May 28, 2008, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) On June 4, 2008, Conversations with Cops at the Watering Hole will feature an interview with Joe Sanchez a former NYPD police officer and the author of Latin Blues: A Tale of Police Omerta from the NYPD and A Tale of the Enemy Within.
Program Date: June 4, 2008
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: An Interview with Joe Sanchez
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement
About the Guest
In 1965, Joe Sanchez was drafted into the United States Army, at the age of 18. On his twentieth birthday, he found himself with the First Air Cavalry Air Mobile Division deployed near the village of Phantiet in South Vietnam. On that day, his unit was engaged in a firefight with Viet Cong. Joe Sanchez and three of his comrades were wounded by a grenade during that firefight.
After discharge, Joe Sanchez served three years as a police officer with the New York Port Authority Police Department. He then applied for, and was accepted, as a police officer for the New York City Police Department. Joe Sanchez battled crime on the streets of New York, not realizing the most vicious enemy was within the NYPD.
In October of 1983, Joe Sanchez was indicted by a Special and Extraordinary Grand Jury in Manhattan for one count of Burglary in the First Degree; one count of Grand Larceny in the first Degree; one count of Grand Larceny in the second Degree; six counts of Grand larceny in the Third Degree; and, one count of assault in the Third Degree. Joe Sanchez would ultimately be exonerated of the charges because the true betrayal wasn’t Joe’s, it was his enemies within the NYPD that had set him up.
For a time, Joe Sanchez became a letter carrier and then reentered the criminal justice field as a correctional officer serving in both Sing Sing and Coxsackie State Prisons. If you ask Joe Sanchez, he will tell you, “It's a true story. I've been trying to tell it for a long time. It's my story, but not mine alone. It is also the story of those who lived and died alongside me, in Viet Nam and in that other battle, for justice and safety under the shield of the law; that is fought daily in the streets of every big city by every honest cop. In this case, the city is the Naked City, and the cop [namely, me] is a Latino. And the battle is neither for the civilians alone, nor just against the bad guys in the street. Some times the bad guys are in the Department. And sometimes the people who need protection are the honest cops.”
Joe Sanchez is the author of Latin Blues: A Tale of Police Omerta from the NYPD and A Tale of the Enemy Within.
About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.
About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.
Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement
Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness Conference and Exhibition 2008
October 29-31,2008, Chicago, Illinois
This 10th annual conference provides the U.S. Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Defense the opportunity to highlight the technology and training tools currently available and being developed for the emergency responder community and to elicit responder technology requirements. It provides a forum for responders to discuss best practices and exchange information. Expected to draw 1,500 attendees and 150 exhibits, this three-day conference will bring together key leaders and decision makers--offering responders, business and industry, academia, and Federal, State, tribal and local stakeholders a unique forum to network, exchange ideas, and collaboratively address critical incident technology and preparedness needs, protocols, and solutions. Attendee registration will open in June at www.ctc.org.
This 10th annual conference provides the U.S. Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Defense the opportunity to highlight the technology and training tools currently available and being developed for the emergency responder community and to elicit responder technology requirements. It provides a forum for responders to discuss best practices and exchange information. Expected to draw 1,500 attendees and 150 exhibits, this three-day conference will bring together key leaders and decision makers--offering responders, business and industry, academia, and Federal, State, tribal and local stakeholders a unique forum to network, exchange ideas, and collaboratively address critical incident technology and preparedness needs, protocols, and solutions. Attendee registration will open in June at www.ctc.org.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Florida Law Enforcement
May 24, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. Continuing its leadership in the area of criminal justice books, Police-Writers.com added three Florida Law Enforcement officials.
Dr. William Doerner is a professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He began his law enforcement career in 1980 as a part-time sworn officer with the Tallahassee Police Department. William Doerner has a BA, MA and PhD in Sociology and is the author of over fifty scholarly articles and author of Introduction to Law Enforcement: An Insider’s View. Additionally, he has co-authored of Delinquency and Justice; Study Guide for the Florida Law Enforcement Officer’s Certification Examination; Study Guide for the Florida Corrections Officer’s Certification Examination; and, is an editor of Contemporary Police Organization and Management: Issues and Trends.
According to the book description, Law Enforcement: An Insider's View, “addresses four major issues: (1) How the police function has evolved; (2) What it takes to become a full-fledged law enforcement officer; (3) On-the-street activities; and (4) Off-the-street issues.”
Charles Rushing is a certified law enforcement instructor with the state of Florida. He also works as a part-time patrol officer with the Tallahassee Police Department. He consults as a subject matter expert regarding academy curriculum changes with Criminal Justice Standards and Training at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He co-authored of Study Guide for the Florida Law Enforcement Officer’s Certification Examination and Study Guide for the Florida Corrections Officer’s Certification Examination.
Kimberly Clark is a thirteen-year veteran of the Tampa Police Department. Since 1990, she has been a state certified high-liability instructor and an avid member of ASLET. During Kimberly Clark’s law enforcement career she worked uniformed patrol, undercover, as a latent detective and field training officer. As a law enforcement training, Kimberly Clark has provided instruction in report writing, high stress radio procedures, use-of-force documentation, map reading, orientation, and defensive tactics.
After her retirement from the Tampa Police Department, Kimberly Clark continued to teach at the Tampa Police Academy and online classes for the Smith and Wesson Police Academy. Kimberly Clark is the author of How to Really, Really Write Those Boring Police Reports!
Police-Writers.com now hosts 1019 police officers (representing 429 police departments) and their 2172 criminal justice books in 33 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Dr. William Doerner is a professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He began his law enforcement career in 1980 as a part-time sworn officer with the Tallahassee Police Department. William Doerner has a BA, MA and PhD in Sociology and is the author of over fifty scholarly articles and author of Introduction to Law Enforcement: An Insider’s View. Additionally, he has co-authored of Delinquency and Justice; Study Guide for the Florida Law Enforcement Officer’s Certification Examination; Study Guide for the Florida Corrections Officer’s Certification Examination; and, is an editor of Contemporary Police Organization and Management: Issues and Trends.
According to the book description, Law Enforcement: An Insider's View, “addresses four major issues: (1) How the police function has evolved; (2) What it takes to become a full-fledged law enforcement officer; (3) On-the-street activities; and (4) Off-the-street issues.”
Charles Rushing is a certified law enforcement instructor with the state of Florida. He also works as a part-time patrol officer with the Tallahassee Police Department. He consults as a subject matter expert regarding academy curriculum changes with Criminal Justice Standards and Training at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He co-authored of Study Guide for the Florida Law Enforcement Officer’s Certification Examination and Study Guide for the Florida Corrections Officer’s Certification Examination.
Kimberly Clark is a thirteen-year veteran of the Tampa Police Department. Since 1990, she has been a state certified high-liability instructor and an avid member of ASLET. During Kimberly Clark’s law enforcement career she worked uniformed patrol, undercover, as a latent detective and field training officer. As a law enforcement training, Kimberly Clark has provided instruction in report writing, high stress radio procedures, use-of-force documentation, map reading, orientation, and defensive tactics.
After her retirement from the Tampa Police Department, Kimberly Clark continued to teach at the Tampa Police Academy and online classes for the Smith and Wesson Police Academy. Kimberly Clark is the author of How to Really, Really Write Those Boring Police Reports!
Police-Writers.com now hosts 1019 police officers (representing 429 police departments) and their 2172 criminal justice books in 33 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Federal and Local Cops
May 23, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. Continuing its leadership in the area of criminal justice books, Police-Writers.com added one federal law enforcement official and two local police officers to the list of law enforcement personnel that have authored books.
From 1972 to 1997, Raymond Batvinis was a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. During his federal law enforcement career he also served in the Federal Bureau of Investigation Intelligence Division Training Unit. Raymond Batvinis is the author of The Origins of FBI Counterintelligence.
According to the book description of The Origins of FBI Counterintelligence, “As the world prepared for war in the 1930s, the United States discovered that it faced the real threat of foreign spies stealing military and industrial secrets—and that it had no established means to combat them. With an insider’s knowledge and a storyteller’s skill, Batvinis provides a page-turning history narrative that greatly revises our views of the FBI—and also resonates powerfully with our own post-9/11 world.”
Mark Bannon is a retired lieutenant from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (Florida). After three years of military service as a military police officer, Mark Bannon joined the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in 1981. During his law enforcement career, he worked in a number of key assignments within the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office such as patrol officer, sex crimes investigator, homicide detective, patrol supervisor, and homicide supervisor. He also was the Commander of such diverse units such as, Road Patrol, Community Involvement Team, Community Policing, and Fugitive Apprehension. As a retired law enforcement officer, Mark Bannon maintains a lifetime membership in the Florida and Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Associations in order to continue his important relationships with law enforcement officers and the South Florida law enforcement community.
Mark Bannon holds a BA in Social Psychology, an MPA, is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute and a law degree from the Miami School of Law. After retiring from policing, he worked as a criminal prosecutor in South Florida. Today, Mark E. Bannon conducts a private law practice. Mark E. Bannon is the author of A Quick Reference Guide To Contemporary CRIMINAL PROCEDURE For Law Enforcement Officers: One Hundred Notable United States Supreme Court Decisions, and Their Effect on Modern Policing in America.
According to the book description, “The goal of this book is to provide a “quick reference guide” for law enforcement officers in their quest to furnish professional police services to their communities. Designed to be a handy source for the study of criminal procedures, this guide has assembled numerous court cases that will assist officers in dealing with the issues they may often encounter.
Roberto Santos is currently detective sergeant of the persons crime section and team leader of the crisis negotiation unit at the Port St. Lucie Police Department (Florida. He has held positions in patrol, SWAT, criminal investigations, and narcotics. Prior to his law enforcement career, Sergeant Santos was a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. In addition, he has instructed at the police academy and is an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University. He has extensive experience in police problem solving and problem analysis and has conducted numerous trainings sessions and seminars around the country. Sergeant Roberto Santos has a master’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from Florida Atlantic University and a bachelor’s degree in business from Barry University. Robert Santos is the co-author of The Problem of Burglary at Single-Family House Construction Sites.
According to the book description of The Problem of Burglary at Single-Family House Construction Sites, “This guide begins by describing the problem of burglary at single-family house construction sites and reviewing the factors that increase its risks. It then identifies a series of questions that can help analyze your local burglary problem. Finally, it reviews responses to the problem of burglary at single-family house construction sites as identified through research and police practice.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 1013 police officers (representing 425 police departments) and their 2154 criminal justice books in 33 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
From 1972 to 1997, Raymond Batvinis was a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. During his federal law enforcement career he also served in the Federal Bureau of Investigation Intelligence Division Training Unit. Raymond Batvinis is the author of The Origins of FBI Counterintelligence.
According to the book description of The Origins of FBI Counterintelligence, “As the world prepared for war in the 1930s, the United States discovered that it faced the real threat of foreign spies stealing military and industrial secrets—and that it had no established means to combat them. With an insider’s knowledge and a storyteller’s skill, Batvinis provides a page-turning history narrative that greatly revises our views of the FBI—and also resonates powerfully with our own post-9/11 world.”
Mark Bannon is a retired lieutenant from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (Florida). After three years of military service as a military police officer, Mark Bannon joined the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in 1981. During his law enforcement career, he worked in a number of key assignments within the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office such as patrol officer, sex crimes investigator, homicide detective, patrol supervisor, and homicide supervisor. He also was the Commander of such diverse units such as, Road Patrol, Community Involvement Team, Community Policing, and Fugitive Apprehension. As a retired law enforcement officer, Mark Bannon maintains a lifetime membership in the Florida and Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Associations in order to continue his important relationships with law enforcement officers and the South Florida law enforcement community.
Mark Bannon holds a BA in Social Psychology, an MPA, is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute and a law degree from the Miami School of Law. After retiring from policing, he worked as a criminal prosecutor in South Florida. Today, Mark E. Bannon conducts a private law practice. Mark E. Bannon is the author of A Quick Reference Guide To Contemporary CRIMINAL PROCEDURE For Law Enforcement Officers: One Hundred Notable United States Supreme Court Decisions, and Their Effect on Modern Policing in America.
According to the book description, “The goal of this book is to provide a “quick reference guide” for law enforcement officers in their quest to furnish professional police services to their communities. Designed to be a handy source for the study of criminal procedures, this guide has assembled numerous court cases that will assist officers in dealing with the issues they may often encounter.
Roberto Santos is currently detective sergeant of the persons crime section and team leader of the crisis negotiation unit at the Port St. Lucie Police Department (Florida. He has held positions in patrol, SWAT, criminal investigations, and narcotics. Prior to his law enforcement career, Sergeant Santos was a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. In addition, he has instructed at the police academy and is an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University. He has extensive experience in police problem solving and problem analysis and has conducted numerous trainings sessions and seminars around the country. Sergeant Roberto Santos has a master’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from Florida Atlantic University and a bachelor’s degree in business from Barry University. Robert Santos is the co-author of The Problem of Burglary at Single-Family House Construction Sites.
According to the book description of The Problem of Burglary at Single-Family House Construction Sites, “This guide begins by describing the problem of burglary at single-family house construction sites and reviewing the factors that increase its risks. It then identifies a series of questions that can help analyze your local burglary problem. Finally, it reviews responses to the problem of burglary at single-family house construction sites as identified through research and police practice.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 1013 police officers (representing 425 police departments) and their 2154 criminal justice books in 33 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Florida Cop Books
May 21, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. Continuing its leadership in criminal justice books the website added 3 police officers from Florida; now listing well over 1000 state and local law enforcement officials who have authored books.
Thomas Brodie is retired from Metro Dade Police Department (Florida) at the rank of captain. Thomas Brodie law enforcement career included more than twenty-four years as a founder of the Miami Bomb squad and supervisor of its crime scene unit. Over the course of his career, Captain Thomas Brodie investigated approximately 350 bombings and assisted in the disposal of over 4000 bombs and tons of explosives. He is a charter member of the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators and among other awards and honors, he was knighted by the Queen Elizabeth II for his role in protecting the British Empire in the Caribbean. Thomas Brodie is the author of Bombs and Bombings: A Handbook to Protection, Security, Detection, Disposal and Investigation for Industry, Police and Fire Departments.
According to the book description of Bombs and Bombings: A Handbook to Protection, Security, Detection, Disposal and Investigation for Industry, Police and Fire Departments, “This expanded new edition provides law enforcement personnel, firefighters, and security professionals with the most up-to-date information and procedures on the investigation, detection, and disposal of dangerous bombs and explosives and the evidence obtained from them.”
Henry Holden is the author of numerous adult and children books as well as more than 600 magazine articles on Aviation History. In 1994, he rece3ived the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Author’s Award. Henry Holden was a deputy sheriff for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (Florida) from 1979 to 1981. He is the author of 31 books such as: To Be a U.S. Air Force Pilot; FBI 100 Years: An Unofficial History; Rescue Helicopters and Aircraft; Hovering: The History of the Whirly-Girls: International Women Helicopter Pilots; To Be a Crime Scene Investigator; American Women of Flight: Pilots and Pioneers; and Crime-Fighting Aircraft.
According to the book description of FBI 100 Years: An Unofficial History, “On the eve of the FBI's centenary, this book offers the first comprehensive illustrated account of the Bureaus 100-year history. Granted unprecedented access to the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and academy at Quantico, Virginia, author Henry Holden presents a rare inside view of the agency’s workings, as well as a compelling, closely observed picture of its ever-changing role, powers, notable cases, and controversies through the years.
After three years in the US Marines, the Leigh McEachern became a rookie cop with the St. Petersburg Police Department. Promoted to detective, he took part in many notable cases, including the conviction of the vice-mayor, a prominent defense attorney, on a federal felony. He went on to serve as deputy chief of the Winter Park Police Department, and then as chief deputy of the Orange County Sheriff's Department (Florida). Leigh McEachern is the author of The Appearance of Justice.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 1011 police officers (representing 423 police departments) and their 2152 criminal justice books in 33 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Thomas Brodie is retired from Metro Dade Police Department (Florida) at the rank of captain. Thomas Brodie law enforcement career included more than twenty-four years as a founder of the Miami Bomb squad and supervisor of its crime scene unit. Over the course of his career, Captain Thomas Brodie investigated approximately 350 bombings and assisted in the disposal of over 4000 bombs and tons of explosives. He is a charter member of the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators and among other awards and honors, he was knighted by the Queen Elizabeth II for his role in protecting the British Empire in the Caribbean. Thomas Brodie is the author of Bombs and Bombings: A Handbook to Protection, Security, Detection, Disposal and Investigation for Industry, Police and Fire Departments.
According to the book description of Bombs and Bombings: A Handbook to Protection, Security, Detection, Disposal and Investigation for Industry, Police and Fire Departments, “This expanded new edition provides law enforcement personnel, firefighters, and security professionals with the most up-to-date information and procedures on the investigation, detection, and disposal of dangerous bombs and explosives and the evidence obtained from them.”
Henry Holden is the author of numerous adult and children books as well as more than 600 magazine articles on Aviation History. In 1994, he rece3ived the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Author’s Award. Henry Holden was a deputy sheriff for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (Florida) from 1979 to 1981. He is the author of 31 books such as: To Be a U.S. Air Force Pilot; FBI 100 Years: An Unofficial History; Rescue Helicopters and Aircraft; Hovering: The History of the Whirly-Girls: International Women Helicopter Pilots; To Be a Crime Scene Investigator; American Women of Flight: Pilots and Pioneers; and Crime-Fighting Aircraft.
According to the book description of FBI 100 Years: An Unofficial History, “On the eve of the FBI's centenary, this book offers the first comprehensive illustrated account of the Bureaus 100-year history. Granted unprecedented access to the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and academy at Quantico, Virginia, author Henry Holden presents a rare inside view of the agency’s workings, as well as a compelling, closely observed picture of its ever-changing role, powers, notable cases, and controversies through the years.
After three years in the US Marines, the Leigh McEachern became a rookie cop with the St. Petersburg Police Department. Promoted to detective, he took part in many notable cases, including the conviction of the vice-mayor, a prominent defense attorney, on a federal felony. He went on to serve as deputy chief of the Winter Park Police Department, and then as chief deputy of the Orange County Sheriff's Department (Florida). Leigh McEachern is the author of The Appearance of Justice.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 1011 police officers (representing 423 police departments) and their 2152 criminal justice books in 33 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Trombetta, Holmes and Ronczkowski
May 17, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three local law enforcement officials who have written books.
Jack Trombetta is a retired detective sergeant from the Lower Township Police Department. Jack Trombetta served twenty-five years, retiring as the bureau command of the investigative unit. He is a certified instructor whose expertise is in criminal investigations, interview and interrogations. Currently, he instructs at the Cape May County Police Department in defensive tactics and boxing. Jack Trombetta attended the FBI National Academy and has a BA in Criminal Justice. In addition to instructing at the police academy, in his retirement he is a high school social studies teacher, teaching “at risk” young people. Jack Trombetta is the author of Material Evidence: Who Would Want to Steal a Corpse, and Why.
According to the book description, Material Evidence is “a thought-provoking and thrilling investigation into the theft of the body of Jesus of Nazareth. Using historical records Jack Trombetta skillfully uncovers the facts surrounding this event.”
Warren Holmes was a member of the Miami Police Department from 1951 to 1963. He was assigned to the Lie Detection Bureau from 1955 to 1963 and then left the police department at the rank of Detective Sergeant to open a private polygraph testing firm. Warren Holmes is the past president of Florida Polygraph Association and the Academy for Scientific Interrogation (the predecessor name of the American Polygraph Association). Warren Holmes is the author of Criminal Interrogation: A Modern Format for Interrogating Criminal Suspects Based on the Intellectual Approach.
Michael Ronczkowski, MPA, began his law enforcement career in 1983 as a police officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department. Having risen through the ranks, he continues to serve in an upper management capacity as a Major overseeing the Department's Homeland Security Bureau. He is also an adjunct professor teaching courses on terrorism, analysis, and the criminal justice system at Florida Atlantic University.
A graduate of the FBI National Academy and recognized internationally for his analytical skills and crime mapping expertise, Mike has presented analytical material at numerous conferences and workshops for various international associations and the National Institute of Justice. He managed a county-wide analytical intelligence unit for over 8 years, has written analytical policy, procedures, and training protocols, and has developed analytical databases and information resources. Michael Ronczkowski is the author of Terrorism and Organized Hate Crime.
According to the book description of Terrorism and Organized Hate Crime, “In response to the current terror threat, law enforcement agencies must now determine how to train analysts and properly identify and respond to critical intelligence. This book explores the issues that all analysts face, including what information to gather, how to analyze it, and the effectiveness of crime analysts investigating terrorism. Events now mandate the unavoidable importance of understanding "terrorism analysis." This expert overview provides the crucial foundation of criminal intelligence gathering and analysis and defines the nature of terrorism and its practitioners, subjects of vital importance if agencies are to play an effective role in the battle against terror.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 1005 police officers (representing 421 police departments) and their 2116 police books in 33 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Jack Trombetta is a retired detective sergeant from the Lower Township Police Department. Jack Trombetta served twenty-five years, retiring as the bureau command of the investigative unit. He is a certified instructor whose expertise is in criminal investigations, interview and interrogations. Currently, he instructs at the Cape May County Police Department in defensive tactics and boxing. Jack Trombetta attended the FBI National Academy and has a BA in Criminal Justice. In addition to instructing at the police academy, in his retirement he is a high school social studies teacher, teaching “at risk” young people. Jack Trombetta is the author of Material Evidence: Who Would Want to Steal a Corpse, and Why.
According to the book description, Material Evidence is “a thought-provoking and thrilling investigation into the theft of the body of Jesus of Nazareth. Using historical records Jack Trombetta skillfully uncovers the facts surrounding this event.”
Warren Holmes was a member of the Miami Police Department from 1951 to 1963. He was assigned to the Lie Detection Bureau from 1955 to 1963 and then left the police department at the rank of Detective Sergeant to open a private polygraph testing firm. Warren Holmes is the past president of Florida Polygraph Association and the Academy for Scientific Interrogation (the predecessor name of the American Polygraph Association). Warren Holmes is the author of Criminal Interrogation: A Modern Format for Interrogating Criminal Suspects Based on the Intellectual Approach.
Michael Ronczkowski, MPA, began his law enforcement career in 1983 as a police officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department. Having risen through the ranks, he continues to serve in an upper management capacity as a Major overseeing the Department's Homeland Security Bureau. He is also an adjunct professor teaching courses on terrorism, analysis, and the criminal justice system at Florida Atlantic University.
A graduate of the FBI National Academy and recognized internationally for his analytical skills and crime mapping expertise, Mike has presented analytical material at numerous conferences and workshops for various international associations and the National Institute of Justice. He managed a county-wide analytical intelligence unit for over 8 years, has written analytical policy, procedures, and training protocols, and has developed analytical databases and information resources. Michael Ronczkowski is the author of Terrorism and Organized Hate Crime.
According to the book description of Terrorism and Organized Hate Crime, “In response to the current terror threat, law enforcement agencies must now determine how to train analysts and properly identify and respond to critical intelligence. This book explores the issues that all analysts face, including what information to gather, how to analyze it, and the effectiveness of crime analysts investigating terrorism. Events now mandate the unavoidable importance of understanding "terrorism analysis." This expert overview provides the crucial foundation of criminal intelligence gathering and analysis and defines the nature of terrorism and its practitioners, subjects of vital importance if agencies are to play an effective role in the battle against terror.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 1005 police officers (representing 421 police departments) and their 2116 police books in 33 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Marines Emphasize Character Building in Afghan Police Mission
By Kristen Noel
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 19, 2008 - The 1st Marine Division's 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines' is focusing on Afghan people, not on fighting terrorists, the battalion commander said May 16. "What's unique about our mission is that we're doing a police training and mentoring mission, as opposed to coming in here kinetically like a lot of our past exploits have been, especially in Iraq," Marine Corps Lt. Col. Richard Hall told online journalists and "bloggers" in a teleconference.
The 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, deployed at the end of March for this mission to assist Afghanistan's Regional Security Command South with their focused district development program for Afghan police. The program rotates local police forces through eight weeks of uniformed-officer training at a central location, while highly trained Afghan national civil police work in their districts.
Hall explained that the battalion also will facilitate "in-district reform" police training for districts the Afghan national civil police are unable to backfill due to personnel shortages. "That is kind of the way that we can fast-track getting more of these districts [to] get their police trained," he said.
The 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, had success in Iraq executing the police mission in Anbar province, Hall said, and he added that before this deployment, the battalion completed a month-long training exercise called "Mojave Viper," designed specifically to prepare them for the police situation in Afghanistan.
"We spent quite a bit of time focusing on escalation-of-force vignettes," he said. That training, he explained, focuses on the civil portion of police work.
Though the battalion will do the quantifiable work of improving the Afghans' policing skills, Hall said, the enduring piece of the training will need to be the mentoring and character development -- "in other words, doing the right thing when no one is looking," he said.
"The reason for that is, whether or not we get replaced, ... we need to teach a man to fish so that they could be self-sufficient with or without our presence," he explained. "They need to have the credibility and the respectability of their people in order to maintain that law and order presence, even if we're absent."
Hall said he believes that since the Marines and the Afghans are both "of a warrior culture," the battalion will be able to earn the credibility needed to influence and affect the character of the district police officers.
"I think [the Afghans are] ... going to catch the sense that we're really sincere about our mission and what we're trying to do, and they're going to make no distinction between us and them," Hall said. "I think that's really going to add to the character piece, because they absolutely do respect that of other men -- you know, sharing the danger and so forth."
But although that factor works in his favor, he acknowledged, it won't be easy.
"We don't pretend that it's not going to be a huge challenge," he said. "The truth will be in action, when we actually get out there, and we give it a try. We can only hope that everything I've said comes true."
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the American Forces Information Service.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 19, 2008 - The 1st Marine Division's 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines' is focusing on Afghan people, not on fighting terrorists, the battalion commander said May 16. "What's unique about our mission is that we're doing a police training and mentoring mission, as opposed to coming in here kinetically like a lot of our past exploits have been, especially in Iraq," Marine Corps Lt. Col. Richard Hall told online journalists and "bloggers" in a teleconference.
The 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, deployed at the end of March for this mission to assist Afghanistan's Regional Security Command South with their focused district development program for Afghan police. The program rotates local police forces through eight weeks of uniformed-officer training at a central location, while highly trained Afghan national civil police work in their districts.
Hall explained that the battalion also will facilitate "in-district reform" police training for districts the Afghan national civil police are unable to backfill due to personnel shortages. "That is kind of the way that we can fast-track getting more of these districts [to] get their police trained," he said.
The 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, had success in Iraq executing the police mission in Anbar province, Hall said, and he added that before this deployment, the battalion completed a month-long training exercise called "Mojave Viper," designed specifically to prepare them for the police situation in Afghanistan.
"We spent quite a bit of time focusing on escalation-of-force vignettes," he said. That training, he explained, focuses on the civil portion of police work.
Though the battalion will do the quantifiable work of improving the Afghans' policing skills, Hall said, the enduring piece of the training will need to be the mentoring and character development -- "in other words, doing the right thing when no one is looking," he said.
"The reason for that is, whether or not we get replaced, ... we need to teach a man to fish so that they could be self-sufficient with or without our presence," he explained. "They need to have the credibility and the respectability of their people in order to maintain that law and order presence, even if we're absent."
Hall said he believes that since the Marines and the Afghans are both "of a warrior culture," the battalion will be able to earn the credibility needed to influence and affect the character of the district police officers.
"I think [the Afghans are] ... going to catch the sense that we're really sincere about our mission and what we're trying to do, and they're going to make no distinction between us and them," Hall said. "I think that's really going to add to the character piece, because they absolutely do respect that of other men -- you know, sharing the danger and so forth."
But although that factor works in his favor, he acknowledged, it won't be easy.
"We don't pretend that it's not going to be a huge challenge," he said. "The truth will be in action, when we actually get out there, and we give it a try. We can only hope that everything I've said comes true."
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the American Forces Information Service.)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Two locals and a Fed
May 17, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added two local law enforcement officials and one federal law enforcement official.
Randy Dickinson was a full-time officer with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department (Texas) during the 1970s and 1980s. It was while with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department that he became involved in a fatal shooting wherein he and his partner interrupted an armed robbery. This event provided Randy Dickinson with some of the fundamental insight that led him to teaching and writing about trauma mitigation.
Throughout the 1990s, Randy Dickinson was employed by the Austin Police Department in a non-sworn role within the Crisis Response Unit. The unit provides a broad range of services including crisis intervention, suicide intervention, post-incident support for officers and other first-responders, and services to victims and witnesses. Randy Dickinson is a co-author of Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force: Practical Investigative Techniques.
According to the book description of Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force: Practical Investigative Techniques, it “continues to provide sound and sober models, protocols, and procedures to handle the highly charged fall-out from officer involved shootings. Written by cops for cops, it is designed to address the needs of the agency, the rights of the employee, and the concerns of the public, and give law enforcement the policies and tools to properly investigate and document this high profile area.”
Neville Cramer served more than twenty-six years as a law enforcement officer with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). At the time of his retirement in 2002, he was one of the most experienced INS Special Agents in the U.S. Department of Justice. He began his career in 1976, as a U.S. Border Patrol Agent after serving four years as a police officer in Arizona and Florida. After his tour of duty on the Mexican border, Cramer served eight years as both a Special Agent and Supervisory Special Agent in Chicago, Illinois and Washington D.C. District Offices. Neville Cramer is the author of Fixing the INSanity – America’s Immigration Crisis and Immigration Chaos – Solutions to an American Crisis.
According to the book description of Fixing the INSanity – America’s Immigration Crisis, “Former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) special agent Neville Cramer divulges the real causes of America's seemingly uncontrollable immigration problems. He explains the issues, describes common-sense solutions, and shocks the reader with facts about working in the lunacy of the former INS. From the 9/11 attacks to President George W. Bush's Guest Worker Program, Cramer covers it all . . . and then some.”
Kevin Ferguson is a retired Deputy Sheriff Richmond City Sheriff’s Office. He was injured on the job assisting a co-worker. The injury left him with two plates and twelve screws in his right arm; and, six pins in his wrist. Kevin Ferguson is the author of Generosity or Justice.
According to the book description, “This book is based on a true story about a Deputy Sheriff who was injured and wrongly accused of an incident while on duty. Terminated from a 14-year career, he was forced to prove his innocence and clear his name.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 1002 police officers (representing 421 police departments) and their 2113 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Randy Dickinson was a full-time officer with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department (Texas) during the 1970s and 1980s. It was while with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department that he became involved in a fatal shooting wherein he and his partner interrupted an armed robbery. This event provided Randy Dickinson with some of the fundamental insight that led him to teaching and writing about trauma mitigation.
Throughout the 1990s, Randy Dickinson was employed by the Austin Police Department in a non-sworn role within the Crisis Response Unit. The unit provides a broad range of services including crisis intervention, suicide intervention, post-incident support for officers and other first-responders, and services to victims and witnesses. Randy Dickinson is a co-author of Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force: Practical Investigative Techniques.
According to the book description of Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force: Practical Investigative Techniques, it “continues to provide sound and sober models, protocols, and procedures to handle the highly charged fall-out from officer involved shootings. Written by cops for cops, it is designed to address the needs of the agency, the rights of the employee, and the concerns of the public, and give law enforcement the policies and tools to properly investigate and document this high profile area.”
Neville Cramer served more than twenty-six years as a law enforcement officer with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). At the time of his retirement in 2002, he was one of the most experienced INS Special Agents in the U.S. Department of Justice. He began his career in 1976, as a U.S. Border Patrol Agent after serving four years as a police officer in Arizona and Florida. After his tour of duty on the Mexican border, Cramer served eight years as both a Special Agent and Supervisory Special Agent in Chicago, Illinois and Washington D.C. District Offices. Neville Cramer is the author of Fixing the INSanity – America’s Immigration Crisis and Immigration Chaos – Solutions to an American Crisis.
According to the book description of Fixing the INSanity – America’s Immigration Crisis, “Former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) special agent Neville Cramer divulges the real causes of America's seemingly uncontrollable immigration problems. He explains the issues, describes common-sense solutions, and shocks the reader with facts about working in the lunacy of the former INS. From the 9/11 attacks to President George W. Bush's Guest Worker Program, Cramer covers it all . . . and then some.”
Kevin Ferguson is a retired Deputy Sheriff Richmond City Sheriff’s Office. He was injured on the job assisting a co-worker. The injury left him with two plates and twelve screws in his right arm; and, six pins in his wrist. Kevin Ferguson is the author of Generosity or Justice.
According to the book description, “This book is based on a true story about a Deputy Sheriff who was injured and wrongly accused of an incident while on duty. Terminated from a 14-year career, he was forced to prove his innocence and clear his name.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 1002 police officers (representing 421 police departments) and their 2113 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
The Problem of Rave Parties
This guide addresses problems associated with rave parties. Rave parties–or, more simply, raves–are dance parties that feature fast-paced, repetitive electronic music and accompanying light shows. Raves are the focus of rave culture, a youth-oriented subculture that blends music, art and social ideals (e.g., peace, love, unity, respect, tolerance, happiness). Rave culture also entails the use of a range of licit and illicit drugs. Drug use is intended to enhance ravers' sensations and boost their energy so they can dance for long periods.
Rave party problems will be familiar to many police officers working in communities where raves have been held; they will be unfamiliar to many other officers who have never experienced raves or, perhaps, even heard of them. In many jurisdictions, the first time a young person dies while or after attending a rave and using rave-related drugs sparks media, public and political pressure on police to take action.
In some respects, rave party problems are unique; they combine a particular blend of attitudes, drugs and behavior not found in other forms of youth culture. In other respects, rave party problems are but the latest variation in an ongoing history of problems associated with youth entertainment, experimentation, rebellion, and self-discovery.
READ ON
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/e12011406.pdf
Rave party problems will be familiar to many police officers working in communities where raves have been held; they will be unfamiliar to many other officers who have never experienced raves or, perhaps, even heard of them. In many jurisdictions, the first time a young person dies while or after attending a rave and using rave-related drugs sparks media, public and political pressure on police to take action.
In some respects, rave party problems are unique; they combine a particular blend of attitudes, drugs and behavior not found in other forms of youth culture. In other respects, rave party problems are but the latest variation in an ongoing history of problems associated with youth entertainment, experimentation, rebellion, and self-discovery.
READ ON
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/e12011406.pdf
Friday, May 16, 2008
Key Elements of Successful
Adjudication Partnerships Local and state criminal justice systems are under constant pressure to operate more efficiently and effectively without diminishing the quality of their services. Criminal justice professionals face complex problems which impact more than one agency, and consequently the problems cannot be resolved easily by a single agency. Additionally, creating a cooperative partnership with independent agencies that function in a normally adversarial system such as the adjudication process can be a difficult task for many jurisdictions.
Notwithstanding fundamental obstacles, adjudication partnerships are proliferating in jurisdictions throughout the United States as criminal justice professionals seek new and more effective solutions to complex problems such as backlogged dockets, crowded jails, and recidivism of drug-addicted offenders. Collaborative efforts that involve the key participants of prosecutor, public defender, and court in the adjudication process are important for mounting an effective response to the problems. (APRI) for a cooperative effort with the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) and the National Legal
Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) to research and document existing partnerships.
This bulletin provides general information about adjudication partnerships and describes critical elements that lead to successful partnerships, as observed in a variety of partnerships operating in jurisdictions across the country.
READ ON
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/173949.pdf
Notwithstanding fundamental obstacles, adjudication partnerships are proliferating in jurisdictions throughout the United States as criminal justice professionals seek new and more effective solutions to complex problems such as backlogged dockets, crowded jails, and recidivism of drug-addicted offenders. Collaborative efforts that involve the key participants of prosecutor, public defender, and court in the adjudication process are important for mounting an effective response to the problems. (APRI) for a cooperative effort with the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) and the National Legal
Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) to research and document existing partnerships.
This bulletin provides general information about adjudication partnerships and describes critical elements that lead to successful partnerships, as observed in a variety of partnerships operating in jurisdictions across the country.
READ ON
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/173949.pdf
Public Opinion and the Criminal Justice System: Building Support for Sex Offender Management Programs
Public fear about sex offenders presents a unique challenge to leaders working to establish or improve policies related to supervising and treating sex offenders in the community. Public sentiment that the criminal justice system should do more to safeguard the community from sex offenders has led to the enactment of a host of measures in recent years, such as sex offender registration, community notification, and involuntary civil commitment for some sex offenders. Numerous statutes have also been passed that reflect the public’s belief that violent criminals, including sex offenders, should be incarcerated for longer periods of time. Despite such laws, however, most convicted sex offenders will be released into the community at some point – whether directly following sentencing, or after a term of incarceration in jail or prison. The criminal justice system has the responsibility to manage these offenders without unduly risking victim and public safety or undercutting the offender’s habilitation1 or successful reintegration into society. While the sex offender management field is fairly well united in the belief that the responsible management of sex offenders includes rigorous community supervision and sex offender-specific treatment, public opinion can influence whether such initiatives will be supported or accepted in a jurisdiction.
Public opinion has the power to shape legislation, funding decisions, and the political landscape related to the community supervision of sex offenders. Given this, those working in the field of sex offender management must understand public sentiment about their work, provide citizens with accurate information, and recognize the public as a legitimate partner in deciding how to effectively manage sex offenders, in order to prevent future victimization. However, many practitioners have implemented mandated sex offender legislation and developed specialized supervision and treatment programs without considering the impact of public opinion on these new laws or practices. This brief draws on the experiences of jurisdictions that have incorporated public opinion into their response to sex offenders, as well as lessons learned from jurisdictions that have utilized public opinion to influence other criminal justice system policies and practices. It will address three areas of interest:
why the public’s perspective is important;
how leadership in different states has benefited from studies of public opinion about crime and criminal justice issues; and
why it is essential that the criminal justice system view the public as a partner rather than an adversary or simply a group of consumers.
READ ON
http://www.csom.org/pubs/pubpinion.pdf
Public opinion has the power to shape legislation, funding decisions, and the political landscape related to the community supervision of sex offenders. Given this, those working in the field of sex offender management must understand public sentiment about their work, provide citizens with accurate information, and recognize the public as a legitimate partner in deciding how to effectively manage sex offenders, in order to prevent future victimization. However, many practitioners have implemented mandated sex offender legislation and developed specialized supervision and treatment programs without considering the impact of public opinion on these new laws or practices. This brief draws on the experiences of jurisdictions that have incorporated public opinion into their response to sex offenders, as well as lessons learned from jurisdictions that have utilized public opinion to influence other criminal justice system policies and practices. It will address three areas of interest:
why the public’s perspective is important;
how leadership in different states has benefited from studies of public opinion about crime and criminal justice issues; and
why it is essential that the criminal justice system view the public as a partner rather than an adversary or simply a group of consumers.
READ ON
http://www.csom.org/pubs/pubpinion.pdf
Police Organization and Management Issues for the Next Decade
This paper offers some thoughts about issues of police organization and management to which researchers and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) should attend in the next five-to-ten years. Given the framework NIJ has established for the three papers at this workshop, I take the domain of police organization and management to include how to staff, structure, direct, and equip public (local) police organizations.1 I have been asked specifically to cover the topics of recruitment, training, structure and organization, management and leadership, technology and information use, and community policing. I will not pretend to offer a comprehensive review of the many important issues that fall within these domains, since a volume could easily be devoted to each, and unfortunately time does not permit an extensive review of the extant literature on the topics I have selected for discussion. For each area I will describe what I regard as a few of the important issues that deserve the attention of police researchers. I will select issues that are important, both from an academic perspective (that is, intellectually interesting), and from a practical perspective (that is, useful for improving the quality of police organizations and police performance). Regarding the “community policing” category, I have expanded that to include a wide range of recent innovations, some of which bear little or no relationship to community policing but which have received considerable attention over the last two decades.
READ ON
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/218584.pdf
READ ON
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/218584.pdf
International Association of Chiefs of Police New Police Chief Mentoring Project
Since 1997 the International Association of Chiefs of Police has been actively supporting smaller agencies through the Smaller Agency Technical Assistance Program funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). In 2003, in partnership with BJA, the program was expanded to include a New Police Chief Mentoring initiative. The focus of the project is to provide newer police chiefs from smaller agencies with access to seasoned chiefs from similar sized agencies to learn how they achieved success and resolved similar problems.
The project is designed to render leadership and policy guidance to new chiefs as they begin their tenure through mentoring assistance and through the dissemination of the Police Chiefs Desk Reference (PCDR). The PCDR, a major component of the project contains a wealth of resources to assist chiefs in their new role. There is information on leadership, ethics, policies and procedures, accreditation, funding, sample internal and community surveys, as well as best practices guides written specifically for smaller agencies on a wide range of topics.
Many other resource listings, summaries, and web site referrals, are also incorporated into the reference. This resource has had an overwhelming response since its release in November. All sizes and types of agencies and levels of staff are requesting the product. The New Police Chief Mentoring Project is also working with state associations to incorporate the document into their trainings, command school, and university curriculum in several states.
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE
http://www.theiacp.org/research/PCDR.pdf
The project is designed to render leadership and policy guidance to new chiefs as they begin their tenure through mentoring assistance and through the dissemination of the Police Chiefs Desk Reference (PCDR). The PCDR, a major component of the project contains a wealth of resources to assist chiefs in their new role. There is information on leadership, ethics, policies and procedures, accreditation, funding, sample internal and community surveys, as well as best practices guides written specifically for smaller agencies on a wide range of topics.
Many other resource listings, summaries, and web site referrals, are also incorporated into the reference. This resource has had an overwhelming response since its release in November. All sizes and types of agencies and levels of staff are requesting the product. The New Police Chief Mentoring Project is also working with state associations to incorporate the document into their trainings, command school, and university curriculum in several states.
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE
http://www.theiacp.org/research/PCDR.pdf
Confronting Confinement A Report of the commission on safety and abuse in America’s prisons
Most Americans feel that life in prison and jail does not affect them. it takes an awful event to remind people that the dangers inside can endanger them: a large-scale riot that threatens to spill over into the community; a corrections officer who is killed on the job leaving a family behind; the spread of infectious disease from cell block to neighborhood block. When the emotional reaction to the awful headline fades, however, we are left only with the sinking feeling that prison is a problem with no solution. The temptation is always to look away, hoping the troubles inside the walls will not affect us.
Every day judges send thousands of men and women to jail or prison, but the public knows very little about the conditions of confinement and whether they are punishing in ways that no judge or jury ever intended; marked by the experience of rape, gang violence, abuse by officers, infectious disease, and never-ending solitary confinement. Unless the experience of incarceration becomes real through the confinement of a loved one or through a family member who works day-to-day in a correctional facility, jails and prisons and the people inside them are far removed from our daily concerns
.
Americans share concerns about struggling schools, dangerous hospitals, and corrupt corporations. We now talk openly about domestic violence and child abuse because we know there are terrible consequences for our loved ones, our families, and our communities if we remain silent. Yet there is a shame and a stigma about incarceration that makes it very difficult to have honest, productive conversations about what we are doing and the results.
Over the course of a year, the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America’s Prisons tried to change that by bringing life behind bars fully, vividly into focus and by connecting what happens inside with the health and safety of our communities. Our inquiry and this report reveal both grave problems and also good work that fills us with hope. A year ago, a group of individuals with little in common promised to recommend strategies for operating correctional facilities that serve our country’s best interests and reflect our highest values.
READ ON
http://www.prisoncommission.org/pdfs/Confronting_Confinement.pdf
Every day judges send thousands of men and women to jail or prison, but the public knows very little about the conditions of confinement and whether they are punishing in ways that no judge or jury ever intended; marked by the experience of rape, gang violence, abuse by officers, infectious disease, and never-ending solitary confinement. Unless the experience of incarceration becomes real through the confinement of a loved one or through a family member who works day-to-day in a correctional facility, jails and prisons and the people inside them are far removed from our daily concerns
.
Americans share concerns about struggling schools, dangerous hospitals, and corrupt corporations. We now talk openly about domestic violence and child abuse because we know there are terrible consequences for our loved ones, our families, and our communities if we remain silent. Yet there is a shame and a stigma about incarceration that makes it very difficult to have honest, productive conversations about what we are doing and the results.
Over the course of a year, the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America’s Prisons tried to change that by bringing life behind bars fully, vividly into focus and by connecting what happens inside with the health and safety of our communities. Our inquiry and this report reveal both grave problems and also good work that fills us with hope. A year ago, a group of individuals with little in common promised to recommend strategies for operating correctional facilities that serve our country’s best interests and reflect our highest values.
READ ON
http://www.prisoncommission.org/pdfs/Confronting_Confinement.pdf
Reducing Firearms Violence Through Directed Police Patrol
Final Report on the Evaluation of the Indianapolis Police Department's Directed Patrol Project
In the early 1990s, the Kansas City Police Department conducted a quasi-experiment in which they tested the effect of directed police patrols in a high violent crime neighborhood. The directed patrol strategy utilized officers in patrol cars who were freed from the responsibility of responding to calls for police service. The officers were instructed to proactively patrol the neighborhood with a special emphasis on locating and seizing illegally possessed firearms. The results of the project were striking. The increased traffic enforcement led to a 70 percent increase in seizures of illegal firearms.
This, in turn, was associated with a 49 percent decrease in gun-related crime in this area
(Sherman, Shaw and Rogan, 1995; Sherman and Rogan, 1995).
Building on the findings from Kansas City, the Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) implemented a similar project in July 1997 with the intent of reducing violent crime. In contrast with Kansas City, IPD’s project was implemented in two target areas for a 90-day period as opposed to the six-month, single site intervention in Kansas City. Although the overall level of police activity in terms of officer hours, vehicle stops, and arrests was quite similar in the two projects, the Indianapolis project involved a lower level of dosage given the 90-day period and the two target areas. On the other hand, the Indianapolis project allowed for a test of two somewhat different strategies.
READ ON
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/194207.pdf
In the early 1990s, the Kansas City Police Department conducted a quasi-experiment in which they tested the effect of directed police patrols in a high violent crime neighborhood. The directed patrol strategy utilized officers in patrol cars who were freed from the responsibility of responding to calls for police service. The officers were instructed to proactively patrol the neighborhood with a special emphasis on locating and seizing illegally possessed firearms. The results of the project were striking. The increased traffic enforcement led to a 70 percent increase in seizures of illegal firearms.
This, in turn, was associated with a 49 percent decrease in gun-related crime in this area
(Sherman, Shaw and Rogan, 1995; Sherman and Rogan, 1995).
Building on the findings from Kansas City, the Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) implemented a similar project in July 1997 with the intent of reducing violent crime. In contrast with Kansas City, IPD’s project was implemented in two target areas for a 90-day period as opposed to the six-month, single site intervention in Kansas City. Although the overall level of police activity in terms of officer hours, vehicle stops, and arrests was quite similar in the two projects, the Indianapolis project involved a lower level of dosage given the 90-day period and the two target areas. On the other hand, the Indianapolis project allowed for a test of two somewhat different strategies.
READ ON
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/194207.pdf
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Early Intervention System
This handbook is intended mostly as an explanation for our employees of a new system which affects them. Since some members of the public may be interested in understanding how our Early Intervention System works, and why we developed it, we have endeavored to write in a way that minimizes police jargon and will be understandable by a general audience.
As noted in Chief Stephens’ preceding comments, in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police
Department, we place a high priority on solving crime problems when they occur and on preventing future problems. Similarly, when it comes to performance by our sworn and civilian employees, we are committed to helping them handle challenges that might impede their effective and appropriate conduct.
When we notice potential performance problems, we want to prevent them from growing to the point where they will jeopardize an employee’s career, weaken our service to the public, or damage the reputation of the CMPD. To be sure, if our employees violate our rules, our internal affairs and supervisory structure are responsible for investigating and recommending discipline as may be appropriate. We are strict about compliance with our rules because we owe high standards to the community and to our justly proud workforce.
We also owe the public and our employees the very best supervision possible—supervision which encourages employees to continue what they do well and helps them steer away from potentially troublesome patterns of conduct. With the increasing complexity of police work, the responsibilities and workload of our supervisors are greater than they were a generation ago. The CMPD strives to find methods that make high quality supervision as easy and effective as possible. There is no substitute for well-trained and motivated individuals selected to serve as supervisors, but one of the systems we have established to assist them in doing their jobs proficiently is an automated record keeping and notification system— system— called our Early Intervention System
(EIS).
This handbook explains why we created this system; how it works; how it is expected to affect sworn and civilian CMPD employees and supervisors; what input our employees had in designing the EIS; how our system differs from those adopted by other departments; and what criteria we will use over time to assess whether the EIS is making a positive contribution to effective supervision and employee assistance. These topics are discussed using a question-and answer format, with the discussions grouped under six general categories.
READ ON
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1767
As noted in Chief Stephens’ preceding comments, in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police
Department, we place a high priority on solving crime problems when they occur and on preventing future problems. Similarly, when it comes to performance by our sworn and civilian employees, we are committed to helping them handle challenges that might impede their effective and appropriate conduct.
When we notice potential performance problems, we want to prevent them from growing to the point where they will jeopardize an employee’s career, weaken our service to the public, or damage the reputation of the CMPD. To be sure, if our employees violate our rules, our internal affairs and supervisory structure are responsible for investigating and recommending discipline as may be appropriate. We are strict about compliance with our rules because we owe high standards to the community and to our justly proud workforce.
We also owe the public and our employees the very best supervision possible—supervision which encourages employees to continue what they do well and helps them steer away from potentially troublesome patterns of conduct. With the increasing complexity of police work, the responsibilities and workload of our supervisors are greater than they were a generation ago. The CMPD strives to find methods that make high quality supervision as easy and effective as possible. There is no substitute for well-trained and motivated individuals selected to serve as supervisors, but one of the systems we have established to assist them in doing their jobs proficiently is an automated record keeping and notification system— system— called our Early Intervention System
(EIS).
This handbook explains why we created this system; how it works; how it is expected to affect sworn and civilian CMPD employees and supervisors; what input our employees had in designing the EIS; how our system differs from those adopted by other departments; and what criteria we will use over time to assess whether the EIS is making a positive contribution to effective supervision and employee assistance. These topics are discussed using a question-and answer format, with the discussions grouped under six general categories.
READ ON
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1767
Doing What We’ve Always Done: A Case Study of Rural Policing
Crime and justice cannot be adequately analyzed without an understanding of the historical and social contexts. Policing in a rural community provides an useful example of how social forces shape the delivery of informal as well as formal justice yet little is known about rural law enforcement. Furthermore, although approximately 50 percent of American law enforcement agencies are rural or small town, the vast majority of the research has been on the urban experience.
Based upon a baseline study of policing in a rural Kansas community, this study begins to fill part of that hiatus. The objective of the research project handed by the National Institute of Justice was four-fold: (1) to describe the existing policing model from the perspectives of citizens, community leaders, and law enforcement; (2) to identify the indicators of success or effectiveness of the law enforcement as perceived by citizens, community leaders, and law enforcement; (3) to identify law enforcement priorities and preferred policing models as identified by citizens, community leaders, and law enforcement; and (4) to make recommendations for rural law enforcement policy and training.
The data for this study were obtained from four sources: official crime data, a random sample telephone and mailed survey of community citizens and a hands-on survey of local law enforcement; participatory meetings with key community organizations; and interviews with community “gatekeepers.” Citizen response to the majority of indicators of law enforcement effectiveness was positive and supportive of the existing policing model in contrast to the law enforcement response which was more mixed. When asked how law enforcement should be done, citizen response indicated a conflict between their beliefs about how policing should be done and their evaluations of the success of the delivery of local law enforcement services. The theory of cognitive dissonance renders a useful theoretical framework for understanding the conflict between citizen perceptions of the effectiveness of their law enforcement agencies and their ”John WayneNild West” image of fighting crime.
READ ON
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/181044.pdf
Based upon a baseline study of policing in a rural Kansas community, this study begins to fill part of that hiatus. The objective of the research project handed by the National Institute of Justice was four-fold: (1) to describe the existing policing model from the perspectives of citizens, community leaders, and law enforcement; (2) to identify the indicators of success or effectiveness of the law enforcement as perceived by citizens, community leaders, and law enforcement; (3) to identify law enforcement priorities and preferred policing models as identified by citizens, community leaders, and law enforcement; and (4) to make recommendations for rural law enforcement policy and training.
The data for this study were obtained from four sources: official crime data, a random sample telephone and mailed survey of community citizens and a hands-on survey of local law enforcement; participatory meetings with key community organizations; and interviews with community “gatekeepers.” Citizen response to the majority of indicators of law enforcement effectiveness was positive and supportive of the existing policing model in contrast to the law enforcement response which was more mixed. When asked how law enforcement should be done, citizen response indicated a conflict between their beliefs about how policing should be done and their evaluations of the success of the delivery of local law enforcement services. The theory of cognitive dissonance renders a useful theoretical framework for understanding the conflict between citizen perceptions of the effectiveness of their law enforcement agencies and their ”John WayneNild West” image of fighting crime.
READ ON
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/181044.pdf
Seattle's Comprehensive CommunitiesProgram: A Case Study
The Seattle police department, “with considerable public input, coordinated the development of an overall program strategy and engaged other organizations to implement pieces of the Comprehensive Communities Program (CCP). The CCP consortium involved both city agencies and community-based organizations. They received funding for a broad range of projects that meshed easily with the established programs and organizational structures.
During the first year of CCP, the police department finalized its plan for transforming to support community policing. Police used their share of CCP funds to support a training program that featured the problemoriented strategies they planned to adopt, and to launch a new citizen advisory group. A large percentage of the city’s CCP funds were committed to partner agencies with whom the police have an expanding relationship.
These funds extended the scope of existing services to support one-time projects and to build organizational infrastructure. Both the police and their partner agencies strove to develop CCP projects that would be sustainable within existing resource constraints, or could be terminated without disruption.
This case study of Seattle’s CCP program was written as a result of site visits made to various CCP programs and interviews with CCP participants between September, 1995 and December, 1996. It also incorporates data from BOTEC’s CCP Coalition Survey and Community Policing Survey, as well as information contained in federal and local documents and reports. Follow-up phone calls were made during December, 1997 and January, 1998, to key participants in order to write the epilogue.”
READ ON
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/204629.pdf
During the first year of CCP, the police department finalized its plan for transforming to support community policing. Police used their share of CCP funds to support a training program that featured the problemoriented strategies they planned to adopt, and to launch a new citizen advisory group. A large percentage of the city’s CCP funds were committed to partner agencies with whom the police have an expanding relationship.
These funds extended the scope of existing services to support one-time projects and to build organizational infrastructure. Both the police and their partner agencies strove to develop CCP projects that would be sustainable within existing resource constraints, or could be terminated without disruption.
This case study of Seattle’s CCP program was written as a result of site visits made to various CCP programs and interviews with CCP participants between September, 1995 and December, 1996. It also incorporates data from BOTEC’s CCP Coalition Survey and Community Policing Survey, as well as information contained in federal and local documents and reports. Follow-up phone calls were made during December, 1997 and January, 1998, to key participants in order to write the epilogue.”
READ ON
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/204629.pdf
Police Labor-Management Relations (Vol. I):
Police Labor-Management Relations (Vol. I): Perspectives and Practical Solutions for Implementing Change, Making Reforms, and Handling Crises for Managers and Union Leader
The purpose of this project was to create a practitioner’s guide for police managers and police unions that seeks to unravel the mysteries surrounding the two sides of policing, and offer some principled and practical solutions to surviving in the 21st century world of policing that is becoming more and more complex and complicated. The basic goals of the project were the following:
Survey police unions and police management on the current state of labor-management relations in their agencies with an emphasis on implementing change in the direction and operations of the law enforcement agency or reform in the agency
Analyze the survey data to determine those aspects of the labor-management relationship that would appear to be the most cooperative and those aspects that would appear to be the least cooperative when the law enforcement agency is desirous of change or reform, i.e., what is working and what is not
Create a model police labor-management process to implement change and reform the law enforcement agency
Develop an educational and training program for police union leaders and police management in how to implement change in a law enforcement agency in a cooperative manner
Establish methods to encourage police unions and police management to work together to make the reduction of crime a part of their relationship (with or without the right to collective bargaining) and to develop a shared vision of a safer community.
This project was not designed to be a “how to” book on collective bargaining, grievance handling, arbitration, or bargaining impasse resolutions. Change or reform of a law enforcement agency would include, but not be limited to such traditional change agents as the use of force by police, corruption in the agency, ineffectiveness or inefficiency of the agency, racial profiling and other minority complaints, diversity in promotions and in hiring, and mismanagement of agency personnel and resources. The project was to include information on how to gain the cooperative implementation of community-oriented policing concepts by creating ownership in the program for the police union and police management. The most serious problem facing the police profession in the 21st century is how to implement change or reform in a law enforcement agency in the most cooperative manner with the least amount of disruption to the operations of the agency.
The police are one of the most powerful and visible arm of the government.
Individual police officers are empowered to detain, arrest, subdue, and under justifiable circumstances, injure or kill a citizen in order to perform their duties. Police officers are reluctant and resistant to change or reform, especially when the officers perceive the change or reform as politically motivated. A case in point is that despite an obvious hue and cry for citizen control of the police by elected officials, the media, and the public, the few existing citizen review boards in the United States generally are powerless to investigate or charge individual police officers with misconduct or implement reforms in a police department.
DOWNLOAD THE BOOK
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/files/ric/Publications/e07063417.pdf
The purpose of this project was to create a practitioner’s guide for police managers and police unions that seeks to unravel the mysteries surrounding the two sides of policing, and offer some principled and practical solutions to surviving in the 21st century world of policing that is becoming more and more complex and complicated. The basic goals of the project were the following:
Survey police unions and police management on the current state of labor-management relations in their agencies with an emphasis on implementing change in the direction and operations of the law enforcement agency or reform in the agency
Analyze the survey data to determine those aspects of the labor-management relationship that would appear to be the most cooperative and those aspects that would appear to be the least cooperative when the law enforcement agency is desirous of change or reform, i.e., what is working and what is not
Create a model police labor-management process to implement change and reform the law enforcement agency
Develop an educational and training program for police union leaders and police management in how to implement change in a law enforcement agency in a cooperative manner
Establish methods to encourage police unions and police management to work together to make the reduction of crime a part of their relationship (with or without the right to collective bargaining) and to develop a shared vision of a safer community.
This project was not designed to be a “how to” book on collective bargaining, grievance handling, arbitration, or bargaining impasse resolutions. Change or reform of a law enforcement agency would include, but not be limited to such traditional change agents as the use of force by police, corruption in the agency, ineffectiveness or inefficiency of the agency, racial profiling and other minority complaints, diversity in promotions and in hiring, and mismanagement of agency personnel and resources. The project was to include information on how to gain the cooperative implementation of community-oriented policing concepts by creating ownership in the program for the police union and police management. The most serious problem facing the police profession in the 21st century is how to implement change or reform in a law enforcement agency in the most cooperative manner with the least amount of disruption to the operations of the agency.
The police are one of the most powerful and visible arm of the government.
Individual police officers are empowered to detain, arrest, subdue, and under justifiable circumstances, injure or kill a citizen in order to perform their duties. Police officers are reluctant and resistant to change or reform, especially when the officers perceive the change or reform as politically motivated. A case in point is that despite an obvious hue and cry for citizen control of the police by elected officials, the media, and the public, the few existing citizen review boards in the United States generally are powerless to investigate or charge individual police officers with misconduct or implement reforms in a police department.
DOWNLOAD THE BOOK
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/files/ric/Publications/e07063417.pdf
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
A VIEW OF LAW ENFORCEMENT LEADERSHIP FOR THE YEAR 2000
In preparing this independent study project, the author received frequent advice from well-intentioned educators, POST advisors and colleagues to avoid the morasses of such an amorphous abstraction as leadership. Successful independent study projects, they said, are built of sturdier stuff. Surely, they suggested, the writer would lose himself in the tortuous labyrinth of leadership theory from which no man emerges unscathed.
Undaunted by good advice, the author damned the torpedoes and forged full-speed ahead. This more from an unconscious urge to express a vision that seemed clear to him than a desire to defy others. The writer has long held that it is the duty of law enforcement managers to lead. Police managers must instill within others a vision of the organization's mission, the values which guide decision-making, the future state toward which the organization is moving and the importance of each individual in that future. Without this, police managers serve only as custodians of a mindless bureaucracy which preoccupies itself with the present at the expense of the future.
READ ON
http://libcat.post.ca.gov/dbtw-wpd/documents/cc/11-0216.pdf
Undaunted by good advice, the author damned the torpedoes and forged full-speed ahead. This more from an unconscious urge to express a vision that seemed clear to him than a desire to defy others. The writer has long held that it is the duty of law enforcement managers to lead. Police managers must instill within others a vision of the organization's mission, the values which guide decision-making, the future state toward which the organization is moving and the importance of each individual in that future. Without this, police managers serve only as custodians of a mindless bureaucracy which preoccupies itself with the present at the expense of the future.
READ ON
http://libcat.post.ca.gov/dbtw-wpd/documents/cc/11-0216.pdf
Public Safety Technology in the News
Idaho Lab Develops a Quicker Way to Catch a Thief
The Columbian, (04/28/2008), Todd Dvorak
A faster and possibly cheaper method of human identification using antibodies, unique to everyone, has been developed by Federal researchers. However, proponents want to stress this new method is not designed to replace present DNA testing. These antibodies can be found in bodily fluid and are used by the body to fight disease or assist in any number of other bodily functions. The technology to conduct this testing has been licensed to Identity Sciences LLC, and by fall 2009 the company anticipates providing testing kits and training to the law enforcement, military, and forensic communities worldwide.
news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP04282008news310529.cfm?modifyFont=L
Microsoft Helps Law Enforcement Get Around Encryption
PC World, (04/29/2008), Nancy Gohring
Encryption software use by cyber criminals is increasing, and in an effort to assist law enforcement in getting around such technology, Microsoft has developed the Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor (COFEE) toolkit. Microsoft first released the product last June for free and it is now in use by roughly 2,000 agents worldwide. This software, made up of 150 tools, can be stored on a USB flash drive for use at the scene of a crime. This mobility and portability can prevent officers from having to turn off a computer, which can result in lost data. Also, processing a computer with COFEE can take about 20 minutes, versus previous methods that produced results in 3 to 4 hours.
www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145318/microsoft_helps_law_enforcement_get_around_enc
Dallas-Area Law Enforcement Agencies Unveiling Online Services to Share Local Crime Reports
The Dallas Morning News, (05/02/2008), Richard Abshire
The Plano Police Department hopes that keeping the community informed regarding crimes that occur near churches, homes, or schools will be key in developing strong working relations with the citizens they serve. Citizens can sign up to receive e-mail alerts using a system that is accessible through the crimereports.com website. The system can also provide the public with access to incident reports by location on a map, along with a description of the crime and other related information. This can be useful for Neighborhood Watch groups and coordinators, as well as free up time relating to routine requests for records.
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/plano/stories/DN-planopd_02met.ART.North.Edition1.46e5342.html
Simulator Trains Police for the Worst
KAAL TV, (05/01/2008), Jackie Orozco
Simulators offer officers and cadets a safe place to learn and prepare for the volatile and nastiest situations their job can offer. As real-life situations such as college campus or school shootings become more common, the simulator can be updated to include the situation as part of the training scenarios. Officers and cadets are provided with a special 9mm weapon and expected to verbally interact with the scenario as it takes place. The simulator is also capable of shooting back at participants and plans are in place to add a "recoil pack" to the 9mm to offer even more realism to the experience.
kaaltv.com/article/stories/S430530.shtml?cat=10151
Technology Deters Bank Robberies
Madison County Journal, (05/01/2008), Staff Reporter
Would-be bank robbers in Madison County (Mississippi) are facing deterrent mechanisms of the high-tech kind with digital surveillance and the low-tech kind with common courtesy or "Southern hospitality." Area banks, while working with law enforcement, have installed digital surveillance to achieve higher resolution images of most bank patrons. However, banks are also finding that being courteous and welcoming bank patrons as they enter can also have a deterrent effect and give would-be robbers a moment of pause. Another alternative deterrent method is banks implementing "dress codes" that forbid the wearing of hoods or clothing that can conceal a person's identity.
www.onlinemadison.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=20188&TM=18291.84
Google Adapts YouTube's Copyright-ID Technology to Combat Child-Porn
International Business Times, (05/01/2008), Vivek Gangjee
Google is working to fight child pornography. Google engineers have repurposed a video and image analysis tool used to identify and remove copyright-protected videos from its YouTube site. Google has partnered with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to test the technology, which will identify patterns in still images and videos. NCMEC can use the analysis to track down predators. The tools have been developed to help NCMEC arrange and index its data, as well as cross-reference historical data, for better, more efficient handling of new images and footage submitted to the center. The goal of this technology and the partnership is to make it more difficult for predators to use the Web to exploit children or traffic child pornography.
in.ibtimes.com/articles/20080501/google-child-pornography-youtube-copyright-technology-ncmec.htm
Amber Alert Technology Will be Used to Notify Public of Officer's death in Line of Duty
Suncoast News, (05/06/2008), Associated Press
A 56 percent increase in officer deaths across Florida has prompted an executive order that indicates that the State's Amber Alert system will be activated in the event of an officer being wounded or killed in the line of duty. The alerts will broadcast when an officer has been reported down and provide further information regarding the incident.
www.mysuncoast.com/Global/story.asp?S=8276061&nav=menu577_2_1
The Camera That Wears a Badge
The New York Times, (05/04/2008), Joe Sharkey
Photo enforcement to catch red-light runners or speeders has all but eliminated the need for law enforcement to hide behind bushes and billboards waiting to stop motorists. However, with the implementation of photo enforcement has also come some unexpected results such as an increase in citations to rental companies. When the rental companies receive these fines they pay the fee and then charge the customer the fine plus a processing fee. Also, in anticipation of the revenue from the cameras, some municipalities are rewriting motor vehicle codes so that such violations are treated like parking tickets with no points being issued. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which supports camera use, feels the cameras assist the law enforcement community, whose resources are stretched, keep up with vehicle violations. But motorists are using the Web to find services offered by Njection or Trapster to locate both manned and photo-enforcement locations.
www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/business/04bug.html?ref=technology
Street Sweeper Cameras Get OK
Washington Times, (05/07/2008), David C. Lipscomb
The District of Columbia Council recently passed legislation to allow the installment of license plate scanning cameras on the city's fleet of 20 street sweepers. Initially, two sweepers will be outfitted for testing prior to the entire fleet being updated. The cameras will allow the Department of Public Works to be more proficient in ticketing violators who park on street-cleaning routes. For the first 45days after cameras are installed, violators will receive warnings. After the 45-day grace period ends, violators will receive a $30 ticket in the mail.
www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080507/METRO/684495592&SearchID=73317047977076
The Columbian, (04/28/2008), Todd Dvorak
A faster and possibly cheaper method of human identification using antibodies, unique to everyone, has been developed by Federal researchers. However, proponents want to stress this new method is not designed to replace present DNA testing. These antibodies can be found in bodily fluid and are used by the body to fight disease or assist in any number of other bodily functions. The technology to conduct this testing has been licensed to Identity Sciences LLC, and by fall 2009 the company anticipates providing testing kits and training to the law enforcement, military, and forensic communities worldwide.
news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP04282008news310529.cfm?modifyFont=L
Microsoft Helps Law Enforcement Get Around Encryption
PC World, (04/29/2008), Nancy Gohring
Encryption software use by cyber criminals is increasing, and in an effort to assist law enforcement in getting around such technology, Microsoft has developed the Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor (COFEE) toolkit. Microsoft first released the product last June for free and it is now in use by roughly 2,000 agents worldwide. This software, made up of 150 tools, can be stored on a USB flash drive for use at the scene of a crime. This mobility and portability can prevent officers from having to turn off a computer, which can result in lost data. Also, processing a computer with COFEE can take about 20 minutes, versus previous methods that produced results in 3 to 4 hours.
www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145318/microsoft_helps_law_enforcement_get_around_enc
Dallas-Area Law Enforcement Agencies Unveiling Online Services to Share Local Crime Reports
The Dallas Morning News, (05/02/2008), Richard Abshire
The Plano Police Department hopes that keeping the community informed regarding crimes that occur near churches, homes, or schools will be key in developing strong working relations with the citizens they serve. Citizens can sign up to receive e-mail alerts using a system that is accessible through the crimereports.com website. The system can also provide the public with access to incident reports by location on a map, along with a description of the crime and other related information. This can be useful for Neighborhood Watch groups and coordinators, as well as free up time relating to routine requests for records.
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/plano/stories/DN-planopd_02met.ART.North.Edition1.46e5342.html
Simulator Trains Police for the Worst
KAAL TV, (05/01/2008), Jackie Orozco
Simulators offer officers and cadets a safe place to learn and prepare for the volatile and nastiest situations their job can offer. As real-life situations such as college campus or school shootings become more common, the simulator can be updated to include the situation as part of the training scenarios. Officers and cadets are provided with a special 9mm weapon and expected to verbally interact with the scenario as it takes place. The simulator is also capable of shooting back at participants and plans are in place to add a "recoil pack" to the 9mm to offer even more realism to the experience.
kaaltv.com/article/stories/S430530.shtml?cat=10151
Technology Deters Bank Robberies
Madison County Journal, (05/01/2008), Staff Reporter
Would-be bank robbers in Madison County (Mississippi) are facing deterrent mechanisms of the high-tech kind with digital surveillance and the low-tech kind with common courtesy or "Southern hospitality." Area banks, while working with law enforcement, have installed digital surveillance to achieve higher resolution images of most bank patrons. However, banks are also finding that being courteous and welcoming bank patrons as they enter can also have a deterrent effect and give would-be robbers a moment of pause. Another alternative deterrent method is banks implementing "dress codes" that forbid the wearing of hoods or clothing that can conceal a person's identity.
www.onlinemadison.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=20188&TM=18291.84
Google Adapts YouTube's Copyright-ID Technology to Combat Child-Porn
International Business Times, (05/01/2008), Vivek Gangjee
Google is working to fight child pornography. Google engineers have repurposed a video and image analysis tool used to identify and remove copyright-protected videos from its YouTube site. Google has partnered with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to test the technology, which will identify patterns in still images and videos. NCMEC can use the analysis to track down predators. The tools have been developed to help NCMEC arrange and index its data, as well as cross-reference historical data, for better, more efficient handling of new images and footage submitted to the center. The goal of this technology and the partnership is to make it more difficult for predators to use the Web to exploit children or traffic child pornography.
in.ibtimes.com/articles/20080501/google-child-pornography-youtube-copyright-technology-ncmec.htm
Amber Alert Technology Will be Used to Notify Public of Officer's death in Line of Duty
Suncoast News, (05/06/2008), Associated Press
A 56 percent increase in officer deaths across Florida has prompted an executive order that indicates that the State's Amber Alert system will be activated in the event of an officer being wounded or killed in the line of duty. The alerts will broadcast when an officer has been reported down and provide further information regarding the incident.
www.mysuncoast.com/Global/story.asp?S=8276061&nav=menu577_2_1
The Camera That Wears a Badge
The New York Times, (05/04/2008), Joe Sharkey
Photo enforcement to catch red-light runners or speeders has all but eliminated the need for law enforcement to hide behind bushes and billboards waiting to stop motorists. However, with the implementation of photo enforcement has also come some unexpected results such as an increase in citations to rental companies. When the rental companies receive these fines they pay the fee and then charge the customer the fine plus a processing fee. Also, in anticipation of the revenue from the cameras, some municipalities are rewriting motor vehicle codes so that such violations are treated like parking tickets with no points being issued. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which supports camera use, feels the cameras assist the law enforcement community, whose resources are stretched, keep up with vehicle violations. But motorists are using the Web to find services offered by Njection or Trapster to locate both manned and photo-enforcement locations.
www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/business/04bug.html?ref=technology
Street Sweeper Cameras Get OK
Washington Times, (05/07/2008), David C. Lipscomb
The District of Columbia Council recently passed legislation to allow the installment of license plate scanning cameras on the city's fleet of 20 street sweepers. Initially, two sweepers will be outfitted for testing prior to the entire fleet being updated. The cameras will allow the Department of Public Works to be more proficient in ticketing violators who park on street-cleaning routes. For the first 45days after cameras are installed, violators will receive warnings. After the 45-day grace period ends, violators will receive a $30 ticket in the mail.
www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080507/METRO/684495592&SearchID=73317047977076
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
