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<DIV><SPAN class=946243816-14032005>Visionaries:</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=946243816-14032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=946243816-14032005>I'm sorry to have taken so long to reply to
the questions I have received this past week. I had the honor of attending
my *baby* brother's Idaho POST (police academy) graduation. He is a deputy
for Kootenai County, and I could not have been more proud to watch him cross the
stage and swear to uphold the "Code of Ethics." So, for those not so
enamored of law enforcement, more is the pity because we've added 45 more cadets
to Idaho's force--including one more McFarland. For those who do like law
enforcement--you are certainly getting 45 of the most compassionate and
dedicated men and WOMEN I've met, collectively, in a long time (including the
admittedly more photogenic McFarland sibling--hey, I did I mention how proud I
am of my brother). </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=946243816-14032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=946243816-14032005>I emphasized *women* there for a
reason. I have no desire to get into a row with Mr. Wilson, or anyone else
for that matter, about women in law enforcement; however, I will explain a
few facts and opinions about being a law enforcement officer in
Idaho. I graduated from POST in 1998, but I know that the same is still
true (of our standards) because my brother and I discussed this extensively this
weekend (mostly he whined and said things were better and harder than when I was
there--but, as usual, he was wrong).</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=946243816-14032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<UL>
<LI><SPAN class=946243816-14032005>The physical standards are the same for
both men and women. Idaho requires a minimum score on each of five
fitness exercises: a standing vertical jump, push-up test, sit-up tests, a
mile and a half run, and a sprint (the distance escapes me at the
moment). Each officer must be able to meet at least the minimal
standards in each of the categories. That is, you cannot fail sit-ups
but excel at the sprint and still "make it." No, the standards were not
lowered in order to accommodate women--in fact the most recent big change to
the PT test was when the flexibility test was taken out after several
physically fit, yet not very flexible men, could not pass. When I was
there, I beat about half the men on the mile and a half and the push-ups, beat
more than half on the sit-ups, was among the lowest scoring in my class for
the sprint and for the jump. But, I passed all of the tests each time I
took them during the course of my academy stay, which is more than can be said
about some of the fine men that I've served with over the years.</SPAN></LI>
<LI><SPAN class=946243816-14032005>Although women do tend to have slighter
builds than men, this is not universally true. I am 5'5" and weigh 125
lbs. We have women here who tower over me and men here who are
shorter. Which would I want as back-up? Depends on the
situation. If I were entering a covert marijuana grow reputed
to be strewn with trip-wires, I want Detective Margaret Lehmbecker with
me. She is relatively small (smaller than I) and extremely aware of her
surroundings (I also take her mushroom and antler hunting for these
reasons). I'd also call on her during a bar fight. However, in an
armed confrontation, I'd want one of our snipers with me. If I'm
going to chose a bailiff to guard a murder suspect, I'd call on Corporal
Brenda Peterson. She is a skilled ground and stick fighter and
she has one of the most soothing negotiating voices. If I want someone
to stand behind me and just look intimidating, I'd call Corporal Darren
Johnson--he looks like Mr. Clean but without a trace of a smile. Then we
also have great all-round deputies who I'd take anywhere anytime--people like
Det. Lehmbecker and Sergeant Phil Gray who I know are skilled at just about
everything and are endlessly adaptable (Lehmbecker is barely five foot tall,
and I think Phil might be part giant--but that's probably a matter of
perception).</SPAN></LI>
<LI><SPAN class=946243816-14032005>Insofar as practical applications are
concerned--far more men than women are killed or injured in law
enforcement each year. In visiting the Police Officer's
Memorial down at POST, my mother pointed out that only one woman's name
appeared among the fallen officers: Linda Huff, an ISP Trooper slain the same
year I was commissioned. Now, I'm sure that those who want to
believe what they want to believe would argue that women are not injured
because they do not have the moxie, bravery, whatever, to really "get into the
battle." I neither have the time nor the patience to deal with such
ignorance and refuse to address that topic further.</SPAN></LI>
<LI><SPAN class=946243816-14032005>Also while at POST, I ran into one of the
guys I graduated with. R.D. Hill works for Boise P.D. and is an enormous
man. During most of the training exercises we did in the mat room at
POST, R.D. was my partner. POST seems to like to pair the littlest woman
with the biggest man for "take-down" exercises. Although R.D. probably
walked out of there thinking, "great, I now know I can wrestle a
rabid munchkin," I know that I can whoop-up on the Evil Blue Giant (we
all wore blue sweats). Now that my brother has gone through the training
and has had his butt handed to him by a little police girl in his class, we
should have hours of family fun beating each other up (don't worry, we're not
this immature while on-duty, usually).</SPAN></LI></UL>
<DIV><SPAN class=946243816-14032005>The bottom line is that it is not the size
of the person in the uniform; it is how he or SHE uses his/her training, how
well he/she negotiates and articulates command presence, and how determined the
aggressor is. Surely anyone enlightened about history knows this is
*true*. </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=946243816-14032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=946243816-14032005>As for security protocols and the
"underlying" factors in the Atlanta case, it is difficult to tell with such
little information. I do know, however, that a lot of judges insist that
prisoners in the courthouse must be unshackled during court proceedings.
The main reason I've heard for this is that judges are concerned that seeing
someone in chains, etc. connotes "guiltiness" in the minds of the jurors, thus
giving the State an unfair and biased advantage. Personally, I have mixed
feelings about that view that I have a hard time reconciling it for myself
(innocent until proven guilty vs.. societal rights to safety and officer
safety--avoiding the slippery slope sometimes results in political and social
origami).</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=946243816-14032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=946243816-14032005>Helpful? </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=946243816-14032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=946243816-14032005>--Jennie</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><!-- Converted from text/plain format -->
<P><FONT size=2>Jennifer L. McFarland<BR>Detective/Public Information
Officer<BR>Latah County Sheriff's Office<BR>PO Box 8068<BR>Moscow, Idaho
83843<BR>(208) 882-2216<BR><BR>Truth is the summit of being; justice is the
application of it to affairs.<BR>***Ralph Waldo Emerson<BR></FONT></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
vision2020-bounces@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com] <B>On
Behalf Of </B>DonaldH675@aol.com<BR><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, March 12, 2005
14:19<BR><B>To:</B> vision2020@moscow.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020]
Gender, Size, and Law Enforcement<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT id=role_document
face=Georgia size=3>
<DIV>Visionaries:</DIV>
<DIV>A police officer that I know and greatly respect, (and
have seen on duty with unruly, large, belligerent suspects) is not much taller
than I am, (5'3") and weights considerably less. He is effective, but not
because he relies on brute strength.</DIV>
<DIV>It seems to me, as a lay person, that the underlying issue in
Atlanta relates to the escorting of unshackled prisoners by a single
person. Guard gender is not the issue, security protocol may well
be. Perhaps our friend Jennifer could comment on this for us.
</DIV>
<DIV>I appreciate the recent post on this matter which addressed the horrible
consequences of this crime spree - which as he/she correctly pointed out, are
more important to most of us than an opportunity to make snide remarks on
affirmative action.</DIV>
<DIV>Rose Huskey</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Verdana size=2 PTSIZE="10" FAMILY="SANSSERIF">One
cannot level one's moral lance at every evil in the universe. There are just
too many of them. But you can do something, and the difference between doing
something and doing nothing is everything." Daniel Berrigan<BR></FONT><FONT
lang=0 face=Arial size=2 PTSIZE="10"
FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>