The Broward Centurion - Broward County Police Benevolent ... · Megan Gordon, Editor E-mail: [email protected] The Broward Centurio n is published by the Broward County Police Benevolent

THe Official Publication of the Broward CountyPolice Benevolent Association

The BrowardCenturion

wwwwwwwwwwwwwww.bcpb.bcpb.bcpb.bcpb.bcpba.oa.oa.oa.oa.orrrrrggggg May 2005

In This Issue2005 Police & FireGames ............................... 4PBA Scholarships ........... 7

Job Burnout ...................... 8Supreme Court RulesOn Age Bias Suit ............ 10A Letter From Iraq .......... 12Nine E-Mail Hoaxes ....... 18Fly "The Blue" .................. 19

Volume 7 Issue 5

Due to proposed premiumincreases by the provider,

salary replacement insurance willno longer be provided throughthe Florida PBA. In lieuof this insurance, newdisability/death benefitshave been added to theFlorida PBA HeartFund. These benefitstook effect on April 1 ofthis year:

• Disability benefits for officerspermanently and totally disableddue to a catastrophic injury whilein the actual performance of theirduties: $10,000

Benefit Changes Through FloridaPBA’s Heart Fund

• Death benefits for officers killed in the actual performance oftheir duties: $20,000 lump-sum payment

• All benefits are payable to the officer, their spouse or dependentchildren

Benefit amounts will be reviewed periodically as the fundgrows. This change does not affect the $2500 death benefityou receive through the Broward County PBA. If you would like to make a contribution to the Florida PBA

Heart Fund, you may send your donation to: Florida PBAHeart Fund, 300 East Brevard Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301. If you’d

like more information, please call the Florida PBA at 800-733-3722.

PBA Gets Deputy'sDiscipline ReducedPBA Attorney Tony Alfero got a deputy's suspension

reduced to a written reprimand through arbitration inconnection with an incident that occurred in Weston.

The deputy had originally been given a 10-day suspension afterresponding to a fight between two people at a local hotel. One ofthe subjects involved in the fight turned out to be an off-duty PalmBeach County Deputy. The complaint against the BSO deputyalleged that he showed favoritism for the PBSO deputy when hearrested the other person involved, failed to accurately complete hisreport, failed to properly evaluate the conflicting statements of thewitnesses, lied on the report and during his statement toprofessional compliance, and left the district to make a questionablemisdemeanor arrest without permission.

The arbitrator only sustained charges for failure to file acomplete report and for improper radio procedure, for which hereceived a written reprimand.

The Official Publication of theBroward County PBA

(A Charter of the Florida PBA)2650 West State Road 84

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312Telephone: 954/584-7600

Fax: 954/583-0405

Megan Gordon, Editor

E-mail: [email protected]

The Broward Centurion is published bythe Broward County PoliceBenevolent Association for the solebenefit of its members. The BrowardCenturion is dedicated to theadvancement of the law enforcementprofession through better andstronger community relations. Theopinions expressed in the publicationof The Broward Centurion are notnecssarily those of the BrowardCounty PBA, its Executive Board orthe Board of Directors.

Members or readers submitting lettersto the editor or articles for publicationare requested to adhere to thefollowing:

• Submissions should be sentto:

Broward County PBAAttn: Centurion2650 West State Road 84Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312

• Letters or articles must beaccompanied by thewriter's true name andaddress.

• All articles submittedfor publication must beaccompanied by astatement givingpermission to publish.

• All submissions must belegible.

• The Broward County PBAreserves the right of theExecutive Board orEditor to amend or to add aneditor's comment to anyarticle or letter submitted.

• Advertisment in thispublication does not implyendorsement by theBroward County PBAunless otherwise specified.

TTTTThhhhheeeee BBBBBrrrrrooooowwwwwaaaaarrrrrd d d d d CeCeCeCeCennnnntttttuuuuurrrrriiiiiooooonnnnn

President'sMessage

The Broward Centurion May 2005

2

Dick Brickman

In the fourth week of the legislative session, the PBA wassummoned to Representative Adam Hanson's office to meetwith other union leaders to discuss the PBA's bill regardingCJST.

Presently there are five rank and file positions on the CJSTout of a total of 19. They are appointed by the Governor, whoreceives names from around the state. The problem has beenthat chiefs and sheriffs send in the names of who they thinkshould judge rank and file officers who come in front of thisboard.The PBA bill would give the PBA three positions and the FOPtwo positions, with six names submitted to the Governor forhis appointment.

The meeting was held and the sheriffs showed up, alongwith IUPA, the FOP and the PBA. IUPA argued that theywould not be able to submit names to the Governor, a prettygood argument, but then the sheriffs said they didn't want anychange to how the Governor receives names. In other words,they wanted to keep meddling into the rank and file positionseven though the sheriffs already have three positions on theCJST, with the names submitted by the sheriffs themselves;they feel this system is fair.

The FOP agreed with the sheriffs' position, stating thatthey were afraid that nonunion members would not have theopportunity to be on the commission if this bill passed. I couldnot believe what I was hearing. The FOP was concerned aboutnonunion members. I couldn't believe that the FOP wasagainst a bill that would restrict the Governor to names beingsubmitted by labor organizations rather than a chief's orsheriff's "pet." In the end, a compromise was reached, and allthree labor organizations agreed on the final language, whichwas vehemently opposed by the sheriffs.

What the new language accomplishes is that a committeeof six people, three from the PBA, two from the FOP and onefrom IUPA will have names submitted to them and thatcommittee will select the names to be submitted to theGovernor. By the time you receive this issue of the Centurion, Ihope that this will be law.

Order YourPBA License Tag

Available at the main county tag office.Ask for the "Support Law Enforcement " tag.

PresidentDick Brickman

Senior Vice PresidentPatrick Hanrahan

Vice PresidentNeil Vaughan

SecretaryDebbie Reggio

TreasurerJeff Marano

Legislative DirectorMike Casey

General CounselBarbara Duffy

Executive Board

Board of Directors

Broward CountyPBA

BSO (Support)Paul Weiss

BSO (LE)Dan CiacciarelliJorge CorpionJames DeMatoPete GearyJames HanlonDean MirraJeff Poole

BSO (Lts)Barry Derose

Coconut CreekRodney SkirvinRalph Capone

Coconut Creek (Sgts)Tim Bradshaw

Hallandale BeachMike FowlerRafael MatiasFrank Gobel

Hallandale Beach (Sgts)Duane FlournoyRobin Varone

HollywoodSteven BolgerTony FernandezKeith WadsworthWilbur Fernander

Lighthouse PointMike SearchJon Esposito

WelcomeNew

Members

The Broward Centurion

PBA Office StaffCharter Secretary

LindaReceptionist/Membership

LynnSecretary/Detail Coordinator

KimMembership Secretary

MaxineLegal Assistant

MaryannCommunications Director

Megan 3

New

May 2005

Retired

Reinstated

Margate (Spvrs)Ed Blonder

MiramarAdam LernerTim NevinsSteven ToyotaGeorge Mankowski

Pembroke PinesJim FisherGlen ParkerJim Ryan

Sea Ranch LakesJames O'Brien

SunriseJohn Jaslowski

Sunrise (Lts)Athena Skellion

Wilton ManorsBrian BehanEd CostelloDavid Jones

Alternates - BSOMichael CatalanoKelli CovetRich EngelsArmando EnriqueJulie FosterAndrew McConnellThomas PerdueRalph RombRichard HesterSantiago Vazquez

James D. Anderton - BSOGlenn Noble - BSO

Ricky S. Buoni - Hallandale Bch.Melodie Carpio-Johnson - Pembroke Pines

Glen Genovese - BSOJoseph C. Gerwens - Plantation

Robert D. Gibbons - BSOSarah M. Grimm - HollywoodAnthony L. Monforte - BSO

Pablo Perez - BSOKim G. Potano - MiramarAndres Ramos - MiramarBradley S. Sriro - MiramarBrian K. Tephford - BSO

Kevin M. Venema - Pembroke PinesDebra A. Wallace - BSO

John A. Brindle - BSO

David BermanAssociate

Robinkson Perez - Pembroke PinesAgency Change


4

May 2005

Lace up your athletic shoes and eatyour Wheaties - it’s time for the

2005 Florida Police and Fire Games!The event was created to promotestronger bonds among Florida lawenforcement officers and fire personnelwhile enhancing positive attitudes towardphysical fitness.

The games are sponsored by the Florida PBAand will be held in Jacksonville fromJune 19 - 25. Competition includes both

team and individual events.Participation is open to all full-

time and retired sworn lawenforcement; full-time and retired

certified correctional officers; Reservist I frommunicipal, county, federal or stateagencies; and paid, full-time professionalfirefighters.

Gold, silver and bronze medals will beawarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.Departments will be given trophies for 1st,2 n d and 3rd places, and plaques will be

awarded for 4th through 10th place.Official applications are

available at the Broward PBA officesat 2650 West State Road 84, Ft.Lauderdale. Fora d d i t i o n a l

information, pleasev i s i t www.lawgames.org.The deadline for entries is May 9.

This is your chance to prove thatBroward County has the toughest cops in the state

– get your application today!

2005FloridaPolice &Fire Games

Ev

en

ts

TeamBasketballBasketball (3 on 3 women)Flag FootballIron-man Roller HockeySoccer (indoor)VolleyballSoftballBaseball

Individual3 Point ContestArm WrestlingBench PressBilliardsBowlingBull’s-eye PistolCombat PistolChessTrapBoxingGolfHalf MarathonHorseshoesKarate & KataPush/Pull MeetDominoesMounted PolicePolice BicyclingWrestlingArcherySkeetSporting ClaysSwimmingTable Tennis10-K Road RaceTennisThree-Gun MatchDartsTrackCyclingToughest Cop AliveFieldShotgunRacquetballPractical ShootingCross Country RunTriathlonPolice Motorcycling


5

May 2005

Solid Endorsements from P ros in Enforc e m e n t !

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“ I highly recommend DaveFraser and his team to anyfellow officer looking for aMortgage. They’re thebest.”—Lt. Jeff Marano

Treasurer, P.B.A.

“A co-worker referred me toDave Fraser for refinancing.Mortgage Bankers foundthe lowest rates availableand made it all so easy.”—Rick Penton

Hollywood Detective

“When it came to our mort-gage, it was great to find theprofessional team atMortgage Bankers. Theyunderstood my needs andtreated me and my wife withrespect and importance.”—Mike Burrowes

Hollywood Detective

“Hats off to the team atMortgage Bankers. They’reexperts in their business andI couldn’t be happier withtheir service.”—Sgt. Tony Fernandez

Hollywood Rep.

Dave Fraser

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m o rtgage bankers n.a., inc.CORRESPONDENT MORTGAGE LENDERS


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May 2005

7

The Broward Centurion May 2005

Office Assistant WantedExtremely busy, general practictioner, Ft. Lauderdale law office hasan opening for a part-time office assistant. Duties include reception,filing, general office tasks and assisting the attorneys and paralegal

with case preparation. Hours are flexible. Applicants must bereliable, dependable, have excellent communication skills, be

computer literate and learn quickly.

Previous office experience is helpful, but not essential. Please faxcover letter and resume to 954/791-2141 or mail to Michael

Braverman, P.A., Attention: Dianne, 2650 West State Road 84, Suite101A, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312. References are mandatory due to

confidential nature of the practice. Salary commensurate witheducation, experience and hours to be worked.

A Note From The Office Staff:





When leaving a message on





the PBA answering machine,





please be sure to speak slowly





and clearly. Spell your name





for us.for us.for us.for us.for us.

We want to provide our





members with the best possible





service—help us help you!





Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.

It's PBAScholarshipTime

The Broward County PBA isaccepting applications for its

2005 scholarships.In order to qualify, applicants

must be the son or daughter of aBroward County PBA member.The parent must have been amember for at least two yearsand currently be a member ingood standing.

Applicants must also be, orplan to be, a full- or part-timestudent at an accredited two- orfour-year college or university.

Applications can be pickedup in person at the PBA office, orcontact us and we can mail or e-mail it to you.

The deadline for completedapplications is May 31.

Deadline forapplications isMay 31


8

May 2005

1. DemandsCrushing workloads,impossible deadlines, aconspicuous lack ofresources – everyone dealswith these from time totime, but if the problem isongoing with no end insight, the odds of burnoutclimb fast.Coping strategy:Try talking to your bossabout the amount andtiming of your workload.Explain that your goal isto become moreproductive, not less.Remember to bediplomatic.

2. ControlYou know you’ll be heldresponsible for the resultsyou produce, but youhave no say in how thejob is accomplished.Coping strategy:Remember that less ismore. Lessen yourexpectations, and you’llhave more serenity.Adjust your attitude andplan to meet with yoursupervisor regularly toupdate him/her on yourprogress.

3. RewardRecognition and positivefeedback play a morecritical role than money injob satisfaction.

You’re exhausted. You feel used up, useless. You snap at everyone around you. You could beexperiencing burnout, a response to chronic job stress. Exhaustion – mental, physical and emotional – is

one symptom, as are cynicism and depersonalization, and an abiding sense of failure.There are six key areas that contribute to job burnout. Identifying them and learning ways to cope with

them can go a long way to keeping you from burning out completely.

What causes it and what can you do about it?

Coping strategy: Tryasking for more feedbackon your work, indicatingthat you want to use thisinformation to performeven better. Don’t forgetto ask about where youperformed well.

4. CommunityDestructive competition,unresolved conflicts anda lack of support amongcoworkers can rampstress levels way up.Coping strategy: Youmight consider a transferif you’re making anhonest effort to be ateam player but no oneelse is. Burnoutfrequently occurs inclusters of employees,which is usually a sign ofa toxic supervisor. Thebest solution if that’s thecase is to transfer.

5. FairnessWhen employees perceivethat there is no way tomake things fair, whenthey have the sense thatthe rules have been riggedfor another’s benefit, it cangenerate a tremendousamount of resentment andhostility.Coping strategy: You needto acknowledge that life isfrequently unfair, but ifyou keep doing your best,you will be rewardedeventually. Don’t letinequity hamper yourperformance.

6. ValuesWork demands do notalways harmonize withour sense of right andwrong. The conflictbetween moral values andremaining employed cancause job burnout.Coping strategy: First youneed to determine if you’rebeing too idealistic. If so,it’s time to get real. If not,take your concerns to yourboss and then cover yourbutt.

If you’ve tried these strategiesand still find that you can’t adaptto your situation, it may be betterto cut your losses and move on.Just try to line up a new job beforeyou bail out, unless you feel youcan’t afford to wait; recoveringfrom total burnout can take up toyear. Source: MSN Health

Job Burnout

Health &Fitness


9

May 2005

DISCRIMINATION?WHEN EXPERIENCE COUNTS...

PANZA, MAURER,MAYNARD & NEEL, P.A.Attorneys and Counselors at Law

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION

Race Sex Age DisabilityPregnancy Wrongful Termination

Sexual Harassment

FREE CONSULTATION(954) 390-01003600 N. Federal Highway

Bank of America Building, 3rd FloorFort Lauderdale, FL 33308

The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be basedsolely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you free

written information about our quaulifications


10

May 2005

In March, the United StatesSupreme Court ruled that

workers who sue their employersfor age discrimination do nothave to prove that thediscrimination was intentional.

The 5-to-3 decision states thatemployees can win simply byshowing that the policydiscriminates against olderworkers, regardless of theemployer’s motivation.Employers can defendthemselves by proving that a

Workers need not prove that discrimination was intentional

Supreme Court Rules On Police Age BiasSuit

challenged policy was based on“reasonable factors other thanage.”

The case at hand, Smith v.City of Jackson, involved alawsuit brought by a group ofolder police officers in Jackson,Miss., who challenged the city’sdecision to give proportionatelymore generous raises to officerswith less than five years on theforce, most of whom wereyounger. The Court found thatthe city’s rationale for the

differential raises-becoming morecompetitive with other regionaldepartments in recruiting andretaining officers-was reasonable.Source: Associated Press, New York Times

Heart BillExpandedPresumptionRetroactiveA Florida court ruled that the

revised version of the HeartBill (Section 112.18[1], FloridaStatutes), effective July 1, 2002,which substituted the word"state" with "any" in reference tolaw enforcement officers andadded correctional officers,should apply retroactivelywithout regard to the date ofaccident or injury.

The case, Seminole CountySheriff's Office v. Johnson,involved a deputy who suffered astroke caused by high bloodpressure. On his originalWorkers' Compensation claim, ajudge ruled that he was notentitled to the presumptionunder the old statute and thatthe new one didn't apply to him.

On appeal, that decision wasoverturned. The court ruled thatthe amendment was aprocedural enactment and theofficer's right to receive or notreceive those benefits remainedunchanged since his stroke.Source: Cypen and Cypen


11

May 2005

Political &Legislative Affairs

Dear Members,

As you can imagine, the PBA has been working hard in Tallahassee to push our legislative agenda. Atthis point, we are focusing on getting our bills out of their assigned committees. Once all assignedcommittees have passed our bills, the full House and Senate can vote on them. I am happy to report thatmost of our bills have been progressing well. Listed below is brief synopsis of the progress of billsparticularly important to us.

S.B. 738 (Senator Fasano) – C.J.S.T.C. LegislationThis is our legislation, which gives rank-and-file officers better representation on the CriminalJustice Standards and Training Commission. It is one of the most important pieces of legislationwe are working on and has now passed all of its assigned committees. We are now awaiting avote by the full House and Senate.

S.B. 656 (Senator Haridopolos) – Deputy James Weaver ActThis is another PBA bill, which puts a time limit of 180 days on the length of internal affairsinvestigations. Also, it increases the death benefit for officers working traffic accidents and/orenforcing traffic laws. This too has passed all of its assigned committees and now awaits a voteby the full House and Senate.

H.B. 339 (Representative Davis) – FRS Service Upgrade for Academy TimeThis PBA bill will allow officers who were in the academy from 1978-1984 to purchase theirprior academy time, which was not credited as special risk, so that they may upgrade that timeand retire that much sooner. This bill has not yet made its way through all of its committees.

H.B. 231 (Representative Sansom) – FRS Health InsuranceThis PBA bill will increase the FRS medical stipend from $5.00 to $7.00 for each year of service.This bill still has committees pending.

S.B. 1744 (Senator Alexander) – Workers’ Compensation/First RespondersThis legislation would restore many of the cuts made to workers’ compensation in recent years.This bill has more committee stops.

For those of you interested in the legislation reducing the average final compensation in FRS andincreasing the DROP from 5 to 8 years I am sorry to report that things do not look good. Both billswere referred to numerous committees and it does not appear that they will emerge prior to theconclusion of committee hearings.

Your entire executive board is scheduled to be in Tallahassee during the last week of session (May 2-6). We will continue to vigorously pursue our legislation and advise you of the results.

In Solidarity,

Neil VaughanVice President


12

may 2005

Hello Broward PBA, Well, needless to say I willnot be able to attend theApril 12th Board ofDirectors meeting as I amstill vacationingin sunny Iraq. Ineed to checkwith Barbara tosee if I mighthave a lawsuitagainst the travelagency that setthis whole thingup. They failedto tell me thatthere is a war going on here,and that my much-neededbeauty sleep would be

interrupted by mortar fire.Yes, Baghdad is a boomingtown that isfull ofexcitement,but so isVegas – whydidn’t theysuggestVegas? Allkidding

A Letteraside it’s hard tobelieve that I havebeen in country forover two months. All-in-all things are goingvery well. I am

putting in long days thatwill soon get even longer.As you know I cannotdiscuss what our missionis. I can however tell youthat it is very tough at

times, but always very rewarding. Anyone thatthinks we should not have invaded Iraq andstopped this madman should spend one daydoing what I do everyday; that would surelychange their mind. Our mission has begun tocreep into the news, andit will hit in a big waywhen the case againstSaddam gets rolling.(Check out:ABCNEWS.Com Worldnews tonight – person ofthe week, March 2005 –Greg Kehoe) He was afederal prosecutor inSouth Florida – many of

youmight know him. The Army’s 82nd Airbornerecently visited our work site.As they toured I could see thatseveral, if not all, of them werereally moved. At the end ofthe tour the Sergeant said tohis troops, “Now we know

Coconut Creek Sergeant and PBA representative TimBradshaw is currently deployed with the Army in Iraq. He

sent us the following letter and pictures, updating us on what'sgoing on over there.


13

may 2005

why we’re here.” That seemsto be the response that weget from anyone that visitsour site, from soldiers togenerals. It makes me proudto be a part of this mission. The home camp is prettynice. There are several of

Saddam’s palaces here.Many have been bombed outwhile others are as he leftthem. The good ones arebeing used as coalition forceheadquarters, offices,sleeping quarters, and verynice recreation and weightrooms. Is it safe? Prior to theelections things were a bithot around here. We stillhave the occasional mortarcome in, and we can hear

large car bombs off in thedistance. But all in all it has

From Iraqbeen pretty quiet. Wehave incoming machinegun fire several nights aweek. I love the sound ofour 50 cals when theyreturn fire and do theirthing. We once had acouple of mortars comein on us from a largefarm field. Withinminutes two Apachehelicopters let it rip. That was a beautifulsound as well – those poor bastards. Saturdaywas a sad day for me. I was present whentwo brave soldiers lost their lives to a carbomb – it rocked the camp. I’ll send you whatI wrote about that tragic day. The food here is great. The troops cannotcomplain that they do not eat well.Wednesday nights are usually seafood –lobster, king crab, you name it – all you can

eat. Ithoughtthat Iwouldloose someweighthere; thatis yet to beseen. I amdeployinginto thedesert

soon. I’m told that I will have no choice but todrop a few pounds out there – we’ll see aboutthat. Well, that’s about itfrom the front. I can’twait to get back andhave some “Bangers &Mash” with the PBAgang.

Be safe. Your comradesomewhere in Iraq,Tim…

What Is A FICOScore?

FICO stands for “Fair, Isaac and Company,”where the scoring system originated. They

specialize in computer programs that predicthow an individual will perform in the future,

based on past behavior.

A FICO score is a computer generated “grade”that predicts a lender’s risk if he does businesswith you, based on your past credit behavior.


14

may 2005

MYTH: Closing accounts can help your creditscore.

FALSEClosing accounts will never help your score and may actually

hurt it. Having too many open accounts can hurt your score, butonce those accounts have been opened, the damage is done. Yourcredit score looks at the difference between youravailable credit and what you’re using. If youshut down accounts, your total availablecredit shrinks and balances eat up alarger portion of your credit, hurtingyour score. Also, closing olderaccounts can make your credithistory look younger than it is,which can also hurt your score.

MYTH: Checking yourFICO score can hurtyour credit.

FALSEApplying for new credit can

hurt your score, but ordering acopy of your own credit report orscore doesn’t count.

MYTH: Credit counselingwill hurt your score as muchas bankruptcy.

FALSEThe current credit score formula ignores any reference to creditcounseling that may be in your file. Those lenders who lookunfavorably on credit counseling generally treat it the same as if

Myths About Your Credit ScoreThere are some commonly held beliefs about what will and will not affect your credit score.

Some of these beliefs are pure myth, but are believed and advocated by mortgage lenders.To avoid the pitfalls of following misinformation, here’s the truth about some commonmisconceptions:

you’d filed for Chapter 13bankruptcy, which requiresrepayment and is looked at morefavorably than Chapter 7.

Steer clear of credit counselingif you’re not already behind onyour debts and you plan ongetting a mortgage soon.

MYTH: Your FICOisn’t the only

score youneed tocheck.

FALSEAll three

credit bureaususe the sameformula, butthey give thescore adifferent name.

Since all bureausdon’t all share

the same data, youmight have three

different scores, so itmakes sense to pull

reports from all threebefore you apply for a big loan

to fix any errors; many mortgagelenders take the middle score fromthe three bureaus to make theirdecisions.Source: MSN Money

Money Matter$

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15

may 2005

Kantor, Geisler &Oppenheimer, PA

E-PBAGet Online to the

21st Century!NOT AN E-PBA MEMBER YET? Become one! Be thefirst to know about breaking news... direct to yourinbox. Don’t wait, sign up today for E-PBA. Send youre-mail address to [email protected], type SUB-SCRIBE in the Subject box, and type your first and lastname along with at least the last four digits of yourSocial Security Number in the text (body) area.

Knowledge about PBA issues is the strength of ourAssociation. PBA will be e-mailing members timelynews about what’s up at the Florida PBA, helpful infor-mation regarding legislative issues, quick tips, and bestpractices for members.

Your e-mail address will not be given to any other groupor organization and you will receive no advertising fromoutside sources. E-PBA is available to PBA membersonly.

[email protected]

16


What's Up?News From

Our Members

may 2005

Births

Pembroke Pines officer Andrew Brooks and hiswife, Caroline, celebrated the arrival of Dillon

Joseph on March 24. Dillon weighed in at 7 lbs., 9oz. and was 19 ½ inches long.Mom, dad and baby are all doingwell.

BSO detective Joe Kesslingand his wife, Lisa, welcomedtheir second daughter, AmyNicole, on March 10. Amy

weighed in at 6 lbs., 15 oz. and was19 inches long. Big sister Kellie is thrilled with hernew little sister!

Lighthouse Point officer Mike Search and hiswife, Kellie, welcomed Michael Dylan into theworld on March 21. Michael weighed in at 5 lbs., 5oz.

BSO deputy Tim Irvin and his wife, Ruthie,celebrated the birth of their first child, GenesisTimia, on April 7. Genesis weighed in at 6 lbs., 10oz. and was 20 1/4 inches. Mom, Dad and AuntSgt. Yolanda Williams are all thrilled and proud.

Sunrise officer Anthony Rosa and his wife,Jessica, welcomed their daughter, Anna, on March7. Anna weighed in at 5 lbs., 11 oz.

Pembroke Pines Captain Dan Rakofsky and hiswife, Rachael, welcomed their daughter, LaneyRose, the to the world on March 26. Mom, Dad andbaby are all doing well.

Congratulations!

The South Florida Shomrim Society, a charitableorganization of Jewish public safety officers

(police, firefighters, prosecutors) is looking to expandits existing membership in Broward County.

Among the 200 members in the Dade, Browardand Palm Beach area, there are currently severalmembers from departments throughout Broward.

For more information, please contact CourtDeputy Paul Weiss at 954/497-0400.

Hollywood OfficersHonored

Congratulations to Officers Jon Cooke andAngel Delarosa from Hollywood.

Both were presented, for the secondyear in a row, with the MADD Florida100+ DUI Award for their outstandingefforts in DUI enforcement. Bothofficers took part in a press conferenceregarding tougher penalties for DUI held byMADD and State Legislators on the steps of theCapitol Building.

Keep up the good work!

Broward CountyMembers Wanted

Free To Good HomeWeight Bench & Weights

Cherry DeskContact Megan@954/830-9110

Free To Good HomeFour Kittens, Black/Gray

Available The First Week Of JuneContact Diane@954/791-2010 or

954/260-1496

It's a baby boom!


Law Enforcement NewsItems of Interest From Around The U.S.

17

may 2005

Ft. Lauderdale – Veteranofficer William Lillian agreed toserve a 16-day unpaidsuspension for lack of judgmentafter taking a doctor, who hestopped for speeding on his wayto deliver a baby, to the hospitalin handcuffs.

The doctor was going 10miles an hour over the limitwhen officer Lillian pulled himover. When the doctor explainedhis rush, Lillian didn’t believehim and called the hospital toconfirm the story, then took himto the hospital in handcuffs.After requesting the doctor’sdriver’s license, he removed thehandcuffs and allowed thedoctor to get to work. The babywas delivered 15 minutes later.

The officer’s attorney said hisactions did not warrant a moresevere punishment because thedoctor didn’t pull overimmediately and show his ID.Source: Associated Press

Houston – Houstonpatrolman Christopher Green isbeing investigated fordownloading nude photos of adrunken-driving suspect fromher cellular phone, then showingthem around the courthouse. Hispartner has been reassigned afterallegedly calling the suspect’shome and asking her out.

The pair assisted with thearrest of the woman anddiscovered that her cell phonecontained sexually explicitphotos of herself. Green allegedlydownloaded the pictures to hisPDA. Two weeks after her arrest,the woman received a phonemessage from Officer Miller,inviting her out.

A sheriff’s deputy working atthe courthouse and an assistantdistrict attorney have toldinvestigators that Officer Greenactually showed them thepictures.Source: Associated Press

Los Angeles – Members ofLAPD’s K-9 explosive detectionunit left a bag containingexplosive powder unattendedafter a training exercise at LAX.A bomb-sniffing dog failed todetect the explosives, then anairport police officer opened thebag in the presence ofpassengers, causing officials toclear the area.

The bag, which contained six6-inch PVC pipes filled withexplosive powder was a bombdecoy accidentally left behindwhen the officers training movedto another part of the airport.

The bag sat in the terminalfor about an hour before anairport K-9 officer and his dogarrived to inspect the bag. Thedog hesitated, but did not sitdown next to the bag to signalthe presence of explosives.Because the dog failed to detectthe powder, airport policeopened the bag, and, discoveringwhat was inside, evacuatedeveryone within 300 feet of thearea.

An hour after the incident,LAPD detectives determined thatthe bag had been used earlier bytheir department as part of a K-9explosives detection unit trainingexercise.Source: Los Angeles Times

Orlando – The undercoverDEA agent who shot himself inthe foot while giving a gun safetylecture has been suspended for aweek without pay after a videoof the incident appeared on theInternet.

The video shows the agentgoing through a safety routineand asking another agent toverify that the gun wasunloaded. The Glock 40 waspointed downward when itmisfired and the agent shothimself in the right foot.

The agent continued hislesson, warning kids about thedanger of accidental shoots likethe one they had just witnessed.Source: wftv.com

Wilmington, NC - A PenderCounty 911 dispatcher who quither job after her boss found outshe was living with her boyfriendis challenging North Carolina’slaw against cohabitation.

Debora Hobbs was told to getmarried, move out or findanother job when her boss foundout about her livingarrangements.

With the help of the ACLU,Hobbs has filed a lawsuit seekingto abolish a nearly 200-year-old-law that prohibits unmarried,unrelated adults of the oppositesex from living together.Convicted offenders face a fineand up to 60 days in jail. It israrely enforced.

Pender County SheriffCarson Smith has stated thatHobbs’ employment was a moralissue as well as a legal one. Hesays he tries to avoid hiringpeople who openly live together,but doesn’t send out deputies toenforce the law.Source: Associated Press


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may 2005

Nine E-Mail Hoaxes

Urban legends have always been around.Today, they are perpetuated on the Internet

and through e-mail. Here are the top nine e-mailhoaxes that are currently floating throughcyberspace.

Neiman Marcus' Cookie RecipeThis one has been around for quite a while.

Before the advent of e-mail, it was passed on via faxor hand to hand. The story goes like this: someonehas lunch at Neiman Marcus and falls in love withthe chocolate chip cookies. They ask for the recipeonly later to find a charge for $250 on their chargecard for it.

Never happened. The recipe's good though, andNeiman Marcus has gotten so sick of the bad pressthey've posted it on their Web site. Check it out.

Forward E-Mail For Money or DonationsMicrosoft, Disney, The Gap or someone else is

testing a beta for an e-mail tracker and will sendyou money if you forward this e-mail. Or yourforwarded e-mail will earn money for charity.

There is no such thing as an e-mail tracker,period. Forward at will, but nothing's going tohappen—except that you'll look like a fool.

Nigerian ScamYou receive an e-mail from an exiled leader of a

country you've never heard of, asking you todeposit money that he cannot access into your bankaccount, and he'll give you a share. All you have todo is provide your bank account number.

Don't do it. The only thing that is going tohappen is that someone will clean out your account.

Work At HomeThis is an old one that has gotten new life on the

World Wide Web. Earn lots of money for little workwith no experience! Work-at-home scams will askyou to purchase supplies and equipment from themto perform your job. And that's how they maketheir money. A real work-from-home job willrequire a resume, interviews and job skills—just likeany other job.

You Won! (A Contest You Didn't Even Enter!)In order to collect your prize, you'll need pay

taxes or fees. Or you win a "free" trip that requiresyou buy (expensive) airline tickets through theiragency. Don't fall for it.

Receive $5,000 For Sending $25Just send $5 to the five people on the list or to an

address. In return, you'll get...well, you'll getnothing. It's a scam, and it's also mail fraud.

Tricking Traffic CourtKeep a traffic ticket off your record by paying a

little more than the fine. You'll get a refund check.Don't cash it, and your case will never be markedclosed and the ticket never shows up on yourrecord. It doesn't work.

Tax or Long-Distance Charges On E-MailYou get an e-mail that claims that you'll soon be

charged for long-distance e-mails, just as you'recharged for long-distance calls. Consider this: Howwill the phone company compute your bill? With itse-mail tracker? Right. Not gonna happen.

IRS Eliminated—No More TaxesBill Clinton got Congress to pass secret

legislation that would forgive all debts and abolishthe IRS. Alan Greenspan was going to announce iton September 11, 2001, but - well you know therest.

It's 2005 and we're still paying taxes. Enoughsaid.Source: MSN Money Central

Don't fall for these...

19

may 2005The Broward Centurion

Large or Small DownPayment?

Does it make sense financiallyto buy real estate with a big

down payment? Some say that itis better not to give the money tothe bank - put nomoney down anddon’t prepay themortgage. Othersthink that it is bestto make a downpayment and applyit to the principaland own the houseoutright. Who is right?

One school of thought arguesfor putting no money down anddevoting the cash to otherinvestments, including some withhigher effective yields. In recentyears, there has been an increasein borrowers buying without adown payment. According tofigures from the NationalAssociation of Realtors, 42percent of all first-time buyersand 13 percent of repeatpurchasers put no money down,financing their home 100percent. With home valuessoaring in recent years, it isalmost a “sure bet” that onewould get a substantial return onan initial investment of zeroequity. However, there are noguarantees that home prices willeternally rise.

Another benefit of putting nomoney down is the ability to usethe cash to pay off high-interestdebt such as credit cards. Thedownside of buying with nomoney down is that normally theinterest rates are higher becausethe risk factor increases, and thelenders require MortgageInsurance (MI) when the downpayment is less than 20 percent.

The result is higher monthly debtand less money in your pocket.

An alternate view is thatprepaying a mortgage oftenworks because most people in

this country arenot rich. Formost, mortgageamortization –paying downthe principalover time – and

simple real estateownership are some of

the surest ways to increasenet worth over time, lowermonthly living costs and increaseintergenerational wealth.For most people, putting an extra$50 a month into a mortgagemeans collecting change at theend of the day or not dining outonce a month. In effect,prepayments are simply a betterway to use money that mightotherwise disappear and pay offa loan 5-7 years earlier. Reducingthe years in which the loan willbe repaid represents not having amortgage payment for thoseyears – a benefit few people canignore.

There are instances whenmaking a down payment andprepaying a mortgage make real-world sense and other situationswhere leverage is best. You haveto look at such factors aspersonal economics, long-termplanning, tax obligations, rates ofreturn for alternativeinvestments, risk, local real estatetrends, mortgage rates andindividual preferences, and thendecide what is right for you.Julio Chang is a lieutenant with theBroward Sheriff’s Office and a principalbroker at JC Capital Corporation, 954/675-9822.

By Julio Chang, JC Capital Corporation

Fly "TheBlue" ToSupport LawEnforcementNational Police Week: May15-21, 2005

It's time to remember those whohave made the supreme

sacrifice in service to others, andto say thank you to those thatcontinue to serve and protect us.National Police Week is May 15-21, and May 15 is National PeaceOfficers' Day.

Show your support by flyinga blue ribbon on your car

antennaduring thisweek. This

year,Concerns of

Police Survivorshas distributedalmost 1.3million ribbons.

F l y the ribbon on your personalor work vehicle — or both.


Inside BSOFor Our Members With The Broward Sheriff's Office

20

may 2005

DLE Deputies of the YearClem “Butch” Santy

Deerfield Beach

2004 Annual Award WinnersOn March 25, The Broward Sheriff’s Office Awarded their 2004 Annual Awards at the BrowardCenter for the Performing Arts. Congratulations to all the winners, including some of ourmembers:

DLE Field TrainingDeputy of the Year

George BajgerPembroke Park/West Park

DLE Unit of the YearDUI/BAT Unit

Employees of the MonthMarch 2005

Dep. Michael JohnstonAirport

Dep. Anthony LottAirport

Dep. Frankie TorresAirport

Dep. Donald MillerCooper City

Dep. James AndertonCourthouse

Dep. John HaskoCourthouse

Dep. Bertha ShawCourthouse

Dep. Bruce LinkDeerfield

Dep. Richard KreuterLauderdale-By-The-Sea

Dep. Charles PickellLauderdale-By-The-Sea

Dep. Nicholas MastersLauderdale Lakes

Sgt. Patrick HansteinNorth Lauderdale

Sgt. Steven CadyParkland

Dep. James BarterParkland

Dep. Louis MarcheseParkland

Dep. Erin ForsbergParkland

Dep. Chris RossiParkland

Dep. Stephen O'NeillPembroke Park/West Park

Dep. Joseph RussoPompano

Dep. Theophilus WoulardPompano Beach

Dep. James HanlonTamarac

Dep. Donald KirbyWeston/SW Ranches


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Director, L.E.A.P

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may 2005

Non ProfitOrganization

U.S. Postage PaidPermit #1677

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Broward County PBA2650 West State Road 84Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312

©2005 Broward County PBA

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The Broward Centurion - Broward County Police Benevolent ... · Megan Gordon, Editor E-mail: [email protected] The Broward Centurio n is published by the Broward County Police Benevolent