PoliceOne.com has published a column by Keith McPheeters of Cops on Top, describing the recent memorial expeditions undertaken by the organization.

Chris Singleton reports following a memorial ceremony held at San Franciso Police Department's Bayview Station for Officer Isaac Espinoza. Please click the play control below to listen to the update, or click the MP3 link to play the update in your MP3 player software.

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Cops on Top has a large number of expedition T-shirts and pins available to anyone interested. All funds go straight back into the organization to pay for the materials sold and to fund our upcoming expeditions. Pins are $5.00 and t-shirts are $15, plus shipping costs.

For more information and to place an order, please email info@copsontop.com with your requested number of pins and shirts (please include sizes) and your mailing address. We will respond with a total cost and let you know where you can send your check.

Cops on Top memorial pins - $5.00

Cops on Top Kilimanjaro Memorial Expedition T-Shirts - $15.00

Front of shirt:

Back of shirt:

This is the final audio update filed from the field by Steve Evans of the Cops on Top expedition team. The team has returned to town from the mountain, and will soon be heading to their respective homes. Please click the play control below to listen to the update, or click the MP3 link to play the update in your MP3 player software.

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This is an audio update filed from the field by Keith McPheeters of the Cops on Top expedition team. The team is heading down off the mountain today. Please click the play control below to listen to the update, or click the MP3 link to play the update in your MP3 player software.

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This is an audio update filed from the field by Stu Frink the Cops on Top expedition team. The team has returned from the summit to a camp where they will stay the evening. Please click the play control below to listen to the update, or click the MP3 link to play the update in your MP3 player software.

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This is a compilation, in chronological order, of all the audio updates from the team from arrival in Africa to the summit of Kilimanjaro. Please click the play control below to listen to the update (no MP3 link is available for this audio file).

This is a second audio update filed from the field by the Cops on Top expedition team. Keith McPheeters describes how all 13 team members have made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro in honor of the life and service of Officer Isaac Espinoza of the SFPD. That includes Officer Rocky Fails, who just a few months ago underwent surgery and medical therapy for cancer. This is a very proud day for the team, and they are thinking of the Espinoza family.

Isaac will never be forgoten.

Please click the play control below to listen to the update, or click the MP3 link to play the update in your MP3 player software.

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The entire team is on the summit of Kilimanjaro! This is an audio update filed from the field by Rick Bruce of the San Francisco Police Department and member of the Cops on Top expedition team. Rick describes the team's activities, including how they used Isaac's bat to hit a few on the Kilimanjaro glacier. The team is a little closer to Isaac, because they are a little closer to heaven.

Please click the play control below to listen to the update, or click the MP3 link to play the update in your MP3 player software.

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Stu Frink files an update via satellite phone from Kilimanjaro. The team is at its final resting point before it makes its summit attempt. Team members are healthy and looking forward to the summit attempt in a few hours. Camp altitude is 15,500+ feet. Click the play button below to listen to the update, or click the MP3 link to play the update in your MP3 player software.

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Sgt. Keith McPheeters checks in with an audio update filed from the field by the Cops on Top expedition team. The team has one last leg to their final rest camp at around 15,000 feet, and will be starting thier summit bid at midnight tonight Kilimanjaro time. Please click the play control below to listen to the update, or click the MP3 link to play the update in your MP3 player software.

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This is an audio update filed Saturday afternoon Kilimanjaro time by Rocky Fails of the the Cops on Top expedition team. The team is at 12,900 feet. Please click the play control below to listen to the update, or click the MP3 link to play the update in your MP3 player software.

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Steve Evans checks in. The team is doing well and is at Cave 3. This is an audio update filed from the field by the Cops on Top expedition team, which is climbing Kilimanjaro in memory of Officer Isaac Espinoza of the San Francisco Police Department. Please click the play control below to listen to the update, or click the MP3 link to play the update in your MP3 player software.

MP3 File

Cops on Top has a large number of expedition T-shirts and pins available to anyone interested. All funds go stright back into the organization to pay for the materials sold and to fund our upcoming expeditions. Pins are $5.00 and t-shirts are $15, plus shipping costs.

For more information and to place an order, please email info@copsontop.com with your requested number of pins and shirts (please include sizes) and your mailing address. We will respond with a total cost and let you know where you can send your check.

Cops on Top memorial pins - $5.00

Cops on Top Kilimanjaro Memorial Expedition T-Shirts - $15.00

Front of shirt:

Back of shirt:

This is an audio update filed from the field by Stu Frink of the Cops on Top expedition team. Everyone is feeling fine and they are progressing well. Please click the play control below to listen to the update, or click the MP3 link to play the update in your MP3 player software.

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This is an audio update filed from the field by Stu Frink and San Francisco Police Department's Greg Suhr of the Cops on Top expedition team. He describes the mountain, a run-in with wild elephants, and plans for the day. Please click the play control below to listen to the update, or click the MP3 link to play the update in your MP3 player software.

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This is an audio update filed from the field by Keith McPheeters, leader of the Cops on Top expedition team. The team has made their first camp stop on their way up the mountain. All the climbers are present and doing well. Please click the play control below to listen to the audio update, or click the MP3 link to play the update in your MP3 player software.

MP3 File

Stu Frink has filed a satellite phone climber's log entry from the field, as the team members gather and prepare to launch their expedition to the top of Kilimanjaro on Thursday morning local time. Most further updates will be made via the satellite phone until the team returns from the mountain. Click the icon to play the audio report:

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Arrived safely in Africa. Good to join up with this group, some who I've known for years only through e-mail and website posting. A great honor to be among them. Beautifly country. Feeling good and confident. Take care.

We have finally arrived in Tanzania, arriving last night at about 11:00 PM.  Stu and Spencer arrived the day before.   Most of us met up with each other at the airport in Amsterdam.  We have all arrived safely, and with all of our baggage.

The Springlands Hotel is very nice and the staff pleasant.

We will check in with a phone call in a little while after everyone eats breakfast.

All is well.

Keith

Spencer and I have arrived in Moshi, Tanzania where we are staying in the Springlands Hotel. This is our base while we are in country. The flights were fine but all delayed for one reason or the other. Our flight out of Amsterdam was delayed due to a mechanical which forced a plane switch. Got into town around 1045pm local time. We have gone into town and found a Internet cafe and to see the town. We will see the rest of the other guys as they fly in tonite. Then on Thursday morning we will head into the mountain.

Stu Frink
Cops on Top Memorial Kilimanjaro Expedition

Hello from Rocky and Keith.

Our adventure at the start of the 2005 Cops on Top Isaac Espinoza Memorial Expedition has gotten off to a start different that we had hoped.

We were met with flight trouble on our flight out of Minneapolis MN to Amsterdam.  The plane was unable to retract its landing gear.  After several hours of flying around attempting to retract the gear, we were forced to perform an emergency fuel dump and an emergency landing back in Minneapolis.  We were placed in second plane and have arrived in Amsterdam several hours late.  We have missed our flight to Kilimanjaro International and we will be overnighting at the Hotel Van der Valk Schiphol.

Our hotel is in the middle of no-where.... an exit on the freeway surrounded by farmland fields. We can't even go shopping.

All is well... we are looking forward to the real adventure and to meeting up with the rest of the team.  It is likely that we will see many of them on the flight tomorrow.

All our best.

Keith and Rocky

The Kilimanjaro expedition team members have left for their flights to Africa, where team members will meet up and prepare for the climb to the rooftop of Africa.

Kilimanjaro’s Rongai route is a trek of around 6–8 days, and will take the team to the summit of the mountain on Kibo Peak, at 5895m (19340 ft). The time spent along the route allows the team members to acclimatize, or adjust to the thinner air at the higher elevations. These incremental stops help to ensure team members do not experience any altitude sickness complications.

More updates to come as the team progresses.

The team making the trip to Africa in January to summit Kilimanjaro is made up of a group of experienced climbers and officers from all around North America, including two team members from San Francisco Police Department's Bayview Station, where Officer Espinoza worked.

• Keith McPheeters - Sergeant, Farmington NM Police Department
• Rocky Fails - Bicycle Patrol Officer, Farmington NM Police Department
• Stu Frink - Motor Officer, Washington State Patrol
• Chris Singleton - Patrol Officer, San Jose CA, Police Department
• Kaley Erickson - Battalion Chief (ret.), United States Forest Service
• Shane Lueddeke - Patrol Officer, San Jose CA Police Department
• Spencer Berntsen - Officer, Bremerton WA Police Department
• Mark Newcomb - Sergeant, Narcotics and Vice Division, Whitehall OH Police Department
• Gerry Crispo - Constable, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, NB Canada
• Carson Hagerman - Quartermaster, Fredericton NB Police Force, Canada
• Rick Bruce - Captain, Bayview District Commander, San Francisco CA Police Department
• Greg Suhr - Deputy Chief, Operations Division, San Francisco CA Police Department
• Steve Evans - Civilian, Cops on Top Board of Directors, Las Vegas NV

A team of 13 Cops on Top climbers is set to embark on an expedition to the summit of Kilimanjaro in Africa. The team will board aircraft from locations all over North America and will meet in Africa, where they will climb that continent's highest point in memory of fallen police officer Isaac Espinoza of the San Francisco Police Department, who was killed in the line of duty in 2004. Stay tuned here for updates from the field, as the team makes it's way to the African Rooftop.