Tag Archives: Amarillo Police Department

‘Interim chief’ becomes the permanent PD boss

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So, you thought Ed Drain would take over the Amarillo Police Department for a short time, repair some of the broken parts and then return to the Dallas Metropolex, did you?

It ain’t happenin’, folks. Police Chief Drain has the permanent job, meaning he’s likely staying in Amarillo for as long as he wants to stay.

Some of us thought that might be the case when interim City Manager Terry Childers appointed Drain to the interim top cop post.

I won’t mention any names, but … you know who I am.

I’ll be candid: I had a favorite within the police department who I thought would make an excellent choice to be its new chief. I’ll keep that to myself.

Drain, though, is an impressive fellow. I particularly like his emphasis on community policing, his insistence that cops on the beat interact more up close and personally with the people who they swear to “protect and serve.”

I also like his decision to reinstate the bike patrols as part of the community policing initiative.

I don’t know the new police chief. I’ve heard him speak just one time — so far. I hope to hear more from him.

Now … as for the gentleman who selected him — Childers — I think it’s fair to ask whether he, too, is going to shed the “interim” tag in the months ahead.

The City Council already has tabled the search for a permanent city manager. Childers is making hisĀ mark known at City Hall. Yes, he got off to a bit of a rocky start with that unfortunate briefcase/9-1-1 matter. He’s said he’s sorry and has moved on.

I’m acquainted with Childers only a tiny bit more than I am with Drain. But I also am impressed at least with the public perception of him as a hands-on municipal administrator.

So, the “change” we knew was coming to City Hall has been felt by a key city department.

That ol’ trick knee of mine is telling we might be seeing more of it … involving one of the key players in this latest critical appointment.

I might be wrong.

Then again … let’s all stay tuned.

Public safety: it’s important at many levels

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ā€œSHALL the City Council of the City of Amarillo, Texas, be authorized to issue general obligation bonds of the City in the principal amount of $20,080,000 for permanent public improvements and public purposes, to wit:Ā  acquiring, constructing, improving, renovating, expanding and equipping public safety facilities; such bonds to mature serially or otherwise over a period not to exceed twenty-five (25) years from their date, to be issued and sold in one or more series at any price or prices and to bear interest at any rate or rates (fixed, floating, variable or otherwise) as shall be determined within the discretion of the City Council at the time of issuance or sale of the bonds; and whether ad valorem taxes shall be levied upon all taxable property in the City sufficient to pay the annual interest and provide a sinking fund to pay the bonds at maturity?ā€

Proposition 2 on the Nov. 8 Amarillo municipal election ballot

I don’t know this to be a stone-cold fact, but it’s probably true.

Ask any resident of any city of significant size about the issue that concerns them the most, they well might answer it has something to do with police and fire protection.

If the city is going to provide top-flight law enforcement and fire protection services, then it falls on the residents who demand it to pay for it.

Makes sense, yes?

Sure it does!

Proposition 2 proposes to spend $20 million on improvements to police and fire services.

It seeks to add new fire stations, replacing current stations that no longer are functional. It seeks to spend nearly $500,000 on assorted “police service improvements.”

This proposition likely will get voters’ endorsement when they go to the polls on Nov. 8. The city has pitched seven ballot measures at residents, asking them to support them all at a cost of more than $340 million. The public safety element is but a fraction of the total cost.

However, public safety always remains at the top of voters’ concerns about the level of government they get from City Hall.

http://amarillo.gov/pdf/CIP_list_for_ballot_resolution.pdf

My hope is that this proposition gets the voters’ wholehearted approval in November.

If we are going to insist on top-of-the-line public safety services, we have to be ready to pay for it.

Welcome back, APD bike patrols

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Amarillo’s interim leadership command includes a policeman with a keen working knowledge of the city’s needs.

Accordingly, interim Police Chief Ed Drain has revealed a plan to bring back an element in the city ‘s policing strategy that I’m quite sure will be welcomed in the neighborhoods that need it.

Bicycle patrols are returning, Drain recently told the Rotary Club of Amarillo.

To which I say, “You go, chief!”

Drain is on loan from the Plano Police Department. He was brought in by interim City Manager Terry Childers to lead the Amarillo Police Department temporarily while the city looks for a permanent chief to succeed Robert Taylor, who recently retired and hit the road on his Harley.

Taylor suspended the bike patrols some years back, apparently believing the city could do just as good a job with cops in cars as they could with them on bikes.

The city, though, apparently had received numerous requests from constituents to return the bike patrols. They had been a staple in many neighborhoods, such as San Jacinto and North Heights.

They are part of the city’s community policing outreach, putting the officers in more direct contact with residents who get to know the officers more as men and women, rather than just simply as people carrying guns, cuffs and clubs.

Community police strategy seeks to build trust between police officers and residents, which — if you’re aware of what’s been in the news a good bit lately — has been lacking in many communities across the nation.

I am heartened to hear that Amarillo PD isĀ seeking to stay ahead of that potentially dangerous curve.

Open-carry law might need some tinkering

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Did the Dallas shooting that killed five police officers and injured several others reveal a flaw in the Texas open-carry law?

Consider what transpired during the Black Lives Matter march that turned violent when the shooter opened fire on the cops.

Several individuals were seen at the march carrying weapons in the open, which they were entitled to do under the state’s open-carry law. One young man was arrested, handcuffed and detained for some time while police investigated whether he took part in the shooting. It turns out he didn’t.

Which brings to mind the question: How do police determine who are the heat-packing bystanders in the heat of an adrenaline-filled moment in which tensions run at fever pitches?

Here’s a thought put forward by others, but which seem to make sense: The Texas Legislature ought to consider tweaking the open-carry law when it convenes in January to give cities the option of banning people from carrying weapons in the open during political demonstrations.

http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/opinions/editorials/article/EDITORIAL-Open-carry-doesn-t-mix-with-political-8353183.php

As the Beaumont Enterprise noted in an editorial, guns and political demonstrations just don’t mix.

I’ve been able to take part in simulated shooting demonstrations with the Amarillo Police Department. I can tell you from personal experience — and this involves use of weapons that did not carry live ammo — that the adrenaline that courses through one’s body in a shoot-don’t-shoot situation can cloud one’s judgment.

I cannot imagine the chaos that ensued in Dallas that evening when gunfire erupted. Police responded immediately to protect crowd members. Then some of them spotted spectators carrying weapons. What does a cop do — in an instant?

So, let’s fine-tune this law. If Texans are going to insist on the right to carry guns in the open, then there ought to be some reasonable restrictions on where they can pack them.

It seems quite reasonable to me to let cities decide whether to allow them at political rallies.

 

Amarillo PD might be seeing some change, too

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A fascinating era is about to end at the Amarillo Police Department.

A longtime Amarillo cop, Police Chief Robert Taylor, is about to retire. He says he’ll climb aboard his Harley and hit the road with his wife. I wish him well and thank him for his service to the community.

Taylor spent 30-plus years vowing to protect and serve the residents of the city and he did it well.

We’ve got a new top cop in town: Ed Drain, a deputy chief with the Plano Police Department, who’s come aboard to serve as interim chief.

Are there more changes afoot for the PD? Maybe.

The city has enacting a series of action plans that likely will involve some administrative changes and strategiesĀ the police department employs to enforce the laws.

I’d like to offer one idea for the men and women in blue to consider: bring back the bicycle patrols.

Officers used to patrol many neighborhoods on bikes. The effort was aimed at instilling the principle of “community policing,” allowing officers more personal contact with the residents they serve. It allowed them to build relationships in the neighborhoods they were assigned to protect.

I’ve always rather liked the idea of emphasizing community policing as a concept that builds bridges between the police and those they serve.w

The bike patrols ended during Taylor’s time as chief of police.

I’ve spoken over the years to some of my friends within the department about the bike patrols. They contend that while the patrols worked well, the PD is continuing its outreach with patrols involving police cruisers.

I get it. But the idea is now out there.

My police friends now how much I admire and respect them for the work they do. I’ve had the privilege of attending the Citizens Police Academy that the department puts on every year; its aim is to acquaint laypeople with many of the different aspects of police work and to give residents a tiny taste of what it takes to become a police officer.

Yes, it’s a public-relations tool intended to strength police-community relationships. It also is a worthwhile effort to give residents a peek into the rigors of what can be very dangerous and life-threatening work.

The new police chief is going to take over a police department in good condition, just as it was in good condition when Chief Taylor took over from Jerry Neal.

The city has been embarking on a lot of change lately. I’m all for it … but only if it’s necessary.

There. You’ve got one idea for change to ponder.

Keep up the great work, ladies and gentlemen of law enforcement.

Thanks again for your service to the community.

Terrorism begets frayed nerves

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Tragedies such as what occurred in Orlando, Fla., over the weekend have a sobering impact on all of us.

We’re all on edge. The nation has been shaken.

Then something happens closer to home — a lot closer to home, in fact — and your hair stands straight up in a manner it otherwise might not had the earlier tragedy not occurred.

This morning I was driving home from an assignment in Pampa, Texas. My phone rang; I answered itĀ using the Bluetooth device in my truck. It’s my wife.

“Where are you?” she asked. I tell her I’m on Amarillo Boulevard about to turn south onto Loop 335.

“Don’t go near Interstate 27 and Georgia Street,” sheĀ instructed me. “The police have it blocked off. There’s a shooter.”

Holy s***!

It turns out that someone was holding someone else hostage inside the Walmart store at that intersection. Police had cordoned off the area. They were negotiating with the gunman.

I got home and watched the news. Not much time after returning home came word thatĀ law enforcement officers had shot the gunman to death. The hostage is OK.

The crisis is over. Now comes the investigation into what happened and why.

Then it occurred to me. This is what acts of terror do to people. The gunman in Orlando might have committed that horrific act for any number of reasons.

The bottom line is this: He terrorized that community and in the process put the rest of this very large and powerful nation on edge.

Suffering the symptoms of fear as a result of a terrorist act is no fun at all.

Quite obviously, I’m glad the crisis is over and that the Amarillo Police Department,Ā the Randall County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety, which I know to be run by dedicated professionals, didĀ their jobs.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for keeping us safe.

We all can breathe again.

 

Protests drowning out others’ speech

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The national discussion we’re having about the tenor of Donald J. Trump’s political rallies and the protests that have erupted into violence have turned an interesting corner.

We hear from the Trumpsters that the protesters are drowning out their Republican presidential candidate’s right to be heard. It’s guaranteed in the First Amendment, they say.

The pro-protest crowd responds by saying they, too, are granted First Amendment protection and their protests are every bit as valid as the candidate’s right to speak.

Ahhh, this takes me back a few years to a fantastic moment in modern Amarillo history.

The year was 2006. The Ku Klux Klan wanted to stage a rally in front of City Hall. The city administration decided — on the advice of counsel — that the KKK was entitled to stage its rally. (My memory is a bit foggy at the moment, as I can’t remember the reason for the rally.)

So the Klan got its permit. The Amarillo Police Department deployed in force to ensure that violence didn’t break out. Even the t hen-chief of police, Jerry Neal, was decked out in hisĀ blues and all the hardware that beat cops wear when they’re on patrol. I’d never seen the chief “in uniform.”

I went to the rally to see it for myself.

ButĀ just as the rally was about to begin and when the leader of the Klan outfit took his place at the microphone, a counter protest comprising a crowd of a couple hundred showed up on the parking lot.

And man they were loud.

They were clanging cymbals, banging drums, shouting at the top of their lungs. Heck, there might even have been a horn or two in the procession.

Who was leading the counter protest? None other than the late millionaire eccentric Stanley Marsh 3. He was decked out in his customary white suit reminiscent of something out of Col. Sanders’ closet.

Fortunately, and I guess the police presence had much to do with it, there was no violence. The Klan guy tried to talk above the din. He gave up shortly afterward. The Klansmen departed the podium area and soon left the area.

Meanwhile, the Marsh-led counter protesters declared some form of victory that they were able to shout down the Ku Klux Klan.

I don’t recall then much argument in the community about whether the counter protest violated the other side’s right to be heard.

I do, though, recall having this visceral feeling of relief that the counter protest occurred, that the Klan was unable to spew its message — whatever it was — and that no one got hurt.

None of it bothered meĀ in the least, as I had no particular interest in hearing what the Klan had to say in the first place.

 

Police academy training can open one’s eyes

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Calling all cadets!

Randall County is looking for some good men and women who want to get a taste — and that’s all it’ll be — of police work.

Take it from me: It’s an investment in time well worth making.

The sheriff’s department is looking for participants in its next Citizen’sĀ  Academy. Read about it here.

I went through an Amarillo Police Department Citizen’s Academy some years ago. I did so on something of a challenge from a senior officer at the PD, who had read a column I wrote for the Amarillo Globe-News that was mildly critical of something IĀ  witnessed involving an APD officer.

My friend called me and said, in effect, “OK, buster, if you think you know so much about police work, apply for a spot in the citizen’s academy and we’ll show you how it really works.”

I accepted his challenge.

The academy lasted about 11 weeks, if memory serves. It was an eye-opener, to say the very least.

My classmates and I learned about dispatching calls, aerial surveillance, drug-sniffing dogs, the use of a Taser, simulations of the kinds of calls officers have to answer, firing pistols and other firearms. We all had a chance to be stung with a Taser; I chose not to do that.

We all got to ride along with officers and we received essentially a lifetime pass if we want to ride along in the future. All we have to do is request and the PD will make it happen.

I told my friend who challenged me to attend the academy that he would find no greater supporter of those in law enforcement than yours truly.

My support only grew as I attended the police academy.

Yes, it’s good PR for law enforcement agencies to ask constituents to take part in these sessions. I get that part of it.

It’s also good education for constituents to get a small — but important — taste of what these men and women do every day they go to work.

It’s sometimes dangerous. It’s damn sure never “routine.”

 

Throw the book at cockfighting nimrods

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I have no idea if pitting animals against each other in fights to the death is at epidemic levels in Amarillo, but whenever I see reports of it, I go into fits of serious anger.

Amarillo police officers over the weekend raided a barn in the southeast part of the city. A group of hooligans ran from the site; the cops rounded up about 20 of them and booked a dozen of them into the Randall County jail on a misdemeanor charge of being spectators at this hideous event.

The police rounded up the birds and took them to the city’s Animal Management and Welfare office. Who knows now what’ll happen to the birds? If they’re euthanized, I’m quite sure they’ll leave this world in a far gentler fashion than what the idiots who pitted them against each other had in mind.

As the police said in a statement, “There is some indication that participants were charged to watch the fights.”

So, idiots charge others to watch this activity and even bigger idiots actually pay to see it happen. I guess, too, that they place wagers on which bird will still be strutting at the end of the fight.

You know, we think we live in a clean community. Most of it is. However, we do have this seedy side of life that exists out there. I’ve never been naĆÆve to believe we don’t have such activity happening right under our gaze.

Still, hearing about it makes my blood boil.

 

‘Transparency’ becomes the new city mantra

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Elisha Demerson got elected to the Amarillo City Council in May while calling for a more “transparent” city government.

That’s fine. I’m all for it. The more proverbial “sunlight,” the better.

Then this past weekĀ he trotted out a significant set of proposals he said will “reform” the Amarillo Police Department. On paper and at first blush, the proposals look pretty good — starting with a re-emphasis on “community policing,” in which officers work more closely with neighborhoods and their residents.

Back to the transparency thing …

I’m wondering how transparent Demerson was in formulating this set of ideas. Did he conduct public hearings? Did he consult with what’s left of the city’s legal counsel office? Did he talk privately with, say, the now-lame-duck city manager? Did he meet with his colleagues on the City Council?

Here’s my idea for a more transparent method forĀ formulating such a proposal:

Meet in public with the entire City Council. Toss the ideas out there. Debate them with your colleagues. Seek advice — in public — from city legal authorities. Talk among yourselves. Argue these ideas point by point. Seek a consensus. Once you get there, ask all your colleagues to coalesce around a single idea.

Then you make your pitch to the public — which, by then, will have been up to speed already on the process that got us to this point.

Mayor Paul Harpole is critical of what Demerson has proposed. I don’t know yet if Harpole dislikes the ideas themselves, or the way in which his council colleague came up with them.

Either way, the transparency mantra hasn’t been served as well as it could have been before Councilman Demerson dropped this police reform idea on our collective laps.