NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News SummaryThursday, August 30, 2007  "Fingerprint Bank Gives Names to the Nameless" Sacramento Bee (CA) (08/26/07) P. B1; Enkoji, M.S.  The FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division is the site of the nationwide fingerprint database, with 53 million sets in its criminal files. It also has civilian prints on file. The Clarksburg, W.Va., division will conduct 24 million checks annually, which will take around 10 minutes each. While the inclusion of old prints provides hope for people who continue to wait for information on a missing individual, new technology will make identifying someone faster and more complete, claims the bureau's Stephen Fischer. The expansion of the system also means that long-deceased individuals who were found guilty of misdemeanor crimes now stand a better chance of being identified. Due to more efficient identification and filing, certain police agencies are transmitting every set of fingerprints they obtain to the FBI database, including those guilty of misdemeanor charges. Eventually, the FBI will employ biometric identification that will enable investigators to match voices, palm prints, and people's irises. http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/345178.html  "Dallas Inmates Expected to Be Arraigned Via Video" Dallas Morning News (08/21/07); Krause, Kevin  The jails in Dallas County will soon be equipped with video cameras so prisoners do not have to be transported to courtrooms to be arraigned before a judge. Judges will instead talk with defendants and their attorneys via video monitors, and documents will be faxed. In late August, county consumers are set to sanction spending $47,583 in reserve funds on the video arraignment system, which AT&T will provide. A pilot initiative that started in July in the George Allen jail has operated well with no reported problems. The county's other prisons and Parkland Memorial Hospital will also eventually be equipped with video communications systems. Employing video communication will enable inmates to be arraigned right away, without having to wait until the following day. This will lessen crowding in holding areas, county authorities point out. Dallas County Sheriff's Department Assistant Chief Deputy Mona Birdwell reports that her department currently transfers around 50 prisoners per day to the main courtroom at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center for arraignment on new or revamped charges. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/082207dnmetjail.58431853.html  "Sheriff's Patrol Cars to Get New Camera System" Jackson Citizen Patriot (MI) (08/23/07) P. A5; Quisenberry, Danielle  The Jackson County, Mich., Sheriff's Office and the Blackman Township public safety departments are replacing their current analog in-car video camera systems with digital systems. The digital system's cameras--which will be mounted near the rear-view mirror in patrol cars--will send video from the car to a server via a wireless connection so that the video cannot be altered or manipulated, according to Blackman Township Public Safety Director Mike Jester. He noted that this will help prevent defense attorneys from arguing in court that the tapes have been tapered with. In addition, officers will no longer have to worry about switching tapes, Jester said. The digital system will also allow law enforcement officials to more easily access incidents, and will deliver a picture that is far clearer than the video from the old analog system, said Jackson County Sheriff Dan Heyns. http://www.mlive.com/jackson/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-22/118787827240300.xml&coll=3  "GPS Tracking Like a Stakeout" Telegram & Gazette (08/24/07) P. A1; Nugent, Karen  GPS technology has assisted in the arrest of arson suspects Michael P. Dreslinksi and John D. Rousseau. Rousseau was formerly charged with alleged involvement in five Clinton County fires last year, but the charges were dropped. In July, suspicions that the men were involved with criminal activity, along with their 15-year history with police, led law enforcement to obtain a "Blood warrant" for placing a GPS tracking device on Dreslinski's truck; the truck was then tracked to an abandoned paper mill shortly before a fire at the mill was reported. In Sterling and Holden, the men were also the prime suspects. Former president Ronald Reagan first authorized the use of GPS for civilians following military investigations of the technology in 1983. A Superior Court judge must issue a mandate to law enforcement for placing GPS devices on vehicles due to the expanse of area involved in the monitoring; the device can be used as legal evidence until it enters a private home. In the 1980s, courts ruled that law enforcement must have reasonable suspicion or probable cause in order to employ GPS technology in a case. Attorney Edward P. Ryan Jr. says obtaining a warrant circumvents the potential for the case being overturned by citing Article 14 of the Massachusetts Constitution, noting that citizens are immune to unreasonable searches and seizures. Dreslinksi and Rousseau have been arrested for burglary, impersonation, and breaking into police and railroad radio frequencies. http://www.telegram.com/article/20070824/NEWS/708240729/1116  "McLean Co. Uses Map Program to Test Sex Offenders' Compliance" Pantagraph (08/25/07); Cima, Greg  In McLean County, Ill., geographic information system (GIS) technology has supplanted tape measures as law enforcement's method of tracking sex offenders' residency compliance. County attorney Bill Yoder says that while technology has assisted predators, "Technology has also given law enforcement a tool to fight back." A demonstration of the GIS exhibited a map of McLean with green dots designating the homes of sex offenders; the 500-foot distance offenders must keep between their homes and schools, parks, and other locations marked on the map is highlighted by semitransparent orange circles. Sheriff Mike Emery says the system's accuracy is "within an inch;" the map is available only to the sheriff's office and the McLean County Information Services. Violation of the residency compliance law for sex offenders is a felony with a five year sentence, and repeat offenders can receive up to seven years of jail time. http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/08/25/news/doc46cf898d654dd371224839.txt  "Authorities Use GPS to Fight Graffiti" Whittier Daily News (CA) (08/26/07); Scruby, Airan  Pico Rivera, Calif., police are employing the Graffiti Tracker to document and compare graffiti incidents that typically would be caught up in a sea of paperwork. The device uses cameras outfitted with GPS technology. Graffiti pictures are taken by cleanup crews and can be downloaded to a Web site, where they are studied and organized for reference. Pico Rivera public safety manager Steve Gutierrez stated that Graffiti Tracker has been beneficial since it was installed in September 2006. At that time, the city witnessed 828 vandalism incidents, while this past June, Pico Rivera had 324 "tags." Gutierrez pointed out that the city has had more than 60 arrests that have been directly linked to Graffiti Tracker. The system--which usually costs cities between $24,000 and $30,000 annually--categorizes graffiti by moniker, or the name a tagger utilizes, which enables individual taggers to be monitored via every vandalism act they perform. This permits police to concentrate efforts on the most active vandals, employing resources to catch the most harmful taggers first and rapidly lowering the amount of incidents in Pico Rivera. http://www.whittierdailynews.com/ci_6722437?source=most_viewed  "Eagle Firm Says Tracking Devices Will Hold Their Signals, Regardless of Location" Idaho Statesman (08/25/07); Dey, Ken  Sky Detective's tracking technology will prevent suspected stalkers from approaching victims without notifying Garden City law enforcement. The Offender Ankle Device, an ankle bracelet, and the SD20 Cargo/Package Tracker, monitoring movement by being placed in a car or other vehicle, use GPS and cellular signals to monitor suspects. The ankle bracelet enables the court to instate zones around the victim so that the suspect is detected upon entering those zones and Garden City police are notified either by pager or cell phone. Through Sky Detective software, which works with Google Earth to produce satellite pictures, police can track the exact location of the suspect. Additionally, the victim could wear a device that monitors stalkers that are nearby in the case of a stalker venturing out of their zone. "It has a great potential to protect victims of crime while saving a lot of manpower and a lot of money for the department," says Capt. Cory Stambaugh. He adds that without the technology, victims' only defense is a court appointed no-contact order that can only be enforced if someone observes the suspect in violation of the order. Sky Detective also notifies law enforcement when the suspect is a certain distance from an exclusion zone, so they receive enough warning to remove the victim and wait for the suspect's arrival. Sky Detective founder and president Jerry Thompson says the technology is a solution to mitigate overcrowding prisons and to reduce costs for incurring inmates; the device costs less than $15 daily to run and can be paid for by the offender. http://www.idahostatesman.com/business/story/142052.html  "Proposal: Track Sex Offenders With GPS" Daily Journal (N.J.) (08/24/07) P. 1A; Jackson, Miles  New Jersey lawmakers are pushing for a bill that would require convicted sex offenders to wear GPS devices upon their release from prison. For predators that lure children via the Internet, Assemblymen Nelson Albano (D-1) and Jeff Van Drew (D-1) said the technology would help law enforcement monitor such offenders and that the offenders should pay for the technology. The Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office has successfully caught predators that attempt to meet with underage children by using law enforcement agents posing as minors online. Van Drew says although many of those arrested have never sexually assaulted the minor, their intentions are clear. Albano and Van Drew also sponsored legislation that would increase sentences for repeat sex offenders and people who protect them, in addition to a bill restricting convicted offenders from using the Internet. http://www.thedailyjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070824/NEWS01/708240311/1002  "Missouri May List Online IDs of Sex Offenders" St. Louis Post-Dispatch (08/22/07) P. D9; Bock, Jessica  Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt announced Aug. 21 that he would support legislation that would add the email addresses and other electronic names used by sex offenders on the Internet to the state's registry of convicted sex offenders. The email addresses and screen names would also be made available to Internet service providers, instant messaging companies, and social networking sites. In addition, the legislation would restrict sex offenders' use of online identifiers to one screen name provided to law enforcement. Meanwhile, other states are also working to link email addresses to sex offender registries. In Illinois, for example, lawmakers passed legislation that forbids paroled sex offenders from communicating with children online. Another bill prohibits adults from engaging in sexual conversations online with minors with the intent of committing sexual abuse. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stcharles/story/40C02A59B100C4F48625733F0011B7E4?OpenDocument  "Hempfield Township's Dispatch Center Lacking Action" Greensburg Tribune-Review (PA) (08/26/07); Peirce, Paul  A brand-new, 15,000-square-foot state police dispatch facility in Hempfield Township, Pa., has still not hired its staff, making it a $2.1 million burden for the Pennsylvania law-enforcement institution. Harrisburg state police spokeswoman Linette Quinn stresses that the facility has not opened due to a "lack of funding." While area legislators stated they were not aware of the situation, they vowed to look into why the center is still empty. The center was among five regional consolidated dispatch facilities that state police initially intended to open by last year. The Hempfield Township facility, known as the Greensburg Consolidated Dispatch Center, was to facilitate calls for troops A and B, which includes 10 state police stations and eight southwestern counties. It was scheduled to employ around 60 individuals, primarily dispatchers who were already serving at different barracks across southwestern Pennsylvania. The facility was to have multiple state-of-the-art console stations with improved computer technology that would allow dispatchers to track the position of state police vehicles while they drove across the area. Pennsylvania Sen. Robert Regola (R) thinks the financing problem is the result of a continual power dispute between the state Legislature and state police administration. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_524164.html  "Eye in the Sky: Police Use Drone to Spy on V Festival" Guardian Weekly (UK) (08/21/07) P. 6; Randerson, James  Several emergency services agencies in Great Britain--including the Staffordshire Police Department, the Merseyside Police Department, and the West Midlands fire service--have begun using or are planning to use remote-controlled unmanned spy drones in their operations. The Staffordshire Police Department used its drone to keep tabs on people at the recent V Festival. The department's drone is 70 cm wide and is equipped with high-resolution still and color video cameras, as well as infrared night vision capability. The drone cannot be heard from the ground once the device is 50 meters in the air, thanks to its four ultra-quiet carbon-fiber rotors, and it cannot be seen with the naked eye once it is 100 meters in the air. The vehicle takes off vertically and can be flown when it is out of sight, since it transmits images back to video goggles worn by the operator. The Merseyside Police Department has also been using drones to monitor disorderly situations and prevent antisocial behavior. Meanwhile, the West Midlands fire service has drawn up plans to use drones to get a close-up view of burning buildings. The increased use of drones worries some in Great Britain, including Noel Sharkey, an expert in robotics at Sheffield University, who says the use of the devices represents an unwarranted intrusion of privacy. http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2153077,00.html  "Scientists Drug-Test Whole Cities" Associated Press (08/21/07); Borenstein, Seth  Researchers at Oregon State University unveiled the results of drug testing on untreated wastewater samples from 10 unnamed American cities at the American Chemical Society in Boston in August. The tests, while unable to pinpoint individual users, can give a glimpse of drug trends in a particular location. In the study, traces of 15 different drugs were tested for in a source as little as one teaspoon of untreated sewage water. The science behind the study is that nearly every drug, legal and illegal, ends up passing from the human body to toilets to wastewater treatment plants. Among the findings of the study was that methamphetamine use in one urban area with a gambling industry was five times as rampant than in other cities and was nearly nonexistent in some smaller Midwestern locations. The drug found to be most excreted was caffeine. U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy chief scientist David Murray says the idea of drug testing wastewater samples interests his agency. The EPA is now testing federal wastewater samples to check to see if its a good way to monitor drug use. Another application would be to determine the potential harm caused to rivers and lakes from legal pharmaceuticals. http://www.abcnews.go.com/print?id=3507402  "Are Tasers Really Non-Lethal?" Police (07/07) Vol. 31, No. 7, P. 32; Ho, Jeffrey D.  

Ever since TASERs and other conducted electrical weapon (CEW) devices were introduced 30 years ago, there have been questions about whether the non-lethal weapons are safe to be used to control unruly suspects. However, several studies have found that CEWs are one of the safest weapons in a police officer's arsenal. For instance, a 2005 study entitled "Cardiac Safety of Neuromuscular Incapacitating Defensive Devices" found that the electrical output of a TASER would have to be increased to at least 42 times the standard level in order to induce cardiac arrest in a 258-pound animal. CEWs made by TASER International are not capable of producing this level of output. The study's findings mean that a TASER's safety threshold is higher than that of acetaminophen, which has a safety margin for lethality of approximately 10-to-one. Testing on humans also showed that CEWs are safe. In a study entitled "Cardiovascular and Physiologic Effects of Conducted Electrical Weapon Discharge in Resting Adults," 67 volunteers were subjected to a five-second, deployed probe application of a TASER X26. The study found that there were no changes in the subjects' electrocardiogram readings and markers for blood acid, kidney impairment, or cardiac muscle damage. Skeletal muscle break-down levels were elevated, though these markers were only elevated to the levels commonly seen after a workout. http://www.policemag.com/Articles/2007/07/Are-TASERs-Really-Non-Lethal.aspx

By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service  Aug. 29, 2007 - Iraqi forces are stepping forward to shoulder the security burden in the country, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said today.  Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner made the assertion in a conference call with military analysts.  In Karbala yesterday, hundreds of thousands of Shiia pilgrims celebrating the birth of Muhammad al-Mahdi, a ninth-century imam revered by the sect, were placed in danger from two militias vying for power. The Mahdi Army and the Badr Organization faced off, disrupting the celebrations. "Iraqi security forces responded rapidly to maintain control of the city," Bergner said.  Iraqi security forces did not call on reinforcements from the coalition to handle the outbreak of "green-on-green" violence. "It is a testament to the Iraqi training that they felt they did not need our assistance," a Pentagon spokesman speaking on background said.  Iraqi forces also are flexing their wings in other areas of the country, Bergner said. They are continuing to clamp down on al Qaeda in Iraq. Iraqi and coalition forces killed terrorist leader Abu Ibrahim in Tarmiyah. Ibrahim was known as the emir of the city and had murdered and intimidated the population, even killing a 9-year-old girl. The Iraqi people of the region gave Iraqi forces the tip that led them to Ibrahim, Bergner said.  Killing Ibrahim took a major piece out of the car-bomb network in Baghdad, he said.  Operation Phantom Strike, the Multinational Corps Iraq operation to capitalize on surge forces in Baghdad, continues. The operation has been successful in denying extremists use of places in the tri-border region of Diyala, Salah ad Din and Anbar provinces and south of Baghdad as safe havens or operating bases, Bergner said.  Coalition and Iraqi forces are operating in these regions, and the payoff is the trust of the Iraqi people. "Now that they are operating there, they have established a base of information and a network ... that's enabled by the people of the neighborhoods," he said.  This results in more actionable intelligence, he said. Combined forces are operating in places they seldom went in the past and, after 60 days of operations, they are gaining the trust of the people. "The Iraqi people have grown to have confidence in them and (are) providing helpful information," Bergner said.  "At the same time, those citizens are willing to organize themselves into groups to work with coalition and Iraqi forces," he said, adding that this builds momentum for coalition and Iraqi forces in these regions.  In Karkh, Iraqi and coalition forces dismantled another al Qaeda cell, one of the worst in the region for shipping suicide car bombers into Baghdad.  "You are seeing the sheikhs in these different areas starting to coalesce in not too dissimilar a way as you saw in Anbar," Bergner said. He quickly pointed out that there is no "one-size-fits-all approach" in Baghdad, but momentum is pointing toward cooperation.  In Mosul, 2nd Iraqi Division soldiers also are demonstrating their increased capabilities. "Just this past Sunday, they had four different contacts," Bergner said.  In the first, soldiers stopped two separate car-bomb attacks. In the second, an Iraqi army patrol stopped a motorcycle carrying a suicide bomber who died when he triggered his bomb prematurely. In the third incident, an Iraqi patrol disrupted an ambush and found two additional car bombs. Finally, Iraqi soldiers killed four gunmen in two vehicles.  

"To hear the kind of operations they are conducting and the effects they are achieving is another indicator of the progress the (Multinational) Corps is achieving," he said.

By Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill, USA Special to American Forces Press Service  Aug. 28, 2007 - The National Guard is making a vital contribution to current wars and will continue to be integral as the U.S. military enter a period of persistent conflict, the Army chief of staff said here Aug. 26.  With the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks fast approaching, Gen. George W. Casey Jr. counseled citizen-soldiers and -airmen to reflect on the future.  "We are at war. We are facing a period of protracted conflict. ... Stop for a minute and think about what's at stake here," he urged those attending the National Guard Association of the United States' 129th General Conference. "What's at stake here in this war is the power and the values of our civilization.  "What's at stake here is whether terrorism or freedom charts the future.  "What's at stake here is nothing less than our way of life."  As they have been since the First Muster of 1636, the nation's Minutemen are on the front lines. "The men and women of the Army and Air Guard are out there every day ... fighting to ensure that the values and ideals upon which this country is based aren't forgotten," Casey said.  The comments came during an hour-long speech and question-and-answer session that included a sobering global geopolitical assessment.  "There (is) near unanimity among people who think about the future -- intelligence officials, academics, think tanks, people within the Department of Defense -- that the next decades will be ones of persistent conflict," Casey said. "We're in for a protracted period of confrontation that is fueled by state and non-state individual actors who are increasingly willing to use violence to achieve their political and ideological bents.  "We're seeing that now, and there is no reason to believe that that is not going to continue."  Several trends are fueling conflict, he said. These include:  -- Globalization. "Globalization has had unquestionable positive impacts on prosperity around the world," Casey said. "Unfortunately, most of that has been north of the equator. The people that are not beneficiaries of the increased prosperity can become recruits for some of these ideological groups or terrorist networks."  -- Improved communications. "The same connectivity and technological advances that are boosting prosperity also now are being used by terrorist organizations to export terror around the world," Casey said.  -- Increased energy demand. "The competition for energy is going to become more intense," Casey said. "Because of rising middle classes in China and India, for example, the demand for oil is going to outstrip the supply and the resources that are currently being dedicated to look for new (deposits) and to look for alternatives aren't going to be able to bridge the gap. We're going to see increased competition for these different resources and probably also a switch to cleaner fuels like a move to natural gas. Almost 60 percent of natural gas reserves happen to be in three places: Russia, Iran and Qatar. ... What we're going to see is probably more dependence on the Middle East."  -- Disasters. "Climate problems and natural disasters are going to create more difficult problems for the less-developed countries," Casey said.  -- Population growth. "Analysts are predicting that some of these less-developed countries -- primarily South America, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia -- are going to almost double in population in the next 25 years," he said. "That's going to create a young population that, again, is more vulnerable to ideological terrorists."  -- Weapons proliferation. "The increased proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their likely use by terrorist organizations" are looming threats, Casey said. "Recent intelligence estimates conclude that al Qaeda is looking for weapons of mass destruction, and there is no question that they will use them, most likely against a developed country, if they find them."  "What I see in the coming decades: You have a propensity for conflict that will be fueled by these local trends, and they'll likely be taken advantage of by these global terrorist organizations," Casey said.  Previously commander of Multinational Force Iraq, Casey has been the Army chief of staff since April 10. "How proud I am of the contribution of the National Guard to this war on terror over the past almost six years," he said, repeatedly emphasizing his gratitude to both the Army and the Air National Guard.  "I've seen firsthand the contributions. ... (The National Guard) performed extremely well. ... Half of the Guard and Reserve are combat veterans. ... You continue to fill the role of citizen, soldier and patriot: citizens most of the time, soldiers some of the time, and patriots all the time," he added.  "What will victory look like?" an audience member asked.  "Unfortunately, there is not going to be a D-Day invasion," Casey replied. "This is an ideological confrontation. Frankly, it's not going to be won until Muslim moderates achieve success over Muslim extremists. Our job is to keep Muslim extremist groups from prevailing in the Middle East as well as from attacking our country.  "It's not going to be a big battle; it's going to be an ideological struggle that's going to play out over the next several decades, not unlike the Cold War. It'll be something that'll gradually, over time, get better. But I can't see that you're going to wake up one morning and say, 'Boy, I'm glad that's over.' That's not going to be the case at all."  

(Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill is assigned to the National Guard Bureau.)

By John J. Kruzel American Forces Press Service  Aug. 28, 2007 - Families of deceased active-duty soldiers can receive an extended level of support from a long-term care program the Army launched 18 months ago, the program's chief said today.  The Army Long Term Family Case Management program provides long-term support to families of fallen soldiers by helping them through the often painful and sometimes arduous steps toward receiving benefits and various other types of support, Army Lt. Col. Nora Linderman, program chief of Army Long Term Family Case Management, told online journalists and "bloggers" in a conference call today.  "My team and I are constantly listening to families, learning what they need (and) enhancing and expanding our program accordingly so that we can do whatever is required," she said.  Casualty assistance officers generally avail themselves to families at the early stages of the mourning process, at least through a fallen soldier's interment, Linderman said. But in the months and years following the loss of a loved one, unresolved issues and questions often surface regarding benefits and support services, she said.  To address such issues, a support coordinator with Army Long Term Family Case Management contacts the family about six months following the loss of a loved one. The coordinator maintains an "open dialogue" with family members for as long as they find it helpful, Linderman said.  The program also follows congressional legislation that pertains to benefits programs offered to families of deceased soldiers and posts the information on its Web site, http://www.altfcm.army.mil.  Launched in February 2006, Army Long Term Family Case Management already has helped more than 5,000 families identify benefits to which they're entitled, Linderman noted.  "Being able to be there with a support structure for the families through the months and the years after the loss is a wonderful step in the right direction," she said. "I encourage anyone who has suffered a loss to lean on us."  

Information about Army Long Term Family Case Management is available on the program's Web site or by calling a support coordinator at 1-866-272-5841.

Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books.  The website added one police officer from Alaska and two from California. According to the Southern Oregon University Retirees Association Newsletter (Spring 2007 edition) Dr. Victor H. Sims “died on April 27, 2007. Victor Sims joined the University’s Department of Criminology in 1994 and retired in 2006. He had extensive experience in service and leadership positions, serving as a Company Commander in the U. S. Army Military Police Corps, a police officer in Berkeley, Phoenix, and Anchorage. In Nome, Alaska he served as chief of police of the Nome Police Department. He received his PhD from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1982 and taughtat Stephen F. Austin State University, at the University of Southern Mississippi, and Lamar State University before going to SOU as Associate Professor of Criminology. Vic’s scholarship included research on rural and small town policing. He helped the department connect with regional law enforcement agencies and brought a chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma (the Criminal Justice Honor Society) to SOU. He received an Elmo award for his leadership in motivating students to come to the University.  During his life he was also a commercial pilot, a marathon runner and triathlete.”  Victor Sims was also the author of Small Town and Rural Police. Prior to his law enforcement career, James T. Born was a member of the United States Navy.  In 1967, James Born was deployed to Vietnam as a Boatswain’s Mate Third Class.  He received a Bronze Star “while serving as Assistant Boat Captain with Mobile Support Team II, on a Heavy SEAL Support Craft (HSSC), operating in the MeKong Delta.”  James T. Born graduated from the Los Angeles Police Department academy in 1969. During his ten year career in law enforcement he served as a Los Angeles Police Officer and a Deputy Sheriff.  The highest rank he attained in law enforcement was as a Sheriff’s Captain, Chief of the Detective Bureau.  In 1978, James Born was licensed as a private investigator in California.  And, in 1989, he was licensed as a private investigator in Nevada.   James Born is a District Court Certified Forensic and Fingerprint Expert and has taught Crime Scene Technology and Investigation to law enforcement officers in eleven states. Jim born is a recipient of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution “Law Enforcement Commendation Medal” the highest civilian law enforcement medal in the United States. He is a graduate of Los Angeles Pierce College and has further attended fours years of University instruction in his field of Criminal Justice Administration. James Born has graduated from 82 law enforcement training schools.  He is also the author of Coping with Marital Infidelity: How to Catch your Spouse Cheating. According to the description of Coping with Marital Infidelity, “If you are a victim or know someone who is a victim of marital infidelity (cheating mates), this unique "How to" book will grab held of your life in a way you could never dream of and give you the tools needed that will help you to cope with this problem. The author has investigated thousands of such cases and has consulted with many thousands of other victims having the same problem, who couldn't afford to hire an investigator and needed advice.” Dr. John P. Kenney began his career in criminal justice and law enforcement career as a patrol officer for the Berkeley Police Department.  A recognized leader in the improvement of policing, Dr. John Kenney has been a director at the California Department of Justice; the president of the Los Angeles Police Commission; a management consultant (which included the Denver City Council retaining him in 1957 when a Denver Police Department scandal received national publicity for numerous police officers taking contracts to burglarize businesses); and, he worked extensively with the Agency for International Development identifying police consultants to work overseas, and personally conducted an international conference on democratic policing in Thailand. Dr. John Kenney was a founder of the International Association of Police Professors which became the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and was a President of the American Society of Criminology. His work as a criminal justice educator included the graduate schools for police administration at the University of Southern California and California State University at Long Beach.  He is the author of Police Operations: Policies and Procedures: Four Hundred Field Situations with Solutions; Principles of Investigation and Study Guide to Accompany Principles of Investigation (2 Books); The Police Executive Handbook; and, Police Work with Juveniles and the Administration of Juvenile Justice.  According to the book description of Principles of Investigation, “Covering topics from a conceptual viewpoint, this text brings the ethical and legal obligations of investigation into perspective. It uses tabulated lists and checklists along with Features (examples) to cover the techniques of investigation.”  Police-Writers.com now hosts 724 police officers (representing 333 police departments) and their 1547 police 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.

American Forces Press Service  Aug. 27, 2007 - Afghan and coalition forces teamed up to defeat a group of Taliban insurgents protecting a heroin laboratory in Helmand province yesterday, officials reported.  Afterward, the Taliban launched a mortar attack against innocent civilians living almost a dozen kilometers north of the destroyed lab. The attack on the civilians came about an hour after Afghan and coalition forces bested an insurgent force, which was later determined to be guarding a large heroin lab. Both attacks followed a night of fighting between insurgents and Afghan and coalition troops. A number of insurgents were killed in the firefights.  The heroin lab was located about 23 kilometers south of Musa Qalah, a town in Helmand province that is known to support Taliban activities. The lab contained large amounts of opium-processing chemicals, such as ammonium chloride, liquid ammonia and charcoal. Two rifles, two shotguns, ammunition, insurgent propaganda and improvised-explosive-device materials also were recovered.  U.S. and Afghan forces destroyed the laboratory and continued on with their combat patrol. About 11 kilometers north of the destroyed lab, insurgents attempted a third ambush in less than 24 hours.  During the fighting, Taliban fighters launched an 82 mm mortar into group of Afghan civilians living in Regay village. No civilians were killed, but one suffered shrapnel wounds and was provided immediate medical attention.  Afghan and coalition forces are conducting combat patrols as part of Operation Palk Mesher in southern Afghanistan. The operation is designed to disrupt and eliminate insurgent activity in Helmand province, U.S. officials said.  The Taliban have made repeated attempts to deceive media outlets with civilian casualty claims. Credible intelligence suggests that these false claims are being made in an attempt to weaken Afghan government and coalition resolve, officials said.  "The insurgents continue to follow their pattern of falsely reporting civilian casualties and continuing to put civilians in harm's way in a vain attempt to stop the advance of the (Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) forces toward their support areas," said U.S. Army Capt. Vanessa R. Bowman, a Combined Joint Task Force 82 spokeswoman. "With the discovery of their drug-making facilities, it is becoming increasingly clear why they want us to stop our operations.  "It is unfortunate that the enemies of peace and stability will stoop so low as to fire mortars at innocent Afghans to protect their drug trade," the captain said.  In other operations, Afghan soldiers accompanied by coalition troops thwarted a Taliban ambush during operations about 16 miles south of Musa Qalah, in Helmand province Aug. 25.  The Afghan-led patrol was crossing a tributary a few miles south of Regay village when more than 15 insurgents sprang an ambush with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. The Afghan and coalition forces repelled the attack. Twelve enemy fighters were killed; no Afghan army or coalition members were injured during the fighting. No Afghan civilian casualties were reported.  The area in and around the town of Musa Qalah is recognized as the largest Taliban stronghold left in Afghanistan, officials said. Afghan and coalition forces are conducting combat patrols in the area as part of Operation Palk Mesher. The operation is designed to disrupt and eliminate insurgent activity in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province.  The purpose of the operation is "to strike into the heart of the insurgents' safe haven," Bowman said. "We expect that, as we maneuver deeper into this area, the Taliban will raise more and more inaccurate claims of non-combatant casualties."  The Taliban "hope that by carrying out this campaign of lies, they can get the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to end its campaign in the area," the captain said.  

(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 82 news releases.)

 Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books.  The website added one police officer from Wisconsin and two from California. During his over twenty-eight year law enforcement career, Detective Joseph L. Butts, worked for the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (Wisconsin). Joseph Butts worked assignments in the courts, uniformed patrol, the bicycle detail and the detective bureau.  He was the first African American Sheriff’s Deputy to be assigned regular patrol duties in several south suburban communities of Milwaukee county; and, the first African American deputy sheriff to be assigned undercover drug assignments in Milwaukee County suburban communities.  Moreover, during his career, Joseph L. Butts worked Internal Investigation, the Organized Crime Unit and investigated crimes throughout Milwaukee county. Detective Joseph L. Butts wrote a book about his experiences, Crime and Other Critical Social Ills: As Seen from Behind the Badge. According to one reader of Crime and Other Critical Social Ills: As Seen from Behind the Badge, “This book shows how things can happen at a moments notice and how individuals react or don't react. This book could pertain to any Law Enforcement Department in the country. Being a member of the same department that Det. (retired) Butts was in, and reading his book, makes me understand crime, justice and the department better. I just wish I knew him personally.” Larry Ragle is the retired Director of Forensic Sciences in Orange County, California. During his career he has investigated countless high-profile homicides, including lending his expertise to the defense team in the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Larry Ragle was a criminalistics major at UC Berkeley where he received a Bachelors of Science degree in 1959. This program focused on laboratory examination of all types of physical evidence and on crime scene investigation techniques. Larry Ragle began his law enforcement career with the Berkeley Police Department in 1956.  He was a police officer for the Berkeley Police Department until 1960.  Larry Ragle is the author of Crime Scene. According to the book description of Crime Scene, “Each week, millions of Americans tune in to watch CSI and CSI-Miami. Featuring the latest forensic fads and tools, these shows take a seemingly unsolvable mystery and unravel it in a primetime hour based on minute pieces of  evidence to solve the crime. Just how do Forensic Teams and Labs accomplish these amazing feats? How do they turn a stray piece of hair into the key clue that leads police to the criminal? In Crime Scene, Larry Ragle offers the benefit of his 43+ years of experience and walks us through real-life crime cases to explain how different forensic methods are used and applied.” A former police officer with the Berkeley Police Department (California), James N. Gilbert joined the University of Nebraska (Kearney) as the Criminal Justice department as Chair in 1988.  Dr. James N. Gilbert received his BC from California State University, Long Beach; his MS from Eastern Kentucky University; and, his Ph.D., from the University of Southern Mississippi.  He is the author of Criminal Investigation and Criminal Investigation: Essays and Cases. According to the book description of Criminal Investigation, “With interest in criminal investigation at an all time high, the newest edition of this popular text is particularly useful. One of the most comprehensive reviews of the investigative process available, it covers the fascinating history and future implications of field. A thorough discussion of cutting-edge investigative methods and technology employed to combat emerging crimes prepares readers to enter the next generation of criminal investigation. Using detailed crime scene examples, it links specific investigative techniques and laboratory techniques that are most effective for each particular crime.” Police-Writers.com now hosts 721 police officers (representing 332 police departments) and their 1540 police 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.

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA American Forces Press Service  Aug. 26, 2007 - Any transition of security responsibility from coalition forces to Iraqi security forces must be done deliberately and in a way that ensures the successes gained so far will not be lost, one of the top U.S. commanders in Iraq said today.  Army Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that commanders on the ground know the U.S. troop surge is temporary, and will have a plan in place when the time comes to transition to Iraqi forces and reduce the number of U.S. troops in the country.  "The Iraqi security forces are making progress every single day," Odierno said. "They are getting better; they're standing and fighting. We're seeing some progress, but we need to still give them more time to do this."  Odierno said he has provided his recommendations about force levels to Army Gen. David Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, who is due to provide a report to President Bush and Congress in September on the progress of the troop surge. He said he and his troops are focused on operations on the ground in Iraq, where the coalition has made some real successes against al Qaeda.  "We have moved them out of all their safe havens; they are now on the run," Odierno said. "We are in pursuit of al Qaeda all around Iraq."  Local governance in Iraq is also progressing, with Sunnis coming forward to join the government, Odierno said. He acknowledged that the Iraqi security force leadership is better in some places than others, but they are all coming along.  "We just can't tomorrow say we're gong to turn everything in Iraq over to the Iraqi security forces," he said. "We must do it slowly over an extended period of time, so we do not lose the security that we've gained here."  Turning to the U.S. troops, Odierno acknowledged that the 15-month tours the Army is serving are long and cause stress on soldiers and families. However, he said, morale is high among all the troops in Iraq, and the Army has already exceeded its reenlistment goals for fiscal year 2007.  

"That's a good indicator that morale here is pretty good." Odierno said. "They understand what they're doing, they understand why they're doing it, and they want to accomplish the mission and they want to be successful."

Military-Writers.com is a website committed to listing military personnel who have authored books.  William Gately is a Vietnam veteran and former vice-cop from the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, DC).  In 1970, after a three year enlistment in the Marines and tour in Vietnam he took the oath of police officer in the nation's capital.  For the next eight years he served as a member of the Metropolitan Police Department.  On June 17, 1972, William Gately was assigned to the Metropolitan Police Department tactical unit that surprised the Watergate Burglars.  After leaving the joined the U.S. Customs Service, eventually rising to the rank of assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Customs in Los Angeles. William Gately co-authored Dead Ringer: An Insider's Account of the Mob's Colombian Connection.  According to publisher’s weekly, “Gatley, an employee of the U.S. Customs Service; Joe Caffaro, a Sicilian-born businessman with Mafia ties; and Leo Fraley, an American career criminal who became involved in Colombian drug-smuggling--these men are an unlikely trio to be the subjects of the same book. Yet all played major roles in court cases which tied the Medellin drug cartel to the mafia in Sicily and thence to the U.S. mafia.” William Butler was a police officer for the Gilmer Police Department (Texas).  In addition to his