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Welcome to the Gogebic County Sheriff Department Special
News Bulletin Section. This is where we hope to bring bulletins of area and national interest
to the public's attention. This will include News about the Department, New Laws,
Warnings about Scams & Cons, Area Emergencies, as well as frequent long-winded
editorials by your webmaster. We will also publish information submitted by members
of the public if we feel it is of interest to the public at large and appropriate
to this page.
Although mentioned elsewhere on this web site, I would like to state that this site is not provided by the use
of any public funds. Since it's creation, this site has been paid for out of pocket by your webmaster. I mention this
in case any individuals have issues with any commentary on this site which by the way is now considered the "UnOfficial Dept site"
as the County of Gogebic has obtained their own server space for a small county run website. Due to the limited server space
of the official site and lack of any substantial information on the Sheriff Dept. page of the county site, I will continue to
operate this "UnOfficial" Sheriff Dept site as long as I possibly can.
I would also like
to thank our visitors for their support and kind comments over the years and hope I can live up to your future expectations. Any editorial comments unless
otherwise noted on this site are of my own writings and opinions and do not represent any official views or sanction by the
Sheriff or officers of the Gogebic County Sheriff Dept. Please E-Mail the WEB Master if you would like
any bulletins or topics considered for this page. Bruce Davey - WebMaster
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RETIRED OFFICERS
CHIEF TOM MILLER - MTPD
Formerly with the GCSD
1950 - 2004
RETIRED SHERIFF
CHESTER "CHET" PREBISH
1917 - 2000
RETIRED DEPUTY
DAVID
"BERKY" BERKOVITZ
1924 - 1997
RETIRED DEPUTY
HARRY J. FELIX
1918 - 1997
GONE FROM US BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN
SCAM ARTISTS ON THE INTERNET & PHONES
For those of us who spend quite a bit of free time on the Internet, we frequently find ourselves the subject of quite a bit
of SPAM (Junk E-Mail) which fills our in-box on a daily basis. As a webmaster as well as a frequent home user of computers, I
have several e-mail addresses which I use for "Official" as well as personal business. That said, I am a victim to more than
my fair share of SPAM on a daily basis. (About 150+ junk e-mails a day) To most of us, SPAM is a major annoyance at best but can be dangerous at it's worse
as many SPAM e-mails go beyond just trying to sell us junk we don't want. Many often contain a computer virus or are a means to
commit fraud on those unsuspecting victims who take their e-mail at face value.
At this time, I wish to address 2 e-mail fraud schemes making the rounds on the internet. The first is the FAKE NOTICE FROM A BANK OR
CREDIT CARD COMPANY which claims the security on your account has been been breached. This is something that any account holder would normally be quite concerned about if it were true. These online con artists have become quite good
at fooling e-mail recipients into thinking their e-mail is legit. They first do this by faking a return e-mail address to make it look
like it came from an actual bank or other financial institution such as a credit card company. Although the content of the e-mail
may vary, often the writer claims to be a security person with the credit card company and says your account may have been
breached. He then goes on to say you need to go to the company web site (A fake one with a link included in the e-mail) and verify your information including your
account numbers, etc. Once you do this, the con man and his fellow cohorts are free to access your account and make withdrawals
or purchases in your name. You very often don't realize you have been a victim until you receive your next account statement in
the mail.
This type of Fraud can be quite rewarding for the online con artist. You may wonder how the con artist knows you have an account
with Citi-Bank, Capital One or MasterCard, etc. He usually doesn't. He or she does this by bulk blanketing of e-mail addresses
with mail of this nature using the names of various well known banks or credit card companies. It is their hope that at least a small number
of people who get these actually have an account with this bank or credit card company. If the victim does, there is a good chance
the victim might believe it is a real notice and respond to it thereby giving the con artist the information they need to steal
from your account. This same type of fraud can also occur on the phone. As a closing comment, never give out your bank or credit
card information to anyone by e-mail or over the phone unless you were the person who instituted the contact and you are sure of
who you are giving this information to.
With regards to the other major online fraud that continues to make the rounds on the internet e-mail circuit, we all have our
dreams of wealth and prosperity. It is human nature for man to want to better himself and his lot in life. Scam artists frequently
take advantage of this by offering free wealth in exchange for a little assistance. One of the most popular scams on the net is
the offer to obtain millions just by allowing your bank account to be used. The scam works like this. You get an e-mail from a
person who claims to be a government official or some other important person in some other country.(Just 3 weeks ago, I received
an e-mail from a person claiming to be the late Yassar Arafat's wife in one such scam) The writer of the e-mail claims
that due to some unfortunate event such as a political coup or death of wealthy person, that funds need to be sent out of the
country as soon as possible to supposedly protect these assets. The writer then says he or she would like your assistance in this
matter and for your modest help, you will be given 10% or more of the assets and to please contact them. When you contact the
con artist, he or she informs you they wish to transfer the funds to your bank account in the United States and then ask you for your
account information. After obtaining this information from the unsuspecting victim, the con artist is then able to clean out your
account of your assets.
By nature, we citizens are often a trusting lot and so many of us may think we are helping someone and
also bettering our own financial state by doing so. Although most people should be suspicious of such e-mail, it is sad to say
that too frequently our common sense goes out the window when we are offered rewards usually too good to be true. I personally get
about 10 such e-mails a week and they go right into my e-mail junk file where they belong. If these offers were legit and I had
answered each of them, by now I would be richer then Bill Gates. Don't be a victim. If we use common sense when dealing with these
too good to be true e-mails and phone offers, we can put these con artists out of business for good...
One final note on Internet safety. Use extreme caution when dealing with any junk e-mail you may receive. Although many may be a
legit offer of services, many can also be scams also trying to obtain your credit card or bank information. Also, never open any
attached file that comes from anyone you don't know as these attached files often contain virus or trojan horse programs that can
damage your computer or steal information from you. Even if an e-mail appears to be from a friend, be sure any attached files are
scanned with an up to date anti-virus program before opening any attached file as there are a number of e-mail virus programs that
fake their return address implying the letter may have come from your dear Uncle Fred when in fact it came from some cracker in
China or elsewhere. In addition to an up to date anti-virus program, computer users especially those on cable modems which are
online 24/7 should have a firewall installed between your computer and the Internet. A firewall is software or hardware which in
simple terms is a program or device which blocks incoming or outgoing traffic between your computer and the net unless you
authorize this traffic. It is the best way to keep crackers aka hackers out of your computer. For those of us on a budget, there
are a number of free firewalls as well as anti-virus programs available, so cost should not be an excuse for not practicing safe
computing... Nuff Said !
JANUARY 2005 - DISASTER STRIKES ASIAN NATIONS
For those of us who enjoy peace and safety in our homes, I would like to extend our wishes for a Happy New Year.
But many people in the world are suffering as I type this. First, our thoughts and prayers should go out to the many victims of the senseless attacks
against the Iraqi people and our troops who are trying to bring democracy to the Middle East. We can only hope that democracy wll
prevail and that soon our troops and our coalition partners will return home safely to loved ones.
But as important as the fight for peace and freedom in Iraq is, a more serious event has captured the attention of the people of
the world this past week. I speak of the tragic devastation in Southern Asia where as of last count around 150,000 men, women and
children lay dead from the powerful earthquake and subsequent tsunami which struck the area.
Not in modern times has man suffered such a tragic event on a scale affecting this many nations. An event of this nature soberly
reminds us that no matter how destructive man can be, mother nature can always out do us. The tragic incident which started as an
undersea earthquake and described as the equivilent of 1 million atomic bombs going off, created a devastating tsunami or
tidal wave in layman's terms which brought about total destruction to thousands of miles of inhabited areas. Many thousands lost their
lives and many more thousands now are threatened by the lack of clean water, food and medical supplies as well as housing. Satelite
photos of the affected areas show widespread destruction which in some cases has permanently changed the shape of several
countries. Relief efforts from local governments and the world body are now responding, but as a former deputy as well as a
current member of county emergency management, I can attest to the fact that logistically relief efforts for disasters even on
a small scale can be a nightmare to coordinate.
SPECIAL NOTE: Although most people respond to disasters with respect and volunteer
to help with donations or supplies, there are always a few idiots in the crowd. Although many of these countries normally depend
on tourist dollars for a large part of their economy, it is quite disturbing to see some people still flocking to these devastated areas
as tourists right now. In many areas bodies still line the beaches and yet some people are sun bathing just down the beach from
the horrible death and destruction like business as usual sipping on their martinis. Also many tourists are walking around like
a day at Disneyland taking pictures of the dead and damage just so they can have snapshots of their vacation. It is a disgrace
to see human beings acting with so little regard for the feelings of the survivors who have to dig through the rubble in an
attempt to recover the remains of loved ones. Unless you are a volunteer helping out, military or medical personnel, a relief worker or a
member of the press, you have no business being there. Allow the dead and survivors some dignity. Use some of your vacation money to donate to the cause and
not as a tourist just getting in the way with morbid curiosity!
That being said, although the incident is tragic, it is heartwarming to see how the people of the world have come together to aid the victims of
this disaster. Governments and citizens alike have set aside many of their petty differences to work as one united front to help
those survivors who are now fighting for their lives. As Americans, we are by nature a good and generous people. It is times like
this that the public shows their true colors by helping their fellow man. For those who would like to assist in this effort, I
have posted a link on our home page and here to a web site listing the various relief organizations who now more than ever need your
financial help. I know that many of us live on a limited income, but even if just half of us donated as little as $10.00 each, it
could make a great differance to provide millions to those in need. Thank you!
To Donate::
Links To Quake / Tsunami Relief Agencies
PERSONAL COMMENTS ON THE QUAKE AND TSUNAMI DISASTER WITH REGARDS TO POLITICS
Before I conclude this editorial on the quake and tsunami event, I do however wish to make some personal comments with regards to
those who take any opportunity to attack our country and government. In this time of crisis, it disturbs me that there are those
who would turn this into a political attack upon our President and / or our country. When this disaster first struck, there were
those such as the uninformed person at the U.N. who badmouthed our country and other nations for being "Stingy" with funds for the
relief efforts. Some of those comments have now been put to rest and apologized for, since just the U.S. alone has already
pledged $350 million in relief dollars to the disaster - this not counting the cost of sending a naval fleet and personel to
the area as well as supplies. Also, this amount does not count the large sums of donations from the American public and various
corporations who have also donated. Then there is the issue of us not responding quickly enough. I would like to address this
for the misinformed. In watching press coverage of the disaster, I managed to see 2 televised interviews with officials from
some of the counties affected by the disaster. In one interview, the government spokesman thanked the U.S. for our prompt
response saying how we were the first country to call them and offer assistance shortly after the tsunami hit. Another government
spokesman for the Thai people stated they were very grateful for our assistance and said we had boots on the ground in their
country within hours of the disaster.
Finally, I wish to address the issue some pundits have made about President Bush's response to the disaster. Just because he waited for 3 days
to give a press conference, does not mean he wasn't doing anything. In any disaster, time is needed for proper assessment and also there is a
chain of command where duties are delegated to people trained to handle these matters. Yet, it is interesting to note that many of
the media and others who have bashed the President for waiting 3 days to hold a press conference, have been somewhat silent when it comes to
mentioning it took the U.N. Secretary General 4 days to hold a similar press conference since he was away on a on
vacation in Colorado when the tsunami hit. Holding a press conference has nothing to do with responding to a crisis. Those who think
it does have no first hand knowledge of crisis or disaster management. If they do, they just imply their ignorance in such matters. Having dealt
with our own minor flood disaster a few years ago, we all did our jobs from day one but didn't get around to holding a public meeting /
press conference until several days after the flooding hit. When a disaster hits, you have to determine priorities in your response. Holding a press conference to me is low on the list of these priorities. It would be different if the public needed to be informed of some immediate impending disaster. This was not the case as the public had already been well informed by the media about the disaster and the press conference then becomes not much more than a rehash of what is already known as well as a possible photo op for the persons involved.
In this day of political back stabbing, it is disturbing that those who might not agree with our President or his policies take any opportunity to try and give him a blackeye in the press and world opinion. I imagine some of these same people who complained about the President taking 3 days before having a press conference would have complained if he held a press conference the first
day of the disaster at which point they would no doubt argue he didn't yet have all the facts and was using the press for a photo op. Simply stated, no matter what an American President does - Democrat or Republican, some people will always find fault with it. In a disaster of this scope, it is time for
some of these political attack dogs to back off and do what they can to help, not hinder our national efforts. The lives of millions of disaster
victims and survivors are the important issue here, not whose political party is in the White House - It is time to grow up people... Nuff Said!
DECEMBER 2004 - SHERIFF DEPARTMENT LOSES 2 OFFICERS
In December 2004 the Department underwent some changes by losing two fine officers. This December the department gave their best wishes
with a small going away gathering to two veteran officers who are now leaving us. Deputy Carl Smith who had been with the Department for a number of years and
was often seen riding one of our Harleys as a motorcycle officer during summer months as well as being one of our Crime Scene Technicians has retired and will now be
greatly missed. We're just hopeful his wife can handle having him around the house more. Although leaving our Department, we
understand Carl isn't quite ready to give up Law Enforcement for good yet as we have been informed he will be working as a part time
officer in Marenisco where he resides.
Our other loss from the Department is Deputy Ross Solberg. In addition to being an important asset to our Department, Ross is a
member of the Michigan National Guard. We recently learned that Ross and other members of his unit have been activated and apparently
will be shortly on their way to Iraq. We wish Ross and his fellow guardsmen all the best and hope they have a safe and speedy return from this war torn country
so they can resume their lives here. Our heart felt best wishes also go out to Ross's family and those families of the other troops who
will be without their loved ones for this tour of duty in the Middle East. As shorthanded as the Department can be, we also hope that Ross will
return soon to resume his duties here for many years to come..
SPECIAL NOTE: Another major issue I wish to comment on is the county having budget problems for the coming year. With Carl and Ross both leaving,
the department will be greatly undermanned and due to financial problems at the county these officers may not be replaced. There has already been talk of loss of coverage in some areas we patrol due to expected manpower loss. It is a
shame that when money is tight that one of the first places that officials cut spending is for essential services such as law
enforcement. Just in the short time I have been retired, I have observed a substantial increase in arrests in Gogebic County and the jail here is
constantly full. Also many of our additional inmates are being held at other county jails at our expense due to over crowding here. The discussions of building a new jail here is something that should be continued in earnest as although the initial expense may be great, the savings over time would benefit Gogebic County residents when we no longer have to pay for housing our inmates out of county. Having worked in the current jail for 25 years, I can say that this building has long outlived it's usefullness as a police and correctional facility. We hope that with the public's support, that our county and other area officials pursue answers to these problems and that the manpower shortage at the department as well as the jail housing situation can be addressed in the near future. The tax dollars spent now will hopefully better protect the public in the future. The longer we wait, the more expensive it will become..
YET ANOTHER NOTE: Sorry, but I have to admit that I am getting old and forgetful at times. As happens especially on this page, I
sometimes forget things by the time I get around to updating this site. My wife who sometimes acts as my proof reader in many of
my written ramblings sat down today (Jan 4th 2005) and did some spell checking for me. During her review of this page, she reminded
me I had forgotten to mention two other officers no longer working for our department. Now that I have been properly reminded, I wish
to note that both desk officer Mike Bennetts and road officer Jim Maki are no longer with us (Being retired now, I guess I'm no longer
with us either even though I am still deputized due to my involvement with Emergency Services here) With my great memory or lack of, I can't recall when Mike Bennetts left for other pursuits. But, Jim Maki left us this past year
to join up with the Michigan State Police and we wish both of them all the best..
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY LOSE A FRIEND
On Sunday Sept. 12th 2004, Law Enforcement and the local community lost a fine officer who had dedicated his adult life to public service. Chief Tom Miller of the Marenisco Twp PD passed away from a heart attack on Sunday at the young age of 54. Having first started in law enforcement in the Military Police, Tom later joined the Gogebic County Sheriff Department as first a deputy and later held the position of lieutenant. After leaving our department following many years of service, Tom returned to his hometown of Marenisco to assume the position of Chief of their small department. Tom was a good officer and well liked by those who knew him. In addition to his duties as Chief, Tom also wore many hats in the small community of Marenisco and was involved in many township activities. I know that I for one will miss his friendship. It was quite a shock when I received a call from the Sheriff Dept early Sunday evening informing me of his passing. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and associates in law enforcement and the community at large. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.
MAY 2003 - A WAR, A TRIAL AND A SAD FAREWELL (SORT OF)
Hello my friends. My apologies for the lengthy pause in what for the most part has become my soapbox / editorial view of the County and the world beyond. Before I get into the reason for this long delay in updating this web page, I would like to make a few comments about world events and today's media coverage of the criminal justice system.
WAR AND THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Unless you have been residing in a cabin in the middle of nowhere for the past 6 months, you know we have been to war again. This time with Iraq and an evil regime that should have been removed years ago. Contrary to what some might believe, no rational human being wants to go to war. It is not the exciting images portrayed by the likes of Rambo or such in the movies. Real war is bloody and brutal. Those not killed in battle are often scarred for life both physically and emotionally. Real people die in war - they are not actors who go home to loved ones after their scene is over. That being said, I do need to comment that sometimes a war is a neccesity of life. Brutal dictators like Hitler, Saddam Hussein and their like cannot be ignored by the world community. History shows us that the publics looking the other way just prior to World War II allowed a monster to kill millions before the nations of the world united to remove Hitler from power. History often has a habit of repeating itself and those who ignore the obvious by burying their heads in the sand often live or die regreting that decision later. No matter what your views were on the war with Iraq, as citizens of this country, we must now all support our troops who went into harms way and who protect the freedoms that allow us the right to speak our mind. It makes me proud to be an American to see the public support for our troops in these dangerous times. To bad our Vietnam Vets did not get the same type of support upon their return home from war. It is gratifying to see that we as a people have finally realized that the soldiers we send to war are not those who bring us to war.
That being said, the freedom of speech is a wonderful right we American's possess, But do not be suprised when that right is used by the opposing view point. This comment is directed toward some of the members of the entertainment industry, the French, etc. who were so vocal over their opposition to the Iraq war and to the actions and office of our current President. You have a right to your opinion, but remember, we all also have a right not to buy tickets to your movies, watch your programs or buy any of your products. I get quite angry at those who try to shove their point of view down our throats using the Freedom of Speech as the defense of their actions, but yet these same individuals and groups scream bloody murder if oposing members of the public use their right of Freedom of Speech to disagree with them.
LOCAL VFW PROMOTES BLUE STAR PROGRAM
Enough of the politics of war. But, before changing the subject off the military, I would like to recognize a local effort to support our troops and their families. This last week I had the honor of attending a ceremony at the Wakefield VFW Post. The program which was presented by Chummy Ozzello who is the local Post Commander, was a reintroduction of the Blue Star program. This program which had originated in this country many years ago was last really nationally active during World War II. The Blue Star program is basically to recognize our citizens who are currently serving our nation in the Armed Forces and to recognize the mothers and other family of these service personnel. It was a very enjoyable and proud moment to accept a Blue Star flag, certificate and pin on behalf of my wife and I who have a son currently in the Army. It was quite impressive that many local families were there to accept these flags and certificates on behalf of their loved ones who are stationed all over the world. We can only hope that more communities follow the local lead and this program becomes active again nation wide. Our thanks to Chummy Ozzello and the other area VFW members and officials who arranged this program...PS: The ladies also put on a great lunch following the presentation.
THE MEDIA AND OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM
Now to get back on my soapbox. This time I have to address the media regarding their often pitbull attitude when it comes to collecting and reporting the news. Although I could cite many instances to support my view on this, the most recent and obvious is the Laci Peterson murder case where her husband Scott will be going to trial for her murder. Granted, the case is a tad more unusual than the run of the mill murder case, but the continuing daily scoops by the media citing juicy tid bits by the defense or prosecution, is beyond belief. We feel for the family of Laci Peterson and her child, but why can't the media allow the system to work. The feeding frenzy by the news media in this case reminds me of the movie "Jaws" The trial has not even begun, but yet the media is attempting to publicize the entire case from start to finish before the first salvos are fired in the opening arguments.
Having worked in Law Enforcement as long as I have, I can say that this is not normally how trials are conducted. The evidence in the case is not presented to the media in advance as a rule, but only presented at trial. It is a sad affair that the dignity of the courts and the trial process has been reduced to a media circus where the public has already rendered a verdict before the first witness has been sworn in. At the rate the media has damaged the judicial process, I foresee a day when a reality program such as "American Idol" becomes replaced by " American Murder Trial" where the public gets to vote on the verdict to determine a suspect guilty or innocent. Scary thought isn't it??
A SAD FAREWELL TO POLICE WORK
Now that I have gotten my annual rants out of the way, I wish to address my reason for the long delay in updating this website. My friends and co-workers are already aware of this, but as of last month following 25 years on the job, I am officially retired - sort of.. The reason I say this is that I have not been able to work since Sept of 2002 due to health reasons other than a few hours of light duty paperwork I did in January. Although not planning on retiring for another 6 years, my health forced me into an early retirement. The reason I say that I am sort of retired is that if my health improves down the road, I could in theory go back to work for the Dept. It was sad departing the department, my co-workers and the public I served for 25 years. I have many fond memories of these years as well as a few not so fond memories ( Hey - this is Law Enforcement - what do you expect? - It isn't all just coffee and donuts! )
That being said, I wish to inform my web site visitors that I hope to continue working on this web site now that I have more time on my hands. I also intend on keeping in touch with all of my friends at the department and other local agencies that I have worked with over the years. I have already informed Jim Loeper that I wish to continue in my volunteer position with the County Emergency Services as Public Information Officer. In closing, I wish to give a special thanks to the Sheriff and my co-workers who gave me lots of support this past year when I needed it, including donating quite a bit of sick time to me. Thank you my friends...
JULY 2002 - FLOODING AND IGNORANCE IS BLISS IN THE COURTS
Greetings,
It is now July 3rd as I type this. It has been awhile since I made my presence known
on the bulletins page and I felt it was about time I update for sake of our visitors
who actually take the time to read my long winded ramblings. First of all, I would
like to extend my best wishes to all for an enjoyable and safe 4th of July and summer.
Tommorow being the busiest day of the year for our Department, (Everyone works) we
expect to see many of you as we work the parade routes. Believe it or not I even
have my 30 year class reunion this weekend so I hope to see many old classmates (Do
I feel old) PS- For the class of WHS Class of 72 - I posted some photos of this reunion on my family website - check it out on our links page..
FLOODING IN GOGEBIC COUNTY
For those of you living out of the area and who may not have kept
in touch with friends or family in the area, we suffered massive flooding this April
which hit the county quite hard and we were declared a disaster area by the State
and Federal governments. Hit the hardest were the cities of Ironwood and Wakefield
and millions of dollars of damage occured including quite a bit to many resident's
homes. Working as the Public Information Officer for the EOC (Emergency Operations
Center) it was quite sad to see the mounds of destroyed personal belongings sitting
along the sidewalks in front of homes as I photographed much of the affected areas.
We are all just very grateful that nobody suffered from any serious injuries during
this disaster. I felt quite proud as a Gogebic County resident to see the people
of this area come together and pitch in helping one another before, during and after
the flooding. It truly shows what living in a small close knit community is all about..
THE PROBLEMS WITH THE COURTS
Now for my usual editorial and my explanation on the comment above about the courts.
Normally the courts do a fairly decent job in this country. As flawed as it may
be at times, it is still the best system in the world as far as I am concerned. Although,
from time to time certain cases / decisions get to me as well as the majority of
the educated public who know better. Prime examples are cases like the OJ Simpson
trial - a circus if ever there was one or some of the bizzare cases that surface
from time to time like the burglar who gets injured in a house and sues the homeowner
and wins. Cases like these and the Courts, Judges and Attorneys involved make this
country look foolish. Where has all the common sense gone?
Now comes the latest
lack of common sense. Two very recent court decisions that make me see red. The first
occured here in Michigan just several weeks ago where a judge felt that we were being
unfair to sex offenders. This judge promptly made the state shut down all registering
and monitoring of sex offenders and denied all of us information on these predators
who stalk our streets. Finally, the judge did modify the order and now those of us
in law enforcement can again register sex offenders and access this information,
but the public cannot. The case apparently occured when some sex offender was offended
that his name and address was listed on the State Police SOR Intenet site and that
the public could access this information. I'm sorry, but I feel this is a bad call
on the case of this judge who ruled this as unconstitutional. It is time we stop
protecting these criminals and start protecting the public. I wonder what the judge
would have decided if a child molester moved in next to the judge's home and molested
the judge's child... I just hope this decision is reversed on appeal. Nuff said on
this.
NOTICE: The court has since changed this decision and SOR files are again available to the public over the internet. See our links page for how to get there...
The other decision that outrages me is the judge in California (Where
else?) who decided that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional due to the rules
on separation of church and state since the pledge mentions God in it. Give me a
break !!! (You will note I touched on the Pledge matter in December as well, but
this latest court case forced me to bring it up again) This country was founded on
faith and our religious freedoms. It is also a country where the majority is supposed
to count for something. If someone feels he does not want to recite the pledge because
it might offend him, this is his right. But don't trample on my rights by telling
me I can't recite a pledge to my country because it mentions God. Next thing someone
will file suit over is the fact there are stars on our flag and that this might imply
a connection to heaven or some such thing. There are times I feel that what this
country needs is a good dose of common sense and maybe we should start by injecting
it in the backside of a judge in California!!! Thanks for putting up with my ramblings
and God Bless America!
DECEMBER 2001 - THE NEW YEAR APPROACHES
As we now prepare to enter the
New Year, we should all reflect on the tragic events and heroes of this past year.
Many people perished on Sept 11th. All of them but the terrorists responsible are
heroes in the eyes of the American public and the world. Many have now felt the wrath
of the American public as we have gone to war and many of our enemies have been badly
defeated. Yet the battle goes on and our nation will not rest until hopefully someday
acts of terrorism become a relic only mentioned in the history books. But, although
the battle goes well, we cannot let down our guard. Too often we become complacent
in our lives and forget the many dangers of the world that skulk just around the
corner.
Also, I need to make this editorial. It is time that we stop being
politically correct and pursue what is right for our Nation and our Citizens. It
is a sad state of affairs when a school or governmental body must stop saying the
Pledge of Allegiance in classrooms or the boardrooms because it might offend one
or two people but yet the majority would welcome the ability to show their patriotism
to their country. I am sorry if my editorial may offend some here, but I was raised
in a country where being part of the majority and having a say meant something. Some
feel that the Pledge of Allegiance is old fashioned. Well then, I guess I am old
fashioned as well. I feel it is my right to be able to believe in my country and
show my patriotism. If someone doesn't want to join me, that is his or her right,
but don't trample on my rights for the views of a few who don't appreciate what this
country means to those of us who do care. America may have it's problems and flaws,
but it is still the greatest nation in the world and for those who don't feel comfortable
with this, perhaps you should seek another country more to your liking. Our citizens
have fought and died to give us many rights including the right to believe in our
country and to show it. I find it quite offensive that in order for some people to
have that "Warm and Fuzzy" feeling and to be "Politically Correct"
that I have to be told that my patriotism is wrong or can't be expressed. I recently
watched a news program where a county employee in California was fired by the county
supervisor because he led the audience at a county board meeting in saying the pledge.
I personally think it is time that county look for a new supervisor. Nuff Said...
Your Web master
Now to another quick matter. Often we forget the victims.
People who live in fear as they worry about the day that some prisoner who violated
their rights might soon again be walking the streets. In the past, sometimes obtaining
information on the status of a prisoner within the state prison system was difficult
for victims. This has now become much easier due to the State of Michigan Department
of Corrections new web site called OTIS. OTIS is a MI DOC site which allows citizens
to look up the status and other information of current or past inmates within the
Michigan prison system. It allows for various searches and will provide citizens
with information on an inmate's crimes, possible dates of parole, etc. It also provides
physical information on the inmate including mug shots for many. To check out OTIS,
make sure you visit our Dept links page. Also in a related matter, soon Michigan
residents who have been crime victims will also be able to get notifications when
a county jail inmate is released. This can be very important to victims of serious
crimes who are concerned for their safety when an inmate is being released. Gogebic
County is just one of many county jails now testing the VINE system which when operational
will automaticly notify victims who register with VINE as to when an inmate is being
released from jail. Hopefully I will have more information in the coming months on
this.
Finally on a lighter note, or at least colder note. Old Mother Nature
showed us again this week how warped her sense of humor can be. Granted, the Gogebic
Range is called Big Snow Country, but this year for the first few months of winter
it appeared Ma Nature had forgotten us. This was noticed mostly in the pained faces
of those ski hill owners and employees and local snowmobilers when Big Snow Country
appeared it was going to be renamed Big Green Country due to lack of snow. Now being
a life long "Yooper" and resident of Wakefield, over the years I have become
quite used to our sometimes 300 + inches of snow in a season. But, this year, Ma
Nature decided to fool us all and waited till just before Christmas to remember us
with a very big present. Now granted, I don't mind spending several hours snowblowing,
but to do it 2 to 3 hours a day every day for a week is beginning to wear a bit thin
on me. For those of you lucky souls reading this from some tropical climate and not
having been here this past week, old Mother Nature more than made up for the late
season start by dumping about 60 some inches of that cold wet stuff on us in just
the past week. At this rate if it keeps up, I may still be out snowblowing sometime
this next July... (Around here anything is possible)
In closing, my best
wishes to all of our web site visitors for a Great & Safe New Year...
SEPTEMBER 2001 - TRAGEDY STRIKES AMERICA..
It has been sometime since
I last updated this bulletin page & I do so at this time with a heavy heart following
the tragic terrorist attacks this week in New York & Washington DC. I can only
offer my own and fellow officers condolences to the families of those brave civilians,
military, EMS, fire and police personnel who lost their lives during this horrific
attack upon our country.
Never before has the nation been so galvanized against
a common foe. Make no doubt about this, we are at war. This war against terrorism
will not be over until those persons responsible have been brought to justice and
their networks of terror destroyed. From the largest cities to the smallest towns,
the american public will not rest until we have obtained total victory over the evil
persons who bring terror into the lives of innocent people.
At this time,
we cannot drop our guard but must be very observant as our nation still faces many
dangers from the individuals who have brought war to the shores of the United States.
We commend the courage and leadership of the mayor and people of New York as a prime
example of how we can all work together toward a common goal when we need to. We
also commend the leadership and offer our full support to the President and our Federal
Government at this time of tragedy.
To those who would wage war on us - be
forewarned. Your so called victory will be short lived and you will regret the day
you brought war upon the people of this country. To paraphrase who I believe was
a Japanese admiral just after the attack on Pearl Harbor " To the terrorists
responsible: I fear you have awoken a sleeping giant - the fear felt shall be yours!!
PS: My thanks to the person who sent me the Trade Center Eagle image via e-mail.
I do not know who the artist was, but it is an incredible image, so for our purposes,
I took the liberty of adding the flag and text, but I cannot claim credit for this
thought provoking image that now graces our home page.. Your webmaster..
DECEMBER 2000 NEWS..
It has been awhile since I have updated our bulletins
page and felt it was about time as we approach the end of 2000 and look forward to
a New Year. Looking back, it has been an interesting year and a tragic one for many
of us including a death in my own family which is one of the reasons I have not worked
on this web site as of late. Sheriff Pezzetti has gotten a clean bill of health on
his recovery from surgery and we wish him all the best on his upcoming retirement
in January.
Our Department gained a new Desk/Corrections Officer a few months
ago and we would like to welcome Mike Bennetts to the Department. Mike is from Ironwood
and is still learning the ropes at the Department, so if you ask him some tough questions
please be patient with him if he has to ask one of us for the answer ( I have been
at the Department for 23 years and I am still asking some questions from time to
time, although I am running out of people with seniority above me who can answer
them)
As of January 1st, Gogebic County has a new Sheriff in town. Sheriff
- Elect Larry Sanders who has been with the Dept. for 25 years takes over for Don
at the start of the New Year. As I write this bulletin, Larry is out of town for
some training on what he needs to know as Sheriff. - I personally don't envy Larry,
as I would not want that job.
It has been awhile since I mentioned Jim and
Karen Callovi in our Bulletin after they both suffered through the terrible and tragic
accident which took their son Andy's life. Both are doing much better but due to
the injuries that Jim sustained, he was unable to return to work at our Department
and he is now the probation officer at the 98th District Court next door, but we
still see him daily when he stops for coffee..
Before ending this latest issue
of our Bulletin, I feel I must make an editorial comment regarding this years elections.
I'm sorry if I offend some of our visitors, but this matter on "President Elect
- Who ?" is beginning to get to me and lots of other people I know. Our country
is supposed to set an example to other nations as to how elections in a democracy
are run and that it should be conducted with fair play and dignity. This Presidential
Election seems to be sadly lacking in both. No matter who finally becomes the President,
I feel this election has tarnished the image of the office and the people involved.
As to the way the election was conducted, I feel that we should adopt a national
voting policy and that all ballots should be of the same style and counted the same
way. Michigans ballots where you fill in the circle with a pen and a machine reads
it seems to work fairly well. This standardization of voting should also include
the deadline date set for submission of these ballots for counting, so absentee ballots
aren't coming in and being counted two weeks after the election is over... This battle
in Florida over trying to determine what the voter was thinking when he or she may
or may not have indented a portion of a ballot is ludicrous. Now we have the courts
involved - who knows how long this will last. / Maybe the Y2K bug is finally here
- time to stock up on more freeze dried food as come January 1st will anyone be running
our country... Nuff said. It should be noted that these opinions are those of your
web master and not of the department, although I would imagine that a number of my
fellow officers would probably agree with me..
In closing, I would like to
Wish all of our Web Site Guests on behalf of our Department, a very joyous Holiday
Season and all the Best for the New Year.
AUGUST 2000 NEWS..
The Department was involved this month in 2 major
events which I feel need mentioning. First of all on a sad note our department was
involved in the investigation of a plane crash which took place in Ironwood Twp.
As one of the officers on duty when this occured my heart goes out to the families
of the victims both deceased and injured involved in this tragic accident. For those
not acquainted with the situation, a 2 engine corporate jet aircraft occupied by
2 pilots and 2 passengers was struck by lightening and attempted to make an emergency
landing at the Gogebic/Iron County Airport in Ironwood Township. The aircraft failed
to arrive and a massive search was launched to locate the presumed downed aircraft.
The aircraft and occupants were only located in a heavily wooded area of Ironwood
Twp near Black River North of Bessemer, when an injured passenger was able to call
for help on his cell phone and lead searchers to their location the following day.
The two pilots lost their lives in this tragic accident but the two passengers
survived and are recovering from their injuries. It is believed that much of the
credit to the survival of the 2 passengers goes to the skill of the pilots who were
able to control the crash somewhat as the aircraft approached the tree line. Having
gone to the crash site myself, I am amazed that anyone survived. Our sympathy goes
out to the families of the pilots who died in this accident and our best wishes for
a speedy recovery to the 2 gentlemen who were injured. At this time the crash investigation
is being continued by investigators from the FAA & NTSB.
GOGEBIC COUNTY
TO HAVE NEW SHERIFF..
As of August 8th it appears Gogebic County will have
a new Sheriff on January 1st in the guise of one Larry Sanders. Larry won the primary
election by an overwhelming majority and is running unopposed in the Nov. elections.
Having been a Deputy Sheriff for the past 25 years, Larry will take over the top
slot in the department when Sheriff Pezzetti retires in the new year. Our best wishes
to Larry as he takes over the reins of our Department. Hopefully in January I will
be able to add Larry's photo and a few words from him on the Sheriff's page of this
web site.
IMPORTANT RECENT EVENTS
June 2000
First off, my apologies for having
allowed this page to go without updating for as long as it has. As we all now know,
we all survived the dreaded Y2K. My sympathy to those who may have gotten stuck with
a basement full of freeze dried food and 5000 gallons of gas for your new generator.
Don't feel bad, I would probably be in the same boat if I had been able to afford
all the extra supplies.
Now that we have gotten over our moment of levity,
I need to address several news items of a much more serious nature which have occurred
this month.
Sheriff Pezzetti has returned to us - a bit thinner after his
extended stay in the hospital, but feeling much better and on his way to a full recovery.
For those of you who are not aware of Don's situation, he recently fought a rather
frightening battle with cancer and was laid up in the hospital for several weeks
following surgery to remove the cancer in his throat. The Doctors have given him
a clean bill of health & we are all grateful that this terrible illness was discovered
in time.
Speaking of the Sheriff, as most of our local residents probably
know by now, Sheriff Pezzetti is retiring this year and the Sheriff's race will make
for an interesting summer as there are now 4 candidates running for this office.
Deputies Jay Kangas & Larry Sanders from our office have competition from Sgt.
Nick Christ from LVD Tribal PD in Watersmeet and Officer Dave LaRock of Marenisco.
I have worked for two Sheriffs in the past 23 years here in Gogebic County, and all
I will say is I hope the best man for the residents of our county wins. No matter
who's your choice, we hope you exercise your rights and vote this August 8th in the
primary elections... Currently Charter Communications (Our local cable TV company)
has been broadcasting a taped forum of the Sheriff candidates being asked about their
views on different subjects pertaining to the duties of the Sheriff. This has been
a very informative look at the candidates and I feel all Gogebic County residents
should view this program prior to the August 8th primary elections. It is my understanding
that candidates for Gogebic County Clerk will also be broadcast on TV in the same
manner. - Both of these programs will be well worth watching to help you make informed
choices on election day...
Speaking of the Sheriffs I have served under,
we must end this latest bulletin with a sad note. On June 30th, friends, family and
officers paid their last respects to retired Sheriff Chester "Chet" Prebish
who passed away on June 27th. Chet was the Sheriff when I first went to work for
the Gogebic County Sheriff Dept. Chet was a Sheriff with much pride and integrity
in the job. He seldom wore a department uniform, but was usually well dressed in
a suit and tie and always the gentleman. He will be greatly missed and our sympathy
goes out to his wife Ann and family.
HOLIDAY GREETINGS & Y2K WISHES!
December 1999
First of all, I would like to thank all of our web site visitors
who have made this web site worth while and for the kind comments many of you have
left in our guestbook.
We are now winding down to the end of a year, century
and millenium. A major event for us all. Many of those now await the possible effects
of the dreaded Y2K that the media has made into one of the greatest fears of all
time. We would like to assure our web site visitors that upon Jan 2nd 2000 we hopefully
will still be here. Prepared to continue providing service to the residents of Gogebic
County for another century to come (Hope I'm retired by the time the next century
rolls around)
We have been witness to a century of tragic events and heroic
deeds. Of great invention and imagination. Too often we fear the unknown and hence
the apprehension of Y2K. Being a dedicated computer user and Dept. SYSOP, I also
have my concerns as to how the Y2K computer bug might effect our residents and mankind.
But, man will survive - we always have. History is full of minor glitches that the
doom sayers often claimed was the beginning of the end. Maybe we just didn't pay
as much attention to it since we didn't have the news media around to make an issue
of it. I am not stating there won't be problems, as there probably will be, but remember
- computers have only been important for the past 20 to 30 years and man seems to
have survived well enough for the thousands of years before we invented them.
Our suggestion to you would be to not panic over Y2K. If concerned, we would
advise all of our residents to take the same type precautions you would for a major
snow storm or other possible emergency situation. That is, prepare your home by having
a several day supply of food on hand, extra blankets, candles, flashlights and new
batteries, etc. In other words, it is wise at any time to have a small supply of
emergency items on hand - not just for Y2K. As living in the northwoods as we do,
you never know when we might get snowbound for a few days..
So let us remember
this Holiday Season for the best of reasons. Lets remember the Holidays for why we
celebrate them and enjoy them with family and friends. And if the power goes out
for a few hours due to some outdated computer program somewhere, just crack out the
candles for an old fashioned Christmas at home... Which by the way, since I am SYSOP
for our Dept., I did quite a bit of checking into the Y2K situation and how it might
effect our Department and area residents. At this point we feel fairly confident
that our local power and radio systems will be up and running fine once 0001 Jan
1st 2000 comes rolling along and as always our Dept will be there for the citizens
of Gogebic County. Also as a precaution, our Dept. will have additional staffing
on duty on New Years Eve night as will the State of Michigan.
Best Wishes
for the Holidays and the New Year from all of us at the Gogebic County Sheriff Dept...
NEW ROAD OFFICER JOINS THE RANKS!
December 1999
We would like to welcome a new addition to our Dept. who just started this month
and replaces John Gudwer. The newest member of the Department is Deputy Jim Maki
who comes to us from Laurium Michigan. Jim is a 2 year graduate of the Criminal Justice
program at Suomi college and a 98 graduate of the NMU Regional Police Academy. Since
becoming certified he has worked part time for the Calumet PD, Laurium PD and also
the Keweenaw County Sheriff Dept. before coming to Gogebic County. We wish him all
the best.
Webmasters Note:
( You know you're getting old when you have
been with the Dept. longer than before some of the new officers were born! )
TRAGIC ACCIDENT INVOLVES DEPT. OFFICER!
June 1999
It is with deep sadness that I add the following information to our News Bulletin
Page. On June 3rd, Lt James Callovi of our Department was traveling on vacation with
his wife Karen and their son Andrew age 19. Their ultimate destination was to visit
family in Texas but they were unable to complete this journey.
While traveling
through Oklahoma, the Callovi family vehicle left the highway, flipped several times
involving them in a tragic accident which took the life of Andrew and put James and
Karen in the Hospital with Jim suffering life threatening head injuries.
Jim has been with our Dept. for about 20 years now, Karen is a nurse with the Grandview
Hospital in Ironwood and Andrew was a 1998 Graduate of the Bessemer High School right
across the street from our office.
Our prayers and thoughts are with them
both and we also share the loss of Andy who was well known and liked by all who knew
him. Community support for the Callovi Family has been incredible as they face these
difficult days ahead. In small communities and Departments such as ours, Jim and
Karen are not only co-worker and spouse but are both good friends who are in our
thoughts on a daily basis and we wish them both a speedy and complete recovery from
their injuries.
As of June 18th, we have received word that Jim is starting
to improve and is now able to speak and often able to recognize family members -
an acomplishment he was unable to do just days ago due to his extensive head injuries.
Karen is also doing well and is currently going through physical therapy which we
have been told Jim is now starting.
UPDATE: July 8th....
Karen
Callovi was finally able to come home for a week and on July 2nd Andrew was laid
to rest. On July 7th Karen left Bessemer again with her destination to be Texas where
she and Jim will continue receiving treatment. While in Texas, Karen will be staying
with family members there and Jim will be at the Baylor Hospital in Dallas as this
hospital specializes in brain injuries.
UPDATE: August 28th
I
have the pleasure of saying I just had spent some time visiting with Jim & Karen
Callovi this past Tuesday. They are now both in the rehabilitation unit at Miller
Dwan Hospital up in Duluth MN (A 2 hour drive from here) Both Jim and Karen are doing
well and hope to go to an outpatient status soon. Although Jim still is suffering
from some fluid on the brain, he is up and walking about and appears to be doing
much better. It was great getting to see them both and we wish them home soon...
UPDATE: December 1999
Jim and Karen have now been home for awhile and
both continue to recover from their injuries. Although not official at this time
we have learned Jim might be coming back to work as soon as sometime in January 2000.
We continue to wish Jim & Karen our best for speedy and complete recovery's.
Deputy Bruce Davey - Dept Web Master
TRAGEDY STRIKES OUR NATION!
04-23-99
Although
this bulletin page is normally used to announce local events and changes in the laws
of our state, as Webmaster I felt an editorial commentary should be made on the recent
tragic events that struck Littleton Colorado and touched the nation.
I refer
to the senseless attack that took place in that city and took the lives of a number
of students and one adult in the Columbine High School. Our hearts go out to the
victims, their families & friends and the entire community that suffered this
terrible incident. Also, I feel for the many officers and other emergency personnel
that had to deal with the aftermath of this tragic event.
Seldom has such
an event shocked the nation as did this act of terror committed by a couple of misguided
students. Many people will think of how tragic this was but will say it could never
happen here. This is a mistake. This type of incident could happen anywhere at anytime
and we as a nation of citizens, politicians, parents, students and members of the
Law Enforcement community must come together to find ways to see it doesn't occur
again.
Already there are those with their own agenda's to promote who are
saying better gun control laws or less violence on TV or in video games, etc. would
have prevented this. Personally I don't think so. If one or another problem was the
cause, then we would be seeing many more of these incidents then we have now as there
are millions of people who have access to guns or watch violence in the movies or
video games, etc. but we do not have millions of these incidents.
In watching
the TV News on this horrible incident, it bothered me to listen to one politician
who stated that they were one of the supporters of the law regarding gun free school
zones. I feel that this is an important law which Michigan and many other states
have, but to suggest that this law would have made any differance in this situation
is to be honest, quite an outrageous comment. There is an old saying that "Laws
keep an honest person honest" If a person is willing to enter a school with
a gun and commit murder, I don't think that a law saying they can't enter school
grounds with a firearm is going to stop them. There are also laws against murder,
but people kill each other every day. We must find more tangible solutions to these
problems - not more laws that people are not going to obey. Perhaps better security
systems for schools might be one of the ways we can address this threat.
As the nation recovers from these events, we must all look closely for real solutions
to the growing violence and not attempt to just put a band aid on it by trying to
ban guns or TV or games, what have you. As parents, fellow students, teachers and
law enforcement professionals we must all take a second look and be more observant
of the actions of those we know and deal with. Sometimes the warning signs are there,
but we brush them away with an attitude of "He may talk like that but he is
just upset and would never do anything" These sometimes become deadly last words.
I don't have the answer's, I don't think any one person or group does, but we must
find solutions that work to protect our children and families. It is a problem we
can no longer ignore. The time for speeches is over and the time for action is way
past due.
Our condolances go out to all of those that have suffered this
terrible incident and we hope that as a nation that we can work together to find
solutions that everyone can live with...
Deputy Bruce Davey
Dept. Webmaster
PSOR LISTINGS AVAILABLE ONLINE!
March 1999
For the past several months, Michigans Public Sex Offenders Registration file
has been online and is available to the public. About a year ago we mentioned that
our Department as well as others had made the Sex Offenders Registration files available
for public viewing. Now the Internet and the Michigan State Police allows the public
to view these files from the comfort of your home PC. This file is very easy to use
by entering the ZIP code of the Michigan community you live in which will show you
the latest listing of convicted Sex Offenders in the community. It should be noted
that the PSOR listing available from the MSP web site is the same listing that you
would be able to obtain from your local police or sheriff department. Also the MSP
site information is updated at 6:00 AM daily.
We would like to issue this
cautionary statement regarding the SOR files. First of all, the information is only
as good as what is entered into the system. That means that even though a PSOR listing
may show a Registered Sex Offender living at a specific address, this may not be
accurate if the person has moved and did not register his or her new address which
failure to do so is a 4 year Felony in Michigan. Also, just because a person is listed
does not mean your safety is in danger from a sexual predator. A person is registered
as a Sex Offender if he or she commits and is convicted of any sex offense in the
state. This includes the sexual predators who force themselves on unsuspecting victims,
but can also include the 18 year old boyfriend who has sex with his 14 year old girlfriend
and charges are brought by parents and law enforcement. So please keep this information
in mind when reviewing the SOR files. Any of these acts that these persons are convicted
of are a serious violation of the law, but by their nature some of these offenses
are more serious than others as far as neighborhood safety is concerned. We consider
making these files available to the public as a very important tool for public safety,
but please use thoughtful consideration when reviewing them...
The Michigan
State Police PSOR files can be accessed at: Michigan
Public Sexual Offender Query or through the link on our Dept Links page.
2nd NEW OFFICER HIRED UNDER FAST COPS!
January 1999
We would like to welcome the latest addition to our Department
in the guise of John Gudwer Jr. John is the 2nd officer hired this month under the
FAST COPS grant and like Gordon Koski will be assigned as a Road Patrol Officer after
he spends some time getting "broken in" at the Department. John comes to
us from the Escanaba MI area and is a graduate of the NMU Regional Police Academy.
He holds a Bachelors Degree in Law Enforcement and before joining us worked as both
a part time Road Patrol Officer and also as a full time Corrections Officer with
Delta County for a year. Our Best wishes to John and we hope he finds a life long
home and profession here.
NOTE: As of December 1999 John has left our Dept.
for a new job closer to home and where his wife owns a local business. John was an
excellant officer and will be missed. We wish him all the best. Hopefully I will
soon be able to add some information on Jim Maki who has now taken John's position
in the Department.
NEW OFFICER JOINS ROAD PATROL
January 1999
We would like to welcome a new road patrol officer to our Department. Joining
us is Gordon Koski. Gordon is a life long resident of Gogebic County and a recent
graduate of the Regional Police Academy at NMU. For about the first month on the
job, "Gordie" will be getting a break in training period with the Dept.
and doing a bit of everything and working varied shifts as he learns the ins &
outs of county road patrol. Gordie is the first of two officers being hired this
month under a Federal FAST COPS grant program.
"INTERQUEST FACES" - NEW TOOL IN CRIME FIGHTING
November
1998
As of early November 1998 the Gogebic County Sheriff Department
as well as 50,000 other Departments in the U.S. and Canada now have a new tool in
the continuing fight against crime.
This new tool is "FACES"
promoted as "The Ultimate Composite Picture" which is a new computer software
program that gives any police agency the equivalence of having an in-house sketch
artist. The program which was created by Interquest Inc. of Canada allows
a victim and an officer to sit down at a computer and in a matter of a few minutes
create a photo quality composite of a crime suspect's face.
Interquest
Inc. devoted to helping fight crime recently sent out over 50,000 copies of this
program free of charge to police agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada. Having
been the officer who installed this program and the first to use it, I can only say
the program is incredible and it's ease of use will make it a major asset to any
agency that uses it.
The FACES program is quite remarkable and allows
anyone in a matter of minutes to create a very realistic image of a man's or woman's
face using thousands of various composite images. Operating the system you select
head and chin shapes, eyes, hair styles, etc. It even allows for the addition of
hats, creases in the forehead and beards. Once an image is complete it allows you
to print it out and also provides you with a code number that is called Intercode.
This code number can be sent to other agencies using this same program who can
then recreate the same suspect image - rather than faxing an image to other agencies
which often suffers from poor quality in faxing.
The FACES software
since it's introduction has made quite a stir in the media and has gained support
from such well known sources such as "America's Most Wanted" and
it's host.
Additional information on "FACES" and Interquest
Inc. can be located on their WEB site at: www.facesinterquest.com
We hope other agencies make use of this remarkable technology and our Department
would like to thank Interquest for their kind and generous donation of this
product...
"ELISHA'S LAW" TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN
August 1998
On August 15th 1998, "Elisha's Law" named after Elisha
Kitchen went into effect in Michigan giving Law Enforcement and the courts another
tool to combat motorists who endanger our children.
Elisha Kitchen was only
6 years old when she was struck by a vehicle that ignored the flashing lights on
a stopped school bus that Elisha had just gotten off of. Today at age 15 the girl
is entering high school and doing quite well considering she has no mobility from
the neck down and relies on a ventilator to breath.
Although Michigan has
had a school bus law on the books for years like other states, the older law was
badly flawed and only had a maximum fine of $100. The new law clears up some of the
problems of the older version and increases the fine for offenders up to $500.
State Representatives Paul Tesanovich and Mike Prusi who introduced "Elisha's
Law" and fought for 3 years to get it passed should be commended for their efforts
to get this long overdue bill signed into law.
We in Law Enforcement have
faced this problem for many years in trying to find solutions to motorists who put
our children at risk by disregarding school bus flashers.
For those motorists
not acquainted with the law regarding school bus flashing lights as it appears many
aren't, the law requires that any motorist approaching a school bus from any direction
come to a complete stop when the bus has it's flashers on. Motorists are not to pass
the bus or continue until the bus driver has shut the lights off after the children
have safety unloaded and gotten off the roadway.
Many motorists also seem
to think this applies only to city streets and if traveling the same direction of
the bus. This is not true. This law applies no matter which way a vehicle is traveling
and applies to 4 lane highways as well as a narrow side street in town.
Web Masters Comment:
School buses are not the only vehicles that run into
this problem with motorists failing to stop for them. Police, Fire and Ambulance
drivers also have the same problem. As many motorists fail to pull over and stop
when an emergency vehicle with lights and siren operating is approaching. As like
the school bus, motorists must pull over and come to a stop to yield to emergency
vehicles - Something that many motorists don't seem to understand and as a person
who operates an emergency vehicle from time to time this is one of your Web Masters
pet peeves so this is the reason for the editorial commentary on this matter...
CAMERAS AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE !
December 1997
If a picture is worth a thousand words, new cameras received by a number of
Western Upper Peninsula agencies will speak volumes in future Domestic Violence court
cases.
On December 9th, Law Enforcement Officers from all over the Western
end of the U.P. met outside of Ontonagon for a short lunch and training session with
new Polaroid cameras that have been added to the Officers battle against the growing
problem of Domestic Violence.
With many Departments suffering from budget
problems, Officers often find themselves lacking in the equipment needed to document
certain crimes - especially Domestic Violence Assaults where a photograph of injuries
can be very convincing evidence in a court of law.
Knowing this to be the
case for many local Police & Sheriff Departments, DOVE the Domestic Violence
Escape organization based in Ironwood as well as other Domestic Violence Shelters
in the area, sought out and obtained funds to purchase Polaroid Instant Camera kits
for a number of the Law Enforcement agencies in the region.
The funds for
the cameras were obtained through a Federal STOP Violence Against Women Program.
STOP stands for Services, Training, Officers and Prosecution. The goal of the program
is to assist agencies, etc. in dealing with problems of violent crimes against women.
After enjoying a luncheon provided by Shelter Staff members at the Candlelight
Restaurant in Ontonagon, Officers and Staffers unloaded a Semi loaded with Camera
equipment and film and had a short training session in the use of the equipment.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Domestic Violence Shelter personnel, Officers
took Camera equipment and film supplies back to their agencies where they were distributed
to all of the road patrol officers who are called upon to investigate these crimes.
Now when Officers respond to the scene of a Domestic Violence crime, they
will have one more important tool to document evidence for court. A little bit of
magic from a modern age called instant photography...
"FATAL VISION" GOGGLES NEW WEAPON IN WAR ON DRUNK
DRIVING!
Nov. 4th 1997
Imagine if you will, a way to experience
the effects of being an intoxicated driver without the risks involved. This is something
that students in the Gogebic County area will be learning in the near future thanks
to local donations and a fascinating product called "Fatal Vision" simulator
goggles.
Deputy Matonich the School Liaison Officer from the Gogebic County
Sheriff Dept. advised that two of these goggles have been purchased for the purpose
of teaching students how being intoxicated can affect vision, balance and coordination.
A deadly combination for any driver.
When worn, these goggles simulate what
it is like to be intoxicated and is a great new tool for promoting awareness of the
dangers of drunk driving. The goggles which come with a training program, will be
used at area schools where students and teachers alike will be able to experience
first hand the effects of what a drunk driver sees. A simple task like walking a
straight line becomes quite difficult if not impossible while wearing these goggles.
WEBMasters Note: As one of the officers who tried on these goggles when
we first got them, I can say the effect is quite sobering to say the least as you
bounce against walls trying to keep your balance.
Marketed by Innocorp Ltd.,
the goggles first made their appearance at the Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson's
Highway Safety Conference in June of 1996. The goggles are now being used in 45 states,
several countries and are popular with numerous organizations and instructors for
promoting the dangers of drunk driving.
The goggles and training program
which will soon be in area schools was purchased through donations from the Gogebic
County Deputy Sheriff's Association, the Ironwood Public Safety Department Officer's
Association, the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians in Watersmeet,
and the Office of the Gogebic County Prosecuting Attorney.
SEX OFFENDER FILES NOW AVAILABLE
As of April 1st
1997 in accordance with Public Act 295 as Amended in 1996 Michigan Law allows the
public to view lists of Registered Sex Offenders within their community.
Joining the ranks of other states, Michigan started to require all convicted Sex
Offenders to be registered upon conviction. This registration process enters an offenders
name and address and charges he or she was convicted of in the State of Michigans
LEIN computer system. 1st time offenders become registered for a period of 25 years
and offenders convicted of subsequent offenses are registered for life.
In addition to the initial registration requirements the convicted offender must
register any change of address so the records will allow for Law Enforcement to keep
track of convicted offenders. Failure to register a change in address is a Felony
Offense in the state under the new law.
As of April 1st of 1997 a change
went into effect in the Law that now allows the public to view the LEIN Sex Offender
file lists of Offenders who reside in the area. By Law, Police agencies with LEIN
access must allow members of the public to view the list during regular office hours.
The Gogebic County Sheriff Department has this list and it can be viewed at our office
by interested members of the public. Although the list only contains the names of
persons convicted since the registration requirement went into effect, we applaud
the legislature for their concern for public safety in allowing the public access
to this information...
