When I first heard the awkward, high-pitched, horn-like sound emitting from a bagpipe, I questioned the musical integrity of the instrument. I couldn’t exactly envision myself sitting back in an armchair, wearing my smoker’s jacket, sipping a fine brandy, listening to the LP of “The World’s Greatest Bagpipe Hits”. But after 15 years in law enforcement, I now have come to understand the magic, beauty, and emotion that free flows from these amazing instruments. When large numbers of Irish immigrants came to the United States in the 1840s, many had difficulty finding work. They were only able to apply for unwanted, dangerous, and difficult jobs, including those of firefighter and police officer. So it follows that when one of them was killed in the line of duty, the Irish community would hold a traditional Irish funeral, which included the beautiful bagpipes. Over time, this tradition spread to all of those killed in the line of duty, regardless of their heritage. Unfortunately, you will have an opportunity to hear bagpipes this Friday if you listen to, watch, or go to the services for Adams County Sheriff’s Deputy Heath Gumm. While attempting to question a suspect involved in a dispute in Thornton, Colorado, he was killed after being shot several times in the chest. Gumm is one of eight officers to die in the line of duty, five of them by gunfire in America, since the beginning of the year. Here’s why the death of a peace officer is so significant to our community. Police officers are the defenders of our society. They are symbols of peace and justice. They are the reason we are afforded our quality of life. If all police officers left the job right now, there would be rioting, looting, and anarchy within hours, all over America’s streets. We have seen just how quickly that scenario can materialize after major events like Hurricane Katrina. Police officers are the reason we can sleep peacefully, voice our opinions, or take our Louis Vuitton bag out in public to go get a latte at Starbucks. The most valuable thing any of us have is our lives. It’s more valuable than money, possessions, or knowledge. Surely even Steve Jobs would have traded in all his billions of dollars to continue to live. We as a society recognize and acknowledge the sanctity of human life, and this belief is reflected in our laws and religions. Yet police officers go out everyday and literally gamble their lives for the peace and prosperity of strangers. They drive INTO the chaos, violence, and danger while everyone else is running AWAY. For these reasons, the death of a police officer deserves our time, respect, and attention. It’s important to pay tribute to the men and women who are the modern day heroes of our world, especially when one of them is ripped away from their family, friends and loved ones by a criminal intent on disrupting our beautiful way of life. After 15 years in law enforcement, I was the recipient of many awards and commendations. Yet despite all of the “official” recognition, ceremonies, medals and plaques, the moments when I felt the most proud of what I was doing and had the greatest satisfaction was upon seeing the many thousands of supporters who came out to show their appreciation and thanks to a fallen officer. It was paradoxical to be so filled with grief for the loss of a fellow brother or sister, but at the same time to also be reinvigorated to go out and do the job. The profound reason many officers are renewed on the day of such heavy loss is because YOU came out to remind us of why we serve. You see, your support means something. It’s a reminder that the silent majority, whom the police rarely hear from, are still there and that they appreciate the police and their sacrifice. It’s a reminder that every day when an officer goes through the painstakingly long and involved process of donning the uniform and all 23 pounds of equipment, that it’s still worth it. It’s a reminder that the good people we are saving outnumber the bad we endure. I encourage everyone to take some time out of your day on Friday to honor Deputy Gumm, his service, and sacrifice in whatever way you can. Your support will not only pay tribute to him, but it will also remind all of the many warriors still out there doing a thankless job why they get dressed every day. Your support will also send a message to the small faction of people intent on bringing anarchy and chaos to our streets that we stand united and that we outnumber them by far. There are many ways to show your support. Attend the funeral if you can, watch the coverage on television if you can’t, share an article of support, donate to Deputy Gumm’s memorial fund, or think of your own way to show your support for the police. And if you have a chance to hear the bagpipes for yourself this week, with a heavy heart and a salute of thanks, allow their magical melody to electrify your nerves and feel the healing of our wounds begin. **Steve Warneke is a speaker, broadcaster, police expert, and author. Find his book From Boy To Blue and more from Steve at www.SteveWarneke.com.** #heathgumm #adamscountysheriff #deputygumm #police #stevewarneke #Fox31 #FoxKDVR #deborahtakahara #policeofficers #bagpipes #officerfuneral

After 15+ years as a police officer, I've heard some pretty crazy things come out of people's mouths. From bad lies to brutal honesty, here's my Top 10 favorite one-liners. Enjoy!

I’m disappointed in us as a country. It feels as if we are so mired in our anger and hatred toward change and each other that we have paralyzed ourselves. It’s hard to believe we are sitting here after all of these mass shootings still stuck at square one of this debate. We haven’t tried anything new, we have made very few changes to existing laws and policies, and there is still no foreseeable action on the horizon. It’s become the same old, routine story—another school shooting, followed by outcry from anti-gun advocates to ban all weapons, and then opposing cries from the pro-gun crowd that “People kill people, not guns.” This is a crisis America! The latest victims should be overwhelming evidence to everyone. How far are we going to let this go before we make adjustments to our culture to address this epidemic? We are caught in the trap of dualistic thinking. Most of America is arguing about either leaving things the way they are or banning all guns. Why are we arguing it’s all or nothing? Those two polar opposite views are not our only options and that’s why I believe we are still stuck. There is way more real estate on the spectrum of possible solutions we are not considering. No freedom is absolute. Why should gun ownership be any different? There are already many restrictions on gun ownership. For example, you can’t own a firearm if you are a convicted felon, if you have been convicted of a domestic violence crime, if you have a substance abuse problem, or other criteria. Some of the states have even stricter laws than the federal ones. As a comparison, consider the increased security after 9/11. Nobody likes the fact that we have to show up earlier to the airport, take off our shoes, and can’t bring any liquids over 3 ounces through security. It’s more than annoying when TSA throws away my brand new tube of Crest toothpaste I was trying to bring home. Certainly, if we all had the choice, we would prefer things back to the way it used to be. But the world and the evolution of human beings taught us we must endure a little more inconvenience in order to still enjoy our freedom to fly around the world safely. I believe the same needs to happen with regards to gun control. Yes, there will be more hoops. Yes, there will be more inconvenience and more irritation, but it will ultimately make it so gun ownership is still a freedom we enjoy while keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people. I’m not sure exactly what the new process should look like. I do think we should be discussing things such as mandatory classes and training, psychological exams, and more comprehensive background checks for gun owners. And who will pay for this you ask? We pass along the cost of being approved to the consumer and NOT the taxpayer. It just becomes part of the process to exercise your right. And if you’re going to debate me on this, please stop using the slippery slope fallacy. This is a tactic used throughout time that is meant to scare people and discourage change. Behind it is the same ignorance that shouted, “If we let blacks and women vote, what’s next—we let sheep vote?” Let’s discuss the actual issue, potential solutions, and stay away from the deadly fallacies that get people all riled up for no reason. In other words, if your argument contains a “what’s next,” it is invalid. And here’s another thing to consider—we may not get it right on our first attempt. Nobody has all the answers. This will be a process of trial and error, just like anything else we undertake, for which there is no precedent. We may try some things that don’t work or we may need to add or tweak some of what we try in order to get a good solution, and that’s okay! I’m convinced there is a good solution somewhere in the middle. Our ability to debate and compromise is part of what has made us so great and powerful as a country. It’s been said, “A good compromise is when both parties are dissatisfied.” I agree. Nobody is going to get his or her way 100%. If each side will just give a little for the greater good of humanity, we will prevail. Nobody knows the perfect solution because there is no such thing. We will probably never get to a point where there are zero gun deaths in this country. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. If we can reduce the number of shootings then we are headed in the right direction. Let’s start there. The most important thing is that we actually DO SOMETHING! To our lawmakers: I’m demanding you finally step up and move past your fear of not being re-elected and start us down the path of reasonable gun control. I’m hoping of those we’ve elected to represent us, surely SOME of you are leaders, visionaries, and pioneers? Surely you aren’t going to just cower behind the desks we bought you? We’re waiting. Our children are waiting. Free us from our paralysis. Start us down the road again to show the world we will adapt and overcome any and all challenges that face America—the greatest nation on Earth.

BE AWARE! When you watch the news and see police incidents flash across your screen, you're receiving limited information, and 2nd-hand knowledge at that, coupled with the media's spin on it to draw your opinions about what is occurring. But did you get it right???

There are many jobs which require people with certain personality traits or skill sets. Take a surgeon for example. I want a person who is calm and cool-headed, and of course has steady hands. Another perfect example of a job requiring certain skills is that of a police officer. I’m sure in your own life experience you’ve heard someone utter the phrase, “I could never do that job” or “It takes a special kind of person to do that job” when talking about cops. Because of the nature of the work, being a police officer definitely takes someone very special. Police officers need to have the characteristics of an alpha. They need to have a strong personality and a large presence. I would even go so far as to say it’s important they are intimidating. This intimidation factor reminds people that the situation is serious, and keeps them safe since people are less likely to challenge and more likely to obey an officer who is “the authority”. This is vital in emergencies. It’s also important when people’s lives are on the line that an officer is able and willing to engage any threat. However, if you look at the misguided narrative marching front row on “The War on Cops” you will see that much of the criticism against police is that they are TOO violent and use TOO much force. This has led to a trend among law enforcement agencies to be gentler and more passive. Departments would rather have their officers out on the streets handing out donated school supplies, rather than looking for crime. Officers who typically would engage a suspect are now reluctant to act, because they know they could be moments away from being splashed across every television screen in America. Compounding the now-reluctant-to-act alpha problem is police departments changing their selection process to identify and select officers whose first instinct is to smile at people involved in a fight rather than to yell commands. As a result, some of the officers who are now being appointed are people that will likely not engage when needed. With the proliferation of video cameras, we can find more and more examples of police officers not taking action. The video at the top of this article went viral on Facebook this week and involves a sheriff’s deputy from San Joaquin County. Many comments about this video have had a similar tone of “looks like he should have picked a different job” or “he shouldn’t be a cop.” Yet had the officer tackled and used more force to subdue the suspect in this incident, those same people would be typing things like, “Police brutality!” and “There was no need to punch that guy. Cops are dicks!” It’s classic, 'Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.' I believe the masses would agree today that the pacification of police officers is a good thing, especially after being barraged with headlines daily from the media. Of course, I disagree. I’ve seen how the pacification of police officers really affects the community. I know of officers who were hired despite being too passive for the job. These are the same officers who continue running radar, while an emergency call for help comes out a few blocks away, because they don’t want to get involved in the fight. These are officers who never seem to show up first on a call. These are officers who purposefully delay their arrival to in-progress calls, so as to avoid confrontation. They would much rather take a report, than have to go hands-on with a suspect. I don’t think I need to explain or argue much further to illustrate how a passive police force directly translates to you being less safe. Especially if you should find yourself in a position where your physical safety is threatened and you need an officer to come save you. Understand that NO use of force by a police officer is ever going to look good on video. Even justified use of force is not pretty in any way. But that should not negate the fact that it’s sometimes necessary. That’s a tough dichotomy to rectify. The hiring of more passive police officers, is going to be a problem for this country. Departments should still be identifying and hiring people who will do what is necessary when needed. Equally as important (and currently not being done very well or often) is that police executives and city officials should be quick to publicly defend and articulate the circumstances and use of force to the public, in instances after officers have to do their job and make the difficult, split-second decisions. When it comes to the type of officer you want out on the street, the choice is simple—when it’s you or a loved one that’s in a fight for your life or you are trying to get an assailant off of you, do you want the officer who is going to come and save you or the one who is just going to take the report afterwards? **Steve Warneke is a retired Denver Police sergeant, police expert, consultant, speaker and author of From Boy To Blue. Find more from Steve at www.SteveWarneke.com.

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

I received this sincere, heartfelt letter from a former police officer this week about their struggles. This is why I began my work with Law Enforcement Distress Syndrome (LEDS). This is why I am conducting ongoing research for former and current police. It is my goal to reveal to everyone the hidden cost police officers are paying, and to help those who do, or have done, the job of a police officer. It is my goal to further understand this phenomenon and then increase awareness and training around LEDS. It is my goal to find and develop resources to manage and treat LEDS for officers who need help. Here is one officer's experience: So I retired from a very busy urban PD...statistically one of the most dangerous cities in the US every year. Your LEDS description is a picture of my life or I guess better described as my life now. I know the changes began long before I retired but it is after things slow down a bit when you finally realize how much your career has changed you, even I would say destroyed the person you use to be. I do not have issues with drugs or alcohol ... but the rest of the symptoms described all fit and I would say in a extreme amount. That is with the exception of suicide in any serious manor (I say serious manor only because I could not say the thought had never crossed my mind). I have exiled myself from most of my life long friends and even family members (outside wife and children). I have about a 30 minute limit to comfort even in family gatherings which will result in me having to leave or seclude myself if at home during any gathering. Stereo typical in any public place with head always on a swivel, back to the door, become extremely anxious in crowds, ETC ETC ETC... Even at home with family I have my space, small office where I go to relax and I hate to use the term because what it means in today's generation but, My Safe Space. During my career and previous time in the military I did everything... SWAT, Riot Team, Marine Unit, K-9, Anti Terrorism anything more exciting the more I wanted it and never failed to achieve those goals... As I reach the Supervisor rank and the high risk jobs became less and less my personal life became skydiving and even started Tree Climbing/Tree Removal for the adrenaline fix and at home when I could not do those things I would play Online First Person Shooter games like Counter Strike or Battlefield for that adrenaline fix. Lack of that now I feel leads to much of my anxiety or rather it was my way of combating the anxiety I never recognized. I was also a magnet for the SHIT calls several of which would make even a salty cop shake their head in disbelief. I now find that idle time is my enemy to the extent that even going to the bathroom (for a sit down) I have to have something to occupy my mind. I can not go to bed without the TV on because I need to have the stimulus to occupy my brain just to get to sleep. Sleep which of course is usually in 30-60 minute segments at best partially due to the brain and partially due to the damage I have done to my body over the years. Oh and my absolute best friend is my German Shepherd who I have had for about a year... Prior to him I had a Lab that past away at almost 15 the loss of him crushed me to the point where I remember thinking that I did not think losing a family member (except my wife or kids) would not have bothered me as much. Currently other than my dog the only other place I find peace is on my bike (road bike cycling) and this usually means going out on a 20-40 mile solo ride... I have tried riding with coworkers and friends and found this takes away from my enjoyment a bit because I prefer to be alone. Long and short I guess my overall feeling is I do not like the person I have become... I loved the job, the majority of the people but hate what it has turned me in to... My opinion is the worst part is you do not recognize this until it is too late and like in my case you have moved on. People look at our pensions and think we do not deserve it, I now think it wasn’t worth it... My only saving thoughts are that there are several people alive today (both officers and civilians) that would not be here today if I did not go to work of a few certain days... This helps but I still want me back... But mostly feel that will never happen, so I learn to try and live the best with me now for my family and myself. Thank you for your service officer! Thank you for sharing! So much of what I hypothesized about LEDS is proving correct, but I still need more information. Current and former police officers participate in my study regarding LEDS HERE. Share your experience and find out more about LEDS at www.SteveWarneke.com.

If you are a former or current police officer, if you have a loved one who does the job, if you know a cop or even just want to know more about the job, you have to read this! What is LEDS? Many of us spend a lot of time maintaining our physical health and well-being. We try to eat right, exercise, and do a myriad of different activities like grooming, dentist visits, doctor appointments, daily showers, and so on. When it comes to our mental health however, many of us don’t do much, if anything at all, to try improving that equally important side of us. Having retired from a major city police department after 15 years of service, I have spent much of the last three years trying to understand, cope, manage and work through some of the mental effects being a police officer had on me. During my personal growth work, I began to notice many of the police officers I know and love struggling with the same issues. That’s why I have identified and am doing ongoing research on Law Enforcement Distress Syndrome (LEDS). This occurs when police officers begin to exhibit one or more of the identified 8 symptoms, which result from prolonged durations of being under constant threat, bearing witness to evil, carnage, gore, violence, crime, and victimization. (There will be a link at the bottom to read more about LEDS and the symptoms) Now let me tell you my story. In my life, LEDS became far more noticeable after I retired and attempted to assimilate back into the civilian world. I noticed I had a much harder time making friends and meeting people than before I became a police officer. I didn’t want to know my neighbors and I didn’t want them to know me. I only trusted cops. I distrusted most of the new people I met. I was constantly analyzing them as if I was interviewing a suspect trying to find if there was anything I should be on guard against or to determine if they were telling me the truth. I would be constantly playing back what they had told me in the past and what I knew about them to see if there were any discrepancies. If I found any, I would confront the person. These are the identified symptoms of distrust of others and antisocial behavior as they pertain to LEDS. I was overly on guard. While driving, at the store, or walking around I was constantly evaluating for potential threats. I wanted my back to the wall if I was at bars or restaurants. I felt uncomfortable on planes. I would often mentally prepare, step-by-step my plan and response for any criminal or violent event on a flight or elsewhere. While on vacation, many times I was more focused on not being a victim than on enjoying my trip. In all situations, if someone struck me as suspicious, I would keep my eye on them to assure they weren’t about to do something violent. I was on edge, anxious and disliked big events, crowds of people, and many holidays like the 4th of July, Halloween, and New Year’s Eve. This symptom is called hypervigilance. One of the symptoms I struggled with most was fatalistic thinking. This one on the surface is not as easy to detect. I had high amounts of anxiety going on vacation or traveling. I was very anxious doing anything even remotely out of my comfort zone. I remember trying to snorkel on vacation and the moment I put my head down in the beautiful blue water and saw all the amazing little fish swimming around me, I got scared. My heart started racing, my breathing was heavy, my adrenaline pumped through my body and it took me almost 20 minutes to calm down. It wasn’t just traveling or snorkeling. I was overly anxious about even simple things like a boat ride. I barely got through a zip line ride without chickening out in Las Vegas. The thought of more inherently thrill seeking activities like parachuting or even parasailing were completely off the table. I didn’t understand this was the symptom of fatalistic thinking, I just knew I was extremely anxious and also completely avoiding activities which would cause any of this angst. What I discovered was the root of my anxiety was based on the fact that in my mind, if things went bad, I was going to be seriously hurt or killed. I was able to discover that over the years, I had seen so many activities result in injury or death to others and those memories haunted me into believing that the likelihood of those things happening was FAR greater than it actually was. Also, I was paranoid. Not about aliens, but I thought that people were always out to get me back for various reasons. Even if I did something that was completely legit. Why? Because I had seen it happen to so many before. In my time on the job, I saw people who fell victim to acts of violence because of revenge or vengeance. Last year, I had an instance where me and/or my dog were attacked three times by another off-leash dog that lived on my street. In the last attack, my friend was walking my dog while I was out of town and this neighbor’s dog tore an 8-inch gash on my dog’s neck and almost killed him. I called the police and had the owners and their dog cited. They were so pissed at me and couldn’t understand why I hadn’t “come to talk to them” instead of calling the police. My actions were reasonable, proper, and I was well within my rights to do what I did. Nobody would have faulted me for calling the police, especially since this was the third incident and discussions clearly were not working. Yet, when it was all over, and they had paid their fine and all my vet bills, I feared retaliation. I wondered if they would try to do something to me, my house, my loved ones and my dog as revenge. This symptom is called revenge/vengeance paranoia. That’s just some of my experience with LEDS. I have personally witnessed these and the other symptoms in different police officers, both current and retired. I have seen a handful of these instances of LEDS progress to debilitating levels. I have seen officers lose their jobs and even their lives, I believe in part because of LEDS. My case never got to a debilitating level, but I can tell you now that I have worked through much of this and can see light at the end of the tunnel. LEDS was having a much bigger effect on me and my quality of life than I had realized. It got to the point it did because LEDS is sneaky and comes on slowly. It’s like when you have a child or a puppy and you don’t realize how big they have become until you look back at pictures. Usually when I describe the effects I experienced with LEDS to people, they say, “Ya. That’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” While there is some slight overlap, LEDS is significantly different from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. One of the main differences is that LEDS is not caused by a single traumatic event. There are also significant variations in symptoms between PTSD and LEDS. It is possible, however, for some officers to experience both, especially those involved in one or more critical incidents. In my LEDS release, I talk about what the symptoms look like in their mild, moderate and severe forms, but it’s important to note not every officer exhibits every symptom. Because of the wide range of symptoms and possible severities of symptoms of LEDS, it’s not practical to describe how it could present in every possible scenario. Also, my research is trying to determine if my hypotheses about the syndrome are correct, how widespread the problem is, and a standard diagnosis methodology. I’m determined to share what I have learned. It would be a tragedy to have come this far and not use what I have discovered to help those who need and want assistance. My main purpose is to find ways to help police officers cope, manage, prevent and treat LEDS as well as to improve their overall quality of life. Nowhere in the academy, continuing education, or wellness training did I hear about these symptoms. I didn’t know this psychological transformation was even a possibility. I want all that to change. While the nature of police work may always lead to issues like this, my hope is for widespread education so officers everywhere can recognize when and if this begins to happen. Now that this has been released, the response has been overwhelming. The stories people have shared with me prove I am onto something very valuable for the health and well-being of the brave men and women who protect us every day with their own lives as collateral. HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP: Read and Understand LEDS - PDF or Mobile Friendly Past and Current Law Enforcement Take My 15-minute Survey Share Your Stories With Me By Sending Me a Message Through My Website GET THE WORD OUT! TALK TO EACH OTHER ABOUT LEDS AND THIS RESEARCH! **Steve Warneke is an award-winning author, writer, contributor, and speaker. Steve’s book and more are available at www.stevewarneke.com. #depression #paranoia #LawEnforcementDistressSyndrome #policepsychology #lawenforcement #police #ptsd

Steve Warneke hasn’t let being retired from the DPD stop him from striving to save lives. Steve is releasing his first book “From Boy To Blue” to continue to help make American citizens aware of their safety, and end the war on cops once and for all. #video

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.

Am I the only one disgusted by the hundreds of anarchists and criminals masquerading as protesters who take to the streets of America at any opportunity to wreak havoc? The latest of these, taking place in St. Louis, has injured 11 police officers as of last count, blocked streets and vandalized property and businesses. Am I the only one disgusted by the kid gloves and lack of enforcement shown by government officials, as these unlawful assembly protests continue to increase in number, severity and violence. What is it exactly everyone is "protesting"? From what I’ve read about the St. Louis case, Anthony Lamar Smith was a heroin dealer who had heroin in his car at the time of the incident, and was almost certainly armed. Anthony Lamar Smith is the one who, when police attempted to make contact, didn’t roll down his window and say, “Yes, officer,” but instead, rammed his car into a marked police car in an attempt to flee. It was Anthony Lamar Smith who led the police on a high-speed chase showing his willingness to endanger not only the officers, but also the entire community. It was the actions and decisions of Anthony Lamar Smith to commit criminal activity, coupled with not complying to instructions from officers that ultimately led to his demise. As I’ve discussed many times in my book—From Boy To Blue, and in my weekly podcasts and articles, these situations take some time before all the facts are revealed, but the end results are very transparent. I urge you to read the 30 page written decision issued by Judge Timothy Wilson, which is available for public consumption. His logic and rational is very detailed, combining the facts and circumstances of the case, the evidence, testimony, and applicable laws. Judge Wilson then looks at each argument presented by the prosecution, and using all the evidence obtained through investigation, is able to conclude that their case didn’t meet the burden of proof. When many people hear that prosecutors “failed to meet the burden of proof” they assume that means the officer is guilty, but there just wasn’t enough to prove it. That conclusion involves faulty logic. That’s what judges and attorneys have to say because there’s always a possibility that more evidence could come forward at a later time; it’s legalese. I’ve read this decision and in my opinion, the state was so far away from having a legitimate case that I’m astounded this incident even saw the inside of a courtroom. I urge you to read it and see how no unbiased, reasonable person could draw any other conclusion than what Judge Wilson did. I’m willing to wager that the vast majority of the people protesting in St. Louis don’t even care about this case. They are simply looking for any and every opportunity to be disruptive, be violent, promote anarchy and spawn chaos. To the very few legitimate protestors who wanted to gather and show their disapproval of the outcome of this case, have you read the decision? Are you just going by snippets you’ve heard on the streets or on the news? Where exactly do you take issue? How do you read the same facts and circumstances that I just did, the applicable laws, and come up with a guilty verdict? Are we as a society trying to get to a place where our only criteria for whether or not a police officer's use of force is justified, hinges solely on the race of everyone involved? Do the facts and circumstances of a case not mean anything? Are we trying to get to a place where anytime an officer is required to use deadly force, he should be fired and thrown in jail? It feels like that’s the direction this bus is facing. How long of a leash are we willing to give people who don’t follow the rules with regards to protests and assembly, commit law violations, injure officers, and destroy property? Why are local officials so afraid to act swiftly, aggressively, and decisively against anyone who is creating riot situations in America’s streets? They fear their enforcement will be perceived as trying to snuff out people’s free speech, but free speech is not what we are seeing in St. Louis and across the country. If you have an issue in this country there are always legitimate ways to speak your mind and affect change. There are always appropriate venues and actions that can be taken so that every voice can be heard no matter what the problem is. None of those include smashing in police car windows and injuring people. When will enough be enough? Have you had enough yet? READ THE JUDGE'S DECISION HERE ** I’ll go over details of the case and in Judge Wilson’s decision during this week’s live podcast on Wednesday at 8:00pm EST at www.SteveWarneke.com **

The average human being thinks of sex anywhere from every 7 seconds to 10 times a day, depending on which study you believe. In addition to organic sexual thoughts, we are all bombarded with sex in advertising, television, movies, print and any other conceivable place. So, there’s no arguing sex is a major part of our lives. So maybe that excuses Harvey Weinstein, Louis C.K., Kevin Spacey, Charlie Rose, Al Franken, or any of the other 55 famous people I found recently accused of some form of sexual misconduct? Rather than address each of the accused and their charge of wrongdoing, which would be nearly impossible, I’d like to speak to this epidemic in general. We all have strong sexual desires. We can all think of someone we know or have seen that gives us a burning sensation down in our stomach. Our thoughts instantly turn to late night Cinemax programming and we can physically feel the desire we have for them raging throughout our bodies. Varying in frequency and intensity from person to person, this is a fairly normal human experience. Just because we as humans experience those instances, doesn’t give us the right to grab the object of our desire and try to just take it. Most of us are aware it is illegal to grab people in their private areas. Your status, success, bank account balance, or level of fame and influence does NOT exempt you from this agreed upon social, moral rule. If you are rich and famous you are probably already getting way more action than you would be if you were a regular Joe anyway (no matter how bad your looks). I’ve coined the term peacocking to mean anytime a person shows off their best attributes in an attempt to attract a mate. We all do it. Some of us are better at it than others. Some of us attract an astonishing amount of mates even for having a poor array of colors and tail feathers, so to speak. Being rich and famous is like being a peacock on steroids. And although I’m sure this is a nice quality for rich, famous, and powerful people to possess, believe it or not there’s still a truth that every human being at some point has to accept—No matter what you have, how good you look, what you say or do, there will always be people that will NOT want you to touch them. Just as Steve Jobs couldn’t buy a cure for his illness even with all his wealth, the fact of the matter is nobody gets to have sexual experiences with every person they desire. So deal with it. Now to the victims and accusers. It’s too easy to accuse people of sexual misconduct in today’s society. If it’s been 40 years since someone “touched or groped you inappropriately,” your time to report this has expired. Hell, if we are counting any number of years when talking about your accusation of groping or grabbing, then it’s too late for you. Also, if you think someone is joking when they ask to, say, masturbate in front of you and then they begin doing it against your will, it’s ok to speak up and say, “STOP!” We all agree that any person’s sexual “yes” can be revoked at any time even if it was a misunderstanding. It’s incumbent upon you if someone is making advances, touching, or trying to make any unwelcome moves that you SAY SOMETHING. I know many people who felt uncomfortable by someone’s advances, yet let them continue because they were too scared to say anything. I even know people who have let unwelcome advances continue because they didn’t want to hurt the advancer’s feelings. That’s preposterous. Your words and feelings have their own power, so don’t let anyone intimidate you. Get in the habit of speaking up immediately. Make sure your verbiage is CLEAR AND CONCISE. Don’t say, “I probably should be getting home.” Instead say, “Stop right now. You’re making me uncomfortable and I want to leave.” Unfortunately, as a former police officer, I have had the misfortune to investigate many, many false allegations of sexual misconduct. There were varying reasons for this, but I believe if any accusation can be proven false, there should be criminal and civil prosecutions to follow. Certainly many will chastise me for this, arguing it will dissuade many who are already reluctant, legitimate victims to come forward in actual cases of sexual assault, but I disagree. There has to be consequences for our actions. Falsely accusing someone of something should have repercussions, no matter the subject. It will also give real victims’ accusations more power and the support and validity they deserve. So while sex is a big part of our world, it shouldn’t run your life. We have to be clear about what is ok and what is not. Sexual attraction and seduction has always been and always will be a dance. There are different degrees of aggressiveness which we have agreed are still ok, but none of those include making unwanted sexual advances, grabbing and touching unwilling people, or thinking you are entitled to just take whatever it is you want. I believe the more we talk about and clarify the rules and expectations we have set as a society, the less instances we will see of deviance. This goes for any subject but it’s particularly important for sex. Think about it, and we can continue the discussion during your next sexually charged thought— in about 7 seconds. **Steve Warneke is a retired sergeant and author of From Boy To Blue. You can find more from Steve at www.SteveWarneke.com.