Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office launches new Web site

Beginning today, county residents can file police reports, read who was booked into jail the night before and track crime in their neighborhoods with the click of a button.

The Sheriff’s Office launched a revamped, interactive Web site Tuesday morning: www.scsheriff.com The site is the product of six months of research, Web design and troubleshooting.

The new online portal to the Sheriff’s Office also is one of the projects Sheriff Phil Wowak promised to spearhead when he was appointed to the office in April.

“Sheriff Wowak wanted online reporting,” Sgt. Dan Campos said. “He wanted these types of services to be available to the community, without a doubt.” Whereas the old Web site was rarely updated, the new online hub for the Sheriff’s Office will include daily police reports and search features to look through databases of missing children, registered sex offenders and wanted people.

The new site also has listings of sheriff services, contact information for staff members and a multitude of self-help menus.

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Police, family pay tribute to fallen officer

The pain is still there, but over time it has changed for Officer Peter Grignon’s family members.

They still visit his grave in Cave Hill Cemetery every couple of weeks. They still look at his photos and remember happy times. And once a year they return to the spot in the 2600 block of Accasia Drive where he was fatally shot, as he responded to an accident report.

But after five years, the family now uses its pain as fuel to help other police officers’ families deal with grief.

“The pain is present, but it’s different,” said Don Grignon, Peter’s father. “Now we’re in a position that we can help others.”

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Meet the SWAT Team’s Latest Weapon: The Wallbanger

The Wallbanger is a new $1,500 device used by law enforcement officers to breach doors. It also serves as a flash-bang device to distract criminals. It’s named after the man who invented it, Sandy Wall.

“This device allows them distance from the door, so they can still get in be effective and accomplish their mission and not be as close to danger,” Wall said.

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team is testing the device and could purchase a few if approved by administrators and county commissioners.

Wall worked in law enforcement at the Houston Police Department for years. He remembers a time in the 80s when there wasn’t much training for police officers and much less equipment to help them do their job.

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When the men in blue start feeling blue

Clarke Paris walked across the stage cool, calm and relaxed.

“Hey, Clarke,” an officer said to him.

“Hey, how are you? … How’s work? … How’s the family? … Enjoying the weather?” Paris replied.

Then Sgt. Clarke Paris of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police walked across the stage with a swagger: sunglasses on, hands on his hips, chest puffed out.

“Hello, Sarge,” an officer said to him.

“Hello, Officer. Be good. Stay out of trouble. Stay safe,” Sgt. Paris responded.

Role playing first as an everyday citizen and then as a member of law enforcement, Paris was trying to demonstrate how the public perceives the police, how the police perceive each other and how police officers perceive themselves, Paris said.

This formed the basis of “The Pain Behind the Badge” documentary and seminar, which was offered March 16 and 18 at Middlesex County College in Edison for more than 500 police officers from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Maryland.

“The Pain Behind the Badge” was developed about four years ago by Paris, who realized that he was suffering mentally from the stress of his job as a 21-year policeman. He said he began his career as a proud, strong cop who thought he was handling his life and work just fine.

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VISIT PAIN BEHIND THE BADGE WEBSITE HERE