When there is a series of home invasions in the Visalia area, how does the police department know where to search for suspects?

When the police discover a possible drug ring, how do they find out who is involved, and where these suspects are hiding?

If a murder occurs in Visalia, where can the police turn for leads?

The answer is the Visalia Police Department’s Crime Analysis Unit. This unit, headed by Supervisor and Crime Analyst Robin Meyst, exists to “provide the highest level of assistance … in an effort to recognize crime patterns, identify criminal suspects, and reduce crime.”

Meyst, along with the five members of the unit, works tirelessly to provide other units and agencies with crucial information to help them solve cases. This information includes daily bulletins, parolee and sex offender tracking, stolen vehicle reports, and other crime statistics.

“Because we prepare a daily bulletin,” Meyst says, “the staff works 365 days a year.”

This hard work often pays off, though. Using information from a variety of sources such as police officers and detectives, incident reports, the courts, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Internet, the Crime Analysis Unit is able to put together documents showing police where crimes are happening in greater numbers, what criminals are targeting, and when a crime may occur next.

“We identify and analyze methods of operation of individual criminals, provide crime pattern recognition, and analyze data from field interrogations and arrests,” Meyst says. “This is useful to the department (because we provide) estimates of future crime trends and (assist) in the identification of enforcement priorities.

“I’ll give you a scenario,” Meyst continues. “Let’s say there is a rash of vehicle burglaries along Mooney Boulevard. Entry is made by breaking the window and anything lying around inside is taken. In two cases, witnesses identified two male teens between the ages of 15 and 18. One of the suspects has a tattoo of a spider on his neck.

“There are generally four types of crime analysis: tactical, strategic, administrative, and investigative. For tactical, we might set up a matrix with information from similar cases, including time of day, suspect information, and MO. From this information, a prediction can be made as to when a similar crime may occur. Then, patrol may set up special details or patrol checks, and hopefully catch the criminals.”

The role of a crime analyst is not only to help the police set up extra enforcement, however. Strategic crime analysis helps the department set up long-range goals by identifying larger trends based on crime statistics and data. Administrative analysis provides economic, geographical, and social information to administrators, which helps them understand why crime may be occurring in a certain area of town and what may be causing a specific type of criminal behavior. And finally, investigative analysis assists detectives by finding additional information about possible criminals.

“In the given scenario,” Meyst says about investigative analysis, “one suspect has a spider tattoo on his neck. An analyst can search several databases in an attempt to identify this subject based on the tattoo.” The idea is to find potential suspects based on matching MOs and suspect identifiers. In addition, analysts can link one crime to another by researching cases for similar information.

With all of this information to sort through, it might seem that the job of a crime analyst is daunting; it involves sifting through hundreds of police calls for service, reports, and criminal records. While it is true that there is a wealth of information, Meyst says, the Crime Analysis Unit doesn’t simply find the information or gather statistics. They use this information to assess trends, to find criminals, and to help reduce crime in the city.

One of the most helpful resources is new technology that was recently made available to the unit. “Technology and software play a huge role in crime analysis,” Meyst says. “We use Microsoft MapPoint and ArcView for mapping and pin maps. And through a grant, we acquired i2 software, which is used for timelines andassociation charts.”

The Crime Analysis Unit has been successful with two particularly useful graphic tools—pin maps and link analysis.

With pin maps, the unit creates visual aids to see areas of targeted criminal activity such as stolen vehicles and major crimes.

“The addition of pin maps has provided a visual picture of where crime is occurring,” Meyst says. This makes it easier for detectives and police officers to plot their next course of action. Instead of trying to determine trends through statistics and pages of data, the information is easily discernible on a map.

Additionally, link analysis has proven effective. As Meyst explains, link analysis is essentially two steps that integrate a large amount of data related to organized crime or conspiracy and provides an overview of a complex situation to law enforcement.

“The first step is the conversion of written material into a graphic summary form, called an association matrix,” Meyst says. “The second step is using the matrix to form a link diagram that depicts relationships between people, organizations, and activities.”

To illustrate this point, Meyst provides another scenario: “Let’s assume that you have been looking into a potential narcotic operation involving a labor union and a local hotel. As part of the investigation, you have collected information such as the name of the union leader, an associate observed dining with the leader, and the fact that this associate has been talking with a narcotics dealer. A link diagram can

facilitate an understanding of the relationships between the people and the organizations involved.”

Link analysis is useful, especially when trying to prosecute criminals in court. Meyst says that diagrams have been used effectively to present complex cases to a jury. Instead of having to give lengthy explanations of the relationships among criminals, a link diagram provides a visual representation of their relationships. This makes a complex criminal network easier for a jury to see and understand.

Developing these forms of analysis can be time consuming, but Meyst says that supervising this unit has its rewards. The Crime Analysis Unit constantly finds criminal patterns and trends that aid police activity, and Meyst says that it is a good feeling to be able to help other units identify and stop criminals.

“The most rewarding part of my job is when an officer or detective calls me and lets me know that information I provided led to an arrest.”

So when crimes occur in the Visalia area, the Crime Analysis Unit will be called upon to collect and analyze data, identify trends and patterns, and ultimately help police officers, detectives, and prosecutors, catch, try, and convict wanted criminals.

“We connect data to decisions,” Meyst says. “We assist the department in preventing and reducing crime.”

Essentially, they follow their motto: “Answer questions,” Meyst says, “before they are asked.”

By Dustin Thompson

In November, members of the Visalia Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Office of Traffic and Safety, American Ambulance of Visalia and other local businesses got together with Central Valley Christian High School (CVC) and put together a sobering experience known as, Every 15 Minutes.

Every 15 minutes a person dies in a drunk driving collision in the United States.

The “Every 15 Minutes” program showed students first hand the personal tragedy of drunk driving—for the injured and killed, for the families and friends, and even for the driver.

As the program started, a Grim Reaper called pre-selected students out of class every 15 minutes. A police officer immediately read the class an obituary written by the “dead” student’s parents, explaining the circumstances of the student’s death and her contributions to the school and community. Minutes later the “living dead,” complete with white make-up and an Every 15 Minutes T-shirt, planted their own headstones on campus for other students to see. From that point, the “living dead” students would not interact with any other students. As this occurred, other police officers made mock death notifications to the parents of the “living dead” children. Even though this is pre-authorized and planned, some of the parents were struck hard upon hearing the mock death notification. They were stuck by the knowledge that one day their child could be killed by a drunk driver.

Twenty students “died” as part of the program. At lunch, there was a staged car accident in front of the school. Members from the Visalia Fire Department, American Ambulance, Visalia Police Department, and later, the Tulare County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene. CVC students watched as paramedics tended to their classmates. The students watched silently as the “Jaws of Life” were used to extricate one student from a badly wrecked vehicle.

Collision with Death

The Grim Reaper danced around the collision and found his victim. Students watched as the coroner removed a student from the vehicle, placed her in a body bag and loaded her into a hearse.

Students watched and listened as Visalia Police Department’s DUI specialty officer, Jason Logas performed field sobriety tests (FSTs) on the “drunk” student. After the FSTs, the “drunk driver” was arrested and booked at juvenile hall. The role player students continued their experience as they went to the actual morgue, the hospital’s emergency room, and juvenile hall for booking and placement in a cell. These experiences were all video taped for a presentation to the CVC student body the following day.

At the end of the first day, the students in the staged accident and the “living dead” went to a local hotel for an overnight retreat, simulating the separation from friends and family. A support staff of counselors and teachers were present with the students throughout the retreat. At the retreat, the students talked to counselors about team-building strategies and the role they play in changing teenage drinking and driving, such as how they can change the “norm” when it comes to drinking and driving.

The following morning, the packed CVC chapel fell silent as an officer walked the arrested student, dressed in his jail jumpsuit, down the aisle. Next, the pallbearers pushed the coffin with their “dead” friend and classmate to the front of the worship hall to begin a mock funeral service. Each of the nineteen “living dead” placed a red rose on top of the coffin and took a seat on the stage.

One of the “living dead” students got up and read a letter he wrote the night before at his retreat. “We all have temptations in life, and it’s how you react to those temptations that could save you.”

After the funeral, students watched the car accident unfold in the video presentation. Students watched the “drunk driver” having a few drinks and talking with a friend at a park. The stubborn student told his friend that he was OK to drive and would not let the friend have his keys. Minutes later, you see the crash occur and the Grim Reaper arrive.

Justice in Court

The Honorable Lloyd Hicks presided over a mock trial, where the “drunk driver” admitted his guilt and was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter with alcohol involved. The parents of the deceased student addressed the court and talked about what the death of their daughter did to the family. They asked the court to consider the harshest punishment for the “drunk driver.” The parents of the injured student and the parents of the “drunk driver” also spoke. The “drunk driver” received the maximum penalty of ten years in state prison.

Guest speaker Lynn Goodwin then shared her emotional story. Goodwin was at work in the Friday Night Live office for the Tulare County Office of Education when an officer interrupted her meeting to give her life-changing news: Her child had been in a bad accident and she need to get the trauma center as quickly as possible.

After a wait of several hours Goodwin, her husband, and three other children learned that Goodwin’s daughter, Casey, had broken every bone in her body except her right hand and that every organ in her body, other than her heart, was severely damaged. Casey fought as long as her body could, but too soon she passed away. A 20-year-old college student and strong advocate of drinking and driving prevention, Casey was killed by a drunk driver while on her way home to surprise her mom for her birthday.

Heartening Results

Statistics show that the program is a success. Some of the students stated they are less likely to drive when they had drunk three or four alcoholic drinks, less likely to be a passenger with a driver who had been drinking, they are more likely to watch how much their friends drink, more likely to prevent their friends from driving, and more likely to call their parents to ask for a ride.

CVC Guidance Counselor Susan Thornton reflected that, though it was an intense two days, it was less intense than having to go through the real thing. Thornton said she wants kids to think twice before participating in any risky behavior.

CVC teacher Katie Talsma wrote for the school newsletter that the CVC High School staff hopes and prays that the lessons of “Every 15 Minutes” remain a compelling reminder that, for some victims of drunk driving, it’s not a simulation, it’s reality. There are friends and loved ones who never come back to school and life never goes “back to normal.”

Programs like “Every 15 Minutes” aim to save the life of not only teenagers, but the family, friends, and acquaintances that are touched.

DVDs of CVC’s, “Every 15 Minutes” program will be available for purchase. CVC asks for donations and all proceeds will benefit their Sober Grad.

By Bill Corliss

Driving in snow and ice is a high-risk activity. Vision and traction are reduced while collision potential is increased. Postponing driving or driving as roads are cleared or sanded helps manage the risk, but sometimes drivers must face the danger.

Vision

A driver’s ability to see is hindered on roads covered with snow. Sun and headlight glare decrease the ability to see well. You can optimize your ability to see and be seen with some simple actions. Make sure windows are clear and ice-free. Keep the car’s lights clean of grime and ice—good lighting allows you to see road markers and signs and lets other drivers see you sooner. Dim the lights on the dashboard.

Traction

Control of the vehicle is a major risk factor in snow and ice. Traction is best on fresh snow as opposed to packed snow. At 32 degrees the vehicle’s traction is reduced by half as water covers the ice. Sunrise, as the sun melts the ice, is extremely dangerous.

Maximize traction by using recommended tire pressures and appropriate tire treads for snow and ice, as well as properly fitted tire chains. Review a car’s vehicle manual to use new technology in traction control. TCS, traction control systems, limit wheel spin by reducing engine power and individually applying brake pressure to each tire as needed. Deactivate the TCS if you are stuck in the snow and trying to rock the car free.

Vehicle

Prepare your car for driving in the snow. Visibility is enhanced with clean, working lights, defrosters, and windshield wiper blades. Don’t use cruise control in the slippery conditions. Keep the gas tank full. This adds more weight and better traction and lowers condensation in fuel lines, which can freeze overnight.

Reduce Risk

You can lower crash potential with some common-sense choices. Choose the appropriate time to travel and leave early, giving yourself plenty of time to drive at a safe speed. Increase your following distance from three seconds to six or eight seconds. Reduce your speed to half the maximum speed limit if snow is on the road. When driving in icy conditions, slow to a crawl. Make all speed and steering adjustments gradually by recognizing dangerous situations early. Bridges and overpasses freeze first, so ease off the accelerator early. Intersections have compacted snow melted by the heat of cars waiting at traffic controls. Scan for black ice in mountainous areas.

Snow and ice create many challenges for drivers. Plan the trip by checking traffic reports. Prepare your vehicle for maximum visibility and traction. Most importantly, adjust your speed and space creating a lower risk driving environment.

By Kimberly Sherman

“You’ll find me underneath that great big sky, or maybe somewhere on the stage tonight, I’m just a vagabond passing through, you’ll find me at your local saloon and hear my drifter blues.”

The man crooning this tune in a dimly lit bar may look familiar. Life as a heroic firefighter serves J.D. Goodwin’s need for stability during the day, but at night Goodwin transforms into the gritty leader of a little band called Motel Drive, a fitting name for a group firmly rooted in the soil of the Central Valley.

Goodwin’s career and his craft have many parallels. What began as a Tulare County volunteer position in 2002 turned to a seasonal position with CDF (now CalFire). A year ago he was hired on as an engineer for Kings County Fire Department. As a relief driver, he doesn’t have his feet planted on the ground; Goodwin fills in at whatever station needs a body. “I drive the fire engine and control pump panel,” he said. “I’m a vagabond. Wherever they need me, I go.”

As a musician, Goodwin’s casual demeanor creates the atmosphere of the year-old band. “I’ve known Jake, the bass player, my whole life, and I’ve been fans of each of the members’ bands for a long time,” Goodwin recalled. “All the stars and moons were aligned one day and we got together and said, ‘Let’s do this.’ We got all these personalities together, and it worked like magic.”

A description of the band’s sound on its website whisks listeners into a nostalgic fantasy:

“A ’64 Bel Air barrels down old Highway 99. In the darkness to the west lie row after row of cotton, to the east, grapevines and other cash crops of California’s Central Valley. A break in the fog up ahead allows the warmth and buzz of neon lights to break the wet silence of that long dark drive. But before any head hits that motel pillow, the brain begins to shake, the bones begin to rattle, and the heart begins to roll as the seasoned blend of veteran musicianship which is Motel Drive, the slinky, rootsy, and greasy country, rock and roll, and rockabilly music carries you to that lone bar on the edge of town, that bar Mama told you to stay away from, where Gretsch guitars wail and an upright bass is slapped around, where voodoo drums pound and a lap steel grinds away. It’s Motel Drive, baby, where Cash and Stray Cats pound ‘em down with Gram, Buck, and Dwight. It’s blood, love, and beer, the smell and taste of the Motel Drive stew. One hell of a night and your new favorite band. Motel Drive.”

The rogue novel “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac inspired poets, writers, and musicians, and Goodwin’s band name, Motel Drive, is no exception.

“I was inspired by ‘On the Road,’” Goodwin said. “I’m from Fresno, and I had this dark kind of image of being surrounded by old, seedy neon signs and bars, like the watering holes and living on the road lifestyle symbolized by the old Motel Drive.”

Rock Roots

Goodwin has had a life-long interest in music. With a drummer for an uncle and a musically inclined father, Goodwin recalls the spectrum of sounds to which he was exposed throughout his childhood. “They got me into the Beatles, the Stones, all kinds of rhythm and blues, Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry and, of course, Elvis Presley. I heard all that stuff when I was young,” he said. “When I was a kid, I just wanted to play in a rock and roll band—not knowing how life really is. I’ve played in bands my whole life; I’ve always loved playing, writing music, and performing.

“When I got older, some of my skateboarding friends formed a band, and I used to go watch them play. I’d always had a relationship with music; it’s always spoken to me,” recalled Goodwin. “So I started singing and playing guitar when I was 13.”

Many years and fifteen to twenty projects later, Goodwin is relieved and thrilled that this gig is sticking. “There’s something about our chemistry—something that just works and I can’t explain why,” he said.

Talent in Harmony

Song composition has even become a group effort. In the past, he took on a majority of the work to keep the band glued together, but this time around, everyone pitches in evenly, and Goodwin gives props to each band member. “Everyone works at the same level and comes up with ideas. When you have people happy to be with each other, it just feels right. It’s just fun to do.” Even the wives and girlfriends mesh together in harmony.

Music aside, each of the band members has a distinct trait to add to the cohesive mix. Jake’s ability to manipulate the written word provides the tone and description of the group for media outlets. Goodwin is decidedly the spokesman of the group; his dry wit and unprovoked enthusiasm are infectious. “The drummer and guitar player are computer nerds,” he joked. “Nah, they’re really cool; I’m just jealous of their abilities. They’ve got these programs and are graphic artists with a good eye. They do it all the posters and graphic stuff themselves.”

Motel Drive’s sound revolves around a mix of music, from Elvis Presley to the Stray Cats. Goodwin says, along with their distinctive sound, their lyrical inspiration is simple: Life. “I have an active imagination, I love just talking to people, and I love funny topics,” he laughed.

In fact, Goodwin’s favorite song is called “Trailer Park Queen.” He explained, “It’s about a guy that lives in an Airstream trailer, like I did when I was younger. He’s sick of living in California and is looking for a beautiful bride. He finds her in a strip club, and they get married and have a family. … Not everything we sing about is true, but it’s entertainment.”

With a name like Motel Drive and a sound that attracts fans ages 6 to 60, from all walks of life, Goodwin’s goal is to bring the ‘50s rockabilly back into style.

“Some guys are really into hobbies like fishing, camping, motocross, and hunting. I just love playing music,” Goodwin said. “There’s all kinds of bad stuff on the news, but really, people want to be entertained. By going to a club and rocking out to Motel Drive, they can just go have fun.”

Sidebar:  Motel Drive across the Internet

Its music may be inspired by vintage icons, but Motel Drive stays savvy in current social marketing trends. Aside from a growing base of rockin’ fans, online marketing is the crux of the band’s success. Check out more of Motel Drive at these niches across the net:

moteldrive.com/

myspace.com/moteldrive99

facebook.com/moteldrive

twitter.com/MotelDrive

youtube.com/user/MotelDrive

cdbaby.com/Artist/MotelDrive

itunes.apple.com/us/artist/motel-drive/id331303025

By Aaron Collins

The road less traveled promises adventure, but it can also be a potentially deadly choice.

Many readers will recall the local case of the hiker who perished on Mt. Whitney in 2009. But not every deadly emergency occurs during exceptional experiences. Daily living also poses perils. So what should you know in a cold weather emergency? The following names and account are fictionalized to instruct readers in what to do—and  what not to do.

Setting out for a Central California sightseeing Sunday afternoon drive with no particular destination in mind, Jarrod and Jennifer Hanson left their home near the Kings River, happy to be entertaining Jennifer’s mother, Carol Taylor, on her first visit to California following the arrival of their first baby, born three months earlier.

A Kansas-born lifelong flatlander, Carol suggested the spontaneous excursion to the foothills, visible a mere twenty minutes away. From the Valley, the view magnetized her, impossibly majestic at well over 14,000 feet.

Why not go along and make his mother-in-law’s day, possibly her whole trip, Jarrod thought.

Not wanting to seem like the over-fretful new mom, Jennifer was less than enthusiastic, nervous by nature in unfamiliar settings. But she consented quickly. The trip would take a couple of hours at most, she rationalized. And having her veteran mom along for advice with her new daughter, Kylie, Jennifer had ample confidence for what was the baby’s first road trip beyond their routine local jaunts to the market or visits to her pediatrician.

Now in her mid-70s, Carol, had traveled little over the years, never having much time to leave her and her husband’s mom-and-pop hardware store. For the moment, however, she was footloose and feeling glad to be away from the Plains State for the first time in a long time.

But how quickly the cascading sequence of mishaps turned what might have been a fun, offhanded adventure under ostensibly unthreatening skies into perilous misadventure.

Unfortunately, Jarrod’s GPS device offered more confidence than accurate information as the group wended higher into the hills. Some roads that were prompted by the device proved phantom, some were little more than wide trails. Yet other prompted directions would have sent the travelers over cliffs, washed-out paths, or boulder-strewn flats that didn’t appear to have been roads—ever.

Dressed appropriately for outdoors on a moderately cool fall day in the Valley, the group was relatively scantily clad for higher elevation temperatures, a factor that they had not anticipated when setting out. The mercury dropped along with the sun, now sinking in the pink western sky behind the Coast Range, visible from the clear, cold Sierra.

Sure, they were lost, the normally easygoing Jarrod would later admit. But he reasoned they’d just turn around and head downward, back from wherever you came—wherever that was.

Chatting noisily, they were unable to hear the car radiator’s hissing. But once the switchbacks slowed them enough to see it had begun emitting steam, they would soon discover that it had cracked. With a minor explosion and steam now boiling out from under the hood, the jangled Jarrod tried to pull quickly to the side of what was by then a narrow, mostly dirt and gravel road.

Discombobulated, he misjudged the shadowy, soggy shoulder, a deep red, iron-rich brick color darkened by recent rains. The car was not only broken down, but now stuck in a soft, muddy roadside culvert. Not that it mattered much. “Stuck two ways is still just stuck,” he fumed to Jennifer, irritated after she sheepishly offered up exactly where she thought the engine problem might lie.

“I remember just a little steam coming out from under the front of the hood when I pulled into work on Friday,” she granted, omitting that she had noticed a wisp or two the prior couple of days, as well.

The group was now stranded, with virtually no homes or shelter within miles. Jarrod had taken turns suggested by the GPS system, led to an elevation of well over 4,500 feet, to a place they didn’t want to be in the darkening twilight on what was soon to be a very cold, moonless night. Mid-30s were expected on the Valley floor overnight, but at this elevation, microclimate temperatures can differ widely. It is often well below freezing this time of year.

All three adults had their cell phones. Too bad they were well out of range of any cellular service.

Furthermore, no one except Jennifer’s sister in Los Angeles knew the group’s vague afternoon plan. But she knew only that the group had gone sightseeing, not exactly where. Jennifer hadn’t known their itinerary when the sisters last instant messaged via Facebook a few days prior.

An hour ago their world had seemed overly-connected and always on, but suddenly their place in nature seemed like a reality TV survival show gone wrong. They were now on their own with only their wits, light clothing, a baby blanket and the inert car for warmth. At least Jennifer had bundled up Kylie pretty well before departing the house.

Lessons for Old and Young

“Infants have a small body mass compared to the larger surface area of their heads, which leads to more heat loss to the environment,” says Steve Carstens. D.O., Medical Director for the Emergency Department at Kaweah Delta in Visalia. “They have less glycogen stores, so they have limited fuel reserves; and they lack the ability to shiver. Finally infants lack cognitive and physical abilities to cover themselves up or avoid the cold, and inexperienced parents should consider that their newborns cannot tell them if they are cold or not.”

Dr. Carstens points out that it does not take a particularly cold day (i.e., snow on the ground) to produce hypothermia, so parents must make sure to plan ahead for their young ones’ needs.

The elderly are similarly vulnerable, but they face different issues, too. While they have limited physical reserves, says Dr. Carstens, the elderly are more susceptible for a variety of reasons including decreased physiological reserve (lack of muscle mass and glycogen stores) and social isolation.

The elderly tend to have more medical conditions and take more medications, which can interfere with thermoregulation, both hot and cold. And a fixed or limited income, malnutrition, or inability to pay the electric bill cause problems in both winter and summer.

“In my opinion, hypothermia in the San Joaquin Valley is relatively infrequent. However, it still happens,” says Dr. Carstens, because “there is no ideal cutoff for ambient temperature—it just has to be less than the normal body temperature. And the greater the gradient between ambient temperature and body temperature, the faster cooling can occur,” he says. “Reasons for this hypothermia in the Valley include trauma, in which the patient is incapacitated following injury; alcohol or drugs or otherwise altered mental status; and loss of the ability to shiver to generate heat—(due to) medications, age, etc.”

“In residency and in private practice, we have had patients that were significantly hypothermic,” says Dr. Carstens. “We had to actively rewarm the core—chest tubes with circulating warm water, bladder irrigation.”

Elderly people who live alone can become incapacitated. Drug and alcohol users pass out outside. Ill or demented people who live alone can run into undetected or unanticipated troubles, too.

Contrary to the myth, alcohol only makes the cold person sense warmth, as the intoxicated person feels that warmth leaving the body. Alcohol is a vasodilator, causing heat to escape the body more rapidly, making people more susceptible to hypothermia—contrary to images of cowboys with whiskey by the fire on a cold prairie night.

Rivers, swimming pools, heating malfunctions or power outages are just a few other risk factors that contribute to more than 600 deaths per year in the U.S., on average.

Doctor’s Advice

“Remove any wet clothing,” says Dr. Carstens. Once that is done, active rewarming is in order. “That process might include warm blankets, or placing the afflicted into warm circulating water. Care must be taken not to burn the patient,” as sometimes happens in hasty attempts to restore body heat, he points out.

For survival prior to rescue, it’s important to think about body heat in three ways: Make more heat; get more heat from an outside source; and lose less heat to the outside world.

1. Bring extra clothing along on outdoor trips—even on day hikes. You could get lost, or something unexpected might happen. Wet clothing conducts heat away from the body much more rapidly than cold air of the same temperature.
2. Bring matches so you can start a fire if needed. Warm liquids, too, add body heat.
3. Find shelter.
4. Stay dry.
5. If you are with others, share body heat. Depending on who is in the group, you may need to overcome social hesitations to do this, but it may mean the difference between life and death.
6. Be aware. “It won’t happen to us,” or “We’ll only be outside for a little while” are two common beliefs that often precede cold weather emergencies.

STOP for Survival

If you become stranded in the wilderness this winter, remember the acronym STOP: Slow down. Think clearly. Observe your surroundings. Plan each survival step carefully.

When your adrenaline is pumping out of fear or frustration, it’s important to gain control of your breathing. Next, think rationally, and observe your surroundings for what it will take for rescuers to locate you. And finally, lay out a clear, specific plan for survival.

Before heading into the mountains, check weather forecasts. Notify others of your destination and expected return time.

Keep these essential items in your vehicle: a first aid kit, a flashlight or headlamp with extra batteries, nutritional bars, rain gear, a pocket knife, waterproof matches, candles or a fire starter, a map, a compass and a brightly colored, lightweight tarp.

Mistakes stem from being badly prepared, or underestimating risks and making poor judgments on the fly. For example, if snow begins falling, be prepared to alter game plans. If you become stranded, be calm, set out rescue signals and stay with your vehicle, or, if factors strongly suggest you will soon perish if you remain, at least leave a note telling which way you’ve headed. However, statistics suggest that remaining close at hand improves your survival odds.

Remember the rule of threes when exposed to severe weather: You cannot likely survive more than three minutes without air; three hours without shelter; three days without water; three weeks without food; or three months without hope.

By Jill K. Applegate

Don’t lament that the holidays are over, there’s still festivities to enjoy. This year, Chinese New Year is on February 14. Ring in a new year of prosperity and health with these dumplings of holiday info.

Go Tiger!

Chinese New Year is in February this year and 2010 is the Year of the Tiger. Queen Elizabeth II, Dwight Eisenhower, Beethoven, and Marilyn Monroe were all born in the year of the tiger, according to About.com. The motto of people born in the year of the tiger is “I win!”

Check the Calendar

Since the Chinese year is not based on the same Gregorian calendar we use in the West, if your birthday falls before the start of the Chinese New Year, your sign is actually the animal of the year before your birth. For example, if you were born on February 1, 2010, you’d be an ox (corresponding to year 2009) instead of a Tiger.

Sowing a Good Harvest

Like many ancient holidays, Chinese New Year celebrations started as end-of-harvest festivities when people would offer thanks for good harvests and make pleas and perform rituals to ensure a good crop in the following year.

Lighting Up the Night

In ancient China, people filled bamboo stems with gunpowder and lit them to create small explosions that were known to ward away evil spirits. These are the ancestors of modern fireworks, which today are deeply associated with the joyful time of year that is Chinese New Year, according to Wikipedia. In modern celebrations, revelers light the long fuse on a bundle of hundreds of red-papered firecrackers and soon the popping fills the air—still loud enough to drive the evil spirits away.

A Safe Show

Fireworks and firecrackers are a traditional and popular part of Chinese New Year, though many cities and regions have banned them due to the fire hazard—each year people using firecrackers suffer serious injuries. Since fireworks are so closely connected with the festivities, cities put on their own displays—safe fireworks shows—to keep the tradition alive.

It is incredible to think that we are already in the year 2010. While reflecting on the things I’ve done over the past ten years, I realized that it has been exactly one decade, to the month, since I moved away from my hometown for the first time to embark upon my collegiate journey in Southern California. During my time away, I attempted to accomplish what most aspiring scholars aim for: independence, new friends, new experiences, and, oh yes, an education.

Back home in Visalia ten years later I’m quite pleased with the direction my path in life has taken me thus far. Nonetheless, the New Year prods me to reflect on the things I’d like to improve. More often than not, the list is long and full of items relative to health and fitness, work, and perhaps most importantly the way I treat others.

There is one thing I’ve learned from years of resolutions: The only ones that have stuck are those that I’ve incorporated into my life within moderation. On the road to self-improvement, it is important to take a break now and then and get back to what make us feel good. For me, such indulgences include comfort food. So for the good of our resolutions, I’d like to suggest that we cut ourselves some slack this month and try out this issue’s Code Seven recipe. Perfectly coordinated and just in time for one of the coldest months of the year, chef Paul has put together a wonderful recipe for chicken and dumplings. This timeless American classic will undoubtedly give you the strength to dive back in to your resolutions, even as it warms your belly and your spirits.

And as your belly is warmed, contemplate keeping the rest of you warm as you read one of our featured articles. Writer Aaron Collins spoke with Steve Carstens, D.O., Medical Director for the Emergency Department at Kaweah Delta, about the dangers of hypothermia and how to avoid becoming a victim of this dangerous and life-threatening condition during the winter months. Part of staying on the right path in life is being prepared, so it is important to know the risks before heading out for a weekend of backcountry skiing or even an afternoon of sightseeing. It is impossible to predict the unforeseen and therefore it’s crucial we know how to stay warm and survive if we find ourselves stuck in a cold-weather emergency.

From myself and the staff at Valley Response Magazine, we would like to wish you all a safe, warm, and healthy new year. May our readers be able to adapt to the turns that our paths take, and may we find unexpected comfort and delight on the journey of 2010.

By Paul Main

When we think of comfort foods, we tend to dream of belly-warming dishes of our childhood and culture, like meatloaf, potatoes, chili, soups, or mac-n-cheese. They tend to be foods we grew up eating, foods we enjoy from our families, something we’ve learned from friends or at the station or office potluck.

The Valley Response Magazine staff, discussing their favorite comfort food, had one commonality: chicken and dumplings. So this edition of Code 7 is a celebration of the Valley Response Magazine staff’s favorite comfort food, but I’ve added a twist. This recipe calls for a precooked, rotisserie-style chicken. Most grocers offer this product, and it is a quick way for busy folks to make this dish. This version simplifies the process for a great-tasting, comforting dish you can use time and again.

Speaking of comfort foods, Valley Response Magazine’s Kellie Palmer and Staci Correia were enjoying a rare break recently, and the discussion turned to making different versions of the cookie

Quick-N-Easy Roasted Chicken and Dumplings

Note: The dumplings can be made from a can of prepared biscuits, to save time. To do this quarter the dough disks and roll them into ball shapes.

Ingredients:

2 pounds rotisserie chicken (precooked, skin removed, deboned, and chopped)

1 can cream of chicken soup (preferably reduced sodium)

2 cans (14-ounce) chicken broth (or mix 28 ounces of water with bouillon)

1 3/4 cup water

1 medium yellow onion, diced small

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 cups frozen peas (or about a can)

1 1/2 cups frozen carrots (or about a can)

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

Dumpling Ingredients:

2 cups baking mix (any brand, like Jiffy or Bisquick-style mix)

2 teaspoons butter (melted)

2/3 cup milk

Method:

In a stockpot, heat oil over medium heat and cook onion and celery for 2-3 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add chopped chicken, broth, cream of chicken soup, water, peas, carrots, and seasonings. Bring to a simmer ensuring the mixture is heated through. In a mixing bowl, combine dumpling ingredients and mix together. Drop rounded tablespoon size dumplings into the soup mixture. If using the canned biscuits, drop the balled-up biscuit quarters into soup mixture. Stir through and let cook for 3-4 minutes. Cover for about 20 minutes until dumplings are cooked through.

This recipe will also work for a slow-cooker. Place all ingredients (except dumplings) into the slow-cooker, stir through, and place on low heat (or high for faster results). About 30 minutes prior to eating, drop the dumplings or biscuits in the mixture. Stir through and let sit for 3-4 minutes. Cover again until ready to eat.

recipe below. As a treat, I have included my version of a “kitchen sink” cookie. This is an easy oatmeal cookie recipe with a bunch of “stuff” added in for fun.

Oats-N-Stuff Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks, plus 1 tablespoon margarine or butter, softened

1 cup (firmly packed) brown sugar

1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups oats (uncooked)

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or substitute with raisins)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix until creamy in appearance. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir through and then combine well with egg mixture. Stir in oats, coconut, chocolate chips, and walnuts.

Using a small scoop or tablespoon, drop rounded cookies onto an ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden in color. Remove from oven; let cool 1-2 minutes and place cookies onto a wire rack to set.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

For making Oats-N-Stuff cookie bars, place mixture in an ungreased 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-7 minutes.

Quick Tips for How to Handle Kitchen Fires

As you often see in the news, most home fires begin in the kitchen. The Home Safety Council advises that the best way to prevent a kitchen fire is to stay near the stove whenever you are cooking, especially when frying. Keep your stove and oven clean. Move anything that can burn at least three feet away from the heat.

Here are a few tips from the Home Safety Council:

Pan Fires - First, put on an oven mitt. Carefully slide a lid or cookie sheet over the pan. This cuts off the oxygen and allows the fire to go down. Turn off the heat at the burner and leave the pan covered and in place. Do not try to move it! Let the pan cool down before you take away the cookie sheet or lid.

Oven Fires – Turn off the heat and keep the door closed. Call the fire department so that firefighters can check for possible flame spread.

Toaster Oven or Microwave Fires – Keep the door closed. Unplug the appliance if you can safely reach the outlet. Call the fire department to report the fire. Have the appliance serviced before you use it again or replace it.

By Aaron Collins

The problem: Agribusiness-related thefts this year cost Tulare County farmers $836,388 in annual losses through October. With 184 reported cases so far this year, that’s a whopping average loss of more than $4,500 per crime.

The good news: More than $302,000 of that stolen property has been recovered—a source of pride within the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Agriculture Crimes Unit. So far in 2009, there have been twenty-seven felony arrests and fourteen misdemeanor arrests, according to Sgt. Robert Schimpf, supervisor of the Ag Crimes Unit.

In 2008, the total loss due to ag crime was $2.3 million for Tulare County, with a recovery of nearly $900,000. This level of incidents was due mostly to the booming price of metals, which led to increased theft.

While property crime units typically experience a recovery rate of just 10 to 20%, the Ag Unit historically has retrieved as much as 50% of stolen goods. Some of this is attributable to the more easily spotted size of large farm equipment and a specialized market for such stolen items. Nonetheless, Schimpf says, “Our unit takes a high level of pride in the recovery statistics.”

But Tulare County Farm Bureau Executive Director Tricia Stever wonders if those incident statistics reflect the true scope of the problem. “I think the figures are an important first step and are evidence of the significance of ag crime in the area, but it probably is not truly reflective of the full scope of the problem, because some goes unreported,” Stever says.

What’s does she think is driving this underreporting problem?

“We know that the most critical step in preventing crimes and solving crimes is to report any problems or suspicious behaviors that arise. But oftentimes it is difficult for farmers and ranchers to gather the necessary data to file a criminal report or provide the necessary details to initiate an investigation,” says Stever.

But she thinks that because these crimes often happen in remote areas, after dark, and away from the view of the property owner, sometimes days or weeks go by before a rural property owner even knows a crime has been committed. When farmers finally discover it, they think the optimal time window to report has passed.

“Sometimes complacency also plays a role,” says Stever, “and the farmer does not report concerns because they feel nothing can be done to rectify the situation. I don’t think this is a result of lack of performance by our local law enforcement, but the understanding that they are busy on many important issues, and sometimes rural crime issues are not the number one priority.”

Even so, Stever feels that TCSO’s approach is “very good and seeks to address the problems. But of course we realize that political will, financial considerations, and staffing constraints do play a role in how much of a priority rural crime prevention (has). I think considering these limitations and challenges, our TCSO does a great job and we feel well informed of their efforts.”

Ag Vulnerabilities

The Ag Crimes Unit guys might disagree on the issue of priorities, but they wholeheartedly agree with Stever’s assessment of the logistics enabling ag crimes.

According to Sgt. Schimpf, a Tulare County native and eleven-year law enforcement veteran, the most significant vulnerability associated with agricultural crime is the environment. “Growers and ranchers conduct their business in rural locations where it is very challenging to protect their assets,” he says, adding that in isolated rural environments “the criminal element will target valuables from equipment to commodities and livestock.”

If location plays a role, so do the vagaries of the shifting economy. When metals prices were up, we heard much about copper theft, for example.

“Metal theft was undoubtedly the most significant challenge for our unit through the fall of 2008,” reports Sgt. Schimpf. “But when prices dropped, we saw a direct decline in theft. During this period of time, the unit was concentrating a majority of our efforts on deterring metal theft and working with the recycling industry.”

A number of new laws are aimed at curbing what was recently a no-questions-asked cash for metals industry. Recyclers must now withhold payment for three days, check a photo ID and take a thumbprint of anyone selling scrap metals. It also requires anyone convicted of metal theft to pay restitution for the materials stolen and for any collateral damage caused during the theft. Sellers must also show a government ID and proof of their current address. If recyclers break the law, they face suspension or revocation of their business license and increased fines and jail time.

SB 447 by Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria, recently appointed Lt. Governor by Governor Schwarzenegger) requires scrap metal dealers and recyclers to report daily which types of materials are being scrapped at their facilities and by whom (similar rules already apply to pawn shop dealers). To offset the impact of the new laws, Schimpf says, “we have worked hand in hand with Tulare County Recyclers to assist them in implementation.”

Ironically, the economy was perhaps nearly as effective in reducing metal theft as law enforcement efforts. In September of 2008, the market prices for recyclable metals began to drop considerably. The reduction in price seemed to directly reduce incidents of theft, Schimpf says. “As the year progressed, traffic at the recycling centers eventually became non-existent. By the end of the year, a majority of the recycle centers had laid off most of their employees and were doing little business.”

Beyond metal theft, the unit experiences similar trends each year, he points out. “Our crime trends change directly with local agricultural processes. With each harvest, regardless of the product, we experience theft” that is specific to the season, Schimpf says. For example, during the winter seasons, wind machines are operable so fuel thefts increase. And depending on chemical applications, growers will be targeted for whatever is being applied at the time.

The Ag Crimes Unit consists of Capt. Mike Boudreaux, Lt. Scott Logue, Sgt. Schimpf, Det. Mike Rubalcaba, Det. Gary Marks, and Det. Dale Cullum. Their mission is to investigate crime associated with any agricultural-related business that takes place in the unincorporated rural areas of the county, and impacts the victim’s commercial production, distribution, or economic livelihood derived from agricultural commodities, livestock, petroleum, chemicals, farm implements, or equipment. The Agricultural Crimes Unit also investigates incidents of recyclable metal theft.

Schimpf points out that growers and ranchers are business people creating a product, like any other business—only their product and efforts cannot be confined to a secured factory or warehouse, and so are often left exposed.

Further complicating matters, farm equipment that is not registered with the DMV is difficult to track. The Ag Crimes Unit’s answer? The Owner Applied Number Program, (OAN) which encourages farmers to number and identify their assets.

Two Types of Criminals

“The Ag Unit encounters no biases when it comes to agricultural crime,” Schimpf says. “The same criminals that target other victims will target ag business too.”

But there are two classes of ag criminals. Those who commit crimes of opportunity—nicking ag equipment or supplies easily swiped by anyone—but also a concerted effort by crime rings that seem to specialize in ag crime, Schimpf says. “Without a doubt, someone targeting agricultural items such as chemicals will have to have a specific knowledge and some sort of market in place to move the item. Some items sought by thieves are more specialized than others, which may distinguish the organized thieves targeting ag products.”

The Ag Crimes Unit deters theft and apprehends violators in a variety of ways, including working varied schedules and conducting surveillance details. The department uses what Schimpf calls “creative forms of modern technology to combat and arrest offenders,” although authorities are protective of their tactics and prefer not to share much with the general public, he adds.

The Ag Crimes team also networks with the Farm Bureau and area service groups such as Kiwanis and Lions Clubs to raise awareness of their efforts.

The Farm Bureau supports the TCSO Ag Crimes effort in a variety of ways, including by helping mitigate yet another type of ag crime: Illegal dumping on farmland. “We provide a trash abatement program to help mitigate the impacts of illegal trash dumping, and provide a hotline to growers to call the Sheriff when dumping has occurred. The Tulare County Sheriff’s office will send out a clean-up crew for tires and other trash. This has been a great success in our county,” says Stever.

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Department Agricultural Crimes Unit is funded by a grant from the Central Valley Rural Crime Prevention Program through the Law Enforcement  Division of the California Office of Emergency Services. Since its inception, the Central Valley Rural Crime Task Force has funded ag crime law enforcement efforts starting in Tulare County. After its initial success, surrounding counties have joined the task force, which now includes thirteen counties.

***Sidebar ***

What Can Agribusinesses Do to Protect Themselves?

The Ag Crimes Unit recommends that all growers and ranchers take every possible step to avoid being a target to thieves.

• Maintain an inventory list of equipment, complete with serial VIN or PIN numbers, make and model, year, color, and any other identifying information.

• Photograph inventory items for identification in the event of a theft.

• Mark your items with an Owner Applied Number (OAN).

• When possible, bring major equipment in from the field each night and adequately secure barns and storage facilities.

• If equipment must be left out overnight, leave it in an area where it can be monitored or seen whenever possible. Disable the equipment by disconnecting the ignition or removing the battery.

• Do not leave equipment in the back of pickup trucks. Lock all tool boxes and try not to display items of value.

• Request that chemicals and other supplies be delivered when needed and do not store them for extended lengths of time. Break any seals on chemical products to deter theft. Open containers are of little value, even in an illegal market.

One of the best options for farmers: The Ag Crimes Unit will also conduct a crime prevention and security assessment upon request. Contact the TCSO Ag Crimes Unit at 1-800-370-9055 or 559-740-4300. In an emergency, call 911 or 559-733-6218.

No bulls, no ropes, no cowboy hats. Just a bunch of guys and gals on hogs—as in Harley-Davidson motorcycles—not to mention BMWs and Kawasakis.

The Third Annual Central California Motorcycle Police Skills Competition, or “Rodeo,” as these events are usually called, was hosted by the Visalia P.D., at Plaza Park Holiday Inn. The competition drew twenty-six officers from departments as far away as Ventura.

It’s timed, it’s tense, and it’s a tribute to the training and skill motorcycle police officers use every day to keep our streets safe—the same skills that save their lives in a high-risk, traffic-packed environment.

In these rodeos, police officers maneuver their motorcycles through a complex maze of orange traffic cones full of near-impossible turns, sharp corners, and circles. Points are deducted for hitting cones, touching a foot down, or running off the course.

Competition is divided into two categories: Harley-Davidson and Metric. Generally, the Metric bike is the more maneuverable bike, but just try and tell that to a seasoned veteran like Visalia Traffic Division Officer Brent Miller. Like the rest of the Visalia Traffic Division Motorcycle officers, Miller rides a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide—759 lbs. of raw power. Watching Officer Miller take his motorcycle around the course is like watching poetry in motion. And it’s a close call when he goes head-to-head with a Ventura P.D. BMW.

“It’s fun,” says Miller, “but as soon as that stopwatch comes out, you kind of feel your pulse race up. I want to be better than everybody else.”

There’s more to it than just getting the fastest time. To win this competition, your performance has to be flawless.

While the intent is to keep the “shiny side up,” as the officers like to put it, there’s always an undercurrent of anticipation for the next spill to happen—much to the delight of both competitors and spectators alike.

“It turns into a spectacle,” says Miller. “In the later runs, (officers) start riding a little harder and now you’ve got cones getting knocked over, people dropping bikes.”

Even though dropping one of these big motorcycles can result in some dings and scraped chrome, not to mention a few blows to the ego, it’s inevitable when pushing the limits in a demanding competition like this. It’s also a vital part of training for motorcycle officers who have the skills to make split-second decisions in real life situations.

“We have a good time but we’re also honing our skill. And it takes a lot of skill to ride one of those bikes out there. It helps us be more comfortable at different speeds on the bike and helps us negotiate through traffic,” Miller says. “In public, there’s bigger stakes. (It’s) not just “slide, hit a cone. It could be a kid. It could be a car.”

Top gun in this year’s Rodeo was Officer Quinn Rediker from Ventura. And next year’s rodeo plans are already in the works. Officer Miller wants to hold the competition in a new location in the hopes of attracting more spectators, vendors, and business for Visalia merchants.

“My goal is to get it to a spot where it’s convenient for people to watch—downtown or Mooney Boulevard. To make it a big competition, spectator-wise, that would make me happy,” says Miller. “I want people to see that we’re good people, we like to have fun and I want people to see that we’re good riders, too.”

Major sponsors of this year’s competition were Kaweah Delta Imaging, All Estates Realty, Grants Air Conditioning, Visalia Harley Davidson, and the Elks Lodge.