Daily Archives: September 15, 2015

Who Polices the Police?

Posted on by

whowillprotectfrompolice copyAnother Colorado case that has been treated the same way as our daughter Morgan’s case.  The police and sheriffs departments in Colorado need accountability and right now that does not exist.  If law enforcement is allowed to repress and cover up the facts in a capital crime this is a problem for the whole state of Colorado.  There needs to be accountability.  There needs to be transparency and checks and balances, which at this time Colorado does not have.  Who in Colorado is responsible to make sure corruption does not go unchecked in Colorado?

This article is talking about the Kelsie Schelling case in Pueblo, CO.  http://southerncoloradoindependent.com/who-polices-police/

The article states that police officers say that the “higher ups” including Chief Velez and two of three top commanders including MacLaughlan, who publicly misreported facts about the Kelsie Schelling case, and Troy Davenport are causing so much trouble that its humiliating for those just trying to do their jobs.  This is what I have been trying to convey to people about Morgan’s case as well – when things like this happen within a department the good officers suffer because of the deeds of the bad officers.  The public loses faith in law enforcement, then there is less communication between the public and law enforcement, the trust is eroded and the job of law enforcement becomes all that much harder and dangerous for the good officers.  Public trust is imperative so Colorado needs to care about what is going on in these small rural counties and cities!

Quote from the article, “The machine is broken which accommodates corruption,” said a local citizen to Paulson. “It’s not even about the people in the department although some are causing more trouble than others. The machine needs to be corrected with more checks and balances.”

Let us all be aware of what is happening and let us all be a part of the solution to correct and mend the broken parts of the system.

Creating An Effective Stalking Protocol

Posted on by

Creating An Effective Stalking Protocol researched and written by the National Center  for Victims of Crime in 2002.  During the project, the National Center, with the assistance of a diverse advisory board, developed a model protocol to help police agencies throughout the United States address stalking more effectively. Advisory board members included experts from law enforcement, victim services, and prosecution services.

Individual stalking incidents looked at in isolation often appear innocuous. But once identified as part of a pattern of behavior of unwanted contact imposed on the victim by the perpetrator, it’s another story. Whether they are linked to domestic violence or involve perpetrators who are acquaintances or strangers, stalking incidents become threatening and sinister, even in the absence of any overt threats to harm the victim. In a significant number of cases, stalking is in fact, a precursor to lethal violence.

The fear induced by stalking, the drastic way it disrupts victims’ lives, and the real dangers faced by many victims all demand effective intervention by law enforcement. Yet, stalking is exceptionally difficult to police–difficult to investigate, prosecute, and prevent–and the majority of police departments in the United States lack clearly defined policies to deal with it.

Traditional “reactive” policing is ill-suited to the challenges because it means waiting for something to happen and then responding. Where there is an ever-present risk that stalking will cross over into physical violence and victim safety and prevention are the priorities, such an approach inevitably falls short. Stalking by its nature calls for early intervention, preventive action, and proactive problem-solving. These are the hallmarks of community policing.  https://www.victimsofcrime.org/docs/src/creating-an-effective-stalking-protocol.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Wouldn’t this be a great start if all law enforcement agencies could have a National protocol that was taught to all their officers?