Justice was served for Officer Jeremy Esh, as the criminal that shot him in 2006 was sentenced to 24 years behind bars. The Glendale Law Enforcement Association considers Esh a real hero because he came back to a profession where he continues to be put in harm’s way.  GLEA will also be holding the courts to those 24 years, because we do not need this criminal back on the street.

You are a real hero, Officer Esh.  Thank you for your service.

Click here for the Arizona Republic Interview

Click here to view the KPHO Interview with Officer Esh

Click here to read the article from KPHO about his interview

Click here to read the Arizona Republic Article about the sentencing

Click here to read “Your West Valley’s” article about the sentencing

Click here to read the Peoria Times article about the sentencing

The month of January 2010 was one of the deadliest months for police across the nation.  According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), law enforcement deaths are up 31% over last January 2009 nationwide.  However, the Glendale Law Association (GLEA) reminds the public that officers remain committed to their duties, and will continue to serve their public.

“Clearly, the deaths of Lieutenant Eric Shuhandler and DPS Officer Chris Marano have sent shockwaves throughout the law enforcement community,” states Justin Harris, President of the Glendale Law Enforcement Association.  “These losses have reminded all officers how important their training is and how fast one could lose their life.”

NLEOMF released that there have been seventeen (17) officer fatalities this month, six (6) of which were from gun fire and up 500% from last January.  “Officers have a duty to protect and serve,” adds Harris. “The law enforcement professionals I have spoken with continue to take pride in their jobs despite the dangers.”

Officers continue to deal with the unknowns of any traffic stop, which is one of the most dangerous jobs in law enforcement.  “People continue to fight back against our officers in efforts to not go to jail, or other personal reasons,” says Harris.  “This adds additional dangers to our job.”

GLEA’s mission is to promote the positive role of Law Enforcement Professionals, and to protect and secure rights and benefits for their members through effective representation with local, state and national governments.

A former Glendale officer is fighting accusations that he intentionally defrauded the Police Department by turning in fraudulent timesheets, totaling $2,800 in unearned pay.

Daniel Arreola, 27, resigned in September after he was accused of turning in incorrect time sheets and sending sexually and racially offensive messages to other officers, according to an internal investigation report.

Arreola was found to have falsely claimed hours on 11 dates when he was actually on vacation, compensatory time or sick leave, the report states.
The case is now being investigated by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, which will determine whether to revoke Arreola’s peace-officer certification.
At its monthly meeting Wednesday, the board heard findings from Glendale’s internal investigation report and voted to look into the case further.

Arreola is contesting the charges, saying several of the errors occurred when a supervisor turned in his timesheet for him while he was on vacation or sick leave.

In a letter sent to Police Chief Steve Conrad and the board, Arreola argues that seven of the allegations of timesheet fraud should not be upheld. He said the errors occurred either because he did not complete the form himself or he was confused by the format of the timesheet.

Glendale has since dropped paper timesheets in favor of a computerized system.

Arreola’s rebuttal also states that his response to the allegations was presented to Conrad “with no change in resolution.”

However, Arreola provided no explanation for three additional charges of timesheet fraud. His letter simply states, “The occasional error on timesheets can be considered a mistake that has been proven.”
Arreola declined a request for an interview.

The department’s investigation into Arreola began last spring when internal affairs was investigating another officer, Adam Fisher, 27, over allegations that he had sex with a female co-worker at her house while on duty.

Revelations about Fisher’s sexual misconduct led to a review of his timesheets, showing he had also falsified the forms to claim extra hours. The investigation into Fisher prompted the department to randomly audit the hour sheets of 10 other officers working at the Gateway substation, which uncovered Arreola’s errors. Although department initially sought to prosecute Fisher and Arreola on misdemeanor fraud counts, the City Attorney’s Office declined to take the case.

Both officers resigned after Conrad placed them on administrative leave in the summer. Conrad notified the officers of his intent to fire them.

“These guys are not indicative of what we expect and want out of people that work in this department,” Conrad told The Republic in November. “I can say with certainty that this is isolated.”
Justin Harris, president of the Glendale Law Enforcement Association, one of the city’s two police unions, says the department was overly harsh in its punishment of Arreola. He said Arreola was caught up in the investigation into Fisher.

“This was . . . ruling with a heavy fist and basically making an example out of him,” Harris said, referring to Arreola. “He was an outstanding cop. He did his job.”
The department also scrutinized Arreola for sending sexually and racially charged messages to other officers over his patrol car’s mobile-data computer.
In one instance, Arreola asked to meet with a female officer so they could make out and he could watch her pat down a woman in police custody, according to the report. Another time, he referred to a Hispanic as “funny, stupid, illiterate.”

While Harris acknowledged the messages showed “poor judgment,” he said the situation could have been addressed with a lesser punishment and that those types of messages “have been going on for years.”

“He was made the example of,” Harris said of Arreola.

States with Move Over Laws

154 officers have been killed after being struck by a vehicle from 1999 to 2008 according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Officers have many stories of “close calls” where a vehicle almost hit their vehicle on the side of the road.  The Arizona Police Association was instrumental in making sure a law was passing that instructs Arizona drivers to move over a lane over or slow down when noticing a patrol car on the side of the road.  Arizona, like the majority of other states, recognize that citizens want to protect the officers that protect them, and keep them out of danger.

To lower that deadly toll, a new coalition of traffic safety and law enforcement groups have launched a nationwide public awareness campaign to protect emergency personnel along our nation’s roadsides.  However, the danger is still relevant according to a recent poll that shows:

• 71 percent of Americans have not heard of “Move Over” laws;
• 86 percent support enacting “Move Over” laws in all 50 states; and
• 90 percent believe traffic stops and roadside emergencies are dangerous for law enforcement and first responders.

(National poll by Mason Dixon Polling & Research, sponsored by the National Safety Commission)

Remind your loved ones and citizens you encounter about the Move Over Law.  GLEA wants to make sure that you stay safe!

Brandon's Family

We are seeing this throughout our nation – cop killers are being let go from prison early. Though states are granting parole for good behavior, space and budget cuts, killing a police officer is a horrible crime by itself and should not allow for leniency. In Kentucky, Timothy Doyle was convicted of killing 27-year old Brandon Thacker, an Alcohol Beverage Control Officer. Doyle was required to serve a 20 year sentence, but was released today (12.28.09) after only doing about 12 years.
The National Association of Police Organizations have been rallying our profession to send letters and continue the discussion on a local level that cop killers should be required to do their full sentencing, and even create stricter punishments for these criminals. Arizona law enforcement knows this all too well, as we will be watching what happens to the women being charged for murdering one of our DPS officers.

For those members who are interested in writing or calling the governor, please find his address below:

Governor Steve Bescher
700 Capitol Ave, Ste. 100
Frankfort, KY 40601
502.564.2611 phn
502.564.2617 fax

The victim’s wife, Jennifer, has expressed thanks to NAPO for their organized efforts and to anyone else writing on behalf of their family. GLEA and APA’s friend, LAPD retired officer Dr. Ted Hunt, wrote the below letter for the KY Governor.

*************************************************

DEAR GOVERNOR,

The murderer Timothy Doyle bragged, “I’m a nice guy and a hero.” The depth of that sickness is impossible to understand. Not only did Timothy Doyle murder a father and husband, Doyle murdered a man who symbolized law, order and justice in America.  When a peace officer puts on a uniform, he or she represents more than “the police”. The peace officer is the most visible symbol of American government, its laws, its way of life and its people. That is why we as Americans expect so much from peace officers.  And that is why murdering a peace officer should be considered more than murder. It is an attack on America, albeit a solitary act attempting to undermine our freedoms and way of life; nevertheless that is exactly what it is in a micro sense. Many micros make a macro.

Apparently, the State of Kentucky is about to be release a savage murderer who will repeat his offense. Kentucky is likely go-the-way of Arkansas — releasing a murderer to murder again. We all know that scenario recently occurred near Tacoma, WA. It has occurred in other jurisdictions over the years.  Like the blunder in Arkansas, the killer won’t stay in the state where he murdered. He could go to any state and therefore threatens all Americans, not just the people of Kentucky.

Before the Parole Board and the Governor release the murderer Timothy Doyle, they should place a few phone calls and seek advice from:
#1 Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas; the release destroyed his political career;
#2 The families of the officers who were murdered in Tacoma by the Arkansas parolee; the release destroyed their lives;
#3 And most importantly the family of Brandon Thacker whom Doyle murdered; the depth of their pain can never be relieved, and they are your fellow Kentuckians.

Where is the sense of responsibility, protecting the public good and the right to the pursuit of peace and happiness? Remember that question when it comes time to select our political leaders.

TED HUNT (LAPD Retired and former Chair of the California Alcoholic Beverage Control appeals Board)
++
DR. TED HUNT, Principal
TED HUNT & Associates

“When you meet Tracy, you know she has a great heart and would do anything for her two boys,” states Justin Harris, President of the Glendale Law Enforcement Association.  “It was very fulfilling for Glendale police officers to make sure a Glendale family received special Christmas gifts for the holidays.”

This was the first GLEA Adopt-a-Family Christmas project, but it will not be the last.  GLEA plans to do this every year for a special Glendale family in efforts to further a positive rapport with our community.  “It is important that law enforcement build lasting relationships with our Glendale children.  They should always know we are here for them, now and later in life,” adds Harris.

GLEA’s mission is to promote the positive role of Law Enforcement Professionals, and to protect and secure rights and benefits for our members through effective representation with local, state, and national governments.  The organization is currently the largest association representing active Glendale Police Officers.

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Officers who predominately work midnights are at greater risk of developing severe health problems than civilians and other cops, especially if they average more than about 90 minutes of overtime per week and have trouble sleeping.

This is established in a new study by an 8-member team of health experts, headed by Dr. John Violanti, a former state trooper and now a research associate professor at the State University of New York-Buffalo.

In an ongoing series of groundbreaking investigations, Violanti and cohorts have previously explored shift work and its relationship to suicidal thoughts and to problems of sleep quality. In one earlier study, they found that retired LEOs in general tend to die some 6 years sooner than other retired civic workers.

“The newest findings confirm one more way that policing endangers those who serve,” says Dr. Bill Lewinski, executive director of the Force Science Research Center, which was not involved in the team’s discoveries.

“Inescapably, some officers are forced to work undesirable hours, due to the ’round-the-clock nature of law enforcement. Now, knowing their special risks, it becomes all the more important for those on late shifts to rally their personal defenses against the potential assaults on their well-being.”

Violanti agrees. “This is the first time that working officers have been examined from this particular perspective,” he told Force Science News. “We hope these findings create an awareness of the importance of health education for police. Shift work is not going away. Officers need to learn how to adjust to it and come out alive.”

The researchers’ test group consisted of 61 male and 37 female volunteers randomly chosen from an eastern city with more than 900 sworn officers. Blood samples, blood pressure readings, and other pertinent data were collected from them at a medical clinic, and their shift assignments and overtime hours were confirmed from payroll records.

Day shift assignments were considered to be those that started between 4 AM and 11:59 AM; afternoon, starting between noon and 7:59 PM; and midnights beginning between 8 PM and 3:59 AM. The officers, who all worked 10-hour shifts, were categorized according to which shift they most often worked during the 5-year period preceding the study.

As a measurement of the officers’ health risks, the researchers screened them for abdominal obesity (more than a 40.2-in. waistline in men, 34.6 inches in women); elevated triglycerides (above 150); reduced HDL (”good”) cholesterol (less than 40 for men, less than 50 for women); glucose intolerance; and hypertension (blood pressure higher than 130/85).

A combination of any 3 of these “abnormalities” is said to constitute “metabolic syndrome,” a condition that carries an increased risk of such health perils as stroke, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes.

“In most individual categories, officers in the midnight-shift classification ranked the worst,” one of the researchers, Dr. Bryan Vila, a member of the CJ faculty at Washington State University in Spokane, told FSN.

For example, 55% on midnights showed “elevated waist circumference,” more than double the percentage found in the other 2 shifts. Half had sub-desirable levels of “good” cholesterol, compared to 30% on days and 44% on afternoons, and 25% had high blood pressure, compared to 15% on days and 9% on afternoons. (Figures are rounded here to avoid fractions.)

In measurement of triglycerides and glucose intolerance, midnight officers fared slightly better than their afternoon counterparts, but in no category were late-shift officers found to be in better shape than officers working days.

Over all, 30% of midnight officers had metabolic syndrome, versus 11% on days and about 15% on afternoon shifts.

“This is a very significant finding for a couple of reasons,” Vila says. “First of all, studies of the general population have found that about 22% exhibit metabolic syndrome, and that includes sick people, old people, and others who might be expected to have a negative impact on the number. Cops at least have been screened for good overall physical and mental health when they joined the force.

“Besides that, officers in our study who worked midnights tended to be younger than those working days by an average of 6 years. You would expect younger officers to be less susceptible to the risk factors for serious diseases.”

Midnight officers took additional hits when sleep and overtime were factored into the study.

The researchers report: “Officers who worked midnight shifts and [averaged] less than 6 hours sleep had a significantly higher mean number of metabolic syndrome components” than those who worked day and afternoon shifts. Indeed, their mean number of risk factors was more than 4 times that of day officers and more than 2 ? times that of those working afternoons.

Overtime, too, seems to impact midnight officers more negatively than those on other shifts. Among officers averaging more than 1.7 hours of overtime per week, those working midnights had a “significantly higher” mean number of metabolic syndrome factors–more than 4 times higher than day officers and more than twice the number for afternoon shifters.

The study notes in brief: “Shorter sleep duration and more overtime combined with midnight shift work may be important contributors to the metabolic syndrome.”

The researchers did not attempt to document the specific causes of the link between midnights and health dangers, but Violanti and Vila offer observations about a couple of likely suspects: eating habits and sleep patterns.

On late shifts, officers may feel more dependent on restaurants and vending machines that “point them more toward candy, Cokes, coffee, donuts, and fast foods than toward nutritious meals,” Vila explains. In short, Violanti notes, “Diet on the night shift basically stinks.”

Plus, he says, “Endocrine function and body balance are disturbed by circadian [daily rhythm] disruption. Working nights, especially on a job that’s highly stressful, can cause significant wear and tear on the body.”

“Sleep times for officers on midnights tend to be outside the normal range,” Vila explains, “so they customarily get not only less sleep but sleep of lesser quality.” This produces fatigue and sets up a vicious cycle. Insufficient sleep causes hormonal changes that, in effect, make the body crave quick energy bursts. “This triggers an appetite for the kind of foods that result in weight gain, bad cholesterol, and strain on the organs that help you metabolize sugars. In turn, being overweight makes you more susceptible to sleep apnea and other problems that interfere with restorative sleep.”

If midnight officers want assurance of nutritious meals while working, they can pack their own, making sure what they eat is low in processed sugar and high in complex carbohydrates, he suggests.

“You’ll sleep better,” he says, “if you end vigorous physical activity 2 or more hours before you want to sleep. Minimize your caffeine consumption the last 4 hours of your shift, because it takes about 6 hours to diminish caffeine in the blood to a level where it won’t interfere with sleep. And don’t eat a big meal just before bedtime.” Darkening the room when you have to sleep during daylight hours also helps.

“Make an agreement with your family that sleep for you is an important priority,” Violanti suggests, so they can help minimize disturbances.

If you have persistent sleep problems, arrange to be screened for sleep disorders. “More than 40% of cops have serious sleep disorders, and these can usually be treated,” Vila says. On the website of the nonprofit National Sleep Foundation [www.sleepfoundation.org] you can locate a sleep professional near you, as well as access helpful tips on better sleeping, books on the subject, and sleep aids.

Lewinski notes that the National Institutes of Health recommend the following for preventing or managing metabolic syndrome:

• Eating a diet low in fat, with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain products
• Getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise almost every day
• Losing weight so that your body mass index is less than 25
• Controlling blood pressure and blood sugar
• Not smoking
• Including fish, preferably oily fish, in your diet at least twice a week.

Violanti would like to see law enforcement agencies provide training on diet and sleep, but he points out that “in the end, we are responsible for our own health. We can’t depend on an organization to take care of us. Taking our own simple steps to improve lifestyle–eating better, sleeping better, exercising–is the best way to deal with this problem.”

With the new metabolic study serving as a baseline, Violanti and his team are planning longer-term monitoring of 460 officers to see if continued exposure to midnight service makes results worse and, hopefully, to pinpoint specific causes of related health problems.

Meanwhile, Vila says, more than a dozen research papers are in development as a part of Violanti’s broad-based studies. “We are trying to look one piece at a time at why police work is such an unhealthy profession and what can be done about that.”

As more becomes known, Force Science News will keep you updated.

Meanwhile, our strategic partner PoliceOne.com this week posted a news article you may find interesting, concerning a Maryland officer who is suing his county for compensation for heart problems that he claims arose because of his police service.

According to this report, “Maryland law presumes that if public safety officials develop heart diseases, then it was their jobs that caused it and the officials should be eligible for worker’s compensation claims, regardless of other possible contributing factors like obesity, smoking habits, and family medical history.”

Click here to check it out.

A full report on the newest study, “Atypical Work Hours and Metabolic Syndrome Among Police Officers,” appears in the journal Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, vol. 64, #3, 2009 and is available online for a fee. Click here to go to the report.

If you would like to participate with this holiday event, please contact Justin Harris at president@azglea.com or 623-205-9843