President Allan Cady opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Ron Thompson, and the invocation offered by Wendell Jones.  His offer to pay $1 for each Rotarian wearing a Rotary pin at the meeting resulted in $20 being added to club coffers.  
 
Penny Bollinger was visiting from the Rotary Club of Gilbert promoting the 33rd year anniversary of their Trivia Night fundraiser which will be held at the Southeast Regional Library in Gilbert from 6-9 PM on March 2, 2018.  CLICK HERE to visit their Facebook page and see more details about the event.
 
There were many guests in attendance at the meeting:  Gerard  Brockerhoff (former member of the Tempe Tri-City Rotary Club),  Antoinette "Tony" Farmer, Dr. Kristen Klein, Carolyn Jones, Heather Harrison, Gloria Lain, Dave Ames, David Fuller, Bill Mickelson, Ben Armer, John Broome, Hope Fuller and Michelle Blanco.
 
Brian Goetzenberger introduced Officer David Fuller, who has over 29 years of service with the Prescott Police Department in various positions.  Officer Fuller is a founding member of the Alzheimer's Alert Project, which provides training and appropriate response education to law enforcement personnel.  He has also helped develop and provide training for active shooter response situations.  He serves as the public information officer.  Hiring, background checks and training of new officers are under his area of responsibility.
 
To begin his portion of the program, Officer Fuller showed an array of photos of the 2017 Shop With A Cop event in Prescott and the surrounding communities.  It was the 20th anniversary of the annual event.  114 children were hosted by twelve agencies for the stopping spree where each child is allowed to spend $250.  Over the 20 years, 1513 children have been served and $328,010 has been spent through the program which is 100% funded by the communities.  One positive outcome of the program is tangible.  A crime prevention officer in his department was taken shopping when she was eight years old.
 
Local residents line the streets to see the 20-mile procession with sirens and flashing lights (often controlled by delighted children "so the officers can pay attention to their driving."  He showed pictures of the morning briefing where 114 officers donated their time.  Santa Claus lands in a helicopter.  It is a really popular event and boosts pride in the entire community.
 
In discussing the Alzheimer's Alert Program, Officer Fuller was quick to point out that Mesa Police Department was one of the first in the state to adopt a program to serve the needs of this growing segment of our population.  In developing a program for Prescott, he used a lot of Mesa's material.  He received a grant to go to Dallas for training.  The class they offer local officers is eight hours long and covers techniques and responses. 
 
They have a bracelet program for those afflicted by Alzheimer's or dementia.  The bracelet is paid for by the grant program.  Each bracelet has a number engraved on it and it is permanently placed on the individual's wrist so they cannot remove it.  He noted that while some victims may not remember the names of their own children, they can be ingenious about working latches on bracelets.  If someone is found with one of the bracelets, officers can call dispatch and obtain the identity of the individual.  Caregivers can also get bracelets, which would be helpful if they needed emergency help and could not communicate for themselves.
 
Violence can be a problem with Alzheimer's/dementia patients.  Officers are trained to make it personal and ask themselves how they would want someone to talk to their own grandfather or grandmother in a similar situation.
 
The other subject Officer Fuller discussed was Active Shooter situations.  He stressed that preparation is extremely important.  In any situation, whether new or familiar, we should assess our surroundings for available exits, hiding places, and observe whether barriers exist that could prevent access to the exits or shelter.  After assessing any situation, be prepared with a plan that includes three options for run, hide, or fight.  If forced to fight, "fight like you are the third chimp on the ramp to Noah's Ark."
 
David Fuller is the brother of Donna Goetzenberger.  Their father served thirty years in law enforcement in the City of Phoenix.  For David, he felt like he went into the family business.  In his own department he can easily count at least eight sets of two or more close family members who feel the same way. 
 
Don Boucher introduced the second speaker, Bill Mickelson, retired from government service in 2008 following an impressive career in law enforcement dating back to 1971 when he joined the Minnehaha County South Dakota Sheriff's Office.  After serving three years as a deputy sheriff, he was appointed to the South Dakota Highway Patrol, where he rose through the ranks and retired as Assistant to the Superintendent of the department in 2001.  In 2001, he was appointed by the South Dakota governor to develop and command a computer crimes unit for the state.  In 2004, Mr. Mickelson was asked to serve as an Assistant Attorney General and Special Agent for the Division of Criminal Investigation.  His most noted accomplishment in that position was the development, implementation and direction of the award-winning South  Dakota 24/7 Sobriety Program.  In 2008, he received the Innovations Award for the 24/7 program.  In 2009, the National Institute for Behavior and Health recognized Mr. Mickelson's efforts with the 24/7 Sobriety Project by awarding him their prestigious John P McGovern Award.
 
Mr. Mickelson is the CEO of The Mickelson Group LLC and Chairman of the National 24/7 Advisory Board (a non-profit education group founded to develop best practices and essential elements for successful 24/7 programs.
 
Mr. Mickelson had a Powerpoint presentation about the 24/7 Sobriety Program.  In 2004, statistics for South Dakota showed how alcohol and illegal drugs were stressing the state's prisons.  Over 1/3 of prison inmates were felony DUI and almost 1/3 were controlled substance felons.  Alcohol was involved in over half of all fatal vehicle accidents.  Over 85% of all prisoners had an admitted drug or alcohol problem.
 
In the 1980's in Bennett County, South Dakota, the 24/7 program had its birth as a hopeful solution to jail overcrowding.  Instead of working to stop the crime, it would be easier, lest costly, and more beneficial to stop the drinking/drug use.  Old philosophy:  "If you don't stop drinking and driving, we'll make you stop driving."  New philosophy:  "If you don't stop drinking and driving, we'll make you stop drinking."
 
Over time, the following 24/7 program evolved:
24/7 Sobriety Program Rules:
  1. No possession or consumption of alcohol or illicit drugs
  2. Must take supervised breath tests twice daily or
  3. In hardship cases use remote testing methods that are accurate
  4. May be required to submit to random drug tests (urinalysis or drug patch)
  5. Participant pays for their participation in the program (indegency issues)
  6. Immediate sanctions - if you skip or fail, you go to jail
  7. Does NOT replace treatment requirements
The immediate consequence is what changes behavior.  After implemented and success began to be apparent, the program grew.  In six months, it went from five to thirty counties.  Six months after that it was before the South Dakota state legislature.  
 
Use quickly expanded with judges using it as a bond condition or post sentence/probation for offenses having a nexus to alcohol or drug abuse, and others.
 
Goals were identified for the program:
  • Reduce incarceration rates (local and state)
  • Reduce Alcohol and drug-related injury and fatal crashes
  • Reduce DUI recidivism rates and crime overall
  • Save taxpayer dollars by using a participant pay model, develop low price points for testing methodologies so testing is affordable.
  • Support testing for specialty courts
  • Keep participant working and providing for families
  • Set the stage for long-term sobriety and behavior changes with treatment protocols and return of cognitive skills
  • Test agencies have expenses offset with participation fees
  • agency participation is voluntary
With implementation, because of the immediate consequence, behaviors did change.  With the breath test, they had 99.05 percent pass rate.  .45% failed the breath test and .45% did not show for the testing.  Millions of taxpayer dollars were saved.
 
The program is spreading across the US and around the world.  
 
The success of the mandatory drug testing is not as dramatic, but still shows amazing savings and improved recidivism rates. 
 
Results of studies in 2012 show corresponding improvements in public health outcomes.  Repeat DUI offenses were reduced, as were domestic violence offenses.
 
Findings published in Lancet Psychiatry in 2016 indicated that 24/7 Sobriety might have public health benefits beyond individuals directly enrolled in the program.  Its implementation was associated with a reduction in all-cause adult mortality, with the largest associations among women.
 
States wanting to implement the program can benefit from the well-documented positive outcomes by Federal grant funds that are now available as a result of the proven success.
 
For more information about the 24/7 Sobriety System, CLICK HERE.
 
Following these two very informative presentations, President Allan Cady presented certifications of appreciation for their service to current and retired law enforcement officers present at the meeting (as seen l-r in photo):
  1. Bill Mickelson, Deputy AG, Special Agent DCI, South Dakota
  2. Don LaBarge, Detective, Phoenix Police Department
  3. Ben Armer, Lieutenant, Maricopa County Sheriff's Department
  4. John Broome, Captain, Washington State Patrol
  5. Tina Thompson, daughter of Manual Farmer III, who lost his life in the line of duty when Tina was a small child
  6. Don Boucher, Detective, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
  7. Jim McGown, Lieutenant, Traffic DUI, Mesa Police Department
  8. Michelle Blanco, Detective, Glendale Police Department
  9. David Fuller, Lead Police Officer, Prescott Police Department
  10. Dave Ames, Detective, Phoenix Police Department
In presenting the awards, President Allan pointed out difference between policing and law enforcement:  Policing is about crime fighting and upholding the laws, and law enforcement is about working with communities for the betterment of society, which makes the work of these officers very similar to what Rotary stands for - Service above Self and striving to adhere to the four-way test.