By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
May 29, 2007 – The Defense Department is preparing a pandemic flu guide for civilian managers and rank-and-file employees, a senior official said. The Defense Department released its Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan in April, Patricia S. Bradshaw, deputy undersecretary of defense for civilian personnel policy, said May 25 in an interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service.
The department's plan is part of the president's initiative to prepare the nation for a potential mass outbreak of deadly flu virus.
"And now, we're going to top that off with a DoD civilian human resources guide with a target audience of managers and employees," Bradshaw said.
She said the guide will outline specific things that managers, supervisors and employees need to do to prepare themselves for a possible flu pandemic or any other type of crisis. It's to be issued within the next four to six weeks, she said, and will be available on the Defense Department's pandemic flu Web site, fhp.osd.mil/aiWatchboard.
Pandemic flu is a fast-spreading human flu that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness that could sicken or kill hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people, according to the U.S. government's pandemic flu Web site. For example, the 1918 flu epidemic killed more than half a million Americans.
Any challenges inherent in preparing the department's roughly 600,000 civilian employees for a possible flu epidemic or other crisis aren't dissimilar to those faced by the private-sector work force, Bradshaw noted.
"I think the challenges are not unlike any (other) work force," Bradshaw explained. "If we have a crisis such as a pandemic, the real challenge here is maximizing social distancing as the preferred technique to employ, because it's a contagious disease."
Increased shift work, phone usage, teleconferencing and working from home are among the options DoD could employ to continue operations in the event a flu pandemic reaches the United States, Bradshaw said.
"You're trying to figure out how to keep people safe and well and, at the same time continue the operations of the department," Bradshaw said. "And so, we'll really be looking at ways to do that."
Federal government guidance to state and local authorities has recommended the launch of pandemic flu preparedness exercises, she said.
"You can test to see where your gaps are and (where) your potential problems would be," Bradshaw explained, noting the federal government and the military already have conducted some exercises with civilian authorities.
The Defense Department plans to continue to provide work and pay to its civilian employees during a potential pandemic flu crisis, Bradshaw said. Again, the focus will be on employing social distancing to minimize potential devastating effects during a pandemic, she said.
"We're going to tell you, 'Please, don't come to work,'" Bradshaw said. Such a practice, she said, minimizes the spread of disease during a pandemic.
Additionally, Defense Department civilian managers need to determine how they'll continue performing their organization's core functions during a pandemic, Bradshaw said.
"What are the mission-essential functions that absolutely need to be done?" Bradshaw asked, especially tasks that can be accomplished online from home.
"The managers really need to think through what kind of work can be done away from the work site," she said. "Our goal is to ensure that our employees, to the maximum extent possible, can continue to work during such a pandemic."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
LAPPL MAKES SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE THE LAPD
The Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Police Protective League today issued the following statement regarding ways in which the LAPD might improve training and command and control in the wake of the incident in MacArthur Park on May 1st.
"Training is the backbone of good police work. Constant, updated training ensures that officers know not only what to do, but can implement the Department's policies, procedures and expectations for any given incident. The May 1 incident revealed the downside of the Department's cost-based decision over the past several years to abandon introductory training for new Metropolitan Division (Metro) officers, and to not train all officers for large tactical situations. Moving forward, the LAPD leadership also needs to evaluate the training of command staff to respond to large demonstrations."
The LAPPL recommends that any command, control and training changes in the wake of theMacArthur Park incident should include the following:
All new Metropolitan Division (Metro) officers attend "new person school" in their first deployment period assigned to Metro. Class size should be limited to 18 officers, the maximum number that can effectively be trained at one time.
All Bureau-dedicated officers assigned to the Mobile Field Force (MFF) citywide should attend a Metro-coordinated MFF training class on a quarterly basis. Thereafter, Metro training cadre should conduct random realistic readiness audits of each Bureau MFF.
A clear use-of-force policy regarding the use of batons in crowd control procedures needs to be reiterated as part of on-the-job training and disseminated to MFF officers during pre-event briefings.
All Command officers should be required to attend a full day of crowd control management classes on a yearly basis.
All LAPD officers deployed to a major crowd event should be allowed to carry on their person appropriate safety equipment, including helmet with face shield, batons and protective masks.
Anytime LAPD officers are deployed to a major incident, undercover officers should be deployed into the crowd-however, only for intelligence gathering purposes.
Anytime undercover officers are deployed into the crowd for intelligence gathering purposes, an adequate number of high-ground officers should be utilized.
Media procedures (consistent with the Crespo settlement) should be communicated to all officers assigned to an event during pre-event briefings.
In order for media to be credentialed, members of the media should be required to attend a yearly LAPD media training where they will be informed of proper procedures concerning safe areas. The continued goal of the LAPD should be to provide full and safe access to events in the city.
Officers authorized to use 37 millimeter (less lethal munitions) should receive quarterly or semi-annual training.
Metro officers should continue to test and evaluate modernized protective equipment for crowd control purposes, to ensure that the Department is using the most effective equipment at all times.
Officers assigned to reserve resources at a standby staging area during an event should not be re-assigned to non-event duties until after the event has concluded peacefully and the crowd has cleared.
Endorsing and implementing these measures will help to prevent the repetition of the kind of missteps that were made on May 1.
About the LAPPL
Formed in 1922, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,000 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education. The LAPPL can be found on the Web at www.LAPD.com.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
"Training is the backbone of good police work. Constant, updated training ensures that officers know not only what to do, but can implement the Department's policies, procedures and expectations for any given incident. The May 1 incident revealed the downside of the Department's cost-based decision over the past several years to abandon introductory training for new Metropolitan Division (Metro) officers, and to not train all officers for large tactical situations. Moving forward, the LAPD leadership also needs to evaluate the training of command staff to respond to large demonstrations."
The LAPPL recommends that any command, control and training changes in the wake of theMacArthur Park incident should include the following:
All new Metropolitan Division (Metro) officers attend "new person school" in their first deployment period assigned to Metro. Class size should be limited to 18 officers, the maximum number that can effectively be trained at one time.
All Bureau-dedicated officers assigned to the Mobile Field Force (MFF) citywide should attend a Metro-coordinated MFF training class on a quarterly basis. Thereafter, Metro training cadre should conduct random realistic readiness audits of each Bureau MFF.
A clear use-of-force policy regarding the use of batons in crowd control procedures needs to be reiterated as part of on-the-job training and disseminated to MFF officers during pre-event briefings.
All Command officers should be required to attend a full day of crowd control management classes on a yearly basis.
All LAPD officers deployed to a major crowd event should be allowed to carry on their person appropriate safety equipment, including helmet with face shield, batons and protective masks.
Anytime LAPD officers are deployed to a major incident, undercover officers should be deployed into the crowd-however, only for intelligence gathering purposes.
Anytime undercover officers are deployed into the crowd for intelligence gathering purposes, an adequate number of high-ground officers should be utilized.
Media procedures (consistent with the Crespo settlement) should be communicated to all officers assigned to an event during pre-event briefings.
In order for media to be credentialed, members of the media should be required to attend a yearly LAPD media training where they will be informed of proper procedures concerning safe areas. The continued goal of the LAPD should be to provide full and safe access to events in the city.
Officers authorized to use 37 millimeter (less lethal munitions) should receive quarterly or semi-annual training.
Metro officers should continue to test and evaluate modernized protective equipment for crowd control purposes, to ensure that the Department is using the most effective equipment at all times.
Officers assigned to reserve resources at a standby staging area during an event should not be re-assigned to non-event duties until after the event has concluded peacefully and the crowd has cleared.
Endorsing and implementing these measures will help to prevent the repetition of the kind of missteps that were made on May 1.
About the LAPPL
Formed in 1922, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,000 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education. The LAPPL can be found on the Web at www.LAPD.com.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Arizona, Arkansas and Georgia
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Four police officers from Arizona, Arkansas and Georgia was added to the website: Bryan Muth; Frank Gillette; Cory Harris; and, Harold Goldhagen.
Bryan Muth was a police officer for the Phoenix Police Department (Arizona). After his retirement in 2005, he began working as a private investigator in the Phoenix area. Bryan Muth is the author of Judging the Police. According to the book description, “the post Rodney King era police officer is more tenuous fearful of citizen complaint or prosecution than ever before in history. The "L" word (liability) is fast becoming the first concern of a cop not public safety. Officers are being reviewed through citizen groups, ADHOC committees, or civil juries whose members only yesterday told a police officer "I wouldn't do your job for a million bucks". Offenders as young as ten years old are trying to intimidate an officer from doing his job by demanding to talk to the officer's supervisor. Unfortunately, it is working! You are not as safe from crime as you would think or that police administrators and politicians would like you to believe.”
Bryan Muth is currently working on his second book, How Near Anarchy. A portion of the proceeds from his second book are slated to go a law enforcement legal defense fund based in Washington, DC, that defends police officers from unwarranted prosecution.
Frank V. Gillette retired from the Arizona Department of Public Safety. He is the author of two books, A Cop’s Diary and Pleasant Valley. In addition to his writing, he apparently stayed alert and involved. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety monthly newsletter, in August 1984, Frank Gillette was gathering firewood west of Young Airport when he saw a large aircraft making its final approach. Frank Gillette also noted unusual activity on nearby roads. He called a narcotics officer and reported the activity, leading to one of the largest cocaine seizures in Arizona history; over 1,370 pounds with a street value of $148 million.
Cory B. Harris has over 13 years of military and law enforcement experience. He has served with The United States Air Force, Little Rock Police Department (Arkansas), United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the United States Marshal Service. He has law enforcement training and experience in field training, crime prevention, investigations, operations, apprehension, and protection. He is also a recipient of the Little Rock Police Department’s Medal of Merit. Moreover, he is the first law enforcement official from the state of Arkansas to be added to the website.
Cory B. Harris is the author of Zipper Le Series One: Outlook on Leadership And Liability Issues in the Criminal Justice System. According to the book description, Cory B. Harris’ book, “takes you behind the badge to examine tough issues in the criminal justice system. It tackles civil liability, race, and leadership issues to name a few from the outlook of the author. The author gives examples using his own experiences that are simple and easy to understand to give the reader unique insight. The book contains many case studies, and stories that are interesting yet they have a simple meaning. The book explores how different groups of people look at these issues in different ways, as well as how important it is for criminal justice officials to stay mentally fit.”
Harold Goldhagen is a retired captain from the Atlanta Police Department. He is also the author of Signal 63: Officer Needs Help. According to the book description, “As the Civil Rights Movement changed everything, Atlanta, Georgia could be any city. Cops are cops; people are people; crime is crime. Serving in the police is tough, and Officer Harold's circumstances were anything but ordinary.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 557 police officers (representing 231 police departments) and their 1174 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.
Bryan Muth was a police officer for the Phoenix Police Department (Arizona). After his retirement in 2005, he began working as a private investigator in the Phoenix area. Bryan Muth is the author of Judging the Police. According to the book description, “the post Rodney King era police officer is more tenuous fearful of citizen complaint or prosecution than ever before in history. The "L" word (liability) is fast becoming the first concern of a cop not public safety. Officers are being reviewed through citizen groups, ADHOC committees, or civil juries whose members only yesterday told a police officer "I wouldn't do your job for a million bucks". Offenders as young as ten years old are trying to intimidate an officer from doing his job by demanding to talk to the officer's supervisor. Unfortunately, it is working! You are not as safe from crime as you would think or that police administrators and politicians would like you to believe.”
Bryan Muth is currently working on his second book, How Near Anarchy. A portion of the proceeds from his second book are slated to go a law enforcement legal defense fund based in Washington, DC, that defends police officers from unwarranted prosecution.
Frank V. Gillette retired from the Arizona Department of Public Safety. He is the author of two books, A Cop’s Diary and Pleasant Valley. In addition to his writing, he apparently stayed alert and involved. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety monthly newsletter, in August 1984, Frank Gillette was gathering firewood west of Young Airport when he saw a large aircraft making its final approach. Frank Gillette also noted unusual activity on nearby roads. He called a narcotics officer and reported the activity, leading to one of the largest cocaine seizures in Arizona history; over 1,370 pounds with a street value of $148 million.
Cory B. Harris has over 13 years of military and law enforcement experience. He has served with The United States Air Force, Little Rock Police Department (Arkansas), United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the United States Marshal Service. He has law enforcement training and experience in field training, crime prevention, investigations, operations, apprehension, and protection. He is also a recipient of the Little Rock Police Department’s Medal of Merit. Moreover, he is the first law enforcement official from the state of Arkansas to be added to the website.
Cory B. Harris is the author of Zipper Le Series One: Outlook on Leadership And Liability Issues in the Criminal Justice System. According to the book description, Cory B. Harris’ book, “takes you behind the badge to examine tough issues in the criminal justice system. It tackles civil liability, race, and leadership issues to name a few from the outlook of the author. The author gives examples using his own experiences that are simple and easy to understand to give the reader unique insight. The book contains many case studies, and stories that are interesting yet they have a simple meaning. The book explores how different groups of people look at these issues in different ways, as well as how important it is for criminal justice officials to stay mentally fit.”
Harold Goldhagen is a retired captain from the Atlanta Police Department. He is also the author of Signal 63: Officer Needs Help. According to the book description, “As the Civil Rights Movement changed everything, Atlanta, Georgia could be any city. Cops are cops; people are people; crime is crime. Serving in the police is tough, and Officer Harold's circumstances were anything but ordinary.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 557 police officers (representing 231 police departments) and their 1174 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, May 27, 2007
Gates Offers Leadership Philosophy to Graduating Midshipmen
Editor's Note: Gates' speech is applicable to criminal justice practitioners in leadership positions.
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 25, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates urged graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy accepting commissions today into the Navy and Marine Corps to apply the lessons they learned here to become strong, decisive leaders who motivate and inspire their sailors and Marines. Speaking to the Class of 2007 at its graduation and commissioning ceremony, Gates thanked the 1,028 graduating midshipmen for choosing to serve the country at a particularly challenging time in its history.
"Today, you take on the awesome responsibility of protecting and defending the constitution of the United States and the American people," he said. "Today we ask you to make the extraordinary the expected. Today, we ask you to lead free men and women by summoning each to his or her nobility."
Gates noted the midshipmen have studied a lot about leadership during their four years in Annapolis, and said he has come to realize that real leadership is a rare commodity.
He offered his personal insights into what makes a leader, citing vision, integrity, conviction, self-confidence, courage and common decency.
Leadership takes vision, Gates told the midshipmen, and the ability to see beyond immediate tasks and challenges to what's ahead. "You must see what others do not or cannot, and then be prepared to act on your vision," he said.
Real leadership also demands integrity, Gates said, acknowledging with dismay that it's a notion many tend to consider curious and old-fashioned.
"For a real leader, personal values - self-reliance, self-control, honor, truthfulness, morality - are absolute," he said. "These are the building blocks of character, of integrity, and only on that foundation can true leadership be built."
Gates called deep conviction another critical leadership quality. "True leadership is a fire in the mind" that's able to transform and transfix others, he said "It is a strength of purpose and belief in a cause that reaches out to others, touches their hearts, and makes them eager to follow."
A true leader exhibits self-confidence, the secretary said. He emphasized that he wasn't referring to "chest-thumping, strutting egotism," but rather, "a quiet self-assurance that allows a leader to give others both real responsibility and credit for success."
A self-confident leader is able to make decisions, then delegate and trust others to carry them out, he said. In doing so, Gates said, the leader "doesn't cast such a large shadow that no one else can grow."
As essential as vision, integrity, deep conviction and self-confidence are to leadership, they aren't enough to make a leader, he told the midshipmen. "A leader must have the courage to act, often against the will of the crowd," he said.
A true leader works as a team, but also must be willing to buck popular opinion and take an independent stand when it's necessary, the secretary said. "Don't kid yourself," he told the midshipmen. "That takes courage."
As the graduates move on to their Navy and Marine Corps careers, Gates reminded them to apply another quality of real leadership: common decency. A true leader treats everyone - superiors, peers and subordinates alike - with fairness, respect and dignity, he said.
Gates urged the graduates to use their authority as military officers constructively to care for their sailors and Marines and help them improve and advance themselves. This, in turn, will build respect and loyalty, he said.
"Common decency builds respect and, in a democratic society, respect is what prompts people to give their all for a leader, even at personal sacrifice," he said.
Gates thanked the graduating midshipmen for choosing to serve the country at a time their country needs them and their leadership abilities.
He noted that most were high school juniors when the United States came under terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, and all could have chosen an easier, less demanding path.
"You, however, are special, because you are among those who have chosen to deserve, to defend the dreams of others," he said. "And that sets you apart."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 25, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates urged graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy accepting commissions today into the Navy and Marine Corps to apply the lessons they learned here to become strong, decisive leaders who motivate and inspire their sailors and Marines. Speaking to the Class of 2007 at its graduation and commissioning ceremony, Gates thanked the 1,028 graduating midshipmen for choosing to serve the country at a particularly challenging time in its history.
"Today, you take on the awesome responsibility of protecting and defending the constitution of the United States and the American people," he said. "Today we ask you to make the extraordinary the expected. Today, we ask you to lead free men and women by summoning each to his or her nobility."
Gates noted the midshipmen have studied a lot about leadership during their four years in Annapolis, and said he has come to realize that real leadership is a rare commodity.
He offered his personal insights into what makes a leader, citing vision, integrity, conviction, self-confidence, courage and common decency.
Leadership takes vision, Gates told the midshipmen, and the ability to see beyond immediate tasks and challenges to what's ahead. "You must see what others do not or cannot, and then be prepared to act on your vision," he said.
Real leadership also demands integrity, Gates said, acknowledging with dismay that it's a notion many tend to consider curious and old-fashioned.
"For a real leader, personal values - self-reliance, self-control, honor, truthfulness, morality - are absolute," he said. "These are the building blocks of character, of integrity, and only on that foundation can true leadership be built."
Gates called deep conviction another critical leadership quality. "True leadership is a fire in the mind" that's able to transform and transfix others, he said "It is a strength of purpose and belief in a cause that reaches out to others, touches their hearts, and makes them eager to follow."
A true leader exhibits self-confidence, the secretary said. He emphasized that he wasn't referring to "chest-thumping, strutting egotism," but rather, "a quiet self-assurance that allows a leader to give others both real responsibility and credit for success."
A self-confident leader is able to make decisions, then delegate and trust others to carry them out, he said. In doing so, Gates said, the leader "doesn't cast such a large shadow that no one else can grow."
As essential as vision, integrity, deep conviction and self-confidence are to leadership, they aren't enough to make a leader, he told the midshipmen. "A leader must have the courage to act, often against the will of the crowd," he said.
A true leader works as a team, but also must be willing to buck popular opinion and take an independent stand when it's necessary, the secretary said. "Don't kid yourself," he told the midshipmen. "That takes courage."
As the graduates move on to their Navy and Marine Corps careers, Gates reminded them to apply another quality of real leadership: common decency. A true leader treats everyone - superiors, peers and subordinates alike - with fairness, respect and dignity, he said.
Gates urged the graduates to use their authority as military officers constructively to care for their sailors and Marines and help them improve and advance themselves. This, in turn, will build respect and loyalty, he said.
"Common decency builds respect and, in a democratic society, respect is what prompts people to give their all for a leader, even at personal sacrifice," he said.
Gates thanked the graduating midshipmen for choosing to serve the country at a time their country needs them and their leadership abilities.
He noted that most were high school juniors when the United States came under terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, and all could have chosen an easier, less demanding path.
"You, however, are special, because you are among those who have chosen to deserve, to defend the dreams of others," he said. "And that sets you apart."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Service Academies Retain Principles, Embrace Change to Train Future Leaders
Editors Note: Some excellent advice in here for domestic law enforcement.
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 24, 2007 – As "ruffles and flourishes" rings through the three U.S. military academies over the next few days, several thousand new graduates will accept their commissions and join the military ranks. These young second lieutenants and ensigns all enrolled in their respective schools -- the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.; the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.; and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. -- recognizing they'd graduate into a wartime force.
Most were sophomores in high school when they watched televised images of the Twin Towers falling and the Pentagon burning, then the U.S. going to war in Afghanistan. Most hadn't yet been to their senior proms when the country entered Iraq. This week they'll leave their schoolhouses behind to join their fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines serving around the world in the war on terror.
To get a better picture of how their schools have prepared them for this calling, American Forces Press Service spoke with their academic deans and alumni who have risen to the senior military ranks.
Here's what they had to say about what has changed at their institutions and what remains fundamental, and how they're helping ensure their graduates are ready for the challenges they'll confront as military officers.
The Basics
Although they're four-year schools like thousands of others that dot the United States, the U.S. service academies stand uniquely apart. All were founded with the specific goal of educating military leaders -- people who understand not just the art and science of war, but also the fundamentals of leadership.
That's a principle the academies have held at their core as they strive to develop what Army Col. Dan Ragsdale, vice dean at West Point and a 1981 graduate, calls "critical thinkers" armed with the education and training they need to think on their feet.
"Our expectations are that these future leaders are going to have to draw on a relatively broad set of skills, backgrounds and experiences to help solve the problems that they are going to confront in ... a greatly ambiguous world in which they are going to have to operate," he said.
To develop those skills, the academies offer curricula that recently retired Army Gen. John Abizaid, a 1973 West Point graduate who went on to lead U.S. Central Command, described as "some of the most challenging in the nation today."
The coursework is steeped in science, math and engineering so graduates are prepared to enter a highly technical military, whether they'll be flying aircraft, serving on nuclear-powered submarines or calling in air strikes as they lead ground forces in combat, explained William Miller, academic dean and provost at the Naval Academy and a 1962 graduate.
"We want to ensure all our graduates have a good, solid technical foundation for serving as an officer in a very, very technically demanding environment," he said.
Equally important, officials agree, is an understanding of the world in which they'll operate. All three academies have expanded their curricula to increasingly focus on regional studies and language skills.
"The kinds of problems that our ... graduates will face are across a broad spectrum, so we have to give them a technological foundation," Ragsdale said. "But we also have to give them a social and cultural perspective around which to address and solve problems. We have to help them understand and appreciate the political aspects of any problem they are trying to address."
More Than Academics
There may be no pat formula for preparing new officers to serve in wartime, but officials agreed it requires more than mastery of academics.
"Our graduates are not going to be historians and mechanical engineers," Miller said. "They are going to be leaders and problem solvers in a very demanding environment."
There's no possible way to train students for every possible situation they'll encounter when they enter military service, the officials agreed.
"That's a given," Ragsdale said. "But because we know that, we have worked to create an environment where they can develop as the adaptable, agile, critical thinkers they need to be to lead the soldiers who will be entrusted to their care."
The academies strive to prepare cadets and midshipmen to look at problems from multiple dimensions and to juggle priorities.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that's one of the biggest lessons he took away from his Naval Academy experience.
"At school, there was always too much to do, and in the Marine Corps, there has always been too much to do," Pace said. "Therefore, you really have to take the important and set it aside to do the critical."
Pace said being bombarded with myriad demands as a midshipman reinforced the importance of teamwork, another principle he said he's carried throughout his career. "In combat, there is nothing you do as an individual," he said. "It's all based on teamwork."
Developing Leaders
While developing their cadets and midshipmen intellectually, the academies also focus on developing them as leaders.
Abizaid said the most important lesson the academies need to instill is "the ability to lead people in a positive, inspirational way."
From their first days at their respective schools, cadets and midshipmen get exposed to valuable lessons in leadership. Initially they observe upperclassmen serving in various leadership positions -- some successfully, some less so. Later, students try their own hand at leadership posts. Through this process, they begin to understand what leadership style works for them, what doesn't, and how they can improve their leadership skills.
Gen. John Corley, Air Force vice chief of staff and a 1973 graduate of the Air Force Academy, described his alma mater as a "leadership laboratory" where cadets exposed him and his fellow cadets to "a set of experiences that you just don't find in other places."
"They also provided challenges," Corley said. "It was a test ... in terms of your development (and) ... your ability to grow and become a leader of character."
"I learned a lot from observing good leadership, and from observing bad leadership, and through experimentation on my own part, trying things that worked or didn't work for me," Pace said of his time at the Naval Academy.
That's the single biggest difference between the military academies and traditional civilian colleges and universities, the deans and alumni agreed.
"Our first and foremost overarching outcome is to commission ... leaders of character who embody our ... core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do," said Brig. Gen. Dana Born, dean of faculty for the Air Force Academy and a 1983 graduate. "It stands at the very foundation of what we do."
Miller said leadership lessons learned at the academies have a long-lasting impact on how graduates confront problems.
"No matter what (military) community our graduates enter, ... they are going to be leaders, and we want to ensure they have a good ethical foundation for the decisions they are going to make," he said.
Educating for the Future
While preparing their cadets and midshipmen for the immediate requirements they'll face as graduates, academy officials say they recognize the need to keep their eyes focused on the horizon.
"We try to stay balanced and not hyper-reactive," Ragsdale said. "We recognize that we're providing a foundation upon which they can develop as successful officers."
"We can't just focus on the fact that we are currently engaged in a shooting war ... and think only about what (midshipmen) are going to need right after graduation," agreed Miller. "We need to look at what (future officers) are going to need for the longer term and recognize that we're preparing them for a career of service."
By approaching education as a "strategic investment," Miller said, the academies are helping students recognize that their education will be just beginning as they accept their commissions.
"We are trying to lay a foundation on which they can build over their career and continue to learn," he said. "That's important, because being in the armed services demands lifetime learning."
Change
The biggest misconception about the academies is that they're so embedded in tradition that they can't or won't change with the times, officials said.
"That is about as far from the truth as you can get," Ragsdale said. "On the contrary, we understand ... that our graduates have to be prepared for a changing world. So while we hold on to our firm foundations upon which the institution was built, we have embraced change to ensure we are providing the kinds of experiences our cadets need to be successful in the world they are going to face when they graduate."
Born described sweeping changes in the Air Force Academy's core curriculum so courses build on previous lessons and broaden students' exposure to new concepts and approaches. The other academies have instituted similar changes.
These changes are helping ensure students have a foundation from which to draw when they graduate into a wartime environment. "We need students to learn and be able to build upon prior learning, as opposed to just teaching and hoping that they remember it when they need it when they are in downtown Baghdad making decisions," Born said.
Intraservice Cooperation
An intensive system of sharing and cooperation is helping the academies evolve to better serve their students' and services' needs. Staffs meet in person and share e-mails regularly to keep each other informed about new initiatives they're trying and what they've learned along the way.
"We are trying to learn from each other in a leap-frog fashion rather than all of us learning linearly and stumbling over the same obstacles," Miller said.
"We have very common goals and a common set of outcomes that we would like all our graduates to achieve," Ragsdale agreed. "So we share those things that have worked, and on the flip side, those initiatives that have not been successful so they can learn from our mistakes."
Born said the academies recognize their similarities and build on each others' strengths. "We ... team together to share lessons learned and best practices. We learn from each other and are able to progress more quickly by sharing our lessons learned," she said.
So despite infamous interservice rivalry in the sports arena, Born said, there's a healthy respect and common understanding among academy students, graduates and staffs.
"When it comes to the football field, there is all kinds of talk and all kinds of competition," she said. "But when it comes right down to it, we are all working toward commissioning officers and leaders of character for our nation."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 24, 2007 – As "ruffles and flourishes" rings through the three U.S. military academies over the next few days, several thousand new graduates will accept their commissions and join the military ranks. These young second lieutenants and ensigns all enrolled in their respective schools -- the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.; the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.; and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. -- recognizing they'd graduate into a wartime force.
Most were sophomores in high school when they watched televised images of the Twin Towers falling and the Pentagon burning, then the U.S. going to war in Afghanistan. Most hadn't yet been to their senior proms when the country entered Iraq. This week they'll leave their schoolhouses behind to join their fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines serving around the world in the war on terror.
To get a better picture of how their schools have prepared them for this calling, American Forces Press Service spoke with their academic deans and alumni who have risen to the senior military ranks.
Here's what they had to say about what has changed at their institutions and what remains fundamental, and how they're helping ensure their graduates are ready for the challenges they'll confront as military officers.
The Basics
Although they're four-year schools like thousands of others that dot the United States, the U.S. service academies stand uniquely apart. All were founded with the specific goal of educating military leaders -- people who understand not just the art and science of war, but also the fundamentals of leadership.
That's a principle the academies have held at their core as they strive to develop what Army Col. Dan Ragsdale, vice dean at West Point and a 1981 graduate, calls "critical thinkers" armed with the education and training they need to think on their feet.
"Our expectations are that these future leaders are going to have to draw on a relatively broad set of skills, backgrounds and experiences to help solve the problems that they are going to confront in ... a greatly ambiguous world in which they are going to have to operate," he said.
To develop those skills, the academies offer curricula that recently retired Army Gen. John Abizaid, a 1973 West Point graduate who went on to lead U.S. Central Command, described as "some of the most challenging in the nation today."
The coursework is steeped in science, math and engineering so graduates are prepared to enter a highly technical military, whether they'll be flying aircraft, serving on nuclear-powered submarines or calling in air strikes as they lead ground forces in combat, explained William Miller, academic dean and provost at the Naval Academy and a 1962 graduate.
"We want to ensure all our graduates have a good, solid technical foundation for serving as an officer in a very, very technically demanding environment," he said.
Equally important, officials agree, is an understanding of the world in which they'll operate. All three academies have expanded their curricula to increasingly focus on regional studies and language skills.
"The kinds of problems that our ... graduates will face are across a broad spectrum, so we have to give them a technological foundation," Ragsdale said. "But we also have to give them a social and cultural perspective around which to address and solve problems. We have to help them understand and appreciate the political aspects of any problem they are trying to address."
More Than Academics
There may be no pat formula for preparing new officers to serve in wartime, but officials agreed it requires more than mastery of academics.
"Our graduates are not going to be historians and mechanical engineers," Miller said. "They are going to be leaders and problem solvers in a very demanding environment."
There's no possible way to train students for every possible situation they'll encounter when they enter military service, the officials agreed.
"That's a given," Ragsdale said. "But because we know that, we have worked to create an environment where they can develop as the adaptable, agile, critical thinkers they need to be to lead the soldiers who will be entrusted to their care."
The academies strive to prepare cadets and midshipmen to look at problems from multiple dimensions and to juggle priorities.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that's one of the biggest lessons he took away from his Naval Academy experience.
"At school, there was always too much to do, and in the Marine Corps, there has always been too much to do," Pace said. "Therefore, you really have to take the important and set it aside to do the critical."
Pace said being bombarded with myriad demands as a midshipman reinforced the importance of teamwork, another principle he said he's carried throughout his career. "In combat, there is nothing you do as an individual," he said. "It's all based on teamwork."
Developing Leaders
While developing their cadets and midshipmen intellectually, the academies also focus on developing them as leaders.
Abizaid said the most important lesson the academies need to instill is "the ability to lead people in a positive, inspirational way."
From their first days at their respective schools, cadets and midshipmen get exposed to valuable lessons in leadership. Initially they observe upperclassmen serving in various leadership positions -- some successfully, some less so. Later, students try their own hand at leadership posts. Through this process, they begin to understand what leadership style works for them, what doesn't, and how they can improve their leadership skills.
Gen. John Corley, Air Force vice chief of staff and a 1973 graduate of the Air Force Academy, described his alma mater as a "leadership laboratory" where cadets exposed him and his fellow cadets to "a set of experiences that you just don't find in other places."
"They also provided challenges," Corley said. "It was a test ... in terms of your development (and) ... your ability to grow and become a leader of character."
"I learned a lot from observing good leadership, and from observing bad leadership, and through experimentation on my own part, trying things that worked or didn't work for me," Pace said of his time at the Naval Academy.
That's the single biggest difference between the military academies and traditional civilian colleges and universities, the deans and alumni agreed.
"Our first and foremost overarching outcome is to commission ... leaders of character who embody our ... core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do," said Brig. Gen. Dana Born, dean of faculty for the Air Force Academy and a 1983 graduate. "It stands at the very foundation of what we do."
Miller said leadership lessons learned at the academies have a long-lasting impact on how graduates confront problems.
"No matter what (military) community our graduates enter, ... they are going to be leaders, and we want to ensure they have a good ethical foundation for the decisions they are going to make," he said.
Educating for the Future
While preparing their cadets and midshipmen for the immediate requirements they'll face as graduates, academy officials say they recognize the need to keep their eyes focused on the horizon.
"We try to stay balanced and not hyper-reactive," Ragsdale said. "We recognize that we're providing a foundation upon which they can develop as successful officers."
"We can't just focus on the fact that we are currently engaged in a shooting war ... and think only about what (midshipmen) are going to need right after graduation," agreed Miller. "We need to look at what (future officers) are going to need for the longer term and recognize that we're preparing them for a career of service."
By approaching education as a "strategic investment," Miller said, the academies are helping students recognize that their education will be just beginning as they accept their commissions.
"We are trying to lay a foundation on which they can build over their career and continue to learn," he said. "That's important, because being in the armed services demands lifetime learning."
Change
The biggest misconception about the academies is that they're so embedded in tradition that they can't or won't change with the times, officials said.
"That is about as far from the truth as you can get," Ragsdale said. "On the contrary, we understand ... that our graduates have to be prepared for a changing world. So while we hold on to our firm foundations upon which the institution was built, we have embraced change to ensure we are providing the kinds of experiences our cadets need to be successful in the world they are going to face when they graduate."
Born described sweeping changes in the Air Force Academy's core curriculum so courses build on previous lessons and broaden students' exposure to new concepts and approaches. The other academies have instituted similar changes.
These changes are helping ensure students have a foundation from which to draw when they graduate into a wartime environment. "We need students to learn and be able to build upon prior learning, as opposed to just teaching and hoping that they remember it when they need it when they are in downtown Baghdad making decisions," Born said.
Intraservice Cooperation
An intensive system of sharing and cooperation is helping the academies evolve to better serve their students' and services' needs. Staffs meet in person and share e-mails regularly to keep each other informed about new initiatives they're trying and what they've learned along the way.
"We are trying to learn from each other in a leap-frog fashion rather than all of us learning linearly and stumbling over the same obstacles," Miller said.
"We have very common goals and a common set of outcomes that we would like all our graduates to achieve," Ragsdale agreed. "So we share those things that have worked, and on the flip side, those initiatives that have not been successful so they can learn from our mistakes."
Born said the academies recognize their similarities and build on each others' strengths. "We ... team together to share lessons learned and best practices. We learn from each other and are able to progress more quickly by sharing our lessons learned," she said.
So despite infamous interservice rivalry in the sports arena, Born said, there's a healthy respect and common understanding among academy students, graduates and staffs.
"When it comes to the football field, there is all kinds of talk and all kinds of competition," she said. "But when it comes right down to it, we are all working toward commissioning officers and leaders of character for our nation."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP) FY2007
CEDAP Application Period Extended!
Application Deadline: June 29, 2007, 23:59EDT
The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP) is an important component of the Administration's larger, coordinated effort to strengthen the Nation's overall level of preparedness. CEDAP transfers specialized commercial equipment, equipment training, and equipment technical assistance directly to smaller jurisdictions and eligible metropolitan areas.
TThe FY 2007 CEDAP will provide equipment, equipment training, and equipment technical assistance valued at approximately $33.7 million to first responder organizations across the Nation. This competitive program is a direct assistance program, not a grant program, and FEMA will provide the equipment and technical assistance directly to the selected jurisdictions.
CEDAP's equipment offerings include:
Personal Protective Equipment
Thermal Imaging, Night Vision, and Video Surveillance
Chemical and Biological Detection
Information Technology and Risk Management Tools
Interoperable Communications Equipment/Technology
Eligible Agencies
Eligible applicants include law enforcement agencies, fire, and other emergency responders who demonstrate that the equipment will be used to improve their ability and capacity to respond to a major critical incident or work with other first responders. Awardees must not have received equipment/funding under the Urban Areas Security Initiative or the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program for which the Award Date is October 1, 2005 or later. Awardees that have received grant assistance from FEMA under FEMA's Interoperable Communications Equipment (ICE) program are not eligible for interoperable communications equipment under CEDAP. Organizations must submit applications through the Responder Knowledge Base (RKB) website at www.rkb.mipt.org.
Agencies and departments are allowed to submit only one application per year under CEDAP. Receipt of multiple applications from different divisions or units of the same agency or department will automatically disqualify the applicant from consideration for all CEDAP applications submitted. Applicants should select items from the CEDAP Equipment Catalog that they have been unable to acquire through other DHS programs.
Apply Online
The CEDAP application is online at the Responder Knowledge Base (RKB) website at http://www.rkb.mipt.org/.
You must register as an RKB user before you can access the application form.
For More Information
Prospective applicants should direct any questions regarding CEDAP, the application process, or the awards process to the Centralized Scheduling and Information Desk (CSID) at 1-800-368-6498 or via e-mail at askcsid@dhs.gov.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Application Deadline: June 29, 2007, 23:59EDT
The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP) is an important component of the Administration's larger, coordinated effort to strengthen the Nation's overall level of preparedness. CEDAP transfers specialized commercial equipment, equipment training, and equipment technical assistance directly to smaller jurisdictions and eligible metropolitan areas.
TThe FY 2007 CEDAP will provide equipment, equipment training, and equipment technical assistance valued at approximately $33.7 million to first responder organizations across the Nation. This competitive program is a direct assistance program, not a grant program, and FEMA will provide the equipment and technical assistance directly to the selected jurisdictions.
CEDAP's equipment offerings include:
Personal Protective Equipment
Thermal Imaging, Night Vision, and Video Surveillance
Chemical and Biological Detection
Information Technology and Risk Management Tools
Interoperable Communications Equipment/Technology
Eligible Agencies
Eligible applicants include law enforcement agencies, fire, and other emergency responders who demonstrate that the equipment will be used to improve their ability and capacity to respond to a major critical incident or work with other first responders. Awardees must not have received equipment/funding under the Urban Areas Security Initiative or the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program for which the Award Date is October 1, 2005 or later. Awardees that have received grant assistance from FEMA under FEMA's Interoperable Communications Equipment (ICE) program are not eligible for interoperable communications equipment under CEDAP. Organizations must submit applications through the Responder Knowledge Base (RKB) website at www.rkb.mipt.org.
Agencies and departments are allowed to submit only one application per year under CEDAP. Receipt of multiple applications from different divisions or units of the same agency or department will automatically disqualify the applicant from consideration for all CEDAP applications submitted. Applicants should select items from the CEDAP Equipment Catalog that they have been unable to acquire through other DHS programs.
Apply Online
The CEDAP application is online at the Responder Knowledge Base (RKB) website at http://www.rkb.mipt.org/.
You must register as an RKB user before you can access the application form.
For More Information
Prospective applicants should direct any questions regarding CEDAP, the application process, or the awards process to the Centralized Scheduling and Information Desk (CSID) at 1-800-368-6498 or via e-mail at askcsid@dhs.gov.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Program Takes 'LEEP' for America
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
May 23, 2007 – U.S. servicemembers are working overseas to build capable police forces, and a member organization of the Defense Department's America Supports You program is helping that cause. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"The Law Enforcement Equipment Program facilitates the transfer of used law enforcement equipment to any American armed forces unit to be used to equip or train a friendly foreign police force," said Steve Newton a former police chief, who founded LEEP.
"We do not carry an inventory of equipment," he explained. "We simply act as a go-between for the American law enforcement community and the military."
The program also will assist in the transfer of needed equipment directly to the foreign police units if they're supervised by the United States, Newton, who also is a Marine and Navy veteran, added.
The Law Enforcement Equipment Program began to help an under-equipped Iraqi police force, he said. The program has since expanded to include Afghanistan and other areas where U.S. forces are training, or supervising the training, of foreign law officers.
"I believe that it is our responsibility to assist our armed forces in any and all ways possible," he said on the program's Web site.
The needs expressed by the servicemembers on behalf of the foreign law officers include everything from reflective belts and vests to body armor, batons and handcuffs. Some areas also are asking for riot control sets, gloves and even traffic cones.
America Supports You often serves as a way for a group to network and find another group that can fulfill a request it can't. This has been the case for The Law Enforcement Equipment Program, Newton said. His program has received several referrals from other America Supports You members.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
May 23, 2007 – U.S. servicemembers are working overseas to build capable police forces, and a member organization of the Defense Department's America Supports You program is helping that cause. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"The Law Enforcement Equipment Program facilitates the transfer of used law enforcement equipment to any American armed forces unit to be used to equip or train a friendly foreign police force," said Steve Newton a former police chief, who founded LEEP.
"We do not carry an inventory of equipment," he explained. "We simply act as a go-between for the American law enforcement community and the military."
The program also will assist in the transfer of needed equipment directly to the foreign police units if they're supervised by the United States, Newton, who also is a Marine and Navy veteran, added.
The Law Enforcement Equipment Program began to help an under-equipped Iraqi police force, he said. The program has since expanded to include Afghanistan and other areas where U.S. forces are training, or supervising the training, of foreign law officers.
"I believe that it is our responsibility to assist our armed forces in any and all ways possible," he said on the program's Web site.
The needs expressed by the servicemembers on behalf of the foreign law officers include everything from reflective belts and vests to body armor, batons and handcuffs. Some areas also are asking for riot control sets, gloves and even traffic cones.
America Supports You often serves as a way for a group to network and find another group that can fulfill a request it can't. This has been the case for The Law Enforcement Equipment Program, Newton said. His program has received several referrals from other America Supports You members.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Top Lawyers of America
Editor’s Note: Hi Tech Criminal Justice was compensated for the review of the following website.
Top Lawyers of America is well constructed and easy to navigate website. The website is commercial in nature allowing site visitors to search for attorneys and lawyers, nationwide, who have advertised on the site. As an example, if you were looking for a divorce attorney you can search by that area of law (there are fourteen different areas listed), or you could conduct a geographic search.
In addition to having a search for lawyer function, the site offers some very general information to legal questions; a news feed centered on legal news; and, a forum. While the website is well constructed, “non-referral” information, such as areas on “Research Legal Topics,” “Get Legal Tips” and “Ask a Lawyer” are either very generic or non-existent. This is likely a symptom of the website being relatively new. The web-publisher has a good idea – developing a nationwide attorney and legal advice portal, but it takes time and effort to flesh the idea out with salient information.
While a national portal may be a good idea, on a more practical area, this type of search function may not be the best way to actually find a lawyer. All attorneys belong to a bar association. It is by membership to that state bar that an attorney earns the right to practice law in that state. The bar tests, license and disciplines attorneys. Furthermore, many lawyers belong local bar associations. It is through these local associations that they obtain other benefits like legal updates, discounts to certain legal research databases and the ability to participate in a referral service.
Like Top Lawyers of America, the Orange County Bar Association (California), maintains a lawyer referral and information service. In both instances, the attorneys have paid some fee (either advertising or membership) to participate. The OC bar says, “Membership in the Lawyer Referral & Information Service (LRIS) is a prominent and profitable form of advertising. For over 45 years, the public has looked to the Orange County Bar Association’s LRIS for legal assistance. Clients referred to LRIS attorneys become sources of referrals for friends and relatives, and often return to LRIS themselves when legal services are needed.”
When you call a local bar association and ask for their referral service they often screen you for two purposes. First, they want to refer you to an attorney who specializes in that area of law, and second, they often screen you for the ability to pay the attorney. As the OC Bar says, “Trained LRIS representatives carefully screen each call. Only callers in need of legal assistance and able to pay attorneys’ fees are referred to LRIS panel members. Those who cannot afford attorneys’ fees are guided toward community pro bono services or to attorneys in the LRIS Modest Means Program.”
Generally speaking, once a local bar association refers you to a lawyer, that lawyer will provide you with a half-hour consultation for a small fee, usually between $25 and $50. A benefit of using Top Lawyers of America may be that there is no “screening” and the attorney’s listed on Top Lawyers of America clearly want to speak with potential clients. In the end, Top Lawyers of America provide a viable way to search for attorneys by legal issue and geography.
Top Lawyers of America is well constructed and easy to navigate website. The website is commercial in nature allowing site visitors to search for attorneys and lawyers, nationwide, who have advertised on the site. As an example, if you were looking for a divorce attorney you can search by that area of law (there are fourteen different areas listed), or you could conduct a geographic search.
In addition to having a search for lawyer function, the site offers some very general information to legal questions; a news feed centered on legal news; and, a forum. While the website is well constructed, “non-referral” information, such as areas on “Research Legal Topics,” “Get Legal Tips” and “Ask a Lawyer” are either very generic or non-existent. This is likely a symptom of the website being relatively new. The web-publisher has a good idea – developing a nationwide attorney and legal advice portal, but it takes time and effort to flesh the idea out with salient information.
While a national portal may be a good idea, on a more practical area, this type of search function may not be the best way to actually find a lawyer. All attorneys belong to a bar association. It is by membership to that state bar that an attorney earns the right to practice law in that state. The bar tests, license and disciplines attorneys. Furthermore, many lawyers belong local bar associations. It is through these local associations that they obtain other benefits like legal updates, discounts to certain legal research databases and the ability to participate in a referral service.
Like Top Lawyers of America, the Orange County Bar Association (California), maintains a lawyer referral and information service. In both instances, the attorneys have paid some fee (either advertising or membership) to participate. The OC bar says, “Membership in the Lawyer Referral & Information Service (LRIS) is a prominent and profitable form of advertising. For over 45 years, the public has looked to the Orange County Bar Association’s LRIS for legal assistance. Clients referred to LRIS attorneys become sources of referrals for friends and relatives, and often return to LRIS themselves when legal services are needed.”
When you call a local bar association and ask for their referral service they often screen you for two purposes. First, they want to refer you to an attorney who specializes in that area of law, and second, they often screen you for the ability to pay the attorney. As the OC Bar says, “Trained LRIS representatives carefully screen each call. Only callers in need of legal assistance and able to pay attorneys’ fees are referred to LRIS panel members. Those who cannot afford attorneys’ fees are guided toward community pro bono services or to attorneys in the LRIS Modest Means Program.”
Generally speaking, once a local bar association refers you to a lawyer, that lawyer will provide you with a half-hour consultation for a small fee, usually between $25 and $50. A benefit of using Top Lawyers of America may be that there is no “screening” and the attorney’s listed on Top Lawyers of America clearly want to speak with potential clients. In the end, Top Lawyers of America provide a viable way to search for attorneys by legal issue and geography.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Criminal Justice Management
New program information on a criminal justice management degree was posted on Criminal Justice Management. Scroll down to the lower right hand corner to view the program particulars.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
A Police Horse, Alaska and Cocaine
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Three police officers and one civilian police employee were added to the list of more than 550 state and local police officers who have written books: Rena Dearden, Alan White, B.A. Hartford and Dorothy McCoy.
Rena Dearden started her career with the in law enforcement as an animal control officer for the City of Sedona. Today, she is a Police Officer for the Sedona Police Department. She is the author of a children’s book, A Day in the Life of a Police Horse. According to the book description, “This book is about a horse that used to be for cattle driving and one day left the ranch to become a police horse like he had always wanted to be. The horse, T-Bone, explains what he does now that he is a police horse. This includes getting ready for work, helping people, chasing bad guys and what he does after work.”
Alan L. White is a police officer with the Clare Police Department (Michigan). He began his law enforcement career with the Clare Police Department. He relocated an even colder climate and went to work as a police officer for the Skagway Police Department (Alaska). After two years, he returned to the Clare Police Department. Presently, besides working patrol, he teaches the DARE program and is a chemical weapons instructor.
Alan White’s book, Alaska Behind Blue Eyes, is the story of his time as a police officer in Alaska. According to the book description, Alaska Behind Blue Eyes is “Alan White's journey as a young police officer struggling with life. More than a collection of police stories, he blends observation and memory into thoughtful essays that will touch anyone, who has either survived young adulthood or left home for parts unknown, or both. With tourism as its base, Skagway, Alaska, challenges the author in many ways. "I quickly found one of my main duties as a police officer in Skagway was keeping the tourists from killing themselves" he explains. If you have ever dreamed of Alaska, contemplated leaving home, and venturing to a wonderful place, or simply enjoy a refreshing outlook on life, 'Alaska Behind Blue Eyes' will keep you entertained from cover to cover.”
Alan White is also the author of Standing ground: Alaska stories, police tales, and things I'd rather not talk about.
B.A. Hartford was a Los Angeles Police Department police officer. He is the author of Sergeant Ranger and the Cocaine.
Dr. Dorothy McCoy is a lead instructor in the Master Instructor Program of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. She has a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology and is an accomplished therapist with a background encompassing counseling and crisis work, teaching, and writing. She is a long-time consultant to law enforcement agencies on pre-employment evaluations, group crisis invention, and trauma recovery. Additionally, Dr. Dorothy McCoy is a State Constable in South Carolina.
Dr. Dorothy McCoy is the author of three books: The Ultimate Book Of Personality Tests: Personality Tests For Enjoyment, Entertainment And Self-Discovery; From Shyness to Social Butterfly; and, The Manipulative Man: Identify His Behavior, Counter the Abuse, Regain Control.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 553 police officers (representing 229 police departments) and their 1168 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.
Rena Dearden started her career with the in law enforcement as an animal control officer for the City of Sedona. Today, she is a Police Officer for the Sedona Police Department. She is the author of a children’s book, A Day in the Life of a Police Horse. According to the book description, “This book is about a horse that used to be for cattle driving and one day left the ranch to become a police horse like he had always wanted to be. The horse, T-Bone, explains what he does now that he is a police horse. This includes getting ready for work, helping people, chasing bad guys and what he does after work.”
Alan L. White is a police officer with the Clare Police Department (Michigan). He began his law enforcement career with the Clare Police Department. He relocated an even colder climate and went to work as a police officer for the Skagway Police Department (Alaska). After two years, he returned to the Clare Police Department. Presently, besides working patrol, he teaches the DARE program and is a chemical weapons instructor.
Alan White’s book, Alaska Behind Blue Eyes, is the story of his time as a police officer in Alaska. According to the book description, Alaska Behind Blue Eyes is “Alan White's journey as a young police officer struggling with life. More than a collection of police stories, he blends observation and memory into thoughtful essays that will touch anyone, who has either survived young adulthood or left home for parts unknown, or both. With tourism as its base, Skagway, Alaska, challenges the author in many ways. "I quickly found one of my main duties as a police officer in Skagway was keeping the tourists from killing themselves" he explains. If you have ever dreamed of Alaska, contemplated leaving home, and venturing to a wonderful place, or simply enjoy a refreshing outlook on life, 'Alaska Behind Blue Eyes' will keep you entertained from cover to cover.”
Alan White is also the author of Standing ground: Alaska stories, police tales, and things I'd rather not talk about.
B.A. Hartford was a Los Angeles Police Department police officer. He is the author of Sergeant Ranger and the Cocaine.
Dr. Dorothy McCoy is a lead instructor in the Master Instructor Program of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. She has a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology and is an accomplished therapist with a background encompassing counseling and crisis work, teaching, and writing. She is a long-time consultant to law enforcement agencies on pre-employment evaluations, group crisis invention, and trauma recovery. Additionally, Dr. Dorothy McCoy is a State Constable in South Carolina.
Dr. Dorothy McCoy is the author of three books: The Ultimate Book Of Personality Tests: Personality Tests For Enjoyment, Entertainment And Self-Discovery; From Shyness to Social Butterfly; and, The Manipulative Man: Identify His Behavior, Counter the Abuse, Regain Control.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 553 police officers (representing 229 police departments) and their 1168 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, May 20, 2007
Baseball, Stalkers and Submarines
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. The website added three police officers who have written on subjects including baseball, stalking and Japanese submarines.
James Hughes is a retired detective from the Merrimack Police Department (New Hampshire). He also participates in his local youth baseball league, both as a board member and coach. He teamed up with his son, Nick Hughes, a then eleventh grader in New Hampshire to write his books.
The father and son team co-authored Hey Dad, Wanna Play Catch? and Hey Dad, Wanna Pitch to Me?. According to the book description of, Hey Dad, Wanna Pitch to Me? “For their second book, father and son have teamed up again to share their baseball knowledge with kids of all ages. Five easy-to-read chapters offer hitting tips that every youngster should know and learn to become a better hitter. Included in each chapter are photos and words of encouragement from 36 former major league baseball players.”
Detective Mike Proctor is a thirty-year veteran of the Westminster Police Department and is a recognized expert on stalking who has worked and consulted on over 100 stalking cases. He has appeared on 20/20, America's Most Wanted, CNN, The Maury Povich Show, Unsolved Mysteries, and Case Closed, and is frequently quoted in the press. He also consulted on the 1996 Police Officers Standards and Training video training course on stalking and teaches at both the professional and university level.
Detective Mike Proctor holds a BA in Geography from California State College, Long Beach; and, a Lifetime Standard Secondary Teaching Credential, as well as a Community College Credential. Additionally, he has had over 900 hours of law enforcement academic training in courses such as: Sexual Assault investigation, Domestic Violence-Advance Investigator training; Psychological Profiling and Criminal Investigation Analysis; AFT Bomb and crime scene Investigation; Occult and Ritualistic Crime Scene Investigation; and, Homicide Investigation techniques.
Detective Mike Proctor is the author of How to Stop a Stalker. According to his book description, “This indispensable handbook on a serious problem, complete with many examples taken from actual cases, will be of great use to current or potential stalking victims, victim advocates, law enforcement officials, personnel departments, and employers.”
Gary Nila is a former Los Angeles Police Department police officer and FBI Special Agent who now works as an investigator with Northrop Grumman Corp. Air Combat Systems. He has been a collector of World War II Japanese military uniforms and equipment for over 30 years, but specializes in researching and collecting Japanese naval flight equipment and dress. He has interviewed many former IJN pilots including Saburo Sakai, Sudamu Komaichi, and Masajiro Kawato.
Gary Nila is the co-author of Japanese Naval Aviation Uniforms and Equipment 1937-45 (Elite); Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces: Uniforms and equipment 1937-45 (Men-at-Arms); and, I-400 Japan's Secret Aircraft-Carrying Strike Submarine - Objective Panama Canal.
According to the book description of I-400 Japan's Secret Aircraft-Carrying Strike Submarine, “The I-400 'super submarine' was one of the most monstrous creations to emerge from the Second World War and in its time it was the largest submarine ever built. It was considered to have been one of Japan's most secret weapons - indeed the Allies remained unaware of its existence until it surrendered in late August 1945. The Imperial Japanese Navy tasked the I-400 with a secret mission to attack American cities and to destroy the Panama Canal.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 547 police officers (representing 226 police departments) and their 1161 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 Hughes is a retired detective from the Merrimack Police Department (New Hampshire). He also participates in his local youth baseball league, both as a board member and coach. He teamed up with his son, Nick Hughes, a then eleventh grader in New Hampshire to write his books.
The father and son team co-authored Hey Dad, Wanna Play Catch? and Hey Dad, Wanna Pitch to Me?. According to the book description of, Hey Dad, Wanna Pitch to Me? “For their second book, father and son have teamed up again to share their baseball knowledge with kids of all ages. Five easy-to-read chapters offer hitting tips that every youngster should know and learn to become a better hitter. Included in each chapter are photos and words of encouragement from 36 former major league baseball players.”
Detective Mike Proctor is a thirty-year veteran of the Westminster Police Department and is a recognized expert on stalking who has worked and consulted on over 100 stalking cases. He has appeared on 20/20, America's Most Wanted, CNN, The Maury Povich Show, Unsolved Mysteries, and Case Closed, and is frequently quoted in the press. He also consulted on the 1996 Police Officers Standards and Training video training course on stalking and teaches at both the professional and university level.
Detective Mike Proctor holds a BA in Geography from California State College, Long Beach; and, a Lifetime Standard Secondary Teaching Credential, as well as a Community College Credential. Additionally, he has had over 900 hours of law enforcement academic training in courses such as: Sexual Assault investigation, Domestic Violence-Advance Investigator training; Psychological Profiling and Criminal Investigation Analysis; AFT Bomb and crime scene Investigation; Occult and Ritualistic Crime Scene Investigation; and, Homicide Investigation techniques.
Detective Mike Proctor is the author of How to Stop a Stalker. According to his book description, “This indispensable handbook on a serious problem, complete with many examples taken from actual cases, will be of great use to current or potential stalking victims, victim advocates, law enforcement officials, personnel departments, and employers.”
Gary Nila is a former Los Angeles Police Department police officer and FBI Special Agent who now works as an investigator with Northrop Grumman Corp. Air Combat Systems. He has been a collector of World War II Japanese military uniforms and equipment for over 30 years, but specializes in researching and collecting Japanese naval flight equipment and dress. He has interviewed many former IJN pilots including Saburo Sakai, Sudamu Komaichi, and Masajiro Kawato.
Gary Nila is the co-author of Japanese Naval Aviation Uniforms and Equipment 1937-45 (Elite); Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces: Uniforms and equipment 1937-45 (Men-at-Arms); and, I-400 Japan's Secret Aircraft-Carrying Strike Submarine - Objective Panama Canal.
According to the book description of I-400 Japan's Secret Aircraft-Carrying Strike Submarine, “The I-400 'super submarine' was one of the most monstrous creations to emerge from the Second World War and in its time it was the largest submarine ever built. It was considered to have been one of Japan's most secret weapons - indeed the Allies remained unaware of its existence until it surrendered in late August 1945. The Imperial Japanese Navy tasked the I-400 with a secret mission to attack American cities and to destroy the Panama Canal.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 547 police officers (representing 226 police departments) and their 1161 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, May 19, 2007
Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program
Deadline: All applications are due by 8:00 p.m. e.t. on June 25, 2007.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has recently announced the release of the FY 2007 grant announcement for the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program. This Program helps local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs. Funds can be used for demonstration, replication, expansion, enhancement, training, and/or technical assistance programs.
In FY 2007, the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program will focus on funding local, regional, and national efforts within six major categories. Applicants are encouraged to visit BJA's web site (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/) to review efforts funded to date and to identify gaps in current efforts and future needs.
Award Categories:
Category I: Targeting Violent Crime
Category II: Preventing Crime and Drug Abuse
Category III: Enhancing Local Law Enforcement
Category IV: Enhancing Local Courts
Category V: Enhancing Local Corrections and Offender Reentry
Category VI: Facilitating Justice Information Sharing
Grant Announcement:
The complete grant announcement, with eligibility requirements and application instructions, is available on the BJA web site at: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/07ByrneDiscSol.pdf
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) are also available at: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/07ByrneFAQs.pdf
Contact Information:
For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact BJA toll-free at 1–866–859–2687 or e-mail Byrne.Discretionary@usdoj.gov
Applications for this funding must be submitted through Grants.gov . For technical assistance with submitting the application, call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 1–800–518–4726.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has recently announced the release of the FY 2007 grant announcement for the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program. This Program helps local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs. Funds can be used for demonstration, replication, expansion, enhancement, training, and/or technical assistance programs.
In FY 2007, the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program will focus on funding local, regional, and national efforts within six major categories. Applicants are encouraged to visit BJA's web site (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/) to review efforts funded to date and to identify gaps in current efforts and future needs.
Award Categories:
Category I: Targeting Violent Crime
Category II: Preventing Crime and Drug Abuse
Category III: Enhancing Local Law Enforcement
Category IV: Enhancing Local Courts
Category V: Enhancing Local Corrections and Offender Reentry
Category VI: Facilitating Justice Information Sharing
Grant Announcement:
The complete grant announcement, with eligibility requirements and application instructions, is available on the BJA web site at: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/07ByrneDiscSol.pdf
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) are also available at: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/07ByrneFAQs.pdf
Contact Information:
For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact BJA toll-free at 1–866–859–2687 or e-mail Byrne.Discretionary@usdoj.gov
Applications for this funding must be submitted through Grants.gov . For technical assistance with submitting the application, call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 1–800–518–4726.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Law Enforcement Technology
NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, May 17, 2007
"New York Plan for DNA Data in Most Crimes"
New York Times (05/14/07); McGeehan, Patrick
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer wants to broaden the state's database of DNA samples to include individuals found guilty of a majority of crimes, while making it simpler for inmates to utilize DNA to attempt to prove their innocence. Presently, the state obtains DNA from people convicted of around 50 percent of all crimes, usually the most serious. Spitzer's idea would mandate DNA to be taken from individuals deemed guilty of any misdemeanor, including minor drug violations, harassment, or unsanctioned utilization of a credit card, according to a draft of his proposal. It would not include acts regarded as violations, such as disorderly conduct. In widening its database to include all misdemeanors and felonies, New York would be fairly unique, although a group of states obtain DNA from certain defendants when arrested, even prior to conviction. In addition, Spitzer wants required sampling of all inmates in New York, and of those people on parole, on probation, or who are registered sex offenders. That change would add around 50,000 samples to the database, at a price of around $1.75 million. Police authorities and prosecutors nationally have lauded DNA collection as one of the best law-enforcement tools. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/14/nyregion/14dna.html
"HPD Wants Cameras to Monitor Crime"
Houston Chronicle (05/15/07); Stiles, Matt; Glenn, Mike
The Houston Police Department wants to install red-light cameras to catch drivers breaking the law at 50 intersections around Houston, Texas. The department already is installing over a dozen pedestrian-surveillance cameras in Houston, with four located downtown, as crime-deterrence and quick-response tools. Houston Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Martha Montalvo says the four downtown cameras should help modify and corral behavior by "giving the public an expectation that the police are there." Signs will be posted announcing the presence of the downtown cameras to the public. The police are facing some criticism for these cameras from citizens and groups concerned about their civil liberty and privacy rights. Thirteen other hidden cameras to be installed around Houston will be positioned to deter illegal dumping in empty city lots. Houston Police Department CFO Joseph Fenninger says the police department may expand this camera project further if successful. Police departments in Chicago and Baltimore have already installed cameras, some with flashing lights affixed as a warning, and both cities claim to have witnessed a resulting drop in crime.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4804059.html
"New Computer Program Stops Sex Offenders at School Doors"
Ocala Star-Banner (FL) (05/14/07); Callahan, Joe
Jeanine Mills, principal of Oakcrest Elementary School in Ocala, Fla., thinks new computer sign-in software for school visitors is the most effective security gadget Marion County Public Schools has at its disposal. In only a few weeks, the Raptor Identification System has found a pair of child-sex offenders as they signed up as visitors at two elementary schools. The individuals, though, were not under court supervision and had legitimate purposes to be at the schools. The Web-based, sign-on software system, which is manufactured by V-Soft and sold by Raptor Technologies, was implemented at the schools last month. When a driver's license is run through the system, it investigates each state sexual-violator database. After the identification is scanned, it will compare the pictures to all of the individuals on nationwide sex offender lists. In certain cases, the system will hit on incorrect matches and then the school worker must decide whether the warning is real. School Superintendent Jim Yancey stated that for April, the system cost each school around $2.50 a day.
http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070514/
NEWS/70514005/1368/googlesitemapnews
"'Arm' Can Reach Into Cupboards"
Boston Globe (05/14/07); Baard, Michael
A new "snake-arm" created by engineers in Britain to assist the military may also be used in the home in the near future. Made by OC Robotics of Bristol, the snake-arm can be equipped with cameras and tools, and utilizes its wires and actuators to grasp objects in confined areas, making it suitable for constructing and checking airplane parts, notes OC Robotics CEO Rob Buckingham. Currently, the firm is working with the United States and British military to incorporate the snake-arm into bomb-disposal robots. An iRobot PackBot outfitted with a snake-arm, for example, would be able to look underneath a vehicle for explosive gadgets. Buckingham also expects to talk this week with other scientists and investors in Cambridge, Mass., to look into ways the invention can be utilized in the home. A snake-arm robot, for instance, might be able to access cupboards and obtain an item inside, without knocking anything else over.
http://www.boston.com/business/personaltech/articles/2007/05/14/
arm_can_reach_into_cupboards/
"Captured on Video But Not by Police"
Chicago Tribune (05/14/07) P. 1; Ahmed, Azam
Despite the obvious security feature of cameras to capture thieves in action, many incidences of crime in Chicago that have been captured on camera have yet to result in arrests. "Even though you have a very clear-cut, positive depiction of someone on video, it doesn't mean it's easy for you to know where the offender could be apprehended," says the city's police department representative Monique Bond. In the case of the "Cubs bandit," infamous for wearing a Cubs hat during committing crimes, clear images of his face have been taken in robbing three banks, yet the suspect has not yet been held. In the case of randomized crimes, suspects who have no links to their target tend to elude authorities. Despite blatant crime footage, limited area circulation of videos that capture the crime, in addition to suspects altering their appearance pre or post the crime, thwart attempts at tracking perpetrators.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/north/chi-0705130435may14,
1,6451182.story?coll=chi-newslocalnorth-hed
"New Jail Brings Technology to Visitation"
Walton Sun (05/05/07); Magliano, David
Florida's Walton County jail will offer visitation via a video conferencing system. The jail has created a room filled with 28 stations, whereby guests and inmates can have contact via monitors and speak through a telephone connection. The new system fosters a more "controlled environment," said Walton County citizen services director Ken Little. Inmates are kept close to their cells during visitation hours, minimizing the possibility for outside materials reaching them, Little added. Isolating prisoners from guests also enhances a safer experience for visitors and for the staff needed during visitation. http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2007/05/05/2584479.htm
"Local Police Consider Starting DNA Labs"
State (SC) (05/13/07); Tate, Ishmael
Many South Carolina law enforcement agencies are considering the creation of their own agency DNA labs, because the state-wide DNA lab has a backlog of around 700 cases and may face an increased workload. Richland County has its own DNA lab and can process DNA profiles in 24 hours. Greenville County is planning to build one now, and other counties are considering it. The State Law Enforcement Division in Columbia (SLED) handles about 20,000 DNA cases per year. SLED in fact may see more cases soon because the South Carolina legislature is considering a bill to require all people arrested for felony crimes to submit evidence to SLED. This would add 75,000 DNA cases to their docket each year, and the bill adds only nine new laboratory positions. Currently only people who are convicted of felonies in South Carolina must submit DNA evidence to SLED for processing. South Carolina prosecutors also say television shows are raising expectations among juries that the state will present DNA evidence. Lacking it may hurt the state's case. Richland County's lab cost $350,000 to build and $100,000 to operate annually, not including staff costs. http://www.thestate.com/154/story/62607.html
"Police Use Cell-Tracking Technology to Find Transplant Patient in Time for Surgery"
San Diego Union-Tribune (05/10/07)
Pennsylvania State Police used global-positioning technology to track down a 10-year-old boy and get him to a hospital in time for a life-saving heart transplant. The police were called after hospital officials couldn't reach the family to be told a heart was available. The trooper working the desk sent out patrols to search for the family and eventually called communications company Sprint to track May's cell phone, then sent officers to a concert at Slippery Rock University, where they notified the parents.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/tech/20070510-0658-gps-transplant.html
"BombBots Save Lives"
Intelligencer & Wheeling News-Register (WVA)) (05/15/07); DeGenova, Annie
The Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization annual Mock Prison Riot showcased the latest innovations in law enforcement technology. Among the products displayed was Innovative Response Technologies' BomBot 2. Already being used by U.S. troops in Iraq, the remotely operated vehicle is versatile and can be used for bomb detection, search and rescue, disposal, and even hostage negotiation. "It can also deploy gas and set up surveillance," says West Virginia High Technology Consortium mechanical engineer Matthew Uhle. The show is unique because it allows officers to handle the latest technology and offer input on how to improve it.
http://www.theintelligencer.net/community/articles.asp?articleID=19367
"Haverstraw Wants Police to Monitor Surveillance Cameras Via Web"
Westchester Journal-News (05/10/07) P. 1A; Matsuda, Akiko
The surveillance cameras situated in Haverstraw, N.Y., might be remotely watched in the near future from the town's police headquarters. Town Board member Jay Hood Jr. stated recently that he believes he has uncovered an affordable way to remotely watch the cameras. He explained that a high-speed online connection, such as FiOS from Verizon, would provide a fiber to the camera locations and send the cameras' feed to police headquarters. The cameras could be operated by a joystick via the Internet from the headquarters. Hood thinks the price of new equipment and a rapid online link would be around $30,000, while the monthly price to retain the online connection would be around $200. Haverstraw Mayor Francis Wassmer claimed the village would begin looking into Hood's idea. Town and village authorities note that the cameras record the day-to-day occurrences on the streets and that the recordings have been utilized for police investigations.
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
20070510/NEWS03/705100420/1019
"In the Age of Technology, Police Get Valuable Leads Online"
Business Wire (05/11/07)
LeadsOnline (www.leadsonline.com), used by more than 670 law enforcement agencies, makes it possible for detectives to search for criminals who may have disposed of stolen goods in pawn and secondhand stores across the country. Detectives may find a Rolex from Portland in a store in Las Vegas, or a gun from Seattle in a store in Boise. Although most pawn customers are pledging their own property, real-time access to electronic records in a criminal investigation speeds up the process that used to be handled through a time-consuming collection of paper slips and store visits. Police say the instant access to information gives citizens a better chance of having their stolen property recovered. In Tacoma, Washington, Detective Chris Taylor says "It's accessible 24 hours a day, and the more agencies that are online, the better chance citizens have of getting their stolen property back. It helps every department clear cases faster, and the retailers find it helpful to them in complying with their own reporting requirement." U.S. Marshals deputies and Corpus Christi Police investigators used LeadsOnline to identify two men who brutally murdered a man in his doorway and stole several items from his home. By searching transaction records within a radius of the crime scene, a description of the victim's jewelry and the name of the person who sold the items were right there online, bringing the case to a speedy close. The system is accessible only by authorized law enforcement investigators. Agencies that are not yet users can access the system through the www.leadsonline.com website and receive a 30 day trial.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=
news_view&newsId=20070511005593&newsLang=en
"Local Police to Get Upgrades"
Danville Register Bee (VA) (05/08/07); Taylor, Kyle
The police department of Danville, Va., is using Homeland Security, earmark, and other grants to obtain new technologies, such as an imaging system. Officers say the system will feature pictures of crimes scenes, suspects, and written reports that officers can access as needed. Danville currently has 11 wireless hotspots, but that number is anticipated to rise to 47, according to Lt. J.T. Henderson; those hotspots offer wireless connectivity to officers in squad cars within about a quarter of a mile of a tower. The city's squad cars also feature digital video cameras and Panasonic CF29 notebook PCs. The quality of the video footage is better compared to VHS tapes, says Henderson. The digital footage can also be used as evidence, and can be transferred to computer or DVDs at headquarters. Training for the imaging system will be provided.
http://www.registerbee.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=DRB/MGArticle/
DRB_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173351110749&path=
"Greene to Test Reverse 911 System"
Kinston Free Press (05/09/07); Marshall, Katie
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management will be testing telephone emergency notification systems in nine counties statewide. One of them is Greene County, where three state prisons are located, and residents have voiced concern over knowing the whereabouts of escaped convicts. The county's existing phone tree system is ineffective when residents are not at home, according to county officials. The new system will be a reverse 911 automated phone system that will cost the county just 18 cents per phone call and $125 per month to Emarq for updated land line numbers. The system alerts residents via pagers, PDAs, text messaging, email, telephone, cell phone, and through posted messages on a Web site; the county is not charged for email, text messages or PDA notifications. MyStateUSA would house the phone database on Greene County's secure servers and offer connection information that could be placed on any county or public Web site. Officials say the system can be used for inmate escapes as well as emergency evacuations and other emergencies. Calls can also be limited according to region, officials say. Individuals who lack land line service will be allowed to sign up for emergency and weather alerts via a public subscription service. Another feature of the system is that local personnel can pre-load information as a template, including geographic data. http://www.kinston.com/articles/_38214___article.html/_.html
"Birmingham Police Get $1 Million Gunfire Detector"
Birmingham Business Journal (05/01/07); DeButts, Jimmy
Birmingham, Ala., Police Chief Annetta W. Nunn believes a new gunfire detector will help improve the quality of life in the city for residents. The city has acquired a ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System using a $1 million grant that it has received from the U.S. Department of Justice. A telephone-based sensory system, ShotSpotter will be able to detect when a gun has been fired over an area covering more than six miles, and pick up information for forensic and intelligence analysis that will allow local police to determine the type of weapon used, the direction of the shots, and the location of drive-by shooters on the move. The information will be provided in real time, and will include an audio file. "We must work to ensure that law enforcement has the most technologically advanced tools available to combat violent crime," says Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), who secured the funds for the city. Law enforcement agencies using ShotSpotter report a 50 percent increase in arrests involving gunfire, and a 30 percent decline in the rate of violent crime.
http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/
2007/04/30/daily7.html?surround=lfn
"Can Text Messaging Improve School Safety?"
CIO Today (04/20/07); Lane, Frederick
Virginia Tech's recent tragedy provoked questions regarding the competency of emergency notification measures on university campuses nationwide. Universities are seeking more efficient means of notifying students in times of a crisis, because methods such as email can be delayed reaching students and can even be rejected by a full inbox. Virginia Tech not only used email messages to alert students, but also announcements on its Web site and alerts through the dormitory phone system--all of which were ineffective in warning students. E2campus Director of Communications Bryan Crum says text message alerts can reach users within 4 seconds to 8 seconds, can be grouped by particular categories (i.e. faculty, students, administration staff), and up to 18,000 messages can be sent from authorized personnel's handheld devices per minute. "It's great for brief, non-emergency messages, too, like 'the shuttle is out of service' or 'Seinfeld on campus tonight,'" Crum added.
http://www.cio-today.com/story.xhtml?
story_id=110008AFXMEI&nl=5
"Solving True Crimes"
American City & County (04/07) Vol. 122, No. 4, P. 26; Mamroth, Doug
To upgrade the way police, prosecutors, courts, and additional criminal justice groups communicate with one another, the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative has created an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema and datamodel that enables agencies to swap electronic data kept in various formats. To send and get data coded with XML, though, the groups must make complex interfaces function with their current systems. Some are instead deciding to employ "adapter" software that can quickly code information with XML tags and translate various formats for essentially any system. Adapters lessen custom programming and change information so it can be studied and taken apart in computer-assisted dispatch, records and court case management, and violator monitoring systems. Numerous law enforcement and judicial agencies, such as the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Colorado Department of Corrections, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol, are employing adapter software to share data rapidly about criminal events, repeat violators, and criminal backgrounds. New York City's public safety portal connects 17 agencies throughout a half-dozen counties, all of which can share data about arrests, convictions, and releases. Though prior to the portal being established, the agencies utilized several programs to swap information with one another, there was a discrepancy between the time the events took place and the time the data was exchanged. http://americancityandcounty.com/technology/government_solving_true_crimes/
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
"New York Plan for DNA Data in Most Crimes"
New York Times (05/14/07); McGeehan, Patrick
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer wants to broaden the state's database of DNA samples to include individuals found guilty of a majority of crimes, while making it simpler for inmates to utilize DNA to attempt to prove their innocence. Presently, the state obtains DNA from people convicted of around 50 percent of all crimes, usually the most serious. Spitzer's idea would mandate DNA to be taken from individuals deemed guilty of any misdemeanor, including minor drug violations, harassment, or unsanctioned utilization of a credit card, according to a draft of his proposal. It would not include acts regarded as violations, such as disorderly conduct. In widening its database to include all misdemeanors and felonies, New York would be fairly unique, although a group of states obtain DNA from certain defendants when arrested, even prior to conviction. In addition, Spitzer wants required sampling of all inmates in New York, and of those people on parole, on probation, or who are registered sex offenders. That change would add around 50,000 samples to the database, at a price of around $1.75 million. Police authorities and prosecutors nationally have lauded DNA collection as one of the best law-enforcement tools. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/14/nyregion/14dna.html
"HPD Wants Cameras to Monitor Crime"
Houston Chronicle (05/15/07); Stiles, Matt; Glenn, Mike
The Houston Police Department wants to install red-light cameras to catch drivers breaking the law at 50 intersections around Houston, Texas. The department already is installing over a dozen pedestrian-surveillance cameras in Houston, with four located downtown, as crime-deterrence and quick-response tools. Houston Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Martha Montalvo says the four downtown cameras should help modify and corral behavior by "giving the public an expectation that the police are there." Signs will be posted announcing the presence of the downtown cameras to the public. The police are facing some criticism for these cameras from citizens and groups concerned about their civil liberty and privacy rights. Thirteen other hidden cameras to be installed around Houston will be positioned to deter illegal dumping in empty city lots. Houston Police Department CFO Joseph Fenninger says the police department may expand this camera project further if successful. Police departments in Chicago and Baltimore have already installed cameras, some with flashing lights affixed as a warning, and both cities claim to have witnessed a resulting drop in crime.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4804059.html
"New Computer Program Stops Sex Offenders at School Doors"
Ocala Star-Banner (FL) (05/14/07); Callahan, Joe
Jeanine Mills, principal of Oakcrest Elementary School in Ocala, Fla., thinks new computer sign-in software for school visitors is the most effective security gadget Marion County Public Schools has at its disposal. In only a few weeks, the Raptor Identification System has found a pair of child-sex offenders as they signed up as visitors at two elementary schools. The individuals, though, were not under court supervision and had legitimate purposes to be at the schools. The Web-based, sign-on software system, which is manufactured by V-Soft and sold by Raptor Technologies, was implemented at the schools last month. When a driver's license is run through the system, it investigates each state sexual-violator database. After the identification is scanned, it will compare the pictures to all of the individuals on nationwide sex offender lists. In certain cases, the system will hit on incorrect matches and then the school worker must decide whether the warning is real. School Superintendent Jim Yancey stated that for April, the system cost each school around $2.50 a day.
http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070514/
NEWS/70514005/1368/googlesitemapnews
"'Arm' Can Reach Into Cupboards"
Boston Globe (05/14/07); Baard, Michael
A new "snake-arm" created by engineers in Britain to assist the military may also be used in the home in the near future. Made by OC Robotics of Bristol, the snake-arm can be equipped with cameras and tools, and utilizes its wires and actuators to grasp objects in confined areas, making it suitable for constructing and checking airplane parts, notes OC Robotics CEO Rob Buckingham. Currently, the firm is working with the United States and British military to incorporate the snake-arm into bomb-disposal robots. An iRobot PackBot outfitted with a snake-arm, for example, would be able to look underneath a vehicle for explosive gadgets. Buckingham also expects to talk this week with other scientists and investors in Cambridge, Mass., to look into ways the invention can be utilized in the home. A snake-arm robot, for instance, might be able to access cupboards and obtain an item inside, without knocking anything else over.
http://www.boston.com/business/personaltech/articles/2007/05/14/
arm_can_reach_into_cupboards/
"Captured on Video But Not by Police"
Chicago Tribune (05/14/07) P. 1; Ahmed, Azam
Despite the obvious security feature of cameras to capture thieves in action, many incidences of crime in Chicago that have been captured on camera have yet to result in arrests. "Even though you have a very clear-cut, positive depiction of someone on video, it doesn't mean it's easy for you to know where the offender could be apprehended," says the city's police department representative Monique Bond. In the case of the "Cubs bandit," infamous for wearing a Cubs hat during committing crimes, clear images of his face have been taken in robbing three banks, yet the suspect has not yet been held. In the case of randomized crimes, suspects who have no links to their target tend to elude authorities. Despite blatant crime footage, limited area circulation of videos that capture the crime, in addition to suspects altering their appearance pre or post the crime, thwart attempts at tracking perpetrators.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/north/chi-0705130435may14,
1,6451182.story?coll=chi-newslocalnorth-hed
"New Jail Brings Technology to Visitation"
Walton Sun (05/05/07); Magliano, David
Florida's Walton County jail will offer visitation via a video conferencing system. The jail has created a room filled with 28 stations, whereby guests and inmates can have contact via monitors and speak through a telephone connection. The new system fosters a more "controlled environment," said Walton County citizen services director Ken Little. Inmates are kept close to their cells during visitation hours, minimizing the possibility for outside materials reaching them, Little added. Isolating prisoners from guests also enhances a safer experience for visitors and for the staff needed during visitation. http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2007/05/05/2584479.htm
"Local Police Consider Starting DNA Labs"
State (SC) (05/13/07); Tate, Ishmael
Many South Carolina law enforcement agencies are considering the creation of their own agency DNA labs, because the state-wide DNA lab has a backlog of around 700 cases and may face an increased workload. Richland County has its own DNA lab and can process DNA profiles in 24 hours. Greenville County is planning to build one now, and other counties are considering it. The State Law Enforcement Division in Columbia (SLED) handles about 20,000 DNA cases per year. SLED in fact may see more cases soon because the South Carolina legislature is considering a bill to require all people arrested for felony crimes to submit evidence to SLED. This would add 75,000 DNA cases to their docket each year, and the bill adds only nine new laboratory positions. Currently only people who are convicted of felonies in South Carolina must submit DNA evidence to SLED for processing. South Carolina prosecutors also say television shows are raising expectations among juries that the state will present DNA evidence. Lacking it may hurt the state's case. Richland County's lab cost $350,000 to build and $100,000 to operate annually, not including staff costs. http://www.thestate.com/154/story/62607.html
"Police Use Cell-Tracking Technology to Find Transplant Patient in Time for Surgery"
San Diego Union-Tribune (05/10/07)
Pennsylvania State Police used global-positioning technology to track down a 10-year-old boy and get him to a hospital in time for a life-saving heart transplant. The police were called after hospital officials couldn't reach the family to be told a heart was available. The trooper working the desk sent out patrols to search for the family and eventually called communications company Sprint to track May's cell phone, then sent officers to a concert at Slippery Rock University, where they notified the parents.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/tech/20070510-0658-gps-transplant.html
"BombBots Save Lives"
Intelligencer & Wheeling News-Register (WVA)) (05/15/07); DeGenova, Annie
The Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization annual Mock Prison Riot showcased the latest innovations in law enforcement technology. Among the products displayed was Innovative Response Technologies' BomBot 2. Already being used by U.S. troops in Iraq, the remotely operated vehicle is versatile and can be used for bomb detection, search and rescue, disposal, and even hostage negotiation. "It can also deploy gas and set up surveillance," says West Virginia High Technology Consortium mechanical engineer Matthew Uhle. The show is unique because it allows officers to handle the latest technology and offer input on how to improve it.
http://www.theintelligencer.net/community/articles.asp?articleID=19367
"Haverstraw Wants Police to Monitor Surveillance Cameras Via Web"
Westchester Journal-News (05/10/07) P. 1A; Matsuda, Akiko
The surveillance cameras situated in Haverstraw, N.Y., might be remotely watched in the near future from the town's police headquarters. Town Board member Jay Hood Jr. stated recently that he believes he has uncovered an affordable way to remotely watch the cameras. He explained that a high-speed online connection, such as FiOS from Verizon, would provide a fiber to the camera locations and send the cameras' feed to police headquarters. The cameras could be operated by a joystick via the Internet from the headquarters. Hood thinks the price of new equipment and a rapid online link would be around $30,000, while the monthly price to retain the online connection would be around $200. Haverstraw Mayor Francis Wassmer claimed the village would begin looking into Hood's idea. Town and village authorities note that the cameras record the day-to-day occurrences on the streets and that the recordings have been utilized for police investigations.
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
20070510/NEWS03/705100420/1019
"In the Age of Technology, Police Get Valuable Leads Online"
Business Wire (05/11/07)
LeadsOnline (www.leadsonline.com), used by more than 670 law enforcement agencies, makes it possible for detectives to search for criminals who may have disposed of stolen goods in pawn and secondhand stores across the country. Detectives may find a Rolex from Portland in a store in Las Vegas, or a gun from Seattle in a store in Boise. Although most pawn customers are pledging their own property, real-time access to electronic records in a criminal investigation speeds up the process that used to be handled through a time-consuming collection of paper slips and store visits. Police say the instant access to information gives citizens a better chance of having their stolen property recovered. In Tacoma, Washington, Detective Chris Taylor says "It's accessible 24 hours a day, and the more agencies that are online, the better chance citizens have of getting their stolen property back. It helps every department clear cases faster, and the retailers find it helpful to them in complying with their own reporting requirement." U.S. Marshals deputies and Corpus Christi Police investigators used LeadsOnline to identify two men who brutally murdered a man in his doorway and stole several items from his home. By searching transaction records within a radius of the crime scene, a description of the victim's jewelry and the name of the person who sold the items were right there online, bringing the case to a speedy close. The system is accessible only by authorized law enforcement investigators. Agencies that are not yet users can access the system through the www.leadsonline.com website and receive a 30 day trial.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=
news_view&newsId=20070511005593&newsLang=en
"Local Police to Get Upgrades"
Danville Register Bee (VA) (05/08/07); Taylor, Kyle
The police department of Danville, Va., is using Homeland Security, earmark, and other grants to obtain new technologies, such as an imaging system. Officers say the system will feature pictures of crimes scenes, suspects, and written reports that officers can access as needed. Danville currently has 11 wireless hotspots, but that number is anticipated to rise to 47, according to Lt. J.T. Henderson; those hotspots offer wireless connectivity to officers in squad cars within about a quarter of a mile of a tower. The city's squad cars also feature digital video cameras and Panasonic CF29 notebook PCs. The quality of the video footage is better compared to VHS tapes, says Henderson. The digital footage can also be used as evidence, and can be transferred to computer or DVDs at headquarters. Training for the imaging system will be provided.
http://www.registerbee.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=DRB/MGArticle/
DRB_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173351110749&path=
"Greene to Test Reverse 911 System"
Kinston Free Press (05/09/07); Marshall, Katie
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management will be testing telephone emergency notification systems in nine counties statewide. One of them is Greene County, where three state prisons are located, and residents have voiced concern over knowing the whereabouts of escaped convicts. The county's existing phone tree system is ineffective when residents are not at home, according to county officials. The new system will be a reverse 911 automated phone system that will cost the county just 18 cents per phone call and $125 per month to Emarq for updated land line numbers. The system alerts residents via pagers, PDAs, text messaging, email, telephone, cell phone, and through posted messages on a Web site; the county is not charged for email, text messages or PDA notifications. MyStateUSA would house the phone database on Greene County's secure servers and offer connection information that could be placed on any county or public Web site. Officials say the system can be used for inmate escapes as well as emergency evacuations and other emergencies. Calls can also be limited according to region, officials say. Individuals who lack land line service will be allowed to sign up for emergency and weather alerts via a public subscription service. Another feature of the system is that local personnel can pre-load information as a template, including geographic data. http://www.kinston.com/articles/_38214___article.html/_.html
"Birmingham Police Get $1 Million Gunfire Detector"
Birmingham Business Journal (05/01/07); DeButts, Jimmy
Birmingham, Ala., Police Chief Annetta W. Nunn believes a new gunfire detector will help improve the quality of life in the city for residents. The city has acquired a ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System using a $1 million grant that it has received from the U.S. Department of Justice. A telephone-based sensory system, ShotSpotter will be able to detect when a gun has been fired over an area covering more than six miles, and pick up information for forensic and intelligence analysis that will allow local police to determine the type of weapon used, the direction of the shots, and the location of drive-by shooters on the move. The information will be provided in real time, and will include an audio file. "We must work to ensure that law enforcement has the most technologically advanced tools available to combat violent crime," says Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), who secured the funds for the city. Law enforcement agencies using ShotSpotter report a 50 percent increase in arrests involving gunfire, and a 30 percent decline in the rate of violent crime.
http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/
2007/04/30/daily7.html?surround=lfn
"Can Text Messaging Improve School Safety?"
CIO Today (04/20/07); Lane, Frederick
Virginia Tech's recent tragedy provoked questions regarding the competency of emergency notification measures on university campuses nationwide. Universities are seeking more efficient means of notifying students in times of a crisis, because methods such as email can be delayed reaching students and can even be rejected by a full inbox. Virginia Tech not only used email messages to alert students, but also announcements on its Web site and alerts through the dormitory phone system--all of which were ineffective in warning students. E2campus Director of Communications Bryan Crum says text message alerts can reach users within 4 seconds to 8 seconds, can be grouped by particular categories (i.e. faculty, students, administration staff), and up to 18,000 messages can be sent from authorized personnel's handheld devices per minute. "It's great for brief, non-emergency messages, too, like 'the shuttle is out of service' or 'Seinfeld on campus tonight,'" Crum added.
http://www.cio-today.com/story.xhtml?
story_id=110008AFXMEI&nl=5
"Solving True Crimes"
American City & County (04/07) Vol. 122, No. 4, P. 26; Mamroth, Doug
To upgrade the way police, prosecutors, courts, and additional criminal justice groups communicate with one another, the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative has created an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema and datamodel that enables agencies to swap electronic data kept in various formats. To send and get data coded with XML, though, the groups must make complex interfaces function with their current systems. Some are instead deciding to employ "adapter" software that can quickly code information with XML tags and translate various formats for essentially any system. Adapters lessen custom programming and change information so it can be studied and taken apart in computer-assisted dispatch, records and court case management, and violator monitoring systems. Numerous law enforcement and judicial agencies, such as the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Colorado Department of Corrections, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol, are employing adapter software to share data rapidly about criminal events, repeat violators, and criminal backgrounds. New York City's public safety portal connects 17 agencies throughout a half-dozen counties, all of which can share data about arrests, convictions, and releases. Though prior to the portal being established, the agencies utilized several programs to swap information with one another, there was a discrepancy between the time the events took place and the time the data was exchanged. http://americancityandcounty.com/technology/government_solving_true_crimes/
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
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.
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