Thursday, February 26, 2009

Digital Images in Law Enforcement

On March 6, 2009, Conversations with Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion Stan Goldberg on Digital Images in Law Enforcement.

Program Date: March 13, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Digital Images in
Law Enforcement
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/03/14/Digital-Images-in-Law-Enforcement

About the Guest
Stan Goldberg practically grew up in a black-and-white. As a young teenager in Brookline, Massachusetts, Stan would ride with the
police and got interested in Law Enforcement. Stan then started to take pictures of accidents and fires and give them to police. Later, as his interest in police work and his talent for photography grew, Stan went to Photography School and into the photographic supply business specializing in Law Enforcement.

While attending professional photo school in Boston in 1963, Stan took his favorite photo of President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy had been in office for just about three years, and the young President had returned to his home state of Massachusetts for a visit.

Stan caught Kennedy buttoning his overcoat as he left the presidential helicopter and strode across the lawn to examine a site for the John F. Kennedy Library that would be built after his term in office ended. It was a cold, rainy day but Kennedy was smiling broadly as he walked towards the waiting crowd. No one would have guessed that in a little more than a month, the President would be dead at the hand of an assassin.

Stan’s interest in photography grew into a career as he worked his way up in the camera business. But he never lost his love for
police work. As the use of digital cameras grew, Stan began equipping police departments with new digital imaging solutions, inventing and fabricating fingerprint adapters now being manufactured by Latentlift.

Today, Stan is one of the leading experts in helping
Law Enforcement agencies work faster, better and more effectively with digital imaging solutions, and he manages the first-ever division of Law Enforcement, medical and audio-visual integration for New England’s largest digital imaging equipment retailer, Hunt’s Photo and Video (online at www.wbhunt.com). An associate member of the Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island Chiefs of police, the New England Division of the International Association for Identification (NEDIAI), and the 100 Club in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire, Stan has been instrumental in providing police throughout the Northeast with a wide range of digital imaging products.

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 Criminal Justice Department chair, 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/2009/03/14/Digital-Images-in-Law-Enforcement

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Monday, February 23, 2009

4 Billion for Criminal Justice

On February 17, 2009, the President signed into law H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The bill provides more than $4 billion for state and local law enforcement and for other criminal justice activities that prevent and control crime and improve the criminal justice system.

More Information
http://www.criminaljustice-online.com/forum3/1425.html

Bob Haig: Author on fire

R.J. (Bob) Haig is one of the reasons I got interested in writing about the Detroit Fire Department.

Haig, a retired DFD captain, fought fires for 30 years, mainly in the 7th Battalion in southwest Detroit, where he grew up. When I met him in the late 1980s, he was the rip-snorting president of the Detroit Fire Fighters Association, Local 344. While I never saw Haig run into a burning house, I knew from conversations he was dedicated to the DFD, and extremely proud of its traditions, members and work in a city with lots of fires. He was a damn good union man, too, which made me like him even more.

Read On
http://www.detroitbookblog.com/2008/05/bob-haig-author.html

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Public Safety Technology in the News

Area Law Enforcement Ramps Up for Wireless Communication System
The Joplin Globe, (02/01/2009), Derek Spellman

The Jasper County (Mo.) Sheriff's Department is using a portion of a 2007 federal grant for approximately $846,000 to implement the Cornerstone Regional Justice Information System, which will link departments in Jasper and Newton counties. The system will enable participating agencies to compile an areawide database of information that officers can access via computers in their vehicles. The system will provide access to outstanding arrest warrants and/or traffic ticket information on individuals pulled over by officers. The sheriff's departments in Jasper and Newton counties and police departments in Joplin, Carthage, Webb City, Carl Junction, Carterville and the Jasper County Metropolitan area will begin interfacing with each other wirelessly in March 2009.
www.joplinglobe.com/cnhi/joplinglobe/homepage/local_story_032205003.html?keyword=leadpicturestory

Santa Barbara's Parking Enforcement Team Now Using Hi-Tech Tracking System
Santa Barbara Independent, (2/10/2009), Victoria Solorzano

The Santa Barbara Police Department has implemented the use of AutoChalk, a new technology tool that uses photography, lasers and GPS to track parking violations. Installed in one of the city's 10 parking enforcement vehicles, AutoChalk identifies vehicles that have been parked in the same spot for too long. The technology also reads license plates, allowing it to identify repeat offenders and stolen vehicles through the California Law Enforcement Terminal System (CLETS). AutoChalk performs even in foul weather, compared to actual chalk, which often washes off tires. Writing the citations remains up to officers, however.
www.independent.com/news/2009/feb/04/police-get-autochalk/

MethCheck May Be Coming to Floyd
NewsAndTribune, (02/07/09), Chris Morris

Vendor Appriss Inc. has offered a pilot test of its new technology tool, MethCheck, free of charge to the Floyd County (Ind.) Commissioners. MethCheck supposedly makes it easier for pharmacists to keep track of the sale of certain drugs, such as ephedrine or pseudoephedrine,which are used as ingredients in making meth. Indiana law prohibits a person from purchasing more than 3.2 grams of either drug in a seven-day period; federal law states a person cannot purchase more than 9 grams of the two drugs within a seven-day period. Pharmacists must maintain a log book with the customer's name, drug purchased and date it was purchased in order to keep track of the buying activity. With MethCheck, the information is entered into a computer database.
www.newsandtribune.com/local/local_story_038015223.html

Fort Wayne Police Department Gets Donation of Night-Vision Goggles
News Sentinel, (02/10/2009), Nate Hodges and Aaron Organ

ITT Corporation recently donated 20 night-vision goggles to the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Police Department and the Allen County Sheriff's Department, with each department receiving 10 units for training and nighttime operations. Ft. Wayne Police Chief Rusty York said that given the tough economy and the lack of funds for new equipment, he approached ITT about the possibility of a donation, and was pleased with the vendor's response. ITT derives no benefit other than playing a role in making the streets of Ft. Wayne safer.
www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090106/NEWS02/901060338/1001

Northwest Regional Computer Forensics Lab Receives Accreditation
Oregon Public Broadcasting (02/11/2009), Pete Springer

The crime lab that serves the Pacific Northwest has earned accreditation for handling computer and electronic evidence. The Northwest Regional Computer Forensics Lab, which received accreditation from the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, processes evidence from computers, cell phones and other electronic devices. Police say the lab will accelerate processing of cell phone evidence. The lab, which is in Portland, Ore., is available for agencies in Washington and Oregon.
news.opb.org/article/4253-northwest-regional-computer-forensics-lab-receives-accreditation/

Security Expert: Fight Cyber-Crime Through Procurement
Government Technology, (01/30/2009), Steve Towns

Changes to the public purchasing system may be the government's best weapon against cyber attacks, according to a security specialist. Alan Paller, director of research for the SANS Institute, said state and local governments should include requirements in procurement contracts that make vendors responsible for vulnerable software. He noted that a list released in January of the 25 most dangerous programming errors identifies programming problems that produce security flaws that enable cyber crime. The list was developed by more than 30 national and international security organizations. Governments should demand stronger products and make vendors responsible for product security.
www.govtech.com/gt/614532

Port of Long Beach Fusion Center Opens
Security Management, (01/09/2009, Matthew Harwood

The Port of Long Beach has a new $21 million command and control center for port security that includes a high technology network of sensors and cameras. The center controls cameras, motion sensors and security teams that monitor the port. Some of the port's cameras are powerful enough to allow operators to read the badge numbers of someone standing two miles away. Other cameras have facial recognition technology. The port also has access to private surveillance networks from other organizations. If a sensor is tripped underwater, divers will inspect ship hulls, wharves or pilings.
www.securitymanagement.com/news/port-long-beach-fusion-center-opens-005197

Golden Gate Bridge to Get P25, Wireless Communication Systems
Urgent Communications, (02/1209), Mary Rose Roberts

The Golden Gate Bridge will be getting a new system to improve bridge and public safety communications. The Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District awarded a$15.5 million contract to GE Transportation to develop a communications system to integrate transportation and security data used by the bridge and law enforcement agencies. The new system will include a public safety radio communications component and will deploy a P25 digital trunked radio system to enhance communications interoperability between the transit agency and the U.S. Coast Guard, the California Highway Patrol and the U.S. Park Police.
urgentcomm.com/networks_and_systems/news/golden-gate-p25-wireless-system-0212/

NYPD Okays Velcro Handcuffs for Use on Unruly Children
New York Daily News, (02/14/09), Alison Gendar

The New York Police Department will be testing the use of Velcro handcuffs in the city's schools. Beginning in March, officers will use Velcro handcuffs instead of steel models to subdue disturbed or unruly children under age 16. The program will be tested in 22 schools in northern Queens. Police do not expect to use the handcuffs more than once or twice a year.
www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/02/13/2009-02-13_nypd_okays_velcro_handcuffs_for_use_on_u.html

Airport to Get Five Teams of Bomb-Sniffing Dogs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, (02/05/2009), Jim Tharpe

The world's busiest airport is about to get a security boost. The Transportation Security Administration is dispatching five canine teams to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The dogs will be trained to detect explosives and will inspect airport cargo facilities. Each team has one dog and one handler. TSA will train and certify more than 300 explosives detection canine teams through this year.
www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/02/05/tsa0205.html

Monday, February 16, 2009

Public Safety Technology in the News

Tasers Not Heart Risk, Study Finds
Orlando Sentinel, (1/16/09), Henry Pierson Curtis

A study released by the Annals of Emergency Medicine has found no links between law enforcement use of electro-muscular disruption (EMD) devices (commonly known as "stun guns" or "tasers") and fatal heart attacks. In the course of the study, researchers at five U.S. medical schools reviewed 1,201 incidents in which law enforcement officers used EMDs and found only three in which serious injuries could be tied to their use. The study medically evaluated all of the subjects and found that none showed any irregular heart activity attributable to the electrical charge. The American College of Emergency Physicians reviewed the findings, which involved six law enforcement agencies: Marion County (Fla.), Sheriff's Office, Chandler (Ariz.) Police Department, Fairfax County (Va.) Police Department, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Shreveport (La.) Police Department and the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System, which includes approximately 80 Chicago-area jurisdictions. www.officer.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=45037

Hawthorne Officer Invents Low-Tech Crime Tool
NBCLosAngeles.com, (1/19/09)

Hawthorne (Calif.) police officer Rob Storey has created and marketed a device called ClimbAssist, a ladder-like tool that will help get officers over high and difficult fences quickly and quietly. Designed to fit in the back of a patrol car and made of lightweight aluminum, Climb Assist is 55 inches long and weighs less than 16 pounds. It hooks over the top of an otherwise difficult-to-scale fence and then locks into place. An accompanying molded PVC cap can be placed over the top of the fence, protecting officers from injury by spikes and allowing them to sit on top of the fence and pass equipment across, if needed. More than 70 law enforcement agencies have already purchased the device and put it into use.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28649795/

Police Departments Look for More Fuel-Cutting Cars
Associated Press, (1/21/09), Jim Suhr

In the light of increased fuel prices, law enforcement agencies around the country are looking for more efficient alternatives to the traditional low-mileage Ford Crown Victorias often used as patrol cars. Examples include Gulf Breeze, Fla., where Chief Peter Paulding is looking to place electric engines in some of his department's patrol cars; Salt Lake City, which recently put Toyota Camry hybrids on the street; and Chahokia, Ill., where Chief Richard Watson has installed a four-cylinder Pontiac Vibe GT in his fleet. Meanwhile, Atlanta-based Carbon Motors Corp. has designed a prototype patrol vehicle, the E7 (known as the Machine) with a twin-turbo diesel engine that reportedly uses 40 percent less fuel than Crown Victorias. However, this prototype has yet to hit the commercial market.
hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MELTDOWN_POLICE_CARS?SITE=MDHAG&SECTION=OLYMPICS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

SQUID: The Long (and Sticky) Arms of the Law
Newswise, (1/16/09)

The Safe Quick Undercarriage Immobilization Device (SQUID), a prototype device for trapping suspect vehicles, resembles a cheese wheel full of holes when closed and a mass of sea-creature tentacles that can entangle a car's axles when deployed. The 1.5-foot-wide disc, developed by Engineering Science Analysis Corporation (ESA) of Tempe, Ariz., was funded by the Small Business Innovation Research Office of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate. Its developers plan to have it commercially available by 2010.
www.newswise.com/articles/view/548162/

New Fingerprint Technology Helps Deputies in Field
KHTUS AM 1220, (1/23/09)

The Santa Clarita Valley (Calif.) Sheriff's Station recently began using nine Cogent Systems BlueCheck mobile identification devices to help with investigation and arrest procedures. The devices include secure wireless fingerprint capability, Bluetooth technology and cellular phone service. The BlueCheck devices permit deputies to perform a rapid fingerprint check of subjects in the field, compare those prints to more than 4 million known prints and potentially receive an identification response within minutes.
www.hometownstation.com/local-news/deputies-santa-clarita-2009-01-22-16-15.html

Authoritative Resources: Four Technology Centers of Excellence
Officer.com, (October 2008), Rebecca Kanable

This article profiles the four NIJ Centers of Excellence (Communications, Forensic Sciences, Sensors, Surveillance and Biometrics, and Weapons and Protective Systems) and the services and programs they offer.
www.officer.com/print/Law-Enforcement-Technology/Authoritative-resources--Four-technology-centers-of-excellence/1$43837

Running Michigan's Gauntlet
Officer.com, (November 2008), Jonathan Kozlowski

The Michigan State Police Vehicle (MSPV) tested police vehicles for acceleration, top speed, braking and dynamics in a series of tests held Sept. 20-22, 2008. Models tested in this year's annual evaluation were three Ford Police Interceptors, the 3.27 and 3.55 models and a non-published law enforcement-only model; two Chevrolet Impalas, the 9C1 and E85; two Chevrolet Tahoes (the only SUV-type vehicle included), 5.7 and E85; Dodge Chargers 3.5 and 5.7; the BMW R1200RTP and G 650 XP; the Harley-Davidson Police Road King and Electra Glide; and the Buell Ulysses XB12XP. The article includes complete test results.
www.officer.com/print/Law-Enforcement-Technology/Running-Michigans-gauntlet/1$44227

The ABCs of PPE
Officer.com, (September 2008), Pamela Mills Senn

James Scanlon, an officer for the Columbus (Ohio) Police Department and co-founder and assistant SWAT team leader of the North American SWAT Training Association (NASTA), talks about the changes in the law enforcement/personal protective equipment field in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The interview specifically focuses on body armor and the need for chemical/biological/radiological/nuclear protection.
www.officer.com/print/Law-Enforcement-Technology/The-ABCs-of-PPE/1$43293

National Auto Fraud and Theft Prevention System Goes Live
U.S. Department of Justice, (01/29/2009)

The U.S. Department of Justice has released an online computer system to provide law enforcement with new tools to investigate fraud, theft and other crimes involving vehicles. The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) allows state motor vehicle administrators to verify and exchange titling and brand data and provides law enforcement officials, consumers and others with critical information regarding vehicle histories. Consumers, through third-party, fee-for-service Web sites, will have access to a vehicle's brand history, odometer data and basic vehicle information, and can be redirected to the current state of record to access the full title record if available. Law enforcement professionals can track a vehicle's status from state to state and access the system directly.
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/2009/bja09020.htm

Upcoming Events
Technolgy Institute for Law Enforcement, March 15-20, 2009, Annapolis, Maryland
www.justnet.org/Pages/RecordView.aspx?itemid=1857

Law Enforcement and Forensics Applied Technology Conference, April 15-17, 2009, Kansas City, Missouri
www.justnet.org/Pages/RecordView.aspx?itemid=1866

NIJ Technology Institute for Rural Law Enforcement, May 3-7, 2009, Coronado (San Diego), California
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/events/rural-institute.htm

10th Annual Innovative Technologies for Community Corrections Conference, June 1-3, 2009, San Diego, CA

Crime Mapping Research Conference,
August 2009
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/maps/

New Releases
TechBeat, Fall 2008
www.justnet.org/Pages/TechBeatIssue.aspx?issue=Fall+2008

Collecting DNA Evidence at Property Crime Scenes www.dna.gov/training/property-crime/

Friday, February 13, 2009

HUNT’S PHOTO AND VIDEO BECOMES DEALER FOR CUTTING-EDGE CRIME FIGHTING IMAGING SYSTEMS

(MELROSE) – Massachusetts law enforcement agencies have a new partner in the fight against crime: Hunt’s Photo and Video.

The Melrose-based digital imaging equipment retailer, New England’s largest, has recently been named a registered dealer for two revolutionary products that eliminate errors and dramatically enhance the accuracy of the booking and interviewing process.

SmartShot™ from Hunter Systems Group, Inc. of Marshfield enables law enforcement agencies to create uniform mugshot photos that comply with national governmental standards. Comprising a camera, , mounting hardware, and software, the SmartShot™ system automates the picture-taking process and eliminates common errors in pose, lighting, background, depth of field, pixel size, compression algorithm, aspect ratio and more. In addition, the easy-to-use SmartShot™ can be readily integrated into existing records management systems or stand alone with its own state-of-the-art management system.

SmartShot™’s new capabilities take the guesswork out of creating reliable, usable mugshots, says Stan Goldberg, sales manager for Law Enforcement, Medical and Audio Visual integration at Hunt’s.

“SmartShot™ makes every officer a mugshot pro,” he explains. “It produces high quality photos that can be blown up to any size and standardizes head and shoulder photos so you’ll never again hear a defense attorney say, ‘My client’s picture was different than the others and that’s why he or she got picked.’ It’s a way to level the field for both law enforcement agencies and the people who get arrested.”

SmartShot also save time and simplifies operation. “The officer just hits a button on the computer and the photo is stored right into a mugshot folder,” Goldberg says. “You don’t even have to take the card out of the camera.”

Available in New England exclusively through Hunt’s Photo and Video, SmartShot™ is affordably priced for the needs of small and large law enforcement agencies.

CASECRACKER SYSTEM CREATES RELIABLE VIDEO RECORDS
OF SUSPECT INTERVIEWS

Hunt’s new role as a registered dealer of the CaseCracker Interview management System will increase accountability and trust in police departments throughout New England.

The easy-to-use digital video recording and management tool from Cardinal Peak of Colorado provides clear, dependable visual documentation of suspect interviews so jurors can see exactly how a person looked and acted during questioning.

The CaseCracker’s user-friendly operating system also provides ready access and review so investigators can instantly return to any point in the recording after the interview has ended. “This is a great feature that saves precious time when officers are searching for important information,” Goldberg says. “It allows them to go back and find exactly what they need even in long interviews.”

Handwritten interview notes also are eliminated with the CaseCracker’s computerized note-taking system. “It frees officers from the distraction of writing by allowing them to type in their comments during the interview,” Goldberg explains. “The interviewers are able to focus more fully on the subject and what is being said rather than note-taking.” In addition, the CaseCracker enables other investigators to discreetly prompt the primary interviewer without interrupting the session’s flow. The CaseCracker’s simple to use, reliable system protects officers from claims of misconduct, coercion or abuse.

Goldberg, a longtime expert in designing and delivering cutting-edge digital imaging and interview room solutions for law enforcement, says the new CaseCracker and SmartShop™ systems will broaden Hunt’s horizons.

“Hunt’s has always been a premier imaging equipment supplier. Now we’re putting systems together and selling law enforcement solutions. It will be put us in a whole different business environment,” he says.

To find out more about SmartShot™ and the CaseCracker Interview Management System, contact Goldberg at sgoldberg@wbhunt.com, 781-662-8822, or 617-680-4627.

ABOUT HUNT’S PHOTO AND VIDEO
Hunt’s Photo and Video is the largest specialty retailer of photo, video and digital imaging products in New England. Family owned and operated for three generations, Hunt’s is headquartered in Melrose, MA, with branches in Boston, Cambridge and Hadley, MA, Providence, RI, So. Portland, ME, and Manchester, NH.

Serving beginners, students, hobbyists and professional photographers throughout the United States, Hunt’s has created its own picture of success with competitive pricing, sales expertise and exceptional customer service. Visit Hunt’s online at www.huntsphotoandvideo.com.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

NLECTC-Northeast's Central New York Cybercrime Seminar

The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center Northeast Region (NLECTC-NE) is proud to present a Seminar entitled "A Roadmap for the 21st. Century Cybercrime Fighter, NLECTC-NE's Central NY Cybercrime Seminar. This Seminar will take place on 18 February 2009 at the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center in Utica, NY and will feature several local subject matter experts from the NLECTC-NE, the New York State Police and Utica College. These experts will present the latest cutting edge cybercrime trends and techniques relating to forensics, search warrants, evidence collection, network investigations, wireless threats and legal issues.

Additionally, the NLECTC-NE will be digitally recording this Seminar and it will be made available for on-demand viewing shortly after the Seminar on the 18th. Details on that will follow the seminar. To attend, please contact Dori Placito at 1-888-338-0584 by 13 February 2009. Seating is on a first come basis and limited to 70.

If you have any questions about the Seminar, please contact Robert DeCarlo at 315-330-2489 or 315-838-7071.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Crime and Justice Solicitation

Funding amounts for this year's NIJ Crime and Justice Research solicitation have increased and are oriented around strategic objectives.

We're looking for innovative proposals in the areas of: predicting changes in crime; human trafficking; terrorism with a special focus on radicalization pathways and programs to interdict financial support; preventing gang crime; improving prosecution and defense in the United States; and identifying specific components of successful re-entry programs.

We will also consider precedent-setting ideas that fall outside of these strategic objectives. Such proposals should break new ground on issues of key significance to policy and practice.

Up to $10 million may be available. As always, the questions your research answers should have clear implications for criminal justice policy and practice.

MORE INFORMATION
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/sl000869.pdf

Friday, February 06, 2009

Solicitation: Forensic DNA Unit Efficiency Improvement

Solicitation: Forensic DNA Unit Efficiency Improvement

All applications are due March 23 2009, 11:59 p.m. eastern time.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a component of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). NIJ provides objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to enhance the administration of justice and public safety. NIJ solicits applications to inform its search for the knowledge and tools to guide policy and practice.

With this solicitation, NIJ is seeking proposals from States and units of local government for projects to improve the efficiency and capacity of public forensic DNA laboratories through the development and adoption of an improved laboratory process. Eligible public forensic DNA laboratories may submit proposals for projects that will increase capacity to meet the mission-critical needs of these laboratories within the scope of this solicitation. Priority consideration will be given to proposals that involve novel or innovative solutions and/or have the potential to affect the entire DNA forensic community. NIJ’s objective is to publish successful, carefully evaluated, and novel efficiency improvement methodologies as models to be considered by other public forensic laboratories.

This solicitation will not fund proposals seeking to support efficiency and capacity enhancement projects that would duplicate projects eligible for support and planned to be supported under the FY2009 Forensic DNA Backlog Reduction Program.

The due date for applying for funding under this announcement is March 23 2009, 11:59 p.m. eastern time.

Within 24 to 48 hours after submitting your electronic application, you should receive an e-mail validation message from Grants.gov. The validation message will tell you if the application has been received and validated or if it has been rejected, and why.

Important: You are urged to submit your application at least 72 hours prior to the due date of the application to allow time to receive the validation message and to correct any problems that may have caused the rejection notification.

For a copy of the solicitation go to www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/sl000867.pdf

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact Mark S. Nelson, Senior Program Manager, at 202–616–1960 or Mark.S.Nelson@usdoj.gov or Minh Nguyen, Program Manager, at 202–305–2664 or Minh.Nguyen@usdoj.gov.

This application must be submitted through Grants.gov. For technical assistance with submitting the application, call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 1–800–518– 4726 or send an e-mail to support@grants.gov.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

NIJ's Communications Technology (CommTech)

March 16-20 in Las Vegas, Nevada
NIJ's CommTech program will participate and exhibit at the upcoming International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) in Las Vegas, Nevada to be held March 16-20, 2009. NIJ's CommTech program will be conducting a panel presentation on Wednesday, March 18th from 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm titled:

Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice/CommTech R&D Efforts:
Providing the Communication Tools of Tomorrow

Moderator
Joseph Heaps, Deputy Chief, Information Sensor Technologies Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice

Panelists
Charles W. Bostian, Alumni Distinguished Professor, Wireless @ Virginia Tech, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech;
Jim Martin, Associate Professor, School of Computing, Clemson University;
Ahmed Eltawil, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California Irvine.

Panel Description: Communications is a key issue for public safety. This panel will discuss research and development efforts sponsored by the National Institute of Justice in the areas of cognitive radio, software defined radio (SDR) and broadband technologies for public safety, as well as the potential of future technologies to address communication requirements. Specifically, this panel will provide an overview of the NIJ CommTech program and what the program offers public safety agencies who solicit assistance. Additionally, panelists will address CommTech's current communications and interoperability projects targeting the use of WiMAX, VoIP and SDR.

About the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) CommTech Program
NIJ is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice and is dedicated to researching crime control and justice issues. NIJ provides objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the State and local levels. NIJ is addressing the issue of public safety communications technologies through its CommTech program, which focuses on many aspects of first responder communications operability (Is the technology in place and working?) and interoperability (Can multiple agencies communicate when and where they need to?).

CommTech aims to raise the awareness of communications issues through education and outreach so that policymakers and public safety leaders can make informed and cost effective decisions.

About IWCE
The IWCE Conference will be held from March 16 - March 20, 2009 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Exhibit Hall will be open March 18th, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, March 19th, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and March 20th, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

For more information regarding NIJ's CommTech program please stop by booth # 1716 during the IWCE Conference.

For more information regarding IWCE please visit the IWCE web site at: www.iwceexpo.com/iwce2009/public/MainHall.aspx?ID=11256.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Sawgrass

On February 27, 2009, Conversations with Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion Deputy Sheriff Alex J. McDonald, Broward County Sheriff’s Office (ret.) about his novel – Sawgrass.

Program Date: February 27, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Conversation with Sergeant
Alex J. McDonald (ret.)
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/02/28/Sawgrass

About the Guest
Alex J. McDonald retired in June 2007 after thirty seven years in law enforcement. He began as a police cadet with Ft. Lauderdale Police Department, in 1970. In 1974, two weeks out of high school, he was hired by Davie Police Department. He was one of the first police officers hired in the State of Florida who was under the age of twenty-one. In 1976, he became a police officer for the Deerfield Beach Police Department; and, in 1982 began his career as a deputy sheriff with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (Florida).

During his career with the
Broward County Sheriff’s Office, he was a member of the Dignitary Protection team, a field training officer, lead defensive tactics instructor, firearms and driving instructor. An avid martial and competitive shooter, he has had numerous articles published in Police Marksman. Alex J. McDonald is the author of Sawgrass.

According to the book description of Sawgrass, “A missing cop is found dead in his car in an orange grove. Suicide or murder? The evidence points to murder but the bureaucrats want it to be suicide. Detective Sergeant Daniel Quinn is in charge of the investigation and sets out to prove murder. A second murder occurs and Quinn finds the two are connected. Quinn becomes embroiled in a drug smuggling investigation and is forced to battle politics, a smuggling group and even the DEA. All of this leads to a surprise ending.”

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 Criminal Justice Department chair, 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/2009/02/28/Sawgrass

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Monday, February 02, 2009

Solicitation: Technology Research and Development for Law Enforcement and Corrections Application

All applications are due March 2, 2009, 11:59 p.m. eastern time

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a component of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). NIJ provides objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to enhance the administration of justice and public safety. NIJ solicits applications to inform its search for the knowledge and tools to guide policy and practice.

NIJ seeks applications for research and development leading to the adoption into practice by law enforcement and corrections agencies of technologies and devices providing:

- Improved means to confirm an individual's identity.
- Improved situational awareness.
- Improved means to locate and track cooperative or noncooperative individuals.
- Improved data analysis tools.
- Improved means to detect contraband.

The due date for applying for funding under this announcement is March 2, 2009, 11:59 p.m. eastern time.

Within 24 to 48 hours after submitting your electronic application, you should receive an e-mail validation message from Grants.gov. The validation message will tell you if the application has been received and validated or if it has been rejected, and why.

For a copy of the solicitation go to www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/sl000862.pdf

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact Chris Tillery, Associate Deputy Director for Science and Technology, at 202–305–9829 or george.tillery@usdoj.gov.

This application must be submitted through Grants.gov. For technical assistance with submitting the application, call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 1–800–518– 4726 or send an e-mail to support@grants.gov