Brian Landers
Palm Desert
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Articles by Brian Landers
Don’t Cut Corners in Police K-9 Sniffs
With the increase of body-worn, in-squad and casual observer videos of traffic stops these days, more and more K-9 vehicle sniffs are recorded. The result has been more and more attorneys, judges, and juries are able to see a dog’s alert on a vehicle. The indication by a dog’s nose has been legally compared to an officer’s eyes when determining probable cause to enter and search a vehicle absent search incident to a lawful arrest.
26-Year Veteran Set to Become 1st Woman to Lead Alaska Police Department
Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson on Tuesday named Bianca Cross as the next police chief, which will make her the first woman to head the Anchorage Police Department in the city's history. Cross, a 26-year veteran of the department, brings "a wealth of knowledge, expertise and a deep commitment to community policing," Bronson said at a news conference at City Hall. Cross currently serves as captain over the police department's Detective Division.
The Time Is Now to Reduce Mistake-of-Fact Shootings
If you are a hunter, you inevitably read or see a report about a hunter mistaking and shooting another animal for a deer. I live in Wisconsin, a state known for dairy cows, and it seems every deer season someone confuses a several thousand-pound black and white spotted bovine for a 150-pound brown Bambi. In law enforcement, mistake-of-fact (MOF) shootings account for up to a quarter of all officer-involved shootings.
4 Los Angeles County Deputies Injured-2 Critically-in Training Fire
By Josh Cain Source San Gabriel Valley Tribune, West Covina, Calif. A fire during a training exercise at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's sprawling jail facility, Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, left four deputies injured on Tuesday, Oct. 10. Two of the deputies were critically injured, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said. The other two had minor injuries.
Is Greed Good or Bad in Training?
So, I was a uniform wearing "modern day warrior" from late 1982 when I enlisted in the United States Army to be a Military Policeman, through this past October 2022 when I decided forty years behind a badge was enough. When I got out of the Army I went into civilian law enforcement (1985). While a police officer I re-entered military service via the Maryland Army National Guard in 1995 (Light Infantry) through 1998, and then again in 2001 (Combat Engineer) through 2003.
Listen to Your Mom’s Advice and Avoid a Potentially Bad Shoot
There are a few things your mom tried to teach you as a kid. Don’t touch the hot iron, always have clean underwear on, and look both ways before crossing the street. That last one is probably the most important because touching a hot iron or wearing dirty underwear won’t kill you, yet walking out in front of a moving vehicle just might. Every few weeks, video feeds show us officers standing in front of vehicles with guns drawn and shouting commands at the driver.
LANDERS COLUMN: Something cheesy going on in the capitol
Bill Rufenacht, right, with Dairy Connection Inc. of Madison, and Shawn Sadler, with Associated Milk Producers Inc. of Jim Falls, grade Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses during the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest at Madison Area Technical College in Madison last year. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL BRIAN LANDERS Columnist I know I pick on our state legislatures a lot, but can you blame me?
LANDERS COLUMN: King is still dreaming
This week we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I remember first learning about Dr. King back in kindergarten at Alfred Nobel Elementary School in Chicago, years before King’s birthday was a national holiday. Our teacher taught us about King and what he stood for. We listened to his historic, “I have a dream” speech. Her lesson was simple, no matter our differences, we should all be treated equally. As I got older, the lessons of King’s life and ideals became more complex.
LANDERS COLUMN: The insanity of being a Bears fan
LANDERS COLUMN: The insanity of being a Bears fan Here we go again Bears fans, and yes there are a significant number of us firmly planted in our area. We all got our wish as head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace were fired the Monday following the last game of the year, traditionally known as Black Monday, which has become a national holiday for us Bears fans. If you are not a Bears fan, or even a football fan, this column is still a very important lesson about life.
LANDERS COLUMN: Those who ice fish are a curious bunch
LANDERS COLUMN: Those who ice fish are a curious bunch I used to ice fish. In fact, the first time I went ice fishing I fell in and the last time I went ice fishing I fell in. I was about 6-years-old, heading out on Montrose Harbor in Chicago, when I fell into a slushed-over opening on Lake Michigan up to my waist. The last time I fell in was in my mid-20’s trying to get a shanty off Crooked Lake by Oxford, when the ice gave way and I found myself again thigh-deep in cold water.
LANDERS COLUMN: Dallman isn't pulling his weight
LANDERS COLUMN: Dallman isn't pulling his weight Many of you may not be aware of who Alex Dallman is. He is the freshman state representative for the 41st District, which covers portions of Adams, Columbia, Sauk, Marquette, and Green Lake counties. In typical head-shaking fashion, akin to other meaningless legislation, Dallman has introduced a bill to require all animal-drawn vehicles in Wisconsin to start paying registration fees.
LANDERS COLUMN: Put aside differences one day
LANDERS COLUMN: Put aside differences one day Fritz Vincken heard the knock on the door and instantly looked up at his mom in suspense. He rushed towards the door to answer it, only to be pushed aside by his mom as she simultaneously blew out the candles to help conceal the small cabin’s interior. As his mom opened the door, two men stood in the doorway and one laid motionless in the snow behind them.
LANDERS COLUMN: Guns don’t kill people, people like Alec Baldwin do
LANDERS COLUMN: Guns don’t kill people, people like Alec Baldwin do Poor Alec Baldwin. The darling of the snotty, self-absorbed, Hollywood-left had his life torn apart after he shot and killed a crew member on the set of a movie he was making.
LANDERS COLUMN: Replace our state assembly with Starbucks
LANDERS COLUMN: Replace our state assembly with Starbucks If you’ve been paying any attention the past week or so, Gov. Tony Evers vetoed the proposed assembly redistricting maps proposed by the GOP controlled Wisconsin State Legislature. This was hardly a surprise considering the maps are drawn to favor political strongholds of whatever party is in control of the Legislature at the time.
LANDERS COLUMN: As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly
LANDERS COLUMN: As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly Nestled along the shores of Crooked Creek, tucked nicely in the Ozarks, is the little town of Yellville, Arkansas, population 2,506. You might not have heard of Yellville, but it was this time of year a few years back when Yellville was embroiled in one of the most hotly contested debates the town has ever seen. Townsfolk took sides, brothers became enemies, and moms disowned their daughters.
LANDERS COLUMN: Lights on Broadway signify downtown shift in Wisconin Dells
LANDERS COLUMN: Lights on Broadway signify downtown shift in Wisconin Dells Sometimes, the more you see something, the less you appreciate it. For instance, how many times have you driven through your downtown and not given it a second look? Living in Wisconsin Dells, I drive through our downtown several times a week and have become accustom to not giving it much thought.
LANDERS COLUMN: A-a-ron done messed up
I admit from the start, I write this column from a Bears’ fan perspective. I pretty much approach life from a Bears’ fan perspective, which means I am sarcastic, angry, and tired of the Packers beating my team twice every year. Forgive me when I get a chance to gloat about how unethical the Packers and their darling quarterback really are.
LANDERS COLUMN: Keep your hands off my clock
LANDERS COLUMN: Keep your hands off my clock Being the premiere chicken rancher in the city of Wisconsin Dells, I feel I have firmly planted myself as a leader in our agriculture community. And on behalf of all farmers, big and small, I am calling for an end to turning the clocks back this weekend. Nobody knows how or why this concept caught on to start and end Daylight Savings Time.
LANDERS COLUMN: A ghost story for all ages
LANDERS COLUMN: A ghost story for all ages Every city in our area has its haunted history. Baraboo has the famed Al. Ringling House. The Dells has Showboat and Spring Grove Cemetery. Mauston has it’s bird man. And, Portage has the ghosts of every restaurant without a dollar menu and drive-thru that has died off and haunted that city for decades. While every nook and cranny of any city, town, or village has their tales of ghosts and goblins, none really compares to the tale of Jacque the Ripper.
LANDERS COLUMN: All rise for the wrist slappers
LANDERS COLUMN: All rise for the wrist slappers Last month Shaun Smith, a man already out on bond for two other recent disturbances, decides to fight with, batter, and threaten three Wisconsin Dells Police officers trying to arrest him for a disturbance downtown. The officers did their job and took him to Columbia County Jail where the deputies did their job and booked him.
LANDERS COLUMN: Life as a cross country dad
LANDERS COLUMN: Life as a cross country dad I am not a runner. In fact, I hate running. My body was never designed to keep pace with anything faster than a shopping cart with a stuck wheel. So, when our daughter decided she was joining cross country this fall, I knew this would be an experience for all of us. Every parent of a student athlete tries to coach their kids in their chosen sport.
LANDERS COLUMN: The assembly of fools
On Sept. 28, the Wisconsin Assembly passed a bill seeking to ban the teaching of critical race theory from public schools. This is the same brain trust who almost lost $1.5 billion in federal aid to Wisconsin schools because they didn’t read the wording entirely, and who wanted to cancel the additional $300 a month people received when they got laid off or terminated due to COVID. According to Britannica, Critical race theory has two main components.
LANDERS COLUMN: Hold parents accountable
LANDERS COLUMN: Hold parents accountable If you haven’t heard, there is a new craze among the younger generation. No, it’s not listening to bad music, wearing ripped jeans, or watching “Saturday Night Live” and thinking it is funny. The new craze for teenagers is damaging school property for fun. You might say this isn’t a new thing. How many times did we see damaged desks in school or bathrooms stalls littered with graffiti when we were younger?
LANDERS COLUMN: Welcome to Biden’s America
LANDERS COLUMN: Welcome to Biden’s America There are more than 12,000 Afghan refugees currently living at Fort McCoy. They have been there for several weeks. Captive, hungry, depressed, and poorly clothed. The women harassed and threatened by their male counterparts, kids forced to wait in line for hours for food. A multitude of jobs and opportunities await them, but our elected leaders find it more appealing to make them reliant upon government. Welcome, to Joe Biden’s America.
LANDERS COLUMN: Thompson to the rescue
Tommy Thompson proved once again why his style of common-sense leadership is so missed these days. Thompson, the acting president of the University of Wisconsin System, told our State Legislature to shove it when it comes to how the UW will deal with COVID. Our State Legislature, predominantly made-up of puppets for Robin Vos, have been on a tear of creating big government.
LANDERS COLUMN: Riley’s smile a moment of comfort
LANDERS COLUMN: Riley’s smile a moment of comfort Riley and Chris Selfridge knew right away they needed to get to New York. Both members of Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Task Force 1 out of Pennsylvania, their job since they started working together was search and rescue. By 9 p.m. New York time, they were at what was now called, Ground Zero.
LANDERS COLUMN: Civil debate welcomed and it strengthens our democracy
LANDERS COLUMN: Civil debate welcomed and it strengthens our democracy On Aug. 26, I wrote a satire piece to throw some comic relief into the masks in schools debate. My column had some generic tips to help any protester in a tongue in cheek manner. While most readers had a good chuckle at it, others revealed a different side of themselves. This week I decided to share with you what some of the reactions were and offer a more serious take on this debate.
LANDERS COLUMN: A parent’s guide to protesting
LANDERS COLUMN: A parent’s guide to protesting I am offering a public service announcement to all those parents out there protesting their local school boards considering a mask mandate. I’ve seen your protest signs, I’ve watched your school board speeches on video, and I’ve scanned some of your social media posts, and I can’t take it anymore. For crying out loud, nobody is going to take you parents seriously if you don’t know how to protest.
LANDERS COLUMN: A proud moment
On Aug. 14, the Sauk County Fairgrounds hosted a Pride event. Attendees from all over came together for food, art, music, and mutual appreciation for gay and lesbian relationships. As a society, we’ve come a long way to acceptance of gay lifestyles. That’s not to say we are “there” yet, but we’ve made big advancements. Yet there are still some among us who disagree that a man should love a man, or a woman a woman. Any why is that?
LANDERS COLUMN: Waiting for you to end the silence
LANDERS COLUMN: Waiting for you to end the silence On Aug. 7, 29-year-old police officer Ella French was shot in the head while making a traffic stop in Chicago. Her partner was also shot in the same incident. He lived, she died, leaving behind a two-month-old daughter. In the hours following her death, I waited. I waited for leaders to mug for the cameras calling for change. I waited for celebrities to tweet her name. I waited for people to march in the streets with their bullhorns and signs.
LANDERS COLUMN: Back-to-school shopping an ordeal for parent and child
LANDERS COLUMN: Back-to-school shopping an ordeal for parent and child This is the time of year that every kid dreads. It’s the time when stores start advertising “Back to School” sales, signaling the beginning of the end of summer. TV commercials, newspapers, and radio ads blast out big sales on jeans, backpacks, polos, dresses, and the generic-looking Nikes from Kohl’s no kid wants to be seen in.
LANDERS COLUMN: Old Glory deserves respect
LANDERS COLUMN: Old Glory deserves respect In recent weeks, an athlete qualifying for the Olympics got her 15 minutes of fame by turning her back on Old Glory during the traditional flag ceremony. What this naïve lady doesn’t know is that it is quite an honor to be in our flag’s presence. To admire it, hold it, raise it high for all to see. The flag is something special, and nobody knew that better than Sgt. William Carney.
LANDERS COLUMN: Won’t you be my neighbor?
LANDERS COLUMN: Won’t you be my neighbor? The Dells School Board took a unique approach to try to get teachers to actually live where they work, by paying them extra to do so. A $200 stipend is planned for teachers hired that live within the school district boundaries. While some may scoff at this approach, the school board is doing what it can to connect employees with their community. More public employers should take note.
LANDERS COLUMN: Time to end traffic stops
LANDERS COLUMN: Time to end traffic stops In certain locations, you can get a fine mailed to you after being captured on camera blowing a red light, speeding, or not having your transponder on a tollway. The system of camera enforcement for minor traffic violations frees-up the police while keeping people honest. I suggest it’s time to expand that concept. Ask any officer out there and they will most likely tell you that there is no such thing as a “routine” traffic stop.
LANDERS COLUMN: Dells fireworks’ a dud
There was a time that the downtown Dells fireworks was the best show around. The downtown would fill up with families and spectators to watch a great show. To say the downtown Dells fireworks show is now lame is an understatement. Last year, the whole thing was over in what seemed like 12 minutes. “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” lasted longer than the show. Two kids down the block with a lighter and $40 worth of illegal fireworks put on a better show than the city did last year.
LANDERS: Dick Hoyt was the real 'Iron Man'
LANDERS: Dick Hoyt was the real 'Iron Man' Many people think their dad is a super hero, but Dick Hoyt was a real one. When Dick’s son, Rick, was born in 1962, a lack of oxygen during the pregnancy left him born a quadriplegic and with cerebral palsy. With a life destined for no ability to speak, and with spastic movements as his only muscle control, the doctors said that Rick should be institutionalized as caring for him would be too difficult.
LANDERS: Dells crime is its own fault
The local crime headlines are beginning to read more like those from Milwaukee or Madison than in our small humble community of the Dells area. A man gets shot in the Walmart parking lot, a woman murdered in a hotel, a drive-by shooting at Bobbers, another shooting at the Broadway Travelmart, and some guy tries to run over a crowd at Automotion. People wonder if they are safe anymore even going to the store, out to eat, or to pump gas.
Are De-Escalation Policies Dangerous?
Photo: Getty Images The trend of law enforcement policy-making around use of force has been to implement de-escalation policies and mandates. Many police chiefs and sheriffs are considering de-escalation policies, and some may have been politically influenced to implement them. Regardless of reason, de-escalation policies are a predominant topic in contemporary law enforcement.
LANDERS: Who is going to wear the badge next?
LANDERS: Who is going to wear the badge next? Who will be the next generation of law enforcement officers? Who is going to perform CPR on that baby whose mentally challenged mother doesn’t understand why she isn’t breathing anymore? Who is going to share a notepad for communications when a deaf wife needs to be told her husband died in his sleep when he was on vacation? Who is going to offer dignity to the woman that hung herself after being told she wasn’t pretty enough?
LANDERS: Telemarketers are people too
Let’s face it, the state’s telemarketer no-call list is about as reliable as Robin Vos in an IQ test. That call list is worthless, and I have proof because both my wife and I have registered to be on it and we get a dozen telemarketing calls a week if not more. I have grown tired of blocking numbers, as the same telemarketers just use a different origination number the next time.
LANDERS: Neenah Creek's final lesson
I know every member on the Wisconsin Dells School Board. They are not just good people, they are great. They are reputable businesses owners, educators, coaches, public servants, parents, grandparents, and friends. There is absolutely no glory in serving on a school board, and yet they do so anyway. I have been critical of the board at times, they don’t always make decisions I agree with. When was the last time any board or body of government made decisions that everyone agreed with?
LANDERS: Everyone's best Bud
Bud Gussel holds a poster for the 2016 Wo-Zha-Wa Days festival, an event he has spearheaded for most of its 50 years in this file photo from 2016. Gussel, who was a longtime resident, businessman and civic leader, died April 17 at the age of 90. DELLS EVENTS ARCHIVE PHOTO BRIAN LANDERS Columnist If you ever wanted to know anything about the history of the Dells, all you needed to do was go talk to Bud Gussel. The man was a walking Wikipedia of Dells legends, lore, dates, names, and events.
LANDERS: Voting down Dells school referendum made me a horrible parent
LANDERS: Voting down Dells school referendum made me a horrible parent The recent referendum to exceed levy limits in the Dells School District was voted down by area voters. Apparently, because I was one in the majority who voted against the referendum, this made me a horrible parent to some. Admittedly from the get-go I was skeptical about this referendum. I could not attend the informational sessions due to schedule conflicts.
LANDERS: A modern day train robbery
Imagine you are a “businessman,” or “businesswoman,” from Chicago. You work in a plush, high-rise law office or equity firm on Wacker Drive. You have business in Minneapolis and decide to take the train over to Twin Cities, stopping in Portage or Columbus for an overnight visit and some sight-seeing.
LANDERS: Time to end qualified immunity
LANDERS: Time to end qualified immunity This past week, New York’s city council passed a law to end qualified immunity for their police officers. One radical council member described qualified immunity as being, “rooted in our nation’s history as systemic racism,” which historically is inaccurate as it’s really only been applied to modern-day uses since 1982. Here in Wisconsin, two democratic lawmakers introduced a bill at the Capitol this year that aims to do the same thing.
LANDERS: Pandemics are write-offs too
LANDERS: Pandemics are write-offs too Yes, it is that time of year. Time for my annual tax tips that have been tried and proven successful by the likes of Capital Newspapers’ very own, Jason Cuevas and Kevin Damask. Both of whom have become so rich off of my tax tips that they are now scheduled to be guest investors on “Shark Tank.” Of course, they will be virtual guest from Bangladesh because the United States does not have extradition treaties established there…yet.
LANDERS: It's 5 o'clock somewhere
LANDERS: It's 5 o'clock somewhere Her moist nose nudged my hand dangling off the side of the bed. I lifted my head off the pillow to be greeted by an anxious wiggling butt of a basset hound needing to go outside. I slung the warm covers open, sat up, and slipped my feet into my slippers as Lola waddled over to the stairs. Not wanting to be more than ten feet from me at all times, my German Shepherd rose from his bed to join us.
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