NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary September 14, 2006

"Terror War Requires New High-Tech Tools"
Tallahassee Democrat (FL) (09/11/06); Velazquez, Daniela

The Tallahassee Police Department is using a variety of technologies to fight crime and prepare for potential emergencies. Many of the purchases, including biohazard suits for all law-enforcement personnel in Florida, were made possible through close to $974 million in federal homeland-security funds received following Sept. 11. The state has formed seven domestic-security task forces that cover seven geographic locations. Committees created in the state after the terrorist attacks also focus on security-related issues. The influx of funding has resulted in increased collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the sharing of some equipment, such as robots used when packages pose a potential bomb risk. Tallahassee Fire Department Chief John Gatlin added that the city's fire department has benefited from the fund allocation. The Tallahassee Police Department has used $75,000 to acquire six infrared scopes for attachment to sniper rifles, plus enough night-vision goggles to outfit fifteen police officers. The department's other uses of the funds include the purchase of two truck and trailer sets designed for emergency scenarios involving use of weapons of mass destruction.
http://www.tallahassee.com
/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060911/NEWS01
/609110344&SearchID=73256635238273

"NY Police Study Terror Threat by Secretly Detonating Own Truck Bomb"
Associated Press (09/13/06); Hays, Tom

The New York Police Department's head of counterterrorism, Richard Falkenrath, discussed before Senate lawmakers this week a project undertaken by the police department to create a bomb from chemicals provided by city-based suppliers. Police investigators were able to create a 2,400 pound truck bomb by purchasing chemicals from suppliers. The bomb cost $7,000 to make. The investigators used 1,000 pounds of fertilizer purchased from several agricultural supply locations, including one in Pennsylvania, to make the bomb. However, the New York seller did notify police about the purchase because of doubts about the buyers' intentions. The investigators pretended to be apple growers during the transactions. Falkenrath said the project illustrated that more regulations are needed to control chemical purchases in the country. He particularly noted that lawmakers should pass tight regulations to control the sale of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which was used for making the bomb that destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995. Falkenrath expressed frustration that tighter regulations have not been passed to control the sale of ammonium nitrate, despite the Oklahoma City bombing occurring more than a decade ago.
http://www.ftimes.com
/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSection
ID=1&ArticleID=36312&TM=31549.8

"Tracking Crime Gun By Tracking Ammo"
Monterey County Herald (CA) (09/11/06); Sanchez, George B.

California legislators want to use microstamping technology to track handguns, despite opposition from critics who argue that the technology is expensive and not effective. Last February, Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) proposed a bill that would have required every handgun in California to have microstamping technology installed by 2009, but that bill did not pass. The technology would have etched the gun's serial number on the firing pin, which would enable law enforcement to track the serial number to the owner of the gun. Pacific Grove Police Chief Carl Miller, who supported the bill along with more than 40 California police chiefs, says the technology is needed because it is easier to trace cars than guns. Handgun sales are somewhat lax since there are no specific guidelines other than conducting a background check to prevent convicted felons from making a purchase. Opponents of the bill argued that the company that created the microstamping technology would unfairly benefit from the copyrighted technology, but the company shot back by saying they would give the technology out for free. Supporters say the technology was designed to track illegal firearms and would greatly benefit law enforcement. "Analyze it intellectually, we're not talking about criminal masterminds, and you're not going to stop the random, instantaneous act of crime, but you can track and stop the flow of firearms to those people," says Todd Lizotte, one of the microstamping inventors.
http://www.montereyherald.com
/mld/montereyherald/15490696.htm

"Center Talk of Town"
Aberdeen American News (SD) (09/08/06); Waltman, Scott

Brown County Deputy Director of Communications John McQuillen says the county's new computer-enabled dispatch center helps sheriff's department deputies, police officers, and firefighters share and transmit information about calls by using maps and screens rather than relying on the radio. The Brown County Communications Center has a feature called Automatic Vehicle Locator, which can track vehicles on computer screens. The communications center was previously an independent agency, but that changed when McQuillen took over and it became a part of the sheriff's department. McQuillen has been praised by Brown County Commission Chairwoman Deb Knecht for his communication skills and for spending time at the police, sheriff's, and fire department to properly learn how to use the dispatch equipment. Aberdeen Fire and Rescue Chief Bill Winter says such tracking capabilities are also beneficial to firefighters who may have to follow an ambulance in the middle of a winter storm. The dispatch center currently has 13 full-time and one part-time dispatchers. McQuillen says he plans to improve the tracking of Internet-based phone calls from companies such as Vonage.
http://www.aberdeennews.com
/mld/aberdeennews/news/local/15468195.htm

"Anti-Crime Proposals Add Police, Cameras"
Birmingham News (AL) (09/06/06) Vol. 119, No. 177, P. 1A; Bryant, Joseph D.

Birmingham, Ala., Mayor Bernard Kincaid and police Chief Annette Nunn have called for improving security in the city by installing surveillance cameras in high-crime areas, transferring 12 officers from schools to the communities, and boosting recruitment with a $2,000 signing bonus. The City Council president and the police union have both criticized the 18-point plan, respectively complaining that it lacks substance and comes as too little, too late. "I thought it would be more in-depth because we had been asking for substance for months now," said council President Carole Smitherman. "But with the overall package, it seems to be financially weighty. I support the concept of what Police Chief Nunn is advancing, but I need to know the bottom-line numbers." The cameras would aid as a deterrent to prostitution and other crimes, Nunn claimed, while adding a second officer to some patrols would give supervisors more flexibility in beefing up police presence in high-crime areas. After the presentation, the council voted in favor of adding Tasers with audio and video capabilities, redirecting federal money to fund the equipment and associated training expenses. Nunn realizes that the installation of surveillance cameras is a sensitive issue that for some raises troubling privacy concerns, but she believes the beneficial effect on crime would be worth it.
http://www.al.com
/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?
/base/news/1157534795221710.xml&coll=2

"Feds Working to Connect Fingerprint Databases"
Associated Press (09/07/06); Caterinicchia, Dan

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed a number of modifications to the fingerprints databases it relies on to search for suspect matches. The improvements will allow the systems to store 10 fingerprints, compared to two currently. The first phase of improvements focuses on providing state and local law enforcement officials access to immigration history via inputting just one biometric submission into the system. The system will send an automatic alert when a match is made with a immigration violator. The system will provide State Department consular officers and DHS agents with more information related to FBI warrants. The second part of the project focuses on expanding information sharing between the DHS and the Department of Justice.
http://www.ap.org

"Communication Breakdown: Radio Mismatches Make Talking Tough Between Police Officers"
Burlington Times-News (NC) (09/10/06)

When a fugitive being chased by sheriff's deputies from Alamance County, N.C., fled into another county, Alamance County deputies had to call in surrounding law enforcement for help. Though they did catch the suspect who had fired an AK-47 at sheriff's deputies, they also learned that regional country radio systems used different frequencies, making communication difficult. Some N.C. regional police departments use older radio technology, while others use high-band frequencies such as 800-MHz frequency. The 9/11 Commission Report found that "the inability to communicate" was a critical element of the law enforcement experience on Sept. 11, 2001, involving first responders from the World Trade Center to Pennsylvania to the Pentagon. Upgrading to 800-MHz frequency will cost the town of Elon, N.C., $140,000 over a five-year period. Burlington, N.C., in 2004 switched its police and fire departments to 800-MHz at the cost of $4 million. The U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security has grants to help local agencies upgrade communications. If one locality or town begins to upgrade, while nearby localities do not, this too can create breakage points in regional law enforcement communication.
http://www.thetimesnews.com

"Up to Speed, and Then Some"
Washington Post (09/07/06) P. T1; Miroff, Nick

Sgt. Greg Breeden of Haymarket, Va., recently began patrolling in a muscle car: A 2006 Dodge Charger with 18-inch wheels, a 340-horsepower engine, and a zero-to-60 speed of 5.9 seconds. Breeden notes that mechanical bronco on four wheels is "to keep up with the hot rods out there." The idea is part of a trend in Virginia where the State Police have 15 Dodge Chargers already and plan to purchase 20 more. Virginia police have used Crown Victorias by Ford in the past, but officials say the 2006 Dodger Charger costs $1,000 less and so is more attractive, plus it has a robust 5.7-liter Hemi engine. Dumfries, Va. Police Chief Calvin Johnson says his department purchased it because of the cost savings alone, not the horsepower. Sgt. Breeden of Haymarket says his team spends more time on speeding tickets than crime because of the low crime in the area.
http://www.washingtonpost.com
/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/30
/AR2006083000174.html

"County to Participate in Alert System"
State Journal-Register (IL) (09/06/06) P. 11; Bolinski, Jayette

The Sangamon County, Il., Sheriff's Office could begin sending recorded alerts to local residents regarding people reported missing. The system will employ mapping technology and automated phone messages to inform residents about missing children. However, the "A Child is Missing" program will also be used to tell residents about missing adults, such as people with Alzheimer's. The system can provide police with a critical tool for quickly locating missing children, given that 75 percent of youngsters found dead are killed within three hours of their abduction. The system allows police officers to send alerts to people within the vicinity of the disappearance by calling the hotline used by the program. Government grants and private donations pay the cost of the program.
http://www.sj-r.com/sections
/news/stories/95195.asp

"Machines Are Hard to Fool: Scanners Can Spot Fake ID"
Omaha World-Herald (NE) (09/07/06) P. B1; Winter, Abe

Nebraska is testing an ID verification system that one day could help merchants screen IDs for alcohol and cigarettes by verifying an ID's watermark. Tampering with a state ID destroys its watermark. Anderson Food Shops President Ray Anderson oversees 14 BP gas stations in Omaha, Neb., and says merchants want an easy-to-use verification system and would be willing to pay for it. They would help "defuse the issues our industry has experienced when encountering compliance checks by law enforcement," says Anderson. The machines will need to wait until Nebraska law is revised before being sold, because current Nebraska law only allows state law enforcement and Dept. of Motor Vehicle officials to scan information from a driver's license. In fact, some State Patrols in Nebraska are using the system to scan in driver's license information when issuing citations, which cuts down on data entry by officers and clerks. The state is interested in rolling the scanners out, yet wants to minimize the amount of personal information exposed in the process. Hence, the state is focusing on scans of watermarks.
http://www.omaha.com

"Konop Backs Use of Hybrid Vehicles"
Toledo Blade (OH) (09/06/06) P. B1; Blake, Erica

Ben Konop, who is campaigning to become the next commissioner of Ohio's Lucas County, has proposed transitioning the county's fleet of vehicles to include hybrids within 2010. Under the proposal, hybrids will account for one-third of fleet vehicles. The plan will not effect some county-owned vehicles, such as sheriff's cruisers. Konop cited the county's annual fuel cost, which exceeds $1 million, as one reason for the change. He estimates that including hybrids among the county's fleet of vehicles could lower annual fuel costs by several hundreds of thousands of dollars. Konop added that the county could recoup its investment in just three years, if gas prices exceed $3 per gallon.
http://www.toledoblade.com
/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060906/NEWS09/
609060401&SearchID=73256650019158

"BART Wants to Hire Anti-Terrorism Chief"
San Francisco Chronicle (09/11/06) P. B2; Bulwa, Demian

The San Francisco Bay Area's BART transit system is seeking to hire an anti-terrorism chief for coordinating its strategy for heading off terrorist attacks and to secure grants from the state and federal governments. In a question-and-answer session at a briefing about the agency's plans for the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, BART Director James Fang described the position as being in charge of coordinating the BART system's effort to prevent terrorist events and to respond if such an attack does take place. The terrorism chief would also develop relationships with the FBI and other counterterrorism agencies, as well as overseeing the agency's applications for grants from the federal Department of Homeland Security and other entities. In August, $2.9 million worth of homeland security funds were released by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for Transbay Tube security improvements, but BART officials believe they have not been given a fair share of these sorts of grants overall. They argue that the rail system is vital to the Bay Area and that terrorists have targeted mass transit already.
http://www.sfgate.com
/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a
/2006/09/11/BAG62L37GQ1.DTL

"Despite Millions Spent, Boston Is Vulnerable"
Boston Globe (09/11/06) P. A1; Kurkjian, Stephen; Cullen, Kevin; Farragher, Thomas

Five years after the 9/11 attacks and despite millions of dollars already spent, Boston remains vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Security experts have long been emphasizing the attractiveness of seaports as terrorist targets, but Boston Harbor's sensitive areas are still clearly vulnerable, as officials are still working to secure the money needed to buy a 7,000-foot-long movable barrier that could seal off parts of the harbor in an emergency. Boston officials have also not yet completed a seamless emergency communication network for responders to a potential mass-transit attack, and Logan Airport, where hijacked flights on 9/11 originated, still has vulnerabilities in areas such as air cargo. Law enforcement officials generally say they now have a better ability to gather and analyze raw terrorist-related intelligence and that police agencies have become forced to cooperate. However, they are much less confident that they would be able to detect in time the kind of threat they see as most likely. This would be an assault to the "soft" targets easily available in open societies, such as schools and hotels and shopping malls, as well as Plymouth's nuclear power plant, where the pool for spent fuel rods has not been fortified against potential attacks. Though a test of Boston's evacuation abilities went well, this was undercut by the fact that the other eight communities in the Boston evacuation plan were not included in the test. In addition, spending the $230 million in federal antiterrorism funds that Massachusetts has received has been held up by squabbles among cities and towns, as well as problems with major purchases such as more than 1,000 Motorola emergency phones.
http://www.boston.com
/news/local/massachusetts/articles
/2006/09/10/despite_millions_spent_
boston_is_vulnerable/

"When a Stranger Calls, Beware of the Pretext"
Washington Post (09/09/06) P. D1; Ahrens, Frank

Hewlett-Packard's (HP) recent internal investigation of company leaks to the media involved the hiring of a private contractor who misrepresented himself to HP officials and their personal phone companies in search of information as well as phone-logs of their calling activity. Dubbed "pretexting" by the media, the HP-hired private investigator claimed to individual HP board members that he was another board member in order to get the information, and also may have impersonated these members to U.S. phone companies to obtain their phone-calling records. Pretexting also is being used by data companies to amass and sell information on consumers, and could be used by criminals seeking financial and password information, such as asking someone for their bank's name, and the name of their pet. The 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act makes it illegal to use pretexting to obtain financial information from American citizens. However, pretexting for non-financial information is a legal gray area today. Recently, a phone log of 100 cell phone calls made by General Wesley Clark was sold online for $89.95. This incident caught the attention of Congress, which is drafting additional legislation on pretexting.
http://www.washingtonpost.com
/wp-dyn/content/article/2006
/09/08/AR2006090801856.html

"Creating the Super "Detective""
Law Enforcement Technology (08/06) Vol. 33, No. 8, P. 50; Heinecke, Jeannine

The New York City Police Department's (NYPD) Real Time Crime Center, launched in July 2005, allows criminal investigations to be conducted faster. To this end, it was necessary to harmonize isolated blocks of data so information could be electronically accessible and easy to use. A crime data warehouse was created by IBM Global Services based on incorporating common format data from complaints, arrests, 911, and other systems. The current crime center can now access millions of files from city and state criminal databases, 911 call records, parole and probation files, and public records and national crime records. The NYPD has also equipped eight vans with secure wireless access to the crime center's portal and other communication devices so detectives can access needed data; the vans are used by seven homicide squads and one major case squad. Investigators can access historical location data to determine, for example, if there has been a high number of drug arrests in a particular area, if a sexual predator lives in a certain area, and the location of a frequent 911 caller. One of the most important aspects of crime pattern assessments is Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, which allows detectives to look at data from a certain geographic viewpoint, such as crimes near schools or train lines. The center is also enhancing cross-jurisdictional searches by being able to conduct more detailed searches using small bits of data such as outstanding telephone bills.
http://www.officer.com/magazines/let/

"Less-Lethal Options for Off-Duty Carry"
Police (08/06) Vol. 30, No. 8, P. 80; Kasanof, Adam

Adam Kasanof, a retired New York Police Department lieutenant, explores the different types of less-lethal weapons that police officers can carry when off-duty and the issues concerning their use. He notes that agency rules and local laws vary on the use of lethal force by officers and the carrying of less-lethal options. However, he emphasizes that officers will not be punished for using lethal force even while carrying less-lethal tools, if their actions are acceptable under agency rules. Kasanof writes that oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray can provide officers with an opportunity to get distance from an assailant, but notes that the substance is harmful to pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and those with asthma or other breathing problems. Flashlights can provide officers with both illumination of dark areas and a defensive weapon that can be used for applying Kubotan-type techniques, including wristlocks. Kasanof recommends that police officers consider carrying two variants of flashlights: A very small light with strong illumination and one a little larger that can be stored in a hip pocket. Kasanof also recommends the Kubotan and similar products based on the same design, but adds that officers should become familiar with its use through training. Heavier options include carrying expandable batons, but Kasanof warns against striking the assailant's head because of the potential of lethal injury, unless required. A portable radio is also a valuable tool for calling for medical help or backup when police officers face an emergency, but officers need to ensure that the radio can work with the communications systems employed by their agency.
http://www.policemag.com