Undercover Investigation: Information for Writers with Roger Price

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 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fiona - I am treating myself to a double

            mocha latte to celebrate having

            my guest Roger Price with me

           - and quite frankly to get my brain

           revved. I am working on Washington

           D.C. time, for Roger this is mid-day. 

           

           Roger, could you kindly introduce

           yourself to my readers, let them know

           where you're from and how you've

           spent your time?

Roger - Hi, I'm from Preston in Lancashire,

             which is a small city in north of

             England near Manchester. I joined

             the cops in 1977, having failed to

             hold down two jobs in a chicken

             and pie factory. I spent the first few

             years pounding the beat before

             joining the CID (detectives) where I

             spent time on Drug Squads 

             (narcotics), working homicides,

             and the last 15 years on national

             squads and in intelligence, which is

             where my covert experiences

             come from. I'm now a full time

             writer, and it is from the clandestine

             world where I draw my crime

             fiction inspiration from. I have

             worked all over the UK, Europe

             and as far as the Far East chasing

             Hong Kong Chinese Triads.

Fiona - Ha! I'm still stuck on the pie factory. That sounds like a wonderful place to work. But since you took

            the dangerous route, can you tell me about your favorite case or is that disallowed?

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Roger - I'll choose my words... The operation

             that led to the far east, involved a UK

             criminal gang that was seeking to

             import 2 tons of cannabis into the UK,

            destined for the streets of north-west

            England. Had that been successful, they

            then hoped to bring in five tons of

            heroin. The three operations ended with

            me operating under the radar in 

            Bangkok where the UK criminals met to

            finalize the deal with the Triads. Whilst, 

            there, they learnt of my existence and

            were actively looking for me to kill me.

            Fortunately, they did not and from the

            info we learned, we were able to 

            intercept the 2 tons of cannabis, and

            arrest all the bad guys - including the Triads. Of the 14 arrested 12 stood trail and 10 were

            convicted. Due to the level of threat, there was a great deal of satisfaction in the convictions.

            Interestingly enough, identifying the route the far Eastern exporters were using led to several other 

            seizures around the world which totaled 43 Tons of Thai Herbal Cannabis - it was then the world's

            largest seizure (when taken together) There has been a far larger one since in Mexico.

Fiona - Most excellent! I'm so glad they didn't succeed in finding and killing you. Now, how is that you've

            had all of these adventures and you don't have a single scar? It seems improbable, and it ruins my

            favorite question.

Roger - Really sorry about that, but I have broken my nose twice if that helps. First time was a punch as a

            young cop and the second time I fell off a motorbike, looking on the bright side, when I came off my

            bike, that occasion actually straightened it some

Fiona - So not over a girl. Sigh, you know that's not very romantic; you

            could have fibbed. How about tattoos - or would that make you

             too identifiable?

Roger - You're right I should have fibbed, darn it, too late. 

            You're spot on about the tattoos; I mean some guys have them,

            but I used to  think it always safer not to. Try and remain the 

            grey man.

Fiona - Okay grey man, let's talk about that a bit. Can you clarify the

            term undercover for us?

Roger - The phrases undercover, an undercover officer or undercover operation, are often confused

             with anything that is covert or clandestine. It is true that officers who conduct surveillance or plant

             authorized technical kit – such as listening devices, cameras etc. – are all highly trained law 

             enforcement officers or police staff; but undercover is different.

             In police circles, an undercover officer is an officer who has undergone extensive selection and

             training and is authorized to break the law. Though, there are restrictions – obviously.

             Often an undercover officer (U/C) will have spent many months infiltrating a criminal organisation,

             building trust, whilst facing the risk of scrutiny on a daily basis.

             Sometimes, it may be a ‘quick in and out’ sort of job that requires someone with relevant skills to

             provide a service at short notice – such as driving a wagon full of drugs, when the bad guys have

             been let down at short notice. (Or perhaps the good guys orchestrated this by arresting the driver at 

             the last minute on a minor matter, to allow the U/C to be used.)

Fiona - Clever. You just said that the U/C is authorized to break the law with restrictions.

Roger - What a U/C can’t do is to incite someone to commit a crime that they otherwise would not commit.

             I think you call it entrapment in the states, and it is clearly illegal, for obvious reasons.

Fiona - It seems that there's a lot of strategy at play when putting a U/C in place.

Roger - Using a U/C is no different than deploying any other type of covert tactic, and will not always be the

             best asset to use for a particular job.

             For example, one of the first things to do when considering the tactic is to risk assess – as best you

             are able – those you are sending a U/C to meet and engage with. If the target is a drug dealer who

             steadfastly refuses to sell drugs to anyone he has not known for many years, then what’s the point

             in deploying a U/C only to have him or her knocked back, or worse, compromised.

             The fun in arranging and managing U/C operations is that you are operating in a constantly moving

             grey area. ‘Pushing the envelope’ in a relentless battle of wits against the bad guys.

             Make no mistake, they know all about the covert tactics employed by the police; but they just don’t

             know exactly: How? Where? Or when?

Fiona - Now you are using your life experiences to capture bad guys in fiction. How was that transition for

            you? It seems you would have a stable of characters and situations at the ready.

Roger - The beauty of writing crime fiction utilizing U/C(s) in your plots is that you can let your imagination

             run wild. The small example above about removing the bad guys normal driver so a U/C (with a

             persona of a wagon driver) can be deployed, is one I just made up, but I would be surprised if it’s

             never been used in real life. 

             Perhaps the U /C in your story will be a cleaner or a cook who works for the target, and as such,

             he/she would never be considered a cop. The gardener cutting the lawn, or the target’s son’s new

             girlfriend. Let your imagination run amok, and remember, the best place to hide something or 

             someone is often in plain sight.

             The criminals hate being caught in undercover operations, whether they are long term infiltrations or

             quick ‘stings’ as in drug ‘bust buys’. Not only is the evidence usually of a high standard, and often

             irrefutable, it hurts their egos. No one likes to be duped, it makes you feel dumb; and in the criminal

             world, reputation and standing are everything.

             Think laterally when devising your plots, the more cunning your ideas, the more you’ll enjoy writing

             about it; and the more your readers will enjoy reading it.

             Each year in the UK and the US some high profile criminal will seek to have the use of U/Cs

             outlawed – as they think it unfair – each year they fail.

            As one distinguished Law Lord in the UK once said, many years ago, whilst rejecting such an

            attempt; “Detection by Deception is as old as a Constable in plain clothes.”

Fiona - Can we talk a little bit about your novel: BY THEIR RULES?

US Amazon link
UK Amazon link

Roger - In my first crime thriller, ‘BY THEIR RULES’, I draw from all my experiences in covert policing to

             add some gritty realism. I use U/Cs, wayward and focused, informants, surveillance, phone taps and

             more to hopefully excite and entertain.

            The sequel, ‘A NEW MENACE’ is due out later this year – where I’ve thrown kidnapping into the

            mix.

Fiona - Very fun! I can't wait to read it. Thank you so much for sharing this information with us.

Roger - To my fellow writers, good luck with your dastardly clever plotting, and enjoy it. And to you 

             Fiona, a big thank you for inviting me to your blog, which is an excellent resource, one of which I’ll

             be revisiting many times, that’s for sure.

Fiona - Why thank you!
            Readers, if you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.

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Is Your Hero a Sheepdog? Character Development for Writers

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(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Is your hero, male or female, a sheepdog? Understanding the theory set forth by Dave Grossman might help you to develop your character and create fun plot twists that your readers would never see coming.


Dave Grossman is a retired Army Lt. Col. now teaching psychology at West Point, and writing. He developed a theory widely embraced by our military and domestic security forces concerning the "sheepdog" mentality.


Video Quick Study (1:40) Dave Grossman speaking on being a sheepdog.
Video Quick Study (2:02) Dave Grossman on being sheepdog and talks about his books. Very interesting to hear how he expresses his convictions. Listen to his tone of voice. This is the tone I have heard -- soft, controlled, respectful -- in the men and women whom I know to be combat-hardened, lethal sheepdogs; it's remarkably consistent.


I first ran across the sheepdog theory at the Writers' Police Academy 2013. I found it interesting that sheepdogs were discussed by both retired Secret Service Agent Mike Roche Blog Link in our class on Mass Killing and again the same day in our SWAT class taught by Dr. Scott Silverii, Chief of Police, Thibodaux, Louisianna.

Dr. Silverii included Grossman's theory in his doctoral dissertation A Darker Shade of Blue which is available on Amazon as a scholarly work, (which I found paradigm shifting). Amazon Link


This information will soon be available in a less academic version January 29th 2014.
Amazon Link

According to Grossman, there are three kinds of people: The sheep, the wolf, and the sheepdog.

Image from Facebook

The SHEEP

* Create 98% of society
* Have empathy
* Do not harm others purposefully only accidentally
* Generally follow laws
* Generally non-violent
* Seek security behind the sheepdog
* Will run scared (stampede) with the herd

Image from Facebook

Image trolled from Facebook.
Ideation of a wolf

The WOLVES 

* 1% of society
* Criminal
* Predatory mental health issues such as sociopaths or psychopaths
* Driven by instinct
* Capacity for violence
* Lack empathy
* Prey on sheep (general society)







The natural predator for the societal wolf is the sheepdog.

Imagine found on Facebook

The SHEEPDOG  

* 1% of society
* Natural warriors

Image from Facebook

* Protect the herd (society as a whole) from the
   predators
* Society likes to hide behind the sheepdog - they
   know they are safe
* Society does not like sheepdogs because the
   sheepdog reminds people that wolves exist.
* Sheepdogs feel marginalized by
   society - they do not feel like they
   fit in.
* Tend to seek out other
   sheepdogs, both for work and for
   personal time, in whose company
   they feel understood and their
   lifestyle affirmed. This was a theme
   that was very  important in Silverii's The Darker Shade of Blue. As the sheepdogs become more
   acculturated and entrenched in their own society, it is harder for them to feel empathy for the masses
   (sheep), to develop lasting relationships, especially healthy marriages, and to interact with the community at
   large.
* Driven by instinct
* Capacity for violence
* Maintains empathy, though according to Silverii, this diminishes over time as the sheepdog becomes more
   entrenched/socialized in the norms of their work cultural especially at the level of the Special Operations
   Groups, SOG, such as SWAT and undercover work.

Video Quick Study (3:14)

Usually sheepdog stick together

Image found on Facebook

Both the wolf and the sheepdog kill but the difference is the intent.

Image found on Facebook

Do you believe that your characters will fit neatly into these boxes? Are you writing a wolf, a sheep and a sheepdog scenario? I've contemplated this idea, and I would agree that there are clear cut personality types. As a counselor, I relied on empathy to help my criminal clients develop life skills. Where empathy was lacking, it was a useless waste of time - they were born wolves.

But let's contemplate the idea of grey boundaries. I would call myself a secondary sheepdog. I have been in enough life situations that I know that I don't mind running in to help -- be it a medical or survival emergency or fighting with a criminal hurting someone. BUT I would prefer a true sheepdog  (with trained skills, equipment, and backup) to stand firm. If there's no one else, I'll rise to the challenge. And if it is one of my kids? We are talking a whole other dynamic. Grizzly mama on steroids with a bad case of rabies (yup, that's your warning) will show her fangs. Endangered kids are the go-ballistic hot button for most parents, fictional or not.

So contemplate your character and find their switch.

Image from Facebook

I always find it interesting when I think I understand a character and then circumstances forces them to act "otherwise." Maybe your presumed superhero-of-a-boyfriend goes all scared-sheep on your five-foot tall, hundred-pound heroine, and she ends up having to save the day. A friend of mine's eighteen-year-old daughter, who matches the description for an itty-bitty heroine, watched her boyfriend being attacked by ten frat boys for about a nano-second before she went ape-shit and hospitalized three of them. The other seven ran away. Granted, she is a third degree black belt, but the odds were not in her favor. A non-sheepdog by nature, something internal had to go off so that she would express this side of her warrior personality.

What if your sweet beta male must drop his pacifist stance to save the day and wins the girl right out of the arms of  hunky-dude-turned-sheep? Good! We all liked him better anyway, and then beta-boy and his unattainable heartthrob can live happily ever after.

When your hero/heroine acts uncharacteristically, it will necessarily change the dynamic of your characters' relationship. The larger the threat the larger the shift.What happens to their relationship afterwards? Definite plot twisting capabilities.

The sheepdog theory is a fun one to play around with. Happy writing.

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Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

The SIRCHIE Education Training Facility Tour - by Patti Phillips

SIRCHIE makes hundreds of products for the law enforcement community and offers classes in how to use those products at their Youngsville, North Carolina Education and Training site. Several crime writers were allowed an unprecedented opportunity to attend a five-day, hands-on training session, so that we could learn more about the latest and best gadgets being used to catch the crooks.

During the first two days of Evidence Collection Training, we used a number of chemicals, fingerprint powders, and brushes, and employed several different fingerprint lifting techniques on a variety of tricky surfaces. We discussed the benefits of both cheap and costly Alternate Light Sources.

Our notebooks were filling up and theories of the perfect crime were flying around the class. We kept quizzing Robert Skiff, our instructor, (SIRCHIE Training Manager/Technical Training Specialist) about ways to ‘get away with the murder of the decade.’ But as we learned, there is no perfect crime. That pesky trace evidence will always be waiting at every scene for the investigator to discover it, photograph it, tag it, bag it, and transport it without losing the integrity of the sample.

It was time to visit the plant – see how the powders, brushes, and other crime scene paraphernalia were made.

SIRCHIE manufactures most of its products in-house. The specialized vehicles for SWAT, bomb rescue, arson investigation, and surveillance work, etc., are built in New Jersey, but the smaller products are produced right in North Carolina.

Security was carefully controlled throughout our tour. Most of our group writes crime fiction, so we are always looking for a way our fictional criminals can break in (or out of) a wild assortment of locations. As we walked through the stacks and aisles of products, we commented to each other on the smooth organization and many checks SIRCHIE had in place. Cameras everywhere. Limited access to the assembly floor. Labyrinths a person could easily get turned around in. If we got separated from the group while taking an extra photo or two, we were found and escorted back by an always friendly employee.

Of course, we couldn’t turn into rogue students anyway. Our fingerprints littered the classroom and they knew where we lived.

Security plays a part in the assembly model as well. Each product they create is put together from start to finish by hand. There are no assembly lines because of trade secrets and a dedication to preserving product integrity. Personnel are carefully screened before being hired and qualification for employment includes graduate degrees. No criminal history whatsoever is allowed. Every employee comes through the Evidence Collection Training Class so that they understand what SIRCHIE does as a whole.

Tool and Die Machinery

Templates for the various products are created in-house. The operators of these machines are highly trained experts. Quality control is paramount, so training is constant.

Printed Supplies

Scale Strips

All the printing is done in-house. The printing area was stacked with cases of items being printed for shipment. We saw ink strips large enough to process tire treads.

Field Kit

Field Kits are created for general use by investigators, but can be specifically designed for a special need. The small vials contain enough chemicals to test unknown stains and substances at the scene. Note the dense foam holding the vials and bottles firmly in place. The kits are usually kept in the trunk and probably get tossed around quite a bit. The foam insures against breakage during car chases and while bumping across uneven road surfaces.

Finger Print Brushes

There are fiberglass brushes, feather dusters for the very light powder, regular stiffer brushes, and magnetic powder brush applicators.

Brushes Completed

We were lucky enough to see fiberglass brushes being made.

Gun Box

If a handgun is seized for evidence, there needs to be a simple, yet effective way to track chain of possession.

*Bag the gun to preserve the fingerprints and

*drop the gun in the box.

*Then fill in the blanks on the box.

*Easy to stack and store until needed.

Think of all the cases that may be ongoing in a large jurisdiction – the evidence is not sitting at the police station. It’s in a warehouse someplace, and needs to be easily identified when required for court. In addition to several sized boxes for guns and knives, etc. SIRCHIE also provides an incredible assortment of resealable plastic bags for preserving evidence like clothing, unidentified fibers, etc.

Wendy with Magnetic Powder

Magnetic powder was being processed that day and then put into rows and rows of jars and jugs. Before it is sent out to the customers, each lot is tested for moisture content, appropriate ratio of ingredients and other trade secret tests. We joked about taking some back to class for the next round of fingerprint study and were surprised by how heavy the jugs were.

Cyanowand Cartidges for Glue Gun

No, she’s not making bullets. She is assembling the cyanowand cartridges used for fuming with superglue.

SIRCHIE Makes Riot Gear

Riot Helmet Drills

This is not a photo of something from a SyFy movie. At the center of the shot is a helmet template. The drills encircling the template are aimed at spots where holes are needed for each helmet, depending on the type of helmet in production. All the holes are drilled at the same time.

The helmet before anything
 has been added to it 

.

Helmet Padding

Buckles for Helmets

Padding is inserted after the buckles are attached.

Helmet Component

Helmet Neck

Helmet Faceguard

Completed Riot Helmet

The Optical Comparator, as well as the other machines, are built to order by hand.

While in the warehouse, we learned that if a product is discontinued, it is still supported by SIRCHIE. That means that if a law enforcement officer calls up with a problem a few years after purchasing a machine, he can still get help. Reassuring for jurisdictions with a tight budget that can’t afford to replace expensive equipment every year or two.

SIRCHIE sends supplies to TV shows, so next time you’re watching a fave detective or examiner lift prints with a hinge lifter, it may have come from SIRCHIE.

Great tour, great people who work so hard to keep the law enforcement community supplied with the gear needed to catch the bad guys.

A big thanks to Patti for stopping by today.

Patti has been a contributor to several articles here on the blog including: Finger Printing LINK and Footwear Evidence LINK. You can find a link to her blog NIGHTSTAND BOOK REVIEWS under my  

"Blogs I Follow" on the information strip on the right hand side.  Also check out Kerrian's Notebook LINK  

If you have any questions, please leave them below, and we will do our best to help.

Comments are appreciated. And why not take a second to  +1 this page and send it to your friends on Facebook and Twitter? Buttons conveniently located below.

Bomb Squads 101 Information for Writers

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(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

EXCERPT FROM MISSING LYNX - Book Two

We watched the monitor closely; the robot stood flush with the case. A pincer reached out to twirl the locking system, using the combination that I had uncovered while behind the Veil. The mechanical arm moved with amazing dexterity, slowly releasing the catch, retrieving the papers and files. Axel wiggled the toggle and the robot zipped back to us with the booty. Again Axel maneuvered the machine to the case. The robot sent a video image to our laptop; I studied the screen until I could show Axel where the concealed latch protected the hidden compartment. We all held our breath while Axel maneuvered the motorized claw to release the hook. 

***

The following information was gathered from bomb squad members that I met at this year's Writers' Police Academy. Because of their undercover work, neither their names nor images can be used in this article. A bomb squad member is also called an EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) Technician. All EOD Techs come through the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama where they undergo an intensive 6 week training session.
* There are at least two people per responding team.
* Typically this team prefers nine members
* On this team, the EOD techs have other police duties and leave those duties to respond to bomb threats.

The Suit

Bomb Protective Suit is a little bit of a misnomer. Though it can help; it will not actually keep someone alive under all circumstances. What makes a difference in survivability?
* How close is the officer?
* How big is the blast? The concussion of the blast can be as deadly as the shrapnel.
* At five feet from the bomb survivability increases by 50%

I am all suited up at the Writers' Police Academy 2013

I'd explain this to you, but then I'd...  EOD Suit WPA 2013

 VIDEO QUICK STUDY - suit and safety features (2:54)
THE SUIT

*Is made of various materials including Kevlar to prevent penetration and ceramic plates to help disperse the

Suit Components WPA 2012

  blast concussion.
* Cost? aprox 75k
* The suit weighs approximately 85-100 lbs.
   35 lbs for the trousers
   35 lbs. for the jacket
   8 lbs. for the helmet
   And boots.
   This suits allows little in the way of dexterity and
    agility. More armor might increase protection 
    but make movement impossible.
   (Though this guy is going to prove me wrong: VIDEO QUICK STUDY - dancing in a EOD suit 2:17)
   * The helmet includes a fan unit to help prevent  humidity from building up inside of the visor. But
      does not cool the person inside.
   * The suit has no cooling unit - considering the  weight of the suit, the body response to adrenaline and 
       physical activity, and the ambient temperature a bomb technician has about a twenty minute window
       of operational opportunity. 
   * If there is a possibility of a contaminant or bio-hazard, the team members have access to special suits
      that incorporate oxygen tanks (SCBA Self-contained Breathing Apparatus). These tanks add to the
      weight and loss of agility. These usually have about 45 minutes of air. That time period must include time 
      to "decon" (decontaminate).

TOOLS-
VIDEO QUICK STUDY - Tools in use (3:53)
1. Telescopic manipulator - has a claw allowing a technician to work from a safer distance.
2. Ordinance disposal tools - the one we saw was approx. 35 lbs and could shoot the bomb. Also, there
    are:
   * robots with hooks, arms, car door openers, etc.
   * water jet disruptors

A Belgian Malinois of a police K-9 unit. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

   * laser aiming devices, and so forth.
3. Remote viewing systems that might include
  * Borescopes
  * Videoscopes
  * Fiberscopes
  * X-ray technology 
4. Disruptors - can open up the package.
5. Bomb Detection Dogs
    VIDEO QUICK STUDY (2:32) 
   * Dogs are typically taught to sit or lie down when
      they detect the scent.
   * Typically they are rewarded with a ball
   * Dogs are trained to the base component of
      explosives. Once they have these components
      any combination will trigger an alert. Dogs smell
      differently than humans if a human smells "stew," a
       dog  smells carrots, and beef and onion, etc.

WPA 2013 That's my scary  backpack.
 I named the robot  "Molly," because she needed a name.

6. Robots - 
   * Cost? Approx 125K and up
   * Depending on model, these are around 44 lbs.
   * VIDEO QUICK STUDY (3:41) 
     THIS IS EXCELLENT
   * Major issue is depth perception. That's
      why these techs practice, practice,
      practice.
   * Information is transmitted via wireless to
      the  HAZMAT truck

ASSESS, ASSESS, ASSESS
Video Quick Study British EOD Tech talking about the "Long Walk" and assessment  (2:38)
For a bomb to go off there need to be three components:

1. Battery

2. Switch

3. High Explosive Charge

Disrupt any of these and you render the bomb inoperable.

Basic Techniques

(Techniques are kept secret so as not to train the attacker in better ways to succeed)
VIDEO QUICK STUDY - Suspicious Package Investigation (9:02)
1. Determine that there is a possible event. In the case of the technicians I was interviewing, most of their
    calls come from people who have found dynamite, or war souvenirs (WWII from granddad) and not
    from actual concerns about a bomb.

WPA 2013 Bomb Extraction Truck

2. Bring in the team and their trucks
   * Mobile Headquarters with gear also called
      HAZMAT Truck
   * Containment Truck
   * EMTs and fire
3. Clear the area to ensure the public's safety
   * Set up equipment this might include tenting if
      they believe bio-hazardous materials were
      used.
4. Suit up
5. Develop intelligence
   * They cannot use radio communication because it could set off the bomb.
6. Formulate a plan
7. Work the plan and leave.
   * If they are exploding something they yell, "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" three times.
   * Exploding the object is called "disrupting the device."
   * Counter Charge - means to put another explosive device on top of the suspected bomb and blow it up
   * Video Quick Study (4:50)

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Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.