Correctional officer killed at USP-Atwater

[dandersondwa]

The BOP may be moving in the right direction. Time will tell, but the pressure still needs to be kept up, on the Director, RD's, Attorney General, Congress, etc. Don't let up until the vests and non-lethal gear are in place.

AP Wire - July 4, 2008

Bureau of Prisons ready to consider protective vests -- MercedSunStar.com :: Merced News, Real Estate, Jobs, Cars and more -

Friday, Jul. 04, 2008
Bureau of Prisons ready to consider protective vests
ATWATER -- Federal Bureau of Prisons officials say they are expanding the availability of protective vests after the fatal stabbing of a correctional officer.

The two inmates accused of attacking 22-year-old Jose Rivera June 20 at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater have been transferred and are under investigation.

Union officials have argued that a vest might have stopped the knife that penetrated Rivera's heart.

Federal prisons spokesman Mike Truman says the vests are part of several potential changes the bureau is studying to improve safety.
-- The Associated Press


Stay Safe !! And enjoy the 4th, if you're not having to work.

[lwinger]

So when do we think we will get them?

[dandersondwa]

Merced City Council - Merced, CA - will be the first elected body in this County, to address this issue - Monday, July 7, 2008 7:00 PM in the Merced City Council Chambers, Item is on the agenda for possible consideration. Amended Agenda item N-1-A .

I will be addressing the City Council on this issue. I am requesting that Family & Friends of USP-Atwater Correctional Officers, attend if they can. (You do not need to address the council if you don’t wish to). I do understand that the Correctional Officers themselves, can not attend. But that is okay, your family and friends will lead the fight. (The BOP can not do anything to your family and friends).

Will be asking the council for a Resolution, passed by the Merced City Council.

The council chambers are located at:

COUNCIL CHAMBERS
678 West 18th Street
MERCED, CALIFORNIA

Three points being requested in the resolution:
Merced City Council to request Federal Bureau of Prisons to change policy to:
1. Immediately provide vest and non lethal weapons to Correctional Officers.
2. Mandate staffing of at least two Correctional Officers in Housing Units.
3. Inmates at USP-Atwater not come off of lockdown until points #1 - #2 are in place.

PLEASE >>> Get the word around to Family & Friends .... We need a good showing. This is the first elected body we'll go to. Atwater, Livingston, Dos Palos, Los Banos, Gustine, and the County Board of Supervisors. (Not necessairly in this order) will be next. Goal is to have Resolution passed by every elected body in Merced County.

If you need further information, please email me andersondenniswa@aol.com

In the mean time, USP-Atwater Correctional Officers & Staff … Stay Safe !!!

[copboy]

I have always looked the RD and Director in the eyes when I speak to them. I do notice at staff recalls when the Director asks if anyone has any questions for him, the room is usually silent.

[Atw-Hacksgirl]

dandersondwa,

I will be at the meeting and have emailed the information to everyone that I know. Hopefully we will have a good turn out. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Thank you so much for all you are doing.

[GUNNER]

Originally Posted by copboy

I have always looked the RD and Director in the eyes when I speak to them. I do notice at staff recalls when the Director asks if anyone has any questions for him, the room is usually silent.

That is because if you ask the wrong question, you can easily end your career.

[Area51]

What I for see with the vests IF we get them at all will run something like this...

1. There will be only a few ordered and will be issued like the vests we use for medical trips.

2. They will NOT be allowed to be carried home and worn in.

3. USP's may get most, FCI's will only have them in special units. Seg and SMU's

The problem with is is...

Have you ever had to relieve someone on hospital duty? The ones that carried the inmate to begin with may have been MUCH smaller than you. The vest looks like a pocket protector on a larger guy. I have ran into this NUMEROUS times. One of the first officers may be small framed say about 145 lbs... I am 6' and weigh in at 255 lbs...

This is a problem...

The vests if worn properly should be fitted to each person. They most likely won't be. You will get either what is given you or what you can find out of the pile.

They will NEVER be cleaned and maintained, like our bulletproof vests are done now. They will be worn and tossed into the pile. I have drawn them with food, drinks and God knows what else on them. The elastic straps are stretched beyond repair.

They are torn and some are un-serviceable... Try to get them to replace them...

Uhhhhhhh we dont have the money, cost containment, do with what you have, more with less...

Fill in the blanks as appropriate..

As far as pepper goes it will be issued to SUPERVISORS ONLY, line staff will not be allowed to carry OC. We are too immature and irresponsible to do this. The bureau will look at it as being a liability.

Even though many of their line staff are military veterans, many having served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan and other hot spots around the world. Many are former police officers that have had to use OC in their regular duties before coming on board with the bureau.

But in the eyes of the bureau, we simply can not handle carrying a can of oc pepper.

In the end the bureau will announce that their officers now have stab proof vests and their officers now carry OC pepper as a non lethal defensive tool.

Sitting back on their laurels, it would fit like the numbers game they play with inmate to staff ratios...

[aoakitty]

Area51 you are making a valid point, I'm sorry that a fellow CO had to make the ultimate sacrifice so your troops can try to obtain protective equipment to perform duty. Thank you for saying what we sometimes can't say. Stay Safe!

[gordo retired hack]

i agree with wearing a nasty vest that 100 different people have worn over 10 years! bop attitude "if you don't like it quit, we have thousands of people waiting in line to wear that nasty vest for probably half of what your being paid!!!!!!!!!

[Area51]

The key to the stab proof vests working as intended is that they are custom fitted to each officer. It is based on body builds, one person is not similar to others. If they are it is a small percentage.

Would you be willing to bet your life on the chance the vest you get from a stack of others will be the one that fits correctly and will protect you to the fullest it is able to??

Case in point...


Knifed officer was waiting to be fitted for stab-proof vest, says MP
5:00AM Thursday May 31, 2007
By Andrew Grice

A police officer who was stabbed resulting in a punctured lung had been incorrectly measured for a stab-proof vest and was waiting on another fitting, National police spokesman Chester Borrows says.

Acting Sergeant Andrew Grice spent several days in intensive care after being stabbed four times in the back and shoulder.

Mr Borrows said answers to written questions in Parliament showed Mr Grice was told five days before he was stabbed that he was due to again be measured for a vest.

Mr Borrows said delays in the rollout of the vests "very nearly had fatal consequences".

"They were first promised them by June last year, then February this year and then May but still only 44 per cent of police have them.

"The fact is that Mr Grice would probably not have suffered such serious injuries had the Government ensured vests were delivered to all police by June last as promised," he said.

Police Minister Annette King had said it was anticipated 95 to 98 per cent of the frontline staff should have vests by the end of July with the remainder by the end of the year.


Ms King confirmed through the written replies that Mr Grice had been earlier incorrectly fitted for a vest and that police staff were not individually responsible for the delay in the rollout of the vests.

Ms King told Parliament earlier this month that the rollout of the stab-proof vests was plagued by errors and could have been done better.

She also said at the time that she "deeply regretted" both that an officer who did not have the protective clothing was stabbed on duty and the delays in the national rollout.

Since the vests were first proposed in 2002, 17 officers have been slashed or stabbed.

Mr Grice was stabbed four times when he and two other officers responded to a domestic incident in Hamilton.

Knifed officer was waiting to be fitted for stab-proof vest, says MP - 31 May 2007 - NZ Government news - NZ Herald

This is a guide on how to properly fit a vest to an individual.
http://www.stabproofvest.co.uk/bauk_order_form.pdf

Another supplier:
XXLarge Concealable BulletProof level III-A bullet proof Stab proof Vest

How about females and their requirements?? 34A vs 36DD ??
.: JACK ELLIS BODY PROTECTION :. body armour, bulletproof vests, bullet proof vests, sca armour, safety vest, security stab vests in uk, british combat body armour

A simple straight forward one size fits all approach will not get it...

They have to have a certain amount of fitting to make the most use of them.