this guy is a ex-mesa cop and he admits most of the cops who are killed by some one are NOT heros but simply a dope who made a simple mistake!!! Friday, June 17, 2005 Arizona Tribune COMING HOME ALIVE Cops 10 deadly errors Fates of many hurt or killed officers were sealed when they made simple, avoidable mistakes Retired Mesa master police officer Bill Richardson lives in Tempe and can be reached at bill.richardson@cox.net. The following was written on the inside cover of my used copy of "Officer Down, Code Three," by retired Los Angeles Police Capt. Pierce R. Brooks: "Brian, I give you this book with one thought in mind. The words and thoughts in this book may someday save your life. Whatever job you have as a peace officer, one mistake can end it all, so please read this book as often as necessary for its thoughts to work. Good luck in the academy and as a peace officer. With love and pride, your brother Dale." Truer words have never been spoken. Dale gave his brother Brian the advice and guidance that would allow him to come home every night and keep him out of a body bag and out of the county morgue. Every cop should own and read this book. Brooks sets out 10 deadly errors he saw repeatedly during his career when he investigated officer deaths for decades. Failure to maintain proficiency and care of weapons, vehicle and equipment. Improper search and use of handcuffs. Sleepy or asleep. Relaxing too soon. Missing the danger signs. Taking a bad position. Failure to watch their hands. Tombstone courage, not waiting for a backup. Preoccupation. Apathy. When I look back at the dozen or so cops I know and called friends who were shot and killed or wounded, I can only think of one who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. The rest made simple mistakes. What Im going to say is harsh. Im not going to pull any punches. If you think that all dead cops are heroes and how dare anyone talk about them, you might want to go find the funny pages or the sports section. This is about reality and it might hurt. Since no one else is going to publicly ask the hard questions and demand honest answers, Im going to. If a critical analysis were to be done on every cop killing in Arizona theres little doubt in my mind that one or more of Capt. Brooks 10 deadly errors would have been committed by the vast majority. In the world of policing, the light rarely shines on the mistakes made by a dead or seriously injured officer mistakes that should be learned from. This isnt about criticizing the dead; its about learning from their mistakes to keep other cops alive. I dont know if its ego or the complete failure of our political and appointed leadership, I have never seen a police chief, mayor or governor step up to the microphone and just tell the truth. "The officer made several critical mistakes, his supervision was lousy and his training was marginal. I will not tolerate the murder of a police officer, especially if it could have been prevented. I will report back to the public within 30 days with a complete and honest report." No one does the living any favors when they dont tell the truth about the dead. Just ask the family of U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman. The Phoenix Police Department has lost four cops in one year. Are there problems that have led up to this horrific loss of cops? Have mistakes been made? If Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon can get to the bottom of the brown water problem that hit earlier this year within 14 days and lop off department heads over an inconvenience, why hasnt he asked for a critical and public explanation of why cops on the Phoenix PD are getting killed in record numbers? Is there a system failure? Is it in officer safety, survival and tactics training problem? Is it a physical fitness issue? I saw a uniformed cop from Phoenix on TV the other night who was seriously obese. Is there a lack of proper supervision on the street by sergeants and lieutenants? Is there a leadership failure in the command ranks? Did the dead cop fail to observe the basic tenets of officer safety as set forth by Brooks? Where is the failure that keeps giving us an unacceptable body count when it comes to the good guys? Phoenix is losing more cops than all other Valley police agency combined. Why is that? The time has come to quit dancing around the tragedy of dead cops and tell us the truth and then to make obviously needed changes. Cops lives are at stake, as is public safety. Its time to find out whats going to keep them alive and us safe. BILL RICHARDSON COMMENTARY