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The Angel Trumpet;a fad that sa real killer

By Richard T. Berube

Fla. Poison Information Resource Center

n a broadcast earlier, Dan Rather told thenation on an edition of the CBS Evening

News that in record numbers, Florida's teenagerswere discovering a new, potentially fatal high.

The culprit is a beautiful flower that grows in

many residential neighborhoods, along roadsides,and in fields. It's called Angel Trumpet, and closely

related Devil's Trumpet (commonly called jimsonweed).

Last fall in Orange County, teens "tripping" on

angel's trumpet generated a false 911call about ababy drowning in a retention pond. A young man

from Loxahatchee spent three days in a medicated

coma after he drank a shot-and-a-half of angeltrumpet "tea." In Pasco and Hernando Counties,

teens have been regularly turning up in emergency

rooms after eating the flowers on their way to, orhome from school.

And, last summer, two teenage boys in El Paso,were found dead at a popular party spot along side acanal, after drinking a glassful of jimson weed teathe night before.

In '93, the Florida Poison Information Center atTampa General Hospital reported only eight cases of

exposure to the plant. In the fall of '94, the number

was more than ten times that amount, causing them

to issue a Public Health Alert late in the year.Florida joined several areas of the country where

there were outbreaks, and before long, local andnational news crews sounded the alarm. As a resultof the outbreak, the City of Maitland banned theplanting of angel trumpet.

Angel's Trumpet is a large, silky-white, 5-lobed,

and trumpet shaped flower that droops downward,

and grows on small (8-15 feet) trees. Devil's Trum-

pet is a purple flower that points upward. All partsof the plant are believed to be toxic, and are usually

Continued on page 2

continued from page 1

either eaten or brewed into a tea.Since it is found in yards and isso readily available, teens oftenperceive it to be relatively harm-

less and cheap high. They don' trealize that each plants' toxicand hallucinogenic propertiesvary widely.

Teens also do not realize thatby the time they get high, theyoften have other effects that areuncomfortable, if not dangerous.An easy way to spot a possibleabuser is:

Blind as a bat (dilated pupils)Hot as a pistol (due to fever)

Dry as a bone (decreased saliva)Red as a beet (fever)Mad as a wet hen

(from hallucinations)

~ ~

&Remi'IffHaraoreclGAINESVILLE-Alachua County Sher-iff Stephen N. Qelrichwas recently named

Employer of the Year

by Goodwill indus-

tries-Suncoast. -Sheriff

Qelrich was honored,among other things,for hiring Ns. Kelly

Rivera as a CriminalI@cords Technician.

Kelly is hearing

impaired, but she was hired with 'the proviiIon of only. "minor" accom'modations.

Qelrich was afforded the honor at a luncheon in cicala, spon-sored by Rorida Power Corporation, The sheriff. was initially pre-sented a gold medallion by Florida Power —but, he turned andgracefully presented it to Ns. Rivera for overcoming what she hasproven is no more than a minor hindrance for her.

~ ~

For more information of thisand other toxic poisons, look onthe inside cover of any phonebook in Florida. There's alwaysa listing for your regional branchof the Florida Poison Informa-tion Center.

FLORIDASUPREME COURT

SHIELDS CORDLESSPHONE TALK

Florida law enforce-ment cannot legally inter-cept conversations oncordless phoneswithout courtorders, the stateSupreme Courtruled April 13.

The rulestemmed fromthe case of a Plantation couple

arrested on drug charges after policeoverheard a conversation on the cou-ple's cordless phone.

Four justices agreed that suchinterceptions violate state law. Two

others said cordless phones areexempted from the law but that theprivacy provision in the Florida Con-

stitution banned such interceptions.Joyce and Egardo Mozo were

charged with possession of cocaine,marijuana and drug paraphernaliain June of '91. The arrests came aday after detectives heard part of aconversation in which Mrs. Mozotold an unidentified man askingabout the kind of "stuff" availablethat there was just "powder. Norock."

At the time, detectives werenear the apartment complex using ascanner to monitor private tele-phone calls.

"The detectives' goal was to usethe scanning device to scan frequen-cies at random hoping to come

across some kind of illegal activity. "Justice Charles Wells wrote for themajority, adding that the scannerwas purchased by the police forthat specific activity.

During their trial, the Mozosunsuccessfully asked that the evi-dence be suppressed because thesearch resulted from the intercep-tion. They then pleaded no contest,and filed an appeal.

Wells and three other justicesruled that the interception was ille-

gal because it violated the Securityof Communications Act. Becauseof that decision, the justices saidthey refrained from consideringthe constitutional question.

In a concurring opinion, ChiefJustice Stephen Grimes said he didnot think cordless phones were cov-

ered by the law but that the stateConstitution was violated by theinterception. Justice Major Hard-ing agreed with him.

Courtesy of Crime Control Digest

May 5, 1995

~ ~ ~ ~

EDITOR' SCORNER

By Tom Bertinger

An unfunny joke

ou'll never find me saying orwriting negative thingsabout my current bosses-

the sheriffs of Florida. But, a few

of my now former bosses have leftus with a legacy of shame, andhave, as St. Johns County SheriffNeil Perry so aptly put it, put some"tarnish on the star. " It's a stainthat's going to be hard to polishaway anytime soon.

A few months ago, former GulfCounty Sheriff Al Harrison wasconvicted of making sexual favorsa part of the curriculum for some ofhis female employees and inmates.Shortly thereafter, he was sen-tenced to 51 months in a federalpenitentiary and to copiousamounts of psychological counsel-ing.

As I write, he's plotting hisappeal from a cell in Lexington,Kentucky, and despite substantialphysical evidence and overwhelm-

ing testimony, he vehementlymaintains his innocence. Given the

nature of the charges, whether I actu-ally did it or not, I think I would, too.

The week following Harrison'sconviction, I had the occasion to talkto another one of our sheriffs, and toprotect the innocent, he shall remainnameless. Tongue in cheek, he said,"at the rate we' re going. . . we' ll beable to establish a 'federal peniten-tiary' chapter for the alumni of theFlorida Sheriffs Association. . ."

A joke. But, sadly, a very unfun-

ny joke.As I draft this column, recent for-

mer sheriffs of both Nassau Countyand Hendry County are housed in a

federal pen, and conceivably, if theformer sheriff of Baker County earnsa conviction, he may well earn a spotthere, too.

In an almost inconceivable set ofevents, we' ve had a sheriff whosereputation was built on anti-drugcrime busting —convicted of being asmuggler. And another who thinksthat he can get away with swappingsex in exchange for furloughs from

jail or continued employment. (Aformer sheriff's office co-worker ofmine, one who went on to beappointed the police chief ofChiefland, is in the midst of servinga 27-year stretch, thankfully show-

ing that sheriffs don't necessarilyhave the corner on this auspicious[suspicious] market. )

Here at FSA, several of us havethe occasion to talk to one or moresheriffs on a daily basis, and thereaction from each of them is muchthe same.

". . . What must they have beenthinking —to think they could getaway with this stuff. . .?"

When you have nearly 15,000deputy sheriffs in Florida, thesheer numbers dictate that a few ofthem are going to get into troublein a years' time. But we' re not talk-ing about rookie cops. In eachinstance of late, we' re talking aboutfolks with 25-30 years of experi-ence, and who passed muster at thepolls, a privilege that very few per-sons are ever afforded.

With election year for 65 of the67 sheriffs coming next year, let' sall hope that if no other incentivekeeps everybody straight from hereon out —that one fact will. There-after, let's hope that 'doing what' s

right, lawful and proper' is theincentive.

Florida's sheriffs need no moretarnish on the star.

Publfiher

J, M. "Bndcty" PhQhpi'ties:~9Ireotor.

: Florida, S~,Aseoeiatfion

The AI,L POINTS BULLETIN is published quar-

terly, in Sp~, S~er, FaEand%inter„by the Flori-da. Sheriff Association, a noniproat corporation.

The Florida Sherdls Assocfation intends to convey

various opisuons of lani enf~x@ent individualeiend

oqpuuzations in the state of Florida and. national-enti-ties':irish affect the state. 'Ax6cIes p'uhllshed'"in 'tibia

publication. 4o not necessarily. ;reilect, the, :opiadoi, ns, ofthe Florida 8herdrs Aisociation. The Florida SheriirsAs'sociation does net endorse:er'guarantee any priod-

uct„service or company repri~nl in the arlicles.Florida"~rdrs hiiocistion'

P. O. &a. ,i%19,-:Tallahaesee„FL 8Qal7-2519

FLORIDA SHERIFFS ALL ~OINT' BULLETINVol@me 5, No. 2, 1995

NOTICEDue to an overwhelming

response to the first running ofour Honorary MembershipItems ad ( on the back cover ofthe March/April Sheriff's Star )

we are temporarily out of stockon some items.

We will fill orders as fast asnew supplies come in. Thank

you for your patience and weapologize for any inconve-niences the delay may havecaused.

~ ~ ~ ~

Pinellas tries

video/sound

technology

By Janet Leiser

Tampa 73'ibune

LARGO —Imagine a square,thin video camera the size of a

police badge that quietly records all

you say or do when stopped by a cop.Officers don't hold, aim or focus

the camera while they talk to you.The black gadget is inconspicuously

attached to their uniform shirt.Sound like something from a

sci-fi thriller or the next century?It's not!

Tiny microphones and wide-

angle lenses designed for astronauthelmets and covert federal investi-

gations now are now being field test-ed by fifteen law enforcementagencies across the nation —includ-

ing the Pinellas County SheriffsOffice.

The equipment is manufactured

by a California-based firm known asSystem and Engineering Manage-ment Company (SEMCO).

Pinellas Deputy Gary Williams

who works traffic enforcement start-ed wearing the equipment in mid-

April."I've never had one person ask

what it is,"Williams noted."It's protection for the officer

and the citizen, " said Sgt. Teri Dio-

quino, Pinellas' supervisor of thetraffic enforcement unit.

The camera sends sound andvideo through a wireless transmit-ter attached to the officers belt. An

antenna on the patrol car picks upthe signal, which is recorded by aVCR located on the front floorboard

of the cruiser. A tiny black and white

monitor sits between the two bucketseats, and the officer can play thetape, forward or backward, with theflip of a switch.

The cameras, which cost between

$3-5,000, are expected to be ready forsale in July according to Robert Belt,sales manager for SEMCO.

Dioquino said Pinellas S.O. hasno immediate plans to buy the cam-

era and hasn't used any of the film incourt.

'~,

Florida's inmatepopulations soar

n what could be described as aclear reflection of Florida's

"get tough" policy on lawbreakers, thehead count in Florida's local jails and

prisons tallied at the end of Februaryhave set what may be new all-timerecords.

The Florida Department of Cor-

rections figures show that some56,052 individuals were in state cus-

tody. That number included over44,000 being held in major prisoninstitutions, with the balance at com-

munity correctional centers, roadprisons, forestry camps, or drugtreatment centers.

Of the total number admitted toprison this past year, 91%were male;54% were African-American; and54% were 29 years of age our youngerat the time of their admission. And,

55% of state inmates admitted this

year had a prison sentence of 4years or less.

The three largest contributorsto the state prison system wereHillsborough County and DadeCounty with 12% each, andBroward with 11.8%. That meansthat 1/3 of all prison admissionscame from only 3 of the state's 67counties )

With regard to county jails,there were 39,301 persons heldstatewide at the end of February.Of that number, 89% were male;73% of the total were being held on

felony charges; and 2.6% (1,020)were juvenile males/females.Offenders being held for trial repre-sented 58% of the inmate popula-tion.

In brief. . .NSA establishes court

officers associationThe National Sheriffs Associationrecently announced establishmentof the International Association ofCourt Officers and Services, Inc. , aprivate, non-profit organizationwhich will invite membership of thenation's bailiffs and other court offi-

cers. They plan to offer regionaltraining programs around thenation.

An organizational meeting washeld at Western Kentucky Universi-

ty in Bowling Green, KY, in lateMarch, and officers and directorswere elected for the coming year.Among those elected was the orga-nization's new president, MarshalValentine of the Fairfax County(VA) Sheriff's Office. Tom Berlingerof the Florida Sheriffs Associationwas elected corporate secretary.

Dues are $25 per year, andapplications for membership can besecured by calling Ms. Gladys Ris-ing at (703) 836-7827.

~ ~ ~ ~

COPS' camerasrolled after Tampa

shootout

isfortune for two

Tampa police officers

might mean highdrama for the televi-

sion program COPS.Fox Television's popular show is

now in its eighth season, a program

which highlights the work of reallaw enforcement officers in citiesaround the nation as they patrolstreets, respond to domestic distur-

bances and arrest drug dealers.

On March 23, COPS film crews

were riding with Tampa police.Though the cameras were not fol-

lowing Officers Michael Vigil and

Kevin Howell when they took slugs

from a suspect's assault rifle, theydid record the grisly aftermath,along with the first frantic minutes

of the search for the shooter.

Producer Murray Jordan saidthe incident involving a shooting is

only the second in the show's histo-

ry. An LAPD officer was shot in the

ankle during a taping last year, he

said.

Right now the tape is in thehands of TPD officials after it was

voluntarily turned over by program

officials.

Jordan said that COPS normal-

ly promises not to give tape to inter-

nal affairs reviews, as a condition of

gaining officers' trust. But, when

the images can help clear officers of

any suspected violations or aids in

analysis of a critical incident, COPScooperates.

"We're definitely pro-police, "

Jordan said.

Sheriff's major races for kids

M onroe County Sheriff'sMajor Bob Peryam has a

rather unique way to help raisefunds for children in need-he races stock cars.

For the pastfour years, Peryamhas raced stock cars as a par-ticipant in the 'Top Cop CharityChallenge' as well as the 'All

Police Charity Stock Car Race, '

both intended to serve as a wayto raise funds for youth relatedprojects both in the Keys as wellas across the state of Florida.

"The Florida Sheriffs YouthRanches, the Make-A-WishFoundation, The Learning Schoolfor Handicapped Children andThe Mailman Center for ChildDevelopment have reaped thebenefits of well over $100,000 indonations in the past two yearsalone, " notes the smiling com-mander of law enforcement oper-ations for sprawling county atthe tip of Florida.

Year-round, Peryam and oth-

Wll ~Rs~O', ".f [,

:~ I.

ers are constantly onthe prowl for individual and cor-porate sponsors who are willingto support the maintenance,mechanical upgrades and entryfees. Donations of $250 or moreget the contributor an opportuni-

ty to have their name or corporatelogo painted on the vehicle as anadvertisement, or one can simplyuse the donation for tax deduction

purposes.Ifyou or someone you know is

interested in helping, write himat the Monroe County Sheriff'sOffice at 530 Whitehead Street,Key West, FL 33040, or call himat (305) 292-7057.

In brief. . ."Operation Non-Support" called a success

In late March, the Florida Sheriffs Association Task Force, led by itschairman, Pinellas Sheriff Everett Rice, conducted Operation Non-Sup-port, an effort designed to bring deadbeat parents to justice and makethem pay their fair share of child support.

Pinellas Sgt. Bob Diemer, the statewide task force coordinator,noted that the three-day sweep netted some 882 parents who had defiedcourt orders to pay child support. To date, nearly $500,000 in back sup-port has been collected. Future sweeps are in the o%ng, but it is doubt-ful that they will include such large numbers, since this "wake-up call"will probably rattle the trees of a lot of deadbeat parents and causethem to start paying before they, too, are carted off to jail. . .

~ ~ ~ ~

Compiled by Maury Kolchakian, General Counse

and Michelle E. Smith, Legislative As

with foreword by Tom Berlinger, Director o

ALLAHAS SEE —Florida'srecently completed legislativesession may prove to be one

of the best ever for law enforcementand public safety. All told, the 1995Legislative session passed signifi-cant criminal justice and prison leg-islation long advocated by Florida'sSheriffs.

"We're extremely pleased withthe Legislature's continued acknowl-

edgment that crime remains the 01concern on the minds of Florida's cit-izens, "noted Manatee County Sher-iff Charlie Wells, our Association's1994-95 President.

Wells, along with Pinellas Sher-iff Everett Rice, Legislative Chair-man, Columbia County Sheriff Tom

Tramel, Legislative Vice-Chairman,and a host of other Sheriffs workedthe halls of the Capitol during thesixty day session, and their presencewas felt everywhere they went.

The following list contains shortsummaries of the major legislationpassed this session affecting SheriffsOffices, criminal justice, prisons,juvenile justice and public safety.

SB = Senate BillHB = House Bill

HB 41 - Sexual Battery byPublic OfficersProvides that a law enforcement offi-

cer, correctional officer, or correction-

al probation officer who commitssexual battery by using his/her posi-

tion of authority as an agent of thegovernment to commit the offense, is

guilty of a first

SB56 - SexualRequires the Slic if, after athat a sexualto public safetnotify a sexuatered or requihe must go bethe county whdetermine the

HB 67- ConteEmergency PeProvides thatofficer or emergency rescue wor erwho contracts hepatitis, meningococ-cal meningitis or tuberculosis thatrequires treatment or results in deathis presumed to have contracted thedisease in the line of duty, unlessproven otherwise.

SB 82- Crimes Against Elderly/Dis-abledCreates a new chapter of law whichprovides for enhanced penalties forcommission of crimes against, orexploitation of elderly or disabled per-sons.

SB94- State Prison CapacityIncreases the statutory lawful designcapacity of the state correctional sys-tem from 133%to 150%. The net effectwill be the addition of 4,000 usablestate prison beds within existingprison facilities.

HB 103 - Service ofSubpoenasAllows for the service of witness sub-

poenas by US Mail in the case ofcriminal traffic cases, or second orthird degree felony cases.

SB 168 - Enhanced PenaltiesCreates the Officer Evelyn GortCareer Criminal Act of 1995, requir-ing life imprisonment for careercriminals convicted for three or moreviolent felony offenses, such as rob-bery, burglary, and aggravated bat-tery, one of which included incarcer-ation in state prison. The bill alsoincludes the Sheriffs' enhancedpenalties proposal which increasespenalties for certain other crimes,especially violent crimes that involvechildren, the use of weapons, and thedeath of victims.

Continued on page 8

~ ~

Meet an FSAstaffer ~ ~ .

ith almost 24 years underhis belt, Frank Jones hasearned the distinction of

being the longest term, full-timeemployee, currently on staff at theFlorida Sheriffs Association.

Probably one of the most affa-ble guys you' ll ever meet, Frank isthe rock-steady graphics designspecialist whose day-to-day handi-work is incomparable, and providesthe most visible proof that ourAssociation exists.

You see, for those past 24years, Frank has done all thegraphic design and layout for TheSheri ff's Star magazine, TheRancher magazine, and he' sdesigned any and all of our bumperstickers, auto specialty tags,

Frank Jones

plaques, certificates of all kinds, cof-fee mugs, watch faces, posters, con-ference program materials, and aboutanything else that bears the FSAname or logo.

Frank was born in Jersey City,New Jersey, and earlier this year, hepassed the "big five-0, " as we allreminded him in a birthday celebra-tion held in his honor. His familymoved to Jacksonville when Frankwas five, and except for his time inthe military (where he served a 13-

month stint in Viet-Nam, in trans-portation and drafting/graphicdesign), Frank has been a Floridi-an ever since.

Frank earned a Bachelor ofFine Arts degree, specializing inadvertising and design, from FSU.Straight from college, Frank joinedthe FSA staff in 1971, and he' sbeen here ever since.

Chris, Frank's wife of nineyears, was born and raised in Ger-many. As a result, Frank is knownaround these parts for his bi-annu-

al, month-long pilgrimages toEurope. He has learned about andenjoys many of the cultural fea-tures about Germany (particularlytheir fondness for beer).

Frank is a great guy. If youever come to Tallahassee and havethe occasion to visit FSA head-quarters, a visit by Frank's inter-esting office makes the stopworthwhile. . .

Operation

Precious Cargowins image awards

Operation Precious Cargo(OPC), is a joint venture of The All-

state Foundation, The Florida Sher-

iffs Association and the FloridaHighway Patrol.

The project began on November

9, 1993. For the duration of the pro-

ject, deputies and state troopers dis-

tribute infant and child restraintseats to families in need. The seatsare purchased and donated to both

groups by The Allstate Foundation.

To date, hundreds of seats havebeen provided to families who could

never afford one.

Recently, the Florida PublicRelations Association presented the

program one of its prestigious Gold-

en Image Awards.

Motor Vehicles for invit-

ing Florida's sheriffs toparticipate in this exem-

plary program!

5HATTIR

This annual contest evaluatespublic relations programs in 10 cate-

gories, and OPC won top honors inthe Public Service category. In addi-

tion, the judges recognized OPC with

a Judges' Award, a special honorwhich recognizes extraordinaryresults for the amount of moneyspent.

Brevard County Sheriff "Jake"Miller and Manatee County SheriffCharlie Wells have accepted the offer

to serve as the next sheriff's sites todistribute child safety seats duringthe second half of 1995. We hope thatAllstate will see fit to continue thisvaluable public service for years tocome!

Thanks Allstate! And, thanks toFred Dickinson, Executive Director ofthe Department of Highway Safety &

I.D.

CONFERENCE

PLANNEDThe International Associa-

tion for Identification (FloridaDivision) is holding its annual

training seminar in Tampa later

this year.

The sessions will be held

October 22-26, 1995 at the Wyn-

dham Harbor Island Hotel, amagnificent facility in the heart of

the city.

Registration fee is $70Iper-

son for members, and $95 fornon-members. If you' re interest-

ed in attending, contact SamMcMullin, Forensic Expert at the

Hillsborough County Sheriff's

Office at (813)247-81 35.

~ ~ ~ ~

Continued from page 6SB 172 - Sentencing GuidelinesRevises the Sentencing GuidelinesRanking Chart to provide forenhanced penalties for certaincrimes.

HB 229- Municipal Officer BackupRequires municipal police agencies toschedule at least two officers at alltimes to respond to another officer' scall for assistance, establish a systemfor communicating with the localSheriff's office to request backupassistance, OR establish a mutual aidagreement with another municipallaw enforcement agency regardingbackup assistance of a routinenature.

SB576 - Agricultural OfficersAllows an agricultural law enforce-ment officer to issue uniform trafficcitations to those vehicles illegallypassing through an agriculturalinspection station.

SB 654 - Clothing Allowance forDeputiesProvides for specific statutoryauthority for the Sheriff to pay aclothing and maintenance allowanceto plainclothes deputies.

HB 687- Prison SentencesRequires that an inmate must serveat least 85% of their sentence beforebecoming eligible for release.

SB 2050 - Jail inspectionsImplements budget cuts to the Statebudget by eliminating inspection oflocal jails by the Department of Correc-tions. The bill eliminates jail inspec-tion and report provisions fromChapters 944 and 951, FloridaStatutes.

SB 2216- Domestic ViolenceExpands the civil immunity for lawenforcement officers enforcing domes-

tic violence court orders and restoresthe court's indirect criminal contemptpower for enforcing violations ofdomestic violence or repeat violenceinjunctions. The bill includes theSheriffs' proposed language whichrequires the clerk of court to furnishthe Sheriff with the physical descrip-tion and location information neces-sary for service of the injunction. Also

included in the bill is Sheriffs' lan-guage requiring offenders and injunc-tion violators to attend a batterer'sintervention program.

HB 2421 - Beverage OfficersProvides limited additional arrest pow-

ers to beverage law enforcement off-icer to investigate, enforce andprosecute violations and violators ofnon-beverage laws only if the violationcould result in an administrative pro-ceeding against a license to permitissued by the Division of Alcohol &Tobacco of the Department of Business& Professional Regulation and pro-

vides for consultation and coordina-tion with the local SherifFs Office.

HB 2505 - Juvenile CrimeRequires the court to place a juve-nile in a boot camp and impose 250hours of community service for athird offense of grand theft of amotor vehicle, and provides for 50hours of community service for thefirst offense and 100 hours for thesecond offense.

SB 2944 - CorrectionsEliminates requirements for prisonsiting such as requiring prisons tobe sited close to inmate's families,and conversely provides legislativeintent that the siting of additionalprisons shall be in the most cost-efFective and efficient manner. Thebill also allows the Sheriff to deductan inmate's medical expenses fromhis inmate jail bank account, and toplace a lien against any future bal-ances. The bill expands the numberof offenses for which a blood speci-men must be drawn by Sheriffs forDNA analysis to submit to FDLEfrom juveniles and adults. Addition-

ally, the bill authorizes the Sheriff'sOffice or other law enforcementagency to release informationregarding the presence of a sexualpredator from prison, and protectsthe agency from civil liability.

FLORIDA SHERIFFS ASSOCIATIONTallahassee, FL 32317-2519

Address correction requested

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

TALLAHASSEE, FLPERMIT NO. 94