Retired MRPD Chief's Discussion

Prince George’s County has an anti-crime gun program designed to help recover illegal guns and guns used in a crime. Anyone who knows the whereabouts of a gun used in a crime or a gun that someone possesses illegally can call 866-643-2369. Tipsters may be eligible for a $1,000 reward. Mt. Rainier residents who own firearms that they would like to turn in may call the police department at 301-985-6580. You can make arrangements to bring the gun to the department or we'll send an officer to pick it up. If you bring any firearm to the department, please call ahead of time and make sure it is unloaded and in a case or other packaging. Oh, and please, do not just walk into the station with a gun in plain view. It makes the staff nervous.

According to preliminary FBI statistics released Monday, 122 police officers were killed in the line of duty in 2005. Of those, fifty (50) officers were shot to death. In all, 55 officers were killed intentionally, two fewer than in 2004. according to preliminary FBI statistics released Monday. Vehicles were used in five deaths, the bureau said. At the time they were killed, 34 officers were wearing body armor, but the FBI did not say whether bullets penetrated the armor in any of those deaths. Handguns were used to kill 42 officers, while five were shot with shotguns and three with a rifle. Six officers were killed with their own weapons. The bureau said that authorities solved all the killings. Twenty-eight officers were killed in the South, 10 in the Midwest, 10 in the West, and five in the Northeast. Two officers were killed in Puerto Rico. There were 67 accidential deaths of officers in 2005, 15 fewer than a year earlier. There was no description of how those deaths occur

On May 3, 2006, President Bush announced the release of the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza: Inplementation Plan. Building on the national strategy he announced November 1, 2005, this plan ensures that resources will be utilized in a coordinated manner to respond to the threat of pandemic influenza. Major areas covered in the plan include: protecting human health, international efforts, law enforcement, and federal response. Over 300 critical actions are described in the document, many of which have already been initiated. For more information go to the following web site: www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/pandemic-influenza-implementation.html To download the document go to: www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/nspi_implementation.pdf

This picture was taken last Friday in front of the police station. Standing with me is retired CPL Kal Parker of the Charles County Sheriff's Department. Kal and I were classmates in the Prince George's County Police Academy, Session 14, in October of 1975. I did not know this, but during his visit Kal was very proud to tell me, that prior to his service with Charles County, he was the first black police officer to serve the City of Mt. Rainier.

Federal officials concerned about avian influenza want airlines to collect personal information about domestic and international passengers to help track a potential epidemic. Dr. Marty Cetron, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Director of Global Migration and Quarantine, said, "What we're asking for is the authority to collect the information in the context of modern travel on airlines. There are just a number of cases where acting quickly with electronic access to passenger information is going to make a lot of difference." The CDC wants to be able to easily find, notify and recommend treatment to airline passengers who have been exposed to avian influenza as well as such diseases as plague, dengue fever or SARS. The CDC plan calls for airlines to obtain the following passenger information: name, address, emergency contact numbers and flight information. Airlines would have to keep the data for 60 days and transmit to CDC within 12 hours, if asked