Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. This round of additions to the website includes a police officer who has written an extensive history of one department as well as a police officer who has contributed to the making of law enforcement history.
Sergeant Sven Crongeyer has been employed with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for 17 years. His passion for historical research led him to write Six Gun Sound: The Early History of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which traces law enforcement efforts to meet the challenge of public safety that from the beginning were both enhanced and hampered by the influx of ranchers, cowboys, farmers, miners, gunfighters, and gamblers. Los Angeles was a den of iniquity that rivaled even the most famous towns of the Old West: Silver City, Tombstone, Dodge City, and Wichita.
Edward M. Davis was the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from 1969 through 1978. Later, he was a California State Senator from 1981 to 1993. He also made an unsuccessful bid as the Republican candidate for the United States Senate in 1986.
Ed Davis pursued innovative approaches to crime. He balanced his tough law-and-order rhetoric with a boots-on-the-ground policing strategy that assigned police officers to specific neighborhoods in an effort to build personal ties with residents. His philosophy was incorporated in a program he called the "Basic Car Plan,” which divided Los Angeles into small geographical areas and assigned officers to meet with community representatives. Edward Davis, who assigned almost 900 officers to the program, believed that police would be more effective if their duties were tailored to each locality. The officers were instructed to find out which crime problems concerned residents the most and then devise crime-fighting plans.
Edward Davis also created the Neighborhood Watch program which encouraged police officers to spend time in the homes of local city residents, listen to their concerns and then set up effective crime fighting initiatives. Moreover, Ed Davis developed the idea of team policing wherein interdisciplinary groups of police officers were assigned as a unit to small, specific, geographic area. These interdisciplinary groups consisted of uniformed police officer, detectives and traffic enforcement officers working together on specific neighborhood crime problems.
Ed Davis’ programs were highly innovative for their time. Significantly, in the 9 years that Edward M. Davis served as police chief from, 1969 to 1978, crime rates actually dipped slightly by 1% in Los Angeles while rising nationwide by 55%. Furthermore, while subsequent Los Angeles Police Department police chiefs would dismantle or significantly reduce the programs, by the beginning of the 21st Century, more than two decades after his tenure as chief, the programs would either return wholesale, or new policing tactics would involve significant portions of Davis’ ideas.
In 1978, Senator Edward M. Davis authored Staff One: A Perspective on Effective Police Management. The term “Staff One” is the LAPD radio call sign for the Chief of Police.
Gabriel Suarez is a former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy sheriff and owner of Suarez International, a company that provides training in weapons, tactics and combat. Gabriel Suarez is the author of seven books on tactics and firearms: Tactical Pistol Marksmanship: How to Improve Your Combat Shooting Skills; Tactical Advantage: A Definitive Study Of Personal Small-Arms Tactics; The Combative Perspective: The Thinking Man's Guide to Self-Defense; Tactical Pistol: Advanced Gunfighting Concepts And Techniques; Tactical Shotgun: The Best Techniques And Tactics For Employing The Shotgun In Personal Combat; Tactical Rifle: The Precision Tool For Urban Police Operations; and, Force on Force Gunfight Training: The Interactive Reality-based Solution.
According to Gabriel Suarez, “Today the police training I offer is a concepts-based, aggressive approach to gunfighting. I’ve taught this system all over the United States, as well as in Europe, Central America, and Africa. The police training involves some range work, but it also incorporates hand-to-hand combat and a good bit of interactive police training (force-on-force). This eclectic method of police training makes some traditional shooting teachers very uncomfortable, but progress sometimes does that to people. I’m not so concerned with fitting into a certain methodology as I am with accomplishing the mission of winning the fight.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 524 police officers (representing 217 police departments) and their 1117 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 06, 2007
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Lost pets, cop jobs and police history
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Police-writers.com add three authors whose books are about finding lost pets; law enforcement jobs; and, one who is part of the historical body of work on professional law enforcement.
In 1948, Lieutenant W. R. Kidd of the Berkeley Police Department authored Police Interrogation. In the forward of the book, August Vollmer stated, “The author presents to his readers a first-rate work on the subject of interrogating complainants, witnesses, suspects and defendants, and while he makes no claim for a complete and scientific work on interrogation, he does present the practical, workable experiences of years of service in the police field.”
Kathy "Kat" Albrecht was a police officer, field training officer, detective and K9 handler for the University of California at Santa Cruz Police Department. According to her website, “During her ten-year career as a search dog handler, Albrecht and her dogs located physical evidence, missing people, and criminals. In 1996, Albrecht's bloodhound A.J. escaped from his yard and was missing. In her panic, Albrecht brought in another search dog that she used to successfully track down A.J. This is what sparked the idea, "Why not train dogs to track lost pets?" In their first four searches, Kathy Albrecht and her search dog Rachel physically located two lost cats and one lost dog. Since 1997, Albrecht has effectively utilized law enforcement techniques and technologies to recover lost pets and has trained several other search dogs and human pet detectives.
In 2001, Kat Albrecht founded Missing Pet Partnership, a national nonprofit organization that is working to research the behavioral patterns of lost pets, educate pet owners in how to properly search for a lost pet, and educate animal shelter staff and volunteers in the science of lost pet behavior. In 2004, Kat Albrecht founded Pet Hunters International, a pet detective academy that will train and certify Missing Animal Response Technicians, Investigators, and MAR search dogs trained to locate lost pets. Kat Albrecht’s first book, her memoir, The Lost Pet Chronicles: Adventures of a K-9 Cop Turned Pet Detective, explores her transition from police detective to pet detective.
Randy E. Narramore is the Chief of Police of the Huntington Park Police Department (California). He has dedicated the past twenty-six years of his life to law enforcement. Chief Randy Narramore has an A.S. Degree in Police Science, a B.S. Degree in Administration of Justice, and a Masters Degree in Public Administration. He is also a graduate of the FBI. National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He has received numerous professional awards and has earned all of California's Peace Officer Standards and Training Certificates. Chief Randy Narramore also has extensive experience as a college instructor.
Chief Randy E. Narramore is the author of How to Prepare for an Interview and Obtain a Job as a Law Enforcement Officer; How to Become an Emergency Dispatcher; The Law Enforcement Assessment Center; How to Prepare for an Interview and Obtain a Job as a Firefighter; How to Pass the Written Exam for Police Officer; How to Pass the Written Exam for Police Supervisor; and, How to Prepare for a Law Enforcement Promotional Interview.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 521 police officers (representing 217 police departments) and their 1108 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.
In 1948, Lieutenant W. R. Kidd of the Berkeley Police Department authored Police Interrogation. In the forward of the book, August Vollmer stated, “The author presents to his readers a first-rate work on the subject of interrogating complainants, witnesses, suspects and defendants, and while he makes no claim for a complete and scientific work on interrogation, he does present the practical, workable experiences of years of service in the police field.”
Kathy "Kat" Albrecht was a police officer, field training officer, detective and K9 handler for the University of California at Santa Cruz Police Department. According to her website, “During her ten-year career as a search dog handler, Albrecht and her dogs located physical evidence, missing people, and criminals. In 1996, Albrecht's bloodhound A.J. escaped from his yard and was missing. In her panic, Albrecht brought in another search dog that she used to successfully track down A.J. This is what sparked the idea, "Why not train dogs to track lost pets?" In their first four searches, Kathy Albrecht and her search dog Rachel physically located two lost cats and one lost dog. Since 1997, Albrecht has effectively utilized law enforcement techniques and technologies to recover lost pets and has trained several other search dogs and human pet detectives.
In 2001, Kat Albrecht founded Missing Pet Partnership, a national nonprofit organization that is working to research the behavioral patterns of lost pets, educate pet owners in how to properly search for a lost pet, and educate animal shelter staff and volunteers in the science of lost pet behavior. In 2004, Kat Albrecht founded Pet Hunters International, a pet detective academy that will train and certify Missing Animal Response Technicians, Investigators, and MAR search dogs trained to locate lost pets. Kat Albrecht’s first book, her memoir, The Lost Pet Chronicles: Adventures of a K-9 Cop Turned Pet Detective, explores her transition from police detective to pet detective.
Randy E. Narramore is the Chief of Police of the Huntington Park Police Department (California). He has dedicated the past twenty-six years of his life to law enforcement. Chief Randy Narramore has an A.S. Degree in Police Science, a B.S. Degree in Administration of Justice, and a Masters Degree in Public Administration. He is also a graduate of the FBI. National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He has received numerous professional awards and has earned all of California's Peace Officer Standards and Training Certificates. Chief Randy Narramore also has extensive experience as a college instructor.
Chief Randy E. Narramore is the author of How to Prepare for an Interview and Obtain a Job as a Law Enforcement Officer; How to Become an Emergency Dispatcher; The Law Enforcement Assessment Center; How to Prepare for an Interview and Obtain a Job as a Firefighter; How to Pass the Written Exam for Police Officer; How to Pass the Written Exam for Police Supervisor; and, How to Prepare for a Law Enforcement Promotional Interview.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 521 police officers (representing 217 police departments) and their 1108 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.
Practical, academic and biographical law enforcement
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Three local police officers were added to the list: Thomas Lee, Terence Green and O.W. Wilson.
Lieutenant Thomas O. Lee, New York State Police (retired), is the author of Firearms and Weapons Laws: Gun Control in New York. According to the book description, the book is a “complete source for answers to questions about the laws governing firearms licensing and use of weapons in New York. Contains all the statutes governing weapons possession, licensing and use, with expert commentary explaining what they mean and how they really work.”
Terence Green has spent over 29 years in local law enforcement. As an Oakland Police Department (California) police officer he has worked patrol, traffic, juvenile and detectives. He retired from the Oakland Police Department at the age of 50 and began working at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Behavior Science Unit. He worked there for 11 years.
Terence Green is the author of Old School. Old School “tells the true story of a career police officer as he advances through the ranks of the Oakland Police Department from a patrolman working a one man car to the Commander of the Homicide Detail.” According to one reader/reviewer, “This is a definite recommend to those interested in reading stories about how police work used to be. The book reads as if the author is sitting back in an easy chair with a glass of scotch telling you about the good old days. Definitely enjoyable and a good read that transcends generations.”
O.W. Wilson obtained his degree in Criminology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1924. To pay for his tuition, he joined the Berkeley Police Department, serving under another famous police officer, scholar and writer, August Vollmer. O.W. Wilson went on to become influential police scholar as well as the chief of police of the Fullerton Police Department (California) and chief of police of the Wichita Police Department (Kansas); and, the superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army as a public safety officer.
O.W. Wilson is the author of at least three books on policing and law enforcement: Police records: Their Installation and Use; Police Planning; and, Police Administration. O.W. Wilson’s book, Police Administration, is one of the most influential books in America on local law enforcement. Indeed, it was revised in 1996 and is used today in many colleges and universities. According to the revision description, “perhaps no other book in policing has captured more admiration and market share than O.W. Wilson's "Police Administration". Now Wilson's text has been revised by three top scholars in the field. This long awaited revision combines the nuts and bolts approach of the original with an up-to-date theoretical and policy perspective that makes it accessible to students and practitioners alike.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 518 police officers (representing 216 police departments) and their 1099 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.
Lieutenant Thomas O. Lee, New York State Police (retired), is the author of Firearms and Weapons Laws: Gun Control in New York. According to the book description, the book is a “complete source for answers to questions about the laws governing firearms licensing and use of weapons in New York. Contains all the statutes governing weapons possession, licensing and use, with expert commentary explaining what they mean and how they really work.”
Terence Green has spent over 29 years in local law enforcement. As an Oakland Police Department (California) police officer he has worked patrol, traffic, juvenile and detectives. He retired from the Oakland Police Department at the age of 50 and began working at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Behavior Science Unit. He worked there for 11 years.
Terence Green is the author of Old School. Old School “tells the true story of a career police officer as he advances through the ranks of the Oakland Police Department from a patrolman working a one man car to the Commander of the Homicide Detail.” According to one reader/reviewer, “This is a definite recommend to those interested in reading stories about how police work used to be. The book reads as if the author is sitting back in an easy chair with a glass of scotch telling you about the good old days. Definitely enjoyable and a good read that transcends generations.”
O.W. Wilson obtained his degree in Criminology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1924. To pay for his tuition, he joined the Berkeley Police Department, serving under another famous police officer, scholar and writer, August Vollmer. O.W. Wilson went on to become influential police scholar as well as the chief of police of the Fullerton Police Department (California) and chief of police of the Wichita Police Department (Kansas); and, the superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army as a public safety officer.
O.W. Wilson is the author of at least three books on policing and law enforcement: Police records: Their Installation and Use; Police Planning; and, Police Administration. O.W. Wilson’s book, Police Administration, is one of the most influential books in America on local law enforcement. Indeed, it was revised in 1996 and is used today in many colleges and universities. According to the revision description, “perhaps no other book in policing has captured more admiration and market share than O.W. Wilson's "Police Administration". Now Wilson's text has been revised by three top scholars in the field. This long awaited revision combines the nuts and bolts approach of the original with an up-to-date theoretical and policy perspective that makes it accessible to students and practitioners alike.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 518 police officers (representing 216 police departments) and their 1099 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.
Law Enforcement Stress, Survival and History
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Police-Writers.com added one police officer who has written on street survival with language skills; one who has written on law enforcement stress; and, one whose writers are part of law enforcement history.
Joe Blanco is a retired police officer from the Greensboro Police Department (North Carolina). After retiring from the Greensboro Police Department, he became a Security Operations Manager for the Department of Homeland Security. He is the author of three books for law enforcement and other emergency services personnel on Spanish: Survival Street Spanish for Police Officers; Survival Street Spanish for EMS/Fire Personnel; and, Survival Street Spanish for 911 Telecommunications.
Lieutenant Peter Pranzo served as a New York Police Department police officer for 21 years. During his career, he earned over 60 NYPD medals and awards including the Police Combat Cross and the Medal for Valor. As a lieutenant, he was assigned to the elite NYPD Street Crime Unit where his team made 2000 felony arrests. A frequent contributor to law enforcement related magazines, Peter Pranzo is the author of Stress Management for Law Enforcement.
According to the book description, “this vital handbook covers stress and trauma associated with the law enforcement and criminal justice professional. Includes: Anatomy of a Breaking Point; From Stress to Burn Out; Learning to Cope; Post Trauma; Cures, Rehabilitation and Treatment; and Psychological Testing for Police Recruits in addition to related topics dealing with this growing problem.”
George W. McWatters was known in some New York social circles as the “Literary Policeman” as well as the “Prince.” Likely born in Scotland, he was raised and educated in Ireland. As an adult he worked in Ireland as a mechanic and early in his adult life moved to London where he continued to work as a mechanic and met his wife. George McWatters and his family immigrated to the United States in the middle of the 19th Century and he studies law in Philadelphia between 1848 and 1849. From Philadelphia he went to California and after nine months returned to the East Coast, settling in New York. He joined the New York Police Department in 1858, and retired in 1870. He is the author of Knots untied: Or, Ways and by-ways in the hidden life of American Detectives.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 515 police officers (representing 216 police departments) and their 1094 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.
Joe Blanco is a retired police officer from the Greensboro Police Department (North Carolina). After retiring from the Greensboro Police Department, he became a Security Operations Manager for the Department of Homeland Security. He is the author of three books for law enforcement and other emergency services personnel on Spanish: Survival Street Spanish for Police Officers; Survival Street Spanish for EMS/Fire Personnel; and, Survival Street Spanish for 911 Telecommunications.
Lieutenant Peter Pranzo served as a New York Police Department police officer for 21 years. During his career, he earned over 60 NYPD medals and awards including the Police Combat Cross and the Medal for Valor. As a lieutenant, he was assigned to the elite NYPD Street Crime Unit where his team made 2000 felony arrests. A frequent contributor to law enforcement related magazines, Peter Pranzo is the author of Stress Management for Law Enforcement.
According to the book description, “this vital handbook covers stress and trauma associated with the law enforcement and criminal justice professional. Includes: Anatomy of a Breaking Point; From Stress to Burn Out; Learning to Cope; Post Trauma; Cures, Rehabilitation and Treatment; and Psychological Testing for Police Recruits in addition to related topics dealing with this growing problem.”
George W. McWatters was known in some New York social circles as the “Literary Policeman” as well as the “Prince.” Likely born in Scotland, he was raised and educated in Ireland. As an adult he worked in Ireland as a mechanic and early in his adult life moved to London where he continued to work as a mechanic and met his wife. George McWatters and his family immigrated to the United States in the middle of the 19th Century and he studies law in Philadelphia between 1848 and 1849. From Philadelphia he went to California and after nine months returned to the East Coast, settling in New York. He joined the New York Police Department in 1858, and retired in 1870. He is the author of Knots untied: Or, Ways and by-ways in the hidden life of American Detectives.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 515 police officers (representing 216 police departments) and their 1094 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Law Enforcement Technology
NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, May 3, 2007
"Some Crimes Can Be Reported on the Web"
Biloxi Sun Herald (MS) (04/29/07) P. A3; Fitzgerald, Robin
The Gulfport police force is the first law enforcement agency in Mississippi to let citizens file online police reports for certain types of crimes. The Desk Officer Reporting System, or E-Police Department, is intended for no-suspect misdemeanor crimes involving losses below $500--not for emergencies. The tool makes it easy for individuals to file such complaints, and provides documentation as well. The system helps the police by automatically printing the reports, freeing officers to focus on emergencies; unlike other systems, the program requires no extra staff to retype the data. In addition to assisting the public, the online police reports will be used to identify trends in crime and to compile statistics. The software was donated to the police department by Cop Logic after Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.sunherald.com/201/story/42264.html
"General Dynamics to Build Integrated Radio System"
Washington Post (04/30/07) P. D04; Dizard III, Wilson P.
Falls Church, Va.-based General Dynamics has received a 15-year, multibillion-dollar deal to construct a national interoperable data and voice radio network for federal law enforcement groups. Operated by the Department of Justice, the Integrated Wireless Network program is meant to offer compatible radio systems to federal police institutions, so that they can work together well during terrorist attacks and weather disasters. The network, which is predicted to cost as much as $10 billion, will enable the federal police to connect to state and local networks. The primary radio systems that the program will offer to participating groups will depend on the Internet Protocol Version 6 standard, the same kind of next-generation online technology that will increasingly power the operations of the global Web. The network will use different kinds of gateway systems to combine the latest digital radio systems with the older analog ones that are still employed by a large number of police departments nationally. New technology employed in the network will permit numerous simultaneous conversations to happen across what used to be an open circuit meant for one transmission. The network can facilitate the transmission of streaming video to police officers on foot or in their cruisers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com
wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/2
9/AR2007042901077.html?hpid=sec-tech
"DeLuca Vows to Prevent Mistakes in Criminal Cases, Use Technology"
Wilkes Barre Times Leader (PA) (04/26/07); Weiss, David
Attorney Vito DeLuca has promised to make a number of changes if elected to the Luzerne County, Pa., District Attorney's Office, including ensuring that prosecutors have the proper technology to handle cases. According to DeLuca, there have been several cases that have been thrown out because prosecutors failed to meet certain deadlines. He noted that while it is expected that those mistakes will happen occasionally because a police officer held up a case too long, they should never happen because a prosecutor forgot to do something. DeLuca also promised to use more technology in courtrooms if he becomes the next district attorney. The use of technology in courtrooms is important, because jurors watch television court shows that impact their thoughts, DeLuca said. "They want to be entertained," he said.
http://www.timesleader.com
news/20070426_26deluca_dw_ART.html
"Judge: Cellular GPS Data Can Be Used as a Tracking Device"
Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN) (04/27/07) P. 19; Satterfield, Jamie
On April 26, U.S. District Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton decreed that law enforcement can employ GPS information from cell phones as monitoring devices. The decision occurs in the case of a father and son charged of transporting almost 1,000 pounds of marijuana in an RV. Michael Davis and Drew Lewis, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents, had utilized real-time information from a GPS unit implemented in a cell phone to locate accused traffickers Melvin and Samuel Skinner at a truck stop in Texas on the night before a July raid of businessman Scott West's properties. Once arrested, the Skinners protested that federal prosecutors breached regulations in their effort to bust West and his brother. The attorneys had argued at earlier hearings in 2007 to persuade Guyton that law enforcement should not be permitted to employ GPS devices on cell phones as monitoring devices without obtaining legal permission. Guyton determined, though, that cell phone users relinquish privacy rights on a daily basis. He wrote that since a broad variety of individuals and companies already use cell phone GPS information, law enforcement officials should not be treated any differently. http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/
0,1406,KNS_347_5507506,00.html
"Campus Safety Gains Sharper Vision With New Breed of Surveillance Cameras"
Chronicle of Higher Education (04/27/07) Vol. 53, No. 34, P. 15; Fischman, Josh; Foster, Andrea L.
To boost security in its dormitories, Johns Hopkins University relies on "smart TV," according to Edmund G. Skrodzki, executive director of campus safety and security. Over the past two years, the university installed 101 surveillance cameras in dormitories along Charles Street in addition to some off-campus sites. The cameras are linked to computer software that can determine such things as when a person has his or her arms in the air or a vehicle is moving in a suspiciously slow manner; the software also issues alerts to campus security. Skrodzki says the new cameras at Johns Hopkins have made the campus "more proactive rather than reactive," and have already helped catch a person trying to steal a motorbike and identify an armed thief. Campus crime at Hopkins has declined by 43 percent since 2004, and some of that can be attributed to the cameras, he says. Before installation of the cameras began, Johns Hopkins officials asked the student chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union to talk about the system in an effort to reduce concerns over privacy. The students learned, for example, that the cameras block out any footage of direct window views. The technology reflects the growing presence of camera-based surveillance at universities, which may increase even more in the wake of the April 16 Virginia Tech shooting. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i34/34a01501.htm?pg=dji
"Beaverton Police Cut Cord to Office"
Oregonian (04/25/07) P. B01; Anderson, David R.
The Beaverton, Ore., Police Department has installed a wireless broadband network in the city's downtown, thanks to the help of almost $266,000 in grants from the federal Department of Homeland Security. The network, which consists of 21 wireless nodes placed along routes where officers patrol, gives officers at a crime scene access to key information--such as how many times police have been to a particular house and who lives there--on mobile data terminals in their patrol cars. Officers no longer have to call on the radio and have someone read the data back. In addition, officers conducting follow-up investigations do not have to return to headquarters or stop at a satellite office. By the end of this year, the system could be connected to an electronic citation system--which would allow officers to write tickets from handheld personal digital assistants--as well as an electronic fingerprint system. The Beaverton Police Department also hopes to expand the wireless network to neighborhoods in the city beyond downtown. http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/
base/news/117747691176480.xml&coll=7
"New Phone Technologies Can Help Colleges Communicate Campuswide in Emergencies"
Chronicle of Higher Education (04/27/07) Vol. 53, No. 34, P. A16; Fischman, Josh; Foster, Andrea L.
A company called Rave Wireless sells a new type of campus communications system designed to work with cell phones. The system has been installed at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, where over 90 percent of students carry cell phones, notes Ronald G. Forsythe, a vice president in charge of communications systems at the university. In comparison, fewer students check campus email or carry laptops, he says. The university's system relies on sending text messages to students' cell phones if an emergency arises. Monmouth University in New Jersey recently acquired a new cell phone system called Connect-ED that transmits voice as well as text messages to cell phones, says David J. Bopp, the university's associate vice president for telecommunications. One flaw in such systems, however, is that participation is voluntary. In addition, not all students keep their phones on, and text messages are often limited to 100 characters. As a result, such systems are often supplemented with dedicated emergency Web sites, phone message systems, and public address speakers. At Butler University in Indianapolis, a recently installed Internet-based phone system allows certain faculty and staff to issue audio and text messages through special phones in case of emergencies. http://www.chronicle.com
"Domestic Violence Victims are Given Electronic Advice"
Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (04/26/07) P. 1; Finch, Susan
Domestic violence victims need to be tech-savvy if they hope to keep from falling prey to high-tech stalking at the hands of their former abusers, said Cindy Southworth, the technology chief of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, at a recent conference in New Orleans. Southworth noted that domestic violence victims need to take steps to both electronically and physically separate themselves from their abusers. For instance, domestic violence victims should use the Internet on a computer at a library or a friend's house, rather than a computer that is being shared with the abuser. Domestic violence victims should also create a new email account in a name that the abuser does not know, in order to keep the abuser from accessing the information. Once this new account is opened, domestic violence victims should avoid opening any attachments that could relay email information to the abuser. Finally, domestic violence victims should stop using cell phones that are part of a family plan shared with the abuser, since abusers can get records of the victim's calls and have a locator feature installed to monitor the victim's location. Southworth advised women to get a new phone with a global positioning chip, which would allow police to find her immediately if she dials 911.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/
news-21/1177568775255780.xml&coll=1
"New Patrol Cars to Get Latest Equipment"
Sacramento Bee (CA) (04/26/07) P. H3; Campos, Art
The Roseville, Calif., Police Department has bought 16 new patrol cars for $376,915 and is customizing them for almost another $400,000. The customizing involves implementing the newest anti-crime equipment, including cameras, police radios, and wireless computer gadgets. The new in-car cameras will cost $82,711, while upgrades to the wireless abilities of in-car computers will total $102,091. The customization and implementation of radios and additional equipment will cost $207,868. An additional request for $136,000 will be presented to the Roseville City Council at a later date for purchasing and implementing mobile computers and accessories in the vehicles. "Patrol cars have literally become mobile offices for the officers because of the tremendous amount of technology that is needed in the field," noted police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther. http://www.sacbee.com/230/story/160988.html
"Minneapolis Cops Reaching for Tasers More Often"
Star Tribune (Minn.) (04/25/07) P. 1A; Chanen, David
A report reveals that incidents of Taser usage by the Minneapolis police department are more frequent than ever before. In 2006, force incidents by Taser accounted for about one in every 60 arrests. Factors attributed to the increase in Taser use include hiring of new and consequently inexperienced officers, and as Deputy Chief Scott Gerlicher states, "Officers have become more comfortable using Tasers." The racial breakdown for the incidents of Taser usage sets blacks at over 64 percent of cases with whites at 19 percent. Chief Tim Dolan says the figures are proportional to the number of blacks and whites arrested in the city. Thirty-nine cases are up for investigation or disciplinary action from 2006, but Lt. Susan Piontek states officers usually file force allegation reports before the public does. University of Nebraska-Omaha professor Sam Walker says Minneapolis' report "is a good thing because it builds public trust." http://www.startribune.com/467/story/1142533.html
"Anoka County Wants to Build a Regional Crime Lab"
Finance and Commerce (04/24/07); Johnson, Brian
Anoka County, Minn., is expected to begin construction on a regional crime lab this year. Like many cities and counties across the country, Anoka has to send its forensic and ballistic evidence away to a lab to be processed. Backlogs in the system mean it can take as long three months for Anoka investigators to receive forensic results. To eliminate this problem, Anoka has asked the state to underwrite the approximately $6 million cost of a regional crime lab that would be part of a $25 million public safety campus that is slated to begin construction this fall. The 135,000-square-foot campus will house all of the departments of the sheriff's office, plus the regional crime lab. The lab will be divided into four sections, including DNA analysis, latent prints, drug chemistry, and toxicology. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office says the new regional crime lab would permit the county to expand its use of DNA analysis to property crime.
http://www.finance-commerce.com
"Pennsylvania Firm Wins Preston, W.Va., Sheriff's Department Software Bid"
Dominion Post (Morgantown, WV) (04/24/07); Plum, Kathy
The Preston Sheriff's Department has accepted In-Synch Systems Solutions software bid. The Zelienople, Pa., firm's contract was selected from a pool of competing bids by county commissioners. Under terms of the contract, In-Synch will provide the Preston Sheriff's Department and 911 center with new records software. With the new system, officers will be able to download information daily into laptops in their cruisers. The base price of the contract is $44,837 and could reach as high as $50,000 after the purchase of recommended computer hardware. The cost of new equipment will be underwritten by a $74,000 federal grant. The sheriff's department hopes to have the new software installed by July 1. http://olive.dominionpost.com
"Biometrics Would Speed Passengers Through Airports"
Vancouver Province (04/23/07); Weeks, Carly
A coalition of Canadian airlines and airports is calling on Transport Canada to adopt a biometric fast-queue traveler screening program already in use at several major U.S. airports to reduce delays. "It's just another service to passengers," said Scott Armstrong, spokesman for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which has signed an agreement with the company operating the biometric screening program in the United States, Clear, but must await federal approval before moving forward with implementation. "Obviously, people are always looking for ways to make the whole airport process quicker." The coalition says that the program will not cost the government anything because it would be paid by the private sector and participating passengers.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id
=312f0f34-5f70-440a-bb38-9b842ee53104
"Each Police Chase Could Mean Change in Policy"
Bellevue Leader (04/18/07); Buzzell, Jason
In general, police departments rarely change their pursuit policies unless death or severe damage occurs; but at the Bellevue Police Department in Nebraska, that is not the case. The eight-page policy is gone over at the police academy and rigorously reviewed periodically to ensure that public safety is a number-one priority when pursuits occur. Officers are trained as recruits for eight-hour stretches when they first sign on with the department and for two-hour stretches periodically as veteran officers. However, officials note that not all chases are perfect; and when officers disobey protocols, they are disciplined accordingly per the instructions of a commander committee that reviews the actions of the officer in conjunction with the current policy rules. The department's pursuit policy was changed in February; and officers now are required to cease pursuit if apprehension is a viable option later on, suspects have crossed state lines, or commanders order the pursuit to stop. The debate over pursuit policy restrictions is heated; but with recent rulings from the Nebraska Supreme Court, which ruled that cities could be held liable for third-party injuries even after the pursuit ended, pursuit policies are carefully monitored for weaknesses.
http://www.bellevueleader.com/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=18221522&BRD=
2712&PAG=461&dept_id=559850&rfi=6
"How to Get the Most Out of Online Education"
Police (04/07) Vol. 31, No. 4, P. 22; Griffith, David
Online learning can be extremely beneficial for police officers, who typically have challenging work responsibilities as well as family obligations. Officers can turn to online degree programs to take classes at times that are convenient for them, even if the institution is far away. The online criminal justice program at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn., for example, which is headed by retired Minnesota police chief Scott Harr, has an online student body that spans multiple countries. Because online programs call for unique approaches for instructing students, dedication from faculty and the institution is crucial. Harr, for example, involves doctoral level law enforcement officers in Concordia's program. At Excelsior College based in Albany, N.Y., credits are accepted "from a variety of sources, including previous college-level study and military or law enforcement training that has been certified by ACE [American Council on Education]," says Excelsior's Bill Stewart. He adds that the college has used grants from the Department of Justice to assess police academy and correction academy programs for credits. Online course typically involve such things as supervised readings of specific texts, audio lectures, discussions via online bulletin boards, term papers, and instant messaging sessions, so it is imperative that each student participate fully in the course; however, Harr emphasizes that officers still need to maintain balance in other aspects of their lives. http://www.policemag.com
"Flower Power"
Law Enforcement Technology (04/07) Vol. 34, No. 4, P. 112; Bertomen, Lindsey
Lasers are an efficient tool in law enforcement patrol, granting officers a greater sense of depth perception in critical situations and in improving overall shooting problems, writes Hartnell College Prof. and retired police officer Lindsey Bertomen. Lasers provide departments an inexpensive means for firearms while enabling crucial advances in law enforcement technology. Since over 80 percent of shootings occur during the dark, an officer can use the glowing light to more accurately pin their target. Additionally, suspects are intimidated when they become aware there is a firearm aimed at them. Officers should take recoil into consideration when trying different lasers, noting barricades keep the laser in place while maximizing their effect. Since lasers automatically enhance peripheral vision, officers should adjust accordingly to the landscape. Most importantly, more than one officer will have a laser, so it is important to assign individual boundaries that team members will be limited to in order to avoid many officers aiming at the same target. http://www.officer.com/magazines/let/
"No Public Safety Agency Is an Island"
Firehouse Magazine (03/07) Vol. 32, No. 3, P. 88; Kuhlmann, Thomas J.; Morkel, Tarquin
Utah County, Utah, serves as an example of how smaller public safety agencies can go about achieving greater interagency cooperation. The second-largest county in the state has created an information-sharing network that enables 22 fire departments and 18 EMS organizations to communicate with each other and at all levels. In striving for interoperability, Utah County focused on facilitating interagency cooperation and support, implementing suitable technology, and developing an effective training plan. By focusing on getting agencies to work together, Utah County was able to make the various departments feel more involved in the initiative, take their specific requirements into account, address funding issues more effectively, and enhance their buying power. Utah County approached technology by focusing on cost-effective, practical features, and choosing flexible solutions that gave it a certain level of control with regard to future decisions. Specific capabilities that end users have gained include mapping, dispatch, lookups, communication, training, reporting, inventory, and administration. County officials also focused on developing an effective training program that would make it easy for paid and volunteer personnel to use the technology.
http://www.firehouse.com
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
"Some Crimes Can Be Reported on the Web"
Biloxi Sun Herald (MS) (04/29/07) P. A3; Fitzgerald, Robin
The Gulfport police force is the first law enforcement agency in Mississippi to let citizens file online police reports for certain types of crimes. The Desk Officer Reporting System, or E-Police Department, is intended for no-suspect misdemeanor crimes involving losses below $500--not for emergencies. The tool makes it easy for individuals to file such complaints, and provides documentation as well. The system helps the police by automatically printing the reports, freeing officers to focus on emergencies; unlike other systems, the program requires no extra staff to retype the data. In addition to assisting the public, the online police reports will be used to identify trends in crime and to compile statistics. The software was donated to the police department by Cop Logic after Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.sunherald.com/201/story/42264.html
"General Dynamics to Build Integrated Radio System"
Washington Post (04/30/07) P. D04; Dizard III, Wilson P.
Falls Church, Va.-based General Dynamics has received a 15-year, multibillion-dollar deal to construct a national interoperable data and voice radio network for federal law enforcement groups. Operated by the Department of Justice, the Integrated Wireless Network program is meant to offer compatible radio systems to federal police institutions, so that they can work together well during terrorist attacks and weather disasters. The network, which is predicted to cost as much as $10 billion, will enable the federal police to connect to state and local networks. The primary radio systems that the program will offer to participating groups will depend on the Internet Protocol Version 6 standard, the same kind of next-generation online technology that will increasingly power the operations of the global Web. The network will use different kinds of gateway systems to combine the latest digital radio systems with the older analog ones that are still employed by a large number of police departments nationally. New technology employed in the network will permit numerous simultaneous conversations to happen across what used to be an open circuit meant for one transmission. The network can facilitate the transmission of streaming video to police officers on foot or in their cruisers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com
wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/2
9/AR2007042901077.html?hpid=sec-tech
"DeLuca Vows to Prevent Mistakes in Criminal Cases, Use Technology"
Wilkes Barre Times Leader (PA) (04/26/07); Weiss, David
Attorney Vito DeLuca has promised to make a number of changes if elected to the Luzerne County, Pa., District Attorney's Office, including ensuring that prosecutors have the proper technology to handle cases. According to DeLuca, there have been several cases that have been thrown out because prosecutors failed to meet certain deadlines. He noted that while it is expected that those mistakes will happen occasionally because a police officer held up a case too long, they should never happen because a prosecutor forgot to do something. DeLuca also promised to use more technology in courtrooms if he becomes the next district attorney. The use of technology in courtrooms is important, because jurors watch television court shows that impact their thoughts, DeLuca said. "They want to be entertained," he said.
http://www.timesleader.com
news/20070426_26deluca_dw_ART.html
"Judge: Cellular GPS Data Can Be Used as a Tracking Device"
Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN) (04/27/07) P. 19; Satterfield, Jamie
On April 26, U.S. District Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton decreed that law enforcement can employ GPS information from cell phones as monitoring devices. The decision occurs in the case of a father and son charged of transporting almost 1,000 pounds of marijuana in an RV. Michael Davis and Drew Lewis, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents, had utilized real-time information from a GPS unit implemented in a cell phone to locate accused traffickers Melvin and Samuel Skinner at a truck stop in Texas on the night before a July raid of businessman Scott West's properties. Once arrested, the Skinners protested that federal prosecutors breached regulations in their effort to bust West and his brother. The attorneys had argued at earlier hearings in 2007 to persuade Guyton that law enforcement should not be permitted to employ GPS devices on cell phones as monitoring devices without obtaining legal permission. Guyton determined, though, that cell phone users relinquish privacy rights on a daily basis. He wrote that since a broad variety of individuals and companies already use cell phone GPS information, law enforcement officials should not be treated any differently. http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/
0,1406,KNS_347_5507506,00.html
"Campus Safety Gains Sharper Vision With New Breed of Surveillance Cameras"
Chronicle of Higher Education (04/27/07) Vol. 53, No. 34, P. 15; Fischman, Josh; Foster, Andrea L.
To boost security in its dormitories, Johns Hopkins University relies on "smart TV," according to Edmund G. Skrodzki, executive director of campus safety and security. Over the past two years, the university installed 101 surveillance cameras in dormitories along Charles Street in addition to some off-campus sites. The cameras are linked to computer software that can determine such things as when a person has his or her arms in the air or a vehicle is moving in a suspiciously slow manner; the software also issues alerts to campus security. Skrodzki says the new cameras at Johns Hopkins have made the campus "more proactive rather than reactive," and have already helped catch a person trying to steal a motorbike and identify an armed thief. Campus crime at Hopkins has declined by 43 percent since 2004, and some of that can be attributed to the cameras, he says. Before installation of the cameras began, Johns Hopkins officials asked the student chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union to talk about the system in an effort to reduce concerns over privacy. The students learned, for example, that the cameras block out any footage of direct window views. The technology reflects the growing presence of camera-based surveillance at universities, which may increase even more in the wake of the April 16 Virginia Tech shooting. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i34/34a01501.htm?pg=dji
"Beaverton Police Cut Cord to Office"
Oregonian (04/25/07) P. B01; Anderson, David R.
The Beaverton, Ore., Police Department has installed a wireless broadband network in the city's downtown, thanks to the help of almost $266,000 in grants from the federal Department of Homeland Security. The network, which consists of 21 wireless nodes placed along routes where officers patrol, gives officers at a crime scene access to key information--such as how many times police have been to a particular house and who lives there--on mobile data terminals in their patrol cars. Officers no longer have to call on the radio and have someone read the data back. In addition, officers conducting follow-up investigations do not have to return to headquarters or stop at a satellite office. By the end of this year, the system could be connected to an electronic citation system--which would allow officers to write tickets from handheld personal digital assistants--as well as an electronic fingerprint system. The Beaverton Police Department also hopes to expand the wireless network to neighborhoods in the city beyond downtown. http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/
base/news/117747691176480.xml&coll=7
"New Phone Technologies Can Help Colleges Communicate Campuswide in Emergencies"
Chronicle of Higher Education (04/27/07) Vol. 53, No. 34, P. A16; Fischman, Josh; Foster, Andrea L.
A company called Rave Wireless sells a new type of campus communications system designed to work with cell phones. The system has been installed at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, where over 90 percent of students carry cell phones, notes Ronald G. Forsythe, a vice president in charge of communications systems at the university. In comparison, fewer students check campus email or carry laptops, he says. The university's system relies on sending text messages to students' cell phones if an emergency arises. Monmouth University in New Jersey recently acquired a new cell phone system called Connect-ED that transmits voice as well as text messages to cell phones, says David J. Bopp, the university's associate vice president for telecommunications. One flaw in such systems, however, is that participation is voluntary. In addition, not all students keep their phones on, and text messages are often limited to 100 characters. As a result, such systems are often supplemented with dedicated emergency Web sites, phone message systems, and public address speakers. At Butler University in Indianapolis, a recently installed Internet-based phone system allows certain faculty and staff to issue audio and text messages through special phones in case of emergencies. http://www.chronicle.com
"Domestic Violence Victims are Given Electronic Advice"
Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (04/26/07) P. 1; Finch, Susan
Domestic violence victims need to be tech-savvy if they hope to keep from falling prey to high-tech stalking at the hands of their former abusers, said Cindy Southworth, the technology chief of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, at a recent conference in New Orleans. Southworth noted that domestic violence victims need to take steps to both electronically and physically separate themselves from their abusers. For instance, domestic violence victims should use the Internet on a computer at a library or a friend's house, rather than a computer that is being shared with the abuser. Domestic violence victims should also create a new email account in a name that the abuser does not know, in order to keep the abuser from accessing the information. Once this new account is opened, domestic violence victims should avoid opening any attachments that could relay email information to the abuser. Finally, domestic violence victims should stop using cell phones that are part of a family plan shared with the abuser, since abusers can get records of the victim's calls and have a locator feature installed to monitor the victim's location. Southworth advised women to get a new phone with a global positioning chip, which would allow police to find her immediately if she dials 911.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/
news-21/1177568775255780.xml&coll=1
"New Patrol Cars to Get Latest Equipment"
Sacramento Bee (CA) (04/26/07) P. H3; Campos, Art
The Roseville, Calif., Police Department has bought 16 new patrol cars for $376,915 and is customizing them for almost another $400,000. The customizing involves implementing the newest anti-crime equipment, including cameras, police radios, and wireless computer gadgets. The new in-car cameras will cost $82,711, while upgrades to the wireless abilities of in-car computers will total $102,091. The customization and implementation of radios and additional equipment will cost $207,868. An additional request for $136,000 will be presented to the Roseville City Council at a later date for purchasing and implementing mobile computers and accessories in the vehicles. "Patrol cars have literally become mobile offices for the officers because of the tremendous amount of technology that is needed in the field," noted police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther. http://www.sacbee.com/230/story/160988.html
"Minneapolis Cops Reaching for Tasers More Often"
Star Tribune (Minn.) (04/25/07) P. 1A; Chanen, David
A report reveals that incidents of Taser usage by the Minneapolis police department are more frequent than ever before. In 2006, force incidents by Taser accounted for about one in every 60 arrests. Factors attributed to the increase in Taser use include hiring of new and consequently inexperienced officers, and as Deputy Chief Scott Gerlicher states, "Officers have become more comfortable using Tasers." The racial breakdown for the incidents of Taser usage sets blacks at over 64 percent of cases with whites at 19 percent. Chief Tim Dolan says the figures are proportional to the number of blacks and whites arrested in the city. Thirty-nine cases are up for investigation or disciplinary action from 2006, but Lt. Susan Piontek states officers usually file force allegation reports before the public does. University of Nebraska-Omaha professor Sam Walker says Minneapolis' report "is a good thing because it builds public trust." http://www.startribune.com/467/story/1142533.html
"Anoka County Wants to Build a Regional Crime Lab"
Finance and Commerce (04/24/07); Johnson, Brian
Anoka County, Minn., is expected to begin construction on a regional crime lab this year. Like many cities and counties across the country, Anoka has to send its forensic and ballistic evidence away to a lab to be processed. Backlogs in the system mean it can take as long three months for Anoka investigators to receive forensic results. To eliminate this problem, Anoka has asked the state to underwrite the approximately $6 million cost of a regional crime lab that would be part of a $25 million public safety campus that is slated to begin construction this fall. The 135,000-square-foot campus will house all of the departments of the sheriff's office, plus the regional crime lab. The lab will be divided into four sections, including DNA analysis, latent prints, drug chemistry, and toxicology. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office says the new regional crime lab would permit the county to expand its use of DNA analysis to property crime.
http://www.finance-commerce.com
"Pennsylvania Firm Wins Preston, W.Va., Sheriff's Department Software Bid"
Dominion Post (Morgantown, WV) (04/24/07); Plum, Kathy
The Preston Sheriff's Department has accepted In-Synch Systems Solutions software bid. The Zelienople, Pa., firm's contract was selected from a pool of competing bids by county commissioners. Under terms of the contract, In-Synch will provide the Preston Sheriff's Department and 911 center with new records software. With the new system, officers will be able to download information daily into laptops in their cruisers. The base price of the contract is $44,837 and could reach as high as $50,000 after the purchase of recommended computer hardware. The cost of new equipment will be underwritten by a $74,000 federal grant. The sheriff's department hopes to have the new software installed by July 1. http://olive.dominionpost.com
"Biometrics Would Speed Passengers Through Airports"
Vancouver Province (04/23/07); Weeks, Carly
A coalition of Canadian airlines and airports is calling on Transport Canada to adopt a biometric fast-queue traveler screening program already in use at several major U.S. airports to reduce delays. "It's just another service to passengers," said Scott Armstrong, spokesman for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which has signed an agreement with the company operating the biometric screening program in the United States, Clear, but must await federal approval before moving forward with implementation. "Obviously, people are always looking for ways to make the whole airport process quicker." The coalition says that the program will not cost the government anything because it would be paid by the private sector and participating passengers.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id
=312f0f34-5f70-440a-bb38-9b842ee53104
"Each Police Chase Could Mean Change in Policy"
Bellevue Leader (04/18/07); Buzzell, Jason
In general, police departments rarely change their pursuit policies unless death or severe damage occurs; but at the Bellevue Police Department in Nebraska, that is not the case. The eight-page policy is gone over at the police academy and rigorously reviewed periodically to ensure that public safety is a number-one priority when pursuits occur. Officers are trained as recruits for eight-hour stretches when they first sign on with the department and for two-hour stretches periodically as veteran officers. However, officials note that not all chases are perfect; and when officers disobey protocols, they are disciplined accordingly per the instructions of a commander committee that reviews the actions of the officer in conjunction with the current policy rules. The department's pursuit policy was changed in February; and officers now are required to cease pursuit if apprehension is a viable option later on, suspects have crossed state lines, or commanders order the pursuit to stop. The debate over pursuit policy restrictions is heated; but with recent rulings from the Nebraska Supreme Court, which ruled that cities could be held liable for third-party injuries even after the pursuit ended, pursuit policies are carefully monitored for weaknesses.
http://www.bellevueleader.com/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=18221522&BRD=
2712&PAG=461&dept_id=559850&rfi=6
"How to Get the Most Out of Online Education"
Police (04/07) Vol. 31, No. 4, P. 22; Griffith, David
Online learning can be extremely beneficial for police officers, who typically have challenging work responsibilities as well as family obligations. Officers can turn to online degree programs to take classes at times that are convenient for them, even if the institution is far away. The online criminal justice program at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn., for example, which is headed by retired Minnesota police chief Scott Harr, has an online student body that spans multiple countries. Because online programs call for unique approaches for instructing students, dedication from faculty and the institution is crucial. Harr, for example, involves doctoral level law enforcement officers in Concordia's program. At Excelsior College based in Albany, N.Y., credits are accepted "from a variety of sources, including previous college-level study and military or law enforcement training that has been certified by ACE [American Council on Education]," says Excelsior's Bill Stewart. He adds that the college has used grants from the Department of Justice to assess police academy and correction academy programs for credits. Online course typically involve such things as supervised readings of specific texts, audio lectures, discussions via online bulletin boards, term papers, and instant messaging sessions, so it is imperative that each student participate fully in the course; however, Harr emphasizes that officers still need to maintain balance in other aspects of their lives. http://www.policemag.com
"Flower Power"
Law Enforcement Technology (04/07) Vol. 34, No. 4, P. 112; Bertomen, Lindsey
Lasers are an efficient tool in law enforcement patrol, granting officers a greater sense of depth perception in critical situations and in improving overall shooting problems, writes Hartnell College Prof. and retired police officer Lindsey Bertomen. Lasers provide departments an inexpensive means for firearms while enabling crucial advances in law enforcement technology. Since over 80 percent of shootings occur during the dark, an officer can use the glowing light to more accurately pin their target. Additionally, suspects are intimidated when they become aware there is a firearm aimed at them. Officers should take recoil into consideration when trying different lasers, noting barricades keep the laser in place while maximizing their effect. Since lasers automatically enhance peripheral vision, officers should adjust accordingly to the landscape. Most importantly, more than one officer will have a laser, so it is important to assign individual boundaries that team members will be limited to in order to avoid many officers aiming at the same target. http://www.officer.com/magazines/let/
"No Public Safety Agency Is an Island"
Firehouse Magazine (03/07) Vol. 32, No. 3, P. 88; Kuhlmann, Thomas J.; Morkel, Tarquin
Utah County, Utah, serves as an example of how smaller public safety agencies can go about achieving greater interagency cooperation. The second-largest county in the state has created an information-sharing network that enables 22 fire departments and 18 EMS organizations to communicate with each other and at all levels. In striving for interoperability, Utah County focused on facilitating interagency cooperation and support, implementing suitable technology, and developing an effective training plan. By focusing on getting agencies to work together, Utah County was able to make the various departments feel more involved in the initiative, take their specific requirements into account, address funding issues more effectively, and enhance their buying power. Utah County approached technology by focusing on cost-effective, practical features, and choosing flexible solutions that gave it a certain level of control with regard to future decisions. Specific capabilities that end users have gained include mapping, dispatch, lookups, communication, training, reporting, inventory, and administration. County officials also focused on developing an effective training program that would make it easy for paid and volunteer personnel to use the technology.
http://www.firehouse.com
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Law Enforcement Technology
NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, May 3, 2007
"Some Crimes Can Be Reported on the Web"
Biloxi Sun Herald (MS) (04/29/07) P. A3; Fitzgerald, Robin
The Gulfport police force is the first law enforcement agency in Mississippi to let citizens file online police reports for certain types of crimes. The Desk Officer Reporting System, or E-Police Department, is intended for no-suspect misdemeanor crimes involving losses below $500--not for emergencies. The tool makes it easy for individuals to file such complaints, and provides documentation as well. The system helps the police by automatically printing the reports, freeing officers to focus on emergencies; unlike other systems, the program requires no extra staff to retype the data. In addition to assisting the public, the online police reports will be used to identify trends in crime and to compile statistics. The software was donated to the police department by Cop Logic after Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.sunherald.com/201/story/42264.html
"General Dynamics to Build Integrated Radio System"
Washington Post (04/30/07) P. D04; Dizard III, Wilson P.
Falls Church, Va.-based General Dynamics has received a 15-year, multibillion-dollar deal to construct a national interoperable data and voice radio network for federal law enforcement groups. Operated by the Department of Justice, the Integrated Wireless Network program is meant to offer compatible radio systems to federal police institutions, so that they can work together well during terrorist attacks and weather disasters. The network, which is predicted to cost as much as $10 billion, will enable the federal police to connect to state and local networks. The primary radio systems that the program will offer to participating groups will depend on the Internet Protocol Version 6 standard, the same kind of next-generation online technology that will increasingly power the operations of the global Web. The network will use different kinds of gateway systems to combine the latest digital radio systems with the older analog ones that are still employed by a large number of police departments nationally. New technology employed in the network will permit numerous simultaneous conversations to happen across what used to be an open circuit meant for one transmission. The network can facilitate the transmission of streaming video to police officers on foot or in their cruisers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com
wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/2
9/AR2007042901077.html?hpid=sec-tech
"DeLuca Vows to Prevent Mistakes in Criminal Cases, Use Technology"
Wilkes Barre Times Leader (PA) (04/26/07); Weiss, David
Attorney Vito DeLuca has promised to make a number of changes if elected to the Luzerne County, Pa., District Attorney's Office, including ensuring that prosecutors have the proper technology to handle cases. According to DeLuca, there have been several cases that have been thrown out because prosecutors failed to meet certain deadlines. He noted that while it is expected that those mistakes will happen occasionally because a police officer held up a case too long, they should never happen because a prosecutor forgot to do something. DeLuca also promised to use more technology in courtrooms if he becomes the next district attorney. The use of technology in courtrooms is important, because jurors watch television court shows that impact their thoughts, DeLuca said. "They want to be entertained," he said.
http://www.timesleader.com
news/20070426_26deluca_dw_ART.html
"Judge: Cellular GPS Data Can Be Used as a Tracking Device"
Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN) (04/27/07) P. 19; Satterfield, Jamie
On April 26, U.S. District Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton decreed that law enforcement can employ GPS information from cell phones as monitoring devices. The decision occurs in the case of a father and son charged of transporting almost 1,000 pounds of marijuana in an RV. Michael Davis and Drew Lewis, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents, had utilized real-time information from a GPS unit implemented in a cell phone to locate accused traffickers Melvin and Samuel Skinner at a truck stop in Texas on the night before a July raid of businessman Scott West's properties. Once arrested, the Skinners protested that federal prosecutors breached regulations in their effort to bust West and his brother. The attorneys had argued at earlier hearings in 2007 to persuade Guyton that law enforcement should not be permitted to employ GPS devices on cell phones as monitoring devices without obtaining legal permission. Guyton determined, though, that cell phone users relinquish privacy rights on a daily basis. He wrote that since a broad variety of individuals and companies already use cell phone GPS information, law enforcement officials should not be treated any differently. http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/
0,1406,KNS_347_5507506,00.html
"Campus Safety Gains Sharper Vision With New Breed of Surveillance Cameras"
Chronicle of Higher Education (04/27/07) Vol. 53, No. 34, P. 15; Fischman, Josh; Foster, Andrea L.
To boost security in its dormitories, Johns Hopkins University relies on "smart TV," according to Edmund G. Skrodzki, executive director of campus safety and security. Over the past two years, the university installed 101 surveillance cameras in dormitories along Charles Street in addition to some off-campus sites. The cameras are linked to computer software that can determine such things as when a person has his or her arms in the air or a vehicle is moving in a suspiciously slow manner; the software also issues alerts to campus security. Skrodzki says the new cameras at Johns Hopkins have made the campus "more proactive rather than reactive," and have already helped catch a person trying to steal a motorbike and identify an armed thief. Campus crime at Hopkins has declined by 43 percent since 2004, and some of that can be attributed to the cameras, he says. Before installation of the cameras began, Johns Hopkins officials asked the student chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union to talk about the system in an effort to reduce concerns over privacy. The students learned, for example, that the cameras block out any footage of direct window views. The technology reflects the growing presence of camera-based surveillance at universities, which may increase even more in the wake of the April 16 Virginia Tech shooting. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i34/34a01501.htm?pg=dji
"Beaverton Police Cut Cord to Office"
Oregonian (04/25/07) P. B01; Anderson, David R.
The Beaverton, Ore., Police Department has installed a wireless broadband network in the city's downtown, thanks to the help of almost $266,000 in grants from the federal Department of Homeland Security. The network, which consists of 21 wireless nodes placed along routes where officers patrol, gives officers at a crime scene access to key information--such as how many times police have been to a particular house and who lives there--on mobile data terminals in their patrol cars. Officers no longer have to call on the radio and have someone read the data back. In addition, officers conducting follow-up investigations do not have to return to headquarters or stop at a satellite office. By the end of this year, the system could be connected to an electronic citation system--which would allow officers to write tickets from handheld personal digital assistants--as well as an electronic fingerprint system. The Beaverton Police Department also hopes to expand the wireless network to neighborhoods in the city beyond downtown. http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/
base/news/117747691176480.xml&coll=7
"New Phone Technologies Can Help Colleges Communicate Campuswide in Emergencies"
Chronicle of Higher Education (04/27/07) Vol. 53, No. 34, P. A16; Fischman, Josh; Foster, Andrea L.
A company called Rave Wireless sells a new type of campus communications system designed to work with cell phones. The system has been installed at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, where over 90 percent of students carry cell phones, notes Ronald G. Forsythe, a vice president in charge of communications systems at the university. In comparison, fewer students check campus email or carry laptops, he says. The university's system relies on sending text messages to students' cell phones if an emergency arises. Monmouth University in New Jersey recently acquired a new cell phone system called Connect-ED that transmits voice as well as text messages to cell phones, says David J. Bopp, the university's associate vice president for telecommunications. One flaw in such systems, however, is that participation is voluntary. In addition, not all students keep their phones on, and text messages are often limited to 100 characters. As a result, such systems are often supplemented with dedicated emergency Web sites, phone message systems, and public address speakers. At Butler University in Indianapolis, a recently installed Internet-based phone system allows certain faculty and staff to issue audio and text messages through special phones in case of emergencies. http://www.chronicle.com
"Domestic Violence Victims are Given Electronic Advice"
Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (04/26/07) P. 1; Finch, Susan
Domestic violence victims need to be tech-savvy if they hope to keep from falling prey to high-tech stalking at the hands of their former abusers, said Cindy Southworth, the technology chief of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, at a recent conference in New Orleans. Southworth noted that domestic violence victims need to take steps to both electronically and physically separate themselves from their abusers. For instance, domestic violence victims should use the Internet on a computer at a library or a friend's house, rather than a computer that is being shared with the abuser. Domestic violence victims should also create a new email account in a name that the abuser does not know, in order to keep the abuser from accessing the information. Once this new account is opened, domestic violence victims should avoid opening any attachments that could relay email information to the abuser. Finally, domestic violence victims should stop using cell phones that are part of a family plan shared with the abuser, since abusers can get records of the victim's calls and have a locator feature installed to monitor the victim's location. Southworth advised women to get a new phone with a global positioning chip, which would allow police to find her immediately if she dials 911.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/
news-21/1177568775255780.xml&coll=1
"New Patrol Cars to Get Latest Equipment"
Sacramento Bee (CA) (04/26/07) P. H3; Campos, Art
The Roseville, Calif., Police Department has bought 16 new patrol cars for $376,915 and is customizing them for almost another $400,000. The customizing involves implementing the newest anti-crime equipment, including cameras, police radios, and wireless computer gadgets. The new in-car cameras will cost $82,711, while upgrades to the wireless abilities of in-car computers will total $102,091. The customization and implementation of radios and additional equipment will cost $207,868. An additional request for $136,000 will be presented to the Roseville City Council at a later date for purchasing and implementing mobile computers and accessories in the vehicles. "Patrol cars have literally become mobile offices for the officers because of the tremendous amount of technology that is needed in the field," noted police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther. http://www.sacbee.com/230/story/160988.html
"Minneapolis Cops Reaching for Tasers More Often"
Star Tribune (Minn.) (04/25/07) P. 1A; Chanen, David
A report reveals that incidents of Taser usage by the Minneapolis police department are more frequent than ever before. In 2006, force incidents by Taser accounted for about one in every 60 arrests. Factors attributed to the increase in Taser use include hiring of new and consequently inexperienced officers, and as Deputy Chief Scott Gerlicher states, "Officers have become more comfortable using Tasers." The racial breakdown for the incidents of Taser usage sets blacks at over 64 percent of cases with whites at 19 percent. Chief Tim Dolan says the figures are proportional to the number of blacks and whites arrested in the city. Thirty-nine cases are up for investigation or disciplinary action from 2006, but Lt. Susan Piontek states officers usually file force allegation reports before the public does. University of Nebraska-Omaha professor Sam Walker says Minneapolis' report "is a good thing because it builds public trust." http://www.startribune.com/467/story/1142533.html
"Anoka County Wants to Build a Regional Crime Lab"
Finance and Commerce (04/24/07); Johnson, Brian
Anoka County, Minn., is expected to begin construction on a regional crime lab this year. Like many cities and counties across the country, Anoka has to send its forensic and ballistic evidence away to a lab to be processed. Backlogs in the system mean it can take as long three months for Anoka investigators to receive forensic results. To eliminate this problem, Anoka has asked the state to underwrite the approximately $6 million cost of a regional crime lab that would be part of a $25 million public safety campus that is slated to begin construction this fall. The 135,000-square-foot campus will house all of the departments of the sheriff's office, plus the regional crime lab. The lab will be divided into four sections, including DNA analysis, latent prints, drug chemistry, and toxicology. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office says the new regional crime lab would permit the county to expand its use of DNA analysis to property crime.
http://www.finance-commerce.com
"Pennsylvania Firm Wins Preston, W.Va., Sheriff's Department Software Bid"
Dominion Post (Morgantown, WV) (04/24/07); Plum, Kathy
The Preston Sheriff's Department has accepted In-Synch Systems Solutions software bid. The Zelienople, Pa., firm's contract was selected from a pool of competing bids by county commissioners. Under terms of the contract, In-Synch will provide the Preston Sheriff's Department and 911 center with new records software. With the new system, officers will be able to download information daily into laptops in their cruisers. The base price of the contract is $44,837 and could reach as high as $50,000 after the purchase of recommended computer hardware. The cost of new equipment will be underwritten by a $74,000 federal grant. The sheriff's department hopes to have the new software installed by July 1. http://olive.dominionpost.com
"Biometrics Would Speed Passengers Through Airports"
Vancouver Province (04/23/07); Weeks, Carly
A coalition of Canadian airlines and airports is calling on Transport Canada to adopt a biometric fast-queue traveler screening program already in use at several major U.S. airports to reduce delays. "It's just another service to passengers," said Scott Armstrong, spokesman for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which has signed an agreement with the company operating the biometric screening program in the United States, Clear, but must await federal approval before moving forward with implementation. "Obviously, people are always looking for ways to make the whole airport process quicker." The coalition says that the program will not cost the government anything because it would be paid by the private sector and participating passengers.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id
=312f0f34-5f70-440a-bb38-9b842ee53104
"Each Police Chase Could Mean Change in Policy"
Bellevue Leader (04/18/07); Buzzell, Jason
In general, police departments rarely change their pursuit policies unless death or severe damage occurs; but at the Bellevue Police Department in Nebraska, that is not the case. The eight-page policy is gone over at the police academy and rigorously reviewed periodically to ensure that public safety is a number-one priority when pursuits occur. Officers are trained as recruits for eight-hour stretches when they first sign on with the department and for two-hour stretches periodically as veteran officers. However, officials note that not all chases are perfect; and when officers disobey protocols, they are disciplined accordingly per the instructions of a commander committee that reviews the actions of the officer in conjunction with the current policy rules. The department's pursuit policy was changed in February; and officers now are required to cease pursuit if apprehension is a viable option later on, suspects have crossed state lines, or commanders order the pursuit to stop. The debate over pursuit policy restrictions is heated; but with recent rulings from the Nebraska Supreme Court, which ruled that cities could be held liable for third-party injuries even after the pursuit ended, pursuit policies are carefully monitored for weaknesses.
http://www.bellevueleader.com/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=18221522&BRD=
2712&PAG=461&dept_id=559850&rfi=6
"How to Get the Most Out of Online Education"
Police (04/07) Vol. 31, No. 4, P. 22; Griffith, David
Online learning can be extremely beneficial for police officers, who typically have challenging work responsibilities as well as family obligations. Officers can turn to online degree programs to take classes at times that are convenient for them, even if the institution is far away. The online criminal justice program at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn., for example, which is headed by retired Minnesota police chief Scott Harr, has an online student body that spans multiple countries. Because online programs call for unique approaches for instructing students, dedication from faculty and the institution is crucial. Harr, for example, involves doctoral level law enforcement officers in Concordia's program. At Excelsior College based in Albany, N.Y., credits are accepted "from a variety of sources, including previous college-level study and military or law enforcement training that has been certified by ACE [American Council on Education]," says Excelsior's Bill Stewart. He adds that the college has used grants from the Department of Justice to assess police academy and correction academy programs for credits. Online course typically involve such things as supervised readings of specific texts, audio lectures, discussions via online bulletin boards, term papers, and instant messaging sessions, so it is imperative that each student participate fully in the course; however, Harr emphasizes that officers still need to maintain balance in other aspects of their lives. http://www.policemag.com
"Flower Power"
Law Enforcement Technology (04/07) Vol. 34, No. 4, P. 112; Bertomen, Lindsey
Lasers are an efficient tool in law enforcement patrol, granting officers a greater sense of depth perception in critical situations and in improving overall shooting problems, writes Hartnell College Prof. and retired police officer Lindsey Bertomen. Lasers provide departments an inexpensive means for firearms while enabling crucial advances in law enforcement technology. Since over 80 percent of shootings occur during the dark, an officer can use the glowing light to more accurately pin their target. Additionally, suspects are intimidated when they become aware there is a firearm aimed at them. Officers should take recoil into consideration when trying different lasers, noting barricades keep the laser in place while maximizing their effect. Since lasers automatically enhance peripheral vision, officers should adjust accordingly to the landscape. Most importantly, more than one officer will have a laser, so it is important to assign individual boundaries that team members will be limited to in order to avoid many officers aiming at the same target. http://www.officer.com/magazines/let/
"No Public Safety Agency Is an Island"
Firehouse Magazine (03/07) Vol. 32, No. 3, P. 88; Kuhlmann, Thomas J.; Morkel, Tarquin
Utah County, Utah, serves as an example of how smaller public safety agencies can go about achieving greater interagency cooperation. The second-largest county in the state has created an information-sharing network that enables 22 fire departments and 18 EMS organizations to communicate with each other and at all levels. In striving for interoperability, Utah County focused on facilitating interagency cooperation and support, implementing suitable technology, and developing an effective training plan. By focusing on getting agencies to work together, Utah County was able to make the various departments feel more involved in the initiative, take their specific requirements into account, address funding issues more effectively, and enhance their buying power. Utah County approached technology by focusing on cost-effective, practical features, and choosing flexible solutions that gave it a certain level of control with regard to future decisions. Specific capabilities that end users have gained include mapping, dispatch, lookups, communication, training, reporting, inventory, and administration. County officials also focused on developing an effective training program that would make it easy for paid and volunteer personnel to use the technology.
http://www.firehouse.com
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
"Some Crimes Can Be Reported on the Web"
Biloxi Sun Herald (MS) (04/29/07) P. A3; Fitzgerald, Robin
The Gulfport police force is the first law enforcement agency in Mississippi to let citizens file online police reports for certain types of crimes. The Desk Officer Reporting System, or E-Police Department, is intended for no-suspect misdemeanor crimes involving losses below $500--not for emergencies. The tool makes it easy for individuals to file such complaints, and provides documentation as well. The system helps the police by automatically printing the reports, freeing officers to focus on emergencies; unlike other systems, the program requires no extra staff to retype the data. In addition to assisting the public, the online police reports will be used to identify trends in crime and to compile statistics. The software was donated to the police department by Cop Logic after Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.sunherald.com/201/story/42264.html
"General Dynamics to Build Integrated Radio System"
Washington Post (04/30/07) P. D04; Dizard III, Wilson P.
Falls Church, Va.-based General Dynamics has received a 15-year, multibillion-dollar deal to construct a national interoperable data and voice radio network for federal law enforcement groups. Operated by the Department of Justice, the Integrated Wireless Network program is meant to offer compatible radio systems to federal police institutions, so that they can work together well during terrorist attacks and weather disasters. The network, which is predicted to cost as much as $10 billion, will enable the federal police to connect to state and local networks. The primary radio systems that the program will offer to participating groups will depend on the Internet Protocol Version 6 standard, the same kind of next-generation online technology that will increasingly power the operations of the global Web. The network will use different kinds of gateway systems to combine the latest digital radio systems with the older analog ones that are still employed by a large number of police departments nationally. New technology employed in the network will permit numerous simultaneous conversations to happen across what used to be an open circuit meant for one transmission. The network can facilitate the transmission of streaming video to police officers on foot or in their cruisers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com
wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/2
9/AR2007042901077.html?hpid=sec-tech
"DeLuca Vows to Prevent Mistakes in Criminal Cases, Use Technology"
Wilkes Barre Times Leader (PA) (04/26/07); Weiss, David
Attorney Vito DeLuca has promised to make a number of changes if elected to the Luzerne County, Pa., District Attorney's Office, including ensuring that prosecutors have the proper technology to handle cases. According to DeLuca, there have been several cases that have been thrown out because prosecutors failed to meet certain deadlines. He noted that while it is expected that those mistakes will happen occasionally because a police officer held up a case too long, they should never happen because a prosecutor forgot to do something. DeLuca also promised to use more technology in courtrooms if he becomes the next district attorney. The use of technology in courtrooms is important, because jurors watch television court shows that impact their thoughts, DeLuca said. "They want to be entertained," he said.
http://www.timesleader.com
news/20070426_26deluca_dw_ART.html
"Judge: Cellular GPS Data Can Be Used as a Tracking Device"
Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN) (04/27/07) P. 19; Satterfield, Jamie
On April 26, U.S. District Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton decreed that law enforcement can employ GPS information from cell phones as monitoring devices. The decision occurs in the case of a father and son charged of transporting almost 1,000 pounds of marijuana in an RV. Michael Davis and Drew Lewis, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents, had utilized real-time information from a GPS unit implemented in a cell phone to locate accused traffickers Melvin and Samuel Skinner at a truck stop in Texas on the night before a July raid of businessman Scott West's properties. Once arrested, the Skinners protested that federal prosecutors breached regulations in their effort to bust West and his brother. The attorneys had argued at earlier hearings in 2007 to persuade Guyton that law enforcement should not be permitted to employ GPS devices on cell phones as monitoring devices without obtaining legal permission. Guyton determined, though, that cell phone users relinquish privacy rights on a daily basis. He wrote that since a broad variety of individuals and companies already use cell phone GPS information, law enforcement officials should not be treated any differently. http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/
0,1406,KNS_347_5507506,00.html
"Campus Safety Gains Sharper Vision With New Breed of Surveillance Cameras"
Chronicle of Higher Education (04/27/07) Vol. 53, No. 34, P. 15; Fischman, Josh; Foster, Andrea L.
To boost security in its dormitories, Johns Hopkins University relies on "smart TV," according to Edmund G. Skrodzki, executive director of campus safety and security. Over the past two years, the university installed 101 surveillance cameras in dormitories along Charles Street in addition to some off-campus sites. The cameras are linked to computer software that can determine such things as when a person has his or her arms in the air or a vehicle is moving in a suspiciously slow manner; the software also issues alerts to campus security. Skrodzki says the new cameras at Johns Hopkins have made the campus "more proactive rather than reactive," and have already helped catch a person trying to steal a motorbike and identify an armed thief. Campus crime at Hopkins has declined by 43 percent since 2004, and some of that can be attributed to the cameras, he says. Before installation of the cameras began, Johns Hopkins officials asked the student chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union to talk about the system in an effort to reduce concerns over privacy. The students learned, for example, that the cameras block out any footage of direct window views. The technology reflects the growing presence of camera-based surveillance at universities, which may increase even more in the wake of the April 16 Virginia Tech shooting. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i34/34a01501.htm?pg=dji
"Beaverton Police Cut Cord to Office"
Oregonian (04/25/07) P. B01; Anderson, David R.
The Beaverton, Ore., Police Department has installed a wireless broadband network in the city's downtown, thanks to the help of almost $266,000 in grants from the federal Department of Homeland Security. The network, which consists of 21 wireless nodes placed along routes where officers patrol, gives officers at a crime scene access to key information--such as how many times police have been to a particular house and who lives there--on mobile data terminals in their patrol cars. Officers no longer have to call on the radio and have someone read the data back. In addition, officers conducting follow-up investigations do not have to return to headquarters or stop at a satellite office. By the end of this year, the system could be connected to an electronic citation system--which would allow officers to write tickets from handheld personal digital assistants--as well as an electronic fingerprint system. The Beaverton Police Department also hopes to expand the wireless network to neighborhoods in the city beyond downtown. http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/
base/news/117747691176480.xml&coll=7
"New Phone Technologies Can Help Colleges Communicate Campuswide in Emergencies"
Chronicle of Higher Education (04/27/07) Vol. 53, No. 34, P. A16; Fischman, Josh; Foster, Andrea L.
A company called Rave Wireless sells a new type of campus communications system designed to work with cell phones. The system has been installed at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, where over 90 percent of students carry cell phones, notes Ronald G. Forsythe, a vice president in charge of communications systems at the university. In comparison, fewer students check campus email or carry laptops, he says. The university's system relies on sending text messages to students' cell phones if an emergency arises. Monmouth University in New Jersey recently acquired a new cell phone system called Connect-ED that transmits voice as well as text messages to cell phones, says David J. Bopp, the university's associate vice president for telecommunications. One flaw in such systems, however, is that participation is voluntary. In addition, not all students keep their phones on, and text messages are often limited to 100 characters. As a result, such systems are often supplemented with dedicated emergency Web sites, phone message systems, and public address speakers. At Butler University in Indianapolis, a recently installed Internet-based phone system allows certain faculty and staff to issue audio and text messages through special phones in case of emergencies. http://www.chronicle.com
"Domestic Violence Victims are Given Electronic Advice"
Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (04/26/07) P. 1; Finch, Susan
Domestic violence victims need to be tech-savvy if they hope to keep from falling prey to high-tech stalking at the hands of their former abusers, said Cindy Southworth, the technology chief of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, at a recent conference in New Orleans. Southworth noted that domestic violence victims need to take steps to both electronically and physically separate themselves from their abusers. For instance, domestic violence victims should use the Internet on a computer at a library or a friend's house, rather than a computer that is being shared with the abuser. Domestic violence victims should also create a new email account in a name that the abuser does not know, in order to keep the abuser from accessing the information. Once this new account is opened, domestic violence victims should avoid opening any attachments that could relay email information to the abuser. Finally, domestic violence victims should stop using cell phones that are part of a family plan shared with the abuser, since abusers can get records of the victim's calls and have a locator feature installed to monitor the victim's location. Southworth advised women to get a new phone with a global positioning chip, which would allow police to find her immediately if she dials 911.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/
news-21/1177568775255780.xml&coll=1
"New Patrol Cars to Get Latest Equipment"
Sacramento Bee (CA) (04/26/07) P. H3; Campos, Art
The Roseville, Calif., Police Department has bought 16 new patrol cars for $376,915 and is customizing them for almost another $400,000. The customizing involves implementing the newest anti-crime equipment, including cameras, police radios, and wireless computer gadgets. The new in-car cameras will cost $82,711, while upgrades to the wireless abilities of in-car computers will total $102,091. The customization and implementation of radios and additional equipment will cost $207,868. An additional request for $136,000 will be presented to the Roseville City Council at a later date for purchasing and implementing mobile computers and accessories in the vehicles. "Patrol cars have literally become mobile offices for the officers because of the tremendous amount of technology that is needed in the field," noted police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther. http://www.sacbee.com/230/story/160988.html
"Minneapolis Cops Reaching for Tasers More Often"
Star Tribune (Minn.) (04/25/07) P. 1A; Chanen, David
A report reveals that incidents of Taser usage by the Minneapolis police department are more frequent than ever before. In 2006, force incidents by Taser accounted for about one in every 60 arrests. Factors attributed to the increase in Taser use include hiring of new and consequently inexperienced officers, and as Deputy Chief Scott Gerlicher states, "Officers have become more comfortable using Tasers." The racial breakdown for the incidents of Taser usage sets blacks at over 64 percent of cases with whites at 19 percent. Chief Tim Dolan says the figures are proportional to the number of blacks and whites arrested in the city. Thirty-nine cases are up for investigation or disciplinary action from 2006, but Lt. Susan Piontek states officers usually file force allegation reports before the public does. University of Nebraska-Omaha professor Sam Walker says Minneapolis' report "is a good thing because it builds public trust." http://www.startribune.com/467/story/1142533.html
"Anoka County Wants to Build a Regional Crime Lab"
Finance and Commerce (04/24/07); Johnson, Brian
Anoka County, Minn., is expected to begin construction on a regional crime lab this year. Like many cities and counties across the country, Anoka has to send its forensic and ballistic evidence away to a lab to be processed. Backlogs in the system mean it can take as long three months for Anoka investigators to receive forensic results. To eliminate this problem, Anoka has asked the state to underwrite the approximately $6 million cost of a regional crime lab that would be part of a $25 million public safety campus that is slated to begin construction this fall. The 135,000-square-foot campus will house all of the departments of the sheriff's office, plus the regional crime lab. The lab will be divided into four sections, including DNA analysis, latent prints, drug chemistry, and toxicology. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office says the new regional crime lab would permit the county to expand its use of DNA analysis to property crime.
http://www.finance-commerce.com
"Pennsylvania Firm Wins Preston, W.Va., Sheriff's Department Software Bid"
Dominion Post (Morgantown, WV) (04/24/07); Plum, Kathy
The Preston Sheriff's Department has accepted In-Synch Systems Solutions software bid. The Zelienople, Pa., firm's contract was selected from a pool of competing bids by county commissioners. Under terms of the contract, In-Synch will provide the Preston Sheriff's Department and 911 center with new records software. With the new system, officers will be able to download information daily into laptops in their cruisers. The base price of the contract is $44,837 and could reach as high as $50,000 after the purchase of recommended computer hardware. The cost of new equipment will be underwritten by a $74,000 federal grant. The sheriff's department hopes to have the new software installed by July 1. http://olive.dominionpost.com
"Biometrics Would Speed Passengers Through Airports"
Vancouver Province (04/23/07); Weeks, Carly
A coalition of Canadian airlines and airports is calling on Transport Canada to adopt a biometric fast-queue traveler screening program already in use at several major U.S. airports to reduce delays. "It's just another service to passengers," said Scott Armstrong, spokesman for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which has signed an agreement with the company operating the biometric screening program in the United States, Clear, but must await federal approval before moving forward with implementation. "Obviously, people are always looking for ways to make the whole airport process quicker." The coalition says that the program will not cost the government anything because it would be paid by the private sector and participating passengers.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id
=312f0f34-5f70-440a-bb38-9b842ee53104
"Each Police Chase Could Mean Change in Policy"
Bellevue Leader (04/18/07); Buzzell, Jason
In general, police departments rarely change their pursuit policies unless death or severe damage occurs; but at the Bellevue Police Department in Nebraska, that is not the case. The eight-page policy is gone over at the police academy and rigorously reviewed periodically to ensure that public safety is a number-one priority when pursuits occur. Officers are trained as recruits for eight-hour stretches when they first sign on with the department and for two-hour stretches periodically as veteran officers. However, officials note that not all chases are perfect; and when officers disobey protocols, they are disciplined accordingly per the instructions of a commander committee that reviews the actions of the officer in conjunction with the current policy rules. The department's pursuit policy was changed in February; and officers now are required to cease pursuit if apprehension is a viable option later on, suspects have crossed state lines, or commanders order the pursuit to stop. The debate over pursuit policy restrictions is heated; but with recent rulings from the Nebraska Supreme Court, which ruled that cities could be held liable for third-party injuries even after the pursuit ended, pursuit policies are carefully monitored for weaknesses.
http://www.bellevueleader.com/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=18221522&BRD=
2712&PAG=461&dept_id=559850&rfi=6
"How to Get the Most Out of Online Education"
Police (04/07) Vol. 31, No. 4, P. 22; Griffith, David
Online learning can be extremely beneficial for police officers, who typically have challenging work responsibilities as well as family obligations. Officers can turn to online degree programs to take classes at times that are convenient for them, even if the institution is far away. The online criminal justice program at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn., for example, which is headed by retired Minnesota police chief Scott Harr, has an online student body that spans multiple countries. Because online programs call for unique approaches for instructing students, dedication from faculty and the institution is crucial. Harr, for example, involves doctoral level law enforcement officers in Concordia's program. At Excelsior College based in Albany, N.Y., credits are accepted "from a variety of sources, including previous college-level study and military or law enforcement training that has been certified by ACE [American Council on Education]," says Excelsior's Bill Stewart. He adds that the college has used grants from the Department of Justice to assess police academy and correction academy programs for credits. Online course typically involve such things as supervised readings of specific texts, audio lectures, discussions via online bulletin boards, term papers, and instant messaging sessions, so it is imperative that each student participate fully in the course; however, Harr emphasizes that officers still need to maintain balance in other aspects of their lives. http://www.policemag.com
"Flower Power"
Law Enforcement Technology (04/07) Vol. 34, No. 4, P. 112; Bertomen, Lindsey
Lasers are an efficient tool in law enforcement patrol, granting officers a greater sense of depth perception in critical situations and in improving overall shooting problems, writes Hartnell College Prof. and retired police officer Lindsey Bertomen. Lasers provide departments an inexpensive means for firearms while enabling crucial advances in law enforcement technology. Since over 80 percent of shootings occur during the dark, an officer can use the glowing light to more accurately pin their target. Additionally, suspects are intimidated when they become aware there is a firearm aimed at them. Officers should take recoil into consideration when trying different lasers, noting barricades keep the laser in place while maximizing their effect. Since lasers automatically enhance peripheral vision, officers should adjust accordingly to the landscape. Most importantly, more than one officer will have a laser, so it is important to assign individual boundaries that team members will be limited to in order to avoid many officers aiming at the same target. http://www.officer.com/magazines/let/
"No Public Safety Agency Is an Island"
Firehouse Magazine (03/07) Vol. 32, No. 3, P. 88; Kuhlmann, Thomas J.; Morkel, Tarquin
Utah County, Utah, serves as an example of how smaller public safety agencies can go about achieving greater interagency cooperation. The second-largest county in the state has created an information-sharing network that enables 22 fire departments and 18 EMS organizations to communicate with each other and at all levels. In striving for interoperability, Utah County focused on facilitating interagency cooperation and support, implementing suitable technology, and developing an effective training plan. By focusing on getting agencies to work together, Utah County was able to make the various departments feel more involved in the initiative, take their specific requirements into account, address funding issues more effectively, and enhance their buying power. Utah County approached technology by focusing on cost-effective, practical features, and choosing flexible solutions that gave it a certain level of control with regard to future decisions. Specific capabilities that end users have gained include mapping, dispatch, lookups, communication, training, reporting, inventory, and administration. County officials also focused on developing an effective training program that would make it easy for paid and volunteer personnel to use the technology.
http://www.firehouse.com
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
8th Annual Innovative Technologies for Community Corrections Conference
Last chance for Early Bird Rate--Register Now!
8th Annual Innovative Technologies for Community Corrections Conference
Date: June 4-6, 2007
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Conference Purpose
The conference explores practical applications of innovative technologies for community corrections, as well as technologies not yet available, but on the horizon. The educational workshops are organized into four tracks (Electronic Monitoring, Drug and Alcohol Testing, Information Technology and Management Issues), which will provide attendees with current data on how technology is and can be used to enhance mission performance.
Who Attends This Conference?
300 - 400 professionals from all areas of community corrections including probation, parole, pretrial, treatment providers and work-release programs are expected to attend this conference. Attendees are typically administrators, supervisors and line staff from Federal, State and local agencies with responsibility for and/or strong interest in learning about technology’s role in community corrections. Practitioners from all across the country participate in this conference; last year 38 different states were represented.
Cost
Cost is $150 per person, and includes continental breakfast Monday — Wednesday, and lunch Monday and Tuesday. Attendees are responsible for all lodging, transportation, parking and other meals not provided during the conference. For more information on the conference, please contact Sue Kaessner or Jennifer Dunne at NLECTC-Rocky Mountain, 1-800-416-8086. Deadline to register is May 1, 2007 (5 p.m., Mountain Time) for early bird rate. After May 1, the rate increases to $175 per person.
Attendee Registration
Attendees may register online at https://www.kinsleyassociates.com/NLECTC/reg.asp or download a registration form from the conference web site to fax or mail.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
8th Annual Innovative Technologies for Community Corrections Conference
Date: June 4-6, 2007
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Conference Purpose
The conference explores practical applications of innovative technologies for community corrections, as well as technologies not yet available, but on the horizon. The educational workshops are organized into four tracks (Electronic Monitoring, Drug and Alcohol Testing, Information Technology and Management Issues), which will provide attendees with current data on how technology is and can be used to enhance mission performance.
Who Attends This Conference?
300 - 400 professionals from all areas of community corrections including probation, parole, pretrial, treatment providers and work-release programs are expected to attend this conference. Attendees are typically administrators, supervisors and line staff from Federal, State and local agencies with responsibility for and/or strong interest in learning about technology’s role in community corrections. Practitioners from all across the country participate in this conference; last year 38 different states were represented.
Cost
Cost is $150 per person, and includes continental breakfast Monday — Wednesday, and lunch Monday and Tuesday. Attendees are responsible for all lodging, transportation, parking and other meals not provided during the conference. For more information on the conference, please contact Sue Kaessner or Jennifer Dunne at NLECTC-Rocky Mountain, 1-800-416-8086. Deadline to register is May 1, 2007 (5 p.m., Mountain Time) for early bird rate. After May 1, the rate increases to $175 per person.
Attendee Registration
Attendees may register online at https://www.kinsleyassociates.com/NLECTC/reg.asp or download a registration form from the conference web site to fax or mail.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Exercise Tests Hurricane-Response Plans in Northeastern U.S.
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
April 30, 2007 – National Guard members today commenced a hurricane emergency preparedness and response exercise involving five states in the northeastern United States, a National Guard Bureau spokesman said. Code-named HURREX, the 11-day, command-post exercise involves Guard members from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York, National Guard spokesman Emanuel Pacheco told American Forces Press Service today. The exercise, he said, is part of the larger Operation Ardent Sentry-Northern Edge 2007, which also starts today.
"This exercise is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the National Guard as the first military responder to any state crisis," Pacheco said.
A major focus of Ardent Sentry-Northern Edge 2007 is to test crisis-response coordination between federally controlled military forces and National Guard units, which come under the command of state governors, Peter F. Verga, acting assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, said during an April 25 interview.
HURREX also tests Guard units' interaction and coordination capabilities with federal disaster-management organizations like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Air National Guard Maj. Philip Nizoloski said today during a phone interview from Quonset State Airport, R.I. Operation Vigilant Guard is the Guard's contribution to the Ardent Sentry and HURREX exercises, he said.
The exercise scenario involves a fictitious Category 3 storm, "Hurricane Yvette," hitting Newport, R.I., Nizoloski said. The tabletop exercise will gauge the effectiveness of state, local and federal agencies' planning and coordinated response to such a catastrophe, he said.
"We're training the command staff and subordinate leaders basically to successfully plan, coordinate and synchronize (disaster relief) efforts during an emergency," Nizoloski explained. HURREX is slated to end May 10.
The hurricane season begins June 1, Nizoloski said, noting the National Guard and its partners are "doing everything we can to prepare."
This year's Ardent Sentry-Northern Edge exercise is the biggest yet, Verga pointed out. The hurricane scenario is one among 15 during the overall exercise, he said, which also includes a nuclear-weapon-explosion scenario involving the deployment of more than 2,000 active-duty troops and almost 1,000 Guard members to Camp Atterbury and the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Indiana.
The Indiana portion of the exercise will test emergency-response capabilities involving the fictitious detonation of a 10-kiloton nuclear device in an urban area, Verga said.
"National Guard soldiers ... will always be the first military forces to respond to an emergency because of their proximity, (and) will then be reinforced by the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives consequence-management response force in the active-duty force," Verga explained.
The Indiana sites provide "a very realistic environment that'll allow the soldiers to operate in an urban environment and see how they'll have to respond to that kind of emergency," Verga said.
Another scenario held off the Alaskan coast will feature a maritime situation, he said.
"There will be a ship with a 'suspicious cargo' that's going to need to be intercepted," Verga said. The Canadian navy will participate in that scenario and some other simulated incidents during the two-weeklong exercise, he added.
An air-defense exercise will feature Canadian military participation as well, Verga said. Canada's armed forces partner with the North American Aerospace Defense Command in the defense of North America.
Fighting the global war against terrorism is the U.S. military's main mission, but being ready to respond to potential homeland contingencies also is important, Verga said. "We also have to be prepared, at all times, to respond to an emergency at home," he said.
The exercise, directed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is slated to end May 18. It is co-sponsored by U.S. Northern Command and also includes participation by the U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command and the Department of Homeland Security.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 30, 2007 – National Guard members today commenced a hurricane emergency preparedness and response exercise involving five states in the northeastern United States, a National Guard Bureau spokesman said. Code-named HURREX, the 11-day, command-post exercise involves Guard members from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York, National Guard spokesman Emanuel Pacheco told American Forces Press Service today. The exercise, he said, is part of the larger Operation Ardent Sentry-Northern Edge 2007, which also starts today.
"This exercise is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the National Guard as the first military responder to any state crisis," Pacheco said.
A major focus of Ardent Sentry-Northern Edge 2007 is to test crisis-response coordination between federally controlled military forces and National Guard units, which come under the command of state governors, Peter F. Verga, acting assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, said during an April 25 interview.
HURREX also tests Guard units' interaction and coordination capabilities with federal disaster-management organizations like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Air National Guard Maj. Philip Nizoloski said today during a phone interview from Quonset State Airport, R.I. Operation Vigilant Guard is the Guard's contribution to the Ardent Sentry and HURREX exercises, he said.
The exercise scenario involves a fictitious Category 3 storm, "Hurricane Yvette," hitting Newport, R.I., Nizoloski said. The tabletop exercise will gauge the effectiveness of state, local and federal agencies' planning and coordinated response to such a catastrophe, he said.
"We're training the command staff and subordinate leaders basically to successfully plan, coordinate and synchronize (disaster relief) efforts during an emergency," Nizoloski explained. HURREX is slated to end May 10.
The hurricane season begins June 1, Nizoloski said, noting the National Guard and its partners are "doing everything we can to prepare."
This year's Ardent Sentry-Northern Edge exercise is the biggest yet, Verga pointed out. The hurricane scenario is one among 15 during the overall exercise, he said, which also includes a nuclear-weapon-explosion scenario involving the deployment of more than 2,000 active-duty troops and almost 1,000 Guard members to Camp Atterbury and the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Indiana.
The Indiana portion of the exercise will test emergency-response capabilities involving the fictitious detonation of a 10-kiloton nuclear device in an urban area, Verga said.
"National Guard soldiers ... will always be the first military forces to respond to an emergency because of their proximity, (and) will then be reinforced by the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives consequence-management response force in the active-duty force," Verga explained.
The Indiana sites provide "a very realistic environment that'll allow the soldiers to operate in an urban environment and see how they'll have to respond to that kind of emergency," Verga said.
Another scenario held off the Alaskan coast will feature a maritime situation, he said.
"There will be a ship with a 'suspicious cargo' that's going to need to be intercepted," Verga said. The Canadian navy will participate in that scenario and some other simulated incidents during the two-weeklong exercise, he added.
An air-defense exercise will feature Canadian military participation as well, Verga said. Canada's armed forces partner with the North American Aerospace Defense Command in the defense of North America.
Fighting the global war against terrorism is the U.S. military's main mission, but being ready to respond to potential homeland contingencies also is important, Verga said. "We also have to be prepared, at all times, to respond to an emergency at home," he said.
The exercise, directed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is slated to end May 18. It is co-sponsored by U.S. Northern Command and also includes participation by the U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command and the Department of Homeland Security.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
School Violence Threat Risk Assessment
The School Violence Threat Risk Assessment website provides the following resources for reducing the risk of school violence.
The purpose of this web site is to provide clinically based school personnel with professional methodology to reduce school violence by examining threats to help keep them from becoming acts of violence. Topics addressed include structuring the threat assessment process to reduce school violence. The information discussed on this site reflects that state of the art in professional threat risk assessment in middle and high schools.
The Threat Assessment Process
People seldom decide on the spur of the moment to solve a problem with violence. Rather, an act of violence is progressive with warning signs along the way; a threat of violence is one such observable behavior. Threats of violence against oneself or others indicate the approaching or progress toward a state of crisis.
Threat Risk Assessment
Threats may be direct or indirect, specific and detailed or general, well thought out or impulsive and/or veiled, conditional, or implied. All express intent to harm. Threats may be classified as low, medium, or high depending on the nature of the threat, predisposing and precipitating characteristics, and the psychosocial functioning of the student who made the threat.
Psychosocial Evaluation
Aggression. Depression. Alienation. Egocentricism. Coping with stress. Situations at home and school. A thorough threat assessment should include a study of these dynamic psychosocial characteristics as they serve as either protective or risk factors in most incidents of school violence, and as such tend to elevate the level of risk associated with these types of threats.
PETRA Response & Intervention
Effective administrative response to mitigate school violence must balance the need for appropriate discipline and the implementation of individualized interventions addressing the underlying issues that lead to the threat.
The purpose of this web site is to provide clinically based school personnel with professional methodology to reduce school violence by examining threats to help keep them from becoming acts of violence. Topics addressed include structuring the threat assessment process to reduce school violence. The information discussed on this site reflects that state of the art in professional threat risk assessment in middle and high schools.
The Threat Assessment Process
People seldom decide on the spur of the moment to solve a problem with violence. Rather, an act of violence is progressive with warning signs along the way; a threat of violence is one such observable behavior. Threats of violence against oneself or others indicate the approaching or progress toward a state of crisis.
Threat Risk Assessment
Threats may be direct or indirect, specific and detailed or general, well thought out or impulsive and/or veiled, conditional, or implied. All express intent to harm. Threats may be classified as low, medium, or high depending on the nature of the threat, predisposing and precipitating characteristics, and the psychosocial functioning of the student who made the threat.
Psychosocial Evaluation
Aggression. Depression. Alienation. Egocentricism. Coping with stress. Situations at home and school. A thorough threat assessment should include a study of these dynamic psychosocial characteristics as they serve as either protective or risk factors in most incidents of school violence, and as such tend to elevate the level of risk associated with these types of threats.
PETRA Response & Intervention
Effective administrative response to mitigate school violence must balance the need for appropriate discipline and the implementation of individualized interventions addressing the underlying issues that lead to the threat.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
May begins with New York and Texas
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. The first three writers added to the website in May 2007 come from New York and Texas.
Paul B. Weston had a progressively successful career in the New York Police Department on a "fast track" promotion examination system pioneered by New York Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia. When a new list of successful applicants for police officer was published, the Mayor hired the top two hundred, then the commission set the date for the next sergeant's examination to allow this group just enough seniority to qualify for the test. In turn, the top group of sergeants became eligible for the lieutenant's test, and likewise the captain's examination. It was a tough program as seniority could earn up to twenty points on the possible score of 200 and the "fast track" candidates had less than one full point of seniority.
Paul B. Weston placed on the top of each list and became a captain in twelve years and two months; far ahead of the more common 18 to 20 years. From the jump start, he moved through the appointed ranks to Deputy Inspector, Inspector, and Deputy Chief Inspector. The last two promotions were made by Police Commissioner Stephen P. Kennedy for good work in the traffic division
After retirement from the NYPD, Paul Weston joined the Police Science faculty at California State College, Sacramento. Paul Weston played a large role in developing the university’s program to a full-fledged Division of Criminal Justice. During his career as a practitioner and academic, Paul Weston wrote at least twelve books on law enforcement and criminal justice. His titles include, The Police Traffic Control Function; Criminal Investigation: Basic Perspectives; Case Studies of Drug Abuse and Criminal Behavior; The Handbook of Handgunning; Combat Shooting for Police; The Administration of Justice; The Detection of Murder; Supervision in the Administration of Justice; and, Criminal Evidence for Police.
Marcus Fleck was a deputy sheriff for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (Texas) for six years. His book, Legitimacy by Force, tells the story of the events leading up to his arrest and conviction for the attempted murder shooting of his neighbor, Glen Baker.
David McElligott was a senior investigator for the New York State Police. According to the New York State Police, “the special prosecutor investigating the Troop C evidence tampering scandal recently warned two New York State Police supervisors that they could face disciplinary action for their roles. The two, David McElligott and Karl Chandler, then retired. They supervised three investigators who admitted faking evidence.”
David McElligott co-authored Good Cop/Bad Cop: A True Story of Murder and Mayhem. According to the Publisher’s Weekly, “Two days before Christmas in 1989, Tony Harris, his wife, Dodie, and their children, Shelby and Marc, were murdered in their home in Ithaca, N.Y. This upper-middle-class family was killed by Michael Kinge, a black ex-convict who used and then had his mother use credit cards stolen from the Harris house. McElligott of the state police largely supervised the police work, although he was suspicious of fingerprint evidence adduced by investigator David Harding to prove that Kinge's mother was present during the slayings.” The author, “carefully document the unraveling of Harding's career as he confessed to falsifying evidence to win a number of prosecutions, including that of Mrs. Kinge, and advance his career.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 512 police officers (representing 215 police departments) and their 1089 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.
Paul B. Weston had a progressively successful career in the New York Police Department on a "fast track" promotion examination system pioneered by New York Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia. When a new list of successful applicants for police officer was published, the Mayor hired the top two hundred, then the commission set the date for the next sergeant's examination to allow this group just enough seniority to qualify for the test. In turn, the top group of sergeants became eligible for the lieutenant's test, and likewise the captain's examination. It was a tough program as seniority could earn up to twenty points on the possible score of 200 and the "fast track" candidates had less than one full point of seniority.
Paul B. Weston placed on the top of each list and became a captain in twelve years and two months; far ahead of the more common 18 to 20 years. From the jump start, he moved through the appointed ranks to Deputy Inspector, Inspector, and Deputy Chief Inspector. The last two promotions were made by Police Commissioner Stephen P. Kennedy for good work in the traffic division
After retirement from the NYPD, Paul Weston joined the Police Science faculty at California State College, Sacramento. Paul Weston played a large role in developing the university’s program to a full-fledged Division of Criminal Justice. During his career as a practitioner and academic, Paul Weston wrote at least twelve books on law enforcement and criminal justice. His titles include, The Police Traffic Control Function; Criminal Investigation: Basic Perspectives; Case Studies of Drug Abuse and Criminal Behavior; The Handbook of Handgunning; Combat Shooting for Police; The Administration of Justice; The Detection of Murder; Supervision in the Administration of Justice; and, Criminal Evidence for Police.
Marcus Fleck was a deputy sheriff for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (Texas) for six years. His book, Legitimacy by Force, tells the story of the events leading up to his arrest and conviction for the attempted murder shooting of his neighbor, Glen Baker.
David McElligott was a senior investigator for the New York State Police. According to the New York State Police, “the special prosecutor investigating the Troop C evidence tampering scandal recently warned two New York State Police supervisors that they could face disciplinary action for their roles. The two, David McElligott and Karl Chandler, then retired. They supervised three investigators who admitted faking evidence.”
David McElligott co-authored Good Cop/Bad Cop: A True Story of Murder and Mayhem. According to the Publisher’s Weekly, “Two days before Christmas in 1989, Tony Harris, his wife, Dodie, and their children, Shelby and Marc, were murdered in their home in Ithaca, N.Y. This upper-middle-class family was killed by Michael Kinge, a black ex-convict who used and then had his mother use credit cards stolen from the Harris house. McElligott of the state police largely supervised the police work, although he was suspicious of fingerprint evidence adduced by investigator David Harding to prove that Kinge's mother was present during the slayings.” The author, “carefully document the unraveling of Harding's career as he confessed to falsifying evidence to win a number of prosecutions, including that of Mrs. Kinge, and advance his career.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 512 police officers (representing 215 police departments) and their 1089 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.
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