Suspect Arrested in Connection with Robbery of Bank of America in Fallbrook

The FBI is announcing the arrest of Scott Fredrick Moline, age 50, of Fallbrook, California, on Saturday, April 21, 2012.

Moline was arrested on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at approximately 4:00 p.m. without incident by FBI agents, San Diego Sheriff’s Department deputies, and California Highway Patrol officers.

Moline was arrested pursuant to a federal arrest warrant charging him with the robbery of the Bank of America located at 1125 South Main Avenue in Fallbrook, California on Wednesday, April 18, 2012.

On Wednesday, April 18, 2012, at approximately 9:56 a.m., the Bank of America branch located at 1125 South Main in Fallbrook, California was robbed by an unknown man. At the time of the robbery, the robber approached a teller and made a verbal demand for money. The robber stated that he was there to rob the teller and had explosives in a waiting car. After receiving a sum of money, the robber exited the bank. After the robber exited the bank, a dye pack exploded, covering the robber in red dye.

Following this robbery, the FBI issued a news release to local media for further dissemination to the public. As a result of the bank robbery surveillance photographs airing on local television stations and posting to the FBI’s webpage, the FBI received a number of telephone calls concerning the identity of the bank robbery suspect. This information, along with additional investigation, led to the filing of federal bank robbery charges against Moline.

Subsequent investigation by FBI agents and San Diego Sheriff’s deputies led to Moline’s arrest. It is anticipated that Moline will be booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) and have his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on or about Monday, April 23, 2012. This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Anyone with information concerning this robbery is asked to contact the FBI at telephone number (858) 565-1255. You may remain anonymous by calling the FBI.

Endangered Missing 2-Year Old: Urgent Alert

Madeline Samaan-Fay, age 2, was abducted by her father in Sacramento, California on Sunday, August 7, 2011.

Madeline is a 2-year-old female, 2’8” tall, about 28 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

The father is Mourad “Moni” Samaan, age 49, male, U.S. citizen born in Egypt, 5’6” tall, weighing about 160 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes. Samaan is believed to be an accomplished Spanish speaker.

Mourad Samaan is known to drive a Green Toyota 4Runner with California license 3XRM11.

The circumstances of the abduction are particularly concerning and FBI officials believe the child’s life may be in jeopardy.

“In spite of extraordinary efforts by our field agents and local law enforcement, we have been unable to develop any leads on the whereabouts of the child or her father since this Saturday,” said Special Agent in Charge Herbert M. Brown, “We request the public call us at (916) 481-9110 if they see the car, Mr. Samaan, or have any information to assist us.”

“The FBI is aggressively working this in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, including the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff, the California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Justice,” added Mr. Brown.

The media is invited to release the below photographs of the child, father, and vehicle.

Tracy Man Indicted for Possession of More Than 90 Pounds of Methamphetamine

FRESNO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that today a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment charging Arturo Antonio Campa, 32, of Tracy, with possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

According to court documents, on July 22, 2011, law enforcement officers stopped Campa on Highway 99 in Stanislaus County. A search of his pickup truck revealed 91.75 pounds of methamphetamine in a hidden compartment.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sacramento’s Safe Streets Task Force, the California Highway Patrol, and the California Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, the Merced County Sheriff’s Department, and the Tracy Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin P. Rooney is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Campa faces a maximum statutory sentence of life in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Threats Against DEA Agents Lead to Arrest of Tule Lake, CA Man

Suspect Arrested with Handgun, Ammunition and Bullet-Proof Vest

MAR 12 -- SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gordon Taylor and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Stephen C. Herkins announced today the arrest of a convicted felon who was in possession of a firearm, ammunition and a bullet-proof vest. Micha GODFREY, 37, of Tule Lake, CA, was taken into custody yesterday by U.S. Park Service Rangers at the Lava Beds National Monument, after allegedly waving a firearm in the air. At the time of his arrest, GODFREY was under investigation by the DEA for allegedly threatening to kill DEA agents and their families.

DEA Special Agent Gordon Taylor stated, “DEA takes seriously any threats against our employees and their families. Mr. Godfrey expressed the desire and had the means to carry out those threats. He was a danger to our community, and we can rest easier knowing that he is off the streets.”

On March 5, 2010, the DEA Sacramento Office received information that GODFREY allegedly sent several emails to a “medical” marijuana website in which he threatened to kill DEA agents and their families. GODFREY, who had previous ties to the Sacramento area, was reportedly living in Tule Lake, CA, located approximately 100 miles north or Redding, CA.

On March 11, 2010, while DEA agents continued their investigation into the alleged threats, U.S. Park Rangers received a report of a suspicious man, who was later identified as GODFREY, waving a handgun in the air on Medicine Lake Road at the Lava Beds National Monument, approximately 10 miles from Tule Lake. Park Rangers responded to the area and took GODFREY into custody. At the time of his arrest, GODFREY was in possession of a .45 caliber revolver, ammunition and was wearing a bullet-proof vest.

Earlier today, DEA, ATF, California Highway Patrol and Tule Lake Police Department Officers served a federal warrant at GODFREY’s residence located in the 500 block of 4th Street in Tule Lake, CA. As a result of that search, officers seized four firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, a bullet-proof vest, a laptop computer and marijuana plants.

GODFREY had an initial appearance in front of a U.S. Magistrate at the Sacramento Federal Courthouse today. He was charged with violation of Title 18, United States Code, 922 (g)(1) – convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 26, 2010.

The DEA Redding and Sacramento offices worked this investigation in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, U.S. Park Rangers, Tule Lake Police Department, Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento.

The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Badge of Life

On February 13, 2009, Conversations with Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion Sergeant Andy O’Hara, California Highway Patrol (ret.), Executive Director of The Badge of Life.

Program Date: February 13, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: The Badge of Life
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/02/14/The-Badge-of-Life

About the Badge of Life
According to The Badge of Life, they “are a group of active and retired police officers from the United States and Canada who are victims of trauma-related injuries from our law enforcement service. We have suffered the worst that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) brings—the hopelessness, the despair, the flashbacks, the attempts at suicide, the nightmares and insomnia, the panicky hypervigilence, anxiety and terror. Among us are victims of both critical incident and cumulative PTSD.

Our personal experiences are varied and representative of what occurs in police work—shootings, violent attacks, the loss of fellow officers, near-death experiences, helplessly watching the death of a child, and more. We were drawn together out of a determination to help others avoid our fate. With the help of experts in the field like John Violanti, PhD (author of Police Suicide, Epidemic in Blue and Under the Blue Shadow), Dr. Janak Mehtani, an expert on PTSD and Catherine Leon, LCSW, who has worked extensively with PTSD and law enforcement, we began to set a path.

We found that many departments still lack adequate suicide prevention programs. We found many departments have excellent programs—but limit themselves to suicide awareness and prevention. Our program came after long discussion and research--and the realization that, in the search for complex answers, we were all missing the simple solutions! Thus came about the Badge of Life program--a common sense approach to law enforcement stress and trauma that stunned even us by its utter simplicity.

About the Guest
Sergeant Andy O'Hara, California Highway Patrol (ret.) is a military veteran and the Executive Director of The Badge of Life. According to Sergeant O’Hara, he “spent his last day of law enforcement sitting on the bedroom floor with his gun, trying to decide whether to shoot himself in the mouth or side of the head. Hospitalized twice with the effects of his post traumatic stress, he has written on this topic and spoken to numerous groups about the importance of this new program. Through those presentations, he has realized how well received and effective the message truly is. He is a member of the California Peer Support Association, the International Police Association and works as a peer volunteer with the West Coast Post-Trauma Retreat.

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/2009/02/14/The-Badge-of-Life

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

California Police Officers

March 23, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three police officers from California.

Seth Goldstein was a police officer for the Berkeley Police Department for 13 years. During his time with the Berkeley Police Department he served in Patrol, Service and the Detective Division. On the Berkeley Police Department, Seth Goldstein worked for two years as a juvenile officer. Seth Goldstein is the Executive Director of the Child Abuse Forensic Institute, which he founded in 1992. The Institute assists parents in Family Law, Juvenile, and Personal Injury matters wherein child abuse allegations have arisen.

Seth Goldstein is the author of The Sexual Exploitation of Children: A Practical Guide to Assessment, Investigation, and Intervention and Investigating Child Sexual Exploitation: Law Enforcement's Role; and, the co-author of Raising Safe Kids in an Unsafe World: 30 Simple Ways to Prevent Your Child from Being Lost, Abducted, or Abused.

According to the book description of The Sexual Exploitation of Children: A Practical Guide to Assessment, Investigation, and Intervention, the “Second Edition discusses the new and different developments in the manifestation of problems involved in investigation and assessment of sexual cases and offers advice on dealing with these issues. This updated and completely revised handbook guides anyone who needs to investigate or assess child sexual abuse allegations through the essential steps of enquiry.”

Samuel Chapman has served as a Berkeley Police Department police officer, a police consultant, an assistant professor in the School of Police Administration at Michigan State University, and as undersheriff of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in Portland, Oregon. In 1965 he was named assistant director of President Johnson’s Commission on Law Enforcement Administration and Justice.

After the 1967 report, Samuel Chapman was appointed professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma in the Police Administration Program, where he served for 24 years. Samuel Chapman is an expert on police use of deadly force and the use of canine units. Samuel G. Chapman is the author, co-author or editor of ten books: Police Dogs in North America; Cops, Killers and Staying Alive: The Murder of Police Officers in America; Police Patrol: Operations and Management; Police Administration: A Critical Study of Police Organizations in the United States and Abroad; Police Patrol Readings; An Analysis of Assaults on Police Officers in Forty-Six Cities; A Descriptive Profile of the Assault Incident; Dogs in Police Work in Oklahoma; Introduction and Methodology to the Study of Police Assaults in the South Central United States; Police Murders and Effective Countermeasures.

Andrew O'Hara is a retired California Highway Patrol patrolman who spent much of his boyhood and career in the Sacramento Valley. He is the author of The Swan: Tales of the Sacramento Valley. According to the book description, “Much has been written about the rich history of the Sacramento Valley - the Gold Rush of 1849, Sutter's Fort, the Donner Party and the Pony Express. The Swan" brings you tales inspired by the people who live in the valley today: their dreams, their hopes and loves, their weaknesses and their personal tragedies. Beginning with two children who meet in a field under the stars to face life and death together, author Andrew O'Hara explores how ordinary people face extraordinary challenges with quiet determination and unseen heroism.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 890 police officers (representing 385 police departments) and their 1867 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Law Enforcement Technology

NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, July 12, 2007

"New York Plans Surveillance Veil for Downtown"
New York Times (07/09/07) P. A1; Buckley, Cara

The New York City Police Department expects to have implemented the first phase of a massive surveillance camera system in Lower Manhattan before the year is out. The Lower Manhattan Security Initiative is modeled after the Ring of Steel anti-terrorism surveillance system in London, which has helped U.K. authorities in their investigations of the recent car bomb plots and the July 2005 transit bombings. Like the London system, the New York initiative will eventually feature mobile roadblocks and cameras capable of reading the license plates of vehicles. New York officials plan to deploy 116 license plate readers, some of which will be installed in helicopters and cars, and if the city's congestion pricing plan is approved, police are expected to use data from license plate readers that will be installed as part of the congestion pricing plan. Police officers and personnel from private security companies will staff an operations center where live data from the cameras will be monitored; by pushing a button, the operators will be able to deploy mobile traffic gates at crucial junctions, thereby halting suspicious vehicles and other traffic. The cameras will be used in tandem with software capable of detecting suspicious behavior such as a bag that has been abandoned or a car that repeatedly cruises the same city block. All told, some 3,000 cameras--including about 2,000 owned by companies in the city--will be in place by the end of 2008. The surveillance network will feature one of two technologies: face-recognition or biohazard sensors. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/09/nyregion/09ring.html

"Police Explore New Tipster Technology"
Sign-on San Diego (07/09/07); Hughes, Joe

Law-enforcement authorities in San Diego are thinking about using a text-messaging system for anonymous crime information that was introduced by police in Boston in June. If viable, the initiative could merge text messaging with traditional police tip lines to help solve serious crimes. At the heart of Boston's experiment is technology meant to make certain that the cell-phone number of the caller is not shown. Tip calls are lower nationwide because the systems have depended greatly on pay-phone calls to keep a person anonymous and such phones are becoming tougher to locate. Simultaneously, text messaging on cell phones has become a popular way to communicate, particularly among young people. Call numbers from the majority of phones, including cells, are traceable, which makes anonymity challenging. The new system appears to overcome that obstacle. Officer James Kenneally of Boston notes that the system logged 50 call tips from cell phones during its initial week.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070709/news_1m9texttips.html

"Durham, N.C. Police Will Get Tasers"
Durham Herald-Sun (NC) (07/11/07); Dopart, Brianne

Police officers in Durham, N.C., will start carrying Taser devices next year. It is not known what kind of Taser technology the department will be utilizing, the price of the technology and related instruction, and which staff members in the department will be given the devices. Chapel Hill and Raleigh police departments already use Taser technology. Although the Durham County Sheriff's Office used to carry Tasers during the 1980s, it does not anymore, stated Chief Deputy Wes Crabtree, who explained that he does not care for the technology because it is awkward and hard to operate. Crabtree added that his office has reexamined its Taser protocol annually since terminating its use. Although advantageous for some the technology was too expensive and required too much maintenance by Crabtree's office. Meanwhile, Chapel Hill Police department Capt. Jackie Carden reported her department uses Tasers and likes them. Newer Taser models, such as the ones employed by the force in Chapel Hill, are smaller and more accurate than those sold 20 years ago, she added.
http://www.policeone.com/less-lethal/articles/1288412/

"Tasers Join Arsenals"
Portland Press Herald (Maine) (07/10/07); Hench, David

Police agencies in Maine are becoming more interested in using stun guns as the technology advances and liability issues are straightened out. Officers in Lewiston, Newport, and Sanford have begun using Tasers during the last month, and a state oversight board and state police chiefs are creating model protocols for how departments should employ Tasers. Some Tasers now incorporate video cameras that document the situation where the gun is employed. The video lessens the chance of abuse and shields police from lawsuits when the Tasers are correctly used. Tasers have not caught on as quickly in New England as they have in other parts of the country; Taser International's Steve Tuttle thinks this is because people are confused as to how electricity functions in the human body. Tasers are also expensive: Each one goes for around $800, and the video camera costs at least another $400. South Portland has used Tasers the most, having possessed the guns for two years. In 2005, officers utilized them seven times in the 115 situations that required force, figures that were almost the same in 2006. http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=119711&ac=PHnws

"New Mug Shot System IDs Prisoners"
Cincinnati Enquirer (07/03/07) P. 2B; Truong, Quan

A $400,000 upgrade to the Hamilton County, Ohio, Justice Center's mug shot system is helping to identify inmates, even if they do not provide fingerprints, lie about their identity, or do not speak English. Records staff scan a prisoner picture into a computer and produce potential matches from the county's database. The Viisage facial recognition system employs biometric configurations to locate matches, with a grid on the face determining the space between eyes, nose width, and jawline length. Matches are only possible if the prisoner has previously been arrested, which is typically the case three-fourths of the time, according to Keith McGuire with the Hamilton County Sheriff Department. The system will eventually be utilized on the streets, where patrol officers can erect a digital camera and laptop computer in their vehicles to rapidly identify suspects. The third stage will combine adjacent county databases into one big pool, possibly even a nationwide one. Last year, the Hamilton County Corrections Division processed over 50,727 inmates, surpassing the largest daily number ever with 2,314 prisoners.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/AB/20070703/NEWS01/707030345/

"CHP Shows Off High-Tech Vehicle in Fresno"
Fresno Bee (CA) (07/04/07) P. B2; Galvan, Louis

A California Highway Patrol (CHP) truck outfitted with the newest communications technology and devised to be utilized in big emergencies has been presented to the CHP's Central Division in Fresno. The mobile command truck will assist the division's nine-county region approximately from Kern to Stanislaus counties. It is outfitted with a high-tech satellite communications system, Internet, phones, and radios. The 2007 Chevy Tahoe truck will allow the CHP to connect with almost every other law-enforcement group and additional emergency services. In addition, the truck is equipped to get video images shot overhead of disaster regions and send those images to command officers located on the ground. The truck is one of nine acquired by the CHP via a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. One of the other eight vehicles--which are spread across California--was used to helped respond to the Bay Bridge collapse earlier this year after a gas tanker derailed. http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/76985.html

"Sensor System Will Detect Gunfire, Aid Police"
Harrisburg Patriot-News (PA) (07/03/07) P. B1; Gleason, Jerry L.

On June 28, Harrisburg, Pa., police concluded calibration of the city's Secures Gunshot Detection System. The system will help city police officers in finding and handling gunfire in Harrisburg. The calibration consisted of firing gunshots at 48 sites, including between buildings, in alleys, and other sites. Each time, the system found the gunshot within three seconds and three feet of the specific location, noted Mayor Stephen Reed. Acoustical sensors across Harrisburg's south Allison Hill can detect gunshot sounds and send the data to a receiving antenna. Sixty sensors were erected on utility poles and buildings in the region, with data from the sensors sent to a computer processor that transforms the data into a visual display on a computer in the communications center of the police department. A red spot appears on the map within three seconds after the shot occurs, and the system is precise to within three feet of the particular location. The technology, which was implemented by Reston, Va.'s Planning Systems, was bought with a $40,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and an $80,000 grant from the federal Department of Justice's Project Safe Neighborhoods. http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/
base/news/118343042894920.xml&coll=1

"Candid Cameras to Help Police Record Evidence"
Asbury Park Press (NJ) (07/04/07); Larsen, Erik

Police in Asbury Park, N.J., claim they are the first ones in the state to obtain Vidmics. The devices appear and work just like typical two-way shoulder radios that police wear on top of their uniforms. These radios, however, have a small, almost unnoticeable lens looking out at everything from the center. The officer can switch the camera on and off, and Vidmics record video and sound and shoot still images. The images saved have a date and time stamp, so the information recorded can be utilized in court. If the Vidmic is used during automobile stops in which a motorist is suspected of being inebriated, for instance, the police officer will be able to record his dealings with the motorist, as well as the motorist's appearance and attitude. Asbury Park has a pair of Vidmics and intends to buy another two, which police will employ during foot patrols. The cameras cost $595 each, which includes the camera and software that downloads the information via a cable and USB port like a digital camera.
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
20070704/NEWS/707040433/1004/NEWS01

"Electronic Evidence Guidance Released to Police"
ComputerWeekly.com (07/06/07); Thomson, Rebecca

A revised version of the Good Practice Guide for Computer-Based Electronic Evidence that accounts for recent changes in computer forensic investigation methods has been issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). The guide was produced with 7Safe, an information security services company, and launched at APCO's e-crime conference. The new edition features instructions for working with inconsistent electronic data and the extraction of data from live systems and networks. "The Guide is recognized as the definitive rule book for digital forensic investigations," stated 7Safe managing director Alan Phillips. "In addition to criminal cases, any type of contentious incident in the workplace is almost certain to involve large amounts of electronic evidence, and dealing with this data in the appropriate way can prevent far-reaching problems."
http://www.computerweekly.com/Home/..%5CArticles/2007/07/06/225389/
electronic-evidence-guidance-released-to-police.htm

"More Than 4,300 Sign Up for Virginia Tech Emergency Alerts"
Hampton Roads News (07/09/07)

Virginia Tech has a new emergency alert system that will send alerts to students and university employees when an emergency occurs on campus. Participants must subscribe with the system, which is capable of sending alerts via telephone, instant-messaging, or email. Students and university employees began subscribing to the system on July 2; at present, there are more than 4,300 subscribers. A university official predicted that more students would sign up as the year goes on. Hundreds of universities and colleges now offer emergency alert systems.
http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=128108&ran=182681

"Coming Soon, A Linguist's Guide to Obscenities"
Boston Globe (07/09/07); Berger, J.M.

The National Science Foundation is paying more than $200,000 for a study whose results may be unprintable. Christopher Potts, a linguist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, will catalog and analyze the use of obscenities, vulgarities, and racial epithets as well as titles and honorifics. All are words or phrases that express emotion, or whose absence can convey an emotion, such as disrespect. Potts will chart when and how these words are used in books, television, movies, records of ordinary conversation, and other discourse. He aims to discover the laws of emotionally expressive language, in the same way a physicist might chart the movement of planets in order to discover the laws of gravity. The results of the study could also be applied to law enforcement computers designed to evaluate surveillance tapes or automated systems to summarize the content of books or television shows, he said. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2007/
07/09/coming_soon_a_linguists_guide_to_obscenities/

"City of Gary, Indiana Completes Next Expansion of ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System"
Business Wire (07/10/07)

ShotSpotter, Inc., a leader in gunshot detection and location systems and technology for public safety and the military, reports that the City of Gary, Indiana has completed their second expansion and is in the final stages of their third expansion of the system. Hailed as a key crime-fighting tool in the City, the ShotSpotter system has now been extended to more than four square miles based on its track record of reducing gunfire in the City and assisting the Police Department in removing weapons and increasing arrests. ShotSpotter is a collection of sensors that detect and locate gunshots in seconds, sending an immediate signal along with the precise location of the shots to police dispatchers. This enables the City's police forces to arrive on the scene of a gunshot event in a matter of moments. Thomas Branson, Deputy Chief of Police, in noting that the system has been delivering outstanding results, stated, "ShotSpotter alerted us to a gunshot incident where police found a subject lying in a pool of blood next to the railroad tracks. It turned out that he was on the FBI's most wanted list, having killed a 13-year old girl in Ohio as well as two women." ShotSpotter, Inc. provides wireless and wired gunshot detection and location systems to public safety organizations and the military. All ShotSpotter solutions use the same core ShotSpotter GLS technologies which filter out the echoes which cripple competitive systems when they are deployed in urban environments. Utilizing ShotSpotter's patented technologies, the system can be set to filter in or out "non-threat" events (such as fire crackers, car backfires, etc.).
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?
ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070710005505&newsLang=en

"Interoperability Radio System Permits Responders to Communicate in Emergencies"
Sheriff (06/07) Vol. 59, No. 3, P. 25; Oxley, Joseph W.; Freeman, Ted

In Monmouth County, N.J., officials have greatly improved communications capabilities for the Sheriff's Office's two Field Communications Mobile Command Centers by using an ACU-1000 modular radio interoperability system. The technology lets agencies communicate irrespective of their current radio frequencies. The system can integrate high frequencies, land mobile radio, and satellite communications systems. The technology can also engage the walkie-talkie feature of a Nextel phone to enable communication with emergency responder communication systems. The ACU-1000 system features a modular interface with six networks, where each network can handle seven channels and a laptop computer. The overall system costs roughly $15,000. The new interoperability system enables all responding agencies to take a single portable radio with their frequency to the Mobile Command Unit and plug it into to the system to allow all units on that frequency to communicate with other responders. The Sheriff's Office Communication Division has also obtained a portable Interoperability Communication Radio Unit (ICRU), a cross band repeater designed for state radio frequencies of UHF-800 mg in addition to 168 portable radios on state interoperability channels. Furthermore, a new "quick response communication van" is being developed for the service that will offer a completely outfitted radio console and will respond with an 8x10 trailer with a 7.5 kilowatt generator to create a temporary command post. http://www.sheriffs.org

"White House Council Puts Cybersecurity in Focus"
Federal Computer Week (07/02/07); Miller, Jason

The White House's Homeland Security Council has heightened its understanding of cybersecurity's importance, and is in the early stages of debate regarding the best description of the government's role. Thomas Bossert, a senior director on the council, noted that more coordination from the federal level is needed. Bossert explained that, later in 2007, guidance might materialize from the presidential level to clarify "who does what and when." The council will also work to enhance the synchronization of Fusion Centers across the country; currently, 42 states possess or intend to found Fusion Centers with over $380 million in DHS grants. In addition, the White House is partnering with the Homeland Security Department and the FBI to design a regional architecture to facilitate information sharing. In May 2007, the Intelligence Threat Assessment Coordination Group approved a formal standard for conveying threat assessment information. According to Bossert, the government's aim is for state and local first responders to be aware, in real time, of what the federal first responders know, enabling all to better handle possible threats. http://www.fcw.com/article103121-07-02-07-Web

"Sound and Vision"
Police Magazine (06/07) Vol. 31, No. 6, P. 36; Griffith, David

The latest state-of-the-art law enforcement simulators use high-tech audio and video to deliver more authentic training experiences. Unlike older simulators, which had different processing capabilities, the latest use-of-force simulators operate at about the same speed. Features and options are the biggest difference between current simulator models. Many use-of-force simulators are designed with the same high-definition (HD) technology found in televisions, a feature some law enforcement experts believe enhances the training experience. "The clarity of the picture is a lot better," says Meggitt Defense Systems' Vince Greiner. "That means that it's easier for a student to determine if a perpetrator has a cell phone or a knife in his hands." In addition to video clarity, new training simulators offer better sound quality. Enhanced multispeaker sound systems are featured in most of the latest use-of-force simulator models. The flagship systems in both TI Training and IES feature 5.1 surround standard, which allows students to hear realistic noises from every direction. http://www.policemag.com

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.