Editor’s Note: A copy is available here Counter Insurgency Manual
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 14, 2007 - A contributor to the Counterinsurgency Field Manual yesterday discussed the doctrine that codifies how the U.S. military can most effectively conduct asymmetric warfare. The doctrine, officially titled U.S. Army Field Manual 3-24 and Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 3-33.5, is a unique joint effort published in December 2006 by the two branches to help military and civilian operators face challenges posed by insurgencies that blend with civilian populations.
"In order to win that kind of war, in order to create security and stability in that environment, you cannot kill or capture your way to success," said Army Lt. Col. John A Nagl, a member of the writing team that penned the manual.
"What you have to do to defeat that kind of insurgency, to borrow Mao (Zedong's) phrase, is you have to drain the swamp: that is, decrease the number of people who support the ends of the insurgency," he said. "And the way you do that is by increasing the number of people who support the government and the coalition."
From September 2003 through September 2004, Nagl served as operations officer of 1st Battalion, 34th Armor, in Khalidiyah, Iraq, a city between Ramadi and Fallujah in Anbar province, then one of the country's most contentious regions.
Nagl said the insurgency there comprised one half of 1 percent of the population, equaling roughly 300 people who "actively wanted to kill us." The soldier's tank battalion task force numbered some 800, he said. By conventional logic, the conflict should have resulted in an unequivocal Army victory, but "those 300 were swimming in a sea of people," Nagl said.
The field manual emphasizes the roles of other U.S. government agencies in separating insurgents from civilians. It underscores that among such elements, a "unity of effort" -- the title of the manual's second chapter -- is vital in waging a successful counterinsurgency.
"All elements of the United States government ... must be integrated into the effort to build stable and secure societies that can secure their own borders and do not provide safe havens for terrorists," according to the field manual's foreword, written by Nagl, who now commands 1st Battalion, 34th Armor, at Fort Riley, Kan.
Nagl said the demand for codified doctrine was sorely needed by a U.S. military more prepared for conventional than asymmetric warfare. "It is not unfair to say that in 2003 most Army officers likely knew more about the U.S. Civil War than they did about counterinsurgency," the foreword says.
The notion that U.S. forces were not thoroughly trained in counterinsurgency strategy was echoed by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in a speech Oct. 10.
"Consider that in 1985 the core curriculum for the Army's 10-month Command and General Staff College assigned 30 hours -- about four days -- for what was is now called low-intensity conflict," Gates told the audience at the Association of the U.S. Army conference.
"This approach may have seemed validated by ultimate victory in the Cold War and the triumph of Desert Storm," he said, "but it left the service unprepared to deal with the operations that followed in Somalia, Haiti, the Balkans, and more recently Afghanistan and Iraq, the consequences and costs of which we are still struggling with today."
Gates called the counterinsurgency manual a milestone and added that the value of its tenants have been validated by recent progress in Iraq.
The manual was the culmination of efforts by a diverse group that includes academics, human rights advocates, representatives from journalism and non-governmental organizations, and top military strategists, including then-Army Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, now a four-star general and the commander of Multinational Force Iraq.
By all accounts, the 419-page field manual has been widely embraced. Not only was the manual downloaded more than 2 million times within two months of its release, but copies have even been discovered on Jihadi Web sites and in Taliban training camps in Pakistan.
Last year, the State Department hosted an interagency counterinsurgency conference that built a consensus behind the need for an interagency counterinsurgency manual, according to the field manual. In addition, the French government has expressed interest in partnering with the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany in a multilateral effort to frame counterinsurgency guidelines in an international context.
Showing posts with label u.s. army. Show all posts
Showing posts with label u.s. army. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Army, Marines Release Counterinsurgency Manual
"Learn" and "adapt" are the key messages of the new Army and Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual, which just hit the streets. The Counterinsurgency Field Manual, FM 3-24 and Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 3-33.5, is a unique joint effort between the Army and Marines to put in place doctrine to help operators as they face the challenges of asymmetric warfare.
The manual codifies an important lesson of insurgencies: it takes more than the military to win. "There are more than just lethal operations involved in a counterinsurgency campaign," said Conrad Crane, director of the U.S. Army Military History Institute, in Carlisle, Pa., and one of the leaders of the effort.
Download the Manual
http://www.military-writers.com/counterinsurgency_manual.html
The manual codifies an important lesson of insurgencies: it takes more than the military to win. "There are more than just lethal operations involved in a counterinsurgency campaign," said Conrad Crane, director of the U.S. Army Military History Institute, in Carlisle, Pa., and one of the leaders of the effort.
Download the Manual
http://www.military-writers.com/counterinsurgency_manual.html
Monday, October 01, 2007
Sheriff Deputy Books
October 1, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists over 750 state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three Sheriff Deputies from Los Angeles County.
Charles A. Sennewald, CMC, CPP, CSC is an independent security management consultant. He has been the Director of Security for Broadway Department Store, Chief of Security for the Claremont Colleges and a deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Additionally, Charles Sennewald is the founder and first president of the International Association of Professional Security Consultants (IAPSC), a graduate of the California State University at Los Angeles and the U.S. Army's Military Police School. Charles Sennewald is the author of six books: Effective Security Management; The Process of Investigation; Security Consulting; Shoplifters vs. Retailers: The Rights of Both; Shoplifting: Managing the Problem; and, The Last Volkswagen.
According to the book description of The Process of Investigation, it “is a book written to address the needs of the private investigator in the security field. Continuing in the tradition of its previous editions, this book covers essential topics which are often overlooked in works that concentrate on the public aspects of investigation. Investigative skills such as surveillance techniques, interviewing and interrogation, evidence, and confessions and written statements are all discussed, and supplemented with updated case studies and examples from the authors own experiences.”
James D. Whaley began his law enforcement career in 1967 as a deputy sheriff when he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. In 1975, a little over a year after his graduation from law school, he joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1980, he was promoted to Supervisory Special Agent. James Whaley retired from the FBI in 1999. He continues to be active in law enforcement as a special consultant to the California Department of Corrections, Deadly Force Review Board and as an attorney in private practice. He is the co-author The Field Guide to Law Enforcement.
According to the description of The Field Guide to Law Enforcement, “it provides clear, concise, and up-to-date statements of the rules of law applicable to situations commonly encountered by police officers in the field. Rules are stated from the point of view of an officer on duty. Officers who familiarize themselves with the layout and contents of the Field Guide should have no difficulty understanding the rules and applying them to "street" situations. The Field Guide has been designed for easy reference.”
In 1970, Richard Valdemar began his law enforcement career as a military policeman in the United States Army; which included a tour in Vietnam. After his discharge he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He retired at the rank of sergeant in 2004. During the last 20 years on the job, “he was assigned to Major Crimes Bureau. He was also cross-designated as an FBI agent for 10 years of his career when he served on the Federal Metropolitan Gang Task Force. From 1995 until his retirement in 2004, Richard Valdemar was a member of the California Prison Gang Task Force, helping prosecute members of the Mexican Mafia.” He is the author of Siege at Waco.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 762 police officers (representing 347 police departments) and their 1643 law enforcement 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.
Charles A. Sennewald, CMC, CPP, CSC is an independent security management consultant. He has been the Director of Security for Broadway Department Store, Chief of Security for the Claremont Colleges and a deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Additionally, Charles Sennewald is the founder and first president of the International Association of Professional Security Consultants (IAPSC), a graduate of the California State University at Los Angeles and the U.S. Army's Military Police School. Charles Sennewald is the author of six books: Effective Security Management; The Process of Investigation; Security Consulting; Shoplifters vs. Retailers: The Rights of Both; Shoplifting: Managing the Problem; and, The Last Volkswagen.
According to the book description of The Process of Investigation, it “is a book written to address the needs of the private investigator in the security field. Continuing in the tradition of its previous editions, this book covers essential topics which are often overlooked in works that concentrate on the public aspects of investigation. Investigative skills such as surveillance techniques, interviewing and interrogation, evidence, and confessions and written statements are all discussed, and supplemented with updated case studies and examples from the authors own experiences.”
James D. Whaley began his law enforcement career in 1967 as a deputy sheriff when he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. In 1975, a little over a year after his graduation from law school, he joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1980, he was promoted to Supervisory Special Agent. James Whaley retired from the FBI in 1999. He continues to be active in law enforcement as a special consultant to the California Department of Corrections, Deadly Force Review Board and as an attorney in private practice. He is the co-author The Field Guide to Law Enforcement.
According to the description of The Field Guide to Law Enforcement, “it provides clear, concise, and up-to-date statements of the rules of law applicable to situations commonly encountered by police officers in the field. Rules are stated from the point of view of an officer on duty. Officers who familiarize themselves with the layout and contents of the Field Guide should have no difficulty understanding the rules and applying them to "street" situations. The Field Guide has been designed for easy reference.”
In 1970, Richard Valdemar began his law enforcement career as a military policeman in the United States Army; which included a tour in Vietnam. After his discharge he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He retired at the rank of sergeant in 2004. During the last 20 years on the job, “he was assigned to Major Crimes Bureau. He was also cross-designated as an FBI agent for 10 years of his career when he served on the Federal Metropolitan Gang Task Force. From 1995 until his retirement in 2004, Richard Valdemar was a member of the California Prison Gang Task Force, helping prosecute members of the Mexican Mafia.” He is the author of Siege at Waco.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 762 police officers (representing 347 police departments) and their 1643 law enforcement 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.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
REAL COP WORK
Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. Police-writers.com added three police officers who offered distinct, different and real perspectives on police work. Jim Daly gives an inside view of jails and county sheriffs; Richard Reed on a detective’s hunt for a serial killer; and, Bill Walsh on the life of a mounted police officer.
Jim Daly is a retired lieutenant from the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office (Oklahoma). After his retirement from the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office he worked as a police officer for the Arcadia Police Department from 2001 through 2004. During his career, he worked as a jailer, deputy sheriff, CLEET instructor, American Red Cross Instructor, and biohazards instructor. Jim Daly is the author of two books: Lockdown Madness and Behind Steel Doors.
According to the book description of Behind Steel Doors, “in this book the reader will be allowed to visit the dark side of jail and what goes on inside one. It is about hard-core prisoners who have nothing to lose, the games they play, and how they assault fellow prisoners or brave jailers. It includes responding to emergency calls, and how all the madness builds up behind the big steel doors of jail for prisoners and jailers alike. This book will definitely show some statistics reported and incidents that have occurred.”
According to the book description of Jim Daly’s book Lockdown Madness, “step inside the walls of one of the largest correctional facilities in the United States and the madness experienced by not only the inmates but also the men and women who are charged with guarding them. This book details the career of a former Marine and U.S. Army National Guardsman who devoted his entire career to protecting society from murderers and rapists, drunks and drug addicts. The stories told in this book are true, and the author makes no apologies for the language and the violence that occurred inside the living, breathing demon known as a jail. Come inside, if you dare!”
Richard Reed served as an Intelligence Analyst and Korean Language interpreter in the U.S. Army, and has worked in the court systems or law enforcement since 1975. He worked in the Criminal Investigation Division of the Evansville Police Department (Indiana) from 1987 until he was promoted to Sergeant in 2003. While assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division of the Evansville Police Department he was the lead investigator on the Joseph Brown case. He is currently the commander of the Internal Affairs Division, and is finishing a Master’s Degree in Public Service Administration.
Richard Reed is the co-author of Blood Trail. According to one reader/reviewer, Blood Trail is “a page turner from the beginning! Both true crime fans and non true crime fans will be completely amazed by the unfolding of this true tale of horrific murder in America's Heartland. Blood Trail opens with the August, 2000 brutal murder of Ginger Gasaway in Indiana, a death that shocked the nation when her cold, calculated killer took investigators to three different counties to recover her dismembered body parts.”
From 1976 to 1995, Sergeant Bill Walsh of the Fort Wayne Police Department (Indiana) and his equine partner, Boo, patrolled the streets of Fort Wayne, Indiana. These two formed a special bond between themselves and the community. Bill Walsh’s book, Mounted Cops are Ten Feet Tall, is a narrative about how and why he started and developed the Mounted Patrol. It explores the “partners” daily lives and the sometimes unusual adventures they encountered.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 597 police officers (representing 256 police departments) and their 1249 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.
Jim Daly is a retired lieutenant from the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office (Oklahoma). After his retirement from the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office he worked as a police officer for the Arcadia Police Department from 2001 through 2004. During his career, he worked as a jailer, deputy sheriff, CLEET instructor, American Red Cross Instructor, and biohazards instructor. Jim Daly is the author of two books: Lockdown Madness and Behind Steel Doors.
According to the book description of Behind Steel Doors, “in this book the reader will be allowed to visit the dark side of jail and what goes on inside one. It is about hard-core prisoners who have nothing to lose, the games they play, and how they assault fellow prisoners or brave jailers. It includes responding to emergency calls, and how all the madness builds up behind the big steel doors of jail for prisoners and jailers alike. This book will definitely show some statistics reported and incidents that have occurred.”
According to the book description of Jim Daly’s book Lockdown Madness, “step inside the walls of one of the largest correctional facilities in the United States and the madness experienced by not only the inmates but also the men and women who are charged with guarding them. This book details the career of a former Marine and U.S. Army National Guardsman who devoted his entire career to protecting society from murderers and rapists, drunks and drug addicts. The stories told in this book are true, and the author makes no apologies for the language and the violence that occurred inside the living, breathing demon known as a jail. Come inside, if you dare!”
Richard Reed served as an Intelligence Analyst and Korean Language interpreter in the U.S. Army, and has worked in the court systems or law enforcement since 1975. He worked in the Criminal Investigation Division of the Evansville Police Department (Indiana) from 1987 until he was promoted to Sergeant in 2003. While assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division of the Evansville Police Department he was the lead investigator on the Joseph Brown case. He is currently the commander of the Internal Affairs Division, and is finishing a Master’s Degree in Public Service Administration.
Richard Reed is the co-author of Blood Trail. According to one reader/reviewer, Blood Trail is “a page turner from the beginning! Both true crime fans and non true crime fans will be completely amazed by the unfolding of this true tale of horrific murder in America's Heartland. Blood Trail opens with the August, 2000 brutal murder of Ginger Gasaway in Indiana, a death that shocked the nation when her cold, calculated killer took investigators to three different counties to recover her dismembered body parts.”
From 1976 to 1995, Sergeant Bill Walsh of the Fort Wayne Police Department (Indiana) and his equine partner, Boo, patrolled the streets of Fort Wayne, Indiana. These two formed a special bond between themselves and the community. Bill Walsh’s book, Mounted Cops are Ten Feet Tall, is a narrative about how and why he started and developed the Mounted Patrol. It explores the “partners” daily lives and the sometimes unusual adventures they encountered.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 597 police officers (representing 256 police departments) and their 1249 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.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
The Moral Warrior
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. The website has added Rocky Warren and David Rose, who co-authored Paradigm of the Moral Warrior.
Rocky Warren is a retired Sergeant from the Placer County Sheriff's Department (California). He has more than twenty-eight years of experience of law enforcement experience. As a former SWAT member, defensive tactics, impact weapon, firearms, and police use of force instructor he’s formed Warren Consulting to offer police training and expert witness services. Rocky is currently on staff at two community colleges.
Rocky Warren is a court tested expert in use of force, choking, firearms and police practices. He is the author of two published books; Behind the Badge: Real Stories from the Police Beat and Police Use of Force Case Law: Instructor's Manual. He is also the co-author of Paradigm of the Moral Warrior with Lieutenant David Rose, Placer County Sheriff’s Department (ret.).
Pulitzer Prize nominated author Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman (ret.) endorsed Paradigm of the Moral Warrior, saying, “The Paradigm of the Moral Warrior has the highest concentration of warrior wisdom I have ever found. Not just the remarkable, valuable and useful quotations, but the wise words of the authors will be of great service to warriors, (be they cops, soldiers or Marines) for many years to come. I will personally be mining nuggets (for my own writing) from this rich vein for many years to come.”
David Rose is a retired lieutenant from the Placer County Sheriff’s Department (California). He was with the Sheriffs Department since 1978. He was the departments lead physical skills instructor since 1982. Dave was a member of the department's Special Weapons and Tactics Team (S.E.T) since 1980. He has been a team member, entry team leader, assistant team leader, team leader, and retired as the team commander. He has planned, participated in, or commanded over 200 Critical Incidents in his career.
David Rose has been awarded 2 Bronze Medals of Honor, 1 Bronze Medal of Valor, and 3 Silver Stars for Bravery. He received the J. Edgar Hoover Memorial Gold Medal for Distinguished Public Service from the American Police Hall of Fame (Nov. 2002). He appeared in the premier edition of the American Police Hall Fame "Heroes in Blue" baseball card edition. He is a U.S. Army Military Police Vietnam Veteran and was awarded a Bronze Star for his tour of duty.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 563 police officers (representing 235 police departments) and their 1183 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.
Rocky Warren is a retired Sergeant from the Placer County Sheriff's Department (California). He has more than twenty-eight years of experience of law enforcement experience. As a former SWAT member, defensive tactics, impact weapon, firearms, and police use of force instructor he’s formed Warren Consulting to offer police training and expert witness services. Rocky is currently on staff at two community colleges.
Rocky Warren is a court tested expert in use of force, choking, firearms and police practices. He is the author of two published books; Behind the Badge: Real Stories from the Police Beat and Police Use of Force Case Law: Instructor's Manual. He is also the co-author of Paradigm of the Moral Warrior with Lieutenant David Rose, Placer County Sheriff’s Department (ret.).
Pulitzer Prize nominated author Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman (ret.) endorsed Paradigm of the Moral Warrior, saying, “The Paradigm of the Moral Warrior has the highest concentration of warrior wisdom I have ever found. Not just the remarkable, valuable and useful quotations, but the wise words of the authors will be of great service to warriors, (be they cops, soldiers or Marines) for many years to come. I will personally be mining nuggets (for my own writing) from this rich vein for many years to come.”
David Rose is a retired lieutenant from the Placer County Sheriff’s Department (California). He was with the Sheriffs Department since 1978. He was the departments lead physical skills instructor since 1982. Dave was a member of the department's Special Weapons and Tactics Team (S.E.T) since 1980. He has been a team member, entry team leader, assistant team leader, team leader, and retired as the team commander. He has planned, participated in, or commanded over 200 Critical Incidents in his career.
David Rose has been awarded 2 Bronze Medals of Honor, 1 Bronze Medal of Valor, and 3 Silver Stars for Bravery. He received the J. Edgar Hoover Memorial Gold Medal for Distinguished Public Service from the American Police Hall of Fame (Nov. 2002). He appeared in the premier edition of the American Police Hall Fame "Heroes in Blue" baseball card edition. He is a U.S. Army Military Police Vietnam Veteran and was awarded a Bronze Star for his tour of duty.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 563 police officers (representing 235 police departments) and their 1183 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.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Headgear Survey for Public Safety Practitioners
The U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center (NSRDEC) is a leader in Human-Centered Research, Development and Engineering of personal protective equipment and integrated systems, addressing the needs across all DoD services.
Through its National Protection Center (NPC), NSRDEC serves a broader customer base assessing technologies, concepts and standards with dual-use applications to meet military needs as well as those of Federal, State, Local and Tribal emergency response practitioners. Members of the public safety community are invited to participate in the NPC's latest personal protective equipment survey focusing on protective headgear. Your input is valuable to on-going research, standards and technology transfer efforts; so please answer each question carefully and completely.
Please visit www.helmetsurvey.com to take the survey online. The survey consists of approximately 50 questions and should take between 15 and 20 minutes to complete.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
Through its National Protection Center (NPC), NSRDEC serves a broader customer base assessing technologies, concepts and standards with dual-use applications to meet military needs as well as those of Federal, State, Local and Tribal emergency response practitioners. Members of the public safety community are invited to participate in the NPC's latest personal protective equipment survey focusing on protective headgear. Your input is valuable to on-going research, standards and technology transfer efforts; so please answer each question carefully and completely.
Please visit www.helmetsurvey.com to take the survey online. The survey consists of approximately 50 questions and should take between 15 and 20 minutes to complete.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
War Hero, Firefighter, Police Officer, Actor and Writer
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Police-Writers.com added James McEachin to the website. He is a war hero and has been a firefighter, police officer, accomplished actor, writer and now a movie director.
James McEachin, a former police officer for the Hackensack Police Department (New Jersey) is an African-American actor and award-winning author most notably noted for his role as the first black man to have his own show on NBC called TENAFLY, and for his many character roles such as portraying police lieutenant Brock in the Perry Mason television movie series.
As a young man, James McEachin served in the U.S. Army before, and then during the Korean War. Serving in King Company, he was wounded (nearly fatally) in an ambush and left for dead. He was rescued by a young blond boy who carried him for two days and many miles over difficult terrain and nearby gunfire to safety before disappearing from McEachin's life forever. McEachin was one of only two soldiers to survive the ambush. He was discharged from the Army as a corporal. He was awarded both the Purple Heart and Silver Star in 2005 by California Congressman David Dreier after McEachin participated in a Veterans History Project interview given by Dreier's office and in which they discovered McEachin had no copies of his own military records. Dreier's office quickly traced the records and notified McEachin of the Silver Star commendation and awarding him all seven of his medals of valor shortly thereafter and fifty years after his service.
Following his military career James McEachin dabbled in civil service as first a fireman and then a police officer. In 1953, he had a brief law enforcement career as a police officer for the Hackensack Police Department (New Jersey) before he moved to California and became a record producer. Known as Jimmy Mack in the industry, he worked with young artists like Otis Redding and went on to produce The Fury's. He began his acting career shortly after, and was signed by Universal as a contract actor in the 1960s. He was regularly cast in professional, "solid citizen" occupational roles, such as a lawyer or a police commander, guesting on numerous series such as Hawaii Five-O, Mannix, and Dragnet. He played the dee-jay Sweet Al Monty in Play Misty for Me (1971) with Clint Eastwood. In 1973, McEachin starred as Harry Tenafly, the title character in Tenafly, a short-lived detective series about a police officer turned private detective who relied on his wits and hard work, rather than guns and fistfights.
While continuing to guest star in many television series and appearing in several feature-length films, McEachin landed his most memorable role, that of police lieutenant Brock in the 1986 television movie Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun. He would reprise this role in more than a dozen Perry Mason telemovies, appearing opposite the late Raymond Burr.
In the 1990s, McEachin semi-retired from acting to pursue a writing career. His first work was a military history of the court-martial of 63 black American soldiers during the First World War, titled Farewell to the Mockingbirds (1995), which won the 1998 Benjamin Franklin Award. His next works, mainly fiction novels, included The Heroin Factor (1999), Say Goodnight to the Boys in Blue (2000), The Great Canis Lupus (2001), and Tell me a Tale: A Novel of the Old South (2003). McEachin also published Pebbles in the Roadway in (2003), a collection of short stories and essays which the author describes as "a philosophical view of America and Americans." In (2005) McEachin produced the award-winning audio book VOICES: A Tribute to the American Veteran.
In early (2006) the film short REVEILLE in which James McEachin starred with David Huddleston began to play to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and people began to request copies of the film. The film was posted on video,google.com and quickly garnered 1.5 million hits and a deluge of fan mail to the jamesmceachin.com website which inspired McEachin's latest contribution, OLD GLORY in which he wrote, produced, directed, and acted. OLD GLORY is McEachin's directorial debut.
In 2001, McEachin received the Distinguished Achievement Award from Morgan State University. In 2005, he became an Army Reserve Ambassador, this distinction carries the protocol of a two-star general. (Source for some of the information was en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_McEachin)
As a former member of the U.S. Military, James McEachin is also listed on www.military-writers.com
Police-Writers.com now hosts 504 police officers (representing 211 police departments) and their 1066 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.
James McEachin, a former police officer for the Hackensack Police Department (New Jersey) is an African-American actor and award-winning author most notably noted for his role as the first black man to have his own show on NBC called TENAFLY, and for his many character roles such as portraying police lieutenant Brock in the Perry Mason television movie series.
As a young man, James McEachin served in the U.S. Army before, and then during the Korean War. Serving in King Company, he was wounded (nearly fatally) in an ambush and left for dead. He was rescued by a young blond boy who carried him for two days and many miles over difficult terrain and nearby gunfire to safety before disappearing from McEachin's life forever. McEachin was one of only two soldiers to survive the ambush. He was discharged from the Army as a corporal. He was awarded both the Purple Heart and Silver Star in 2005 by California Congressman David Dreier after McEachin participated in a Veterans History Project interview given by Dreier's office and in which they discovered McEachin had no copies of his own military records. Dreier's office quickly traced the records and notified McEachin of the Silver Star commendation and awarding him all seven of his medals of valor shortly thereafter and fifty years after his service.
Following his military career James McEachin dabbled in civil service as first a fireman and then a police officer. In 1953, he had a brief law enforcement career as a police officer for the Hackensack Police Department (New Jersey) before he moved to California and became a record producer. Known as Jimmy Mack in the industry, he worked with young artists like Otis Redding and went on to produce The Fury's. He began his acting career shortly after, and was signed by Universal as a contract actor in the 1960s. He was regularly cast in professional, "solid citizen" occupational roles, such as a lawyer or a police commander, guesting on numerous series such as Hawaii Five-O, Mannix, and Dragnet. He played the dee-jay Sweet Al Monty in Play Misty for Me (1971) with Clint Eastwood. In 1973, McEachin starred as Harry Tenafly, the title character in Tenafly, a short-lived detective series about a police officer turned private detective who relied on his wits and hard work, rather than guns and fistfights.
While continuing to guest star in many television series and appearing in several feature-length films, McEachin landed his most memorable role, that of police lieutenant Brock in the 1986 television movie Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun. He would reprise this role in more than a dozen Perry Mason telemovies, appearing opposite the late Raymond Burr.
In the 1990s, McEachin semi-retired from acting to pursue a writing career. His first work was a military history of the court-martial of 63 black American soldiers during the First World War, titled Farewell to the Mockingbirds (1995), which won the 1998 Benjamin Franklin Award. His next works, mainly fiction novels, included The Heroin Factor (1999), Say Goodnight to the Boys in Blue (2000), The Great Canis Lupus (2001), and Tell me a Tale: A Novel of the Old South (2003). McEachin also published Pebbles in the Roadway in (2003), a collection of short stories and essays which the author describes as "a philosophical view of America and Americans." In (2005) McEachin produced the award-winning audio book VOICES: A Tribute to the American Veteran.
In early (2006) the film short REVEILLE in which James McEachin starred with David Huddleston began to play to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and people began to request copies of the film. The film was posted on video,google.com and quickly garnered 1.5 million hits and a deluge of fan mail to the jamesmceachin.com website which inspired McEachin's latest contribution, OLD GLORY in which he wrote, produced, directed, and acted. OLD GLORY is McEachin's directorial debut.
In 2001, McEachin received the Distinguished Achievement Award from Morgan State University. In 2005, he became an Army Reserve Ambassador, this distinction carries the protocol of a two-star general. (Source for some of the information was en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_McEachin)
As a former member of the U.S. Military, James McEachin is also listed on www.military-writers.com
Police-Writers.com now hosts 504 police officers (representing 211 police departments) and their 1066 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.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology
NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, April 26, 2007
"Cutting-Edge Scheduling Help for Police"
Washington Post (04/22/07) P. SM1; Rucker, Philip
Charles County, Md., is implementing an Internet-based tool called CourtDates to enable police officers to understand and manage their court appearance schedules online. CourtDates will go live on May 1, 2007, and will work much like an online banking tool. Police officers will be able to use a password and user-name to log onto their schedule through any Internet portal to check in, see updates, and make changes. Today officers receive court notice through paper subpoenas, must track their court dates on a calendar, and are responsible for tracking whether a court date has been moved or cancelled. This Web system will make it "vastly more efficient," says State's Attorney Leonard C. Collins Jr. Soon when police officers all have vehicle-based computers, they will be able to check each day for the week's court appointments, says Collins. Charles County IT director Richard A. Aldridge says it cost the county $12,500 to develop CourtDates. Nearby countries also will have access to this tool.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2007/04/20/AR
2007042002479.html
"Jail Ups Security Since Escape"
Columbus Dispatch (OH) (04/22/07) P. 1C; Hassett, Kelly
The Ross County, Ohio, jail has taken a number of steps to improve security in the aftermath of last July's high-profile escape of John W. Parsons, who was serving a life sentence for killing a Chillicothe police officer. For instance, the jail replaced the only camera in the recreation area, which was at least 10 years old and did not work. In addition, authorities added another camera in the center of the ceiling of the recreation area. The new camera is capable of turning 360 degrees and is protected with security casing. But there is still more work to be done. For instance, the Sheriffs Department's new body-orifice scanner, which is supposed to be able to detect metal anywhere in or on the body, failed to detect a hypodermic needle that was being smuggled in by an inmate this month. According to Sheriff Ron Nichols, the needle probably escaped detection by the scanner because it was wrapped in plastic. In light of that incident, Nichols said that his deputies will continue to physically screen inmates in addition to using the scanner.
http://wwwphp.dispatch.com
/text/stories/20070422-C1-02.php
"Gadget is Parolees' Last Call"
Tampa Tribune (04/21/07); Mullins, Richard
Facing crowded prisons and high costs of incarceration, judges are giving nonviolent offenders a choice: Wear a tracking bracelet or go to jail. Most have chosen the latter, in a new wave of monitoring devices that have allowed authorities to keep track of offenders without contributing to overcrowded jails. The bracelets are typically used for drunk driving convictions, but have also been used to monitor sexual predators. Advanced GPS technology enables parolees to stay on house arrest or in the case of alcohol detectors, monitor ethanol levels emitted by the body to track the offender's alcohol consumption. Some 34,000 people in the United States have been under Alcohol Monitoring Solutions' surveillance, the largest company in the tracking market. It costs roughly $1,300 to $2,000 monthly to incarcerate an individual, compared with the approximately $400 monthly cost of wearing a bracelet.
http://www.tbo.com/news/metro
/MGBDNZJIR0F.html
"Interrogations May Be Recorded"
Hartford Courant (CT) (04/21/07); Poitras, Colin
The Connecticut state Appropriations Committee has approved $100,000 per year of funding for a pilot program to install video surveillance in police interrogation rooms. If this provision passes, police interrogation areas in Connecticut will experience videotaping for the first time. Videotaping is in fact standard in most areas within police department buildings. The pilot program will help create clear evidence of interrogation sessions, which could be useful in court, says Chief State's Attorney Kevin Kane. The Innocence Project in New York reports that a number of large cities already do this, while Alaska, Maine, and Minnesota are states that require videotaping of interrogations for serious criminal cases. Innocence Project policy advocate Amanda Melpolder says one out of five wrongful convictions relied on dubious evidence gained through interrogation. Melpolder argues that electronic surveillance will improve court evidence.
http://www.highbeam.com/do
c/1Y1-105490455.html
"L.A. Gets Nation's Largest Crime Lab"
Daily News of Los Angeles (04/19/07) P. N4; Anderson, Troy
Los Angeles city and county officials have scheduled a May 11 official opening for the area's newest crime lab, the $102 million Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center at California State University, Los Angeles. The new, five-story facility will merge the existing LAPD and sheriff's labs and will help reduce the backlog of DNA samples and other evidence. The 209,080-square-foot forensic center will also accommodate classrooms from the university's School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics and the California Forensic Science Institute. The lab will provide evidence testing for all law enforcement agencies in the county via such means as DNA analysis and crime scene reenactments using computer programs. Scanning electron microscopes will help assess trace evidence, including gunshot residue and fire-scene substances. In addition, chemical processes and laser analysis will allow personnel to develop fingerprints on surfaces such as plastic bags, paper, and other surfaces that are usually incompatible with conventional powders. The new center will also have sufficient space for upwards of 70 DNA analysts, up from the existing 30 at the sheriff's lab, and will be able to accommodate 400 staff members; evidence from some 140,000 criminal cases is estimated to be submitted yearly for assessment. http://www.dailynews.com/news
/ci_5699612
"North Huntingdon Police Latest Department to Employ Taser Device"
Greensburg Tribune-Review (PA) (04/20/07); Kaufman, Dirk W.
Police officers in Penn Township, Pa., recently finalized training on the use of Tasers, five of which were recently purchased by the department. The devices cost about $800 each and were purchased using grant money. Two officers in the department who were certified as trainers in the use of Tasers trained all of the other officers. During the training, the officers had the option of being shot at with the device. Officials note that the Tasers are effective when officers just warn suspects about their use. "They have been used as a deterrent several times successfully," notes Penn Township police Chief Michael Mastroianni. "Once you put the red dot on a person and order them to cease and desist what they're doing, they stop." He adds that the Tasers are a powerful tool in safeguarding officers from harm. Currently, all 21 officers in the department carry the devices. Officers are required to record when they fire a Taser as well when it serves as a deterrent with discharging. Officials consider the devices as one of many types of deterrents, including billy clubs and special munitions. Officers at the Delmont police department are required to undergo yearly training at the Greensburg police department, which involves mandatory shooting of the device. Officials say although such training is costly, it allows officers to be familiar with the Taser's capabilities.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x
/tribunereview
/news/westmoreland/s_503388.html
"More Parolee GPS Tracking"
San Bernardino County Sun (CA) (04/17/07); Watson, George
San Bernardino County, Calif., officials would like to partake in a California program that links monitoring devices to parolees with gang connections. On April 17, the County Board of Supervisors voted to ask Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to be included in his pilot program. The program calls for parolees who had a gang-improvement conviction as part of their sentence have gadgets placed on their ankles, electronically connecting them to a GPS. It is not known how long it will take for San Bernardino County to find out whether it will be part of California's pilot program. Officials think the county is host to 300 gangs and over 13,000 gang members. Of those, a minimum of 2,000 are on parole. As part of the supervisors' April 17 vote, letters will be mailed to Sacramento supporting state Senate bills 390 and 657, in addition to Assembly Bill 360, all of which further fortify existing gang laws.
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_5691647
"Technology Cuts Response Time"
Raleigh News & Observer (NC) (04/17/07) P. B3; McDonald, Thomasi
On April 16 at Raleigh, N.C.'s Wake County Emergency Medical Services Training Center, a new vehicle monitoring system was introduced. Financed by a $1.1 million grant from the federal government, the system depends on GPS that will permit emergency dispatchers to send the nearest available emergency workers to a situation and allow law enforcement to talk with EMS on their way to a 911 call. The Automated Vehicle Tracking System will be employed in all emergency vehicles utilized by EMS, the Wake County Sheriff's Office, the City-County Bureau of Identification, and Animal Control. By employing one infrastructure, emergency vehicles will be able to answer a 911 call quicker, noted Wake EMS Chief Skip Kirkwood.
http://www.newsobserver.com
/114/story/564900.html
"Watching Workers: More Checkpoints Possible: Airport Screening Debated"
Tulsa World (OK) (04/11/07); Stewart, D.R.
The recent gun-smuggling scandal at Orlando International Airport has prompted widespread calls for airport and airline employees to be subjected to screening at airport security checkpoints, but some airport officials believe that this move would be unnecessary, disruptive, and burdensome. The Reason Foundation's director of transportation studies, Robert W. Poole Jr., offers several suggestions to significantly increase access control measures at airports while also ensuring that operations are not disrupted. Among these are requiring stronger background checks for airport employees--to the point where a criminal record of any kind would disqualify a job applicant from being hired anywhere on the airport. Poole also believes that special security checkpoints should be established. These checkpoints would have unique rules and procedures, be for airport employees only, and be manned by private security companies. Lastly, Poole calls for airport employee badges to be enhanced with biometrics, preventing anyone but the employee who holds the badge to access secure areas. Companies whose employees have these badges should be required to immediately turn in the badges of any employee whose job at the airport has ended or risk severe penalties, Poole says.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business
/article.aspx?articleID=070411_238_
E1_spanc46283
"Butler to Join County Crime Data System"
Dayton Daily News (OH) (04/19/07) P. Z3-15; Hulsey, Lynn
In Ohio, Butler County is linking up with Montgomery County's Criminal Justice Information System, a data warehouse that merges information from multiple sources. These sources include county and municipal courts as well as courts outside the county. Montgomery County Commissioners approved Butler County's entry into the system on April 10, which means Butler County will have to bear the cost of preparing its information to be ready for submission into the system. The cost of access is free for counties. Although the counties of Greene, Miami, and Preble joined earlier in 2007, Preble and Miami have yet to place any data into the system, which now holds some 2 million records, according to Joe Spitler, executive director of the criminal justice council for Montgomery County. Data on the system helps law enforcement, courts, children services, and adult protective service in verifying if an individual has had any interaction with the criminal justice system, including convictions, prison sentences, or pending charges. The addition of new counties to the system helps officials promptly find any evidence of suspects' criminal activity across county borders.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/
content/oh/story/news/local/neighbors
/2007/04/19/ddn041907z7computer.html
"City to Put Surveillance Cameras in Park"
Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN) (04/18/07) P. B1; Wang, Herman
On April 17, Chattanooga, Tenn., authorities stated the city is ready to spend as much as $660,000 for security cameras in its police cars and parks. Chattanooga will purchase 23 fixed cameras from Motorola to be erected in Coolidge and Renaissance parks and four mobile cameras to be placed in police cars. Police officers will be able to utilize laptops in their vehicles to access a wireless online program that will enable them to see images from every camera, Chattanooga CIO Mark Keil noted. Motorola representative Bob Randolph explained that the cameras can archive images that could be studied by law enforcement following an incident. "When cameras are installed, the biggest benefit is as a deterrent," he pointed out. "With the images, you have the ability to prosecute." Although the capital budget for the security cameras includes $660,000 to cover all of Chattanooga, the initial camera purchase for the city's North Shore area will cost $395,000. On April 24, the City Council will vote on the spending.
http://www.timesfreepress.com
/absolutenm/templates/local.aspx?
articleid=13965&zoneid=77
"Centers to Help Agencies Share Information"
Herald-Sun (NC) (04/20/07); Freyvogel, Colleen
Federal and State law enforcement agencies are devising new strategies to effectively manage emergency situations. Fusion centers have been created as a coalition endeavor between social and federal agencies, safety officials, and state law enforcement members to create databases for emergency calls. Events such as Hurricane Katrina have illustrated deficiencies in systems of coordinating between federal and private sectors, while in the case of 9/11, technological lapses prevailed in failed attempts to call New York City. Veronique Pluviose-Fenton of the House Homeland Security Committee cites the government's endeavor to expand technology to efficiently communicate during crucial situations. With North Carolina's creation of the Information and Analysis center, Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) says both state and local governments are better prepared for 2007 in the event of a disaster.
http://www.heraldsun.com
"Appriss to Provide Sex-Offender Information to Law Enforcement Agencies"
Business First of Louisville (04/17/07)
Appriss has signed a deal with Watch Systems of New Orleans in which Appriss will be able to use Watch System's OffenderWatch database. OffenderWatch is a sex-offender registration database that is Web-based. It helps law enforcement authorities by incorporating the data from OffenderWatch with its current product offerings. Appriss manufactures criminal justice technology products and is well-known for its VINE system, which permits crime victims throughout the United States to acquire data concerning criminal cases and the custody status of violators around the clock by phone, the Internet, or email. For the past six years, Appriss has offered sex-offender notification services in numerous states. Appriss now notifies residents and companies when registered sex offenders move into their communities, although it does not directly offer information to law enforcement agencies, notes Appriss President Mike Davis. http://louisville.bizjournals.com
/louisville/stories/2007/04/16
/daily13.html
"Feds: Accuracy of Face Recognition Software Skyrockets"
LiveScience (04/13/07); Wood, Lamont
Face recognition software is 20 times better than it was five years ago, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In NIST's latest results from its Face Recognition Vendor Test, the best face recognition algorithms had a rate of false rejections of 1 percent, compared with a failure to make correct comparisons 20 percent of the time in 2002. Speed is not a key characteristic of the algorithms, which make use of the single comparison approach, rather than compare every face in a database to every other face. "We fed the algorithms lots of data to get a statistically meaningful answer," explains Jonathon Phillips, an electrical engineer who directed the test. "Our goal was to encourage improvement in the technology, and provide decision makers with numbers that would let them make an educated assessment of the technology itself." With random lighting on each face, the rejection rate was about 12 percent, compared with 20 percent five years ago.
http://www.livescience.com
/technology/070413_face_re
cognition.html
"Expert: 'Flasher' Technology Digs Deeper for Digital Evidence"
Purdue University News (04/12/07); Medaris, Kim
Rick Mislan, Purdue assistant professor of computer and information technology and former U.S. Army electronic warfare officer, said a technology currently in use in Europe could potentially be used to help solve thousands of cybercrimes in the United States. The "flasher box" can be used to download and analyze every bit of information from a wide variety of cell phones, a huge advantage over current forensic techniques that requires investigators to issue specific commands and receive only information relating to the command. With the flasher box, investigators can download the entire contents of a cell phone for examination, including call history, text messages, contacts, and deleted images and videos. "Using a flasher box is like taking a snapshot of the cell phone," Mislan said. "This method shows a lot of promise." The content of the phone is downloaded and appears as a stream of letters and numbers that only requires a mathematical translation to turn the code into useable information. Mislan said the key to success with flasher boxes is finding the correct software and cables to match the wide variety of phones available on the market.
http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x
/2007a/070412MislanFlash.html
"Preparing for the Worst"
Police (03/07); Hamilton, Melanie
Local and county governments interested in further help with their emergency preparedness systems can turn to the latest online tool from the federal government, "The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program" (HSEEP). Agencies on the local level can access the site and implement various scenarios and exercise drills in their local area to determine if their emergency response systems are adequate. The online tool also offers tips on designing standard policy, methodology, and language for all agencies at the local level. Agencies need to first set up policies and infrastructure that is uniform across the emergency response system, then assess individual targets in their region in terms of likely attack and resulting devastation. Once those tasks are completed, agencies can perform mock drills and engage the help of nearby agencies and other parties. Mock drills also need to be as realistic as possible, including the use of volunteers to play injured parties or those interested in helping others during a disaster. However, each agency involved must understand that clear, concise communications are a top priority if disasters are to be dealt with appropriately and quickly. Once drills are completed, agencies will want to conduct their own internal reviews to see what procedures were successful, which were minimally successful, and which failed completely. The audit will provide workers with areas to continue working on before a real emergency requires a response, but responders also need to keep abreast of how the interaction among agencies aided or hindered the responses given during the drill.
http://www.policemag.com/t_
cipick.cfm?rank=93858
"Each Police Chase Could Mean Change in Policy"
Bellevue Leader (04/18/07); Buzzell, Jason
In general, police departments rarely change their pursuit policies unless death or severe damage occurs; but at the Bellevue Police Department in Nebraska, that is not the case. The eight-page policy is gone over at the police academy and rigorously reviewed periodically to ensure that public safety is a number-one priority when pursuits occur. Officers are trained as recruits for eight-hour stretches when they first sign on with the department and for two-hour stretches periodically as veteran officers. However, officials note that not all chases are perfect; and when officers disobey protocols, they are disciplined accordingly per the instructions of a commander committee that reviews the actions of the officer in conjunction with the current policy rules. The department's pursuit policy was changed in February; and officers now are required to cease pursuit if apprehension is a viable option later on, suspects have crossed state lines, or commanders order the pursuit to stop. The debate over pursuit policy restrictions is heated; but with recent rulings from the Nebraska Supreme Court, which ruled that cities could be held liable for third-party injuries even after the pursuit ended, pursuit policies are carefully monitored for weaknesses.
http://www.bellevueleader.com
/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=1822152
2&BRD=2712&PAG=461&d
ept_id=559850&rfi=6
"Emergency Communications: Taking Command"
Government Security (03/07) Vol. 6, No. 1, P. 12; Carey, Carol
Three jurisdictions--Columbus, Ohio; San Diego, Calif.; and Washington, D.C.--demonstrated superior Tactical Interoperability Communications Plans (TICPs) that could serve as "best practice" models for areas developing emergency aid procedures. In Columbus, aggressively allocating 50 percent of the Urban Area Security Initiative and other grants toward communications made interoperability a priority. The city formed a Homeland Security Advisory Council to develop protocols, such as talk groups for various geographical zones and functions--like bomb squads and hospitals. A decade of forest fighting through mutual aid helped San Diego develop a TICP plan with superior coordination, involving not only police and fire departments, but also forestry services and the U.S. Coast Guard. The city's technology uses both mobile and fixed gateways; and because frequencies are pre-programmed into the radios, responders are able to quickly connect with one another, according to city officials. D.C.-area emergency staff can communicate anywhere in the country through national interoperability frequencies, and officials emphasize that speaking in "plain English," rather than in code, can facilitate communication among various agencies.
http://govtsecurity.com/mag
/emergency_communications
_responders/
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
"Cutting-Edge Scheduling Help for Police"
Washington Post (04/22/07) P. SM1; Rucker, Philip
Charles County, Md., is implementing an Internet-based tool called CourtDates to enable police officers to understand and manage their court appearance schedules online. CourtDates will go live on May 1, 2007, and will work much like an online banking tool. Police officers will be able to use a password and user-name to log onto their schedule through any Internet portal to check in, see updates, and make changes. Today officers receive court notice through paper subpoenas, must track their court dates on a calendar, and are responsible for tracking whether a court date has been moved or cancelled. This Web system will make it "vastly more efficient," says State's Attorney Leonard C. Collins Jr. Soon when police officers all have vehicle-based computers, they will be able to check each day for the week's court appointments, says Collins. Charles County IT director Richard A. Aldridge says it cost the county $12,500 to develop CourtDates. Nearby countries also will have access to this tool.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2007/04/20/AR
2007042002479.html
"Jail Ups Security Since Escape"
Columbus Dispatch (OH) (04/22/07) P. 1C; Hassett, Kelly
The Ross County, Ohio, jail has taken a number of steps to improve security in the aftermath of last July's high-profile escape of John W. Parsons, who was serving a life sentence for killing a Chillicothe police officer. For instance, the jail replaced the only camera in the recreation area, which was at least 10 years old and did not work. In addition, authorities added another camera in the center of the ceiling of the recreation area. The new camera is capable of turning 360 degrees and is protected with security casing. But there is still more work to be done. For instance, the Sheriffs Department's new body-orifice scanner, which is supposed to be able to detect metal anywhere in or on the body, failed to detect a hypodermic needle that was being smuggled in by an inmate this month. According to Sheriff Ron Nichols, the needle probably escaped detection by the scanner because it was wrapped in plastic. In light of that incident, Nichols said that his deputies will continue to physically screen inmates in addition to using the scanner.
http://wwwphp.dispatch.com
/text/stories/20070422-C1-02.php
"Gadget is Parolees' Last Call"
Tampa Tribune (04/21/07); Mullins, Richard
Facing crowded prisons and high costs of incarceration, judges are giving nonviolent offenders a choice: Wear a tracking bracelet or go to jail. Most have chosen the latter, in a new wave of monitoring devices that have allowed authorities to keep track of offenders without contributing to overcrowded jails. The bracelets are typically used for drunk driving convictions, but have also been used to monitor sexual predators. Advanced GPS technology enables parolees to stay on house arrest or in the case of alcohol detectors, monitor ethanol levels emitted by the body to track the offender's alcohol consumption. Some 34,000 people in the United States have been under Alcohol Monitoring Solutions' surveillance, the largest company in the tracking market. It costs roughly $1,300 to $2,000 monthly to incarcerate an individual, compared with the approximately $400 monthly cost of wearing a bracelet.
http://www.tbo.com/news/metro
/MGBDNZJIR0F.html
"Interrogations May Be Recorded"
Hartford Courant (CT) (04/21/07); Poitras, Colin
The Connecticut state Appropriations Committee has approved $100,000 per year of funding for a pilot program to install video surveillance in police interrogation rooms. If this provision passes, police interrogation areas in Connecticut will experience videotaping for the first time. Videotaping is in fact standard in most areas within police department buildings. The pilot program will help create clear evidence of interrogation sessions, which could be useful in court, says Chief State's Attorney Kevin Kane. The Innocence Project in New York reports that a number of large cities already do this, while Alaska, Maine, and Minnesota are states that require videotaping of interrogations for serious criminal cases. Innocence Project policy advocate Amanda Melpolder says one out of five wrongful convictions relied on dubious evidence gained through interrogation. Melpolder argues that electronic surveillance will improve court evidence.
http://www.highbeam.com/do
c/1Y1-105490455.html
"L.A. Gets Nation's Largest Crime Lab"
Daily News of Los Angeles (04/19/07) P. N4; Anderson, Troy
Los Angeles city and county officials have scheduled a May 11 official opening for the area's newest crime lab, the $102 million Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center at California State University, Los Angeles. The new, five-story facility will merge the existing LAPD and sheriff's labs and will help reduce the backlog of DNA samples and other evidence. The 209,080-square-foot forensic center will also accommodate classrooms from the university's School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics and the California Forensic Science Institute. The lab will provide evidence testing for all law enforcement agencies in the county via such means as DNA analysis and crime scene reenactments using computer programs. Scanning electron microscopes will help assess trace evidence, including gunshot residue and fire-scene substances. In addition, chemical processes and laser analysis will allow personnel to develop fingerprints on surfaces such as plastic bags, paper, and other surfaces that are usually incompatible with conventional powders. The new center will also have sufficient space for upwards of 70 DNA analysts, up from the existing 30 at the sheriff's lab, and will be able to accommodate 400 staff members; evidence from some 140,000 criminal cases is estimated to be submitted yearly for assessment. http://www.dailynews.com/news
/ci_5699612
"North Huntingdon Police Latest Department to Employ Taser Device"
Greensburg Tribune-Review (PA) (04/20/07); Kaufman, Dirk W.
Police officers in Penn Township, Pa., recently finalized training on the use of Tasers, five of which were recently purchased by the department. The devices cost about $800 each and were purchased using grant money. Two officers in the department who were certified as trainers in the use of Tasers trained all of the other officers. During the training, the officers had the option of being shot at with the device. Officials note that the Tasers are effective when officers just warn suspects about their use. "They have been used as a deterrent several times successfully," notes Penn Township police Chief Michael Mastroianni. "Once you put the red dot on a person and order them to cease and desist what they're doing, they stop." He adds that the Tasers are a powerful tool in safeguarding officers from harm. Currently, all 21 officers in the department carry the devices. Officers are required to record when they fire a Taser as well when it serves as a deterrent with discharging. Officials consider the devices as one of many types of deterrents, including billy clubs and special munitions. Officers at the Delmont police department are required to undergo yearly training at the Greensburg police department, which involves mandatory shooting of the device. Officials say although such training is costly, it allows officers to be familiar with the Taser's capabilities.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x
/tribunereview
/news/westmoreland/s_503388.html
"More Parolee GPS Tracking"
San Bernardino County Sun (CA) (04/17/07); Watson, George
San Bernardino County, Calif., officials would like to partake in a California program that links monitoring devices to parolees with gang connections. On April 17, the County Board of Supervisors voted to ask Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to be included in his pilot program. The program calls for parolees who had a gang-improvement conviction as part of their sentence have gadgets placed on their ankles, electronically connecting them to a GPS. It is not known how long it will take for San Bernardino County to find out whether it will be part of California's pilot program. Officials think the county is host to 300 gangs and over 13,000 gang members. Of those, a minimum of 2,000 are on parole. As part of the supervisors' April 17 vote, letters will be mailed to Sacramento supporting state Senate bills 390 and 657, in addition to Assembly Bill 360, all of which further fortify existing gang laws.
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_5691647
"Technology Cuts Response Time"
Raleigh News & Observer (NC) (04/17/07) P. B3; McDonald, Thomasi
On April 16 at Raleigh, N.C.'s Wake County Emergency Medical Services Training Center, a new vehicle monitoring system was introduced. Financed by a $1.1 million grant from the federal government, the system depends on GPS that will permit emergency dispatchers to send the nearest available emergency workers to a situation and allow law enforcement to talk with EMS on their way to a 911 call. The Automated Vehicle Tracking System will be employed in all emergency vehicles utilized by EMS, the Wake County Sheriff's Office, the City-County Bureau of Identification, and Animal Control. By employing one infrastructure, emergency vehicles will be able to answer a 911 call quicker, noted Wake EMS Chief Skip Kirkwood.
http://www.newsobserver.com
/114/story/564900.html
"Watching Workers: More Checkpoints Possible: Airport Screening Debated"
Tulsa World (OK) (04/11/07); Stewart, D.R.
The recent gun-smuggling scandal at Orlando International Airport has prompted widespread calls for airport and airline employees to be subjected to screening at airport security checkpoints, but some airport officials believe that this move would be unnecessary, disruptive, and burdensome. The Reason Foundation's director of transportation studies, Robert W. Poole Jr., offers several suggestions to significantly increase access control measures at airports while also ensuring that operations are not disrupted. Among these are requiring stronger background checks for airport employees--to the point where a criminal record of any kind would disqualify a job applicant from being hired anywhere on the airport. Poole also believes that special security checkpoints should be established. These checkpoints would have unique rules and procedures, be for airport employees only, and be manned by private security companies. Lastly, Poole calls for airport employee badges to be enhanced with biometrics, preventing anyone but the employee who holds the badge to access secure areas. Companies whose employees have these badges should be required to immediately turn in the badges of any employee whose job at the airport has ended or risk severe penalties, Poole says.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business
/article.aspx?articleID=070411_238_
E1_spanc46283
"Butler to Join County Crime Data System"
Dayton Daily News (OH) (04/19/07) P. Z3-15; Hulsey, Lynn
In Ohio, Butler County is linking up with Montgomery County's Criminal Justice Information System, a data warehouse that merges information from multiple sources. These sources include county and municipal courts as well as courts outside the county. Montgomery County Commissioners approved Butler County's entry into the system on April 10, which means Butler County will have to bear the cost of preparing its information to be ready for submission into the system. The cost of access is free for counties. Although the counties of Greene, Miami, and Preble joined earlier in 2007, Preble and Miami have yet to place any data into the system, which now holds some 2 million records, according to Joe Spitler, executive director of the criminal justice council for Montgomery County. Data on the system helps law enforcement, courts, children services, and adult protective service in verifying if an individual has had any interaction with the criminal justice system, including convictions, prison sentences, or pending charges. The addition of new counties to the system helps officials promptly find any evidence of suspects' criminal activity across county borders.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/
content/oh/story/news/local/neighbors
/2007/04/19/ddn041907z7computer.html
"City to Put Surveillance Cameras in Park"
Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN) (04/18/07) P. B1; Wang, Herman
On April 17, Chattanooga, Tenn., authorities stated the city is ready to spend as much as $660,000 for security cameras in its police cars and parks. Chattanooga will purchase 23 fixed cameras from Motorola to be erected in Coolidge and Renaissance parks and four mobile cameras to be placed in police cars. Police officers will be able to utilize laptops in their vehicles to access a wireless online program that will enable them to see images from every camera, Chattanooga CIO Mark Keil noted. Motorola representative Bob Randolph explained that the cameras can archive images that could be studied by law enforcement following an incident. "When cameras are installed, the biggest benefit is as a deterrent," he pointed out. "With the images, you have the ability to prosecute." Although the capital budget for the security cameras includes $660,000 to cover all of Chattanooga, the initial camera purchase for the city's North Shore area will cost $395,000. On April 24, the City Council will vote on the spending.
http://www.timesfreepress.com
/absolutenm/templates/local.aspx?
articleid=13965&zoneid=77
"Centers to Help Agencies Share Information"
Herald-Sun (NC) (04/20/07); Freyvogel, Colleen
Federal and State law enforcement agencies are devising new strategies to effectively manage emergency situations. Fusion centers have been created as a coalition endeavor between social and federal agencies, safety officials, and state law enforcement members to create databases for emergency calls. Events such as Hurricane Katrina have illustrated deficiencies in systems of coordinating between federal and private sectors, while in the case of 9/11, technological lapses prevailed in failed attempts to call New York City. Veronique Pluviose-Fenton of the House Homeland Security Committee cites the government's endeavor to expand technology to efficiently communicate during crucial situations. With North Carolina's creation of the Information and Analysis center, Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) says both state and local governments are better prepared for 2007 in the event of a disaster.
http://www.heraldsun.com
"Appriss to Provide Sex-Offender Information to Law Enforcement Agencies"
Business First of Louisville (04/17/07)
Appriss has signed a deal with Watch Systems of New Orleans in which Appriss will be able to use Watch System's OffenderWatch database. OffenderWatch is a sex-offender registration database that is Web-based. It helps law enforcement authorities by incorporating the data from OffenderWatch with its current product offerings. Appriss manufactures criminal justice technology products and is well-known for its VINE system, which permits crime victims throughout the United States to acquire data concerning criminal cases and the custody status of violators around the clock by phone, the Internet, or email. For the past six years, Appriss has offered sex-offender notification services in numerous states. Appriss now notifies residents and companies when registered sex offenders move into their communities, although it does not directly offer information to law enforcement agencies, notes Appriss President Mike Davis. http://louisville.bizjournals.com
/louisville/stories/2007/04/16
/daily13.html
"Feds: Accuracy of Face Recognition Software Skyrockets"
LiveScience (04/13/07); Wood, Lamont
Face recognition software is 20 times better than it was five years ago, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In NIST's latest results from its Face Recognition Vendor Test, the best face recognition algorithms had a rate of false rejections of 1 percent, compared with a failure to make correct comparisons 20 percent of the time in 2002. Speed is not a key characteristic of the algorithms, which make use of the single comparison approach, rather than compare every face in a database to every other face. "We fed the algorithms lots of data to get a statistically meaningful answer," explains Jonathon Phillips, an electrical engineer who directed the test. "Our goal was to encourage improvement in the technology, and provide decision makers with numbers that would let them make an educated assessment of the technology itself." With random lighting on each face, the rejection rate was about 12 percent, compared with 20 percent five years ago.
http://www.livescience.com
/technology/070413_face_re
cognition.html
"Expert: 'Flasher' Technology Digs Deeper for Digital Evidence"
Purdue University News (04/12/07); Medaris, Kim
Rick Mislan, Purdue assistant professor of computer and information technology and former U.S. Army electronic warfare officer, said a technology currently in use in Europe could potentially be used to help solve thousands of cybercrimes in the United States. The "flasher box" can be used to download and analyze every bit of information from a wide variety of cell phones, a huge advantage over current forensic techniques that requires investigators to issue specific commands and receive only information relating to the command. With the flasher box, investigators can download the entire contents of a cell phone for examination, including call history, text messages, contacts, and deleted images and videos. "Using a flasher box is like taking a snapshot of the cell phone," Mislan said. "This method shows a lot of promise." The content of the phone is downloaded and appears as a stream of letters and numbers that only requires a mathematical translation to turn the code into useable information. Mislan said the key to success with flasher boxes is finding the correct software and cables to match the wide variety of phones available on the market.
http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x
/2007a/070412MislanFlash.html
"Preparing for the Worst"
Police (03/07); Hamilton, Melanie
Local and county governments interested in further help with their emergency preparedness systems can turn to the latest online tool from the federal government, "The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program" (HSEEP). Agencies on the local level can access the site and implement various scenarios and exercise drills in their local area to determine if their emergency response systems are adequate. The online tool also offers tips on designing standard policy, methodology, and language for all agencies at the local level. Agencies need to first set up policies and infrastructure that is uniform across the emergency response system, then assess individual targets in their region in terms of likely attack and resulting devastation. Once those tasks are completed, agencies can perform mock drills and engage the help of nearby agencies and other parties. Mock drills also need to be as realistic as possible, including the use of volunteers to play injured parties or those interested in helping others during a disaster. However, each agency involved must understand that clear, concise communications are a top priority if disasters are to be dealt with appropriately and quickly. Once drills are completed, agencies will want to conduct their own internal reviews to see what procedures were successful, which were minimally successful, and which failed completely. The audit will provide workers with areas to continue working on before a real emergency requires a response, but responders also need to keep abreast of how the interaction among agencies aided or hindered the responses given during the drill.
http://www.policemag.com/t_
cipick.cfm?rank=93858
"Each Police Chase Could Mean Change in Policy"
Bellevue Leader (04/18/07); Buzzell, Jason
In general, police departments rarely change their pursuit policies unless death or severe damage occurs; but at the Bellevue Police Department in Nebraska, that is not the case. The eight-page policy is gone over at the police academy and rigorously reviewed periodically to ensure that public safety is a number-one priority when pursuits occur. Officers are trained as recruits for eight-hour stretches when they first sign on with the department and for two-hour stretches periodically as veteran officers. However, officials note that not all chases are perfect; and when officers disobey protocols, they are disciplined accordingly per the instructions of a commander committee that reviews the actions of the officer in conjunction with the current policy rules. The department's pursuit policy was changed in February; and officers now are required to cease pursuit if apprehension is a viable option later on, suspects have crossed state lines, or commanders order the pursuit to stop. The debate over pursuit policy restrictions is heated; but with recent rulings from the Nebraska Supreme Court, which ruled that cities could be held liable for third-party injuries even after the pursuit ended, pursuit policies are carefully monitored for weaknesses.
http://www.bellevueleader.com
/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=1822152
2&BRD=2712&PAG=461&d
ept_id=559850&rfi=6
"Emergency Communications: Taking Command"
Government Security (03/07) Vol. 6, No. 1, P. 12; Carey, Carol
Three jurisdictions--Columbus, Ohio; San Diego, Calif.; and Washington, D.C.--demonstrated superior Tactical Interoperability Communications Plans (TICPs) that could serve as "best practice" models for areas developing emergency aid procedures. In Columbus, aggressively allocating 50 percent of the Urban Area Security Initiative and other grants toward communications made interoperability a priority. The city formed a Homeland Security Advisory Council to develop protocols, such as talk groups for various geographical zones and functions--like bomb squads and hospitals. A decade of forest fighting through mutual aid helped San Diego develop a TICP plan with superior coordination, involving not only police and fire departments, but also forestry services and the U.S. Coast Guard. The city's technology uses both mobile and fixed gateways; and because frequencies are pre-programmed into the radios, responders are able to quickly connect with one another, according to city officials. D.C.-area emergency staff can communicate anywhere in the country through national interoperability frequencies, and officials emphasize that speaking in "plain English," rather than in code, can facilitate communication among various agencies.
http://govtsecurity.com/mag
/emergency_communications
_responders/
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Monday, April 09, 2007
1000 Pages of Cop Information
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. With the addition of three police officers turned authors, Ray Biondi, William Delaney and Grady Morrison, the website now contains over 1000 pages of information on 463 police officers, their 968 books and their nearly 200 departments.
Ray Biondi retired from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department as Lieutenant. During his career he headed up the homicide bureau. He is the author of two crime books: All his father's sins: The trail of terrifying horror that led to Gerald & Charlene Gallego and Dracula Killer. Publisher’s Weekly said of Dracula Killer, “when he graduated to murder, he not only shot his victims but sexually mutilated them. Former Sacramento homicide detective Biondi supplies inside information on the investigation, such as a television crew's discovery of evidence overlooked by police. In addition, he and Hecox produce crime bulletins issued by police and the surprisingly accurate psychological profile detectives prepared of the killer. Luck combined with old-fashioned detective work flushed out Chase, who initially would admit only to killing dogs. But Chase told a fellow prisoner that he drank victims' blood, and after he took the stand in his own defense, jurors decided not to find him insane.”
William Delaney is a former military policeman, San Francisco City College Campus Police Officer, San Francisco Police Department police officer, and candidate for Sheriff of Adams County in Colorado. A graduate of San Francisco City College, San Francisco State University, and attended The University of Texas at Arlington's Graduate School of Criminal Justice, and Urban Affairs, Chabot College in Hayward, California, The University of Maryland Overseas Extension, and The University of California Berkeley's San Francisco Extension.
He has held a California Community College Instructors Certificate since 1972, did extensive undergraduate research in behavior modification, and social learning theory, and has taught at The Community College of Denver, Arapahoe Community College, AT&T, ARCO Coal Company, The U.S. Army Reserve School, and for Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics. He is the author of three books: How to Avoid being a Chicken Head; Black N Blue; and, his most recent Counterfeit Democracy.
Grady Morrison was a Baltimore Police Department police officer for eleven years. According to the book description of his book, Understanding Police Officers and Staying Out of Trouble, “Reading this book takes the reader up close and personal with understanding the police officer and why it is worth the extra effort to avoid trouble. The author brings this understanding to the reader through facts, discussions, and personal examples from his eleven-year police officer experience. Open the book and read why learning to understand the police officer is much better than fearing and fighting him. The author explains this through strong facts and analogies such as, “having more common sense than to light a match while pumping gas into your vehicle.” This book also serves as a reminder to the reader that learning to stay out of trouble should be a personal goal just like any other worthwhile adventure.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 463 police officers (representing 195 police departments) and their 968 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.
Ray Biondi retired from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department as Lieutenant. During his career he headed up the homicide bureau. He is the author of two crime books: All his father's sins: The trail of terrifying horror that led to Gerald & Charlene Gallego and Dracula Killer. Publisher’s Weekly said of Dracula Killer, “when he graduated to murder, he not only shot his victims but sexually mutilated them. Former Sacramento homicide detective Biondi supplies inside information on the investigation, such as a television crew's discovery of evidence overlooked by police. In addition, he and Hecox produce crime bulletins issued by police and the surprisingly accurate psychological profile detectives prepared of the killer. Luck combined with old-fashioned detective work flushed out Chase, who initially would admit only to killing dogs. But Chase told a fellow prisoner that he drank victims' blood, and after he took the stand in his own defense, jurors decided not to find him insane.”
William Delaney is a former military policeman, San Francisco City College Campus Police Officer, San Francisco Police Department police officer, and candidate for Sheriff of Adams County in Colorado. A graduate of San Francisco City College, San Francisco State University, and attended The University of Texas at Arlington's Graduate School of Criminal Justice, and Urban Affairs, Chabot College in Hayward, California, The University of Maryland Overseas Extension, and The University of California Berkeley's San Francisco Extension.
He has held a California Community College Instructors Certificate since 1972, did extensive undergraduate research in behavior modification, and social learning theory, and has taught at The Community College of Denver, Arapahoe Community College, AT&T, ARCO Coal Company, The U.S. Army Reserve School, and for Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics. He is the author of three books: How to Avoid being a Chicken Head; Black N Blue; and, his most recent Counterfeit Democracy.
Grady Morrison was a Baltimore Police Department police officer for eleven years. According to the book description of his book, Understanding Police Officers and Staying Out of Trouble, “Reading this book takes the reader up close and personal with understanding the police officer and why it is worth the extra effort to avoid trouble. The author brings this understanding to the reader through facts, discussions, and personal examples from his eleven-year police officer experience. Open the book and read why learning to understand the police officer is much better than fearing and fighting him. The author explains this through strong facts and analogies such as, “having more common sense than to light a match while pumping gas into your vehicle.” This book also serves as a reminder to the reader that learning to stay out of trouble should be a personal goal just like any other worthwhile adventure.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 463 police officers (representing 195 police departments) and their 968 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.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Soldier, Cop and Author
Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books and Military-Writers.com, a website dedicated to military personnel who have written books, added a prolific author who has served our country both as a soldier and police officer.
After completing military service in Viet Nam, Cherokee Paul McDonald joined the Fort Lauderdale Police Department in 1970. Rising to the rank of sergeant, he left the department in 1980, becoming a full-time writer. In addition to his fiction novels, Cherokee Paul McDonald has written two books about his life experiences. One reader comments on Paul’s In Blue Truth: Walking the Thin Blue Line-One Cop's Story of Life in the Streets, “I was about sixteen years old when I first read this book. Twelve years later, I am a cop myself, and have read and re-read this book at least twenty times since then. This book is the real deal...it doesn't glorify our job like other books have done...just the real and the raw. It gets to the bottom of what cops have to put up with every day.”
Cherokee Paul McDonald explores his military service in, Into the Green: A Reconnaissance by Fire. In 1968, he arrived in Vietnam a U.S. Army second lieutenant, assigned as an artillery forward observer. After a year service, he fell victim to malaria and was evacuated. According to the Library Journal, Into the Green: A Reconnaissance by Fire, “speaks volumes about the stress and terror of war while also reminding the reader of the touching humanity of the erstwhile civilians called upon for military service. In place of an exhaustive, day-by-day account of the war, McDonald introduces Vietnam through a series of vignettes on life in and out of the firing line. This is Vietnam as it has rarely been described, and each short narrative offers an eloquent testimonial to the conflict.”
In addition to his autobiographical accounts, Cherokee Paul McDonald has written one true crime novel, Under Contract: The True Account of a Cop Hired to Kill. This work is the tale of Al Smith, a Fort Lauderdale Police Department detective who posed as a hit man. According to Kirkus reviews, “What terrifies here is the repeated verification of the old saw about the banality of evil. In one memorable case, a sweet, petite, under-20 blond, answering an ad placed in the personals by a love-hungry bachelor, makes a request for the murder of her husband; short of cash, she wants to finance the crime on the installment plan.”
Cherokee Paul McDonald’s fictional works include Summer’s Reason, Gulf Stream and The Patch.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 390 police officers (representing 163 police departments) and their 844 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books. Military-Writers.com lists 10 former, active or retired military personnel and their 18 books.
After completing military service in Viet Nam, Cherokee Paul McDonald joined the Fort Lauderdale Police Department in 1970. Rising to the rank of sergeant, he left the department in 1980, becoming a full-time writer. In addition to his fiction novels, Cherokee Paul McDonald has written two books about his life experiences. One reader comments on Paul’s In Blue Truth: Walking the Thin Blue Line-One Cop's Story of Life in the Streets, “I was about sixteen years old when I first read this book. Twelve years later, I am a cop myself, and have read and re-read this book at least twenty times since then. This book is the real deal...it doesn't glorify our job like other books have done...just the real and the raw. It gets to the bottom of what cops have to put up with every day.”
Cherokee Paul McDonald explores his military service in, Into the Green: A Reconnaissance by Fire. In 1968, he arrived in Vietnam a U.S. Army second lieutenant, assigned as an artillery forward observer. After a year service, he fell victim to malaria and was evacuated. According to the Library Journal, Into the Green: A Reconnaissance by Fire, “speaks volumes about the stress and terror of war while also reminding the reader of the touching humanity of the erstwhile civilians called upon for military service. In place of an exhaustive, day-by-day account of the war, McDonald introduces Vietnam through a series of vignettes on life in and out of the firing line. This is Vietnam as it has rarely been described, and each short narrative offers an eloquent testimonial to the conflict.”
In addition to his autobiographical accounts, Cherokee Paul McDonald has written one true crime novel, Under Contract: The True Account of a Cop Hired to Kill. This work is the tale of Al Smith, a Fort Lauderdale Police Department detective who posed as a hit man. According to Kirkus reviews, “What terrifies here is the repeated verification of the old saw about the banality of evil. In one memorable case, a sweet, petite, under-20 blond, answering an ad placed in the personals by a love-hungry bachelor, makes a request for the murder of her husband; short of cash, she wants to finance the crime on the installment plan.”
Cherokee Paul McDonald’s fictional works include Summer’s Reason, Gulf Stream and The Patch.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 390 police officers (representing 163 police departments) and their 844 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books. Military-Writers.com lists 10 former, active or retired military personnel and their 18 books.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Ceremony Held for Iraqi Police Graduates
American Forces Press Service
On Jan. 13, a ceremony was held in recognition of Ramadi Iraqi police graduates. A total of 58 Iraqi police officers graduated from their weeklong advanced training course at the Ramadi Training Center.
Iraqi police officers train at the center after completing a five-week basic training course at the Jordan International Police Training Center, said U.S. Army Capt. Stewart H. McFall, the officer in charge of the RTC.
While in Jordan, the Iraqis learn basic skills in police work, McFall said. Upon completion, they return to their assigned Iraqi police station and begin working with police transition teams and Iraqi police liaison officers until there is an opening for advanced training at the RTC.
There has been a recent surge in qualified police candidates in Ramadi, with more than 1,000 applicants this month, McFall said.
RTC students completed intensive training which includes, detainee operations, cordon searches, dismounted patrols, building searches, traffic control point operations, and reflexive fire training, McFall said.
"I'm living the good life now because it's harder for the terrorists to do their job against the U.S. forces, Iraqi police, and Iraqi army combined," one graduate said through a translator. "Now that I work as an IP, my family feels much safer ... I'm ready to go to the streets to do my job here and help the Iraqi people."
Article sponsored by college education information online, police and military personnel who have become writers; and criminal justice leadership.
On Jan. 13, a ceremony was held in recognition of Ramadi Iraqi police graduates. A total of 58 Iraqi police officers graduated from their weeklong advanced training course at the Ramadi Training Center.
Iraqi police officers train at the center after completing a five-week basic training course at the Jordan International Police Training Center, said U.S. Army Capt. Stewart H. McFall, the officer in charge of the RTC.
While in Jordan, the Iraqis learn basic skills in police work, McFall said. Upon completion, they return to their assigned Iraqi police station and begin working with police transition teams and Iraqi police liaison officers until there is an opening for advanced training at the RTC.
There has been a recent surge in qualified police candidates in Ramadi, with more than 1,000 applicants this month, McFall said.
RTC students completed intensive training which includes, detainee operations, cordon searches, dismounted patrols, building searches, traffic control point operations, and reflexive fire training, McFall said.
"I'm living the good life now because it's harder for the terrorists to do their job against the U.S. forces, Iraqi police, and Iraqi army combined," one graduate said through a translator. "Now that I work as an IP, my family feels much safer ... I'm ready to go to the streets to do my job here and help the Iraqi people."
Article sponsored by college education information online, police and military personnel who have become writers; and criminal justice leadership.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Chicago: the reality and the fiction
January 14, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com added three Chicago police officers to the listing of state and local police officers who have authored books. Added were William O’Shea, C.M. Russell and Daniel Schrager.
William O’Shea began his public service career in 1968 when, as a Chicago Police Cadet, he was assigned to the infamous Democratic National Convention. In the ensuing decades as a Chicago Police Officer he had many adventures, some of which are chronicled in his first novel, “The Foot Post.”
In 1992, Bill moved to southern Illinois with his wife, Susan, and established a detective agency under his private investigator’s license. In recent years, he has been active as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, working with children who find themselves mired in the court system. His experiences as a CASA volunteer moved him to write “The Advocate” and create the advocacy project.
Bill is now a relentless advocate for the rights of abused and sexually exploited children and fears that it will be a life long endeavor.
C. M. Russell was born and raised in Chicago, IL. After graduating from the University of Illinois/Chicago Campus, he began his career with the Chicago Police Department. He has drawn upon numerous real-life experiences from this urban city to depict the situations officers face on a daily basis. This, his first book, takes the reader on a virtual ride-a-long with the officers. His account is action packed, suspenseful, and keeps the adrenaline pumping right to the very end.
According to his book, Thin Blue Line is about power and control in the city of Chicago. The drama asks, “who is really running the streets of Chicago? A high-ranking gang member’s trial is less than a week away. Determined not to go back to the penitentiary, he decides to “tie up some loose ends”. An officer, on patrol in the area, interrupts those plans and pays the ultimate price. Now, two veteran police officers lead the manhunt to bring this killer to justice. There’s only one problem; too much red tape! Ultimately, they must choose between what is legally right and morally right.”
Daniel Schrager was a member of the Chicago Police Department for twenty-eight years, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant in 1998. During his career, he worked as a patrol officer in the Cabrini-Green housing project; spent eight years as a vice officer in the Rush Street entertainment area; three years as a sergeant in a special unit created by then-mayor Jane Byrne to investigate misconduct in the Chicago Transit Authority; and, several years as a patrol sergeant. During his last five years on the Chicago Police Department, he was the Acting Watch Commander in the 24th Patrol District.
For eighteen months, in an unofficial capacity, he assisted as a bodyguard and driver for a mayoral candidate during a re-election bid.
Prior to joining the Chicago Police Department, he served fourteen months in Vietnam assigned to the U.S. Army First Infantry Division, including the period of the Tet offensive in 1968.
His book “The Code” is the story of a Chicago cop, Jake Harmon, who stumbles across an unidentified man carrying $250,000. While struggling to adhere to the "Cop Code of Behavior," he attempts to uncover the source of the money. Aided by his girlfriend and fellow officer, Aranda Gonzalez, he makes a shocking discovery that pushes him to the limits of the Code. His second book, “On The Edge” is the story of two Chicago cops, the investigative reporter they've teamed up with, and their investigation into the seamy world of drugs, politics and corruption.
While Police-Writers.com hosts 253 police officers (representing over 70 police departments) and their 647 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.
William O’Shea began his public service career in 1968 when, as a Chicago Police Cadet, he was assigned to the infamous Democratic National Convention. In the ensuing decades as a Chicago Police Officer he had many adventures, some of which are chronicled in his first novel, “The Foot Post.”
In 1992, Bill moved to southern Illinois with his wife, Susan, and established a detective agency under his private investigator’s license. In recent years, he has been active as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, working with children who find themselves mired in the court system. His experiences as a CASA volunteer moved him to write “The Advocate” and create the advocacy project.
Bill is now a relentless advocate for the rights of abused and sexually exploited children and fears that it will be a life long endeavor.
C. M. Russell was born and raised in Chicago, IL. After graduating from the University of Illinois/Chicago Campus, he began his career with the Chicago Police Department. He has drawn upon numerous real-life experiences from this urban city to depict the situations officers face on a daily basis. This, his first book, takes the reader on a virtual ride-a-long with the officers. His account is action packed, suspenseful, and keeps the adrenaline pumping right to the very end.
According to his book, Thin Blue Line is about power and control in the city of Chicago. The drama asks, “who is really running the streets of Chicago? A high-ranking gang member’s trial is less than a week away. Determined not to go back to the penitentiary, he decides to “tie up some loose ends”. An officer, on patrol in the area, interrupts those plans and pays the ultimate price. Now, two veteran police officers lead the manhunt to bring this killer to justice. There’s only one problem; too much red tape! Ultimately, they must choose between what is legally right and morally right.”
Daniel Schrager was a member of the Chicago Police Department for twenty-eight years, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant in 1998. During his career, he worked as a patrol officer in the Cabrini-Green housing project; spent eight years as a vice officer in the Rush Street entertainment area; three years as a sergeant in a special unit created by then-mayor Jane Byrne to investigate misconduct in the Chicago Transit Authority; and, several years as a patrol sergeant. During his last five years on the Chicago Police Department, he was the Acting Watch Commander in the 24th Patrol District.
For eighteen months, in an unofficial capacity, he assisted as a bodyguard and driver for a mayoral candidate during a re-election bid.
Prior to joining the Chicago Police Department, he served fourteen months in Vietnam assigned to the U.S. Army First Infantry Division, including the period of the Tet offensive in 1968.
His book “The Code” is the story of a Chicago cop, Jake Harmon, who stumbles across an unidentified man carrying $250,000. While struggling to adhere to the "Cop Code of Behavior," he attempts to uncover the source of the money. Aided by his girlfriend and fellow officer, Aranda Gonzalez, he makes a shocking discovery that pushes him to the limits of the Code. His second book, “On The Edge” is the story of two Chicago cops, the investigative reporter they've teamed up with, and their investigation into the seamy world of drugs, politics and corruption.
While Police-Writers.com hosts 253 police officers (representing over 70 police departments) and their 647 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.
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