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DALLAS POLICE ASSOCIATION
THE
SHIELD
Volume XXXIV No 3
Dallas Police Association’s
Assist the Officer Foundation
March 2014
4
Dallas Police Association
Phone 214.747.6839
Fax 214.747.8194
1412 Griffin Street East
Dallas, Texas 75215
CONTENTS
Executive Board
Ron Pinkston, President
SE Inv 972.816.3848
Frederick Frazier, Vice President
Criminal Intel 214.549.4918
Scott Sayers, 2nd Vice President
Homicide 214.283.4849
Mike Mata, 3rd Vice President
Major Crimes 214.725.0261
James Parnell, Secretary/Treasurer
Pistol Range 214.537.5200
Central
Stephanie DeTamble - 214.670.4413
Robert Wilcox - 214.670.4413
North Central
Roy Jenkins 214.670.7253
Vince Garst 214.670.7253
South Central
George Gonzales - 214.671.4500
Jeff Jacobs 214.671.4500
Northeast
Kent Hubner 214.670.4415
Casey Tharp 214.670.4415
Northwest
Chris Grall 214.670.6178
Kevin King 214.670.6178
Southeast
Chad Kazmierczak- 214.670.8345
Ben Smith 214.670.8345
Southwest
Boux Bland 214.671.0668
DuncanWilkins - 214.670.7470
Special Operations
Silvero Valencia - 214.670.8607
Chris Webb 214.670.4419
Headquarters
Daniel Mulvihill - 214.670.8345
Tony Castleberg - 214.601.3840
Sherri Jeffrey 214.671.4067
Brian Tabor 214.671.3584
Special Investigations
Steve Myers 214.287.9876
Chris Wood 214.671.3661
E.J. Brown
Randy Aguilar
4 PRESIDENT PAGE
5 COPS COP
Reserves
Steve Brody 214.728.2422
Retirees
Dan Lusty 214.533.8963
Chaplains
Matt Edwards 214.670.6162
Stan Griffis 817.727.0608
Chris Marsh 214.670.4415
Sgt. at Arms
J.D. Byas 214.747.6839
A. Hernandez 214.671.3120
Mary Hershiser - 214.670.6178
Justin Bernil 214.670.4413
Tommy Raley 214.671.3584
Kevin Campbell - 214.406.3243
Jordan Colunga - 214.670.4415
Zac Craven 214.671.3229
Kevin Janse 214.671.8066
Beth Sundquist - 214.671.4501
Blue Unity Committee
Mike Mata - Chairman
Elida Acosta 214.670.8333
Jose Delgado 214.671.0668
Frederick Bishop - 214.670.8346
Jeff Jacobs 214.671.4583
Gerardo Guardiola - 214.671.3400
Justin Bernil 214.671.4413
Mary Hershiser - 214.670.6178
Tonya McDaniel - 214.670.8345
Shavon Vela Wall - 214.670.4415
Stephanie DeTamble 214.670.4413
Past President - Glenn White
Recording Secretary - E. J. Brown
Association Staff
Marsha LoGuidice
Tiffany Abbinett
All opinions expressed in editorial or advertising content are those of the contributor and do
not necessarily represent the opinions of the Dallas Police Association. Letters, articles or
photographic submissions are welcome. All submissions must be accompanied by the name
and number of the contributor. The editor reserves the right to edit all contributions for libel
and length.
6 TRIBUTE
7 PEOPLE
8 THIRD VICE PRESIDENT
12 VICE PRESIDENT
13 BACK IN THE DAY
14 SYMPATHY
17 BUSINESS
Visit the DPA and its affiliates online24/7
Dallas Police Association
www.dallaspa.org
Assist the Officer
www.atodallas.org
Wish Upon A Star
www.wishuponastardallas.org
March 2014 The Shield 3 PRESIDENTS PAGE
DALLAS CITY COUNCIL
‘I TOLD YOU SO’
by Ron Pinkston
There is nothing more frustrating than someone telling me
‘I told you so’ because I was being too stubborn to consider
their point of view. This scenario will be playing out soon
with the Dallas City Council and the City Manager if they
don’t pay attention to police starting pay. I know some think
it is all up to the Meet & Confer team; but, I would argue
that it’s solely up to the City Manager because we have a
permissive meet and confer where we only talk about what
the City Manager wants to discuss, and we ultimately have
to take what is given by him/her. In the most recent threeyear contract that we agreed upon, we have an opportunity
to receive up to a 4% pay raise because it is tied to property
values and sales tax parameters. While we are waiting for this
increase, the Dallas Police Department (who has the lowest
starting pay) will keep falling farther and farther behind.
This brings me back to ‘I told you so’ because as we lag behind
in our starting pay, we become less desirable to the top talent
in the police field. These top candidates are going to choose
the higher paying agencies with the better pay and benefits.
The City of Dallas will be left with the rest. While many
officers hired by the Dallas Police Department will become
outstanding officers, the percentage of that likelihood shrinks
and the percentage of hired officers who get in trouble will
increase. As this percentage increases, so will the payout for
lawsuits, ultimately costing the City of Dallas millions of
dollars. The Department will try to counteract this trend
with more and more policies that do not serve the good
citizens of Dallas, and the number of lawsuits will continue
to rise.
Furthermore, the Department has continued to cut corners
in their attempts to fill vacant positions. Police recruiters will
tell you the biggest issue they have getting the top candidates
is our starting pay. Since they have had a harder time filling
slots at the Academy, the Department has decreased the length
of time background investigators have to do backgrounds on
candidates. So, instead of doing a thorough background
check, we now cut it short.
All of this leads us back to, ‘I told you so.’
Our new City Manager, A.C. Gonzalez, has been brought
in to make some major changes. So, maybe we will see
4 The Shield March 2014
improvements in our practice of being the lowest starting
pay police department. Yes, I know A.C. was the Interim
City Manager when our Meet & Confer contract was agreed
upon, but he was only the interim then trying to win the
job. Since he has won the job of City Manager, he was given
a 60% pay increase to do said job. Yes, I know we have a
proven track record of reducing crime for the past 10 years
and will only get a 4% raise in a year and a half (based on
parameters); but, hopefully, this is a start to future changes in
Dallas police pay. City Council’s rationale was that by raising
the City Manager’s pay to that of highest in the country the
City of Dallas will look like a world class city. This must
mean that we will then be raising police officers’ pay to not
just a competitive starting rate but to the top. By increasing
the starting pay of Dallas officers to the very top, we will truly
prove to be the world class city the City Council strives to be.
Let us not forget we also pay our City Council. It has been
mentioned that in order to attract the best possible candidates
for City Council, their pay needs to be raised as well. It has
been proposed that their pay needs to be a “living wage” that
would allow them to support themselves while serving on the
council. Maybe it is time City Council’s pay should be tied
to that of a starting police officer. We should support the pay
raise for City Council and increase their pay from $37,500
a year to $42,941 a year (which would be a 14.5% increase).
Then, that $42,941 has a chance of increasing another 4%
on April Fool’s Day 2015 (based on the parameters set in
the Police and Fire Meet & Confer agreement, of course).
Serving on the City Council is a thankless job and one that
requires a lot of work, much like our job as police officers.
By raising their pay, we will get a larger pool of candidates
to run for council in the future. We could even raise their
pay higher if they realize that the Dallas Police Department
has, by far, the lowest starting pay in the Metroplex and
throughout the state. To be a world class city, we must raise
starting pay ASAP.
I hope our council members who are in their first term don’t
look back and see the millions of dollars Dallas has wasted
on lawsuits instead of spending the money on better pay to
attract the best possible police candidates.
Let’s move on to more ongoing issues, the January crime stats
show that the City of Dallas had over 5,000 crime victims and
15 officers were assaulted. During the recent City Council
Public Safety Meeting, the 15 officers who were assaulted
were not mentioned, nor were the crime victims. The only
thing mentioned was that crime was down. The issue with
ineffective and inefficient policies is they don’t focus on the
5,000 victims. The Department is so worried about Tweeting
the good things and officers’ disciplinary rulings they lose
focus that we are here to protect and serve all the citizens of
Dallas! The more I ask the citizens of our great city what they
want, if they want us to catch the burglar or to get to their
calls in a quicker manner the answer is always a resounding
YES. Yet, we still have policies that don’t provide this to all
the citizens of Dallas.
Since we mentioned officer discipline, we need to talk a little
about that. It seems that some officers continue to make
mistakes that bring discredit to us all. There isn’t an officer
out there that hasn’t violated a General Order, but we still
need to continue to give the citizens our best. We, as officers,
need to be more vocal in addressing issues we are aware of
with those fellow officers. These officers that violate the law
will be given their due process, but there is NO place on the
Dallas Police Department for criminals. The Dallas Police
Association will always fight for officers’ rights and will fight
for due process for all officers, but each officer needs to look
in the mirror and be honest with themself about whether
they are serving the citizens of Dallas to the best of their
ability. You cannot give the excuse, “Well, management
doesn’t care about the citizens, so I am not going to do
anything either.”
We must find a way to continue protecting and serving
the citizens as best as we can under the present conditions
created by management. When it comes to the Deadly
Force policy, please be aware of your situation at all times
because management believes you should think about
whether you will be fired before you pull the trigger. The
interpretation of this policy remains up in the air, so be very
cautious! The DPA will continue to battle these ineffective
and inefficient policies, but each officer needs to follow them
until we succeed in implementing policies that truly protect
and serve the citizens of Dallas.
Stay out of the tweets and stay safe!
COPS COP
FEBRUARY COPS’ COP
Sr. Corporal Michael Dana
Senior Corporal Michael Dana has been selected as the
February 2014 Cops’ Cop for the Dallas Police Association.
Senior Corporal Dana joined the Dallas Police Department
on August 27, 1990. He has been assigned to Northeast
Patrol, Crime Prevention, ICP Unit, Financial Crimes/
Swindle and recently has returned to Northeast Patrol.
Senior Corporal Dana was nominated by Sergeant Ken
Haben and supported by Sergeant Bruce McDonald,
Detective Todd Lafleur and Detective Don Casey (retired).
Detective Lafleur states, “When Mike first became a
detective in the forgery unit, he was the rookie in the unit
so he graciously volunteered to work Identity Theft. At that
time, he was the only one working the identity thefts. The
laws were different and made it very difficult to file cases.
Basically it was only a report to help clear one’s credit. Mike
took it to a different level and brought it to State law makers
attention that the law really did not help protect the citizens
of the State of Texas.” Sergeant Haben relates that Detective
Dana’s knowledge is so specific that he was called upon to
testify in Austin at a legislative session concerning Identity
Theft. The law did change and made it easier to file criminal
cases against identity thieves.
Detective Dana also created a power point presentation
that teaches sworn and rookie officers about Identity Theft,
Forgery, Credit Card Abuse, Swindle, and Trademark
Counterfeiting Laws. His knowledge of swindles as well as
all financial crime is not only an asset to his case filings but is
a base of information to assist citizens in getting their events
in order after a financial crime has happened. He gives public
presentations to senior groups in an effort to educate them
so that they do not become victims. Mike is very passionate
about his job and knowledgeable about his subject matter.
Detective Dana volunteers his time to the Assist the Officer
Foundation, again showing his willingness to help and
caring attitude. He has been a regular contributor to the
Shield; his subject matter centers around financial crimes
and his in-depth research keep the articles interesting as well
as informative.
Senior Corporal Mike Dana has received over 60 awards and
commendations, including Certificate of Merit Award (3),
Life Saving Award (2) and a Civic Achievement Award.
March 2014 The Shield 5 TRIBUTE
We didn’t make eye contact. I didn’t want him to see my
tears and he didn’t want me to see his.
A TRIBUTE
by Stephanie DeTamble
On February 17, 2014, I was headed home from work
when I saw the fire trucks lined up on the Audelia bridge
over I-635. I didn’t realize until then that fallen Dallas Fire
Fighter William Tanksley had not been laid to rest. I found
a safe place to park. Dressed in full uniform, I went up and
talked to the Dallas Fire Fighters who were waiting on the
bridge too; waiting to see their comrade, their brother in
red, pass by one last time. We watched as the traffic began
to thin out, the sure sign of an approaching procession for
a fallen first responder. Their answers got shorter and the
questions got more meaningless. I had seen a few citizens
stop as well. One guy in a yellow shirt set up a camera
to video tape everything. I don’t think he understood the
magnitude of what he was about to witness.
We waited and were updated as they passed each bridge.
Those of us who were on the Audelia bridge began to line
up in a straight line. First were the motorcycle officers,
clearing the way for what was to come. And then I could see
the DFR fire trucks and the personal vehicles of Tanksley’s
grieving family. In the distance I could see the fire truck that
Tanksley rode on. It was shrouded in black, like a weeping
widow carrying her fallen husband to his final resting place.
As if on cue, we all began to salute. I could hear the heavy
breathing of the fire fighters next to me. I could hear
them choking back tears. Despite wearing my sunglasses,
I couldn’t hide the tears that ran down my cheeks. While
I did not know Tanksley, I still grieved for the loss of his
life that was cut short so abruptly. Once he had passed,
we dropped our hands to our side and watched, without
moving, as fire engines, ambulances, and police cars drove
past. There were hundreds of them. Some of the trucks
would sound their horn, the wail, as if they were a line of
wailing women, grieving loudly, mournfully, painfully.
Then I could hear the fireman’s radio. It was turned up.
“William Scott Tanksley. Died February 10, 2014. Thank
you for your 14 years of service, Scott.” He went on to speak
about Tanksley and it was evident that he knew Tanksley
well. You could hear the pain in his words. You could hear
the sadness, the catch in his voice, as his brief eulogy was
broadcasted across the entire city. I saw the firemen start to
wipe away tears. When the procession was over, one of the
firemen shook my hand and told me it was nice to meet me.
6 The Shield March 2014
This is the part that people forget about when it comes to
our job. They forget that one day we may leave for work,
and we won’t ever come home. They forget that through
some unfortunate chain of events, we may take our last
breath several years too soon, decades too soon. Sure we like
to think that we are super heroes. We put on the cape, don’t
we? We pin that badge to our chest and swear to protect
the citizens at all cost. But really, we’re just officers. Because
officers have an expiration date.
As I was walking back to my car, the man in the yellow shirt
jogged to catch up to me. He said “I’ve never seen anything
like that.” My head was still hung low as I made it to my
car. I turned to him and said “Thank you for staying. That
really means a lot.” He looked at me as his eyes welled up
and said, “I’ve never been that close to hear the fire fighter
radio. To hear that.” And then, tears began streaming down
his cheeks as he turned and got into his car. No more words
needed to be said. I knew exactly what he meant.
In Loving Memory
Dallas Fire-Rescue Officer
William Scott Tanksley
November 1, 1973 - February 10, 2014
PEOPLE
CONGRATULATIONS
THANK YOU
Congratulations to the following members on their
promotions conducted at Police Headquarters on
December 23, 2013 by Chief Brown.
Promoted to Major:
I was involved in a traffic accident and I would like to give
thanks to all of the officers who responded and assisted with
the traffic and accident. I want to give a special thanks to
Major J. Lawton, Lt. Richardson, Dallas Police Association
Representative J.D. Byas, Officer J. Gladney, Vice Sgt.
Ramos and Vice Detective Monsisvais. Words can’t express
how much I appreciate the quick response and assistance
provided by all of the officers involved. Senior Corporal
Kakia Lang (Vice).
Magdalen M. Boyle
Promoted to Lieutenant:
William H. Griffith
Angela M. Shaw
Some people don’t wait to be asked. They just pitch in and
help. I’m so grateful for your kindness. Nessie McClenton
(Wife of retired Senior Corporal Clarence McClenton).
COPS KIDS
Retired Senior Corporal
Glen Williams #3171 and
wife Debbie are pleased to
announce the birth of their
granddaughter, Blair Debra
Davis, born December 18,
2013, weighed 6lbs 13 oz
and was 18½ inches long.
Detective Daniel Cordero
#7445 (Central Investigative
Unit) and his wife Jennifer
proudly announce the birth
of their first child, Victoria
Faith, born January 14th,
2014, weighed 6lbs 9 oz and
was 19 inches long.
The family of John T. Griffin, Jr. acknowledges with deep
appreciation your kind expression of sympathy.
Margie M. Griffin
We would like to express our gratitude for the gift made to
the Wish Upon A Star Foundation in honor of my father.
We will not forget this kind gesture.
Senior Corporal Jerry Poston (Intelligence).
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March 2014 The Shield 7 THIRD VICE PRESIDENT
THE CAMERA DOESN’T
LIE… OR DOES IT?
by Mike Mata
It seems as if the command staff is now using the standard
that, “If the video doesn’t show it, then it didn’t happen.”
Increasingly, officers’ Use of Force situations are primarily
being judged based on what is seen in video evidence,
completely disregarding and/or minimizing officers’
statements of their firsthand point of view and perception of
the event.
The Standard of “Reasonableness” has been replaced with
the old saying, “The camera doesn’t lie.” Well, that saying
should also be accompanied by, “It doesn’t tell the whole
truth, either.” Video footage has many positives, but it also
has its downfalls, too. A camera takes in light different than
that of the human eye and is able to instantly focus on items
without having to blink or turn its head, which the human
eye is unable to do.
But, most of all, a camera is able to lock in and record data for
later 20/20 analysis (or armchair quarterbacking). It allows
the viewer to watch the video at a later date without taking
into account the human element. Officers deal with many
variables but the most important is stress from the dynamics
of the event, which cause the officer to have a completely
different field of view and recollection.
that can be presented. Although officer’s actions may have
fault and failure, as long as it is done in good faith without
the premeditation of evil, it is judged to be acceptable and
reasonable.
To put it simply, let’s use an example we can all understand.
Instant replay in sports works because generally we have
multiple camera angles that are provided in an instant and
the rules that govern that process are fairly black and white
(i.e. either the ball broke the plane or it didn’t; either the
ball touched the ground or it didn’t). But, even in the game
of football, there is gray area. For example, in the case of a
fumble, the video must overwhelmingly refute the referee’s
call or the play stands.
For police officers, the “call on the field” is the decisions
whether to use force and what level of force to use. The
courts have even ruled the judge’s personal opinion alone
does not deem force excessive…“not every push or shove,
even if it may later seem unnecessary in the peace of a judge’s
chambers, violates the Fourth Amendment.” It is a courtaccepted guideline that if at the time of the event with the
factors known to the officer, in that immediate moment, his
action was reasonable.
Courts accept that good officers, under stress of the moment
may make mistakes. The question has always been, “Is the
officer’s mistake ‘reasonable’ under the circumstances?”
Police officers have a job to do, a job that often places them
in harm’s way where they are oftentimes forced to make split
second decisions. They are forced to make these decisions in
circumstances that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving,
where the human trait of fear is prevalent.
A camera will see things the officer didn’t or couldn’t see. For these reasons, the test of “reasonableness” should not be
But, the camera is unable to feel or respond to what only a tainted by an outsider’s personal opinion of the officer’s intent
or motivation. Courts have further provided protection from
human placed in the event can experience.
liability involving officer’s mistakes by allowing immunity
All this said, it proves that a video should not be the for their actions. These court guidelines protect all, except
predominant and overriding piece of evidence in Use of Force those situations where the officer is “plainly incompetent or
investigations. And, unfortunately, I believe it is becoming knowingly chose to break the law.”
a more and more commonly used practice by our present
Overzealous discipline utilizing 20/20 hindsight and
command staff.
subjective personal opinion as a standard violates longstanding
We have replaced the recent past judgments of “I wouldn’t case law and will have an overwhelmingly negative effect
have done that,” or “I would have chosen a different method,” on the officer’s willingness to enforce the law, which is our
with the even more arbitrary level of validity of “The camera primary duty.
doesn’t show that.”
Our command staff and IAD constantly use the 20/20
The courts have ruled on this subject, and there is a long list hindsight process of “Is that what we teach, or is that in our
of trial-proven case law stating that the officer’s account at the force continuum?” when reviewing the actions of our officers.
time of the event is the most valuable and truthful evidence The fallacy in this is, again, a subjective standard ignoring
8 The Shield March 2014
the facts that “you cannot train for every event, and you can’t
apply a static training model (force continuum) to a live, freeflowing, ever-changing police situation.”
A “linear force continuum” does precisely what the courts
have warned against, especially ours because it does not rely
on reasonableness (even though, reasonableness is prevalent
throughout our General Orders 901.00). The Department’s
force continuum relies on a “cause and effect” theory, a policy
that has not been evaluated or adjusted in over 25 years. The
text in our General Orders is further limiting by dictating
that “only necessary force is justified” (completely omitting
reasonableness). But, again, here we are overriding years of
PROVEN and VALIDATED case law for our own higher
and subjective standards that only limit the officer’s ability to
protect themself and enforce the law.
Here is where the basic problem lies. Our command staff is
using their own baseless personal opinions of what is “allowed
or proper to do” as judgment in situations that are already
authorized within our own Use of Force Continuum and
governed by state and federal law. Their personal opinions
and emotions that are allowed into play undermine the
already tested and proven laws and re-write them. Another
problem created, when they choose to act on their own
emotion, is that it affects the officer’s right to a fair trial by
an impartial jury because the public perceives the command
staff’s judgment as gospel. And, this places a huge amount of
financial liability on the City of Dallas as our employer.
Our own General Orders unnecessarily place our officers at
risk of a misapplication of what they believe is the standard of
protection of themselves and that of a third person. But, our
command staff’s own blind insistence at repeatedly applying
an improper and subjective standard in disciplinary actions
only further corrodes the trust that the officers must have in
their leaders and its departmental policy.
The Canon of Ethics in our own Code of Conduct states
in Article 1, that the “Primary Responsibility of Job…is the
protection of the people…through the upholding of their
laws; chief among these is the Constitution of the United
States and its amendments.”
Because of the command staff’s actions and their lack of
knowledge and/or unwillingness to simply change the General
Orders so that they properly reflect the Constitutional
standards that we have all sworn to defend and protect, many
more situations will occur that will leave a black eye on our
once highly regarded department.
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March 2014 The Shield 9 10 The Shield March 2014
March 2014 The Shield 11 VICE PRESIDENT
WE TAKE CARE
OF OUR OWN
AND THEN SOME!
by Frederick Frazier
3. Email, fax, mail, interdepartmental mail or drop it off to
Tiffany at the DPA, TAbbinett@dallaspa.org.
If anyone ever has a question or concern, please feel free to
contact me at (214) 549-4918 or frazier7324@tx.rr.com.
Frederick Frazier
ATO Chairman
The year has just begun and BAM! We’re rocked by the death
of Southeast officer SC Christopher Bridges, then the line of
duty death of Dallas Firefighter William Scott Tanksley, and
the latest shooting of Northeast officer Josh Burns.
During these tragic times, the DPA’s Assist the Officer Foundation is here to help out. I know some of you are thinking,
“Ok, that’s what ATO is designed to do, right?” And, the
answer is a resounding ‘YES!’ What you may not know is
that none of the individuals mentioned above were members
of the DPA. That’s fine because ATO takes care of everyone
regardless of their association, and we have since 1999. Let’s
all learn something here from this program, one that’s geared
at helping EVERYONE and not isolating or restricting itself
to a specific group.
ATO has been a blessing for so many. Steering the helm
of this benevolent organization has been a true blessing and
labor of love. If you have ever been in my office, you have
seen ATO’s impact as I have kept every letter of appreciation
and thanks recipients have written to ATO. These letters are
a constant reminder to push us, the ATO Board and myself,
to the next level of taking care of one another and helping us
get through the tough times, or sometimes step in where the
City/Department fails.
The Confidential Counseling Program is available to ALL
Dallas officers, please use it!!! It is there for you and only
a phone call away to speak to someone. We all understand
this job is unbelievably stressful and can cause a disconnect
in our home life. I can recall a simple request from my wife
years back, “Please leave work at work, don’t bring it home.”
I think most of us can relate.
If anyone wants to get involved with ATO, the more the merrier! There is a listing of 2014 Events on our website. Visit
www.atodallas.org.
If you want to submit someone for assistance, here’s how to
do that:
1. Go to the ATO’s website (www.atodallas.org/services) and
download the Assistance Application.
2. Fill it out completely.
12 The Shield March 2014
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BACK IN THE DAY
BACK IN THE DAY
by Bill Croom
The Dallas Police Department was one of the first major
police departments in the country to begin using motorcycles
in the fight against crime. Detroit, Michigan is generally
thought to be the first to actually use motorcycles with
police officers riding bikes instead of horses. The City of
Dallas of course continued using Mounted Units for many
years, then phasing them out in favor of much cheaper to
maintain police cars, only to bring them back in the 1980’s
and luckily, we still have them today.
In 1909 however Police Commissioner Harry Seay said that
two motorcycles would be delivered for use by the DPD. The
officers riding them would answer “hurry” calls and would
be able to overtake speeding automobiles. He also said that
he had not decided who would actually ride the machines.
It could be someone from within the police department,
but it might be necessary to hire someone from outside the
department who already knew how to ride.
The Police Commissioner said that the men selected must
be able to operate the motorcycles with sufficient speed to
catch vehicles and still avoid any accidents to themselves or
pedestrians whom they may encounter.
On May 15, 1909 the DMN reported that six members of
the DPD have been selected to begin training immediately.
The six riders with the two bikes would give the department
two shifts of two officers with an extra shift in case of an
emergency. It’s not known whether two of the officers would
just hang around until an emergency came up, or maybe the
emergency would be when one of the six would call in sick.
On May 21, 1909, after only six days, it was reported that
the training was completed (?) and that the officers were
“at least sufficiently” skilled to warrant placing the “wheels”
in commission. It also said that the two machines (HarleyDavidson’s) were being stored at the “old calaboose.”
Unfortunately it wasn’t long before the first accident
happened. On July 16, 1909 Officer August Schulz was
thrown from his mount at the intersection of Main and
Poydras streets about 3 P.M after avoiding a “large man.” He
was unconscious for about half an hour. A citizen, E.H.R.
Green, who was described as driving a “big red machine,”
took the injured officer to the City Hall emergency hospital.
DPD Detectives Tanner and Price who witnessed the
accident assisted the citizen.
The doctor examining the officer said that the handlebar of
the bike had almost fractured a rib as the officer fell on it.
His uniform was torn and he had several scrapes and bruises
with a large patch of skin torn away from his right knee.
In about an hour the officer was back on his feet and went
back to the location of the accident. The bike was being
guarded and the shaken officer straightened the handlebar
of the “wheel” and rode away it was reported.
In 1923 the DMN wrote that the sales and service of the
police departments Harley-Davidson’s had been taken over
by John S. Berryman who was the new sales manager at
the Harley-Davidson Sales Company at Pearl and Jackson
streets.
Fast forward to 1929. There is a five day Harley-Davidson
sales conference at the Jefferson Hotel in downtown Dallas.
About 30 dealers from Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana were
attending the meeting. Arthur Davidson, one of the original
founders was there along with his brother, William A. (Old
Bill) Davidson. Arthur told the audience that included
police officials that “It is not the number of arrests that a
motorcycle policeman would make that would prevent
accidents, but it is that he can be seen and will prevent
motorists from speeding.” He went on to say that “An
officer in a car can’t always be seen (?) But an officer on a
motorcycle on the Oak Cliff viaduct the other night might
have prevented the accident in which one man was killed
and eleven others injured.”
Fast forward one more time to January, 1935. The Dallas
city council voted to buy three new Harley-Davidson police
motorcycles for a total cost of $1,265. What is strange is that
the City purchased two three wheeler police bikes at a cost of
$1,063. These two were Indians, not H-D Servi-Cars. There
is the famous picture of a DPD officer on an Indian threewheeler with his faithful German Shepard sitting on the box
with his paw on the mounted officer’s shoulder, this is one of
those machines. To my knowledge, this is the only time that
the DPD had purchased Indian police vehicles, either the
two wheeled, or the three wheeled variety. Why it happened
is anybody’s guess. It could be that the local Indian dealer
made a great offer to the City to gain a foothold into what
had always been Harley’s domain with the DPD since 1909.
That is until the late 1970’s, which is another story, for
another time.
March 2014 The Shield 13 SYMPATHY
With Deepest Sympathy
The family of retired Officer David Walton Brown, #1977.
Officer Brown retired in May 1979 after 15 years of service.
The family of Ms. Lola Belle Hall, Mother of Detective
Charles Hall (Northeast Investigative).
The family of Mr. Bronslaw Zuczek, Father of Sergeant
Steve Zuczek (Northwest Patrol).
The family of Ms. Lowella Whittington, Aunt of Officer
Kevin Williams (Love Field Unit).
Joshua Hight (Central Patrol) and Detective Chris Hight
(Narcotics), and Great Grandmother of Officer Nathan
Hight (Southeast Patrol).
The family of retired General Robert L. Gamrath, father-inlaw of retired Corporal Dan Carpenter #2283 and greatgrandfather of Officer Jessica Near #8665 (Metro Task
Force).
The family of Ms. Ada McKnight, Grandmother of Officer
Norris Spivey, Jr. (Southeast Patrol).
The family of Mr. Charles “Chuck” Whisenhunt, Uncle of
Senior Corporal Clayton Woods (Communications).
The family of Mr. Floyd Williams, Father of Senior Corporal
Christopher Williams (Northeast Patrol).
The family of Mrs. Naomi Parker, Grandmother of Senior
Corporal Eric Brown (Southeast Patrol).
The family of Reserve Officer Bennett H. Anderson, R246.
Officer Anderson is the Father of Reserve Officer Kyle
Anderson (Reserve Battalion).
The family of Ms. Joyce Samuel, Grandmother of Officer
Charles Jeffers (Central Patrol).
The family of retired Officer Walter Bardin, #867. Officer
Bardin is the Uncle of retired Sergeant Ronnie Bardin and
Sergeant Nancy Bardin. Officer Bardin retired in February
1974 after 21 years of service.
The family of retired Officer Hugh J. Reed, #1617. Officer
Reed is the Father of retired Senior Corporals Mark Reed
and Frank Reed. Officer Reed retired in January 1981 after
21 years of service.
The family of retired Sergeant John P. Crofford, #1508.
Sergeant Crofford retired in July 1986 after 28 years of
service.
The family of retired Sergeant Jimmy W. Courson, #1004.
Sergeant Courson is the Father-in-Law of Officer Alan
Bietendorf (Northeast Patrol). Sergeant Courson retired in
April 1979 after 25 years of service.
The family of retired Senior Corporal Ronnie M. Pettit,
#2526. Senior Corporal Pettit retired in May 1999 after 31
years of service.
The family of Ms. Maybell Hight, Mother of retired
Lieutenant Richard Hight; Grandmother of Sergeant
14 The Shield March 2014
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16 The Shield March 2014
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BUSINESS
DALLAS POLICE ASSOCIATION
MINUTES, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors, Dallas Police Association, met at
the offices of the Dallas Police Association (referred to as
the “DPA”), 1412 Griffin Street East, Dallas, Texas 75215
on February 11, 2014 at 11:03 a.m.. The meeting was
called to order by the President, Ron Pinkston.
Minutes:
• The minutes of the January 14, 2014 Board
Meeting was presented to the board for approval.
***MOTION*** by Mulvihill seconded by Grall to
accept the minutes as presented. Motion passes, no
opposition.
• Sayers presented the February 2014 Cops’ Cop
Award to Mike Dana.
• Frazier accepted on behalf of the Assist the Officer
Foundation a check for $6000 from the White
Rock 5K run.
• The board received a solicitations request for
members wanting to attend the National Police
Challenge 5k run to be conducted in May 2014.
Discussion.
***MOTION*** by Wilkins seconded by Jacobs to
table this request until the next board meeting. Motion
passes, no opposition.
• Pinkston nominated the following members to
serve in the following appointed offices of the
Dallas Police Association:
Secretary/Treasurer: James Parnell
Recording Secretary: E. J. Brown
Retiree Director: Dan Lusty
Reserve Director: Steve Brody
Chaplains: James Marsh, Stan Griffis, Matt
Edwards
Parliamentarian: Beth Sundquist
Historian: Rick Janich
Sergeant at Arms: Justin Bernil, J.D.
Byas, Kevin Campbell, Zack Craven, Amber
Herrnandez, Mary Hershiser, Kevin Janse,
Jose Delgado, Jordan Colunga, Joey Fox, Nick
Lybrandt, Tom Hartman, and Daniel Young.
(continued on page 18)
March 2014 The Shield 17 BUSINESS
DALLAS POLICE ASSOCIATION
MINUTES, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
***MOTION*** by Myers seconded by Hubner
to accept the nominations and appoint the
members to the board of directors. Motion passes,
no opposition.
Chairman, Assist the Officer Foundation:
Frederick Frazier.
***MOTION*** by Hubner seconded by Garst to accept
the nomination and appoint Frazier as the ATO Chairman.
• Pinkston requested the Board of Directors confirm
the creation of the following standing DPA
Committees:
Legal Committee: Chairman: Scott Sayers,
Members: Chris Webb, Kent Hubner, Joey Fox, and Chad
Kazmierczak.
Building Committee: Chairman: Mike Mata,
Members: Kevin King, Jeff Jacobs, Vince Garst, and James
Parnell.
Blue Unity Committee: Chairman: Mike
Mata, Members: Elida Acosta, Frederick Bishop, Gerardo
Guardiola, Jose Delgado, Justin Bernil, Mary Hershiser,
Shavon Vela-Wall, Amber Hernandez, and Tonya
McDaniel.
***MOTION*** by Garst seconded by Tabor to
confirm the membership on the standing committees
of the DPA.
• Pinkston discussed the recent appointment of A.C.
Gonzales as the Dallas City Manager. DPA not
opposed to this selection. Meeting is planned with
City Manager and the DPA E-Board in the next
couple of weeks.
• Pinkston discussed departmental issues. Met with
Mr. Ryan Evans to discuss the problems with how
DPD polices are being interpreted by the Chief of
Police. Additional meeting is scheduled with Mr.
Evan, Chief Brown and DPA E Board to discuss
the issues and resolutions.
• There is an on-going battle with Twitter and Chief
Brown’s comments. Discussion.
• Bob Gorsky made a request for legal assistance for
the following members which are outside the legal
18 The Shield March 2014
guidelines of the DPA.
A. Request for $2500 each to monitor the civil
lawsuits brought against members Wilburn and
Spencer.
***MOTION*** by Bland seconded by Jeffrey to approve
up to $2500 each for the monitoring of the civil suits
brought against Wilburn and Spencer. Motion passes, no
opposition.
B. Request of up to $2500 each to appeal the
Termination Reports (F-5) given to members Wilburn
and Spencer.
***MOTION*** by Mulvihill seconded by Grall
to approve up to $2500 each for the appeal of the
Termination Report (F-5) for members Wilburn and
Spencer. Motion passes, no opposition.
C. Request for $2500 to monitor the civil
judgment against member Thompson.
***MOTION*** by Myers seconded by Garst to approve
up to $2500 to monitor the civil judgment against member
Thompson.
• Frazier stated the PAC is endorsing Susan Hawk
for the Dallas County District Attorney’s race. No
contact was ever received from the current DA
Watkins for an endorsement.
• Pinkston stated the membership needs to attend
the monthly pension meetings. Discussion.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:15 p.m., February 11,
2014.
The Minutes of the Dallas Police Association have been
duly recorded on February 11, 2014.
Original Signed
E.J. Brown, Recording Secretary
March 2014 The Shield 19 Dallas Police Association - 1412 Griffin Street East - Dallas, Texas 75215
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DALLAS, TX
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