FBI Top Stories: National Academy Associates Never Stop Learning

FBI Debriefs Investigation of MLK Day Bombing Attempt

The bomb scattered shrapnel through metal filing cabinets and human-sized dummies. Frank Harrill, FBI Seattle’s Supervisory Senior Resident Agent (SSRA) for eastern Washington, turned from the video and explained how this demo replicated the potential force of the explosive device planted at the January 2011 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day march in Spokane, Washington.

On December 2, 2011, Harrill presented to FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA) lessons learned from the investigation of the attempted parade attack. Harrill pointed out many aspects of the law enforcement response that worked well—such as the decision of the Spokane Police Department to change the routing of the march immediately after receiving word that a suspicious backpack had been reported along the planned route. Harrill also suggested ways that information flow might be optimized, should similar incidents occur in the future.

This investigation debrief supports the FBINAA mission to provide FBI National Academy (NA) graduates with opportunities for continuing education, training, professional development, peer networking, and research in law enforcement disciplines. Just as the FBI selected NA participants because of their high standards in law enforcement work, the FBINAA sponsors enrichment activities and events in order to promote improved leadership, cooperation, services, efficiencies, and higher standards of professional conduct in all levels of law enforcement throughout the world.

Other training the FBINAA has hosted includes “Ethical Policing,” “A Case Study on Public Corruption,” and “Mentoring Across Gender Lines”—and that’s just in the last few months, among a whole year of events.

Membership in the Washington chapter of the FBINAA comprises 390 members, of which 55 percent are still active law enforcement officers representing 98 different agencies. Several of the retired members, even though no longer serving in a commissioned status, are still employed in law enforcement agencies.

“The caliber of personnel the FBI has sent to the NA has been outstanding,” says FBI Seattle’s training coordinator, Special Agent Colleen Sanders. “It benefits the community to have graduates come back together through the FBINAA and continue to share their expertise with each other.”

“The networking we do at these training sessions have created partnerships that would have never existed,” says Commander Scott Child of the Kennewick Police Department. “Located in our department’s space, we now have an FBI Violent Gang Task Force that came to fruition due to contacts made through the Washington FBINAA Chapter.”

The FBINAA Washington Chapter will continue to grow because FBI Seattle each year nominates additional participants for the NA. Participants join over 250 fellow law enforcement officers from around the country and around the world for ten weeks of vigorous training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. NA students take courses focused on leadership development that emphasize critical thinking. Course offerings include legal issues, behavioral science, forensic science, law enforcement communication, and fitness. (Read more about the National Academy.)

Five Washington state law enforcement officers will attend the first of four NA sessions in 2012: Assistant Chief William Pierson, Auburn Police Department; Deputy Chief Bradley Moericke, Sumner Police Department; Commander David King, Vancouver Police Department; Sergeant Lyman Moores, Clallam County Sheriff’s Office; and Deputy Chief Carlos Echevarria Tulalip, Tribal Police Department.

“Officers who attend the NA are given a great gift,” says NA graduate Chief Bonnie Bowers of the Anacortes Police Department, reflecting on what she would tell incoming NA participants. “I thought of my time there as a sabbatical. It was a time to recharge, gain knowledge and skills, challenge myself, and reaffirm my commitment to my department.”

“I would encourage anyone given the opportunity to go, to do so and make the most of the experience,” says Bowers.

Given the high recommendation by Bowers and many others, the incoming Washington state NA participants appear to have powerful experiences ahead of them. And given the FBINAA’s mission to continue learning and strengthening networks of colleagues, the academy itself seems to be just the beginning.

New Mexico and North Dakota

Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added police officers from New Mexico and North Dakota.

Bart Skelton was raised on the Mexican border and attended college at Southwestern University, Sul Ross State University and New Mexico State University. He joined the New Mexico State Police in 1984 and later became a Special Agent with the U.S. Customs Service and is stationed in New Mexico. Bart Skelton is the author of Down on the Border: A Western Lawman's Journal.

Darrell Graf is the former Chief of Police of the Medina Police Department (North Dakota). Darrell Graf graduated from the North Dakota Law Enforcement Training Center in August of 1976. He holds two patents on firefighting devices he invented.

Steve Schnabel is the former Colonel of the Medina Police Department (North Dakota). Steven Schnabel graduated from the North Dakota Law Enforcement Training Center in April of 1981. He is also a staff sergeant for the North Dakota Army National Guard of which he has been a member for over 19 years.

Darrell Graf and Steve Schabel are the authors of It's All About Power. According to the book description, “It's All About Power is a true and accurate eye witness account of the shoot-out between Gordon Kahl and US Marshals at Medina, North Dakota in 1983.” Of the book, Senator John DeCamp (Lincoln, NE) said, “There are many problems in America today. It's All About Power is a stimulating account of the disaster at Medina, ND in 1983 which was the first in a series of similar shocking events that have rocked our nation. I would highly recommend everyone from politicians to distressed farmers and government agents to militia members read and learn from this fabulous book!”

Dr. Allen Koss, PhD (Sitting Bull College, Ft. Yates, ND) added, “The authors...have dealt with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for the past 16 years. This text should be a significant contribution to the education of other law enforcement officers.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 657 police officers (representing 289 police departments) and their 1398 books in six 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.

Police Officer Books

Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Three police officers were added to the website: Billy Chase, Rick Darby and Charles Stone.

Billy Chase grew up in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He worked as a guard for the Connecticut State Correctional Department at the Whalley Avenue Correctional Facility in New Haven, Connecticut. After a short stint with the Monroe Police Department (Connecticut) he joined the Bridgeport Police Department (Connecticut). In 1992, he retired from the Bridgeport Police Department.

Billy Chase is the author of Chased: Alone, Black, and Undercover. According to Publisher’s Weekly, “Chase may well be one of the most courageous police officers now working a beat. As an undercover narcotics agent in Bridgeport, Conn., he has infiltrated black, Puerto Rican, Jamaican, Colombian and Italian mobs, fortified by smarts he acquired on the street in his own youth, and fueled by his hatred of drugs and organized crime. But while his primary struggle was waged against gangsters, he also fought racism: on more than one occasion, Chase held a gun on thugs he had arrested only to hear them yell for help, claiming he was robbing them; spectators were all too ready to believe the claim.”

Rick Darby is a veteran police officer and an Ordained Minister. He currently serves as the Police Chief of the Cornelia Police Department (Georgia). He has had the opportunity to teach over 5000 law enforcement officers both locally and internationally. Rick Darby has written feature articles for local newspapers and law enforcement training curriculum. His passion for people has allowed him to appear on local, national and international radio and television. He has also worked with troubled youth and taught Drug Education in Public Schools.

Rick Darby is the author of The Boyz in the Grove. According to the book description, “set in the late 1960's and early 1970's two old friends reminisce after not seeing each other for twenty years and the story begins to unfold. Jacob Hartley and Rick Darby reconnect in a hospital room and mutually agree not to talk about an incident that occurred thirty-four years earlier. Jacob asks Rick to share some of their childhood stories to bring him some peace during his last days of life. As Rick begins to share in the Southern style only he can, others show up to hear a story or two. He even shares one of his stories with a group of nurses. During that story he gets a little surprise that catches him off guard. After a day at the hospital Rick prepares to leave when Jacob throws him a curve. His request was more than Rick had bargained for.”

Charles Stone was a Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s agent for more than 25 years. As head of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Anti-Terrorist Unit, was one of the three primary investigative supervisors on the Atlanta Bomber Case. He is a co-author of the book that explores that case, Hunting Eric Rudolph.

According to Publisher’s Weekly, “This is a suspenseful account of the five-year hunt for the man behind the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Park bombing. Eric Rudolph is now also facing federal charges for bombings of a gay nightclub and two abortion clinics in Atlanta and Birmingham, Ala. Descriptive anecdotes of Rudolph and his family help Schuster, a CNN senior producer, and Stone, former head of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Anti-Terrorist Force, illustrate how a man on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List with a million-dollar reward on his head managed to elude the FBI for years by hiding out in the mountains of North Carolina.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 573 police officers (representing 241 police departments) and their 1208 books in six 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.

Law Enforcement Technology

NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, May 3, 2007

"Some Crimes Can Be Reported on the Web"
Biloxi Sun Herald (MS) (04/29/07) P. A3; Fitzgerald, Robin

The Gulfport police force is the first law enforcement agency in Mississippi to let citizens file online police reports for certain types of crimes. The Desk Officer Reporting System, or E-Police Department, is intended for no-suspect misdemeanor crimes involving losses below $500--not for emergencies. The tool makes it easy for individuals to file such complaints, and provides documentation as well. The system helps the police by automatically printing the reports, freeing officers to focus on emergencies; unlike other systems, the program requires no extra staff to retype the data. In addition to assisting the public, the online police reports will be used to identify trends in crime and to compile statistics. The software was donated to the police department by Cop Logic after Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.sunherald.com/201/story/42264.html

"General Dynamics to Build Integrated Radio System"
Washington Post (04/30/07) P. D04; Dizard III, Wilson P.

Falls Church, Va.-based General Dynamics has received a 15-year, multibillion-dollar deal to construct a national interoperable data and voice radio network for federal law enforcement groups. Operated by the Department of Justice, the Integrated Wireless Network program is meant to offer compatible radio systems to federal police institutions, so that they can work together well during terrorist attacks and weather disasters. The network, which is predicted to cost as much as $10 billion, will enable the federal police to connect to state and local networks. The primary radio systems that the program will offer to participating groups will depend on the Internet Protocol Version 6 standard, the same kind of next-generation online technology that will increasingly power the operations of the global Web. The network will use different kinds of gateway systems to combine the latest digital radio systems with the older analog ones that are still employed by a large number of police departments nationally. New technology employed in the network will permit numerous simultaneous conversations to happen across what used to be an open circuit meant for one transmission. The network can facilitate the transmission of streaming video to police officers on foot or in their cruisers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com
wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/2
9/AR2007042901077.html?hpid=sec-tech

"DeLuca Vows to Prevent Mistakes in Criminal Cases, Use Technology"
Wilkes Barre Times Leader (PA) (04/26/07); Weiss, David

Attorney Vito DeLuca has promised to make a number of changes if elected to the Luzerne County, Pa., District Attorney's Office, including ensuring that prosecutors have the proper technology to handle cases. According to DeLuca, there have been several cases that have been thrown out because prosecutors failed to meet certain deadlines. He noted that while it is expected that those mistakes will happen occasionally because a police officer held up a case too long, they should never happen because a prosecutor forgot to do something. DeLuca also promised to use more technology in courtrooms if he becomes the next district attorney. The use of technology in courtrooms is important, because jurors watch television court shows that impact their thoughts, DeLuca said. "They want to be entertained," he said.
http://www.timesleader.com
news/20070426_26deluca_dw_ART.html

"Judge: Cellular GPS Data Can Be Used as a Tracking Device"
Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN) (04/27/07) P. 19; Satterfield, Jamie

On April 26, U.S. District Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton decreed that law enforcement can employ GPS information from cell phones as monitoring devices. The decision occurs in the case of a father and son charged of transporting almost 1,000 pounds of marijuana in an RV. Michael Davis and Drew Lewis, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents, had utilized real-time information from a GPS unit implemented in a cell phone to locate accused traffickers Melvin and Samuel Skinner at a truck stop in Texas on the night before a July raid of businessman Scott West's properties. Once arrested, the Skinners protested that federal prosecutors breached regulations in their effort to bust West and his brother. The attorneys had argued at earlier hearings in 2007 to persuade Guyton that law enforcement should not be permitted to employ GPS devices on cell phones as monitoring devices without obtaining legal permission. Guyton determined, though, that cell phone users relinquish privacy rights on a daily basis. He wrote that since a broad variety of individuals and companies already use cell phone GPS information, law enforcement officials should not be treated any differently. http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/
0,1406,KNS_347_5507506,00.html

"Campus Safety Gains Sharper Vision With New Breed of Surveillance Cameras"
Chronicle of Higher Education (04/27/07) Vol. 53, No. 34, P. 15; Fischman, Josh; Foster, Andrea L.

To boost security in its dormitories, Johns Hopkins University relies on "smart TV," according to Edmund G. Skrodzki, executive director of campus safety and security. Over the past two years, the university installed 101 surveillance cameras in dormitories along Charles Street in addition to some off-campus sites. The cameras are linked to computer software that can determine such things as when a person has his or her arms in the air or a vehicle is moving in a suspiciously slow manner; the software also issues alerts to campus security. Skrodzki says the new cameras at Johns Hopkins have made the campus "more proactive rather than reactive," and have already helped catch a person trying to steal a motorbike and identify an armed thief. Campus crime at Hopkins has declined by 43 percent since 2004, and some of that can be attributed to the cameras, he says. Before installation of the cameras began, Johns Hopkins officials asked the student chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union to talk about the system in an effort to reduce concerns over privacy. The students learned, for example, that the cameras block out any footage of direct window views. The technology reflects the growing presence of camera-based surveillance at universities, which may increase even more in the wake of the April 16 Virginia Tech shooting. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i34/34a01501.htm?pg=dji

"Beaverton Police Cut Cord to Office"
Oregonian (04/25/07) P. B01; Anderson, David R.

The Beaverton, Ore., Police Department has installed a wireless broadband network in the city's downtown, thanks to the help of almost $266,000 in grants from the federal Department of Homeland Security. The network, which consists of 21 wireless nodes placed along routes where officers patrol, gives officers at a crime scene access to key information--such as how many times police have been to a particular house and who lives there--on mobile data terminals in their patrol cars. Officers no longer have to call on the radio and have someone read the data back. In addition, officers conducting follow-up investigations do not have to return to headquarters or stop at a satellite office. By the end of this year, the system could be connected to an electronic citation system--which would allow officers to write tickets from handheld personal digital assistants--as well as an electronic fingerprint system. The Beaverton Police Department also hopes to expand the wireless network to neighborhoods in the city beyond downtown. http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/
base/news/117747691176480.xml&coll=7

"New Phone Technologies Can Help Colleges Communicate Campuswide in Emergencies"
Chronicle of Higher Education (04/27/07) Vol. 53, No. 34, P. A16; Fischman, Josh; Foster, Andrea L.

A company called Rave Wireless sells a new type of campus communications system designed to work with cell phones. The system has been installed at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, where over 90 percent of students carry cell phones, notes Ronald G. Forsythe, a vice president in charge of communications systems at the university. In comparison, fewer students check campus email or carry laptops, he says. The university's system relies on sending text messages to students' cell phones if an emergency arises. Monmouth University in New Jersey recently acquired a new cell phone system called Connect-ED that transmits voice as well as text messages to cell phones, says David J. Bopp, the university's associate vice president for telecommunications. One flaw in such systems, however, is that participation is voluntary. In addition, not all students keep their phones on, and text messages are often limited to 100 characters. As a result, such systems are often supplemented with dedicated emergency Web sites, phone message systems, and public address speakers. At Butler University in Indianapolis, a recently installed Internet-based phone system allows certain faculty and staff to issue audio and text messages through special phones in case of emergencies. http://www.chronicle.com

"Domestic Violence Victims are Given Electronic Advice"
Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (04/26/07) P. 1; Finch, Susan

Domestic violence victims need to be tech-savvy if they hope to keep from falling prey to high-tech stalking at the hands of their former abusers, said Cindy Southworth, the technology chief of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, at a recent conference in New Orleans. Southworth noted that domestic violence victims need to take steps to both electronically and physically separate themselves from their abusers. For instance, domestic violence victims should use the Internet on a computer at a library or a friend's house, rather than a computer that is being shared with the abuser. Domestic violence victims should also create a new email account in a name that the abuser does not know, in order to keep the abuser from accessing the information. Once this new account is opened, domestic violence victims should avoid opening any attachments that could relay email information to the abuser. Finally, domestic violence victims should stop using cell phones that are part of a family plan shared with the abuser, since abusers can get records of the victim's calls and have a locator feature installed to monitor the victim's location. Southworth advised women to get a new phone with a global positioning chip, which would allow police to find her immediately if she dials 911.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/
news-21/1177568775255780.xml&coll=1

"New Patrol Cars to Get Latest Equipment"
Sacramento Bee (CA) (04/26/07) P. H3; Campos, Art

The Roseville, Calif., Police Department has bought 16 new patrol cars for $376,915 and is customizing them for almost another $400,000. The customizing involves implementing the newest anti-crime equipment, including cameras, police radios, and wireless computer gadgets. The new in-car cameras will cost $82,711, while upgrades to the wireless abilities of in-car computers will total $102,091. The customization and implementation of radios and additional equipment will cost $207,868. An additional request for $136,000 will be presented to the Roseville City Council at a later date for purchasing and implementing mobile computers and accessories in the vehicles. "Patrol cars have literally become mobile offices for the officers because of the tremendous amount of technology that is needed in the field," noted police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther. http://www.sacbee.com/230/story/160988.html

"Minneapolis Cops Reaching for Tasers More Often"
Star Tribune (Minn.) (04/25/07) P. 1A; Chanen, David

A report reveals that incidents of Taser usage by the Minneapolis police department are more frequent than ever before. In 2006, force incidents by Taser accounted for about one in every 60 arrests. Factors attributed to the increase in Taser use include hiring of new and consequently inexperienced officers, and as Deputy Chief Scott Gerlicher states, "Officers have become more comfortable using Tasers." The racial breakdown for the incidents of Taser usage sets blacks at over 64 percent of cases with whites at 19 percent. Chief Tim Dolan says the figures are proportional to the number of blacks and whites arrested in the city. Thirty-nine cases are up for investigation or disciplinary action from 2006, but Lt. Susan Piontek states officers usually file force allegation reports before the public does. University of Nebraska-Omaha professor Sam Walker says Minneapolis' report "is a good thing because it builds public trust." http://www.startribune.com/467/story/1142533.html

"Anoka County Wants to Build a Regional Crime Lab"
Finance and Commerce (04/24/07); Johnson, Brian

Anoka County, Minn., is expected to begin construction on a regional crime lab this year. Like many cities and counties across the country, Anoka has to send its forensic and ballistic evidence away to a lab to be processed. Backlogs in the system mean it can take as long three months for Anoka investigators to receive forensic results. To eliminate this problem, Anoka has asked the state to underwrite the approximately $6 million cost of a regional crime lab that would be part of a $25 million public safety campus that is slated to begin construction this fall. The 135,000-square-foot campus will house all of the departments of the sheriff's office, plus the regional crime lab. The lab will be divided into four sections, including DNA analysis, latent prints, drug chemistry, and toxicology. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office says the new regional crime lab would permit the county to expand its use of DNA analysis to property crime.
http://www.finance-commerce.com

"Pennsylvania Firm Wins Preston, W.Va., Sheriff's Department Software Bid"
Dominion Post (Morgantown, WV) (04/24/07); Plum, Kathy

The Preston Sheriff's Department has accepted In-Synch Systems Solutions software bid. The Zelienople, Pa., firm's contract was selected from a pool of competing bids by county commissioners. Under terms of the contract, In-Synch will provide the Preston Sheriff's Department and 911 center with new records software. With the new system, officers will be able to download information daily into laptops in their cruisers. The base price of the contract is $44,837 and could reach as high as $50,000 after the purchase of recommended computer hardware. The cost of new equipment will be underwritten by a $74,000 federal grant. The sheriff's department hopes to have the new software installed by July 1. http://olive.dominionpost.com

"Biometrics Would Speed Passengers Through Airports"
Vancouver Province (04/23/07); Weeks, Carly

A coalition of Canadian airlines and airports is calling on Transport Canada to adopt a biometric fast-queue traveler screening program already in use at several major U.S. airports to reduce delays. "It's just another service to passengers," said Scott Armstrong, spokesman for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which has signed an agreement with the company operating the biometric screening program in the United States, Clear, but must await federal approval before moving forward with implementation. "Obviously, people are always looking for ways to make the whole airport process quicker." The coalition says that the program will not cost the government anything because it would be paid by the private sector and participating passengers.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id
=312f0f34-5f70-440a-bb38-9b842ee53104

"Each Police Chase Could Mean Change in Policy"
Bellevue Leader (04/18/07); Buzzell, Jason

In general, police departments rarely change their pursuit policies unless death or severe damage occurs; but at the Bellevue Police Department in Nebraska, that is not the case. The eight-page policy is gone over at the police academy and rigorously reviewed periodically to ensure that public safety is a number-one priority when pursuits occur. Officers are trained as recruits for eight-hour stretches when they first sign on with the department and for two-hour stretches periodically as veteran officers. However, officials note that not all chases are perfect; and when officers disobey protocols, they are disciplined accordingly per the instructions of a commander committee that reviews the actions of the officer in conjunction with the current policy rules. The department's pursuit policy was changed in February; and officers now are required to cease pursuit if apprehension is a viable option later on, suspects have crossed state lines, or commanders order the pursuit to stop. The debate over pursuit policy restrictions is heated; but with recent rulings from the Nebraska Supreme Court, which ruled that cities could be held liable for third-party injuries even after the pursuit ended, pursuit policies are carefully monitored for weaknesses.
http://www.bellevueleader.com/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=18221522&BRD=
2712&PAG=461&dept_id=559850&rfi=6

"How to Get the Most Out of Online Education"
Police (04/07) Vol. 31, No. 4, P. 22; Griffith, David

Online learning can be extremely beneficial for police officers, who typically have challenging work responsibilities as well as family obligations. Officers can turn to online degree programs to take classes at times that are convenient for them, even if the institution is far away. The online criminal justice program at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn., for example, which is headed by retired Minnesota police chief Scott Harr, has an online student body that spans multiple countries. Because online programs call for unique approaches for instructing students, dedication from faculty and the institution is crucial. Harr, for example, involves doctoral level law enforcement officers in Concordia's program. At Excelsior College based in Albany, N.Y., credits are accepted "from a variety of sources, including previous college-level study and military or law enforcement training that has been certified by ACE [American Council on Education]," says Excelsior's Bill Stewart. He adds that the college has used grants from the Department of Justice to assess police academy and correction academy programs for credits. Online course typically involve such things as supervised readings of specific texts, audio lectures, discussions via online bulletin boards, term papers, and instant messaging sessions, so it is imperative that each student participate fully in the course; however, Harr emphasizes that officers still need to maintain balance in other aspects of their lives. http://www.policemag.com
"Flower Power"
Law Enforcement Technology (04/07) Vol. 34, No. 4, P. 112; Bertomen, Lindsey

Lasers are an efficient tool in law enforcement patrol, granting officers a greater sense of depth perception in critical situations and in improving overall shooting problems, writes Hartnell College Prof. and retired police officer Lindsey Bertomen. Lasers provide departments an inexpensive means for firearms while enabling crucial advances in law enforcement technology. Since over 80 percent of shootings occur during the dark, an officer can use the glowing light to more accurately pin their target. Additionally, suspects are intimidated when they become aware there is a firearm aimed at them. Officers should take recoil into consideration when trying different lasers, noting barricades keep the laser in place while maximizing their effect. Since lasers automatically enhance peripheral vision, officers should adjust accordingly to the landscape. Most importantly, more than one officer will have a laser, so it is important to assign individual boundaries that team members will be limited to in order to avoid many officers aiming at the same target. http://www.officer.com/magazines/let/

"No Public Safety Agency Is an Island"
Firehouse Magazine (03/07) Vol. 32, No. 3, P. 88; Kuhlmann, Thomas J.; Morkel, Tarquin

Utah County, Utah, serves as an example of how smaller public safety agencies can go about achieving greater interagency cooperation. The second-largest county in the state has created an information-sharing network that enables 22 fire departments and 18 EMS organizations to communicate with each other and at all levels. In striving for interoperability, Utah County focused on facilitating interagency cooperation and support, implementing suitable technology, and developing an effective training plan. By focusing on getting agencies to work together, Utah County was able to make the various departments feel more involved in the initiative, take their specific requirements into account, address funding issues more effectively, and enhance their buying power. Utah County approached technology by focusing on cost-effective, practical features, and choosing flexible solutions that gave it a certain level of control with regard to future decisions. Specific capabilities that end users have gained include mapping, dispatch, lookups, communication, training, reporting, inventory, and administration. County officials also focused on developing an effective training program that would make it easy for paid and volunteer personnel to use the technology.
http://www.firehouse.com

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.

A Fed and Two Local Cops

April 29, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. The website added a federal law enforcement agent as well as two local police officers.

Anna Mydlarz has been a career law enforcement officer, serving with the city of Buffalo Police Department for over 20 years. She has had experience in patrol work and has been promoted to detective, serving with the burglary task force, vice squad and narcotics squad. She currently serves in the communication crime unit, which specializes in high-tech crimes. stalking, telephone harassment, and Internet crimes. Furthermore, she serves on several task forces that are at the foremost of emerging issues.

Anna Mydlarz co-authored with Donald Hutton Guide to Homeland Security Careers and Guide to Law Enforcement Careers. According to the book description of the Guide to Law Enforcement Careers, “Hundreds of jobs are listed and described in local, state, federal, military, and special law enforcement agencies. Here’s advice on where to look for job openings, how to apply, and how to meet law enforcement agency qualifications. Careers cover a variety of areas including municipal police officer, deputy sheriff, corrections officer, state police officer, federal agents, criminal investigators, and many more. Advice is given and opportunities are cited for current and recently retired law enforcement officers. Helpful web sites are listed in this edition, and more than 100 law enforcement insignia patches are illustrated.”

Donald B. Hutton served as an executive staff member for the New York State Thruway Authority and New York State Canal Corporation. He worked progressively for several law enforcement agencies; with the New York State Office of Inspector General as executive deputy inspector general, as a Delaware & Hudson Railroad Police Department special agent, as a United States Department of Veteran Affairs police officer, and as a United States Customs Service Inspector.

Donald B. Hutton served in the United States Coast Guard as a reservist from 1976 until 1992 in the following capacities: as a boatswains mate, a pollution investigator, a special agent in intelligence, and in mobilization/augmentation administration. In 1992, Donald Hutton received and honorable discharge. He has a master's degree from the State University of New York College at Buffalo

Donald Hutton is also the author of numerous articles and books. He co-authored with Anna Mydlarz Guide to Homeland Security Careers and Guide to Law Enforcement Careers. He also wrote Guide to Military Careers, and in 2000 published a suspense thriller, A Deep Blue Sounding Dark Voyage with the U.S. Coast Guard. According to the book description of A Deep Blue Sounding Dark Voyage with the U.S. Coast Guard, “The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Cape Solace mysteriously sinks while on patrol off the coast of Florida, taking 26 crewmembers to a deep water grave. At the same time, Coast Guard Intelligence Agent Brad Thomas surfaces from a deep cover sting operation in New York City netting two “coasties” involved in smuggling for the mob.” According to John Wallace, author of POW-83, “This riveting book will alter America's view of the Coast Guard. Don Hutton is a writer of genuine purpose and originality.”

Robert "Bob" Taubert is thought of by FBI veterans as the finest firearms and tactics instructor to serve in the FBI. He has a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Physical Education and served 12 years as a reconnaissance infantry Marine pulling two combat tours in Vietnam, rising to the rank of Major and serving as company commander.

Robert Taubert joined the FBI serving his country as a Special Agent for over twenty-four years. While in the FBI he was heavily involved in Special Operations and was one of the founders and trainers of the FBI’s Elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT. Bob served as the FBI SOG liaison for the USMC and US Navy special operations entities. Bob is responsible for the birth of the widely known SEAL Team 6 and assisted what was to become today’s US Navy's Development Group, in gaining official recognition as a national counter terrorism asset by the military.

Serving as the senior instructor at the FBI Academy in the FBI’s SOARS, the elite Special Operations units he was chosen by the DEA to train and equip DEA agents in Close Quarters Battle, SWAT tactics and combat survival skills. These agents went on to participate in some of the most highly secretive joint agency covert operations that the US has ever run. During his tours of duty with the Bureau and DEA he attended every major firearms school in the world and qualified as a Master or Expert in long and short firearms.

Following the FBI he was a staff instructor at the Smith & Wesson Academy; he is a subject matter expert in SWAT, Anti-Terrorism, Hostage Rescue and Police Survival issues; he is a Staff Instructor for the US Department of State's Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program and is also an adjunct Instructor at Alan Brosnan's Tactical Explosive Entry School and Kelly McCain’s Crucible Training Center. He is an accomplished author and is a staff writer for many LE Magazines, publications, and journals. Robert Taubert is the co-author of Soldiering on: The Stories of Two Former Kiwi SAS Men in Their Continuing World-Wide Careers of Adventure.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 506 police officers (representing 213 police departments) and their 1070 books in six 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.

200 Police Departments

Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. With the addition of Brett Ward and George Kirkham, Police-Writers.com now lists books from police officers employed by 200 police departments in the United States.

Brett Ward began his law enforcement career as a member of the Belleair Police Department. After 13 months, he joined the Clearwater Police Department (Florida) and retired in 2003. He has a BA in Criminology. Brett Ward’s book is Bulletproof: A Cop’s Guide to Financial Success. Brett Ward says his book is, “a firsthand, narrative style guide, written in retrospect, in which I lay out in detail how an average cop was able to successfully retire from a career in law enforcement at a young age, financially secure, and how you can, too. Every conceivable element I could imagine within the realm of finances, written directly to and concerning a law enforcement audience, has been addressed. Bulletproof covers how to get started on a sound saving/investing regimen; examines scenarios that everyone falls into; provides a full chapter answering questions you must have about the book’s content. Most of all, though, Bulletproof gives you the tools you’ll need to build the financial security necessary to retire successfully. It is tailored to you, my brother and sister officers.”

Dr. George Kirkham is nationally and internationally known as "the professor who became a cop." Dr. Kirkham took leave of his university post in order to study the police and the problems of crime in a way that no criminology professor had before, by becoming a police officer. Taking a leave from his university duties, George Kirkham attended the police academy and worked the streets as a patrol officer. From 1974 to 1991, he was a police officer for the Tallahassee Police Department (Florida).

According to his biography, “his observations on the police have appeared in research and law enforcement journals in many other countries, including England, Canada, Germany, India, Australia and Russia. He has authored 23 law enforcement training films and video tapes which are used to instruct police officers and administrators throughout the nation. Under grants from the U.S. Department of Justice, Dr. Kirkham's award winning film series, "Police: The Human Dimension" was distributed to the law enforcement training directors of all 50 states and the F.B.I. Academy. This series is also used at Peel Centre in London to train the British Metropolitan Police.

Dr. Kirkham has served as a consultant to over 50 American law enforcement agencies at the federal, state and local levels. He has been called upon more often than any other criminologist in the nation to serve as a case consultant and expert witness in civil and criminal actions involving police, jail and private security issues. His experience as a consultant to both plaintiffs and defendants throughout his professional career encompasses over 1,500 cases in all 50 states.” He is the author of three books. Two of them are on police operations. His third book, Signal Zero, is his autobiography.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 471 police officers (representing 200 police departments) and their 980 books in six 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.

Over 800 Cop Books

Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books surpassed 800 books written by police officers with the addition of Joseph C. Hoffman, John Manca, William (Bill) H. Lippert, John Anderson and Alan Burton.

Joseph Hoffman was New York City’s First Deputy Police Commissioner in the first administration of Mayor Edward I. Koch. He served in all ranks, from patrol officer to deputy chief during his 29 year career with the New York Police Department. Post NYPD, Mayor Koch asked him to serve as President of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. He has written to police procedurals, Acts and Omissions, and The Last Mayor.

According to the Acts and Omissions book description, “The investigation of the killings takes some strange turns and hits some unexpected detours, creating serious personal and political implications for McCabe and Russo. The Chief Medical Examiner will raise some forensic questions, the Bronx chapter of the Genovese mob will get some unwelcome scrutiny; and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York will eagerly jump into the investigation when some surprising, almost inconceivable conspiracies emerge.”

According to Publisher’s Weekly, Tin for Sale “rather than glamorizing Mafia figures, lays to rest the myths of the quintessential loving, cohesive and protective Italian-American family on the fringes of New York City organized crime. John Manca grew up in a home presided over by a brutal grandfather--one of Lucky Luciano's boys--who beat him regularly while his parents sat by, not daring to interfere. In due course John Manca became a police officer and within a few weeks began using his badge as a way to steal, cheat and extort, which he portrays as standard practice in the New York Police Department of 1954-1963. Dismissed from the force, he worked all sorts of scams as "half a wiseguy," allied with but not a member of the Cosa Nostra. Eventually he was imprisoned, then put in the Federal Witness Protection Program.”

William Lippert retired as police detective from the Salinas Police Department (California) after 35 years of public service. Bill specialized in latent fingerprint identifications while working major crime investigations. Through his studies, training and experience Bill became an expert as a latent fingerprint examiner and has testified as an expert witness in various cities in California. He also possesses a lifetime teaching credential in the field of police science and has taught College, police academy and in service law enforcement training classes. He is also an accredited member of the American Federation of Police.

His book, Forensic Justice, is a series true case files in the form of short stories. According to the book description, “Shocking revelations are reflected in this book describing abuse of victims by their attackers. The purpose of these descriptions are not meant to be entertaining but rather a wake-up call so we may become aware of the dangers that face our society. Awareness hopefully will motivate us to take precautions against becoming victims of such heinous crimes.”

John Anderson retired as a chief with the California Highway Patrol. His book, The Newhall Incident: America’s Worst Uniformed Cop Massacre, recounts the shooting deaths on April 5, 1970, of four California Highway Patrol Officers. This incident is probably used as a field tactics training exercise or lecture in every American police academy. According to the back cover of the book, “Shortly after the tragedy, Anderson interviewed the victims’ families and the on surviving killer and conducted extensive research on both killers’ backgrounds. He wrote this frighteningly true, Capote-esque account but held off publishing it for over two decades to give the children of slain officers time to grow to adulthood.”

Alan Burton's first book was published while he was a student at the FBI National Academy.. He served 25 years in the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office (California). He retired as a captain. According to one biography he has published 18 books. However, we have located nine books, seven of which are academic works centered on police department communications. As an example, he wrote Police Communications Guide: For Managers in 1984.

Alan Burton has published as least two novels Terrorist and Duty!: A Cop’s Story. Duty follows the career of a fictional officer from his first day to running for election as County Sheriff. According to one reviewer, “I have been a law enforcement professional for nearly 10 years and this novel is full of stories that could have only been written by a cop. The story follows a young deputy through out his career and into the stresses of the job. Many pages in this book had me laughing (out loud) and shaking my head when I recalled similar incidents.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 364 police officers (representing 152 police departments) and their 807 books in six 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.

Military Playing Down Long Runs, Adopting More Diverse Fitness Programs

Editor’s Note: Will police training and Law Enforcement Training follow the course?

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Feb. 26, 2007 – If a little bit of running is good for keeping warfighters in top form, then a lot of running is better, right? "Wrong!" say officials here at the Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine. The Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force have come to recognize that as beneficial as running can be to overall fitness, health and military readiness, too much of a good thing causes injuries that leave troops less fit, less healthy and less ready, Army Lt. Col. Steve Bullock, the center's health promotion policy program manager, told American Forces Press Service.

As a result, the services are tailoring their physical training regimes to reduce the emphasis on "pounding the pavement." Instead, they're replacing regular long-distance runs with other forms of exercise, he said.

The goal is to reduce overuse injuries that translate military-wide to more than 8 million days of limited duty a year, said Keith Hauret, an epidemiologist for the Army's injury prevention program. Fractures, sprains, strains and other musculoskeletal conditions, many resulting from physical training, take an even greater toll on the force in terms of lost- or limited-duty days.

"Injuries have a direct effect on readiness and a soldier's ability to perform his duties, whether in training or while deployed," Hauret said. "It has a direct impact on the soldier's ability to perform, and that has a direct impact on that unit's readiness."

The services' new approach to physical training aims to bring injury rates down while ensuring a fit military force.

"We're not going soft," Bullock said. "What we're doing is increasing the intensity of the training, and the effect on heart, lungs and overall strength is actually better."

The Army, for example, is reducing the miles troops run, breaking soldiers into "ability groups" for distance runs, adding speed drills to its PT regime and substituting grass drills and other forms of exercise for running.

"We have recommended no more than 30 minutes of running, and no more than three or four times a week," Bullock said.

Higher-intensity, shorter-distance runs and interval training increase troops' speed and stamina with less risk of injuries, he said. At the same time, this more balanced approach to PT actually improves their ability to perform in combat.

"What we do in the military is explosive energy," Bullock said. "Soldiers need to be able to move quickly. They need balance and coordination. That's not something they're going to get through lumbering, long, slow runs."

For their running programs, Bullock advises units to incorporate these training elements into their programs:

-- Follow a standardized, gradual and systematic progression of running distance and speed. Begin with lower mileage and intensity, especially in programs for new recruits, people changing units or those returning to PT after time off for leave or an injury.

-- Structure injury-prevention programs to target troops of average or below-average fitness levels who are at the greatest risk of injury, and ensure they're running appropriate mileages.

-- Place troops in ability groups based on PT scores and measure their runs by time, not distance. This will reduce the risk of injury among the least-fit troops without holding back the higher performers.

-- Avoid remedial PT programs that require the least-fit troops to do more training than fit ones. This increases their injury risk, often with little or no improvement in their fitness.

-- Substitute higher-intensity, shorter-distance runs like repeated sprints, "Fartlek" training and other interval training activities for some distance runs.

-- Build in time for troops' bodies to recover and rebuild following demanding PT sessions to reduce the risk of overtraining injuries.

"Injuries are the biggest threat to our forces and our readiness," Bullock said. "Our goal is to help the military understand the burden of injuries and refocus their approach to physical training to reduce injuries in a way that actually improves readiness."

Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.

Courage, Snipers and Riots

Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books, added five police officers and one civilian police employee to the growing list of police officers turned authors.

Captain Thomas G. Dempsey of the San Francisco Police Department researched the deaths of the 92 San Francisco police officers killed in the line of duty between 1878 and 1994, and authored the book Men of Courage: San Francisco Police Officers.

Curt Nelson has been a San Francisco Police Department police officer, a member of the Screen Actor's Guild and a negotiator for Rockefeller Center, Inc. in New York City. Curt has authored Darkstar and Heart of the Hunter. According to the book description, Darkstar “is a novel of sex, violence, murder and revenge, set in San Francisco and Hawaii, spanning a time period of twenty years before coming full circle.”

Peter E. Laksbergs was born in Wisconsin. While in the U.S. military, he received law enforcement training, ground defense tactics, and special weapons training. He is currently a police officer with the San Antonio Police Department (Texas). Laksbergs first novel is Scope of Lie: A Sniper’s Diary, is the story of a young man who enters the military, “learns quickly and respects authority, and is a great shot.” According to the book description, “these attributes do not go unnoticed.” And, the main character ultimately learns to “hit the target, confirm the kill and get home” for the "The Agency." Years, missions and lies pile up until there is one “lie in particular that Pete (the main character) cannot ignore-that what he is doing is in the name of national security. But the next mission targets Pete and his family. This time, Pete has to make sure that this mission does not succeed.”

Inspector Victor L. Short (retired) of the San Francisco Police Department explores his 32 year career in Only the Facts Ma’am.

Tom Owens, a former Los Angeles Police Department police officer wrote Lying Eyes: The Truth Behind the Corruption and Brutality of the Lapd and the Beating of Rodney King. According to Kirkus reviews, the book is “an inside look at the Rodney King case, the ensuing trials, and the L.A. riots that followed, by the private detective hired by King's attorney to investigate the police officers' conduct and provide security for the beleaguered beating victim. A former L.A. policeman, Owens does not claim to tell ``the Rodney King story,'' but rather, with the help of Hollywood writer Browning, to give ``the factual version.'' In reviewing his own 12 years on the LAPD (he's oddly vague as to dates, when he resigned and why, what he did prior to opening his agency, etc.), he contends that the violence demonstrated by the officers that night in March 1991 is systemic, and that there is a ``code of silence'' that helps ``explain the attitudes of some of the officers'' caught in the act on George Holliday's now famous videotape.”

As a former Los Angeles Police Department police officer, Tom Owens was also added to the list at LAPDauthors.com.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 340 police officers (representing 143 police departments) and their 765 books in six 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.