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Lt. Jimmie L IlatselNamed Bepetl Sherif

ef the Year

FORT MYERS —At their 79thAnnual Summer Conference held

here July 19-22, the sheriffs hon-

ored Orange County Sheriffs Lt.Jimmie C. Watson as the 1992FSA Deputy Sheriff of the Year.As the statewide winner, Watson

was awarded a handsome plaque,and a check for $1,000.

Watson, an 18-year veteran

of the Orange County Sheriffs Of-

fice, has been assigned to a num-

ber of uniformed and plainclothes

assignments. He worked his way

through the ranks to his current

position as the director of the Or-

ange County S.O. "CommunityOriented Policing Services" Pro-

gram, commonly called "COPS."His boss, Sheriff Walt

Gallagher, decided to field testthe concept in the South Apopkaarea, a section of town which

had been "nearly taken over bydrug dealers and other members

1992Deputy of the Year Lt. Jimmie C.Watson(right) with hie boss,Orange County Sheriff Walt Gallagher (left), end Union County

Sheriff Jerry Whitehead. (Sherif Whitehead was the president ofthe RorideSherNe Aeeocietionwhentheawerd wee presented. ffe

ie now the immediate past president. )

noted Watson.The team then explored al-

ternatives (to crime) for the kidsin the neighborhood. They spon-sored large dances, a boy scouttroop, drew plans to build a play-ground, and they established aPolice Athletic League, just toname a few.

While assembling thesecommunity based programs,Watson's COPS team also fo-cused on "taking the bad guys offthe street, " and they did so inroyal fashion —effecting a totalof 835 arrests during calendaryear 1991alone!

Sheriff Gallagher couldn' theap enough praise on Watson's

ability to get involved in his workand lead his troops by example.

"Jimmy Watson gives 100%to every challenge presented tohim, " Gallagher says proudly."He's the kind of deputy who canoversee a scout troop one minute—and lead the charge to makehigh risk, felony arrests the next—and do a great job at both. "

Watson is a member of Or-

ange County's elite SWAT Teamas well. And, he's a certified po-

of the criminal element, " according to the Sheriff. Results

have been nothing short of amazing!COP's first mission was to identify by name, nickname

and photo, all habitual offenders and career criminals living

in South Apopka. Team members became so proficient that

they could immediately identify any of them on sight. Theteam then set out to gain support of the local residents, most

of whom had been spending day and night in constant fear."We were such a welcome sight that gaining their sup-

port was easy once they had confidence in our mission, "

lice instructor in CPR, defensive tactics, and firearms. Healso enjoys the distinction of being specially trained in foren-sic hypnosis, a rarity among his peers.

In his off-duty time, Lt. Watson is in his 26th year in theUS Naval Reserve, most recently including a stint in the Per-sian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm.

Without question, he's the type ofdeputy that any agencywould be proud to have on board, and he's a worthy recipientfor the honor of being named FSA's 1992 Deputy Sheriff ofthe Year!

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iiapntl Shariff af

the Yaar finalistsIn addition to naming the Deputy

Sheriff of the Year, FSA awards plaquesto two co-finalists each year. This year' sfinalists were Deputy Sheriff TimothyGlover of Polk County and Cpl. RichardM. Goff of Charlotte County.

In Polk County, Deputy Tim Gloverwas chosen for an act of heroism which

could have easily cost him his life. It oc-curred on the night ofFebruary 15, 1991,when he and Sgt. Gary Shiver weresearching the frigid waters of LakeKissimmee during a terrible storm, for anoverdue boat. Without warning, theirown search boat capsized.

An hour later, a second rescue crewfound Shiver and Glover clinging to their

overturned boat, with Sgt. Shiver nearly

unconscious from hypothermia. It be-came obvious that Shiver's condition was

teaching critical stages, but the size of the

second rescue vessel (airboat) made itquestionable as to whether or not bothmen could be rescued on the first goaround.

Without hesitation, Deputy TimGlover insisted that his rescuers takeShiver ashore for medical treatment and

come back "when they could" to pickhim up.

Initially, they refused to honor his re-

quest. But, after some stern coaxing byGlover, they agreed to leave him behind.On a return trip, the rescue team again

located Glover —still hanging on fordear life. Both men were later treated forexposure at a local medical center.

lmnically, the occupants of the origi-nal overdue boat were already safelymoored at another landing, a place of ref-

uge they found when the inclementweather began to set in.

In Charlotte County, Cpl. RichardGoff was awarded a co-finalist award forhis ingenuity in catching major drug traf-

fickers operating near the southwestFlorida community of Englewood.

Goff was tipped by St. PetersburgPolice that one of their arrestees con-fessed that she received her cocaine"from some people in Charlotte County.

"From very scant information, Goff

came up with possible suspects, but couldnot figure a way to make a case. Then, hehad an idea.

For weeks, on garbage collectiondays, Goff would set his alarm to go off in

the middle of the night. He' d get up, drive

to the suspects home and dump their

curbside garbage into the bed of his per-sonal pickup truck Meticulously, he' dsearch through the garbage for any shredof evidence —always coming up empty-handed.

He noticed one strange thing,though. There was always an unusually

large number of discarded tissues in thetrash —every time. Then it hit him.

Cocaine abusers frequently injurethe mucous membranes within their nasal

passages, causing them constant runnynoses. Goff field tested the discarded tis-sues and hit the jackpot —they came uppositive for the presence of cocaine!

Goff got positive readings on enoughtissues until a judge issued a search war-rant for the suspect's home. Deputies dis-covered a half-kilo of uncut cocainealong with a variety of handguns, ma-chine pistols and fake passports linkingthem to Columbia. Two suspects werearrested and a major source of cocaine tocentral Florida was out of business andbehind bars.

Police Cars Recalled

Nearly 1,000 Chicago police cruisersmay be part of a recall of a half millionGeneral Motors (G M) vehicles. The GM re-call, announced July 24 in Detroit, involves

large numbers of emergency vehicles used bystate, county and suburban law enforcement

agencies.General Motors is recalling 37,000 1991

and 1992 Chevrolet Caprices speciallyequipped with a heavy-duty police equipment

package that includes steel wheels that coulddevelop cracks under some stressful condi-tions, a GM spokesman said.

Recall notices were sent out to policeagencies July 10.

The Chevy Caprice also is widely used

by Yellow Cab Co. and Checker Taxi Co.Hard braking, fast cornering and other

heavy use conditions could create hairlinecracks in the special wheels. The wheels alsocould be damaged by mechanics who over-tighten lug nuts using speed wrenches or airwrenches, automaker spokesman John Dinansaid.

The recall also includes more than

200,000 Buick Roadmaster sedans and wagonsand Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser station wag-ons. A plastic covering that breaks down insunlight could lead to a metal seat belt guidebecoming dangerously defective in theRoadmasters and Custom Cruisers, the TheChicago Sun-Times reported.

General Motors also is recalling 215,0001990-92 Geo Storms in which steering wheelhnbs have broken in crashes too slow for theairbag to deploy. A number of injuries, mainlyscratches and bruises, have been reported be-cause of the defect.

The repairs will be made at no cost to theowners, Dinan said.

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EDITOR' SCORNERBy Tom Berli,nger

~ IIIa~'Roy' WnxoX@ 2~Xai3 lAataQ

Aw' le&sane WleCImeAPB continues to seek articles from

all sheriff's offices. Here's a few tipsthat will increase the chances of yours

being published.

Keep in mind that APB is distrib-

uted to all 67 counties. Local stories are

great in local papers, but many havelittle or no reader interest outside yourlocale. Statewide relevance is the key.

FSA has a high speed optical scan-

ner which can read typed text and elimi-

nate our need to retype it. Please typeyour articles double-spaced, just as ifyou were typing them for publication.

Or, if possible, submit your article on a5 1/4" MS-DOS diskette in lieu ofprinted text. That would aid greatly in

the editing process.Photographs are encouraged. We

prefer clear contrast black and white, al-

though color can often be transformed

into a decent black and white. Be sure

to provide a caption with each photo,including identification of the personswho appear therein. If you have ques-tions or ideas you wish to discuss,call me at (904) 877-2165 at yourconvenience.

Ten Commaetments(For People With High Blood Pressure)

0 Know your blood pressure. Have it checked

regularly.9 Know what your weight should be. Keep it at

that level or below.

Don't use excessive salt in cooking or at

meals; avoid salty foods.

6 Eat alowfat diet according to American Heart

Association recommendations.9 Don't smoke cigarettes.

Take your medicine exactly as prescribed;don't run out of pills even for a single day.9 Keep your appointments with the Doctor.

O Follow your doctor's advice about exercise.

6 Live a normal life in every other way.I Make certain your parents, sisters, brothers

and children have their pressures checked

regularly. American Heart Association

At this juncture, you'd have to be living on another planet to be unaware ofthe devastation that Hurricane Andrew has inflicted on Dade County's inhabit-ants. On September 15,Dade authorities said that the latest count indicated that20,000 homes were totally destroyed —and another 80,000 suffered substan-tial damage.

Very little information has been reported about the losses suffered byDade's law enforcement and correctional officers —the people who have hadto set aside their own predicament in favor of taking care of others.

FSA took a quick, unscientific telephone poll to determine just the numberof sworn employees displaced from their homes. In each instance, either thehome was totally destroyed or was damaged to such an extent that it is uninhab-itable for anywhere between three and nine months:

Florida DOCMetro-Dade Police .Dade Co. Corrections ......Miami PD .Homestead PDFHP TroopersCoral Gables PD.Miami Beach PD .FDLE.Florida City PD.

.300-400110

............105

.....75 of 8663

..............352320

.....16 of 19

More than 1,000 others suffered substantial damage like loss of their roofor major portions of their home. There are numerous other state and local offic-ers affected, but it would be impossible list them all.

"Some families must huddle in one bedroom of a three or four bedroomhome, "said Lonnie Lawrence, Director of Dade County Corrections.

"For those homes not totaled but substantially damaged, the persistentdownpours have soaked their carpet, furniture and other possessions over andover again,

"noted Allison Bishop, spokesperson for Metro-Dade Police.Fred Taylor, Director of Metro-Dade said, "we are getting a lot of assis-

tance for residents in need, however we cannot forget our own personnel. "In conjunction with the Police Officers Assistance Trust ofMetro-Dade Po-

lice (the equivalent of the sheriff's office in Dade County), the Florida SheriffsAssociation has established a fund to aid displaced law enforcement and cor-rections officers in Dade County. "Each and every cent we receive will be for-warded to the Assistance Trust, " noted J. M. "Buddy" Phillips, theAssociation's Executive Director.

Those interested in making a donation in any amount, should make thecheck out to the "Florida Sheriffs Association" and write "Officer ReliefFund" in the lower left corner. FSA*s Mailing address is P.O. Box 12519,Tallahassee, FL 32317-2519.

Let's open up our hearts and wallets to our fellow officers in this time ofneed.

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"Smart" SpeedEnforcement

Kustom Signals, Inc. has an-nounced the latest addition to its prod-uct line: the S.M.A.R.T. system. De-veloped by Mobile Traffic Zone, Inc.of Woodland, California, the S.M.AR.T. system will be manufactured and

distributed by Kustom Signals within

the terms of the purchase agreement.S.M.A.R.T. stands for Speed

Monitoring Awareness Radar Trailer,and the name says it all. A self-con-tained trailer, the S.M.A.R.T. systemincludes a giant digital display reading"Your Speed, "which registers passingmotorists' speeds as clocked by theKustom radar unit within the trailer. Atraditional speed limit sign attached tothe trailer reminds motorists to slowdown if the display indicates they are

travelling too fast. The unit is powered

by solar panels, resulting in silent and

environmentally-conscious operation.Law enforcement agencies benefit

from use of the trailers in several ways.When used unattended (i.e., not for the

purpose of writing tickets), it serves asa highly visible and non-threatening re-minder to the public that citizen safetyis the foremost interest of the depart-ment. It can be deployed in residentialareas and other locations where there isa high level of citizen concern overspeeding and/or accident rate. Someagencies advertise the location of the

system, allowing interested motoriststo check speedometer accuracy. Anumber of agencies also use the systemfor actual enforcement, ticketing thoseindividuals inclined to speed past thetrailer. However it is used, studies haveshown that there is a residual effect,similar to other forms of speed enforce-ment, in that average speeds tend to re-main lower even for a period after thetrailer is removed from a given site.

Organizations other than law en-forcement agencies also have a stronginterest in the S.M.A.R.T. system. It isvery valuable in school zones, on con-struction sites, and other areas where

there is a higher-than-normal risk of pe-destrian accidents.

Historically, a good number of theover 150 S.M.A.R.T. systems in use todayhave been funded in part or in whole bygrants from local and national insuranceconcerns.

The S.M.A.R.T. system represents

yet another step in broadening KustomSignals' full product line which includes

speed enforcement radar and laser, in-carsurveillance systems, voice dispatch con-

soles, and marine patrol radar. For moreinformation, contact Kustom Signals, Inc. ,9325 Pflumm, Lenexa, Kansas 66215;1-800-4KUSTOM.

Radar IlanufacturerChallenges

goostitotiooolitl ofConnecticut Radar San

The suit brought by Kustom allegesthat the State acted arbitrarily and irra-tionally in passing the bill without anysupporting scientific evidence. The suitspecifically charges that Connecticutviolated the Due Process and Equal Pro-tection Clauses of the FourteenthAmendment and the Commerce Clauseof the Constitution in enacting the law.

William Ruppert, Chairman andCEO of Kustom Signals, stated, "Webelieve that letting this law go unchal-lenged would set a dangerous precedentby allowing special interest groupswith vested interests to dictate legisla-tion that has absolutely no basis in fact.It is unfortunate that such groundlesslegislation has made it necessary to takethis action in order to protect the liveli-hoods of our employees and the founda-tion of our business. "

Company contact WilliamRuppert, Kustom Signals, Inc, (913)492-1400.

Kustom Signals, Inc of Lenexa, KS,announced that it has filed suit against of-ficials of the State of Connecticut seekingto overturn legislation banning the use ofthe firm's products within the state.Kustom is the nation's leading manufac-turer of traffic radar systems used by law

enforcement agencies to enforce speedlimit compliance. On June 2, 1992, Con-necticut enacted legislation that prohib-ited the use of hand-held radar devices byany state or municipal officer in thecourse of his employment.

Second Traffic Radar

Lawsuit Sismissed

Kustom Signals, Inc. of Lenexa,KS, has announced that the case ofHutchison v. Kustom Signals et al. hasbeen dismissed by the U.S. DistrictCourt in the Northern District of Cali-fornia as of May 20, 1992. The dis-missal did not arise as the result of anysettlement between the parties in-

Publisher

J.M. "Buddy" Phillips

Executive Director

Florida Sheriffs Association

Editor

Thomas P. Berlinger

Art Director

Frank Jones

Production Assistant

Lyna Meek

The ALL POINTS BULLETIN is published quarterly,in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, by the FloridaSheriffs Association, a uon-profi corporation.

The Florida Sheriffs Association intends to conveyvarious opinions of law enforcement individuals audorganizations in the state of Florida aud national entitieswhich affect the state. Articles published in this publica-tion do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the FloridaSheriffs Association. The Florida Sheriffs Associationdoes not endorse or guarantee any product, service orcompany represented in the articles.

Florida Sheriffs AssociationP. O. Box 12519,Tallahassee, FL 32317-2519

FLORIDA SHERIFFS ALL POINTS BULLETINVolume 2, No. 3, 1992

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volved. The Hutchison case was one ofseveral lawsuits alleging personal injuryto police officers caused by microwaveemissions from police radar devices,and is the second case of this kind to bedismissed. Such product liability law-

suits have recently been brought againstmanufacturers of police radar devices,even though such devices have beenshown to be well below all applicablesafety standards for human exposure tomicrowave emissions.

Kustom Signals is a twenty-fiveyear old firm specializing in the manu-

facturing and marketing ofpolice trafficradar, laser speed detection instruments,

patrol car surveillance systems, publicawareness speed display trailers, andvoice dispatch consoles. For further in-

formation, please contact Kustom Sig-nals, Inc. , 9325 Pflumm, Lenexa, KS,66215-3347.

Conneiticut BansNand-Neld Radar Iuns

Connecticut on June 3 banned the

use of hand-held radar guns police useto detect speeders because of concernthe devices cause cancer. It was the firsttime a state has banned the devices.

The new law, signed by Gov.Lowell Weicker June 3 and effective on

July 1, prohibits police from using thehand-held radar guns, but still allows

police to use vehicle-mounted radarguns, which are deemed safer.

"You' ve got a difficult enough lifeto lead without having what you hold in

your hands be a threat, "Weicker said.At least four Connecticut munici-

pal police officers have filed workers'

compensation claims, alleging daily ex-posure to the hand-held radar devicescaused them to develop cancer. Andone has filed suit against Kustom Sig-nals Inc. ofKansas, the manufacturer ofthe hand-held radar gun.

The manufacturer has repeatedlydenied that its hand-held radar detec-tors pose a health problem.

ORLANOCTOB

OO, FLORIDAER 28-30, 1992

The Florida Sheriffs Association will

present a twenty-hour training programcovering contraband forfeiture. Thistraining will addressthe1992 legislativeamendments to the forfeiture law. Ad-

ditionally, other topics will be covered toensure the overall training of law en-forcement personnel necessary to con-ductforfeitures in aneffective manner toassure public and legislative support offorfeiture activities.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: This trainingis designed for all Sheriffs Offices' per-sonnel who are involved with asset for-feiture procedures in any capacity in-

cluding making the seizure decision,asset management, settlement, andforfeiture proceedings. Sheriffs, super-visory personnel, Sheriff's Office inves-tigators, legal advisors, and analystsare encouraged to attend.

The Florida Sheriffs Association has ar-ranged special room rates at $49.00(single or double) for those attendeesrequiring hotel accommodations.

lSLET Sponsors Confornnco

The American Society of Law En-forcement Trainers (ASLET) will con-vene its Annual International TrainingConference in Reno, Nevada, January5th - 9th, 1993at the Nugget Resort Ho-tel. This year's host agency will be theWashoe County Sheriff's Office. Eachyear the ASLET seminar sets newrecords for the largest international gath-ering of law enforcement trainers.

This year's participants will havethe option of attending over seventy dif-ferent classes from any of one of eightdifferent training tracks which include:Management/Supervision of Training,Firearms Training, Deadly Force Issues/Management, Motor Skills Training,General Training, Specialized Training,Corrections Training, and, new this year,Security Training. The ASLET Law En-forcement Products and Services Show

TUITION: The registration fee is $150per registrant. This course may beapproved for up to 20 hours towardmandatory retraining credit. TheFlorida Sheriffs Association is seekingapproval for the Sheriff's SalarySupplement Program as well as con-tinuing legal education credits for thelegal professions. This seminar alsoqualifies for the expenditure of localdollar funds at the discretion of theattendee's agency head or designee.

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LOCATION: Orlando, Florida-Altamonte Springs Hilton

Wednesday, October 28, 19921:00P.M. - 5:00 P.M.

Thursday, October 29, 19928:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

Friday, October 30, 19928:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

will feature nearly 100 vendors whowill be displaying the latest trainingtechnology and services.

The registration fee for this confer-ence is $245.00 for members and$295.00 for non-members. Enrollmentis limited! For further information con-tact: ASLET, P.O. Box 361,Lewes, DE19958,Phone 302/645-4080 FAX 302/645-4084.

CelebrateRED RIBBON WEEK

October 24 —November 1

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Brewer's

Betfempe Cemm

Center

TITUSVILLE, FL —On April 16,1992, the Brevard County Sheriff'sOffice officially recognized the con-clusion of over two years of planningand renovation at a grand opening cer-emony for the newly refurbished and

equipped Communications Center.Attended by approximately 200 stateand local officials, fellow communica-tions officers from agencies through-

out the State of Florida, and otherinvited guests, the ribbon cutting was

performed by Brevard County SheriffC. W. "Jake" Miller, who verbalizedhis pride in the new facility by call-

ing the new equipment "the finestcommunications system available tolaw enforcement. "

An Enhanced Digital AccessCommunications System (EDACS)from Ericsson GE, the 800 MHz sys-tem now serves the Sheriff's Depart-ment, Fire Rescue Department, andRockledge Police Department. Plans

are currently underway for most of the

neighboring municipalities and other

county agencies to share the primary"backbone" system, beginning with

the Titusville Police Departmentwithin the next few months. "The ac-quisition of this system is a giant stepin the right direction for the citizens ofBrevard, "

says Sheriff Miller. "TheEDACS we have brought into this areagives each of the 14 municipalities an

opportunity to tie into a unified, co-re-lated communications network, with-

out the expense of establishing the ini-

tial tower sites and purchasing the ba-sic backbone equipment.

""Because the radios and commu-

nications components will not be obso-lete by the addition of new equipment

developed for EDACS, we are assured

that we can continue to bring in systemenhancements and new radios well

into the next decade without necessitatingthe large expenditure required of a newstart-up system, " he continues. "This isquite an asset for the neighboring munici-

palities with smaller budgets. I ampleased that we shouldn't have to goback to the people of this county and askfor funds for a new communications sys-tem for many years. "

The initial system, which cost ap-proximately 3 million dollars, is designedto fill the needs of the 420,000 citizenswho live and work in the county which is76 miles long and 24 miles wide.Marbled with various bodies of water-the Indian and Banana rivers, lagoons,and the Atlantic ocean —the topographyof the county has always posed a commu-nications challenge. Emergency commu-

nications for both land and water were,according to Sheriff Miller, frequentlyinsufficient. Now, however, geographicboundaries impose no boundaries uponcommunications. "We' ve come a longway,

"agrees Chief Deputy Ron Clark."Within a few weeks of installation,

we had a good test of the coverage and

interoperability of the system," reports

Sheriff Miller. "We had a bank robbery inRockledge. The Rockledge Police, High-

way Patrol, and our office were all able tomaintain constant contact. We tracked

the robber by helicopter and radioedback his exact location, keeping intouch the whole time. We were able tozero in and arrest him in short order.For us, the system has worked beauti-fully from day one."

According to Omar Shearer, headof the Communications Division forBrevard, much of that "immediate"success was due to the tireless effortsand expertise ofTim Dare, of Commu-nications International, in Titusville.Not only was Dare charged with get-ting the system up and running, but hewill now be responsible for all serviceand maintenance as the system growsand adds new users.

"We have been extremely pleasedwith the installation and with the train-

ing, which was conducted on-site, "says Shearer. "Tim has done a greatjob, and we have received superiorsupport from Russ Prindle, DougReed, Alex Small, Pete Allan, DonBeach and the whole Ericsson GE or-ganization. "Curt Jones, project man-

ager for the Sheriff's Department con-curs, adding, "What we see here todayis the result of a mutually beneficialrelationship. Ericsson GE has been agreat company to work with. "

continued on next page

Brevard personnel man their post in the newly designed communications center which isdesigned for speed and efficiency.

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continued from page 6

Visitors attending the grand open-ing were impressed by the organiza-tion and overall professionalism of thecenter. "The center has obviouslybeen very well-planned, " said DonThode, who has been in charge of the

Orange County, Florida, Sheriff's Of-fice communications for the past 11years. "Communication centers I'veseen, even new ones, usually get rel-egated to a broom closet. Someonehere has obviously done their home-work. This facility has everything forrunning, controlling and maintainingthe operation in one convenient set-up.

"As for the radio equipment itself,Thode speaks from experience whenhe acknowledged, "It must be prettygood. Everyone seems very well satis-fied. The operators seem happy; Idon't see them running, screaming,from the room!"

"To us,"concludes Sheriff Miller,

"the importance of this system is in di-rect relationship to the lives beingsaved and to our keeping up withcriminals. Our communications needsare complex; we now have a commu-

nications system that can meet thoseneeds. I don't know that there really isanother company out there that is ca-pable of doing what this system doesfor our county. "

LII CaantH

Hamts 4thAmnuml

Summit

FORT MYERS —Over 200 partici-pants from around the state and nationmet here July 22-24 for the 4th AnnualSouthwest Florida Law EnforcementSummit. Co-sponsors of the event wereLee County Sheriff John McDougalland Robert Genzman, United States At-torney for the central district of Florida.

"This year's theme focused on theneed to bridge the gap in understandingbetween law enforcement agencies and

drug abuse service providers, " saidSheriff McDougall.

Highlight of the Summit was thekeynote speech by former Florida Gov-ernor Bob Martinez, now widely known

as the United States Drug "Czar" in hisposition as head of the federal Office ofNational Drug Control Policy in Wash-ington.

Martinez was thrilled to report thatstatistics show casual and adolescent

U.S. "Drug Czar" Bob Nsrllmu, accompanied byLee County Sherif John NcDougsll talks to thepress after addressing the Fourth AnnualSouthwest Florida Law Enforcement Summit.Former Governor NsrtlnezhesdsuptheU. S.ONceof Natonal Drug Control Policy. (Photo by AbeMiller, Lee County Sheriff's Office)

drug use has taken a downturn, but hewas quick to acknowledge that the waron drugs was far from over.

"The ultimate victory is whenpeople don't use drugs at all,"he noted.

Sheriff McDougall agreed withMartinez' assessment. "We have tobroaden our field of vision, " said theSheriff. "Law enforcement can no longerlimit themselves to putting drug offendersin jail. . .we must explore the basic rea-sons why people involve themselves indrugs to start with, and work to resolvethose causative factors. "

Glock Answers

Complaints of Problems

By Bill Clede, Technical EditorLaw and Order Magazine

The Suffolk County, NY, policeexperienced malfunctions of theirGlock Model 19 pistols which led tothe redesign of certain parts by themanufacturer and a production changein the fall of 1991.

There were a number of com-plaints from police departmentsaround the country by late 1991 of"slam fire,"a round being fired as the

magazine was rammed into place, and

multiple shot bursts, mostly involvingthe Model 19. Glock at first suspectedthe malfunctions were due to "unautho-

rized modifications, " but SuffolkCounty armorers flatly denied any tam-

pering with any of their Glock pistols.Production changes were made and ateam of Glock's and the police armorers

upgraded Suffolk County's 1,200Model 19s.

Glock Technical Bulletin ff920403,dated April 1, 1992, advises Glock ar-morers of a new firing pin safety systemavailable as a voluntary upgrade. Thebulletin states, "This upgrade is beingoffered in keeping with Glock's com-mitment to safety and to ensure future

interchangeability. " It emphasizes thatcomponents of the new firing pin safetysystem are not interchangeable withcomponents of the old system.

Six parts are involved: the firingpin/striker, firing pin safety spring, fir-ing pin safety, trigger bar, extractor, andspring loaded bearing. Pistols involvedare Glock 17 (9mm) alpha prefixes AA-WF, Glock 19 (9mm) prefixes throughWJ, Glock 20 (10mm) prefixes throughWW, Glock 21 (45ACP) prefixesthrough XL, Glock 22 (40S8rW) pre-fixes through YA, and Glock 23(40S&W) prefixes through SK.

The bulletin adds, "The upgradedfiring pin safety system has a new sur-

continued on next page

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continued from page 7

face finish making it nearly 100% salt-

water corrosion resistant. "Not all recent complaints have

had merit. A police department in thenorthwest reported that a Model 19 in aSafariland SS III holster dischargedwhen struck by a side blow from aPR-24. They said they repeated the mal-

function on three occasions by striking

a Model 19 from the side as it was held

firmly in a vise.Concerned by this report, another

agency tried to duplicate the problemusing their own Model 22s, including

one with some 40,000 rounds firedthrough it. Their report stated, "We did

not attempt to replicate the accidentalfiring when the weapon was held firmly

in a vise, as we felt the conditions didnot represent a realistic set of circum-stances which an officer might be facedwith in the field. "They used a standard

Sam Browne belt and holster on a baton

practice dummy.The Model 22s were loaded with

primed cases and repeatedly struck with

increasing force, including two-handed

power strokes to the rear, middle and

front. At no time did the firing pin strike

the primer with enough force to cause adischarge, there were no external signs

of damage to the weapons, and all func-

tioned properly after the test.In a February 7th fax, Glock Presi-

dent Karl Walter reported, "There have

been numerous upgrades on Glock 19sas well as on Glock 17s, and we expectwe will be introducing further upgradesas the need arises. All manufacturers atone time or another have upgraded their

respective pistols, and the Glock pistolis no exception. "

"Everyone jumps on Glock, "Walter told Gun Week in a telephoneinterview. "It comes with being aleader. . . . We have almost 4,000 po-lice agencies carrying Glocks out there,and genuine problems are extremelyisolated. " For information on an "up-grade transition schedule" planned tobegin no later than August 1, 1992,callGlock at (800) 828-2781.

Courtesy of LAW and ORDERJune 1992

'Nares' Form

Statewide AssociationOn July 18, forty-five law enforce-

ment officers met in Tampa and drew upinitial plans for the formation of the"Florida Narcotic Officers' Associa-tion, " (FNOA).

"We are aware of two other narcoticofficer associations, but they both dis-solved in 1976,"noted Lt. Jim Tagliariniof the Hillsborough County S.O., and

newly elected President of this latest ef-fort. Training and the exchange of infor-mation will play a major role in the new

Associations goals."In the past few years, the Florida

Sheriffs Association Crack Cocaine TaskForce has brought Florida's drug en-forcement agents together like no othereffort has ever done before, "Tagliarinisaid. "But, with no guarantee of contin-

ued funding, many of us felt that the

time was right for another attempt atforming a statewide association of nar-

cotic investigators. "

The initial meeting drew representa-tion from the sheriff's offices inHillsborough, Pinellas, Seminole, Or-

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ange, and Marion counties. In addition,representatives from the Lakeland,Ocala, Dunedin, and Tampa police de-partments came, and the MBI OrangeCounty and Florida Division of Alco-holic Beverage and Tobacco sent repre-sentatives as well. To date, FNOA hasreceived a total of 204 applications formembership, a number which hasTagliarini very encouraged.

"Like the FSA Task Force, FNOAwill divide the state geographically,with chairmen and alternates elected torepresent each of six regions, " saidTagliarini. "Some of these positionswill be filled by appointment until ad-equate representation can be recruitedfrom each respective region. "

If you are interested in joiningFNOA, individual dues are $20 peryear. A statewide organizational con-ference is tentatively planned for theweek of January 25, 1993 in the Or-lando area. If you desire additional in-formation or have suggestions, contactLt. Tagliarini at (813) 247-8732, orTreasurer Greg Barnett at (407) 330-6615. Mailing address for the FNOA is2910 N. Fritzke Rd. , Dover, FL 33527.

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