BADGE 149 NEWSLETTER MAY / JUNE 2018

Captain Gary P. Jones [retired] FORT LAUDERDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT 1967 - 1993 FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE, DIVISION OF INSURANCE FRAUD 1993 - 2003

FYI (My Eye Surgery update)  On March 5th I had surgery on my left eye and for the past few months I've been pretty much blind in that eye. This is the main reason why I haven't been able to send out this newsletter once a month, as I originally intended. Now however, I paid a final visit to my eye doctor on June 6th and he indicated everything seems to be alright. The gas bubble he put into the eye is now entirely gone and my overall vision is slowly, but surely, returning to normal. He said this might take another month, or so, but he is confident I will make a full recovery. I want to thank all of you who have kept me in your thoughts and your prayers. It has been appreciated.

DID YOU KNOW THAT....  The .22 caliber American 180 was one of the first laser-sighted machine guns carried by law enforcement in America. Fort Lauderdale P.D. was one of the first, if not the first, to carry this awesome weapon. Fort Lauderdale P.D.'s Tactical Impact Unit (T.I.U.) was the first in the nation to use this weapon in a deadly force confrontation. The good guys won!

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The American 180 laser-sighted machine gun The rental car used by two bad guys who robbed a drive-thru milk store in Lauderhill, Florida, in 1974.

One of the two shotgun patterns on the vehicle's trunk was the result of my firing when the car was backing up at a high speed, with the driver trying to run my partner and I over. The 2nd pattern hit the trunk when the vehicle was fleeing. The vehicle's rear window was destroyed by my partner's American 180. The end result was one bad guy dead, and the other one wounded. In my 1st book ( Badge 149 - "Shots Fired!" ) I wrote about this deadly force confrontation. If you want to learn more about this awesome weapon, just click on the photo of the American 180 above. You will be taken to the web site for E&L Manufacturing, Inc. , the company in Oregon that still sells and services the 180.

It is a fact that suicides involving retired military personnel, and law enforcement professionals, occur at a much higher rate than that of the general population. In my book I discuss suicide and the law enforcement profession.

In my book I also described my volunteer work with my local 2-1-1 crisis hotline, which also handled the Suicide Prevention Lifeline calls for the Tallahassee area. If you would like to help and make a difference you might want to volunteer with your local 2-1-1.

QUOTES WORTH REMEMBERING

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"  Edmund Burke (Irish statesman) 1729-1797

SOME GOOD BOOKS WORTH READING Every year I attend the Southeastern Writers Workshops at Epworth by the Sea, on St. Simons Island, Georgia. Unfortunately, this year I wasn't able to do so. However, one of the other individuals who did attend put together this list of books they wanted to eventually read. There are some very good books on this list and I'm honored that my book (Badge 149 - "Shots Fired!") was also included, too.

 If you have already purchased one of my two books, thank you! If you enjoyed the book(s) I would ask you to consider writing a short review of the book, either on Amazon or at my publisher's online bookstore. My publisher's online bookstore is at: www.buybooksontheweb.com (You can also just click on the "Book Review" Logo above) Go to the "True Crime" section to read the book reviews already there, or to make a new one. 

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Gary P. Jones, Captain [retired] | Jones313@aol.com | www.badge149.com