Searching for Sandra: The Disappearance of Sandra Cantu

The April 11, 2013, episode of American Heroes Radio features a conversation with law enforcement official Stacy Ditrtich, the author of Searching for Sandra, The Story Behind the Disappearance of Sandra Cantu.

Program Date: April 11, 2013

Program Time: 1500 hours, PACIFIC

Topic: Searching for Sandra: The Disappearance of Sandra Cantu

Listen Live:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2013/04/11/searching-for-sandra-the-disappearance-of-sandra-cantu

About the Guest

Stacy Dittrich is “an award-winning 15-year law enforcement officer, author, media consultant, and former detective specializing in sex crimes. With past training by a former FBI Behavioral Specialist, Stacy is certified through the National Institute of Truth Verification as an examiner (CVSA- lie detector). Stacy has also been assigned to a federal drug task in the investigations of numerous homicides. In 2002, she received the Victim’s of Crime Award.”  Stacy Dittrich is the author of Searching for Sandra: The Story Behind the Disappearance of Sandra Cantu.

According to the book description of Searching for Sandra: The Story Behind the Disappearance of Sandra Cantu, “Where was Sandra? Across the country, parents watched with growing panic as the surveillance video was replayed on the evening news: a young girl in black leggings and a Hello Kitty t-shirt, skipping alone through the mobile home park where she lived. Her bouncing steps carried her quickly across the screen and beyond the camera's view-just two weeks after she celebrated her eighth birthday, Sandra Cantu disappeared. Within days, panic gave way to horror when investigators reported that Sandra's neighbor, 28-year-old Melissa Huckaby, had been arrested and charged with the rape and murder of the young girl. Sandra's death at the hands of a trusted adult female sent a powerful message to parents everywhere: The days of warning against "Stranger Danger" are long gone, having been replaced by an even darker era where stereotypes no longer exist and families can never be sure who to trust.”

About the Watering Hole

The Watering Hole is policeslang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life.  Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years.  He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant.  He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal JusticeManagement and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal JusticeDepartment chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University.  He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership.  Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One.  He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:

Listen from the Archive:

http://www.hitechcj.com/americanheroesradio/searching_for_sandra_cantu.html

Program Contact Information

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA

editor@police-writers.com

909.599.7530

Facebook Event:

http://www.facebook.com/events/165533266932947

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On the Job: Cops Staying Fit and Active

The nature of police work requires that officers remain physically fit, not just to avoid disease and other pitfalls of aging, but to withstand the rigors of uniformed patrol. It takes strength and agility to pursue suspects on foot or subdue a violent perpetrator. For these reasons, it is paramount that cops take care of themselves. On routine patrol, however, it is difficult to make the choices necessary to stay in shape.

Police officers eat in fast food restaurants, drink a lot of coffee and sugary beverages, and smoke cigarettes. Cops spend long hours in a sector car, or perform lengthy observations and that equals a lack of exercise. This routine is not conducive to healthy living and eventually makes the job harder. A physically fit officer has the energy to make arrests and is able to defend themselves more easily than a cop who is out of shape. Officers do not set out to become overweight and less active, but the nature of their work often leads to this.

In the course of an eight hour tour of duty, an officer will have at least one meal period. Food choices in many neighborhoods consist of mostly fast food eateries or small restaurants. The quality of the food can be poor, at best. Fatty burgers, take out dinners, and other greasy dishes eaten on a regular basis take their toll. The best an officer can do is to bring their own lunch from home. It is difficult to “brown bag it” as a cop because the vagaries of the job often dictate that officers make arrests, investigate crime scenes, guard prisoners in the hospital, or engage in dozens of other time-consuming activities. The sandwich or leftovers a cop brings to work can sit in a break room refrigerator or in the back seat of a squad car for many hours. By the time the officer has a chance to eat, their food will be unpalatable. As a result, fast food becomes an unhealthy alternative for most officers of patrol.

So, what are cops to do as they succumb to poor diets and the grind of law enforcement? Quitting smoking is a no-brainer; much has been done in recent years in the way of public education to explain the risks associated with tobacco intake. As for eating, officers can still bring healthy food to their precinct if they have a reasonable expectation they will be able to have a meal period during their shift.

In the event that police activity keeps one from away from the station house, opt to eat from the healthier selections on a fast food menu. Many burger chains offer salads or low-calorie wraps which are preferable to burgers and fries. While on patrol, seek out eateries with take-out menus conducive to a proper diet. Drink water instead of coffee or soft drinks, and get out of the squad car and walk when the radio is quiet. Use the stairs when responding to non-emergencies as opposed to the elevator. Many precincts now have gym equipment and officers should take advantage of treadmills or other aerobic machines to maintain stamina for foot pursuits. A gym membership is beneficial as well, and finding fellow officers to work out with will make visits to the gym a social experience.

Police work will always be physically demanding, and officers will continue to suffer the strains of the job. But making an effort to eat healthfully and maintaining a steady workout regimen can help officers maintain their productivity. 

About the Author: Michael J. Kannengieser is the author of the police thriller, The Daddy Rock. He is a retired New York City police officer who lives on Long Island with his wife and two children. Michael worked as the Managing Editor for Fiction at The View from Here magazine, a U.K. based literary publication and is a contributor to Criminal Justice News. Currently, he is employed at a performing arts college as an Instructional Technology Administrator. He has been published at The View from Here, and in Newsday, a Long Island newspaper. Michael speaks as a guest lecturer on campus. Click Here to buy a copy of Michael J. Kannengieser's new novel "The Daddy Rock."

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Good Cops Develop Safe Habits

Police officers rely on their training and experience to get through a single tour of duty. No matter what shift an officer is assigned to, the day tour, four-to-twelve, or midnight tours, the one thing keeping law enforcement officers attentive and careful is the desire to go home at the end of their shift. Much of the training recruits receive in the academy is focused on remaining alert and vigilant while on routine patrol. The ability to concentrate on details such as suspicious vehicles or individuals behaving in an unusual way, or hearing cries for help, are key aspects of effective policing. However, it is human nature to become lax, careless, and tired; this could be dangerous. Boredom and a fatigue are huge factors leading to poor performance, and to combat this, officers can develop good habits while on patrol.

There are techniques cops can use which will keep them safe even when they are suffering from exhaustion and there seems to be no activity in their sector. An officer can enter a dangerous situation and need emergency backup while on foot patrol or in a marked sector car quite unexpectedly. Calling for assistance on the radio and while unaware of one’s precise location can prove fatal. When chasing a suspect into a building, failure to take note of the address and losing track of which floor you’re on will prevent you from getting backup. An experienced officer will be able to inform the central dispatcher of their street address, the floor they are on, apartment number, and the nearest cross street without having to think about it. The ability to recite vital information under duress comes from not only becoming familiar with the area where the officer is assigned, but from taking note of the street name, direction of travel, and numbers of the businesses or homes. By keeping a running, internal monologue of these details, especially during periods of inactivity, cops can save themselves and citizens in need when a call for urgent backup is necessary.

Another technique employed by experienced officers in urban locations is to always look up before entering a building. Veteran cops will take the time to scan the structure from the top down from a safe distance to notice anyone who may be on the roof, or at the windows, and to also observe any items tossed at them from above by individuals willing to hurt them. As a rookie New York City police officer, I was taught by senior officers in my squad to beware of debris tossed from rooftops and out of windows at unsuspecting officers. While many in the community welcome police patrols in their neighborhoods, the sad reality is that there are those who do not. As such, there are individuals who will harm police officers by such means, and often they can escape arrest by retreating anonymously into the building.

Reciting aloud license plate numbers of suspicious vehicles, before pulling them over helps cops remember them more effectively in case the officer needs to provide this information to the central dispatcher if the driver pulls away. Saying the description of a vehicle (color, year, make, model, etc.) or a suspect (their clothing, hair color, height, build, etc.) audibly helps an officer recall these details efficiently. Getting into the habit of speaking the numbers, a person’s description, and even one’s location, increases your ability to remember them.

Finally, monitoring the radio for activity outside your sector is of extreme importance while on patrol. In busy precincts, officers have all they can do to pay attention to what is going on in their immediate surroundings. However, staying aware of the activity in neighboring sectors and precincts is crucial because often times officers will call for backup and you may need to come to their aid. There are also scenarios where other units are in pursuit of a vehicle or a suspect on foot who is heading in your direction and you will find yourself in position to intercept them. Also, if an officer informs the central dispatcher that they have a vehicle stopped at a certain location, and later on you hear that officer calling for assistance, knowing that officer’s last known location is vital to being able to respond to their call for backup.

Police work is inherently dangerous, and when performed with due diligence while utilizing proper training one can still fall victim to harm. However, if officers develop good habits while on patrol, they reduce the risk associated with their duties and may return home safely after a successful tour of duty. 

About the author: Michael J. Kannengieser is the author of the police thriller, The Daddy Rock. He is a retired New York City police officer who lives on Long Island with his wife and two children. Michael worked as the Managing Editor for Fiction at The View from Here magazine, a U.K. based literary publication. Currently, he is employed at a performing arts college as an Instructional Technology Administrator. He has been published at The View from Here, and in Newsday, a Long Island newspaper. Michael speaks as a guest lecturer on campus.

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Beyond the Badge: Making a Healthy Second Career Choice

Life after retiring from the police department can be a challenge for many as they deal with the transition from law enforcement to civilian occupations. Some officers stay until they reach the maximum age for retirement and return to civilian life having given their all to police service. Many who joined the force in their early twenties accept a pension in their forties and realize that they miss the job so much that they look for employment at another agency with no maximum age requirements. The allure of being a cop is so great, that they simply cannot walk away. For those officers who seek a sworn position in another municipal or federal police agency, and for those who work well past twenty-year anniversary at their current agency, a few health factors need to be understood.

Police work is a young person’s job. Patrolling the streets in a marked sector car and chasing criminals becomes more dangerous with age no matter what kind of shape you’re in. According to an article in Medline Plus, as we get older, our bones become brittle and may break more easily. Inflammation, pain, stiffness, and deformity may result from breakdown of the joint structures. These are just a couple of the physical transformations which take place over time as detailed in the article. Chasing bad guys – many armed with firearms – while suffering from sciatica and arthritic joints is not the safest career decision. You wouldn’t pitch in the major leagues in that condition, let alone wrestle with suspects while attempting to handcuff them.

One of the most harmful aspects of policing is stress. The effects of stress on the human body can be both physical and psychological. Moreover, in older adults also, the consequences of long-term stress can be very damaging. The Yale School of Medicine’s website, Yale Medical Group, cites a number of effects stress has on older adults. Chief among them is that long-term stress can damage brain cells and lead to depression. The WebMd website states that “untreated depression increases the chance of risky behaviors such as drug or alcohol addiction. It also can ruin relationships, cause problems at work, and make it difficult to overcome serious illnesses.” An article in Psychology Today, "Double Trouble: Depression and Heart Disease,"  reports that “depression and heart disease frequently travel together” and also “clinical depression and heart disease are the two leading causes of disability worldwide.” An officer can complete twenty years of service in one department, and take a position in another, only to risk serious health issues in an already hazardous profession due to the aging process. Meanwhile, another aging officer who refuses early retirement takes greater health risks with lengthy service to the department.

Indeed, law enforcement is a unique an rewarding vocation; but, knowing when to leave the job and look for something both less stressful and less dangerous can be a challenging decision. Considering the psychological and physiological effects of long-term police service may make the disadvantages seem to outweigh the advantages of continuing a law enforcement career. The choice is up to the individual. Changing careers is often the healthy choice.

About the Author: Michael J. Kannengieser is a retired New York City police officer who lives on Long Island with his wife and two children. Michael worked as the Managing Editor for Fiction at The View from Here magazine, a U.K. based literary publication. Currently, he is employed at a performing arts college as an Instructional Technology Administrator. He has been published at The View from Here, and in Newsday, a Long Island newspaper. Michael speaks as a guest lecturer on campus. Click Here to buy a copy of Michael J. Kannengieser's new novel "The Daddy Rock."

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