Posted on 01/19/2008 2:57:49 PM PST by freemike
My name is Henry Hendrickson. I am the property manager of Apple Tree Park. I have known the Shiflett family for 20 years or better, and never have Tom or Tina neglected to take their children to a hospital, if it were needed, or in any other way ever neglected their children.
On a personal and professional level, I have some issues with the methods used by our Sheriff's Department in the handling of this situation. The first of which is, Lou Vallario lived here in Apple Tree, and he of all people knew that with a simple phone call to our management office requesting a welfare check on Jonathon, we would have done it immediately, as we have done this for the Sheriff's Department in the past.
(Excerpt) Read more at postindependent.com ...
I’m glad you posted this follow-up. Here is the direct link to the 2nd letter. http://www.postindependent.com/article/20080116/LETTER%20/185645814/-1/LETTER
Put on your flame resistant suit, the statists will be here soon!
Let 'em come. I've got nomex longjohns, asbestos tighty-whiteys, and a flamethrower of my own.
Thanks for following up on this - too bad it didn’t have national “legs.” Maybe at least the sheriff will be voted out next election.
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Many police forces need the simple lesson that SWAT tactics should be reserved for only rare conflicts, when ordinary police methods are insufficient, because street officers are inadequately armed.
1) The *potential* for needing a SWAT team is almost never enough to require a SWAT team. Therefore, most of the time, the SWAT team should not be used. Many cities should even question whether they should *have* a full-time SWAT team, instead of just an ad-hoc group of officers trained in SWAT tactics, and able to respond after assembling at the police station if needed.
2) Police officers should be encouraged to not draw their sidearm, unless they intend to shoot to kill with it. “Brandishing” and “menacing” with a sidearm should almost never be done. Otherwise the sidearm should remain in their holster and other means should be used. Conversely, officers should feel *more* free to use their baton or tonfa, pepper spray, taser, and even other weapons like snap and spring sticks.
3) When serving a warrant on a member of a family or a residence, it should be abnormal to need to floor and handcuff other family members, if they are otherwise calm and behaved, and obeying police orders. A behaved family can be seated in the center of the floor, possibly with just nylon restraints, and at no time should a firearm be pointed at them. Officers should also exhibit restraint, without shouting orders, using bad language, or recklessly damaging property and injuring non-threatening pets.
4) Once a family member in a residence has been arrested, or a warrant served, an officer should remain to digitally photograph any damages caused in the process, including photographs requested by family members. Such photographs can be numerically sequenced and time/date stamped, and should become part of the record. Importantly, this cuts both ways, as such photos are also admissible in court.
No - the previous threads I saw all stated two days - if the kid had needed immediate attention, he would have been in a bad way by then.
He was even seen in town the day after the fall by the authorities - I am not sure if social workers or police - but he was up and about then.
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