RIP CO CO Joseph Parise

RIP Oak Park Heights CO Joseph Parise. My heart goes out to his fellow CO's and his family.

OAK PARK HEIGHTS, Minn. - A corrections officer at Minnesota's Oak Park Heights prison has died following a medical emergency after helping a fellow guard who was attacked by an inmate. KARE 11

It's September 11

September 11^th, 2001. 17 years ago, I was working as a Detention Deputy at the Hennepin County Jail. I was working the Release desk that day listening to the radio. Suddenly the news broke in that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center.

I was shocked and remember thinking it was a terrible accident. A very short time later the radio was reporting a second plane hit!

I went up to staff dining to see a television. There I saw the images of the planes hitting the buildings. Soon word came that we were under attack.

Downtown Minneapolis was ordered evacuated. Us Detention Deputies like all law enforcement,remained on the job. There was no leaving work to be with our families. No one knew if any hijacked planes filled with our loved ones would be flown into the IDS or other tall buildings. All commercial flights were grounded. People were trapped in cities for days, unless they rented cars or found other modes of transportation.

I have never forgotten. I have never forgiven. We have enemies who when given the chance will attack. They will attack civilians, military, men, women and children. People just going about their business.

This caused our nation to pull together, and for a short time think about our borders, immigration and security. It didn’t take long for some to forget, to try and appease our enemies and even vilify those who are vigilant.

But I, and many of us know who you are. We will not be lulled into complacency or silenced by political correctness.

I am thankful I live in a country where we have the right to bear arms to defend ourselves, and the freedom to raise our voices. I am thankful we have a strong leader who believes in strong borders. Freedom and Liberty must always be defended.

Today is 9/11. God bless America. We will not forget.

CO's safety takes a back seat, again.

KSTP is reporting that  the industry area at Stillwater Prison is reopened.

It's the area where CO Joseph Gomm was murdered by an inmate with a hammer, while other inmates held the doors.

Stillwater CO's had complained for years about the lack of safety and it fell on deaf ears to both management and their union, AFSCME.

Well, the industry area is reopened and now KSTP is reporting some CO's are refusing to work there.
Now management is wanting business as usual, but AFSCME is actually, at least verbally, asking for more cameras in the area.

Tim Henderson, Associate Director for AFSCME is quoted as saying they want more cameras and a partner on rounds so no one has to go solo.

Sadly, before the death of Joseph Gomm, according to Stillwater CO's, AFSCME was more interested in releasing inmates early from segregation,even though it led to an increase in assaults on staff, supporting the Governor's staffing cuts, and backing BLM against law enforcement!

I have to wonder if AFSCME's sudden backing of members is because after years of ignoring them they suddenly care, or because of the Janus v AFSCME ruling they are losing money, err, I mean members?

I'm guessing the later.