Dallas Men Charged With Gun, Drug Crimes

 Two Dallas men have been charged with gun and drug crimes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Kewon Dontrell White, 22, was indicted on one count of felon in possession of a firearm.  Mr. White – who is now facing a Dallas County murder charge in the death of rapper Melvin Nobel, also known as M03 – was arrested by ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Dallas Police Department patrol officers Wednesday in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood. 

Known affiliate Devin Maurice Brown, Jr, 27, was indicted on one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance; he was arrested on November 19, at his residence in Oak Cliff.

“A gun in the hands of a prohibited person is not a theoretical risk, but an actual danger to the community,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “We are proud to partner with ATF and our local police departments to take armed felons and drug dealers off the streets.”  

“ATF remains vigilant and steadfast in our fight against violent crime in the Dallas Metroplex. Together with the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue the worst of the worst lawbreakers living amongst us in our communities. If you are in the illegal possession of a firearm, be warned, no one can elude police forever,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Division Jeffrey C. Boshek II.

According to a criminal complaint filed in November, law enforcement discovered a stolen AK-47 in Mr. Brown’s closet during a lawful search of his residence. They also found a botanical substance that field tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids (commonly referred to as “K2” or “spice”), a bottle of multicolored tablets that field tested positive for methamphetamine, several scales, baggies, and more than $3,200 in U.S. currency.

According to a second criminal complaint filed later that same month, law enforcement discovered a 9 mm pistol in Mr. White’s pants pocket. Mr. White fled, first on his dirt bike and then on foot, when officers attempted to effectuate a traffic stop.

Indictments are merely allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. White and Mr. Brown are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, Mr. White faces up to 10 years in federal prison on the gun charge. Mr. Brown faces up to 20 years on the gun and drug charges.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Duncanville and Lancaster Police Departments. The U.S. Marshal’s Service assisted in the arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myria Boehm and Abe McGlothin are prosecuting the case.

Fugitive Strike Team Exceeds 10,000 Arrests

Dallas, TX - Randy P. Ely, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Texas, announced today that the United States Marshals sponsored multi-agency fugitive task force, known as the Dallas Fort-Worth Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (DFW FAST), surpassed its 10,000th arrest. The strike team, which focuses on arresting violent offenders, officially began operations January 1st of 2004.

Participating agencies, to include the Dallas Police Department, Dallas County Sheriffs Department, Fort Worth Police Department, and the Tarrant County Sheriffs Department, as well as numerous other local, county, state, and federal agencies, assign personnel to the task force in an effort to apprehend some of the most violent fugitives in North Texas (See attached list of participating agencies). The 10,000 arrests cleared in excess of 13,000 warrants, including more than 2,400 for sexual related offenses and over 700 for the offense of homicide.

“DFW FAST has been more successful than any of us ever imagined. This has been due to the ongoing support we have received from partner agencies leadership and the great relationship we have with the United States Attorney’s Office here in North Texas. However the real success of the FAST has been due to the tremendous efforts of dedicated personnel on the local, state, and federal level who deal with these violent offenders on a daily basis,” said United States Marshal Randy Ely

In the days leading up to the 10,000th arrest; DFW FAST apprehended Francisco Perez who was wanted on organized crime charges by McKinney Police, Jay Ellington who was wanted on aggravated robbery charges by Weatherford Police and Ernesto Jennings who was arrested on a Dallas Police warrant for aggravated robbery. The 10,000th arrest was of Nathan Eaton who was wanted by Arlington Police on two charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Just hours after the arrest of Eaton, strike team members arrested Samuel Mons in Lancaster, Texas. Mons was wanted on a federal parole warrant. His original offenses included unpremeditated murder, robbery and introduction of a controlled substance.

Ely said, “One of our core principles is that we are very victim driven on the strike team. We realize that these arrests have deep meaning for some in our community. We recognize that crime victims often suffer physically, financially, and emotionally. There is often a sense of loss of control over one’s life or a feeling of vulnerability. The arrest of an offender often represents a very important step for the victim in their recovery process. With that thought in mind, it makes all of us want to do an even better job for those victimized by violent crime.”

Former Head of Dallas Crime Stoppers Office Indicted

Defendants Collected at Least $250,000 in Cash Rewards for Bogus Tips

DALLAS—A federal grand jury in Dallas has indicted Dallas Police Department Senior Corporal Theadora Ross and co-defendant Malva R. Delley each on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the Dallas Crime Stoppers program, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Ross, 50, of Rowlett, Texas, was arrested midday yesterday and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeff Kaplan late in the afternoon. She was released on bond. Delley, 36, is a Dallas resident.

The Crime Stoppers program is a nationwide program that offers cash rewards for information from anonymous callers that leads to the arrest and indictment of criminals. The program guarantees the anonymity of callers to promote a positive atmosphere without the prospect of retribution. The Dallas Crime Stoppers office is funded by the North Texas Crime Commission (NTCC), fines levied by the Dallas and Collin County courts, private donations and fund raising. The office is staffed by officers of the Dallas Police Department and deputies of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the indictment, which was just unsealed, Ross worked at the Dallas Crime Stoppers office from 2003 to May 2010, and headed that office from March 2006 to May 2010. A “tipster” who called the Crime Stoppers office with information would receive a “tip number.” The tipster then periodically called the Crime Stoppers office to find out if his information resulted in a reward. Ross, and other law enforcement officers assigned to the office, determined which tips were eligible for a cash reward based on the quality of information the tipster provided and whether the ultimate arrest or indictment of a particular subject was actually related to the tip provided.

Ross selected the tips that would be presented to the NTCC for approval of a cash reward. Once the NTCC gave its approval, the anonymous tipster could call the Crime Stoppers office with his previously assigned tip number and would be provided a tip number and code word. These tip numbers and code words were emailed to JP Morgan Chase Bank. The anonymous tipster was required to present the tip number and code word, in person, at Chase Bank, to collect his reward.

The indictment alleges, however, that as part of their scheme, Ross sent JP Morgan Chase Bank the Crime Stoppers cash reward list that included both legitimate code words as well as tip numbers and code words for tips that Ross had altered. Ross gave Delley the bogus tip information, including tip numbers and code words necessary to collect the rewards. After Delley presented the bogus tip numbers and code words to a bank teller at JP Morgan Chase and collected the reward, she would divide the cash, per Ross’s instruction, with Ross, by either depositing it into Ross’s personal bank account or by giving cash directly to Ross.

From February 2005 through May 2010, the conspirators collected at least $250,000 in cash rewards for bogus tips, resulting in a loss to the North Texas Crime Commission. However, no false arrests were made based on Ross’s actions.

An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. However, if convicted, Ross and Delley each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Restitution could also be ordered.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and Dallas Police Department - Public Integrity Unit and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Errin Martin and Rick Calvert.

Dallas man sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography

DALLAS - A local man who admitted he possessed child pornography was sentenced on Friday to 14 years and two months in prison and ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and by the Dallas Police Department's (DPD) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit.

According to documents filed in the case, Dustin Mishler, 29, of Dallas, freely admitted that he possessed images and videos of actual prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit acts and that some of the images and videos depicted sadistic and/or masochistic acts. At the Dec. 3 sentencing hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater noted Mishler's prior conviction in 2006 in Dallas County for possessing child pornography.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children advised DPD that they had received a cyber tip from the Internet browser AOL concerning a subscriber who had transmitted child pornography over the AOL Internet service network on May 10, 2009. The investigation revealed that the subscriber was Mishler. DPD executed a search warrant at Mishler's residence on June 23, 2009. Mishler was not present, but his girlfriend and roommate indicated that Mishler had a computer, but had sold it a few weeks earlier to a pawn shop. Law enforcement seized a USB drive, paperwork, seven CDs and one DVD from the residence.

Law enforcement located Mishler's pawned laptop computer at Cash America, just a few blocks from his residence, on June 3, 2009. A search warrant for the computer was obtained and a forensic examination, conducted by the North Texas Regional Computer Lab (NTRCFL), revealed that Mishler's computer and USB drive contained three videos and 64 images of child pornography. The forensic exam also determined that Mishler had used Yahoo! Messenger to send images of child pornography.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks, Northern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.

This investigation is part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

National Metal Theft Investigations Seminar

Stolen: Aluminum - Brass - Bronze - Copper - Platinum

Date: September 23-24, 2008
Location:
The Regal Sun Resort
In The Walt Disney World Resort
Orlando, Florida 32830
Phone: 800-624-4109
Web: http://www.regalsunresort.com
Room Rate: $105.00
Seminar Fee: $295.00
Seminar Website: http://www.iapci.org/seminar-one/index.php

New Annual Metal Theft Investigations Seminar is restricted to law enforcement, public utilities, and corporate security. Please attend to network and develop strategies to combat one of the hottest and fastest-growing crimes!

Groups Attending Include:
Allegheny Power;
AT&T Corporate Security;
Con Edison Company of NY;
CSX Railroad Police Department;
Dallas Police Department Metal Theft Unit;
Embarq Corporate Security;
First Energy Corp;
Fort Worth Police Department, Texas, Metal Theft Unit;
Houston Police Department, Metal Theft Unit;
Lowe's Companies Inc.;
Macon - Middle Georgia Metal Theft Committee;
Oregon Joint Metals Task Force;
Phoenix Police Department, Arizona, Metal Theft Unit;
Southern California Edison, Corporate Security;
Travis CO TX Metal Theft Task Force;
Verizon Corporate Security;
Xcel Energy;

For More Information
http://www.iapci.org/pages-main/index.php
Not-For-Profit law enforcement Educational Association
If you can't attend the seminar join our association membership dues are FREE!

Creech, Miller and Katz

April 16, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added two law enforcement officers from Texas and one from Florida.

Paul Creech began his 40 year law enforcement career with the Texas Highway Patrol which became part of the Texas Department of Public Safety. After ten years as a Highway Patrol Officer, Paul Creech began to fly aircraft for the Texas Department of Public Safety. Paul Creech is the author of Eagle with a Badge.

According to the book description of Eagle with a Badge, it “is the true story of pilot Paul Creech, who flew state police helicopters and other aircraft for thirty years, preceded by ten years as a highway patrolman. It was a life of extreme danger, with times of stark terror, interspersed with the routine that all police officers know. By day, by night, in weather ranging from floods and tornadoes to snowstorms, Paul rescued people, and helped ground officers apprehend bank robbers, murderers, and escaping convicts.”

After graduation from high school, Rick Miller served three years as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. He served almost twelve years as an officer, detective, and supervisor with the Dallas Police Department, after which he was the chief of police for the Killeen Police Department (Texas) and the Denton Police Department (Texas). After receiving his juris doctorate from Baylor University in 1983, Rick Miller entered the private practice of law in Killeen. Rick Miller is the author of Sam Bass & Gang, Bloody Bill Longley: A Biography, The Train Robbing Bunch and Bounty Hunter.

According to the book description of Sam Bass & Gang, “the legendary Sam Bass refused to give up his companions to the trailing lawmen. In 1878, the chase ended with the famous gunfight on the streets of Round Rock, Texas.”

Marty Katz is a retired sergeant from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Marty Katz is the author of Past the Uniform. According to the book description, “Ever wonder what it is like to be on the other side of a 9-1-1 call? Come along for the ride. View the world through the windshield of a patrol unit and behind the yellow tape of crime scenes.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 978 police officers (representing 409 police departments) and their 2074 criminal justice books in 35 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, September 6, 2007

"City Looks at $40M Police Headquarters"
Waukegan News Sun (IL) (09/04/07); Peterson, Craig

The Waukegan, Ill., City Council is considering design plans for a new headquarters for its police. A five-floor building with communications, training, investigations, records, evidence processing, and office space is thought to cost around $40 million. A police headquarters outfitted with the modern crime-fighting devices is the most sophisticated and costly facility any municipal government will construct, architects have informed aldermen. While initially, plans had called for redoing the previous city hall facility or constructing on an adjacent location, Police Chief Bill Biang explained that seven architectural companies studied refurbishing the present facility and all said it was not a good idea. Biang added there is no room to expand horizontally, and the building cannot support adding floors to it. He also stated that acquiring land would counter the savings of redoing the facility. The council may use a referendum to pay for the new police headquarters. http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/
news/540363,5_1_WA04_WAUKEGANCOPS_S1.article

"A High-Tech Helping Hand for Soldiers"
Philadelphia Inquirer (09/04/07); Holcomb, Henry J.

The Wearable Intelligent Reporting Environment (WIRE), developed by Lockheed Martin, is designed to help soldiers in the field by recording their activity and turning speech it records into documents so soldiers do not have to write reports after a hard day on patrol. If approved, soldiers would wear a headset with an earphone and microphone designed to separate voices from gunfire and other noise. The headset is connected to a rugged but lightweight computer tucked into the soldier's combat vest. The system allows soldiers to dictate a report while in the field, all without taking their hands off their weapons or their eyes off of the action. The computer asks for responses that fill out forms designed for different situations and asks about words or situations it does not understand. The computer automatically creates a report and sends it to commanders, along with data from the soldier's GPS receiver. Data from multiple patrols can be analyzed immediately to fine-tune strategy and tactics. WIRE is designed to work with headsets and batteries already used by the military, and because the device does not have a video screen a single charge lasts as long as most patrols. WIRE also has significant potential for law enforcement applications. Crime analysis expert Robert Cheetham says fresh digital reports from the field would be extremely valuable to police commanders and could allow them to detect patterns and prevent future crimes. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/20070904_
A_high-tech_helping_hand_for_soldiers.html

"GPS Technology Helps to Locate Police Dogs"
Cherry Hill Courier-Post (NJ) (09/04/07); Strupczewski, Leo

The Camden County, N.J., Sheriff's Department is one of the initial law enforcement agencies in the nation to obtain GPS technology that can help an officer locate his dog. The dog's collar contains the GPS device, and the dog's officer carries a hand-held device not much larger than a BlackBerry, to track the animal. If a dog gets lost, department members can locate him by finding a pawprint on the handler's screen and proceeding towards it. The Minnesota firm White Bear Technologies manufactures the Roam-EO technology, and contributed four units to the Camden Sheriff's Department's four canine divisions. Roam-EO offers the department real-time information, which is sent to an officer's hand-held unit. Each device is priced at $499, and there is an insurance fee for dogs of $4,500 to $6,000, although that price can increase if training is included. United States Police Canine Association executive director Russ Hess thinks the technology will become more popular as the systems become more advanced.
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/
article?AID=/20070904/NEWS01/709040362/1006

"Police to Unveil New Communication Gear"
WTNH.com--Channel 8 (Conn.) (09/05/07); Latina, Jodi

First responders in Connecticut will have new technology in the near future to assist them in emergency events. On Wednesday, they are set to receive a communication system that helps links departments throughout Connecticut. It will be the initial state in the country to have the radio common channel erected. The system is intended to maintain open communication lines during an emergency. Currently, if a police officer in Enfield, for example, wishes to speak with an officer in Madison, they would have to use the phone. With a common radio frequency, the link could be immediate. The new system will also keep portable radios in sync. The technology, which is known as band, is priced at $1 million, and connects to current radio systems.
http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=7027349&nav=3YeX

"Groves Police Get Anti-Gang Grant"
Mid County Chronicle (TX) (09/05/07); Kutac, Dennis

Authorities with the Groves, Texas, Police Department claim superior technology equipment is what they want to buy after getting a federal granted intended to help target gang violence and associated crimes. Sen. John Cornyn ( R) claims the $350,350 grant was provided by the U.S. Department of Justice's Anti-Gang Initiative and was dispensed by the Texas Office of the Attorney General. Groves Police Department Det. Steven Hinton noted the proposal the department actually presented for the Project Safe Neighborhoods grant totaled $84,489, which it requested earlier this year and from which it obtained around $80,000. Hinton explained the equipment the department wants to acquire includes thermal-imaging devices, binoculars, recorders, and transmitters. "Our department will be buying technology extremely advanced mainly for undercover work and surveillance," he stated. Groves City Marshal Jeff Wilmore pointed out that the grant will also enable the Groves Police Department to bring its Safe Streets Crime Unit and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force together to deal with gang-associated and personal crimes. Cornyn stated the Anti-Gang Initiative offers money to support new or enlarged anti-gang and enforcement plans under the current Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative.
http://www.midcountychronicle.com/news/2007/0905/Front_Page/001.html

"Sandy Springs, GA Police Department Selects SunGard's OSSI Public Safety Software"
WebWire (09/03/07)

SunGard HTE, a leading international provider of government information technologies, reports that the Sandy Springs, Ga., Police Department has signed a contract to implement the company's OSSI Public Safety Suite of software. The suite provides a fully integrated system that affords each agency real-time access to shared information, helping to improve response times, reduce costs, and increase officer safety. The Sandy Springs Police Department will implement the Records Management System and Mobile Computing components of the OSSI Public Safety Suite. Records Management System provides a comprehensive system to collect, store, and access information gathered by law enforcement personnel during daily activities. Mobile Computing Technology is a wireless application that provides access to information for officers in the field. Together, these components will help officers to stay connected with real-time data while in the field. http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=46613

"Lawmen on Target with CVTC Technology"
Calhoun Times (GA) (08/31/07); West, E.K.

The Northwest Georgia Enforcement Executives Association convened in August at Coosa Valley Technical College (CVTC) for the introduction of the new Computer LaserShot Technology in the Criminal Justice program. The innovative technology was given to the officers by CVTC Criminal Justice coordinator and instructor Tom Bojo. "This is an outstanding piece of equipment that can be used not only for laser shot simulation classroom purposes but law enforcement departments can reserve the simulator for training," he stated. LaserShot is a computer-simulation program that employs a simulated handgun and a laser-action screen. Numerous drills and situations--including vehicle chases and hostage scenarios--take place onscreen with various endings. LaserShot instruction is only done at CVTC's Gordon County campus as part of the Criminal Justice program. In addition, the program provides classrooms, crime-scene rooms, computer research facilities, and rescue maze capability. "Our technology capabilities give students hands on experience allowing them to use what they learn in the field," notes Bojo, which keeps officers interested and offers them ongoing feedback.
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&
pnpID=722&NewsID=834262&CategoryID=3388&on=1

"Area Police Forces Add High-Tech Gear"
Valley News Dispatch (08/26/07); Biedka, Chuck

Harrison Township, Pa., law enforcement will soon begin utilizing a video enhancement system, while police in O'Hara will discover how to utilize a high-tech surveillance system that can be employed to investigate a variety of crimes, including drug trafficking. The video enhancement system can be utilized with the majority of video systems to upgrade the quality of images, such as those found on a firm's surveillance tapes. Meanwhile, the video surveillance system is small, easy to hide, and employs a camera that is motion activated. The system, which also records sounds, can be utilized inside or outdoors. O'Hara's surveillance system is the third advanced technological tool that the police department has acquired from the U.S. government. The department is also employing a thermal imaging camera. Harrison Police Chief Mike Klein noted his department will pursue a grant in 2008 to purchase the same surveillance system O'Hara is using. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_524172.html

"Oil City Police Go to Nab Speeders"
Oil City Derrick (PA) (08/30/07); Clark, Karen

The Oil City, Pa., Police Department has been employing the Electronic Non-Radar Device (ENRADD) since January, permitting officers to more aggressively pursue speeders. In addition, ENRADD makes it a lot harder for violators to figure out where police are probably waiting and watching. ENRADD--a wireless speed-detection device--enables police to operate a speed check almost anyplace, including on leading thoroughfares, bridges, and back streets. ENRADD has a pair of tripods that each have sensor units. Officers put the three-foot tripods on either side of the road. As cars drive between the sensors, their speed is determined and sent through a wireless radio connection to a display head situated in a patrol vehicle. Experts contend that ENRADD can save a police department $3,000 to $5,000 a car annually on gas and maintenance because police do not have to chase vehicles that are going too fast. http://www.thederrick.com/stories/08312007-5008.shtml

"Video Billboards Coming This Way"
Philadelphia Inquirer (08/21/07) P. E1; Slobodzian, Joseph A.

The Philadelphia region will soon erect digital billboards, which are being lauded by police for promoting public safety. ClearChannel Outdoor stated it would have eight 14-by-48 video billboards with advertising images or messages that would change every eight seconds on leading highways by the end of this year from Bucks County to Philadelphia and into Delaware County. The company attempted to install a couple of billboards on Aug. 20, only to be stopped by continuous rain. ClearChannel claims the billboards recently informed drivers in Minneapolis and St. Paul about the demise of the Interstate 35W bridge and offered optional routes. Separately, a missing girl from Minneapolis was located one day after digital billboards were utilized in an Amber Alert. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson supports the digital billboards, noting they are in the "community's best interests because they have the capability to deliver important emergency information, such as Amber Alerts or disaster-preparedness bulletins." Driver-safety organizations and environmentalists, however, contend that the billboards will endanger motorists and are an eyesore.
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20070821_
Video_billboards_coming_this_way.html

"Asotin County Sheriff Upgrades Tasers"
Lewiston Morning Tribune (ID) (08/21/07) P. 1D; Cole, David

Deputies in Asotin County, Idaho, are now carrying Tasers with newer technology, which are better at controlling dangerous suspects and are safer, authorities claim. In June, Asotin County Sheriff Ken Bancroft began carrying the new Taser X26 model, replacing the older Taser M26. The Taser X26 discharges a pair of small probes, which look like fish hooks that have been straightened. The probes can fly as far as 25 feet, penetrating the clothing of a suspect and going into the body, Bancroft explained. The Taser X26 costs $200 more than the M26, at $800 apiece. The sheriff's office bought 14 of the X26s, one for every field deputy and two for joint use by Asotin County Jail correctional deputies. The Taser X26 is shaped like a firearm, weighs less than the older Tasers, and documents the length of activation time. http://www.lmtribune.com

"Strategy Game Trains Cops and Firefighters"
PC World (08/23/07); McMillan, Robert

Graduate students from the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering are collaborating with Sandia National Laboratories on a real-time strategy game that allows police officers, fire fighters, and other first responders to practice emergency scenarios. The game, Ground Truth, is realistic because events in the game occur in real time, putting added pressure on first responders to act swiftly. Jim Pointer, the medical director of Alameda County's Emergency Medical Services Agency, recently completed an intense session of Ground Truth that called for him to oversee a city's response to a toxic chemical spill. During the scenario, he was responsible for managing traffic barriers, putting hazmat teams and police cars in position to respond to the spill, and managing medical collection points while keeping an eye out for toxic plumes. Pointer says the game is fun, educational, and has great promise. Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft III game provided inspiration for Ground Truth, which could eventually receive funding from private industry or even the Homeland Security Department. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136306-c,games/article.html

"Dallas PD Fights Crime With Video Surveillance"
Security Technology & Design (07/07) Vol. 17, No. 7, P. 52; Levin, Gregg

In early 2005, the Dallas Police Department launched a pilot project involving the installation of video surveillance cameras in the busy Deep Ellum area of the city. After just four months of operation, the project was credited with significantly reducing the number of crimes in the area, prompting the Police Department to consider expansion. With funding from the Meadows Foundation, bids were sought to install a wireless video surveillance system in Dallas' central business district with a goal of reducing crime in hot spots by 30 percent. In January, the new system was deployed, covering about 30 percent of the downtown area with round-the-clock monitoring and allowing operators to change the direction of the camera lenses remotely as well as allowing officers to redeploy cameras as needed to increase monitoring capabilities at special events or other downtown locations. The Police Department now plans to increase the number of cameras deployed around the city by threefold.
http://www.securityinfowatch.com/print/Security-Technology-
and-Design/Video-Surveillance/Dallas-PD-Fights-Crime-With-Video-Surveillance
/11804SIW2

"Riot Act"
Police Magazine (08/07) Vol. 31, No. 8, P. 34; Griffith, David

Since it was closed in 1996, the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville has hosted the annual Mock Prison Riot, which is one of the premier corrections and law enforcement training events in the world. The Mock Prison Riot, which is held each May, is planned and executed by the staff of the Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLTEC) and the National Corrections and Law Enforcement Training and Technology Center (NCLETTC). Personnel from the two organizations act as leaders of the "rioters," who are mostly students from local colleges and high schools. In addition, OLTEC develops scenarios that allow law enforcement agencies that are participating in the Mock Prison Riot to practice putting down prison disturbances. Although the scenarios are choreographed to some extent, there are some surprises for the responders. In some of the scenarios, the prisoners give up quickly, while in others they put up a fight. Along with developing the riot scenarios, OLETC and NCLETTC work with the participating law enforcement agencies and the makers of the products that are on display at the Mock Prison Riot's Technology Showcase to provide training opportunities that involve new or improved products. Since it is held in an abandoned prison, the event offers a one-of-a-kind training opportunity for law enforcement agencies such as the Gwinnett County (Ga.) Sheriff's Office's Rapid Response Team. "We really can't train very well in our jail because it is occupied," said Major Carl Sims of the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office. "And that's a problem because a cell offers a unique environment that's difficult to duplicate outside of a corrections facility." http://www.policemag.com/Articles/2007/08/Riot-Act.aspx

Four Police Writers

Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added four police officers: Ronald Pinkston; L. Ken Rogers; Frederick T. Martens; and, Justin Dintino.

Ronald Pinkston was a senior corporal for the Dallas Police Department. He is the author of A Police Officer That's What I'll Be! Ronald Pinkston’s book drives home the simple point that children can rely on police officers to help them when they are hurt, lost, or in danger. According to the book description, “this is a story of a little boy who continues to need help after he climbs up a tree and wonders what he would be. The boy later realizes what he wants to be after being helped throughout the day by police officers Garcia, Roper and Smith.”

L. Ken Rogers is a 21 year veteran of law enforcement. He is a medically retired from the Pleasant Ridge Police Department (Michigan). Ken Rogers is the author of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Police Officers Report. According to the book description, “a police officer in Pleasant Ridge, Michigan was desperate and wide open to emotional pain. On the outside he looked all right, but he wasn't. His post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms were classic. He was emotionally ill. This book is a must for law enforcement agencies and personnel throughout the country.”

After a distinguished career combating crime with the New Jersey State Police, Frederick T. Martens retired at the rank of lieutenant. He then served as Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Crime Commission. He is the co-author of Police Intelligence Systems in Crime Control: Maintaining a Delicate Balance in a Liberal Democracy.

Frederick T. Martens’ co-author was Justin J. Dintino, a retired Colonel with the New Jersey State Police was also the 10th superintendent of the agency. He served as superintendent of the New Jersey State Police for four years, beginning in 1990. He is also the author of The Structure of Organized Crime in New Jersey.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 652 police officers (representing 285 police departments) and their 1387 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.

Two Cops, a Fed and a Civilian

Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. The website added to state and local police officers, one federal law enforcement officer and a civilian police writer.

Shane Moore is a detective with the Gillespie Police Department (Illinois). His debut novel is A Prisoner's Welcome. Shane Moore describes his work as a fantasy similar to Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, but with much heavier writing and themes which are best suited for the adult reader.

One reader/reviewer of Shane Moore’s novel said, “A Prisoner's Welcome is a rare fantasy that lacks the troupes of almost every fantasy novel out there. It starts out with young Lancalion searching for a person to read some parchments that are supposed to detail the murder of his parents-an orphan with power trying to discover the one responsible for his parents murder-SAME OLD troupe! That is where it all changes. Moore takes us on a whirlwind ride with politics, deceit, trickery, and backstabbing on a grand scale.”

Michael Levine, called “America’s top undercover agent” by 60 Minutes, is one of the Drug Enforcement Administrations most highly decorated officers and the author of New York Times best-seller Deep Cover and national bestsellers The Big White Lie, Fight Back and Triangle of Death. During his 30 year law enforcement career he served as a military police officer, Treasury Agent, DEA Agent and with the Barnstable County Sheriffs Department (Massachusetts) as the Director of Drug Bureau.

He is also a world recognized court-qualified expert witness, trial consultant and lecturer in all matters relating to undercover work, narcotics trafficking and the handling of criminal informants. He has testified as an expert in over 250 civil and criminal trials internationally and domestically. Michael Levine is currently the host of New York City’s Expert Witness Radio Show which can be heard on 99.5 FM.

Special Agent Raymond Sherrard (ret.), of the United States Treasury Department, is the author of Encyclopedia of Federal Law Enforcement Patches and Federal Law Enforcement Patches: An Illustrated Reference Manual. He co-authored The Centurions Shield: Badges of the LAPD with retired LAPD Command Keith Bushey; and, co-authored Badges of the United States Marshals, with retired Deputy United States Marshal George Stumpf.

In 1951, William L. Childers joined the United States Marine Corps. He served in Korea from 1951 to 1952 at a gunner on an M46 tank. In 1954, after discharge he attended Southern Methodist University and graduated in 1961 as Methodist Minister. William L. Childers entered into the Navy Chaplain Corps; Later, from 1968 to 1969, he served as the Chaplain for the 2BN, 9th Marines in Vietnam. He completed his career as a Methodist Minister and spent 11 years as an Administrative Hearing Officer for the City of Dallas. In 2003, William L. Childers became a volunteer chaplain for the Dallas Police Department.

In addition to writing poetry, William L. Childers published Integrity of the Spirit...Escaping the Mind-Game!

Police-Writers.com now hosts 503 police officers (representing 210 police departments) and their 1061 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.

Texas Police Authors

Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Three Texas law enforcement officials were added to the growing list of state and local police officers who have authored books. Two of the newly added authors represent Texas county and municipal law enforcement while the third is a retired federal law enforcement official from the State of Texas.

John Matthews, Executive Director of Community Safety Institute, is an Assistant Chief Constable for Dallas County and a former small-town Chief of Police. Earlier in his law enforcement career, he served as a member of the Dallas Police Department. John Matthews has a BA and Masters in Administrative Management. He has served as a facilitator and instructor for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Police Foundation, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the National League of Cities, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation Main Street program. He is the author of two books.

His first book, The Eyeball Killer, is a true crime thriller. According to the book description, “Death was an occupational hazard for every hooker who worked Dallas's depressed south side. That's why police weren't surprised to find the body of prostitute Mary Lou Pratt shot to death in December of 1990...until the discovery that sickened even the seasoned coroner: the young woman's eyes had been cut out.” The book details the murders committed by Charles Albright. John Matthews’ second book is Creating a Safer School.

Brent Walker serves with the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office in the Marine Division, which includes marine patrol, dive team and emergency response duties. Previously, Brent served as a SWAT officer on a multi-agency tactical team, detective and US Marine in a reserve Scout Sniper platoon. As a marine enforcement officer, Brent has taken advantage of his military and tactical backgrounds. He developed a curriculum and trained SWAT units in tactical maritime methods by merging existing SWAT strategy with marine patrol and dive team options. The end result is a “win-win” solution for all involved. Additional details on this can be found in Brent’s first book, Waterborne T.E.A.M.S. Marine Patrol and Dive Team Support of SWAT.

He is also responsible for having adapted USCG and USN port security tactics for use by civilian law enforcement when patrolling maritime security zones and guarding/escorting high value vessels and cargo. Brent Walker is a certified boating safety and police instructor in Texas. Brent has also authored several marine theft and boating safety articles in various publications.

Claude Thormalen was born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1940 and grew up in Alice, Texas. Claude has a masters degree in education with a minor in criminal justice. He has worked as a police officer, criminal investigator for Customs Agency Service in the Treasury Department and as a special agent with the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs in the Justice Department. After leaving the Justice Department, he taught law enforcement at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, where he also served as department chairman, Dean of Men and Dean of Students. Thormalen also worked as a middle school counselor in San Antonio. Claude also volunteered for 3 years in the 82nd Airborne Division and was discharged a Sgt. E-5

His book is The Right Side of the Law. According to the book description, “This fictionalized, realistic look at the life of a federal narcotics agent follows Alton Haymon, former special agent still suffering from post traumatic stress resulting from work with both the Treasury and Justice Departments as drug agencies were merged to form the DEA. The conflict between his honest desire to enforce his country’s laws and his need to protect his brother agents with whom he feels bonded is the major struggle of the book. Thefts of drugs and drug money and use of illegal wiretaps become common and agents’ drugs use is wide spread. This struggle between good and evil and Haymon’s continued risk taking causes his final collapse. Haymon, a broken 31-year-old man, resigns from what was up until then the most important thing in his life and finds himself living in the mountains of Western Colorado where, in a last desperate attempt at sanity, he writes his story.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 467 police officers (representing 197 police departments) and their 973 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Police Writers fly past 700

Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books exceed 700 books by 286 police officers with the addition of Rick Stone, Bill Hubbard and Kim Wozencraft.

Rick Stone joined the Dallas Police Department in July 1973. He served as a police officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and division commander. In 1988, he was one of nine national finalists for the job of Chief of Police. In 1989, he became the chief of police of Wichita, Kansas. In 1996, he became the chief of police of the Hollywood Police Department (Florida).

Rick Stone’s fiction novel, “Behind the Gold Star,” explores “Seven days in the life of a Police Chief struggling against bureaucratic stupidity, personal conflicts, and his department’s collection of screw-ups, nut cases, and weird happenings. Reflective of his big city experience, the Chief tries desperately to balance competing forces in the professional and political arena of a smaller agency. Full of surprising twists and turns, with enough sex and violence to be reflective of the front page of today’s newspaper, Behind the Gold Star will keep you hanging on every page and in the end, the characters give real meaning to the phrase, “It’s not over until the fat lady sings.”

In 1991, Sergeant Bill Hubbard was a member of the Lubbock Police Department, assigned to the identification section. What begins as a routine task sends Hubbard on a collision course with a corrupt forensic pathologist and “power-hungry district attorney.” As one reader said, “Well written, quick paced and quite a ride. It's easy to get lost in this book, until it sends a shiver down your spine when you remember this is a true story.”

Kim Wozencraft is a former undercover narcotics agent. She and her partner's exploits while employed by the Tyler Police Department are the inspiration behind her book, "Rush". Both Kim and her partner were eventually convicted of Federal civil rights crimes for making false drug cases against a number of people in Tyler. Both spent time in federal prison. Prior to going to prison in 1982, she and her partner (Craig Matthews) were married.

Additionally, police writer James O. Born announced the February release of his latest novel, “Fields of Fire.” In Fields of Fire, ATF agent Alex Duarte returns to use all his skills to locate and stop a serial bomber. According to author Michael Connelly, "With Field of Fire James O. Born certainly comes into his own. This book is chock full of insider knowledge and experience but there is so much more than that. There is a story and a character that should put this book at the top of any reader's stack. Alex Duarte is my kind of cop. I hope he sticks around for a long, long time."

Police-Writers.com now hosts 286 police officers (representing 118 police departments) and their 703 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors and international police officers who have written books.

First Constable’s Office Added

Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books listed the first police officer from an American Constable’s Office. The Harris County Constables Office (Texas) becomes the 116th state or local police agency to have a police author listed. Additionally, two other police writers were added to the growing list of police officers turned writers.

Ron Hickman began his law enforcement career with the Houston Police Department in June of 1971. He served in a variety of assignments and obtained a broad range of law enforcement experience. He joined the Harris County Constable's Office in 1983. In 2001, Ron Hickman was elected chief constable. He holds a Master Peace Officer certification and is a 1995 graduate of and instructor for the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute. In his fictional novel, “To Dance with Death,” A female serial killer is on the loose in Hudson County, and preying on officers from the Precinct 9 Constable's Office.”

Steve Gaenzle has over 25 years of distinguished service as a peace officer. He has been decorated with the Distinguished Service Medal as well as Meritorious Services to his community. Steve began his career with the El Paso County Sheriff ’s Office in El Paso, Texas, his hometown.

The demand of knowing the Spanish language was paramount in this border town. He instructed in the West-Texas Regional Training Academy in El Paso, Texas and then continued his career in Colorado. He has been a field supervisor, Field Training Officer, undercover detective assigned to the FBI Federal Fugitive Task Force, and a lead homicide detective in a major crimes unit. In addition to being a Spanish language instructor, Steve has instructed Interview and Interrogation, Crime Scene Search and Protection and Colorado Law. Steve has been instrumental in creating new Spanish training programs for dispatchers, Patrol, Jail personnel and created Spanish training programs Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. Steve is recognized as an expert in the field of the Spanish language. Steve is the lead Spanish instructor for the Rocky Mountain High Intesity Drug Trafficking Area.

Steve, who has a degree in sociology/criminology from the University of Southern Colorado, co-authored a book with Jorge Charry on “Spanish Language Concepts for Law Enforcement.”

Bill Hamner, served as a Texas law enforcement official for 32 years. He was a criminal investigator and supervisor for several police agencies, including the Dallas Police Department (1967 to 1974), Gilmer Police Department, and the sheriff’s departments of Kaufman, Johnson, and Bowie Counties.

His first novel, “Night Eyes,” is introduces the character Jack Stone, of the Dallas Police Department and his chase of a serial killer. In the follow-up novel, “Last Musketeer,” Stone returns and “uncovers a high-level conspiracy within his own department to wrestle control from two major crime families that control illegal activities in Dallas. He becomes the target of assassination by those who will stop at nothing to silence him forever. Jack Stone finds himself in a deadly game, fighting for his very existence, pitted against a powerful man chosen to be the next Dallas police chief.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 283 police officers (representing 116 police departments) and their 696 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors and international police officers who have written books.

Gangs, Cops and the Supernatural

Bringing the total number of books listed to 692, the newly added police writers include a gang member who became a cop, a fictional private investigator whose murder cases have a supernatural twist, southern grace meeting urban reality and an excellent academic piece on retail theft prevention.

In 1989, Mona Ruiz joined the Santa Ana Police Department (California). She has worked patrol, gangs and narcotics. A native of Santa Ana, she became a police officer after overcoming her youthful involvement with gangs and an abusive marriage. According to Arte Publico Press, “This engrossing memoir charts Ruiz’s journey toward self-identity, tracing the tortuous path of her life—a life in which Ruiz assumed contradictory roles: gang chola, high school drop-out, disowned daughter, battered wife, welfare mother, student, and policewoman. At each step in the journey, Ruiz faced violence, ridicule, and skepticism. She nevertheless prevailed in exchanging her badge of social defiance for one of protecting her community.”

Richard Abshire was a captain in charge of the Dallas Police Department's Tactical Section from January 1975 to December 1977. He left the department in 1979 and is a reporter in The Dallas Morning News' Garland bureau. Richard is most notable for the fictional character Jack Kyle, “an ex-cop, turned Dallas gumshoe, your typical hard-boiled operative: middle-aged, divorced, broke and -- surprise, surprise -- more than a little cynical. Still, while not breaking any new ground, the series did get compliments for its plotting and characterization.” Moreover, he co-authored several books in the “gant” series with former Dallas police officer William Clair. The “Gant” books feature an ex-homicide detective who investigates cases with a super-natural twist.

Laurie Drummond began her police career as a dispatcher in Ithaca, New York. She moved to Louisiana where she first took an assignment as a plainclothes officer in the crime prevention division of Louisiana State University. Ultimately, she joined the Baton Rouge Police Department and began working uniformed patrol. A serious car accident ended Drummond’s police career, but open the door to her writing career.

Her first book is “Anything You Say Can and Will Be Used Against You: Stories.” According to Publisher’s Weekly, “Combining Southern grace and urban brutality, ex-cop Drummond debuts with 10 short stories grouped into five blistering fictional portraits of Baton Rouge policewomen. Each lady is tough even without her bulletproof vest, and all are plagued by death and corruption as they undertake the bracing, dehumanizing enforcement of justice.”

Over one third of the people who are dedicated to the domestic protection of America are civilian employees of police departments. While Police-Writers.com focuses on sworn state and local police officers, civilian employees are honored and listed under a separate category (However, their books are not included in the total count). Liz Martinez is an adjunct professor at Interboro Institute, a two-year college in New York City that offers a Security Management degree program. After a career during which she honed her retail security skills, she switched gears from a management position into writing, editing and teaching. She holds a New York State security certification and is a member of ASIS International's New York City Chapter's Diversity Council and the Police Writers Association.

She graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a B.A. in criminal justice. Moreover, Liz was as New York Police Department Auxiliary police officer for five years. Her book, “The Retail Manager's Guide to Crime and Loss Prevention: Protecting Your Business from Theft, Fraud and Violence,” draws on her practical and academic experience in the retail security field. According to one reviewer, “This book is easy to understand, and it has everything in it that a retail person needs to know in order to reduce thefts and other kinds of losses in a store. I've looked at other books, but they're too complicated. This one lays the topics out in a logical way, and the writer doesn't try to impress you with big words--just the facts!”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 280 police officers (representing 114 police departments) and their 692 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors and international police officers who have written books.