Saturday, March 29, 2008

Over 1900 Law Enforcement Books

Editor's Note: One of the authors is retired US Military.

March 29, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local
police officers who have written books. The website now lists over 900 police officers and over 1900 books written by law enforcement officials.

Michael Simonsen is a former police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. In 1977, as a means to teach children safety Michael Simonsen, developed an entertaining visual presentation through the use of a Macaw. The bird, known as Officer Byrd, No. 007, was the genesis of the book The Adventures of Officer Byrd – Get Help!

According to the book description of The Adventures of Officer Byrd – Get Help!, it “is based on a true-story. It's about a real police bird who helps children and adults. The story is about Officer Byrd helping young people not to keep bad secrets and to get help. The children's book is for ages five to 12 plus.”

Captain
Jim Di Giovanna retired as commander of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Aero Bureau on March 30, 2006, having been assigned to the aviation unit since January 1989. His 34-year law enforcement career also included assignments as a patrol deputy, patrol and operations sergeant and patrol lieutenant watch commander, along with assignments at the Sheriff’s Information Bureau, Field Operations Headquarters and Custody Division.

Captain
Jim Di Giovanna is a commercial pilot, helicopter- and instrument-rated, with over 5,800 flight hours. As unit commander of the Aero Bureau, he was responsible for managing aviation operations for the largest sheriff's department in the United States. While supervising 72 sworn and civilian sheriff's department personnel, Captain Jim Di Giovanna had responsibility for directing and overseeing the operation and maintenance of the department's 15 rotary-wing and three fixed-wing aircraft. He is also a retired colonel from the United States Army Reserve Jim Di Giovanna is the co-author of Tactical Helicopter Missions: How to Fly Safe, Effective Airborne Law Enforcement Missions.

Howard Earle is a retired Assistant Sheriff from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He is the author of Police Community Relations: Crisis in Our Times. According to the book description, “this book continues to present comprehensive, authoritative information on all phases of this complex topic. The text has been expanded and updated, however, to maintain currency with concepts and practices. It begins by reviewing general problems of police community relations (PCR), including the police image and crisis areas.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 903
police officers (representing 389 police departments) and their 1905 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Defensive Tactics for Special Operations

March 29, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. Former Police Officer Jim Wagner recently released his second book titled Defensive Tactics for Special Operations.

During his career with the
Costa Mesa Police Department, Jim Wagner earned a place on the SWAT team. It was through this conduit that Jim learned about logistics, command post operations, hostage negotiations, entry team tactics, and sniping. On the job training included courses with LAPD SWAT, the U.S. Army Special Forces, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Tactical Training Center, and from U.S. Marines Division Schools Camp Pendleton (Advanced Sniper Course, Military Operations Urban Terrain, Helicopter Rope Suspension Training, and Range Safety Officer). Jim Wagner’s second book, Defensive Tactics for Special Operations, was recently released.

According to the book description of Defensive Tactics for Special Operations, “The techniques and methods that form the basis of military and combat defensive training are detailed in this insightful guide from a personal protection expert. Chapters provide instruction on knife defense, unarmed fighting, weapon retention, and arrest and control techniques. Police and
military personnel as well as self-defense instructors and students at all levels will benefit from simple instructions and step-by-step exercises.”

Jim Wagner’s first book was Reality Based Personal Protection. According to the book description, “Reality-Based Personal Protection system covers the complete tactical spectrum of pre-conflict, conflict and post-conflict techniques and training methods for a wide variety of worst-case scenarios. Mastering these tactics will educate you on the dangers of the modern world and how to survive them.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 900
police officers (representing 389 police departments) and their 1903 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

More Information on Jim Wagner:
www.police-writers.com/jim_wagner.html

Command Provides New Way for African Nations to Connect, England Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

March 28, 2008 - In an interconnected world, U.S. Africa Command is another way the United States can connect with the countries of the continent, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England told representatives from more than 40 African nations here yesterday. England spoke at the U.S.-Africa Joint Defense Dialogue. The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs sponsored the conference.

The deputy secretary stressed that the meeting was a chance for U.S. officials to listen to African allies and learn how the United States can help.

"This is an opportunity for us to learn so we can get a better mutual understanding of one another's problems and perspectives and issues and, more important perhaps, the way ahead," England said.

The world today is interconnected on many levels, the former systems engineer told the African and American audience.

"It's pretty obvious to me that policies around the world all have an effect on everybody else," England said. "I will tell you this world is a large, integrated system. I know from my systems experience, you can make changes in that system and they can have large, unanticipated consequences somewhere else. Therefore, it is very important to understand how this system works."

Security is part of the complex, interconnected world. "You can no longer separate countries in terms of the threats that are in the world today," England said. Transnational threats -- such as terrorism, proliferation, ethnic and tribal violence, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking and others -- affect all nations.

"These problems transcend nations, regions, even continental boundaries, and then they are exaggerated and made worse by a number of factors, and that can include economic, agriculture, health and political challenges," the deputy secretary said.

Developed countries have the infrastructure and trained people to be able to survive an economic or
security downturn. Many African nations have no such margin, England said. "When you operate relatively close to the margin, things become much more critical, and all these factors become more critical in terms of outcomes," he said.

U.S. defense
policy stresses the need for partnerships among nations. These continuing partnerships, England said, may obviate the need for military force. Having cooperation and partnership with nations may forestall the kind of problems that, in the past, the United States or other nations would typically deal with militarily.

Africa is an important developing market for the United States. Africa's economy is growing at about 5 percent a year, England said. Oil and minerals account for much of that growth. Vying for these resources, he noted, can be a potential conflict point among the nations of the continent.

The vast portion of U.S. policy focus on Africa is in the civilian side, the deputy secretary said. U.S. government civilian agencies work to support democratic reform, respect for human rights, free trade, open investment regimes and economic opportunity.

The United States will spend $8.7 billion this year in development assistance. America also has worked to achieve debt relief for African nations. The African Growth and Opportunity Act allows 98 percent of African exports to the United States to enter duty-free.

In addition, the United States government has partnered with many African nations to alleviate hunger, expand education and fight disease.

On the
security side, the Defense Department put in place programs that have trained more than 39,000 African peacekeepers from 20 countries. The U.S. military has participated in numerous exercises, medical efforts and operations with allies across the continent.

All of this leads to U.S. Africa Command. "AFRICOM reflects the
lessons learned; it is all about working together to accomplish mutual objectives, both for security and economic development," England said.

The deputy secretary said
security or stability cannot be viewed alone. Security is inseparable from economic development, he said.

"You have to have security for economic development, and you have to have economic development for
security long-term," he told the audience. "You have to work both of these together. In today's highly interconnected world, money moves at the push of a button, the push of a mouse, and security is critically important for economic development."

DoD routinely works in support of many agencies in the U.S. government. Servicemembers work closely with the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. departments of State, Agriculture, Commerce and
Justice, and other organizations. The military helps all those organizations in coordinating relief operations, disaster assistance and medical care, England said.

"But we have never focused on Africa -- those 53 nations -- the way we have other parts of the world. It has just not been the focus of the Department of Defense," England said. "AFRICOM will allow us in DoD to work better with our sister agencies and with the countries in Africa to better advance our mutual interests."

The command will provide a better framework for the cooperation and economic development. The civilian and
military staff of AFRICOM oversees security cooperation, builds partnership capability and facilitates defense support to nonmilitary missions.

Interagency cooperation is crucial, England said, noting that studies are under way inside the U.S. government to improve interagency cooperation. The result may be that "you will see a much more unified approach to how we deal with countries around the world," he said.

The new command is a chance for all the nations in Africa to come together to improve the
security and economic stability of every country in Africa, England said. That will "improve the lives of everyone in Africa and thereby secure the peace and freedom for everybody around the world."

Face of Defense: Woman Pilots Add to U-2's History


By Senior Airman Ross M. Tweten, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service

March 28, 2008 - In its 50 years of flight, only six women have flown the U-2 Dragon Lady. Three of those six are currently in the
Air Force, and two of those three are currently fighting in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing's 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, the only U-2 squadron in U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility.

Air Force Maj. Merryl Tengesdal and Capt. Heather Fox, both U-2 pilots with 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron deployed from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., continue to add to history while fighting the global war on terror 70,000 feet in the air.

From these altitudes, Tengesdal and Fox along with their wingmen, provide other warfighters with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance of the battle space. Since its introduction in 1957, the U-2 and the men and women who support it have provided the United States with an unmatched upper hand on the enemy by providing high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to commanders.

"After we've completed a mission and landed the aircraft, it's rewarding to know that we've helped the forces on the ground and kept them safe," Fox said. "Even after 50 years, the U-2 has a significant impact on the mission."

Air Force Lt. Col. Thomas Engle, 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron commander, described the U-2 as an unforgiving aircraft that requires exceptional airmanship to fly, and he said it arguably is the most difficult aircraft in the world to land. Pilots are carefully screened before being accepted for training, a process that includes a three-sortie interview profile to determine the applicant's aptitude for flying the "Deuce."

Fewer than half of candidates invited to interview eventually qualify to fly combat reconnaissance missions in the aircraft. Missions of nine or more hours wearing a full pressure suit while flying at extreme altitudes are very fatiguing and require a high degree of professional commitment, Engle said.

"Major Tengesdal and Captain Fox are both experienced U-2 instructor pilots, bringing a high level of maturity and skill to the 99th ERS," he said. "I place a high degree of trust in these officers, as they face tough decisions every day to keep our pilots and aircraft safe while executing the mission, and they do it admirably."

Only about 850 airmen have flown the U-2 since its introduction. Fox said the small number of women whose names are on that list is just another number.

"To be perfectly honest, I really don't think it's that big of a deal," she said. "The aircraft flies the same for women as it does for men. I'm just glad I'm a part of an aircraft with such a great mission."

Tengesdal said every contribution in the military is important to winning the global war on terror.

"As a pilot, all that matters is the mission, no matter if you're male or female," she said. "We get it done out here, and I'm happy to be a contributing member of this team. It's an honor to be a part of the U-2 heritage."

(
Air Force Senior Airman Ross M. Tweten serves in the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs Office.)