INTRADEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE June 23, 2011 12.3 TO: The Honorable Board of Police Commissioners FROM: Chief of Police SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATION FOR THE POLICE COMMISSION DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL AND THE POLICE COMMISSION UNIT CITATION RECOMMENDED ACTIONS 1. That the Board of Police Commissioners award the Police Commission Distinguished Service Medal for service. Specialist Reserve Officer Renee Greif, Serial No. R6071, Public Information Office 2. That the Board of Police Commissioners award the Police Commission Unit Citation for service. Detective Loren Wells, Serial No. 14419 (retired) Detective David Weller, Serial No. 13473 (retired) Detective Joseph Pau, Serial No. 21774 (retired) Detective Jonathan Ix, Serial No. 22709 Police Officer Randall Becker, Serial No. 12838 (retired) Police Officer Herbert Williams, Serial No. 13310 (retired) Police Officer Timothy Cooper, Serial No. 17457 (retired) Police Officer Brian Matthews, Serial No. 22007 (retired) Police Officer Daniel Johnson, Serial No. 23857 (retired) DISCUSSION POLICE COMMISSION DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL SPECIALIST RESERVE OFFICER RENEE GREIF Renee Greif is a Specialist Reserve Officer with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Her affiliation with the LAPD stems from a heartfelt interest in assisting with the Department's counter-terrorism efforts. In 2007, Renee Greif met with Commander Joan McNamara, Assistant Commanding Officer, Counter-Terrorism and Criminal Intelligence Bureau (CTCIB), and expressed her desire to become part of the Los Angeles Police Department's efforts to combat terrorism. As a concerned citizen, former attorney, and someone deeply committed to the welfare and safety of the community, she selflessly offered to dedicate her time to assist CTCIB in their efforts to be leaders in the counter-terrorism field,
The Honorable Board of Police Commissioners Page 2 12.3 The Department's goals involved not only the development of new policies and systems that would engage personnel in a way not previously imagined, but would actively involve the community as true partners in the fight against terrorism. Renee Greif has been an indispensable part of both these goals. Although there were no positions available for her at the time, she proactively maintained contact with Commander McNamara. Realizing that she had the dedication and overwhelming desire to make a difference, Renee Greif was brought on board with CTCIB as a Specialist Reserve Officer in January 2008. Renee Greif wasted no time in becoming an integral part of the CTCIB team, joining the Special Projects Unit of CTCIB to work on the Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) program. The SAR program is based largely on the core belief that citizens and front line police officers are the ones most likely to recognize unusual or suspicious behavior taking place in their communities, and thus they both play a crucial role in preventing terrorism. Renee Greif understood the importance of this concept and started to immediately assemble a committed group of individuals who shared her vision and unwavering enthusiasm to assist her in getting the Department's message of preventing terrorism to the community. She kept the group focused and their direction steady, even when glitches arose. Her imagination and creativity provided the motivation and leadership needed to keep the group on track. The program has since gained national attention and has been adopted as a best practice model by the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, as the standardized and mandated reporting mechanism for suspicious activities potentially related to terrorism. The gathering of information, including previously unreported behaviors, has given counterterrorism investigators the ability to identify patterns of activity and indicators of potential terrorist activity. In the initial stages of the development of the SAR program, she provided invaluable assistance by conducting reviews of the proposals and concepts, bringing the critical eye of a former practicing attorney. Renee Greif conducted comprehensive and exhaustive research on prior terrorist acts that provide historical background on how such acts are carried out. In completing this project, she reviewed hundreds of pages of government reports and biopsies of terrorist events. From this research, the LAPD was able to build a comprehensive database on the types of activities terrorists engage in to prepare for their attacks. This daunting task required her to devote many months of dedication that resulted in CTCIB's ability to develop better terrorism prevention techniques. It also provided invaluable information to the SAR program to enhance its effectiveness as a counter-terrorism program. The Department used a campaign known as "I Watch" to educate the public about the SAR program. An important aspect of this campaign was the production and distribution of a series of public service announcements. Renee Greif was instrumental in facilitating the development and production of these announcements. Her group obtained actors, studio time and production
The Honorable Board of Police Commissioners Page 3 12.3 assistance in the form of editing and sound personnel, to produce a series of public service announcements. The amazing part of this accomplishment was that she managed to complete this seemingly insurmountable task with absolutely no funding. This is a testament to her ability to create relationships and get things done. Rene Greif also took the lead on writing a script for, and development of, an 8-minute law enforcement training video designed to provide officers greater situational awareness regarding the SAR and IWatch programs. She sought assistance from several Department entities to create an easy to read flyer that educates the public about terrorism and how to be an observant citizen. She tirelessly researched other community programs in order to educate herself and avoid any legal issues involving copyright infringement. Renee Greif s vast knowledge of the law helped her navigate through the confusion of various codes and regulations. The community outreach program was released officially in October 2009, and was adopted at the national level. Another avenue that the Department pursued in order to provide information to the public was the creation of a Department-based website for the IWatch campaign. This website is a hub for the citizens of Los Angeles to obtain basic terrorism information and to report suspicious terrorism-related activities. Its expansion at the national level has functioned as a site to direct citizens throughout the country to the appropriate law enforcement agency to report possible terrorist activity. Again, Renee Greif was pivotal in designing this website and providing the invaluable guidance regarding legal issues that have arisen. She has maintained a close relationship with the City Attorney's Office to address legal considerations, and has worked to develop funding sources for the completion of the site that include recurring annual costs. Renee Greif has proven that she is a valuable member to the CTCIB team. Without her dedication and work ethic, many of the projects associated with the Department's efforts to improve its terrorism response would have been delayed or shelved altogether. It is recommended that Specialist Reserve Officer Renee Greif be awarded the Police Commission Distinguished Service Medal for distinguishing herself as a leader, public servant, and innovator, as demonstrated by her outstanding performance and exceptional service in the pioneering of the SAR and IWatch programs. POLICE COMMISSION UNIT CITATION DETECTIVE LOREN WELLS DETECTIVE DAVID WELLER DETECTIVE JOSEPH PAU DETECTIVE JONATHAN IX POLICE OFFICER RANDALL BECKER' POLICE OFFICER HERBERT WILLIAMS POLICE OFFICER TIMOTHY COOPER
The Honorable Board of Police Commissioners Page 4 12.3 POLICE OFFICER BRIAN MATTHEWS POLICE OFFICER DANIEL JOHNSON On February 22, 1990, Department personnel responded to a possible truck bomb parked in front of the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building on Olympic Boulevard. Detective Jonathan Ix was among the first Department personnel to arrive at scene, and he recognized the truck was a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (TED). Detective Ix immediately requested the Bomb Squad's response. When Bomb Squad personnel arrived they encountered a truck containing 55-gallon drums and numerous mortar rounds and approximately 2,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate and diesel fuel oil in five metal drums. The launch of the mortars caused a fire to erupt in the vehicle, and Los Angeles City Fire Department personnel had responded and extinguished the flames before Bomb Squad was called to the scene. An initial assessment conducted by Bomb Squad personnel revealed the drums in the back of the truck were swollen due to the fire and appeared to be highly unstable. Prior to approaching the vehicle, bomb technicians utilized Air Support Division to gain an aerial perspective and gather additional information about the device. Though the material in the truck was unstable and represented a significant explosive threat, the next step in the render-safe process required a manual approach by bomb technicians to open one of the drums and obtain a sample of the material contained inside. Detective Joseph Pau and Officer Herbert Williams approached the smoldering vehicle and confirmed the items in the bed of the truck were a large IED with a total of eight explosive mortar rounds. Using hand tools and physical force, they manually opened one of the drums and obtained a sample which was determined to be a highly explosive mixture of diesel fuel and explosive grade ammonium nitrate prills. Once the material was identified, it was determined that the best course of action was to immediately render safe the explosive mortar rounds aimed at the IRS building. The mortars were protruding from a series of five-gallon cans which were attached to, and positioned between, the 55-gallon drums. Bomb Squad members participated in the hand removal of these dangerous explosive devices and conducted render-safe procedures on each mortar. After all mortars were rendered safe, unit technicians obtained a forklift from a local business and worked together to carefully remove each of the drums from the bed of the truck. Officer Randall Becker, using contacts established during his service with the Air Force National Guard, obtained a large cutting tool which was used to manually open each drum. An examination of the contents revealed the suspect had also placed numerous shotgun shells in the ammonium nitrate/fuel oil mixture. Bomb Squad technicians carefully separated all the shotgun shells from the ammonium nitrate/fuel oil mixture and placed the materials into safe containers for later disposal. Additionally, the suspect had also placed nine five-gallon containers filled with highly flammable liquid in the bed of the truck. Each of these containers was also carefully removed from the truck and transported to a safe location for proper disposal.
The Honorable Board of Police Commissioners Page 5 12.3 During the course of this dynamic and dangerous situation, Bomb Squad personnel, who were faced with no other option, worked continuously for 18 hours carefully and safely completing a dangerous hands-on, render-safe procedure on an unstable, highly explosive device. Sixteen city blocks were evacuated, and the device had the destructive capability to significantly damage or destroy structures in a two-block area. This 2,000-pound truck bomb represented the largest vehicle-borne IED rendered safe in the United States. In the weeks following the incident, Bomb Squad personnel worked closely with Criminal Conspiracy Section investigators. This teamwork led to the identification of the suspect responsible for this incident and several other terrorist bombings against IRS facilities in California, in retaliation for an IRS audit and for unpaid taxes and fines. Detectives Loren Wells, David Weller, Joseph Pau, and Jonathan Ix, along with Officers Randall Becker, Herbert Williams, Timothy Cooper, Brian Matthews, and Daniel Johnson are commended for their courage and dedication to protecting the safety of both the community and their fellow public safety responders. They quickly realized the destructive capability of this large TED and immediately caused a substantial evacuation of the surrounding area. Without hesitation, the bomb technicians put themselves in significant personal danger to diagnose and successfully render safe the truck bomb. It is recommended that they be recognized for their extraordinary bravery and professionalism in completing the only successful render-safe operation of a large vehicle-borne TED in the United States. Should you have any questions, please contact Police Administrator Gloria Grube, Commanding Officer, Personnel Group, at (213) 486-4720. Respectfully, 3 CHARLIE BECK Chief of Police
LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT 1 ---- COMMENDATION REPORT NAME OF INDIVIDUAL/UNIT (If unit, list individuals at beginning of narrative) SERIAL NO. R e Greif R6071 ---- 1...l...,ATION OF OCCURRENCE DIVISION OF OCCURRENCE City of Los Angeles ITEMS ATTACHED TO THIS REPORT: ARREST REPORT SERGEANT'S LOG CTCIB NEWSPAPER ARTICLES DATE RANK RPOS -- 04/15/2009 DIVISION ASSIGNED CTCIB DATE AND TIME OF OCCURRENCE 04/23/2008 0750 WITNESSES STATEMENTS: E.G., (Fire or Paramedic Personnel) CRIME REPORT SCALED DIAGRAM PHOTOGRAPHS v OTHER DESCRIBE THE ACTIVITY, TYPE OF ACTION, OR OCCURRENCE: RELATE FACTS INDICATING DEGREE OF HAZARD INVOLVED AND QUALITIES DEMONSTRATED (COURAGE, INITIATIVE, ETC.). INCLUDE TACTICS USED BY THE INDIVIDUAL(S) IF APPROPRIATE. LIST WITNESSES INTERVIEWED. See Narrative on Pages 2 and 3. PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT RECOGNITION FOR FOUR MINOR MONTHS COMMENDATIONS WITHIN 12 BUREAU REVIEW INDIVIDUAL (BRAVERY) L _I Medal of Valor l Police Medal Awarded Police Star Life Saving Medal q Bureau Commendation 1LAPD Purple Heart BUREAU COMMENDATION RECEIVED BY JUN 24 2010 AWARDS COORD. REPORTING SUPERVISOR (NAME, RANK, SERIAL NO.) Michel A. Kozak, Detective II, # 513 REPORTING SUPERVISOR (Signature) --- / %A l 9 I ACTION TAKEN BY COMMENDATIONS BOARD: 1/18/11 - Recommended Police Commission Distinguished Service Medal _ /FOR ARD TO V ICOMMENDATIONS BOARD ACTION TAKEN BY COMMENDATIONS BOARD INDIVIDUAL (SERVICE) Police Distinguished Service Medal Police Meritorious Service Medal Police Meritorious Achievement Medal Police Commission Distinguished Service Medal Police Commission Integrity Medal Community Policing Medal Human Relations Medal Bureau Commendation CO, COMMENDED EMPLOYEE OR UNIT (NAME, RANK, SERIAL NO.) Michael P. Downing, Deputy Chief, #23692 CO, COMMENDED EMPLOYEE OR UNIT (Signature) BUREA (Si ature) P UNIT Police Commission Unit Citation Police Meritorious Unit Citation Bureau Commendation COMMENDATIONS, AWARDS & DECORATIONS BOARD CHAIR (Signature),...--. _../.. - -. f / A N TAKEN BY AWARDS AND DECORATIONS C MENDATI S, AWARDS & DECORATIONS BOARD REVIEWING OFFICER, OSS (Signatur 01.18.00 (05/09) G 'Mc ii. J ( k. ACTION TAKE Y AWARDS AND DECORATIONS PAGE 1
COMMENDATION REPORT CONTINUATION SHEET Renee Grief is an attorney and a Specialist Reserve Officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. Ms. Grief serves as a board member, committee chair, and community activist for numerous organizations. Her affiliation with the Los A -igeles Police Department stems from a heartfelt interest in assisting with the Department's counter-terrorism efforts. In late 2007, Renee Grief met Commander (ret.) Joan McNamara, Assistant Commanding Officer, CTCIB, at a community meeting she hosted with her husband. Renee approached Commander McNamara and expressed her desire to become part of the Los Angeles Police Department's (LAPD) efforts to combat terrorism. As a concerned citizen and someone deeply committed to the welfare and safety of the community, Renee selflessly offered to dedicate her time to assist CTCIB in their efforts to be leaders in the counter-terrorism arena. The Department's goals involved not only the development of new policies and systems that would engage personnel in a way not previously imagined, but would actively involve the community as true partners in the fight against terrorism. Renee has been an integral and indispensable part of both these goals. Although there were no positions available for Renee to fill, she proactively maintained contact with Commander McNamara. Renee wanted to take an active role in achieving the lofty goals set by the Department in the area of terrorism prevention. Renee was tireless in her efforts to become a vital part of the CTCIB team, and continued to offer her services to the Department and CTCIB. Realizing that Renee had the dedication and overwhelming desire to make a difference, she was brought on board with CTCIB as a Specialist Reserve Officer in January 2008. Renee wasted no time in becoming an integral part of the CTCIB team, joining the Special Projects Unit of CTCIB to work on the Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) program. The program, which has since gained national attention and has been adopted as a best practice model by the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), as the standardized and mandated reporting mechanism for suspicious activities potentially related to terrorism. The gathering of this type of previously unreported behavior has provided counterterrorism investigators with greater information and the proven ability to identify patterns of activity and indicators of potential terrorist activity. In the initial stages of the development of the SAR program, Renee provided immense eq istance by conducting reviews of the initial proposals and concepts, bringing the fresh outlook of a concerned citizen as 1 as the critical eye of a former practicing attorney. Renee conducted comprehensive and exhaustive research on prior terrorist acts that provide historical background on how those acts are carried out. In completing this project, Renee read hundreds of pages of government reports and biopsies of terrorist events. With this research, the LAPD was able to build a comprehensive database on the types of activities terrorists participate in to prepare for their attacks. This daunting task required Renee to devout many months of dedicated effort and organization that resulted in CTCIB's ability to develop better terrorism prediction and prevention techniques. It has also provided invaluable information to the SAR program to enhance its effectiveness as a program. The SAR program is based largely on the core belief that citizens and front line police officers are most likely to recognize unusual or suspicious behavior taking place in their communities, and thus they both play a crucial role in preventing terrorism. Renee understood the importance of this concept and started to immediately assemble a group of fellow reserve officers and community members to assist her in getting the Department's message of preventing terrorism to the community. Renee reached out to the community she was already actively involved in and recruited a diverse and committed group of individuals who shared her vision and unwavering enthusiasm. Renee's team possessed unbelievably diverse skill sets that made the group an undeniable asset in producing innovative and educational products for the public at large. Renee kept the group focused and their direction steady, even when glitches arose. Renee's imagination and creativity provided the motivation and leadership needed to keep the group on track. PAGE 2
COMMENDATION REPORT CONTINUATION SHEET One of the vehicles the Department utilized to engage and educate the public about SARs was through a campaign known as "IWatch." One aspect of this campaign was the production and distribution of a series of public service P-nouncements. Renee was instrumental in facilitating the development and production of these announcements. Renee _zed her group on obtaining actors, studio time and production assistance in the form of editing and sound personnel to produce a series of 60-120 second public service announcement for public distribution. The amazing part of this accomplishment was Renee managed to complete this seemingly insurmountable task with absolutely no funding. This is a testament to Renee's ability to create relationships and get things done with little or no assistance. The quality of this announcement was such that it was presented to former Los Angeles Chief of Police William Bratton during a briefing concerning the Department's community outreach efforts in the area of counter-terrorism. This type of effort has become commonplace for Renee. Renee also took the lead on writing a script for and development of an 8-minute law enforcement training video designed to provide officers greater situational awareness regarding the SAR and IWatch programs. Renee has also dedicated herself to the creation of a flyer for public distribution educating the public about terrorism and how to be an observant citizen. Renee tirelessly researched other community programs to educate herself as well as to avoid any legal issues involving copyright infringement. Renee's vast knowledge of the law from her experience as an attorney helped her navigate through the confusion of various codes and regulations. Renee has reached out to several Department entities to help create an easy to read document that engages and educates the public. This community outreach program was released officially in October 2009, and was adopted at the national level. Another avenue that the Department pursued in order to provide information to the public was the creation of a Department based website for the "I Watch" campaign. This website is a hub for the citizens of Los Angeles to obtain basic terrorism information and report suspicious terrorism related activities. Its expansion at the national level has functioned as a site to direct citizens throughout the country to the appropriate law enforcement agency to report possible terrorist activity. Again, Renee was pivotal in designing this website and providing the invaluable guidance regarding legal issues that have arisen. Renee has liaisoned with the City Attorney's Office to address legal considerations, and has worked to develop funding sources for the completion of this site to include recurring annual costs.,re are any doubts as to Renee's dedication to the Department as Renee has greatly exceeded the number of hours performed by her peer reserve officers. Renee has proven that she is a valuable member for the CTCIB team. Without her dedication and work ethic, many of the projects associated with the Department's efforts to improve their terrorism response would have been delayed or shelved altogether. The Police Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to Reserve Police Officer Specialist Renee Grief for distinguishing herself as a leader, public servant, and innovator, as demonstrated by her outstanding performance and exceptional service in the pioneering and development of the SARs and IWatch programs of excellence. PAGE 3
LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMENDATION REPORT DATE 09/10/2009 Nia r ' OF INDIVIDUAL/UNIT (If unit, list individuals at beginning of narrative) SERIAL NO. RANK DIVISION ASSIGNED LOCATION OF OCCURRENCE 11500 West Olympic Blvd. DIVISION OF OCCURRENCE West Los Angeles DATE AND TIME OF OCCURRENCE 02/22/1990 ITEMS ATTACHED TO THIS REPORT: ARREST REPORT v SERGEANT'S LOG vinewspaper ARTICLES v WITNESSES STATEMENTS: E.G., (Fire or Paramedic Personnel), CRIME REPORT SCALED DIAGRAM PHOTOGRAPHS OTHER DESCRIBE THE ACTIVITY, TYPE OF ACTION, OR OCCURRENCE: RELATE FACTS INDICATING DEGREE OF HAZARD INVOLVED AND QUALITIES DEMONSTRATED (COURAGE, INITIATIVE, ETC.). INCLUDE TACTICS USED BY THE INDIVIDUAL(S) IF APPROPRIATE. LIST WITNESSES INTERVIEWED. Detective Loren Wells #14419 Detective David Weller #13473 Detective Joseph Pau #21774 - Detective Jonathan lx #22709 Officer Randall Becker #12838 ' Officer Herbert Williams #13310 Officer Timothy Cooper #17457 Officer Brian Matthews #22007 Officer Daniel Johnson #23857 On February 22, 1990, the above-listed personnel responded to a possible truck bomb parked in front of the United States Internal Revenue Service building located at 11500 West Olympic Boulevard. Detective Ix was a, g the first Department personnel at scene, and he recognized the truck was a vehicle-borne improvised expiusive device (IED). Detective Ix immediately requested the Bomb Squad's response. When Bomb Squad PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT RECOGNITION FOR FOUR MINOR COMMENDATIONS WITHIN 12 MONTHS BUREAU REVIEW INDIVIDUAL (BRAVERY) LMedal of Valor I Police Medal Awarded Police Star Life Sa y ing Medal Bureau Commendation 1LAPD Purple Heart BUREAU COMMENDATI ACTION TAKEN BY COMMENDATIONS BOARD: 1/18/11 - Recommended Police. _ ACTION TAKEN BY AWARDS AND DECORA :. REPORTING SUPERVISOR (NAME, RANK, SERIAL NO.) Detective II Jim Joy, 22120 REPORTING SUPERVISOR (Signature).a)"... - AM) TO OMMENDATIONS BOARD ACTION TAKEN BY COMMENDATIONS BOARD Police Distinguished Service Medal Police Meritorious Service Medal Police Meritorious Achievement Medal Police Commission Distinguished Service Medal Police Commission Integrity Medal Community Policing Medal Human Relations Medal Bureau Commendation INDIVIDUAL (SERVICE) CO, COMMENDED EMPLOYEE OR UNIT (NAME, RANK, SERIAL NO.) Captain III Horace E. Frank, 25958 CO, COMMENDED EMPLOYEE OR UNIT (Sig ature) BUREAU CO (Sign ure) UNIT q Qn)/0 XPolice Commission Unit Citation Police Meritorious Unit Citation Bureau Commendation COMMENDATIONS, AWARDS & DECORATIONS BOARD CHAIR (Signature) COM ENDATIO OSS (Signature) 4.4.4-----, AWARDS & DECORATIONS BOARD REVIEWING OFFICER, 01.18.00 (05/09) : JUL.1.3 20flION TAKEN BY AWARDS AND DECORATIONS PAGE 1 AWADIne ev-nrmr11-%
COMMENDATION REPORT CONTINUATION SHEET personnel arrived they encountered a truck containing five 55-gallon drums and numerous mortars filled with r r tar rounds and approximately 2,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate and diesel fuel oil in (5) 55-gallon metal L. is. The launch of the mortars caused a fire to erupt in the vehicle, and Los Angeles City Fire Department personnel had responded and extinguished the flames before Bomb Squad was called to the scene. An initial assessment conducted by Bomb Squad personnel revealed the drums in the back of the truck were swollen due to the fire and appeared to be highly unstable. Prior to approaching the truck, bomb technicians utilized Air Support Division assets to gain an airborne perspective and gather additional information about the device. Though the material in the truck was unstable and represented a significant explosive threat, the next step in the render-safe process required a manual approach by bomb technicians to open one of the drums and obtain a sample of the material contained inside. Detective Joe Pau and Officer Herb Williams approached the smoldering vehicle and confirmed the items in the bed of the truck constituted a large IED with a total of eight explosive mortar rounds. Using hand tools and physical force, Detective Pau and Officer Williams manually opened one of the drums and obtained a sample which was determined to be a highly explosive mixture of diesel fuel and explosive grade ammonium nitrate prills. Armed with this information, Bomb Squad concluded the best course of action was to immediately render safe the explosive mortar rounds aimed at the IRS building. The mortars were protruding from a series of fivegallon cans which were attached to and positioned between the 55-gallon drums. It was later determined the combined contents of these drums represented approximately 2,000 pounds of the explosive mixture. All onscene Bomb Squad members participated in the hand removal of these dangerous explosive devices and, in separate locations conducted render-safe procedures on each mortar. After all mortars were rendered safe, unit technicians obtained a forklift from a local business and worked ther to carefully remove each of the drums from the bed of the truck. Officer Becker, using contacts established during his service with the Air Force National Guard, obtained a large cutting tool which was used to manually open each drum. An examination of the contents revealed the suspect had also placed numerous shotgun shells in the ammonium nitrate/fuel oil mixture. Bomb Squad technicians carefully separated all the shotgun shells from the ammonium nitrate/fuel oil mixture and placed the materials into safe containers for later disposal. Further examination of the vehicle revelaed the suspect had also placed nine five-gallon containers filled with highly flammable liquid in the bed of the truck. Each of these containers was also carefully removed from the truck and transported to a safe location for proper disposal. During the course of this dynamic and dangerous situation, Bomb Squad personnel, who were faced with no other option, worked continuously for 18 hours carefully and safely completing a dangerous "hands-on" render-safe procedure on an unstable, highly explosive device. Sixteen city blocks were evacuated during the incident, and the device had the destructive capability to significantly damage or destroy structures in a twoblock area. In fact, this 2,000-pound truck bomb represented the largest vehicle-borne IED rendered safe in the United States. In the weeks following the incident, Bomb Squad personnel worked closely with Criminal Conspiracy Section investigators. This teamwork led to the identification of Dean Harvey Hicks as the person responsble for this incident and other terrorist bombings against IRS facilities in California. Mr. Hicks was the founder and sole member of "Up the IRS, Inc.," an "organization" he created to claim responsibility for the bombings while attempting to conceal his identity. The investigation revealed Hicks orchestrated the bombings in retaliation for an IRS audit which resulted in him being assessed $8,500 for unpaid taxes and a related fine. tonally, Hicks was apparently angered years earlier when an IRS employee was rude and laughed at him c,,,ing a telephone conversation. PAGE 2
COMMENDATION REPORT CONTINUATION SHEET The investigation further revealed that from 1986 to 1991, in six separate incidents (including two initial strikes sting the Chet HoHeld Federal Building in Laguna Niguel, Hicks fired homemade mortar rounds at IRS G.. -es or tied pipe bombs to nearby power poles. In one case, Hicks detonated a car bomb in an underground garage of the IRS facility in Los Angeles. Prior to the February 1990 incident in West Los Angeles, Hicks had attacked the same facility on two separate occasions. These attacks, designed to terrorize IRS employees, became increasingly violent and sophisticated. The majority of the attacks either occurred or were staged to take place on Mondays, when the IRS facilities were fully staffed and very busy. Fortunately, despite Hick's effort to infict maximum casualties, no people were injured or killed. Property damage was the only consequence of his attacks. Hicks subsequently sent a note signed by "Up the IRS, Inc.," to the editor of the Fresno Bee newspaper claiming responsibility for an April 1, 1991 bombing. He was arrested on July 11,1991, at his residence in Costa Mesa, California. In February 1992, Dean Harvey Hicks was sentenced in Federal Court to 20 years in prison for the attacks on IRS buildings in Los Angeles and Orange County. Detectives Wells, Weller, Pau, and lx along with Officers Becker, Williams, Cooper and Matthews are commended for their courage and dedication to protecting the safety of both the community and their fellow public safety responders. These personnel quickly realized the destructive capability of this large vehicleborne IED and immediately caused a substantial evacuation of the surrounding area. Without hesitation, the bomb technicians put themselves in significant personal danger to diagnose and successfully render safe the truck bomb. If the explosive device had functioned as designed, widespread damage to surrounding structures and substantial loss of life would have been inevitable. The consequences would have been catastrophic. The r. 7e listed Bomb Squad personnel are recognized for their extraordinary bravery and professionalism for tl it- actions in completing what remains today the only successful render-safe operation of a large vehicleborne IED in the United States. PAGE 3