Police Writers gathered in one virtual location

Hi Tech Criminal Justice launched a website dedicated to police officers turned writers. According to CEO Raymond E. Foster, “Nearly everyone knows the work of Joseph Wambaugh, but how many know that police officers were writing books in the late nineteenth century?” Early police authors such as George Walling and August Vollmer were very influential on the development of American policing. Police authors writing in the late 20th century contributed to the field in areas such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, management, leadership and technology.

“In addition to the academic contributions, police officers have provided us with some of the best crime fiction,” Foster said. Who better to write in the mystery genre of the police procedural than the police officer. Police authors bring their training, experience and creativity to their work; giving the reader an authentic, insider’s view of human nature, crime and police procedures. Police authors like Dallas Barnes, Joseph Wambaugh and Paul Bishop write fiction from the perspective of someone who has seen, smelled, tasted and touched the crime scene.

While some police authors approach crime from an academic standpoint or a fictional point of view, others dissect real crime. There are no better guides through real crime than those who have spent years walking the walk. Crime reporters and journalists rely on police officers for information and interpretation of evidence and events. “A police authors cuts out the middleman or secondary interpreter, and gives the reader a first hand, first class storyteller,” Foster said.

An overriding factor in attracting people to the profession of policing is that every day is different. “Cops see every twist of human nature. They make order our of chaos when the world goes sideways; and, they often handle tense situations after dark and without a manual,” Foster noted. Simply put, police officers are choked full of the best and worst stories of humanity under pressure. The best police authors are able to take these “war stories” and weave them into an interesting and insightful look at America’s streets. These semi-biographical tales stand tall along side the academic, fictional and true crime. Foster added, “It would be a mistake to pigeon hole police authors in some narrow crime genre. Cops have written outstanding works from poetry to politics.”

According to Foster, the website currently has 60 police authors who have written over 140 books. In addition to being accessed by author name, they are categorized by police department (29) and by subject. Hi Tech Criminal Justice realizes this is an ongoing research project and encourages submission of authors not listed. The website and contact information can be access at www.police-writers.com

Stolen VA Laptop Turned in to FBI

By Steven Donald Smith

WASHINGTON, June 29, 2006 – The stolen Department of Veterans Affairs laptop computer and hard drive containing the personal information of more than 26 million veterans were turned in to the FBI yesterday, the Veterans Affairs secretary said before Congress today. Reports indicate that the FBI has made a preliminary determination that data contained on the computer and hard drive has not been accessed.

There have been no reports of identity theft or other criminal activity related to the stolen computer, R. James Nicholson told the House Veterans Affairs Committee. He added that the VA would still honor its promise of free credit monitoring for a year. An unnamed individual turned over the laptop and hard drive to FBI officials in Baltimore. No persons are in custody at this time, officials said.

The laptop and hard drive were stolen from the Montgomery County, Md., home of a VA employee on May 3. Government officials do not believe the data on the laptop was the target of the burglary, and consider the break-in a random theft. "This has brought to the light of day some real deficiencies in the manner we handled personal data," Nicholson said. "If there's a redeeming part of this, I think we can turn this around."

“Dirty Bomb” Attack: Assessing New York City’s Level of Preparedness from a First Responder’s Perspective

By John Sudnik
Deputy Chief, Fire Department City of New York (FDNY)

Past history and recent intelligence have shown that New York City (NYC), a critical node of the U.S. economy, is clearly in the terrorist’s crosshairs. In order to reduce the probability, lessen the risk, and minimize the consequences of a Radiological Dispersion Device (RDD), or “dirty bomb,” attack, NYC’s first responders must be adequately prepared for its seemingly inevitable occurrence. This particular type of attack on NYC has the potential to create immense panic and confusion on behalf of the general public. Adding to the complexity of the problem is the notion that, since 9/11, the expected actions taken by employees in NYC high-rise office buildings in response to shelter-in-place instructions can be extremely difficult to predict. Therefore, a proposed public awareness campaign and a shelter-in-place plan are two cost-effective and easily implemented terrorism preparedness programs that would build the confidence and increase the capability of the citizenry. Since an RDD incident would likely result in a major inter-agency emergency operation, the unification of command, control, and coordination among NYC’s first responder community is an essential element to its overall success. Hence, an informed and collaborative response by both public and private sector entities could potentially reduce casualties and save lives.

Download a copy of the report

More Sex Offenders Tracked by Satellite

"More Sex Offenders Tracked by Satellite"
USA Today (06/07/06) P. 3A; Koch, Wendy

Wisconsin has joined the growing list of states, now numbering at least 24, using GPS technology to track released sex offenders, many for life. The technology is now capable of monitoring a parolee's position to within 30 feet and can alert officers when a trackee has entered an "exclusion zone" at a fraction of the cost it takes to maintain prison inmates or track offenders using other methods. Some states even require offenders to foot the bill for tracking. Analysis conducted by the Florida Department of Corrections in late 2004 showed a 3.8 recidivism rate among offenders tracked with GPS within two years, compared to 7.7 percent for those not tracked with the technology. Meanwhile, lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House have each approved a measure that would provide federal funding for GPS tracking.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2006-06-06-gps-tracking_x.htm

Urban Areas Security Initiative

Discussion of the FY 2006 Risk Methodology and the Urban Areas Security Initiative

The FY 2006 DHS risk methodology represents a major step forward in the analysis of the risk of terrorism faced by our Nations communities. Tremendous gains have been made in both the quality and specificity of information and analysis incorporated within the model, yielding the most accurate estimation possible of the relative risk of prospective grant candidates. The methodology is designed to inform a policy decision regarding the allocation and investment of Federal grant funding, and should not be confused with an estimate of absolute risk faced by candidate areas.

READ ON

Management Development Seminar

Management Development Seminar:
Leading Organizations

Unleashing the Full Potential of Organizational Performance

In this seminar, experienced mid-level managers step into the world of dynamic thinking, creativity, and innovative, results-producing performance. The seminar consists of two exciting weeks of sessions that expose managers to new approaches and processes. Participants are shown ways to achieve superior levels of organizational excellence and to deal with the day-to-day challenges of their workplace. Managers bring real problems to the seminar. These "live case studies" are used to develop the skills and knowledge needed to deal more effectively with the rapidly changing Federal environment.

Learning techniques include practical exercises, case studies, experiential activities with facilitated debriefings, and discussions and presentations with real-time feedback. There are also opportunities for the exchange of ideas with colleagues from other agencies. Assessment instruments that provide 360-degree feedback are used to develop information on how the participants are perceived by their customers, peers, employees, and superiors. The assessments and feedback provided throughout the course strengthen the ability of managers to negotiate, exert influence, gain cooperation from others, and create a work environment that values diversity.

Key Results
Acquire new approaches to managing that can lead to greater organizational efficiency
Learn approaches to increasing accountability within the organization
Prepare to initiate and manage innovation in a team-based environment
Foster originality, flexibility, and reasonable risk taking while remaining accountable for results
Learn to manage technology to enhance organizational performance
Develop concepts and skills for partnering and building more effective teams
Enhance influence and negotiation skills
Examine core value issues and their impact on the Federal manager
Explore ways to promote a culture that supports entrepreneurship and innovation
Who Should AttendMid-level managers typically with two or more years of management experience.

Schedule and Cost
Start/Stop times for EMDC: Arrival - Monday, program starts at 1 p.m.Ends - Thursday at 5 p.m., Friday is a Travel Day
Start/Stop times for WMDC: Arrival - Monday, program starts 1:30 p.m.Ends - Thursday at 5 p.m., Friday is a Travel Day, check out by noon(If Monday Holiday - Arrival - Tuesday, program starts at 1:30 p.m.)
Course includes meals, lodging, tuition and course materials
Dates
Location
Cost



Jun 5 - Jun 16, 06
WMDC
$4,300.00

Apply
$4700 with Individual Coaching
SPACE LIMITED: Call for availability: 1-304-870-8008
Jul 10 - Jul 21, 06
WMDC
$4,300.00

Apply
$4700 with Individual Coaching
Jul 24 - Aug 4, 06
EMDC
$4,300.00

FULL
$4700 with Individual Coaching
Aug 7 - Aug 18, 06
EMDC
$4,300.00

Apply
$4700 with Individual Coaching
Sep 5 - Sep 15, 06
EMDC
$4,300.00

Apply
$4700 with Individual Coaching
SPACE LIMITED: Call for availability: 1-304-870-8008
Sep 18 - Sep 29, 06
WMDC
$4,300.00

Apply
$4700 with Individual Coaching
Oct 10 - Oct 20, 06
WMDC
$4,750.00

Apply
Includes individual coaching
Nov 27 - Dec 8, 06
WMDC
$4,750.00

Apply
Includes individual coaching

Do you really want to be a homicide detective?

Maybe I was different, but I joined up to drive around in the black and white car and fight crime. These days, it seems, my students all want to be homicide investigators; or, they are under the mistaken belief that crime scene technicians carry guns and investigate crimes. So, do you want to be a homicide investigator?

Take the first test – watch the National Medical Laboratories autopsy videos!

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/visibleproofs/galleries/media/autopsy/index.html

Sponsored by:
Criminal Justice Online

CSI - Wilderness

The Only Crime lab for Animals

There's a CSI in Vegas, NYC and Miami; but did you know about the the CSI agents in the forest? They best tell their own story:

"Way back in 1975, a special agent of the Division of Law Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, by the name of Terry Grosz managed to get transferred to the Washington Office and assigned to the endangered species desk...which basically meant that he was responsible for coordinating endangered species investigations nationwide.

One of the first things that Terry discovered was that he had no way of getting his evidence identified (we didn't have a crime lab, and the FBI lab didn't work with wildlife parts and products, and museums rarely hire forensic scientists, and....well, you get the picture). So Terry did the proper agent thing, which was to start insisting that the Fish and Wildlife Service needed a crime laboratory to identify wildlife parts and products evidence. Otherwise, wildlife law enforcement officers would have to try to catch the suspects in the act of killing the animals, or in possession the entire (identifiable) carcass.....both of which represent far more difficult and dangerous situations for the investigator.

So, thanks to Terry's persistence, in 1979, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hired Ken Goddard, a police crime laboratory director (that's me, in case you were wondering who was writing this stuff) to set up a forensics program for wildlife law enforcement. I spent the next seven years in Washington D.C. working to get funding for a laboratory facility. Finally, in 1987, thanks to Terry, and Amos Eno [the executive director of the Fish and Wildlife Foundation] and a bunch of other people too numerous to name, and a chiropractor from Eagle Point, Oregon, named Dr. Ralph Wehinger [don't ask, you wouldn't believe it anyway], the following events began to occur:

December, 1985: Funds were allocated to build a wildlife forensics laboratory (to be built somewhere).
June, 1986: Ashland, OR, was selected as the site.
August, 1986: Ground-breaking ceremonies.
September, 1987: Design approved, construction begins.
August, 1988: Construction completed, staff hiring begins.
June, 1989: Dedication"

Visit their lab's homepage

Sexual exploitation of trafficked persons

Harvard University's Government Innovators Network and the National Institute of Justice of the U.S. Department of Justice are hosting this free online event June 6 from 2-4 p.m. EST to examine human sex trafficking. Sexual exploitation of trafficked persons is widespread globally, and is increasingly recognized as a significant but largely invisible problem within the United States---some estimates place the number of people trafficked into the country each year in the tens of thousands. Sex trafficking is a multifaceted threat that requires a comprehensive approach, including prevention measures, identification and prosecution of perpetrators, and protection of victims.

This forum, which will be opened to Q&A, assembles a variety of expert perspectives on the sex trafficking problem. The discussion will be moderated by Swanee Hunt, Director of the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and will feature: Ambassador John Miller of the U.S. State Department, and Norma Hotaling, Founder of the SAGE (Standing Against Global Exploitation) Project.

If interested in attending, please visit http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/xchat.html for details.

Raymond
Criminal Justice Online

International Child Abduction: Using the Criminal Justice System

There are many factors to consider in determining whether or not to file criminal charges against the abductor. The child’s safe return is the primary objective in any missing child case, and criminal charges may actually complicate child recovery efforts. While the threat of outstanding criminal charges may intimidate some abductors into returning the child, others may react by increasing their efforts to remain undetected.

The Pros of Using the Criminal Justice System

In the event that a left-behind parent is both unaware of the whereabouts of the child and does not have access to the child, using the criminal justice system may be helpful as a tracking tool. There are a multitude of federal and state agencies that work in conjunction with local law enforcement to help locate a missing child and abductor in foreign countries. The FBI is the primary source of law enforcement assistance and can provide investigative support and coordinate the issuance of federal warrants. The United States Customs Service and the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security utilize the Interagency Border Inspection System (IBIS) to simultaneously access and query several federal databases for warrants, and entry or exit restrictions. INTERPOL coordinates activities with foreign law enforcement to trace and locate fugitives and abductors.

What Are the Risks?

Formal resort to the criminal justice system (filing of charges, issuance of an arrest warrant, transmission of an extradition request to a foreign government under an applicable treaty, and criminal prosecution) should be considered carefully. This is especially true if the other country concerned is a party to the Hague Convention. You should be aware that, while you may have a degree of control over the ongoing civil procedures, you may not be able to affect the course of criminal actions once charges are filed. Check with the police and prosecutor to determine if your wishes would be considered in a criminal action. Furthermore, law enforcement authorities in the U.S. and some countries abroad may be valuable sources of information and assistance. However, they may be unfamiliar with international parental child abduction. If this is the case, please call the Office of Children''s Issues (CA/OCS/CI) as soon as possible.

Your decision on whether or not to try to utilize the criminal justice system depends upon the circumstances of your case. You should also realize that neither extradition nor prosecution of the abductor guarantees the return of your child and may in some cases complicate, delay, or ultimately jeopardize return of your child.

Presumably, your primary interest is to obtain the return of your child. That is not the primary responsibility of the prosecutors. When the criminal justice system becomes involved in a case, there are several interests at stake, some of which may be in conflict:

• The interests of the child;
• The interests of each parent/guardian and other immediate family members;
• The interests of the civil justice system in a stable and workable custody arrangement; and
• The interests of the criminal justice system in apprehending, prosecuting, and punishing those who have violated the criminal laws of their jurisdiction in connection with a parental child abduction.
  

Another factor to consider is the possible reaction of the abductor to the filing of criminal charges and the threat of prosecution and punishment. Although some individuals may be intimidated enough to return the child (with or without an agreement by a prosecutor to the condition that the charges be dropped), others might go deeper into hiding, particularly if they are in a country where they have family or community support. If an abductor is ultimately brought to trial, how far are you willing to go in pursuing criminal prosecution? Unless you are prepared to testify in court against the abductor, you should not pursue criminal prosecution. A final factor to consider is the effect on the child of seeing the abducting parent prosecuted and perhaps incarcerated, with you playing an active role in that process.

Steps to Take in Case You Decide to Use the Criminal Justice System

Once you have decided to pursue criminal remedies, you or your attorney may contact your local prosecutor or law enforcement authorities to request, if provided for by your state law, that the abducting parent be criminally prosecuted and an arrest warrant be issued. In some states, parental child abduction or custodial interference is a misdemeanor; however, under many state laws it may be a crime depending on the circumstances of the removal. If you are able to obtain a state warrant, the local prosecutor can contact the F.B.I. or the United States Attorney to request the issuance of a federal Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution (UFAP) warrant for the arrest of the abductor. The federal Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act of 1980 provides for the issuance of this warrant.

Furthermore, the International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act (IPKCA) of 1993 (H.R. 3378) makes it a federal offense to remove a child from the United States or retain a child (who has been in the United States) outside the United States with intent to obstruct the exercise of parental rights (custody or visitation). An unlawful retention begun after 1993 could violate the statute, even though the actual removal of the child may have occurred before the date of enactment. The F.B.I. is responsible for investigating the abduction.Prosecution of Agents or Accomplices of the Abductor

Find out if your state, through consultation with a lawyer, has laws that allow legal action to be taken against agents or accomplices to an abduction. Consider whether such actions would be useful in learning your child’s whereabouts or compelling the return of your child.

Implications of an Arrest Warrant for a United States Citizen

If the abducting parent is a United States citizen and the subject of a federal arrest warrant, the F.B.I. or United States Attorney’s office can ask the Department of State’s Passport Office to revoke the person’s United States passport. This may or may not be a burden to an abducting parent who is entitled to hold a foreign passport as well as a United States passport. However, an abducting parent who is only a United States citizen becomes an undocumented alien in a foreign country if his or her United States passport is revoked. Some countries may deport undocumented aliens or at least make it difficult for them to remain in the country.

For a United States passport to be revoked, the F.B.I. or United States Attorney must send a request for such action and a copy of the federal warrant to the Department of State’s Office of Passport Policy and Advisory Services (telephone 202-663-2662). The regulatory basis for revocation of passports is found in the Code of Federal Regulations (22 C.F.R. 51.70, et seq.)
In certain circumstances, you may decide that revoking the abducting parent’s passport will not achieve the desired result. For example, if you know the location of the other parent, there may be a possibility of negotiation and a settlement or, at least, the possibility of communication with your child. If the abducting parent is threatened with passport revocation, he or she might choose to flee with your child again.

Implications of a Warrant for a Non-United States Citizen

Even if the abductor is not a United States citizen, the existence of a federal warrant is important. Such a warrant may encourage the abducting parent to return the child voluntarily, especially if he or she has business or other reasons to travel to the United States. The warrant also serves to inform the foreign government that the abduction of the child is a violation of United States law and that the abductor is a federal fugitive. An arrest warrant is also necessary if you wish to have authorities seek extradition of the abductor. Note that the United States does not have an extradition treaty with every country, and even if a treaty exists extradition may not always be possible.

The Possibility of Extradition

The United States Department of Justice, not the United States Department of State, is responsible for pursuing extradition of wanted persons. Through INTERPOL and other international links, national law enforcement authorities in many countries regularly cooperate in the location and apprehension of international fugitives. Extradition, the surrender of a fugitive or prisoner by one jurisdiction for criminal prosecution or service of a sentence in another jurisdiction, is rarely a viable approach in international child abduction cases.

Extradition is utilized only for criminal justice purposes in cases that prosecutors believe can be successfully prosecuted due to the sufficiency of the evidence. Prosecutors may decide not to proceed with a request for extradition for a number of different reasons. Moreover, it must be remembered that extradition does not apply to the abducted or wrongfully retained child, but only to the abductor. There is no guarantee that the child will be returned by foreign authorities in connection with extradition of the alleged wrongdoer. Threatened with impending extradition, abducting parents may hide the child or children with a friend or relative in the foreign country.
Another reason that extradition may not be useful in a given case is that the offenses of parental child abduction or custodial interference are sometimes not included in the U.S. Government’s extradition relationships with some foreign countries. The United States now has extradition treaties now in force at this point with over 120more than 100 foreign countries. Some of these are” dual criminality" treaties while others are” list" treaties. In each case, in order for conduct to be an extraditable offense under a particular treaty, the conduct in question must be (1) be extraditable under a given treaty, the conduct in question must be considered a crime in both countries, and (2) and also included as an extraditable offense under the treaty. In this respect, the United States Government has two kinds of extradition treaties,” dual criminality" and” list" treatiesDual Criminality Treaties: U.S. Government’s Most modern extradition treaties (i.e., generally those concluded after 1980) usually include a” dual criminality" provision. This means that a persons generally may be extradited under the treaty if their conduct is a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment in both countries. Accordingly as a result, if the illegal conduct involved in a particular parental child abduction or custodial interference case is a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment in both the United States and the foreign jurisdiction country concerned, then that conduct would be considered an extraditable offense under most extradition treaties that are based on “dual criminality" extradition treaties. (A small number of the U.S. Government’s dual criminality treaties use periods other than one year as the measure for extraditable offenses.) If the conduct is not criminalized a crime in either the United States or the foreign country, then it will not be an extraditable offense, even if our treaty with that country is a modern “dual criminality" treaty.

List Treaties: The U.S. Government’s older extradition treaties (generally those concluded before 1980) typically contain a list of covered offenses that are extraditable under the treaty. In this respect, nearly all of these older treaties include the word “kidnapping" in their list of covered extraditable offenses. The Extradition Treaties Interpretation Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-323) makes clear that the word “kidnapping" as used in these older treaties can encompass parental kidnapping. If, however, the conduct is not a crime criminalized in the United States or the foreign country, then it will not be an extraditable offense even if the word “kidnapping" is included in the relevant list treaty.

Despite the fact that parental child abduction may be covered by certain extradition treaties, you should be aware of potential difficulties in utilizing them. Apart from the possible counterproductive effects already discussed, specifically, most all civil law countries (in contrast with common law countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia) refuse to extradite their own nationals. Nearly all the nations of Latin America and Europe are civil law countries. Whatever the terms of any applicable extradition treaty, experience has also shown that foreign governments are generally reluctant (and often simply unwilling) to extradite anyone (their own citizens, United States citizens, or third country nationals) for parental child abduction. For extradition to be possible, therefore:·

• The local and/or federal prosecutor must decide to file charges and pursue the case, and you should be prepared to testify in any criminal trial;
• There must be an extradition treaty in force between the United States and the country in question;
• The treaty must cover parental child abduction or custodial interference;· If the person sought is a national of the country in question, that country must be willing to extradite its own nationals; and,
• The country in question must be willing to extradite persons for parental child abduction/custodial interference (i.e., not refuse to do so for "humanitarian" or other policy reasons).

The Possibility of Prosecution of an Abductor in a Foreign Country

A final possibility in the area of criminal justice is prosecution of the abductor by the authorities of the foreign country where he or she is found. In many countries (but not the United States), nationals of the country can be prosecuted for acts committed abroad if the same conduct would constitute a criminal offense under local law. United States law enforcement authorities can request such prosecution by forwarding to the foreign country the evidence that would have been used in a United States prosecution. United States witnesses may, of course, have to appear and testify in the foreign proceeding. Like the courses of action discussed above, this approach also risks being counterproductive and will not necessarily result in the return of the child.

Reference
US Department of State

Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics

On May 15, 2006, The Bureau of Justice Statistics release the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) report on Local Police Department for 2003. The following are highlights from that report.

How does your local agency measure up?

Personnel
• As of June 2003 local police departments had about 581,000 full-time employees, including about 452,000 sworn personnel. There were about 11,000 more sworn and 4,000 more nonsworn employees than in 2000.

• Racial and ethnic minorities comprised 23.6% of full-time sworn personnel in 2003, up from 22.6% in 2000, and 14.6% in 1987. Women comprised 11.3% of officers in 2003, up from 10.6% in 2000, and 7.6% in 1987.

• From 2000 to 2003 the number of black or African American local police officers increased by 1,500, or 3%; Hispanic or Latino officers by 4,700, or 13%; officers from other minority groups by 850, or 7%, and female officers by 4,400, or 9%.

• Sixty-one percent of departments had officer separations during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003. Overall, about 32,100 officers separated, including 16,100 resignations, 9,400 retirements, and 2,600 dismissals.

• Sixty percent of departments hired new officers during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003. Overall, about 34,500 officers were hired, including 28,800 entry-level hires, and 5,300 lateral transfers/hires.

• During the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003, 21% of local police departments had full-time sworn personnel called-up as full-time military reservists. Overall, about 7,500 officers were called up.

Budget and pay

• Departments had total operating budgets of $43.3 billion during fiscal 2003, 10% more than in 2000 after adjusting for inflation. Operating expenditures in 2003 averaged $93,300 per sworn officer, and $200 per resident.

• In 2003 starting salaries for local police officers ranged from an average of about $23,400 in the smallest jurisdictions to about $37,700 in the largest.

Operations

• Fifty-nine percent of departments, including more than 75% of those serving 250,000 or more residents, used foot patrol routinely. An estimated 38%, including more than 95% of those serving 500,000 or more residents, used bicycle patrol on a regular basis.

• In 2003, 92% of local police departments, employing 98% of all officers, participated in a 9-1-1 emergency system compared to 32% and 60% in 1987. In 2003, 73% of Departments, employing 90% of all officers, had enhanced 9-1-1, compared to 7% and 26% in 1987.

• Eighteen percent of departments had officers assigned full time to a special unit for drug enforcement, with about 12,000 officers assigned nationwide. Nearly a quarter of departments had officers assigned to a multi-agency drug task force, with about 6,000 officers assigned full time nationwide. • Twenty-seven percent of local police departments were responsible for providing court security, 18% for serving civil process, and 9% for operating a jail.

• Thirty-six percent of departments had drug asset forfeiture receipts during 2002, including more than 80% of those serving 25,000 or more residents. Nationwide, receipts totaled about $298 million, or $642 per officer.

Community policing

• Fourteen percent of local police departments, employing 44% of all officers, maintained or created a written community policing plan during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003.

• Nearly half (47%) of departments, employing 73% of all officers, had a mission statement that included some aspect of community policing.

• Fifty-eight percent of all departments, employing 82% of all officers, used fulltime community policing officers during 2003. Collectively, there were about 54,800 local police officers so designated.

• Thirty-one percent of departments, employing 67% of all officers, trained all new officer recruits in community policing. This included more than 3 in 4 departments serving a population of 100,000 or more.

• Sixty percent of departments, including more than 80% of those serving 25,000 or more residents, had problem solving partnerships or written agreements with community groups, local agencies, or others during the 12-month period ending June 30, 2003.

• Forty-three percent of departments, employing 74% of all officers, used fulltime school resource officers in 2003. Collectively, these agencies employed about 14,300 such officers.
Highlights

• Nearly all departments had a written policy on pursuit driving. Three-fifths restricted vehicle pursuits according to specific criteria such as speed or offense. About a fourth had a policy that left the decision to the officer’s discretion, and 6% discouraged all vehicle pursuits.

• Ninety-five percent of departments, employing 99% of all officers, had a written policy on the use of deadly force. Ninety percent, employing 97% of all officers, had a policy on the use of nonlethal force.

• Sixty-two percent of departments had written policies about racial profiling by officers. This included about 9 in 10 agencies serving populations of 250,000 or more residents.

• Thirty-nine percent of departments had a written plan specifying actions to be taken in the event of a terrorist attack. This included a majority of departments serving 10,000 or more residents.

• Eighty-four percent of departments, employing 95% of officers, had written policies or procedures for handling juveniles; 59%, employing 81% of officers, for responding to the mentally ill; and 27%, employing 42% of officers, for interacting with homeless persons.

Equipment

• In 2003 the .40-caliber semiautomatic was the most commonly authorized sidearm, with 62% of departments authorizing its use by officers.

• An estimated 99% of departments authorized use of chemical agents such as pepper spray during 2003, up from 51% in 1990.

• In 2003, 74% of local police officers were employed by a department that required at least some field officers to wear protective body armor while on duty, compared to 30% in 1990.

• Nationwide, local police departments in 2003 operated an estimated 242,700 cars, or about 1 car for every 2 officers employed. About a third of these cars were unmarked.

• Nearly 1 in 3 departments used dogs for law enforcement work, including more than 90% of those serving 100,000 or more residents. About 2% used horses, including most of those serving 250,000 or more residents.

• Fifty-five percent of departments regularly used video cameras in police car during 2003, compared to 37% in 2000. There were about 49,000 in-car cameras in use during 2003. Eleven percent of departments operated traffic enforcement cameras during 2003.

Computers and information systems

• From 1990 to 2003 the percentage of local police departments using infield computers increased from 5% to 56%. Departments using infield computers employed 83% of all officers in 2003, up from 30% in 1990.

• From 2000 to 2003 the percent of local police officers employed by a department with infield computer access to vehicle records increased from 67% to 78%. The percent employed by a department with infield computer access to criminal history records rose from 29% to 39%.

• In 2003, 55% of departments used paper reports as the primary means to transmit criminal incident field data to a central information system, down from 86% in 1997. During the same time period, use of computer and data devices increased from 9% to 38%.

You can view the complete report here

Combating a Modern Hydra: Al Qaeda and the Global War on Terrorism

Combating a Modern Hydra: Al Qaeda and the Global War on Terrorismis number eight in the Combat Studies Institute’s Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Occasional Paper series. This work resulted from discussions at Fort Leavenworth about the nature of the enemy facing the United States and its allies since 11 September 2001. Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network had been present at some level in the national and international consciousness since the late 1990s. The events of 11 September 2001 and subsequent global operations taken against Al Qaeda have brought this group to the forefront of the GWOT. While successes have been achieved in the GWOT, the enemy has proven to be resilient and adaptive. This study by Mr. Sean Kalic, of the Department of Military History, US Army Command and General Staff College, examines modern transnational terrorism from the 1960s to the present day, with special emphasis on the adaptation Al Qaeda and other nonstate actors have taken in response to the actions of the United States and its allies. This work provides a cautionary warning about the likelihood Al Qaeda will continue to survive and execute missions in the current operating environment. Mr. Kalic synthesizes much of the pertinent literature and offers insights into the actions taken to fight terrorists. Most importantly, he advises a continual reevaluation of the threat, based on Al Qaeda’s flexibility, resiliency, and adaptability. Officers and soldiers who have recently served in operations against the terrorist worldwide will certainly see utility here. As the US Army continues its efforts in combating terrorists, the thoughts found in this narrative are well worth considering.

Download the Paper

Missing Person Guide

Guidance on the Management, Recording and Investigation of Missing Persons.

Based on an article in our last newsletter feedback was received from a colleague in the United Kingdom. He made us aware that the UK Police National Missing Persons Bureau (PNMPB) is the centre for the exchange of information connected with the search for missing persons both nationally and internationally. The Bureau focuses on cross matching missing persons with unidentified persons. On their website the center has published a downloadable PDF version of Guidance on the management, Recording and Investigation of Missing Persons.

Although the document was drafted in order to develop national standards in the UK, many of the investigative and supervisory techniques are directly applicable to US investigations. Some of the issues covered in the guide are:

First officer to attend
Responsibilities of first officer attending report of a missing person
Risk assessment
Classification of risk and response
Decision making guide
Review of risk
Missing persons process chart
Investigative issues to consider
Search and evidence gathering
Legal powers for search
General principles of searching
Scenario based searching
Full managed search
Volunteer search teams
Members of the public
Sightings
Critical incidents
Media strategy
Family liaison and support
Interview on return from missing

Click here to download a copy of the guide.

Bomb Making Video

In February 2006, remnants of the Taliban detonated a Improvised Explosive Device (IED) damaging an American vehicle. The SITE Institute obtained a short-video, produced by the terrorists, of the bombing. Perhaps the most instructive part for law enforcement and security personnel is the first half where the making of the bomb is filmed. You can view the short video at http://www.hitechcj.com/homelandsecurity/open_source_intelligence.html

Japan tests anti-terrorism surveillance cameras

The Japanese government began Tuesday a test run of surveillance cameras in the capital's subway stations as an anti-terrorism measure. Faces of commuters are to be compared with files of terrorists or wanted criminals. When the system detects a facial match, an alarm is to go off. The system is running at the Kasumigaseki subway station, where most of the government offices are located. The station and surrounding subway lines were targeted by the Aum Shinrikyo cult in its sarin gas attack 1995, which killed 12 people and injured more than 5,000."

(newKerala.com, 02May06)

New Website for Police Technology

On April 25, 2006, Hi Tech Criminal Justice Online launched a revised website for the text book, Police Technology (Prentice Hall, July 2004). According to CEO Raymond E. Foster the book is used in over fifty universities and colleges throughout the United States and is under consideration for adoption in at least sixty others. At the same time the book was in production the original website was also being developed. However, the initial website was parked as a sub-domain under Hi Tech Criminal Justice Online’s primary website.

Throughout the last 18 months the content of the website has grown as has the use by students and professors. The companion website offers students additional articles, resources, cases studies and web-based explanations for the key terms within the text. Additionally, behind a password protected site professors can find supplemental instructional material such as example syllabi, PowerPoint presentations for each chapter and hyperlinks to relevant videos, journals and web-based resources.

Foster said, “The tremendous success of the book and the website led us to secure an original domain for the book’s companion site and to expand the core content.” In addition to securing an original domain, Foster noted that the five additional PowerPoint lectures, new cases studies and unique student activities have been added to the revised site. Moreover, the site has been completely redesigned based upon student, professor and practitioner input. “The web enables us to be much more responsive than many other traditional text book publishers. Based on student and professor feedback we are constantly researching, updating and publishing.”
You can visit the new website at www.police-technology.net

When Your Child is Missing: A Family Survival Guide.

What do to if your Child is Missing provides parents with the most current information on, and helpful insights into, what families should do when a child is missing. The first edition of this Guide was written in 1998 by parents and family members who have experienced the disappearance of a child. It contains their combined advice concerning what to expect when a child is missing, what needs to be done, and where to go for help. It explains the role that various agencies and organizations play in the search for a missing child and discusses some of the important issues that need to be considered. The Guide is divided into seven chapters, each of which is structured to allow information to be found quickly and easily. Each chapter explains both the short- and long-term issues and contains a checklist and chapter summary for later reference. A list of recommended readings and a list of public and private resources appear at the back of the Guide. This third edition of the Guide was published in 2004.

A copy can be downloaded here.

The Age of the Patrol Vehicle Platform

The mobile office is on its way out. In the near future, the only way to describe a police vehicle will be as a platform. A platform is a combination of technologies with real-world applications. Thinking of your patrol car as a platform gives us a foundation from which to explore your vehicle’s future. It won’t just be your office, it will be another set of senses, operating independent of you, and providing you with real-time information on the world around you. More importantly, the Patrol Vehicle Platform (PVP) will significantly enhance your safety and ability to conduct law enforcement operations.

Very small partners for safety

Nanotechnology is a combination of scientific and engineering advances that allow the design, fabrication and manufacture of products at the molecular level. As this field becomes increasingly more cost-efficient a variety of law enforcement uses will be available. For instance, developments in nanotechnology will change the threat protection level of vehicle ballistic panels and even your personal body armor

Nanotechnology can create material that has the weight of plastic but is more than sixty times stronger than steel. Furthermore, material produced at the molecular level can be given a number of “smart” features. It will be possible to design the outer body of your police vehicle to not only weigh less and provide more protection, but it will be somewhat “smart.” As an example, if a bullet was fired at your police vehicle the nanotechnology would “sense” the impact and be able to react quickly enough to re-arrange itself to maximizes protection and the deflection and energy absorption factors. These developments will also find their way into your soft-body armor. In the future, the way your current body armor distributes the energy from a bullet will be considered “dumb” when compared with the ability of armor produced through nano-manufacturing. Further over the horizon is duty uniforms with protection of today’s ceramic plates.

Heads Up!

Most of the technological advancements in the future will be difficult for the patrol officer to manage with a new way of receiving information. The military solved some of the human problem of receiving, processing and managing information by providing pilots with “Heads Up Display” (HUD) technology. There are a number of police vehicles with rudimentary forms HUD technology being tested. Essentially, a limited amount of information about your vehicle (particularly speed) and some information from your current mobile computer are displayed on the interior of the police vehicle windshield. Typically, this information is being displayed near the top portion of the windshield, in the area that usually has additional tinting.

However, today’s experimental vehicles are very simple versions of tomorrow. By combining a number of technologies, the PVP will have to provide the police officer with additional information about the surroundings such as best travel routes to calls for service and targeting information. Yes, you will some day get targeting information. But, before we explore Offender Targeting Technology (OTT), we have to understand a few more advances and components.

They know where you are

Many agencies have implemented Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) technology. There are basically three types: Independent systems using radio frequency detection and finding, systems based on cellular telephone technology and systems based on Global Positioning Satellites (GPS). The first two are considered “ground based” whereas GPS obviously uses satellites in orbit around the globe. All three systems have their advantages and disadvantages.
However, when GPS is combined with a ground based system it becomes extremely accurate and can provide near real-time information on your vehicle and objects or people around you. Some States are considering a requirement that registered sex offenders wear GPS linked “bracelets.” How long do you think it will be before we consider making those on parole, probation and offenders convicted of certain crimes where a bracelet?

It won’t be very long before a police officer’s PVP will be constantly reporting the officer’s location and monitoring the environment. Probably through a central communications dispatch center, the PVP will be constantly comparing its location against the current, real-time, location of sex offenders, parolees and persons on probation. Like many other computers that monitor problems for people, the PVP will probably have some threshold wherein the officer is notified. For instance, it may be set to notify a nearby patrol vehicle whenever two or more GPS monitored offenders are in close proximity to each other. Or, perhaps, it will alert the police officer whenever a sex offender is near a school.

It may just be an HUD displayed map that shows GPS monitored offenders in the vicinity of your PVP. Furthermore, there will likely be some data threshold that not only reports the location of the offender, but as your PVP moves closer it will decide to give you data on the offender. Perhaps, his or her photograph, trait information and conditions of registration, parole or probation will be displayed. Essentially, the PVP is providing you with targeting information.

Scanning the environment

There are several experiments being conducted on Optical License Plate Reading (OLPR) technology installed in police vehicles. In fact, there are several types of OLPR that are in use for parking and access control. This technology is beginning to be widely used in the private sector. The technology uses Optical Character Recognition technology to scan license plates and then query a database. In the relatively near future, your PVP will also scan your environment and run licenses plates. You won’t realize this is going on until your PVP locates a stolen vehicle and provides you with the targeting information. Of course, your PVP will likely notify your dispatch center and other nearby PVPs that you have a felony situation.

In the more distant future, your PVP will be equipped with Facial Recognition Technology (FRT). There have been a number of experiments by law enforcement with FRT. Indeed, FRT is used regularly by casinos in locating and tracking undesirable patrons. However, there a number of technical challenges to the full information in the field. But, someday, your PVP will scan for GPS signals, license plates and the faces of people you pass. As with OLPR, the scans will be compared against a central database and you will be provided with information concerning wanted persons, or perhaps those on probation who are not required to wear a GPS bracelet. In fact, the FRT technology may alert your PVP that it has just scanned a face that should be wearing GPS technology. Clearly, a lot of information to process, manage and act on.

Up close scanning

There are police department that are experimenting with fingerprint scanning in the field. The police officer carries a very small, hand-held device that is used scan the offenders print, send it to and compare it against a central database. According to a police officer in Ontario, California, where this technology has been used, “The gang members know we have the device and when we put it out they just give up their real name.” Personal scanning devices will create Fourth Amendment and officer safety issues. Whereas scanning a license plate is fairly unobtrusive and the court is likely to hold that routine OLPR is Constitutional, fingerprint scanning requires a detention and the touching of a person. Again, not very intrusive, but if you are going to use the scanner it is probably because the offender does not have proper identification. And, they know if they are wanted and you don’t. Are you going to search them for weapons before you stand within arms length and scan them? Fingerprint scanning is going to require that police officers develop and articulate reasonable suspicion and that they employ certain tactics (like searching) in order to maintain safety.

Watching you, watching them, watching you watching them

Your PVP is going to become more adept and watching you and recording your actions. Currently, digital recording devices record only that information taking place in a set camera frame. As the technology becomes better, small and cheaper, it is likely that your PVP will direct your digital recording system to track the small microphone you are wearing. Indeed, your PVP may have several small cameras. It may track you, continue to watch the offender and of course, scan your environment. As your digital camera gets smarter it is not difficult to envision technology that watches the traffic violators vehicle while you issue the citation. If they get out, it may alert you. Indeed, your PVP may be developed to point wherein certain actions (data thresholds) cause your PVP to call for back-up. For instance, maybe the drawing of your firearm, an increase in your heart rate, or your position (on the ground) may cause your PVP to request back-up.

The mobile office is fading into history. Tomorrow’s police vehicle will be an integration of technologies and databases that work with the police officer. It will be the Patrol Vehicle Platform.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA is the author of Police Technology (Prentice Hall, July 2004); and the co-author of Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style (Quill Driver Books, September 2006), From NYPD to LAPD: An Introduction to Policing (Prentice Hall, January 2007) and, From Cold War to Flaming Hot War: Homeland Security and the Global War on Terror (Prentice Hall, July 2007). His complete CV can be viewed at Criminal Justice Profiles. Raymond can be reached on the Criminal Justice Online Forum or at mailto:raymond@hitechcj.com.

Who has your number?

Information about law enforcement officers readily available Online

The Internet is a double edge sword for law enforcement officials. Public records and commercial information has long been used as an investigatory tool by police officers. But, in the past you had to ferret out the information. Trips to court, county hall of records or to the “backwards book” would give you access to a suspect’s personal information. Now, that information is readily available online. Except, so is information about police officers.
ZABA is a website that acts as a portal to public and commercial databases. By combing the power of the Internet and relational databases ZABA has made a tremendous amount of information freely available. Indeed, the word ZABA is from the Greek word, "tzaba", meaning "free" or "at no cost." A free search will likely provide your home address, telephone number and possibly your date of birth. And, for a small fee someone can obtain extensive information about you.
Click here to find yourself on ZABA
After you visit the site and found out how much information is available about you and your family, come back and look at several steps you can take to limit the amount of information floating on the net about you.

1. Open a post office box. Have as much of your mail as possible directed to the post office box. Be sure you have credit card statements, utility bills and magazine subscriptions come to the box. This is probably the most effective and least expensive long term solution.
2. An unlisted number isn’t an unknown number. It is simply not in directory assistance or in the telephone book. It can be obtained. And, most of the time, you give it out. Especially when you fill out applications, etc. Get a new unlisted number for your home. Obtain caller identification technology and only give the number out to friends and relatives. Consider using a cellular telephone number, with the bill going to your post office box, as a means of controlling
the number of people and organizations who have your telephone number.
3. Do not fill out any form, for any company or organization that does not have a privacy policy. Make sure that they will not sell your information. If they do not have such a policy in place, do business with another firm.
4. You can try to file a written request with information providers, asking that your information be kept private or deleted from their database. Some will comply, many will not.
5. Start a family trust and conduct your business through that trust. If you are in a position to do so, you might also consider a corporation or DBA as a means to control the flow of your personal information.
6. Buy a shredder. Shred all credit card, mortgage reduction, charity solicitation and any mail that has your personal information on it.

Of course, bookmark ZABA. Its not going away and is an excellent resource for conducting investigations!

Management of Dead Bodies After Disasters

Management of Dead Bodies After Disasters: A Field Manual for First Responders

Management of the dead is one of the most difficult aspects of disaster response. It has profound and long-lasting consequences for survivors and communities. Globally, disasters claim thousands of lives each year. However, care of the deceased is often overlooked in disaster planning and the absence of guidance for first responders has recently been highlighted following several large disasters. This Field Manual for First Responders presents simple recommendations for non-specialists to manage the recovery, basic identification, storage and disposal of dead bodies following disasters. It also makes suggestions about providing support to family members and communicating with the public and the media.

This manual will be useful during the immediate response to a disaster and where forensic response is unavailable. Furthermore, it will be useful for those preparing mass fatality disaster plans. The recommendations are relevant for local, regional and national authorities as well as for non-governmental organizations. The principles outlined in this document are being implemented and promoted by a variety of organizations, including the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

You can download a copy of the manual here.