SWAT teams sharpen their skills

Survival of the fittest: Hats off to the Bakersfield Police Department SWAT Team for recently hosting a law enforcement event that involved their counterparts within the county Sheriff’s Department.

The first SWAT Challenge, a competition that pitted BPD’s SWAT unit against the Kern County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team, was held at the 5 Dogs Range Thursday.
Of course, it was a friendly competition, but it did hold both departments’ elite members to the fire.
“These are top-notch deputies and officers who train extensively to deploy to the most dangerous situations law enforcement responds to,” said Sgt. Bobby Woolard of the Bakersfield Police Department. “The citizens of Bakersfield and Kern County should be proud of these men and what they go through to stay on the top of their game.”
The teams competed in a few scenarios: citizen/officer down drill; active shooter; deliberate entry; sniper-initiated entry; hostage rescue; and breaching.
 “The idea for the ‘Annual SWAT Challenge’ was brought to me by several BPD SWAT team members back in June,” Woolard tells me. “The team members wanted to stage an event that would test their skills by having several ‘scenario-based’ shooting courses that SWAT members would encounter during actual operations.”

Of course, another thought behind the competition was to offer a different kind of training that didn’t require a major expense (out-of-town private training, for example). These days, many departments’ training budgets are a bit tighter.
The team with the best time overall took top honors.
In this case, BPD SWAT landed No. 1, beating the county SWAT unit by 1 minute and 14 seconds, Woolard says.
The BPD SWAT team was presented with a perpetual “sword” award.
That award, however, will be passed between the two departments; whichever is the winner that year.
The scenarios went pretty smoothly, except for a minor mishap on the sheriff’s side, in which Deputy Randall Meyer broke his pinkie finger in one of the last sets. (You can imagine the nickname he earned afterwards, but good thing, he was fine, thanks to a visit with the doctor).
After the event, BPD took the time to honor a few of their SWAT team members who recently left the unit. They were Sgt. Jorge Gomez, 16 years on SWAT; Sgt. Matt Pflugh, 11 years on SWAT; Detective Mike Hale, six years with SWAT; and Detective Mark Herman, five years with the special unit.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Kern County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team also recognized two of their guys who were leaving their unit. They were: Senior Deputy Juan Trevino and Deputy Christopher Martin.
Woolard tells me that he hopes the SWAT Challenge will be the first of hopefully many years for this event. The Kern County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team will host next year’s event in October.
Congrats to BPD. I’m sure the county SWAT team is anxious for next year.

Take me out to the ballgame: Speaking of competitions, I had the opportunity to see the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series Friday. (No, not the unfortunate Game 3).
Of course, I was pretty close to canceling out — even told my husband to find a buddy of his to replace me.
The night before, I felt pretty ill and, given all the heightened attention to swine flu, I assumed my number had been called. I was coming down with the swine flu all right. That morning, things seemed to be looking worse, I thought to myself, lying in bed, moving around like I had approached the end of my time.
Meanwhile, my husband, Julio, who had taken Friday off from his busy work schedule with the Sheriff’s Department so we could attend the game, woke up bright and early ready for our planned escapade.
“C’mon, Olivia, I know how much this means to you. It’s gonna be great. You’ll feel better. Trust me.”
But I just couldn’t move.
Just think back to the 1986 John Hughes’ hit “Ferris Bueller's Day Off.”
I was Cameron Frye — Ferris’ hapless best friend who was sick in bed, feeling sorry for himself.
Of course, Ferris somehow convinces Cameron to snap out of it and go with him on an unforgettable day’s adventure.
In this case, Ferris, my husband, somehow figured out a way to get me out of bed to go to Dodgertown.
Sometimes, it’s good to listen to our spouses or best friends even when we think there’s no hope in sight for us.
It turned out that I was just sick from something I ate the day before. I felt fine by the third inning. I even found myself dancing, chanting and clapping away when the eighth inning began showing some action on the Dodgers’ side.

And by the time, the game ended, the sellout crowd was overwhelmed with happiness. Strangers gave high-fives, patted each other on the back. People smiled and look at each other with pride. Friends I had never known before surrounded me. You were right, Ferris.
Thank you for making my Friday a memorable one.

Kern SWAT honors, new Chavez School playground

What began at 6 a.m. with a sniper briefing and ended somewhere around 6 p.m. with a precision handgun shoot had finally paid off for one group of local SWAT guys.

Among the group was my husband, Julio Garcia, a deputy with the Kern County Sheriff's Department who had been a bit worn and challenged to a new level, thanks to the recent Ventura Police Department’s 15th annual SWAT competition.
At the Ventura competition, he and our good friend, Deputy Jay Heisey, landed first place in the “Sniper Team challenge.” It was a two-man SWAT team event where both had to shoot different targets at a distance of 100 yards. The targets were about an inch in size, and each team was timed.
But they weren’t the only local winners.
The Kern County Sheriff’s SWAT team received second place in the overall team competition — the main category of the event. First place went to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. Other competing agencies were: Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo county sheriff’s departments; as well as Oxnard, Redondo Beach, Simi Valley, and Pasadena police departments.
Kern’s SWAT competition team featured my husband, and his comrades, Sgt. Drake Massey; senior deputies Dustin Downey and Larry McCurtain; and deputies Jay Heisey, Pat McIrvin and Jesse Alvarez. Alvarez was the team’s alternate.

 “I was so proud of our guys and the effort they put forth,” said Massey, who also serves as the department’s SWAT Team Leader. “The team was ecstatic with the second place finish because all the teams were extremely competitive, and it was so hard to place in the top three.”

To place in the overall team honors, SWAT teams had their scores tallied from the different categories they entered. The categories were Team/Sniper Shoot; Precision Handgun; Entry Weapon Shoot; Team Physical Fitness Course; Team Obstacle Course; and Team-building Exercise.

“It’s nice to know that KCSO SWAT can hold their own against some quality law enforcement agencies from Southern California,” added Massey. 

All eight categories required intense running and some other physically demanding event, like dragging a 165-body dummy, climbing a mountain, climbing numerous fights of stairs, shooting with gas mask, and shooting from awkward positions.

“The team had to tactically plan, strategize and stay focused for 12 hours,” Massey said. “We were beat up and totally exhausted at the end of the day.”

I guess I can forgive my husband for devoting higher-than-usual hours for SWAT training exercises in preparation for this competition.
And it was no easy feat.
Talk about being surrounded by rows of SWAT teams, all who were focused, physically fit, and shot well under extreme conditions.
But gotta give credit to Ventura Police Department for putting on a fine event.

“They put on a quality competition that was very challenging and fair,” Massey tells me. “We have developed a good relationship with Ventura and many of the proctors told us they were pulling for us to do well.”

The SWAT team is now thinking about participating in the Police Olympics next summer.

“We will be selective on entering numerous competitions during the year,” he said. “One, maybe two a year is plenty due to the fact that we do not want competitions to interfere with our numerous SWAT missions and  regular training with the remainder of our team.”

He added, “As I mentioned before, it did not matter where we finished, as long as we were professional, humble and gave 100 percent in the field of competition. Our SWAT troops did exactly that, and as their team leader, I was very proud of them.”

We all should be.

On other matters, I wanted to give special recognition to a local woman who has generously given to Cesar E. Chavez School in northeast Bakersfield.

On Monday, Chavez School is going to dedicate the new kindergarten playground equipment to Nema Traynor, and her husband, Joe.
School Principal Ruscel Reader (talk about another amazing woman) tells me that Traynor has been a major contributor since her granddaughter, Cosette, was a student of the Chavez Challengers. Cosette is now a 7th grader and on to another school.

“The current playground equipment was old,” Reader said. “Nema was out there one day, looked at the playground and says, ‘Our kids deserve more. They're good kids. They need more.’ ”

Traynor recently donated $16,000 for a new kinder playground. It features several slides, decks, climbing latter, and benches. The Chavez Booster Club also helped with installation costs.

“She’s a very humble person,” said Reader of Nema Traynor, who worked as a teacher at Mt Vernon School for many years. “She’s a good kind, generous woman. Unassuming.”

Traynor was also involved in the active Chavez Booster Club and the former Chess Club. In the past, the Traynors have given money in the past for chess scholarships, science materials and other programs.

“They’re just so giving,” Reader says. “They love kids. Just good people.”

Kern Sheriff's SWAT readies for competition

It’s 7 a.m. on a Sunday, and do you know where your Kern County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team members are?

More specifically, do I know where my husband, Deputy Garcia, is.

Actually, I do.

He and his fellow SWAT comrades — Sgt. Drake Massey; senior deputies Dustin Downey and Larry McCurtain; and deputies Jay Heisey and Pat McIrvin — have been spending their Sunday mornings, as well as many other morning and evenings, preparing for the Ventura Police Department’s 14th annual SWAT Competition to be held Monday.

They’ll be testing their skills against fellow SWAT competitors from through Southern California.
Among the participating SWAT teams: Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo county sheriff’s departments; as well as Oxnard, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Santa Monica, and Pasadena police departments.

So what’s the big deal behind this event? I decided to ask Massey, SWAT team leader for the county sheriff’s department, to fill us in:

Q: Tell us about this event.
A: This competition is an “invitation-only” situation, and it is a very popular event among SWAT teams in California. Interested SWAT teams submit an application, and Ventura PD will randomly select which teams can participate. A small amount of teams are asked back by the host agency. This was the case with our department.
Part of the “ask back” process is based on good sportsmanship in previous competitions.

Q: So it must be nice to return and show what your team can do.
A: SWAT competitions are a good thing to enter because, as with any competition, there is a level of stress, tactical planning, physical and emotional challenges.
All of these categories translate to what we have to deal with during an actual SWAT operation. Essentially, competitions are another way to practice for real life SWAT events.
In addition, there is a level of bragging rights that go along with winning.

Q: Winning is always great. Have you guys placed before?

A: I believe our best finish was second place in a 20-team event the Bakersfield Police Department hosted about five years ago. We are hoping for gold in this one.

Q:  Gold would be nice.
A: I think we are very prepared, as most of the teams will be. I have found that the team that makes the fewest mistakes is usually the winner. Unfortunately,  these events are designed for you make a lot of mistakes. I know our guys will give 100 percent effort and be totally professional. That’s all that really counts.

Q: What events are lined up for Kern’s SWAT team?
A: Team/Sniper Shoot; Precision Handgun; Entry Weapon Shoot; Team Physical Fitness Course; Team Obstacle Course; and Team-building Exercise.

Q: Sounds like a lot of tough categories. What are some scenarios?
A: It’s not standing before a target and shooting.
Every event will require of some type of physical exertion, such as running, push ups, pull ups, or going over some walls, before you can shoot.
And when you take on physical exertions, and you are rushing to beat the clock, there’s a good chance that your blood pressure will rise, your heart rate will increase, and your  adrenaline will be going. You can make a mistake if you are rushing and not focused.
For instance, one scenario may require you to shoot a (fake) hostage who has his arms around a (fake) hostage, and you’re given a small portion of the suspect’s area to shoot. If you miss, you can hit the hostage.
Another example they can put you through is, first, the physical exertion portion, followed by “shoot-and-don’t-shoot” targets. You have to think critical or you risk shooting a target that you weren’t supposed to hit.
In addition, some events will require you to use multiple guns, such as a handgun, entry rifle, and sniper rifle.

Q: So how do you train for that?
A: In our training sessions, we set up different scenarios, some where we’ve used multiple guns and shields. We’ve implemented physical exertion activities into our training, and we’ve always been in full gear, which can weigh up to 50 pounds alone.

Q: That’s dedication! You must be looking forward to the big day.
A: We are looking forward to the satisfaction of good clean competition and sportsmanship. We are hoping this competition can further sharpen some of our skill sets and make us a better team for the citizens of Kern County.
Wish us luck!

County sheriff's honor guard picked to do 21-gun salute at Capitol's peace officers memorial

Every year, law enforcement agencies throughout the state apply to perform the 21-gun salute during the California Peace Officers' Memorial ceremonies at the Capitol.

Only one agency per year is the rule.

Kern County was picked to carry out the duty Friday May 8 at the Memorial Monument in Sacramento, something that doesn't come quite often with so many agencies seeking the opportunity.

"We're very honored to do it," said Lt. Ed Komin, referring to the Honor Guard of the Kern County Sheriff's Department. Only 8 Honor Guard members - the rifle team - will participate in Friday's ceremonies. The department has 25 Honor Guard members. "We wanted to do it every year, and this year is our chance."

I know how much of a big deal this is. My husband, Julio, is a sheriff's deputy, and he's been on the Honor Guard for a couple of years.

He's posted colors of our flag at academy graduations. He's stood guard at agency events. He's performed the 21-gun salute at memorial ceremonies and at one too many law enforcement funerals.

Memorial ceremonies put on the by nonprofit foundation, honoring fallen officers and supporting survivors, actually began today, but among the highlighted events is the Enrollment Ceremony on Friday. It will begin with the ‘Walk of Honor’ from the State Capitol to the Memorial Monument at 10th Street and Capitol Mall, followed by a number of messages. The ceremony concludes with a 21-gun salute, taps, and retiring of the colors.

Ten police officers who died last year will be honored. Among them will be the late sheriff's deputy James E. Throne.

"It's a very moving ceremony," Komin tells me. "We stand at the monument at center."

The Bakersfield Police Department says six members of its Honor Guard will be going the memorial ceremony.

BPD's Greg Terry said they will be present with the officers from all over the state but will not be directly participating in the service itself.

"We believe it is important to recognize the sacrifice of officers who have given their lives in service to their community and our state," Terry said. "It is equally important to also acknowledge the sacrifice of the officers families and the tremendous loss of their husband, wife, son, daughter, sister or brother. A memorial ceremony like this is a great time to do just that."

Remembering fallen officers in Kern County

She reads their names one after the other.

Joseph F. English; Lansing Warren; Ray Mallory; Donald Hodges; James Edward Throne.
In all, there were about 30 men whose names were called by Kern County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy RoseMary Wahl as part of the agency's peace officer memorial Wednesday.

"May time never erase the sacrifices they made," said chaplain Luis Bustillo.

The ceremony was held at the Sheriff's Department memorial area on Norris Road and drew plenty of local deputies, police officers, military police personnel and highway patrol officers, academy students, and loved ones of those in the field, past and present. Even former law enforcement personnel, former Sheriff Carl Sparks, were there.

"This isn't a day for us just to mourn," Sheriff Donny Youngblood told the attendees. "This is a day to celebrate as well."

Celebrating, he said, the late deputy Richard McHale aka the prankster (he was shot during a family disturbance call March 3, 1969); or the quite deputy James Lee Williams (died Oct. 19, 1991 in a traffic accident); and let's not forget the smiling, youthful deputy William "Joe" Hudnall (a victim of another traffic accident Nov. 14, 2006).

"If you look around and keep your eyes closed, you could her the laughter of (Deputy Daniel Lee) Archuleta," Youngblood said. Archuleta did from a single vehicle accident Sept. 12, 2004.

Undersheriff Marty Williamson made reference to the memorial's latest features - new lights and a flagpoles - and he said they'd be used to remind people of the those who died while in the line of duty.
Though the ceremony took on a somber note, Williamson did note that officers deaths are on the decide nationwide.

"People owe a debt to those who gave their lives," he said.