I don't understand some agencies

[Blue Knights MC]

Today I taught a class that I instruct a few times a year concerning gangs, their history and how to identify and document them. I wrote the course mainly for the jail staff that I work with, but often have officers from other facilities and agencies take the class. One of my friends who works at a local police department signed up for my class, and has been wanting to take it for some time now. When he didn't show up this morning, I called and asked him where he was. As it turns out, his agency denied his training request to come to the class. Mind you, we do not charge other agencies for training at our facility, the class is 8 TCLEOSE (Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education) training hours, and he is on his days off.

What else would I expect from an agency who had one of their senior detectives go on record with a local newspaper a couple of years ago, stating that their city did not have a gang problem and that all the "bloods" and "crips" there were just wannabe's? By the way this same detective has a nephew who is one of our more prominent 5-9 Bounty Hunter Blood members.

[jfoote85]

I got a good one to go along with you. I have been denied twice in the past two months by my management at my juvenile facility. The first class was a "Current Trends in Narcotics" class put on by my department. I was denied even though 95% of my kids are drug abusers. The second class was a "Southern California Institutional Gangs" put on by CDCR officers. I was denied for a lack of relevancy to my job title. However he then told me if I was so intent on training he could send me to a class designed to create programs/classes in order to change the mindset of our juvenile inmates. I told him I'd pass. . . Gotta love my higher ups. . .

[Blue Knights MC]

I feel for you man. It never ceases to amaze me when agencies have the opportunity to train their officers, and refuse to do so.

[CO1989]

Trained Officers are a danger to the brass because they know what they're talking about and create work for their supervisors.

[NCDOC3740]

I agree, I tried to get gang training several times.
I was told that since I was only a dorm officer -
I didn't need the training. :rolleyes:
They had officers that specialized in that area.
We had one officer get a written warning for going to a LEO gang website and identifying himself in an email and asking for information.
it got back to the unit what he did, and they were p*ssed to say the least. IMHO because it made them look bad.

[Blue Knights MC]

If I don't see what's going on around me, I must be safe. :mad:

[SCJCO]

I have basically the same problem at our facility... We are going to switch to new jail management software, I get a demo of it which is the same as what the jail will be using but you can only enter in a certain amount of in info. So I decide to see how secure it is and try to hack into it, within 30 min. I was able to get everyones user name and pass words and I was able to change admin privileges.. Needless to say when I bought it to the attention of administration their reply was "Well All Jails Use This, It Is The Best!" VERY CLUELESS.....

[Ant1]

I was told that when you attend a training your agency is supposed to provide transportation. So if they won't give you a vehicle to do so, then you can't go. I have even wanted to attend trainings on my own dime and was promptly denied:mad: Then they wonder why you go work somewhere else.

[PRIME EVIL]

I agree, I tried to get gang training several times.
I was told that since I was only a dorm officer -
I didn't need the training. :rolleyes:
They had officers that specialized in that area.
We had one officer get a written warning for going to a LEO gang website and identifying himself in an email and asking for information.
it got back to the unit what he did, and they were p*ssed to say the least. IMHO because it made them look bad.


If you guys want to exchange some gang info...I won't drop a dime on you. ;)

Bluknight, if that dude had a day off, why didn't he go? The department can't say $h!t about classes you take off duty. :confused:

[L-1]

You guys in Texas play by a strange set of rules.

A couple of years ago I was passing through on vacation and picked up a newspaper in San Antonio, It carried a story about an officer who worked graveyard at one of the small outlying PDs. It seems he signed up to attend a criminal justice class at one of the local colleges, which he would attend on dayshift, on his own time and at his own expense. The Chief fired him because he failed to first ask his permission to attend a criminal justice course in college. According to the story, the officer appealed his termination to the city council and at a hearing, told them he has the same right to go to college as any other citizen and should not be penalized for doing so. When the city council asked the Chief what he had to say on the matter, he replied, "I just don't think we can work well together." Apparently that was enough for the city council and the firing was upheld.

Sounds like your guy works for the same department.

[Blue Knights MC]

Bluknight, if that dude had a day off, why didn't he go? The department can't say $h!t about classes you take off duty. :confused:
He didn't go because he was told "No". Going on his own would have created a problem for him for attending training after being denied "permission". I agree, it is one of the most idiotic things I have ever heard of. This agency is strange at best. Every surrounding agency has gone to issuing TASER X26's. Their administration has not only refused to talk with the union about it, they have now forbidden their officers from requesting back up from neighboring agencies which are equipped with them (for situations which require their use). The agency routinely denies training courses that their officers put in for and never schedules any of its own. Another friend of mine there was investigated and was going to be fired for striking a handcuffed subject. When audio and video evidence proved otherwise, they elected to only suspend him for 80 hours, for unnecessary OC deployment.

I don't blame my friend for not just coming on his own. At this place, you just can't risk it.

[Blue Knights MC]

Vic Mackey was my Training Officer

I like that one. :cool:

[smrtblue]

I am trying to learn more about security threat groups (gangs, identification, association, ect.) on my own, do any of you have any suggestions on where I can find information and resources? I am also trying to learn about gangs in the Midwest.

[Hack]

I am trying to learn more about security threat groups (gangs, identification, association, ect.) on my own, do any of you have any suggestions on where I can find information and resources? I am also trying to learn about gangs in the Midwest.

http://www.gangsorus.com

[kettelbell]

Almost all regions and states have gang investigator associations. These groups are so agencies can share and learn about the gang presence in your particular area. Some websites and publications are good but there is a lot of bad intel out there. A lot of the "experts" have never encountered gang members face to face. If you work in a facility or on the street try talking to gang members, you'd be surprised how they like to run their mouths, play their ego against them.

[sapper101]

I can say that for my agency (this probably applies to others also) that if you are a good officer that knows his/her stuff and is trying to inmprove your skills then your a threat to your chain of command because if someone with some pull and common sense comes around during evaluation time then your probably going to take that other officers job.

[sapper101]

Blue Knights is it possible that I can get a copy of some of the class material?

[Blue Knights MC]

Send me a PM

[frenchcamp49er]

WOW !! I am a Classification Officer and the Gang Officer, we have no problems attending Gang Conferences. We also attend the local gang meetings. I just attended the NCGIA in Monterey, Ca and will be heading to Anaheim, Ca in July for CGIA and maybe another in San Jose, CCGIA. I have pretty much been able to attend any of the schools/conferences that I have asked for.