The Police Writer

The Voice of The Police Writers Association
2024 Falcon Court, Bellingham, WA 98229

http://www.policewriter.com
Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved
ISSN: 1093-0043

 
Excerpts from the most recent PWA Newsletter:

MEMBERS NEWS
bulletDennis Griffin, member from New York and Nevada wrote to tell us that Publish America has accepted his book, Pensions, for publication. The book should be released in June or July 2004. The first chapter of the book is available to read on his website www.authorsden.com/dennisgriffin
bulletDennis also has been accepted into the prestigious Mystery Writers of America. Congratulations!!! And, Huntington Press is going to publish his first non-fiction work, Policing Las Vegas. Anticipated release date August or September 2004. And there’s more…he has just started writing Vegas Vixen, he’s going to rewrite his book The Morgue, and he’s researching information for another non-fiction book about a prisoner currently on death row for murdering another prisoner, sexual assaults, and an attempted escape that left two other inmates dead and a guard wounded.
bulletJohn Bellah, member from California wrote that Hendon Publishing (they publish Law & Order) has started Police Fleet Manager Magazine, and he is their technical editor. You can find his work on www.pfmmag.com John also was interviewed for a segment of Carography that appeared on the Fine Living Channel. And if that is not enough, he was invited to a book signing at the Carlisle All Chrysler Nationals Car Show in Carlisle PA on his police car books that he authored with Ed Sanow a few years ago.
bulletCalifornia member Rich Paloma wrote that Helm Publishing in Illinois has accepted his first work, The Beach Club, for publication. The release date is mid-late 2004.
bulletLou Savelli, member from New York, wrote Looseleaf Law Publications is publishing four of his books in January 2004. The books, which are part of a long series of future law enforcement books he is writing are The Pocket Guide to Gangs Across America (Second Edition),  The Pocket Guide to Identity Theft, The Pocket Guide to Crime Scene Investigation, and the Proactive Guide  for Law Enforcement for the War on Terror.  He has also written a short story for the soon to be released book "TRUE BLUE STORIES:  Stories by the Cops who lived them!" published by St Martin's Press.  The proceeds go to the Police Victim's of 9-11.  He has also built a busy Law Enforcement Training Business called CTS Associates Inc www.ctsassociatesinc.com and teach classes around the country (and out) on gangs, undercover operations, terrorism, surveillance, tactical entry, supervision, narcotics, extremism, etc.
bulletLauren Bamberger, member from Rhode Island wrote to announce the release of her first children’s book, Amy’s Goodbye, about a child coming to terms with the loss of a loved one. It was the 2001 IWA (Inspirational Writers Alive) first place winner in children’s short story fiction and is now a fully illustrated story-picture book. Copies are available at online booksellers or you can order directly from her at LaurenRBamberger@cox.net A portion of the author’s proceed will be donated to finding a cure for cancer in memory of her mother. She also wrote that she co-wrote the lyrics to a song, called My Heroes, about her brother and her grandfather and why they both became Marines and their stories. She received a contract from Nashville Music Productions, they wrote the music and cut a demo. Lauren will advise when the record is out.
bulletDelaware member Ed Dee writes that his new book, The Con Man’s Daughter, is out and drifting into bookstores and also available through Amazon.com
bulletNew member from Michigan, Michael East writes that his book, Burden of the Badge: A Year in the Life of a Street Cop is now listed among the "Featured Authors" on the main page of his publisher, 1st Books. He also had two book signings at Waldenbooks in Saginaw MI recently. His book was also featured on two local television stations and in the Saginaw newspaper and also on the local radio station. Lastly, he recently received a request for a copy of his book for review with a publishing company who may want the rights to the book that is now available only on print-on-demand. Congratulations Michael and welcome to our group. Look for a review of Michael’s book in the April newsletter.
bulletMarshall Frank, member from North Carolina wrote to tell us that his third novel and fourth book, On My Father’s Grave has been released. An excerpt from the first chapter can be found at www.booktalk.com/mfrank
bulletJeff Kaye, member from Nevada wrote that his new book, Two Faces Have I, has been released. The story takes place in Reno and hits home with anyone who is familiar with undercover work. You can check it out at Xlibris.com under the title or under the author’s name. He also wrote that he had a book signing at the California Narcotics Officers Association Conference where all the profits from the sale of his book were donated to the CNOA Survivors Fund for families of slain police officers.
bulletNew member Wayne Daniels from Georgia was recently published in Law & Order Magazine. His articles appeared in the June 2003, July 2003, and October 2003 editions. Welcome to our group.
bulletFlorida member Jim Weiss and his writing partner recently had seven articles published in Law & Order Magazine dealing with New Advances in Thermal Imagining, ID Scanners: Controlling Underage Drinking, Zodiac Boats of the Bullet Proof Tour, Engines of the Bullet Proof Tour, and Mindset: The Ultimate Weapon, People With Abilities: The Untapped Resource and The Latest TASER Technology.
bulletWebmaster Tim Dees from Washington State also was recently published in Law & Order Magazine. His article was entitled Future Uniforms and his monthly columns Computer Toolkit and Download provide down to earth, practical suggestions for the workforce.
bulletArthur Sharp, member from Connecticut also had two articles recently published in Law & Order Magazine. The articles were entitled Marijuana Use and New Recruits and The Ideal Work Schedule.
bulletL. Burke Files, member from Arizona had an article on Due Diligence in European Business, was quoted in Chief Executive Magazine and in the American Medical Association Magazine. He was also appearing as a presenter at the International Due Diligence and Asset Recovery Symposium in Coral Gables Florida. More information about Burke can be found at www.offshorebusiness.com
bulletIllinois member Gina Gallo continues to write her columns. Her newest column can be accessed at http://www.thecolumnists.com/gallo/gallo56.html
bulletEveryone at the PWA would like to congratulate Rocky Warren, member from California, on his recent retirement. From the article I received, it was a very moving sendoff, including a piper and more than 20 cars parked in front of the building with their light bars on and the officers locked at attention and saluting. They escorted him home with lights and sirens, each man hugging him in a warrior-clasp in his front yard, thanking him for the training he received. Enjoy your retirement Rocky, you deserve it.
bulletTexas member Tom Nichols wrote that his second novel, The Third Dawn, has just been released through Wordwright.biz .  An excerpt can be found at his website www.thomasjnichols.com
bulletJane Alvarez, member from California, writes that her new book, American Child- The Injustice Files will be out January 15. Her next book, American Child-The Injustice Files…The 8TH Deadly Sin, will be out in March.
bulletAnother California member, John Schembra, wrote that his new book, M.P., received a very good review from the Word Museum, labeling it a rare find and a good read. The complete review can be found at www.wordmuseum.com/fiction-comtemporary.htm
bulletMissouri member Tom Schulte wrote that True Blue, a collection of 53 stories written by police officers from all across the country is now in print. The proceeds from the book will go to the families of the police officers killed on 9-11. The book was the inspiration of another PWA member, Randy Sutton from Nevada. Books can be ordered at
bulletwww.truebluestories.com
bulletJohn Briant, member from Arizona and New York wrote that his new book, Adirondack Detective III, the third book in his Adirondack series will be out during the first half of 2004.
bulletGeorgia member Chris Vail, director of the Police Supervisors Association is stepping down as the director. After careful consideration, Leslye and Rich are going to take over the directorship.
bulletRichard Sacchetti, member from California, retired from the U.S. government service on 31 December 2003. He is now working with PTR Books on getting his articles on the Unabomber ready for print. See the attached supplement for a sample of his work.
bulletNew member Lynn Carpenter, from California, who is the daughter of a police officer, sent me a wonderful story about her father and his dog. I have attached it as another supplement to this newsletter. We all hope that she continues with her writing. Pictures of Luke are available on the PWA website.
bulletLastly, in case some of you did not get the e-mail, West Virginia member Joseph Kaiser passed away. Joe’s dry sense of humor will be sadly missed by those of us who knew him from his writing and from previous conferences. Rest In Peace Joe.

IN THE MARKETPLACE

We have received the following via e-mails. We do not endorse any of the companies. We are just passing them on for your perusal.

Bookman Publishing has been offered a unique opportunity by a network of AM  nd FM radio stations to produce and broadcast a series of one hour talk shows with authors.  Two authors will be interviewed in each weekly, one-hour broadcast, guaranteeing 24 minutes of actual airtime per author.  If you feel 24 minutes of airtime is too much, we can also offer authors
30-second commercials on the show.  Whether you’re self-published, a subsidy  publisher published your book, or a print-on-demand publisher we will sell your book.  (And no, you don't have to reprint or republish with us.)  If you would like more information on our unique services, reply or call:

Brien Jones
Author Consultant
(800) 342-6068 Phone
(765) 342-7217 Fax
brien@bookmanmarketing.com
www.bookmanmarketing.com

Christopher Hertig, chertig@ycp.edu contacted Roger Fulton, looking for script writers/subject matter experts for the Professional Security Training Network. See pstn.com and go to schedule for the list of topics. Scriptwriters are paid $400.

hattie@jsmart.gotadsl.co.uk wrote to tell us about StoryLines, an innovative plotting tool that her partner and she have developed. First a little about me - I am a five times published UK novelist and I also just got a masters in TV scriptwriting. I was struggling to plot out a three-stranded TV story - one of my assignments - and mentioned to my husband, Julian, that what I really wanted was software designed for that task. So we sat down with a cup of coffee and designed it. Since he's a bit of a software guru he knocked out the first version well before the assignment was due to be handed in. Since then we have refined and improved the concept and it is now available for both Windows and Linux, with a Mac version on the way.

StoryLines is a sophisticated but easy-to-use application that lets you quickly arrange card-sized ideas in multiple storylines, freeing you  from the constraints of linear thinking. Using a highly graphical way of  working, StoryLines encourages 'right-brain thinking'. In essence it is a software version of the classic postcard plotting technique and we have already  had a great response to the product. Working fiction writers - both screen and novel - love it. To explore the product for yourself, please visit www.storylinescentral.com.

 

BOOK REVIEW

Review submitted by California member A.J. Farrar.

GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT
Practical Investigative Techniques
By Gregory D. Lee

One of the newest PWA members, Greg Lee, a recently retired supervisory special agent for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), has just had a new book published by CRC Press, LLC, a division of the Taylor & Francis Group, in Boca Raton, Florida. ISBN 0-8493-1629-4 (Hard Cover)

This book is targeted to both domestic and international law enforcement officers and is designed to serve as a one-stop reference source on contemporary drug enforcement.

During his over 30 year career in law enforcement, Greg has taught both drug enforcement and terrorism topics to a variety of new and in-service federal, state and local agents/officers as well as foreign police and intelligence officials. He has traveled extensively to Europe, Asia and Central and South America as well as the Middle East. He has authored articles for the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and The Police Chief. Prior to joining the DEA, he was a police officer for the cities of Salinas and Pasadena, California. He combined his civilian experience with reserve and active duty in the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) where he holds the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 5/Special Agent and still instructs in the U.S. Army Military Police School.

Greg has a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology, with a minor in vocational education from the University of Maryland. He also holds a Master of Public Administration in Justice Administration degree from Golden Gate University, San Francisco and has taught courses in criminal investigation for Monterey Peninsula College, California.

Much of the content of his new book comes from his training and experiences with the DEA and the U.S. Army Military Police and CID, but Greg has fashioned a reference text that would be useful to both active duty military and civilian investigators. The book focuses on this highly specialized field of criminal investigations by providing over 300 pages, divided into two major parts, of clear and detailed explanations of the fundamentals of drug enforcement techniques and handling complex cases. It concludes with very useful glossary and appendix materials.

The book would easily serve the needs of criminal justice majors, federal, state and local agents, training academies and police writers who need an excellent reference book on drug enforcement techniques.

(Editor’s note: Any member of the PWA may submit a book review. We are looking for at least one or two every quarter. Please watch for a review of California member James Benson’s book, Marine Corps Detectives, in the April newsletter.)

DON’T WAIT- WRITE IT NOW

So, you haven’t been published, and you’re planning on going to the Police Writers Association conference in Newport, to get your inspiration there? Not a bad idea, but a better one would be to get off your butt and write something right now! Don’t wait until the deadline approaches and try to whip out something for the writing contest. Get that submission written and sent to PO Box 738 Ashburn VA 20146 now. If you’re beating your head about something to write about, try these ideas.

Choosing a Subject

Remember when you realized that you had chosen the correct action in an iffy situation? What did you do? Go home and tell your husband/wife about it? Brag about it over a drink at the bar with your co-workers? Don’t waste your time there. Hit the keys while it’s hot. Give it all you’ve got. It doesn’t have to be earth shattering. Try the small, special points that have not been thought about, and you can have the first shot at a winner. The big, heavy-duty subjects have been covered before… specific short information has a good chance at getting published.

Reacting to Police Magazines

Surely you’ve read some of the police magazines that we all receive. Don’t count on getting rich from what they pay. Don’t scorn those that don’t pay, because having your name under the title stands out. At the end of the article there is usually a short informational piece about your accomplishments that is not a bad ad for your future recognition and your resume.

Review Books

Review books that mean something special to you. Read with a packet of post-it-notes nearby ready to stick on significant spots or quotes. Explain why the book should interest the reader. Include why readers should trust the author. Book reviews don’t pay a lot, but you get to keep the books you review, and it gets your name out into the field.

Enter Contests

Enter every writing contest that you can. The competition might be lighter than you imagine. Everyone intends to enter, but very few do. Don’t be a chicken!! Sometimes the prizes are larger than what you would get from a publication. With the PWA contest, you even get to keep the rights to your story and may be able to sell them as another source of income.

Go for it…but the main thing is, keeping writing.

"Charting the Unabomber"
By Richard J. Sacchetti

Theodore John Kaczynski, AKA: the Unabomber, in a bombing spree lasting eighteen years (1978-1996) killed three people and injured twenty-three others. His reign of terror left individuals and families in the United States physically, emotionally and psychologically scarred for life.

While in federal law enforcement, I was involved with hundreds of bomb searches and as an agent conducted many bomb investigations. The most noteworthy case prior to this one was the Bouquet Bomber investigation, which took place in San Francisco, California. This case involved a bomber, who had his male lover deliver a bomb-laden bouquet of flowers to his wife. The wife, a U.S. government employee, worked for the General Services Administration (GSA) on the 30th floor of the federal building in San Francisco. The wife’s secretary pulled the card from its holder, detonating the bomb, maiming them for life. The husband and his male lover were eventually arrested, indicted by a grand jury and sentenced to many years in a federal prison.

Being the senior-agent-in-charge (SAC) on the Bouquet Bomber investigation for U.S. Federal Protective Service, GSA’s law enforcement agency, I knew if I could get in the mind of the Unabomber, I might be able to assist the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with their case.

As I was trying to determine the best way to do this, my hometown newspaper, "The Appeal Democrat", on December 12, 1994 published a chronology of all of the Unabomber’s bombings,

“May 25, 1978 – University of Illinois at Chicago, one person injured.

May 9, 1979 – Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, one person injured.

Nov 15, 1979 – American Airlines Flight #444 Chicago Twelve people suffered smoke inhalation when the bomb went off in the cargo hold before takeoff.

June 10, 1980 – Former United Airlines President injured. He attempted to open a package at his Chicago area home.

Oct 8, 1981 – Bomb squad disarmed device found in business classroom of Milton Bennion Hall at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

May 5, 1982 – Secretary at Vanderbilt University in Nashville injured when she opened a package addressed to a professor.

July 2, 1982 – Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at UOC-Berkeley injured when he attempted to move a package found in faculty lounge.

May 8, 1985 – Police disarm bomb found in package mailed to Boeing Airlines in Auburn, Washington.

May 15, 1985 – Graduate student at UOC-Berkeley severely injured when he attempted to open plastic box left in computer terminal room.

Nov 15, 1985 – Secretary injured when she opened package mailed to a professor at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Dec 11, 1985 – Rentech – computer employee, Hugh Scrutton, killed when he picked up what appeared to be a block of wood near the Sacramento, Ca. computer rental store.

Feb 20, 1987 – Caam’s Inc. employee severely injured when he attempted to move a package left behind the computer store in Salt Lake City.

June 22, 1993 – Charles Epstein severely injured when a package bomb exploded at his Tiburon, Ca. home.  Epstein is a Geneticist at the UOC-San Francisco.

June 24, 1993 – Yale University computer scientist David Gelernter severely injured when he opened a package bomb at his office.

Dec 10, 1994 – North Caldwell resident Thomas Mosser killed when he opened a package bomb in his kitchen”.

After reviewing this list several times, I saw what I believed to be a pattern evolving. I believed this because the following items jumped off the page at me.

1. There were five bombings in the month of May, including his first bomb.

NOTE:  This fact is important, because the first incident committed by a serial criminal, usually holds most of the keys to the case and to the suspects identity.

2. There were three bombings in the month of June.

3. There were two bombings on the 15th of November.

4. There were two bombings in December, one day apart.

5. After bombing twelve times, there were no bombings for six years (March 1987 to May 1993).

6. Of his first twelve bombs, six were to the eastern half of the United States and six to the western half.

Item #6 struck me as being more than a mere coincidence.

  “It seemed the Unabomber was trying to keep things in balance regarding each of his bombs (i.e. having the same number of bombs to each half of the United States)”.

 To me, this meant the Unabomber wanted to be precise and orderly as to; where, how and why he bombed when he did.

If this were true, it could prove to be advantageous to the law enforcement agencies and personnel investigating this case.

 

Realizing that information contained in newspaper articles isn’t always 100% accurate, I placed a call to the FBI’s UNABOM Task Force (UTF), headquartered in San Francisco.  I spoke with a UTF agent who verified the published chronology was accurate, satisfying any doubts I had regarding its reliability.

 

Retiring from federal law enforcement in 1990 as a result of on-the-job injuries, I began working on the Unabomber case from my home in northern California. A week of around the clock study and research resulted in my developing sixteen charts.

 

I divided each chart into two series; series one covered his first twelve bombs, from 1978 to 1987 and series two his bombs from 1993 on.  I decided series #1 would contain twelve bombs, because the Unabomber took a six-year hiatus (1987-1993) after bombing twelve times; and by doing this a multitude of identifiable patterns began to unfold.

I set out to answer the primary questions regarding this case; what was the next target, where, when, and how many more times would he bomb?

 

 Because the data in series one was confirmed by the FBI as accurate, I felt it could be used as the basis to determine the bombing sequence of series two (1993 - ?).  Upon further review, I also determined his sixteenth bomb, or the fourth bomb of series #2 (if he bombed again), would furnish the information I needed to project his activities for the remaining bombs of series #2.

 

On April 24, 1995 he mailed his sixteenth bomb, killing Sacramento timber lobbyist, Gilbert Murray.

 (Editor’s note): This is just a sample of one of Richard’s articles.  Due to the limited space of the newsletter we cannot publish the total article nor any of the others dealing with the types of bombs The Unabomber used, the stamps he used and their significance, how logic, applied to numbers, aided in tracking The Unabomber, and how Richard charted The Unabomber’s activities.  All the articles will be available through PTR Books in the near future.

Send mail to tdees@policewriter.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2007 Public Safety Writers Association
Last modified: August 25, 2007