Patrol officers beat the streets

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Officer James Drewery, second from left, demonstrates how a Taser can be an effective tool to ensure officer safety. Assisting Drewery during the demonstration are officers David Crocker, far left, Mike Petre, center and Detective Lane Pittman. Photo by Jeremy Pittari

September 2, 2010

By Jeremy Pittari, Item Staff Writer The Picayune Item Picayune Item Thu Sep 02, 2010, 09:32 AM CDT

PICAYUNE — “Cadets” at Picayune Police Department’s Community Police Academy got to see an officer get tased and learned about the Department’s Patrol Division.

Tasers are a way for officers to ensure their safety while avoiding fatal injuries to unruly suspects. A Taser device was demonstrated to the class, with the help of a part-time officer, Ptl. James Drewery. After Detective Lane Pittman attached clamps to Drewery, two officers helped keep him on his feet and Pittman administered a blast of electricity to his skin.

Drewery gave a severe grimace, but kept his feet. After the demonstration, Pittman gave a lecture about the importance of Tasers and how they help to keep safe both officers and the public.

“We all carry a badge, but we’re not bulletproof. Everyone of us can die,” Pittman said.

Pittman showed several videos about Tasers demonstrating their benefits and dangers.

Chief Jim Luke said the department was one of the last in the state to adopt the devices. He said he wanted to ensure his officers were properly trained before putting Tasers out on the streets. His officers have been instructed to use them only if they have to. In the past two years, officers have used them five to 10 times per year. Luke said there are single officers in other departments that have about 100 recorded instances of Taser use per year.

The threat of heart attack is avoided by modifying the Taser strike zone. Pittman said the aim is to keep the Taser away from the head and upper chest area, but there are times when split second decisions do not warrant such care.

After Pittman’s presentation, Patrol Commander Capt. Chad Dorn took over to give his presentation on the Patrol Division.

Dorn said officers entering the force usually start out as in the Patrol Division, and typically work nights to earn lots of experience quickly.

Entering law enforcement comes with sacrifices. Pay is low, starting at about $24,000 per year, and the hours are long with 12 hour shifts. However, with the current schedule, officers get a three-day weekend every other week. Those long hours take their toll on personal relationships. Dorn said the divorce rate is high among law enforcement officers, and other emergency personnel such as EMS and firefighters, usually due to officers working holidays and weekends. Dorn said he is on his second marriage. He said when he started in law enforcement he missed his oldest child’s first day of grade school due to academy training.

Officers also have a dangerous job. In 2008, 58,792 officers were assaulted while on duty. Officer fatalities also occur. In 2008, 41 officers died, 20 of those were working in the southern region of the nation.

Dorn’s scariest incident while on duty occurred when he was fresh out of the academy working patrol. While on patrol, he attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a driver, but the driver failed to stop until he got about two blocks away from his home. When the driver did stop, Dorn later found an open beer in the suspect’s car. Dorn called a DUI officer to assist and that officer conducted a field sobriety test. During the test, the suspect decided to run.

A foot chase ensued and Dorn was able to catch the guy, but the suspect struggled and went for Dorn’s gun.

“All I could think about was my kids,” Dorn said.

Dorn remembered one thing, he needed to keep his weapon.

“As long as we have our weapon we’re still in the fight,” Dorn said.

It eventually took a couple of knocks to the suspect’s head with a flash light to get him to release his grip on Dorn’s weapon, and then a blast of pepper spray to get the suspect to allow Dorn to handcuff him.

At any given time there are only four officers on the streets, patrolling five beats. Department wide, there are 18 full time officers in the Patrol Division. Three of those officers work with the Picayune School District. There are also seven part-time patrol officers.

Budget cuts have not only reduced the number of officers, but cut out yearly raises. Dorn said officers have not received a raise in four years.

In addition to patrolling about 13 square miles of city streets, the officers also patrol Interstate 59. Any accidents that occur in the city are worked by patrol officers, including any on the interstate within the city limits.

While on patrol, officers conduct traffic stops, respond to domestic disputes, thefts, burglaries, robberies, and conduct public services such as welfare, home and business checks and perform funeral escorts.

Next week the cadets will learn about CPR.

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