing and nothing happens! Police officers are literally terrified to take action. Who could blame them? Perhaps in the minds of these New York officers was this dilemma, “Either get water thrown on me and walk away OR take action, have the video of that splashed all over the world, lose my job, get put on trial, and have to move away.” There is something very important we have lost sight of as a country—Use of force NEVER looks good, yet it is sometimes necessary. Yes, even justified use of force looks bad when we watch it, especially when that is all we see. We need to remember a few things we already agreed upon as a country: 1) The police have the right to use force. 2) The police have the right to win fights decisively. 3) Like it or not, use of force by peace officers is a necessary thing to enforce laws and protect our way of life. America beware—a culture of lawlessness is right around the corner if we continue down this path. The videos from New York prove the outspoken minority of Americans perpetrating this war on the cops are winning and as a result, the silent majority of people now live in a less safe world. What would have happened if police would have arrested the water-throwers and ended up having to use force when they resisted? I think it’s a fair assumption that brazen criminals throwing water on the police would not have peacefully submitted to an arrest. There would have been a small minority of people crying out, “The police are racist brutes! It was just a little water. Water can’t injure people! Was it worth injuring people over a little water? They were just kids messing around!!” The media would have showed the use of force video over and over. The department would have said, “We are investigating.” The politicians would have said, “This isn’t right. We are instituting mandatory training and new rules.” The small group of anarchists would then chalk up yet another victory in the war on cops and America would again be a little less safe for the rest of us. Sound familiar? It should. No. It’s time to stop this momentum the anarchists have built. Let’s get behind NYPD Chief Terence Monahan, who is one of the few to stand up and say there will be consequences for your actions! Let’s find our backbones and say, “Boy did they have that coming!” Next time, let us watch the news coverage of the police using force against resisting anarchists as we, the media, police administrations, politicians and the rest of America (while turning to our children) together all say, “See, that’s what happens to you when you throw water on the police and then resist arrest.” **Steve Warneke is an Emmy award-winning producer, speaker, police expert, and author of From Boy To Blue. Find more from Steve at www.SteveWarneke.com.

"On vacation one year, some stupid friend of a friend saw cops in a parking lot and said, "Why are cops always trying to dig up trouble when it's quiet? They are always looking to beat someone up or get in a fight." First of all, his premise is that cops are inherently violent. I've already discussed how sometimes violence is a necessary evil and part of the job. In this guy's world, people are all good, and they don't hurt one another. Everyone can be reasoned with or convinced to do the right thing. Secondly, I would hope all of you taxpayers would want cops our stirring up trouble when it's quiet. After all, that's what you pay us for. It's during those times when the gun-carrying drug dealers get pulled over, and good, self-initiated arrests make the entire community safer. When it's quiet and calls aren't coming out, we can finally set up on the parking lot where car break-ins have been occurring. Two of us were hiding on the roof of an apartment building one night that was having a lot of drug activity and break-ins. We were up there for a while because no calls were coming out. This was a small complex, gated with long iron bars. There was a "no trespass order" for the property, which means, "If you don't live here, you can't be here." We were sitting there waiting for something to happen when something did. Two guys climbed over the fence. They were sitting there obviously hatching some sort of plan when we came down to talk to them. They had no good explanation for and couldn't seem to agree on why they were there, where they had come from, or what it was they were doing. We patted them down for weapons. I took one [suspect], and my partner took the other. I was chatting with my suspect as I checked him for weapons. I had known the other cop for a while. He was a cool cat and very calm. When I looked up at him halfway through his search, his face was completely white and he had his gun in his suspect's back. I heard him say to the guy he was searching, "Don't move or I will shoot you. Now, I want you to go down to your knees very slowly." I pulled out my gun and kept it on both suspects. If my level-headed partner was this scared, something must have been really wrong. He reached into this kid's waistband and pulled out an uzi, and I mean just like you would see in the movies, complete with a long banana clip. It turns out this kid had a ton of crack cocaine on him. It was more crack than I had ever seen in my life. Later on as we counted it, I was reminded of the movie Training Day, where each rock of crack we counted, we were also counting out the resulting prison years. He was tried federally and sentenced to about fifteen years in the penitentiary. Then again, maybe we shouldn't have been stirring up trouble when things weren't busy. I wish we all could get along and no violence was necessary. Believe it or not, most police officers are not the kid who had their lunch money taken when they were young. Most of us are hardworking, gentle, caring, giving, sacrificing people who would give our lives for a complete stranger. Sometimes that's worthy of some recognition." - Excerpt from Ch. 18 "Lights, Camera, Action" from the book From Boy To Blue: Becoming one of America's Finest. Buy it here: https://www.stevewarneke.com/the-book.

Epidemic is defined as “a sudden, widespread occurrence of a particular undesirable phenomenon.” That’s the word I’ve heard used to describe race relations between police officers and minority communities in this country. Here are some numbers regarding American law enforcement and their use of force to help you put things in perspective. There are more than 900,000 sworn law enforcement officers now serving in the United States. It is estimated there were 240 million calls to 9-1-1 nationwide in 2016. It is estimated over 40 million Americans (16 and older) have a face-to-face encounter with law enforcement each year. In 2015 and 2016, white Americans were shot by police nearly 2 to 1 as compared to African-Americans. A recent Washington State University study entitled, “The Reverse Racism Effect” found that officers were slower to shoot armed black suspects than armed white suspects, and officers were less likely to shoot unarmed black suspects than unarmed white suspects. I mention these statistics because they are surprising and go against the one-sided, skewed narrative we so often hear on a daily basis. These numbers don’t fit the conclusion that there’s an epidemic of police violence against minorities. But let me put statistics aside for a moment because both sides can shout numbers at each other all day, and similar to a political debate, by the end, nobody knows what to believe. Let me talk to you about my experiences, being an officer for fifteen years in a major city here in America. I can tell you whole heartedly the vast majority of police officers I know, worked with, met, trained with, or came into contact with were selfless, brave, patient, giving, caring people who go out every day and protect people of every race on a daily basis using their own lives as collateral for each police action they undertake. I would say this was easily over 90% of the officers I’ve met. There was definitely a group of officers who were not the best communicators. These officers were gruff or tended to come off as rude and arrogant. I would estimate this to be around 9%. Here are some things I observed that also applied to this same group: They were well trained and skilled. They knew the laws, policies, and generally knew what they were doing. They were usually also talented, smart officers, and many were physically or mentally gifted. All of these people, despite rubbing many citizens and coworkers the wrong way, were good people. I routinely saw in their actions and their hearts, they wanted to do what was right. Then there were a few officers along the way that didn’t deserve to be wearing the uniform. I estimate this group to be 1% of the officers I’ve personally ever met or known. I can also say that even if it sometimes took longer than it should, those officers eventually were fired or left the job. Usually their issues revolved around poor decision-making, bad prioritization, no deductive reasoning, an inability to multitask, or substance abuse issues. In my many years out on the streets interacting with all three of these groups of officers, I never once witnessed a suggestion, inference, attempt, hint, noticeable pattern, or any other item of evidence to suggest that ANY officer EVER wanted to go after a specific race of people to harass, torment, pull them over or hurt them. The only people the cops wanted to go out and harass were criminals! In Chapter 20 of From Boy To Blue, I go into more detail about Denver’s own statistics, and the acts I’ve witnessed other cops perform. I offer you this testimony in addition to “statistics” because my experiences can’t necessarily be quantified in a scientific study. But the experiences of officers who have done the job and do the job now are relevant and important to today’s war on cops. This is why I wrote my book From Boy To Blue. This is why I’m doing weekly podcasts and articles. I’m so passionate about this topic because the people of this country deserve to know the truth about their law enforcement officers. Here’s some last truths I’ll leave you with: Officers are performing less self initiated activities due to fear of being involved in a controversial incident. On more and more routine calls, officers are facing groups of protestors, people taunting, harassing, name calling, escalating situations all while shoving cell phones in the faces of officers trying to perform their duties. The false narrative against police continues to be driven by activist groups and the media, with the only epidemic I see being created is that of law enforcement officers whose tendency is becoming responding to crime instead of preventing it. ***Steve Warneke is a retired sergeant, author, contributor, broadcaster, and police expert. Find more from Steve at www.SteveWarneke.com

Joe Friday used to say, “Just the facts, ma’am.” It would be nice if we had all the facts before we arrive somewhere. As officers, we often have to react based on very little information. To compound the situation, the people we are dealing with are usually angry and can be volatile and dangerous. And the trifecta for officers is that most of the time things evolve very quickly. This combination makes situations more dangerous and certainly scarier to walk into. Instinct and training take over and we are forced to just react. I have had times where my gun has just appeared in my hands and I wondered, “How did this get here?” This happened to me for the first time on a domestic violence call. The front door buzzer system was broken, but luckily for the victim in this case, so was the lock on the entry door. As I entered, a male teenager came running up behind me from the outside of the building, and as I turned around I noticed he was out of breath and sweating. He looked up and politely said, “Excuse me” as he continued into the apartment building. Now I wasn’t a detective at the time, but nonetheless, it struck me as a possibility that this person could have something to do with this domestic to which I had been dispatched. I told him to stop and asked what apartment he was going to. “204” was his reply. Coincidentally, it just so happened that was the same apartment I was supposed to go to. “What’s going on?” I inquired. “My sister’s getting her ass kicked and I’m going to help her,” exclaimed the boy, nearing a panic. “No you’re not! I am.” It was all I could manage to come up with at the time. I felt an urge to adjust my cape and puff out my chest, revealing the red and yellow “S” that was there. I patted him down for weapons because for all I knew, he had brought a gun with him to kill the guy who was beating his sister. This thoroughly pissed him off. “What the fuck are you doing, asshole? My sister’s getting her ass kicked.” To me it didn’t seem all that unreasonable that this brother was coming over to seriously hurt the sister’s lover. It also seemed plausible that he had armed himself with some sort of weapon just to make sure he didn’t lose. To me, my request was mundane and perfectly logical, but I understood how he felt. He wanted me to go help his sister, not treat him like a suspect. I know what you’re thinking: “You didn’t have to frisk him, just tell him to stay there and go upstairs.” Some of the really naïve might have suggested taking the brother with me to assist. “Come quick, Robin, we’ll save her!” I would say to my new sidekick. The two of us would go upstairs and I would grab the lover, then the poor, beaten sister would say, “Leave him alone!” while she started to hit me. I would then shove her away so she couldn’t hit me, and that would anger the brother, at which point he would yell, “Don’t hurt my sister!” and produce a tire iron from his pants and knock me unconscious. What if I got up there and grabbed the poor, beaten sister and then the brother was so intent on getting even he pulled a gun and shot the abusive boyfriend? I was also worried that I would tell the brother to stay downstairs, but later find he would surreptitiously follow me up there, whip out a knife, and start shanking someone. It’s not too far-fetched that he could have accidentally hurt himself, me, or his sister with the weapon he might have brought. It’s also possible he might get his weapon taken away by the abuser who then used it against all of us. To avoid all of these scenarios, I thought it wise to make sure he didn’t have any of the aforementioned items. These pat-down or cursory searches are conducted for the sole purpose of officer safety. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t require a warrant. They are necessary and important. On any call, I don’t want to stand around and talk to a group of people while they put their hands in and out of different pockets without first knowing they aren’t grabbing for a weapon. After all, I have never met any of these people before, know nothing about them or their past, and have no idea what any of them are capable of doing to me or others. After my brief search of the brother turned up nothing, he said, “Well get the fuck up there! Can’t you hear her screaming?” I could indeed hear screams, and I instructed him to stay in the entrance and told him if he came upstairs, he would go to jail. After all, it’s common in these domestic situations, as I mentioned, to have the victim turn on you when you attempt to stop or apprehend the abuser. The last thing I needed was the girl’s brother up there to complicate the situation. To this day I’m amazed he obeyed. In a perfect world, I would have cuffed him to the door to assure he stayed downstairs, but that would have landed me in hot water. At least having searched him, I now knew even if he did come up, at least he didn’t have a weapon. I went upstairs, and as I got to the second floor, I could still hear a woman screaming. I went to the door and could hear what sounded like a major battle going on inside. Screaming, yelling, and thumping echoed from inside the apartment. My heart started to beat because this was obviously no routine domestic. I got on the radio and told the car that was sent to cover me that he needed to step up his response to code 10. It is uncommon and not recommended to enter a domestic violence alone, although it is routine whoever gets there first to listen at the door to determine the validity of the call. In a situation where the woman might die or be seriously injured if a cop waits for cover to arrive, I know most of us would enter alone no matter what the risk. I didn’t even have time to have to make that decision. Just after I told my cover car to come code 10, the door flew open and a woman ran out into the hall screaming. I looked in the apartment and saw the woman’s boyfriend charging with a ten-inch serrated kitchen knife, the kind with the two tiny prongs on the end. I was speechless. I don’t recall drawing my gun, but I found myself suddenly holding it in my hand. One thing was certain: All the “Police, freeze!” or “Stop or I’ll shoot!” lines I had practiced all those years were nowhere to be found. My mouth was open and the only sound I could make was one similar to a horse trying to blow the snot out of his nose. He was about ten feet away from me and still running full speed ahead. The rule we were taught in the police academy with regard to knives is known as the twenty-one foot rule. This has been scientifically proven. Basically, a person within twenty-one feet of you who has a knife can get to you and stab you before you can draw your gun, fire, and (the most important part) stop him. This man was clearly within the twenty-one feet and judging by his speed would soon be able to gut me like a fish. I was raising my gun at the man when he saw me, fell to his knees before me, threw the knife, and put his hands in the air. We stood there for a minute, the tip of my gun quivering at his body, him wide eyed and staring at me. I kept him at gunpoint until my cover arrived and we cuffed him and took him to jail.

The best position to be in, in order to have your finger on the pulse of the country is that of a police officer. Officers know what is fueling people’s tension, anger, and frustration after responding to all the disturbances within a community on a daily basis. As a retired sergeant, I’m concerned for this country. I’m concerned about the hate, intolerance, bickering, finger pointing, name calling, and general disdain for one another. I’ve seen election choices end friendships, end relationships, and estrange family members. While watching the polls report during the last election, I heard a person remark that anyone who voted for the candidate he did not support should be “shot in the face.” I’m saddened that anytime there’s a large controversy (in the media), people are taking to the streets, gathering unlawfully, looting, blocking traffic, breaking windows, and vandalizing cities. I’m horrified that white supremacist rallies promoting hate are not only growing, but are also now ending in death and injuries. And, as if there aren’t already enemies like ISIS, North Korea, Iran, and domestic terrorists that should be consuming our attention, we are over here bickering like spoiled children about everything. “Mommy, it’s not fair!” “This is all President Obama’s fault.” “This is all President Trumps fault!” “This is all because of tax cuts for the rich!” “This is all because of subsidies for the poor!” We have taken for granted just how good we have it here in this country. America is still the best place on Earth to live. This is still the land of opportunity. Anything is possible here— for anyone. People from all over the world came together here because of what we represent. America is a melting pot of diversity, combined with strength, love, compassion, opportunity and beauty. You can earn a living playing sports, singing, making music or television. You can start a business, make an app, write a book, travel, eat food or watch movies then write reviews for a job, or design houses. Don’t like business? You can start a non-profit, live in a church or monastery, even join organizations where you travel all around the world and help others in need. So just how do we evoke change? Do we get in everyone’s face with a pointed finger and demand they say, do, act and believe as we do, or else be cast away? That doesn’t seem to be working. How about allowing people to have differing thoughts and opinions? How about not making fun of each other? How about treating everyone, from every race, religion, sexual orientation, background or neighborhood with respect? And how about instead of going out and telling everyone they need to do this, we model it instead? Have you ever been at a Starbucks when someone buys the person behind them in line a drink and it sparks a whole line of people to do the same? Would the same thing happen if a person were to stand at the front of the line yelling and demanding a person buy the customer behind them a drink? There’s not much debate that kindness, love, compassion, and selflessness are contagious. Unfortunately, hate, intolerance, anger, and fear are also contagious. We will never convince white supremacists to be accepting of others by screaming in their faces, calling them names and trying to beat them up when one of them gets close enough. We will only strengthen their resolve, embolden them, and hand them more power. I am also not foolish enough to believe we can convince them to change with a hug. I believe any group can assemble and express their views as long as they have the proper permits and permissions, and don’t break any laws with regards to their assembly, speech or actions. And make no mistake about my position here, if laws are broken and/or people are injured or killed, those who are responsible should and will be held to account swiftly. But what if at a rally for white supremacists where no laws are broken, it ended up they just stood in a corner of a city park for a few hours, said what they came to say, nobody paid them any mind and they went home afterwards? Since we really are powerless to MAKE another person change their mind, what if we did something we DO have power over (our own free will) and used that opportunity as a reminder to go out and be kind, loving, compassionate, understanding, or selfless to someone in our lives or community? There’s a church in the Midwest I’m not going to name. They protest at soldiers’ funerals and go around to different places with signs about how God hates gay people and messages containing other kinds of intolerance. I don’t fly to their rallies and yell in their faces. I don’t try to beat them up or destroy their houses. Instead, I pay them no mind. I choose to go wrap my arms around my loving boyfriend and be thankful that I’m in a country where being gay is not a crime. I use any mention of this group as a reminder to go out and spend my day being extra kind, giving, loving, and accepting of another human being. You see, I believe that we aren’t going to convince anyone to do anything by insisting on it. Instead, we can live in such a way that inspires others to do the same. It’s more fun and rewarding to love than it is to hate. When hateful people see smiles on those of us who live with love in our hearts, when they see our lives enriched by surrounding ourselves with diversity, when they see the joy in our lives because we live in the greatest country on Earth, they will want what we have. It’s time to reunite the UNITED States Of America! **Steve is a retired Denver Police sergeant and author of From Boy To Blue Becoming One Of America’s Finest. You can find his book, articles, and podcasts at http://www.SteveWarneke.com.

In today's world, there are more and more dangerous situations taking place out in the open: shootings, knife fights, brawls, etc. Are you prepared to defend yourself? As a retired cop, I am always on the alert, even when I'm not on the job. It's what I was trained to do, and once you learn to recognize the things you need to lookout for, you can't really turn it off... Surprisingly, this behavior becomes automatic. In the academy, they teach everyone this saying: hands, weapons, footing, associates, cover, escape routes. These are things cops have to be constantly aware of. Not only that- they all have to be assessed instantly and simultaneously. For yourself and for every other person on the scene. What does all that mean??? I'll share with you an excerpt from Chapter 1 of my book From Boy To Blue, so you too can be aware of how best to think on your feet and protect yourself in a threatening situation. *Chapter One- Changing of the Mental Guards, From Boy To Blue: Becoming One Of America's Finest

Discussing politics is one of my least favorite things. Of course, I have my own beliefs on all the social issues (and even if you think you know what they are, I bet you would be surprised). It seems like nobody persuades anybody about anything, that everyone already has their mind made up, and God forbid they hone in on a dissenter. When that happens, here comes a full offensive with conversion as the goal. Unfortunately, this usually takes the form of screaming sentiments of shame, ignorance, and name-calling. Even more frustrating is that many things in pop culture have also somehow become politicized, when it shouldn’t matter at all. I’m not just talking about the plethora of usual social issues that tend to find themselves center stage in any political arena. I’m referring to issues I believe to be mutually exclusive of party affiliation. The war on cops is a perfect example of this. Since when is supporting police officers a Republican endeavor? I fail to see how supporting police means you can’t be a Democrat. For me, this is akin to saying, “Anyone who prefers blueberry ice cream to strawberry, is a Republican.” There’s nothing partisan about understanding police work, giving police the necessary tools to do their job, and supporting them after they’ve been forced to make a split-second decision based on limited facts. Police serve and protect all Americans no matter parry affiliation. You see, I don’t ever tell people which party they should affiliate with or how they should vote. I don’t assign people to groups of “Republican” or “Democrat.” I don’t care who you voted for in the last presidential election. My messages regarding police and the war on cops transcend politics. My messages are meant to persuade people sure, but I attempt to do this by education about the job as well as revealing true facts, and making logical, sensible arguments. When people are presented with a better understanding, rather than screaming threats, those without an iron in the fire are reasonable and can agree. I’m not a police officer anymore. So, why am I this passionate and believe so strongly in my messages? Well, there are several reasons. Firstly, the job of police officer is one of the most important jobs in the country. It affords us our amazing quality of life. One can point to the emotional and physical state of a city after any major storm, or any number of increasing protests around the country, and see that we are constantly teetering on the brink of a state of chaos, violence, vandalism, and anarchy. Police are here to protect us from those evils. Secondly, I was a cop for fifteen years. I know the quality of men and women that are out doing that very thankless job. I know firsthand how a lack of understanding and communication is leading this misguided narrative that police officers are out of control in this country. Because of this, the brave people who do this job are resigning in droves. This is bad news for the rest of us when we need them to serve. Lastly, police officers are taking a step back. They are afraid to get into confrontations. They now know every call might result in scrutiny, and therefore has the potential to thrust them into the spotlight, force them to resign, move away, and hide out. That’s not the hero’s parade they deserve. As a result of this hesitation to do proactive work, more criminals are free and the streets are less safe. All I ask of anyone that comes across my book From Boy To Blue, my articles, podcasts, or any other messages I put out is that they just try and be open to what I have to say. With my expertise and experience, I have something invaluable to share. I constantly explain transparency and processes of government, existing laws and policies that concern law enforcement in our country. I’m open and willing to listen to you too. Lets just agree that we do this in a respectful manner. And since it’s irrelevant, maybe we can also agree to leave our “Democrat” or “Republican” lapel pins checked at the door as well. One thing is for sure when you come to my place—I don’t care what flavor ice cream you choose. At the end of the day, my main mission is one of healing this country, not dividing it.

As a retired police officer, I miss a few things about my old job. I miss speeding down the road toward a catastrophe, weaving in and out of traffic with my police lights and siren blaring. I miss arriving at the chaos and seeing the relief wash over people’s faces. I miss sorting out what happened and taking control of the scene. And most of all, I still miss catching bad guys and putting them in jail. I would never tire of being a police officer, but I felt a calling to leave a bigger mark on the world. Even after 15 years on the job, I was at ease knowing that even if I kept doing police work until I was 65, I would still miss it when I left. Today, there’s a growing trend in controversial officer-involved incidents, the number of officers killed in the line of duty, and the public’s growing and undeserving distrust of police officers across the country. As a former police officer, I’m compelled to speak up about these issues. Naturally I’ll never convince the minority of anarchists, criminals, racists, and violent activists of anything. I am speaking to you: the law-abiding silent majority of people who are good, hardworking, and honest. I’m speaking to those who value respect, law and order, other people, and our amazing country. I address the growing problems in our society and the war on police in my new book, From Boy to Blue. Start with this book and we will repair the public’s deteriorating perception of the police. We are all in this community relationship together, and the police are a big part of the community’s well-being. Think of this like marital counseling: We have to work together in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. From Boy to Blue explains what’s changed over the years to make public perception of the police crash, and what you can do to help restore this relationship. In my book, I speak up, explain, articulate, and teach. And with this new information, the country will once again look to the men and women in uniform as the patron saints of peace, honor, service, and respect. In turn, the police will continue to watch over you while you sleep, keep your neighborhoods safe, and rush to save you when you need them.

I had an interesting conversation through Facebook this last week. I shared a video of reporters going through interactive decisional shoot scenarios to try to understand what it’s like for police officers. The reaction is almost always one of surprise. "You have to make that decision right then, right there...go with your gut and you do what you think will get you home at night," said one of the reporters after having gone through a scenario. Reporters take away a new perspective after having been thrust into situations and confrontations and then forced to make life-altering decisions in a split second. After my sharing the video, a man made a comment that read, “Nah, police are paid with tax dollars. If you pay your taxes then you have the right to say anything you want about the police.” I responded to him by challenging and encouraging him to be open to a new perspective. He replied that he didn’t have any interest because he did not choose that career and reiterated that because citizens pay the police’s salary, they are entitled to say whatever they like. Here are my points regarding this ever more present attitude of apathy: You can’t say anything you want- None of our rights are absolute, including free speech. It’s against the law to speak words that threaten to injure a person or destroy property. You can’t yell “fire” in a crowded theater. You even break civil law for slander by speaking falsities about another that causes damage to their reputation. Paying taxes doesn’t entitle you to anything extra. It’s your duty- Just because tax money pays for something doesn’t mean you should view it as your personal property. Our taxes pay for roads, bridges, education, infrastructure and so on. It doesn’t follow any of that belongs to you and you are not entitled to control it nor can you do anything you choose to in regards to such things. Just because you didn’t choose a certain career doesn’t mean it should be of no interest to you- I didn’t choose to be an airline pilot or a doctor, yet I’m very concerned about the people that did. I expect a high degree of knowledge, abilities, skills, and professionalism out of them. I also care what people are saying about them. Police officers are no different. Apathy is the grim reaper for any relationship- If I’ve learned anything about relationships, it’s that the moment you stop caring, it’s the beginning of the end. But I believe you really do care. After all, you took the time initially to stop and comment. You again took the time to comment on my response. And, it’s OK! You should care! The relationship between cops and citizens is very important! Police work should be of interest to all Americans- Without the thin blue line of law enforcement, the entire country, in less than a day, would be instantly transformed to New Orleans post hurricane Katrina. There would be violence, looting, rapes, and theft. Violent gangs would take to the streets reeking havoc. Raise yourself higher by being respectful and not treating others like a doormat- Inherent in your tone was a condescending attitude. Talking about people dismissively as if they are beneath you isn’t the high road, no matter who they are. Police are human beings with feelings, families, lives, goals, dreams and hearts. Being truly OPEN and WILLING to hear another’s perspective and being willing to evaluate and challenge our own beliefs is so important- Where did I come to believe that? Is this something I really believe? Is it possible I’m wrong? Did I just accept this belief because I learned it from someone else? Is there another side I haven’t considered? This is where real personal growth begins to take shape. So, to the gentleman with whom I exchanged messages, I’m hoping you’ll read my book, From Boy To Blue Becoming One Of America’s Finest, and do your best to remain open to a point of view I’m almost certain you haven’t heard before. At a bare minimum, I would encourage you to listen to my podcast entitled "Why Are Cops Such Dicks?" under the podcast tab at www.SteveWarneke.com. If not, well, I’m hoping that for every one person who remains closed I persuade a few others into being open and to seize this opportunity to understand a new perspective. When that happens, loving kindness and compassion prevails and we all win. ***Steve Warneke is a retired Sergeant with over 15 years experience in law enforcement. To hear more from him, head to www.SteveWarneke.com