Part IV: Kathleen McBroom Missing Person

Here are more of my thoughts on the Kathleen McBroom missing person case.

Ms. McBroom has not been seen since October 27, 2008 in Anchorage, Alaska. Four days later, her truck was discovered abandoned by family members on a highway south of Anchorage. The vehicle contained her cell phone and other personal items.
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In the previous post, I talked about Ms. McBroom's journal writings that appear to reveal a very stressful time at home (a teen daughter returning from a Utah rehabilitation center and forgoing some of her favorite foods in favor of dieting) as well as at work (problems with her supervisor, feeling overworked, and concerns about her professional future).

Note: I selected items from Kathleen’s blog that seem to fit within a plausible theory of her disappearance (accidental fall, left her present life to start over somewhere else, crime victim, etc.).

The case remains open, and my posts should not be considered conclusive proof of anything, but rather highlights of her writings.

And now more from the journal:

A) She enjoyed Alaska, but the limited federal career opportunities (for her to find another equivalent position) in the state added to her stress level.

For instance, in April of 2008, when asked where she would like to retire, Ms. McBroom responded that she never wanted to leave Alaska. She said that she moved to Anchorage 20 years ago and “fell in love with it instantly.”

Four months later, she reiterates her refusal to move from Alaska, and adds that she would outlast her current boss. She had 21 years in at the federal level and did not want to surrender that by leaving her position.

B) She had written at least two blog posts about abuses that she had suffered in her teen years (I don't see a need to provide the direct links from her journal).

C) She was attached to and seemed to crave the attention of friends that she had met through blogging.

D) In the months prior to her disappearance, back problems caused by a fall down a flight of stairs were affecting her physically and mentally.

--Despite wanting to attend, she stated that back pain kept her from her grandmother’s funeral.

--In at least two posts, she describes “zooming” and “being wasted” on her pain medications.

--Though she describes herself as an insomniac who needed little sleep, she admitted that her pain medications were making her drowsy. In this post, she discusses how her husband found her asleep in her truck which was parked in the driveway. Ms. McBroom wrote that she had intended to go mail some letters in the early evening, but obviously did not make it.

E) In previous posts, she provides some insight into life and death.

--She discusses death, and how you should not wait to tell your loved ones how you feel.

--In a series of personal questions and answers, she states:

“(If you were to die tomorrow…Would you tell anyone you were going to die?) probably not.”

--In another response she writes:

“(Where do you see yourself in 5 years)…not here. but wherever i am, i hope i will strive to be find the joy in the moments and those in my life.”

--Finally, when asked about suicide she offers this two-word response:

“an itch.”

I am going to stop here with this post. I apologize for not getting into some of the case issues raised by readers in the comments section, but hope to address that next time.

Previous posts in this series can be accessed by clicking "Kathleen McBroom" on the left margin of the home page or a list of historical posts is here.

Blowing 50 Grand in 48 Hours

There is a lesson to be learned from this:

NEWARK -- After just two days of operation, a gun buyback program in Newark was shut down today because it ran out of money.

"I didn’t expect this quick turnaround," Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow said.

Newark police at a news conference today said they collected 339 weapons during a two-day gun buyback program held this week.

The 339 firearms collected in the 48 hours depleted the $50,000 in funds that were available for the program. The last time Newark held this program, in 2005, it collected 489 weapons over a 2 1/2-month period...

In the past two years, leaders in large US cities including Miami, Oakland, and San Francisco have become smitten with the idea of buying guns from citizens to make communities safer. Gun buyback programs offer residents cash (and in some amnesty) for pistols, rifles, and shotguns turned into police.

These events offer some politicians and police executives the chance to host a feel-good show and reassure others that their community is much safer now that dangerous firearms have been removed from the street.

So, what is wrong with gun buyback initiatives?

Repeated empirical studies have shown that this approach has little if any effect on violent crime rates.

In his seminal work entitled PREVENTING CRIME: WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN'T, WHAT'S PROMISING, criminologist Dr. Lawrence Sherman said this:

…Gun buyback programs are based on two hypotheses. One is that the more guns in a community, the more gun violence there is. There is substantial evidence to support that claim (Reiss and Roth, 1993).

The second hypothesis, however, is not supported by the evidence. That hypothesis is that offering cash for guns in a city will reduce the number of incidents in which guns are used in crime in that city....

There are several reasons why buyback programs may fail to reduce gun violence:

• they often attract guns from areas far from the program city

• they may attract guns that are kept locked up at home, rather than being carried on the street

• potential gun offenders may use the cash from the buyback program to buy a new and potentially more lethal firearm; the buyback cash value for their old gun may exceed market value substantially.

The enormous expense of these programs is instructive.

When St. Louis invested $250,000 in gun buybacks in 1994, the same funds could have been used to match 250 children with Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Those 250 children would then have enjoyed about half the risk of becoming drug users, at least for the first year (Tierney and Grossman with Resch, 1995). But the opportunity cost of the programs never entered into the debate.

Given their high cost and weak theoretical rationale, however, there seems little reason to invest in further testing of the idea...

The issue is not whether one opposes or supports gun control, but rather recognizing that funds are being spent on flawed initiatives.

Hey officials in Newark: please do some research into what works in reducing violent crime, invest your federal and local funds in strategies and programs with proven track records, and let your officers go back to policing.

If you do this, I am certain you'll be able to better invest the $50,000 spent in 48 hours instead of being concerned with grandma’s 1861 .58 caliber Enfield muzzleloader mounted above her fireplace.

Help I'm Alone Today: A Dad's Survival Guide

Note: I am still finishing a few of my missing persons posts (a topic that I like to start with on Monday), and hope to have at least one ready later in the week.

Until then, I offer this...
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You’re a dad. Your wife is spending a well-deserved day away from home—shopping, visiting with friends or family, or just enjoying some child-free time.

Unfortunately for Dad, it is a cold and rainy day. There will be no outside activities. No park visits and your non-urban area offers little to assist fathers with kid-friendly entertainment (no mall, amusement parks, arcade, etc.).

How is a father supposed to entertain three children and still negotiate a stop at a hardware store to purchase a few odds and ends?

With a little creativity and patience, the information in this post may just turn you into a hero playmate in the eyes of your youngsters and perhaps even be considered a clever and responsible parent with respect to the Mrs.

I propose taking the kids to the giant box hardware store near you, Lowes or Home Depot, for a couple hours of directed fun for all.

How can a store containing treated lumber and hex bolts be interesting to children?

Well, here are my top 5 ways to kill 90 minutes with the family at this type of retailer:

Number 5: Cleaning Supplies
Kids can’t get enough of cleaning. I am not sure what age that this interest in scrubbing vanishes, but I say take advantage of it now. At the hardware place, the cleaning aisle is a hands-on playhouse for kids. Mops, brooms, scrub brushes, car washing accessories, and even a variety of different colored toilet brushes will keep those little ones busy for awhile.

Eventually, when the broom sword fighting becomes dangerous to innocent pedestrians, you can still buy a few additional minutes by grabbing a large yellow car wash sponge and doing your best Sponge Bob Square Pants impersonation.
Advantage: Home Depot—All this good stuff is in one place and in an area not frequented by paying customers.

Number 4: Carpets, Flooring, and Rugs
Carpet patches displayed in book-like setups at little kid eye level are a big hit. After watching them flip through 4 books of 30 carpet styles, I am even weary. Feeling the different textures on the flooring and the rug displays are also a big hit.
Advantage: Home Depot—Their rugs are hung on a vertically display and the kids can hide somewhat from their siblings.

Number 3: Toilets and Bathrooms
What can be more fun than trying a few commodes on for size? And why are children always interested in bathtubs until it is time to actually take a bath?
Advantage: Lowes—Their stylish sink displays including the metallic looks hold the children’s attention for more than a few minutes.

Number 2: Faucets
This is the favorite regular aisle for the little people. Numerous faucets, shower fixtures, and kitchen hoses, hanging at lower levels are irresistible for kids wanting to turn, push, and pull. Even displays of plumbers tape with different colored containers like red, green, and yellow have made for improvised games of matching.
Advantage: Home Depot—Lowe’s displays are all out of reach for the little ones, while HD has faucets at just the right height for a three-year old.

Number 1: Outdoor Sheds
Nothing is as close to a kid’s clubhouse as an outdoor shed on display at one of these stores. The kids take advantage of the variety of sheds and go in and out numerous times before eventually identifying a favorite.

Many of these wooden and metal structures contain display cases that always need to be rearranged according to a kid’s needs and desires. A few models even have front and side doors that allow for a guessing game of which door will the child enter through next?
Advantage: Home Depot—The sheds are lined up against a curb which means I don’t have to worry about cars on any road behind.

Seasonable Honorable Mention: Holiday Displays
If you are fortunate enough to have access to the Halloween or Christmas displays at these stores, your kids can be in for a real treat. The giant snowmen, Santa Claus on a teeter-totter, or Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer always bring a smile (pumpkins or whatever for Halloween is neat as well).

And what is better than watching little kids push the demo buttons on 26 (yes, I counted) large display snow globes so that they are all playing holiday music simultaneously?

This is not a comprehensive list of ways to play at a hardware store, and with a little creativity, I am sure you will develop other ideas for entertainment.

In sum, follow this tour guide the next time you visit your favorite box hardware store with young sons and daughters, and you’ll leave the store’s parking lot with tired children as well as the few needed parts for that home project.

Most importantly, upon her return, the Mrs. will receive glowing reports from the children regarding how great of a host Dad can be.

Homeless Man Speaks

People start online journals for a variety of reasons.

Some connect with their friends and family. Others want a pulpit to speak from on specific topics. For some, blogging is simply a good way to practice writing.

Still other journals were started with a greater purpose. They contain poignant and unique messages that bolster a reader’s understanding of an issue or the world.

One such journal is Homeless Man Speaks; a blog that features citizen "Philip’s" regular exchanges with a homeless man named "Tony" in Toronto, Canada:

...I’ve known Tony for about 5 years. I estimate that he’s about 55 yrs old. Tony spends most days coaxing a dime or a quarter or a dollar or a fiver from folks walking by, familiar and not.

From what I can tell, Tony finances his life one meal at a time, plus the cost of a bed for the evening when he can collect enough money. Most mornings, I find him perched on a stack of milk crates, near my favourite coffee shop.

Tony’s cap acts as a nest for loose change, and his small cardboard signs attempt to catch your eye and your heart. I see him most days at around 8am when he’s generally “working on” breakfast...

Philip has detailed Tony’s experience (including jail, illnesses, and hospital visits) for about four years now.

One post of Tony and Philip that caught my eye dovetails well with a story that Cst. Sandra Glendinning (Vancouver Police Department) told about a homeless man who helped her during a fight with an arrestee. Tony's post is entitled "Just Doing Their Job":

TONY
“You hear about the old guy who got jumped down Ronces earlier?”

PHILIP
“What happened?”

TONY
“I don’t know but next thing you know, there’s six cop cars right there. You can say what you want about our cops but they sure can do their job when they need to.”

Very few of us citizens will experience life as a police officer or as a homeless person, but the wealth of information available through blogs like these will certainly give us a better understanding of the world around us.

Part III: Kathleen McBroom Missing Person

This is my third post on the disappearance of Kathleen McBroom.

On October 27, 2008, Ms. McBroom did not arrive at her workplace, a federal government facility in Anchorage, Alaska, and was reported missing by her family the next day. Her truck was found abandoned on a highway south of Anchorage along with her cell phone and other personal items (recovered inside the vehicle).

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3) In my novice opinion, what aspects of the case are odd and/or important?

In General

--I am not familiar with the area, but believe that Ms. McBroom lived in Anchorage and the news articles list her employer as the US Army Corps of Engineers in Anchorage. I mapped the approximate location her vehicle was recovered, and that section of the Seward Highway near Girdwood is well south of her employer (and I assume her residence as well).

--Assuming that she started work at 0800 or 0830 like most federal jobs, if she was encountered by police at 0830 on a road well south of her job, she had either changed her mind about work or something happened to cause her to detour from her planned route.

--In the news article, it states that she was wearing walking shoes and not shoes typically worn to work.

--The land surrounding the Seward Highway near Girdwood is described as rugged. The specific area where Ms. McBroom's truck was recovered includes cliffs, drop-offs, and an estimated 30 foot surf in the waters below the highway on the day she went missing.

--Another article states that she had struggled in the past with bipolar disorder.

From Her Journal

--Her 16 year old daughter had just returned home from a residential treatment center in Utah for a week’s visit. Ms. McBroom was concerned how her daughters would get along, but stated things were going well with her family.

--Her professional life was very important to her. She indicates several times in the journal that she was unable to be proactive due to the volume of her workload, and it bothered her. She was concerned about the future of her career:

...i think i am bored and wanting to move on, to step outside of my comfort zone. and i think the thought of staying in my present career field until i retire at age 55 (that’s 15 more years) sounds stifling. i feel this urge that i want to explore something else and staying another 15 years in the same field feels depressing to me. i’m not sure what to do...

--She felt her career was missing something:

…but i crave something career wise that i can’t quite put my finger on yet. and i think i am kind of afraid to do something about it right now. but i feel this some kind of itch that i can’t quite reach yet. and i think i likely will keep feeling this itch until i find what it is. i’m not done looking.

--The federal fiscal year ends on September 30, and Ms. McBroom makes mention that her workload had become almost unbearable-—but she reported it getting better due to less overtime as noted on September 24.

--She was aggressively dieting. Ms. McBroom reported losing over 33 lbs. since JAN of 2008, had changed her eating habits, and increased her physical activity (e.g. climbing stairs).

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I'll continue next time with several surprising entries from Ms. McBroom's journal.

Previous posts in this series can be accessed by clicking "Kathleen McBroom" on the left margin of the home page or a list of historical posts is here.

Note: Image was used from this site.

Questionable Safety Tips

The Mrs. handed me a sheet of paper that she had received at work. A co-worker had been passing them out to others, and felt it offered priceless advice to prevent abductions and attacks.

The title of the handout is: Safety Tips from Abduction or Attack.

Listed were 10 “…things to do in an emergency situation.”

I read the recommendations and the explanations. Some made sense, others were questionable. The list is a bit long so I won’t reprint it, but you can see the handout here.

Perhaps, you may have seen these recommendations previously or received a similar email.

As the historian in me took charge, I quickly Googled some of the handout’s contents to determine its origin—and Snopes provided the answer.

Versions of the list have been around for eight years and are believed to be derived from notes of an attendee of safety consultant Pat Malone’s workshops.

There are good common sense points included like: 1) avoid taking the stairs in large buildings, 2) be aware of your surroundings, and 3) if you are thrown into the trunk of a car, try to kick the back tail lights out as an option (looking to see if there is a trunk release lever is also wise).

As with many of these Internet lists, there is also questionable advice such as:

The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to your attacker to use it, do!

Using your elbow may be a good tactic, but chemical spray, stun guns, eye gouging, kicks to the lower lower mid section, or running and screaming may be more viable depending on the situation and the victim.

Advising folks to start swinging elbows in an incident as the best choice could certainly be counterproductive.

Some of the directive’s content is also concerning:

If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, Always run! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then it most likely will not be a vital organ…

Different situations may require different responses—telling a victim to “always run” does not recognize the diversity that exists in criminal encounters (I have never seen the 4% chance of being hit stat before).

Also, the "don’t worry, you are not likely to be shot in an appendage that you need" comment reminded me of the Old Western movie where the hero is pointing a two-shot derringer gun at a group of four bad guys. One of the bad guys says: "come on boys he can only take out a couple of us before we get him."

The hero then responds with: "Which two of you are going to take the bullets?" To which none of the four assailants advance.

Now which four of us "running victims" are going to take the bullets?

Finally, the last two recommendations relate to alleged ploys by criminals to get you to open your front door at night—one involving turning on all of the water faucets and another using recorded cries of a baby.

Being careful about opening your front door at night, regardless of the reason, is simply good advice, but the specific scare reference in the document to a serial killer using the latter tactic in Louisiana has been shown to be unfounded.

In sum, the document contains items to think about regarding personal safety, but falls short as an appropriate guide to prevent/escape from abductions and attacks.

What is the most surprising thing about the list?

That it is posted to the Carrington (ND) Police Department’s website as a form available for citizens. I hope this is an oversight, and they are not portraying this flawed document as the gospel on safety.

Now that would be a serious gaffe...

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Note: The photo is of the Stun Master 200.

A Few Words on Fort Hood

I expect a few things after the recent tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas.

Leaders and politicians will assure us that measures are being adopted to prevent this from happening again. The media will publicize the stories of relatives, acquaintances, and co-workers of the accused shooter Major Nidal Malik Hasan--trying to determine how many warning signs were missed.

The families of the victims will bury their dead loved ones: parents, fathers, sons, daughters, friends, soldiers, and comrades.

Finally, a few months from now, a report will be issued that, among many concerning issues identified after studying this mass murder, discusses how the executives and employees of federal agencies don't communicate very well with each other.

One element that I do not anticipate being covered in the media or the lengthy post-incident reports relates to organizational structure and control in the military.

The armed services use a very strict disciplinary and supervisory style. The "militaristic system" is designed to tightly control the behaviors of soldiers; especially the actions of lower-level employees (e.g, privates and corporals). The lower the rank of the solider, the greater the constraints and risk for disciplinary action.

With police agencies using quasi-militaristic organizational structures, this observation is applicable to law enforcement as well. The patrol officer has many more controlling eyes and ears on his or her behaviors as compared to a precinct's captain.

Is it easier for a major in the US Army or a captain in the city's police department to display troubling behaviors that go unreported? Is the Internet use of command staff watched as closely as entry-level workers? What about vehicle use?

Would lower-ranking employees be hesitant to document suspicious actions of their supervisors' supervisor?

In the armed services and in policing, fewer controls are applied to those with higher rank as opposed to the grunt or the beat cop.

I pitched this idea to career USMC sergeant major Dad, and his quick response was:

Sure, that major could have waltzed in the front gate of the base with a howitzer, and not been challenged. At least he could in that branch of the service.

Despite dad's reply sprinkled with the usual healthy dose of rivalry that exists between the Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force, I still think that the alleged gunman's high rank played a factor in the failure/slow pace involved in investigating his behaviors prior to the attack.

I don't expect to see this issue addressed because it is difficult to modify the militaristic system--it has always been that way. Unfortunately, this incident shows that lives are at stake and reports (without fear of punishment) from lower level employees about potentially dangerous behaviors of ranking officials should be encouraged and not suppressed.

More Honest Scrap

Thanks (I think) to Christopher for the Honest Scrap Award.

In compliance with the rules, I nominate the following seven great bloggers for the same award:

Mappchik, Expat (oops, looks like he received it in August), BobKat, Sean F., JJ (don’t think the Centre Daily Times would appreciate you deviating from your charged blog topic), Katherine MG., and the fantastic Angelcel.

Also, here are ten things about me:

1) Despite living in several places in the US as a military brat, if I had been asked in undergraduate where I planned to live, the Northeastern US (where I am now), would be dead last. Even the Mrs., who is a native of the state we reside, has to agree with my comments about how unfriendly the people are and the cold weather being an annoyance.

2) In my junior year of high school, a college baseball coach (from a tiny college in Nebraska) called the house and was trying to recruit me for his team. I thanked him for the call, but had to laugh that he was either intoxicated when he saw me play or he mistook me for another player on the team. I was a good contact hitter with speed, but my lollipop arm is best suited for throwing dirty shirts in the laundry hamper.

3) I was lucky to be hired by the first police department that I applied to. Each agency is different in what makes a good candidate, but at larger agencies, where those selecting have some leeway once applicants are assigned a rating, a good GPA can make a difference. Whatever major a student pursues, advising him/her to excel academically is a no-brainer.

4) I met the Mrs. through my dog; which is odd because she is not a dog person.

5) My parents met and were married in Somalia. My father was an active-duty Marine and in charge of security at the American embassy (which no longer exists there). My mom worked for the CIA-—which, after leaving, she was not permitted to list on a resume for decades.

6) I believe that I know a little about a lot of things, and a lot about nothing.

7) At a football practice near the end of my senior season in high school, a very quiet assistant coach that I respected a great deal, reprimanded me in front of the team during wind sprints. Among the things he shouted: “Slam, you are the biggest underachiever on this team!” To this day, I can relive that exact moment--I see the yellow of the grass, the setting of the October sun, the other coaches staring at me, and the pounding of my feet as I ran faster-—this criticism continues to motivate me today as I can still hear the coach’s shrill voice.

8) I like to think that I do well by being prepared. I tend to immerse myself in research looking at the pros and cons so that I can argue a perspective effectively.

9) Since becoming a father several years ago, I define a good pair of pants or a pullover by the number of pockets for holding stuff (diapers, juice, Kleenexes, etc.) that is included.

10) Recently, I saw a family Thanksgiving picture taken when I was eleven or twelve years old. Of the ten relatives there, four are deceased and three I have not talked with directly more than once in twenty years. This disappointing revelation certainly puts the upcoming holiday in perspective, and emphasizes the need for me to treasure every moment of time with family.