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May 14 Family Violence Prevention and Recovery ProjectThere exists a growing body of research indicating that domestic violence in law enforcement families is a significant and ongoing problem. Recent changes to federal laws affect whether a law enforcement agency can continue to employ an officer in a sworn capacity if he/she has been convicted of a family/domestic violence related crime. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department in a historic move, committed itself to the development and implementation of a comprehensive program to educate, train, and when necessary treat, its sworn and civilian personnel and their family members regarding the problem of family violence.
The Department believed that a multi-dimensional approach was necessary. Emphasis was placed on positively impacting the sense of safety, security and quality of life of the families of department personnel as well as the manner in which law enforcement personnel responded to family violence incidents in the community. Law enforcement personnel may be required to handle family violence calls that are very similar to problems they may be experiencing at home.
Consequently, the department was concerned that such problems in the home could affect how an individual may handle family violence calls in the community. Conversely, the serious problems associated with handling family violence calls in the community can not only jeopardize the safety of law enforcement personnel, but may also have an adverse effect on the quality of an officer’s own family life.
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http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/185891.pdf Dane County, Wisconsin, Arrest Policies Project: A Process EvaluationThe Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies Program encourages jurisdictions to implement mandatory or pro-arrest policies as an effective domestic violence intervention that is part of a coordinated community response. Congress appropriated funds for the Arrest Program under the Violence Against Women Act (1994). The Program assumes that the arrest of a batterer will leverage the coercive and persuasive power of the criminal justice system to ensure victim safety and manage the behavior of abusive, violent offenders. Ensuring victim safety and offender accountability are the guiding principles underlying the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies. The Violence Against Women Act directs that the Arrest Program funds be used to:
Implement mandatory arrest or pro-arrest programs and policies in police departments, including mandatory arrest programs or pro-arrest program and polices for protection order violations
Develop policies and training programs in police departments and other criminal justice and tribal agencies to improve tracking of cases involving domestic violence
Centralize and coordinate police enforcement, prosecution, probation, parole or judicial responsibility for domestic violence cases in groups or units of police officers, prosecutors, probation and parole officers or judges
Coordinate computer tracking systems to ensure communication between police, prosecutors, and both criminal and family courts
Strengthen legal advocacy service programs for victims of domestic violence by providing complete information and support for a victim of domestic violence as the case against her abuser moves through the criminal justice system
Educate judges, and others responsible for judicial handling of domestic violence cases, in criminal, tribal, and other courts about domestic violence to improve judicial handling of such cases.
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http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/201884.pdf Violence against women: An examination of developmental antecedents among Black, Caucasian, and Hispanic womenThe aim of this study was to examine the factors related to different patterns of male violence against women. To accomplish this goal, information from the National Survey of Families and Households Waves 1 and 2 was used to examine both situational and individual characteristics associated with moving into and out of violent relationships.
Much of the research on violence against women uses a unidimensional theoretical framework. In contrast, the current study used a multidimensional framework encompassing both intra-individual and sociocultural perspectives. Guided by these theoretical frameworks, this project focused on the relationship between previously established risk factors for intimate partner violence including stressors related to work, economic status, and role transitions (e.g. pregnancy), as well as family power dynamics, status discrepancies, and alcohol use and violence against women. Many of these areas have been previously examined using cross sectional data. Using the two waves of the NSFH, however, made it possible to examine these areas as they are related to different patterns of male violence.
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http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/189243.pdf Consent SearchesBy: David Waksman
Police officers routinely respond to violent domestic disputes. Usually the parties live together. What happens when she tells you that he keeps his stash in that dresser drawer and he beats her whenever he gets high. Can you search the dresser or the premises on her say so alone. Must he also consent?
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May 13 The Dark Side of the BadgeBy James Lilley
Joining the ranks within the profession of law enforcement, whether on the local, state, or federal level is honorable and courageous. Men and women across the nation are taking their oath of office, swearing “to protect and to serve,” proudly pinning on their new badges, strapping on their gunbelts, and stepping out into a different world. There’s a certain excitement that goes with that very first day when you walk out the door of your station house, and become a part of the war on crime. Beware the dangers: Just about a step and a half on the other side of the sanity you hold dear, is a dark side. Like a steel-jawed trap, it lies in wait for the unsuspecting—the unprepared, and if you aren’t careful, it can rip the life out of you.
The dark side can change your life in the blink of an eye, or over time, depending on the strength of its grip, and your vulnerability to it. You can change to the point where friends don’t know you any more, and to your own family you become a stranger. A husband or wife might wonder what happened to that person they married, while your children ask who you are. There are some that spiral down into the deepest recesses of the dark side, and when their entire world suddenly seems hopeless, they “eat their gun.” Now, those left dazed and alone, without a husband and father, or wife and mother, try to find the answers to “What went wrong?” or “Why?”
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10 Common Indicators for Highway Drug Interdictionby Andrew Hawkes, Author of "Secrets of Successful Highway Drug Interdiction"
In today’s drug smuggling world, highway drug traffickers are constantly attempting to think of new an innovative ways to conceal their contraband from law enforcement. Little do they realize that the same methods they come up with have been being used for decades by their predecessors. Through thousands of narcotic interdiction arrests by skilled interdiction officers all over the country, we have learned many of these traits and characteristics. Below, I have outlined ten popular techniques that highway drug traffickers attempt to use in hopes that they will successfully get their dope to their destination. By familiarizing yourself with some of these tips, you too can increase your interdiction success. Keep in mind you must always have probable cause to stop a vehicle.
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Life is Too ShortThe fact that you are reading these words means that you are part of a very unique group of individuals. Whether you are an officer, the loved one of an officer, or someone who is employed or involved in any capacity in this industry, you probably understand the deep impact of the policing culture on your life. Policing is now in your blood and will forever change the way that you see the world.
Although I pulled the pin on my policing career, after only eight years on the force, it was news that a former co-worker of mine had ended own his life, that reminded me how we are all still connected. Hearing this type of information affects every one of us, whether we know the person or not. It causes us to reflect on our own lives and is a perfect opportunity to reestablish our priorities for our brief time on this earth.
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9/11 Co-Conspirators Charges ReferredThe Defense Department announced today that charges against five of the six detainees who are alleged to be responsible for the planning and execution of the attacks upon the United States of America on September 11, 2001 have been referred to trial by military commission. Those attacks resulted in the death of 2,973 people, including 8 children. The referred charges detail 169 overt acts allegedly committed in furtherance of the 9/11 events. The accused will face trial in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
In accordance with the Military Commissions Act of 2006, the Convening Authority has the sole discretion to determine what charges will be referred to trial. In exercising her independent judgment, the Convening Authority, Ms. Susan Crawford, has referred to trial charges against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi. The five accused will be tried jointly, and the cases are referred as capital for each defendant, meaning they face the possibility of being sentenced to death.
The Convening Authority has dismissed without prejudice the sworn charges against Mohamed al Kahtani. Because the charges were dismissed without prejudice, the government has the option of charging Kahtani separately, but he will not be tried with the other accused in this case.
The charges allege a long-term, highly-sophisticated, organized plan by al Qaeda to attack the United States. Each of the accused is charged with conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, terrorism and providing material support for terrorism.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali are also charged with hijacking aircraft.
The charges allege that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks by proposing the operational concept to Usama bin Laden as early as 1996, obtaining approval and funding from Usama bin Laden for the attacks, overseeing the entire operation, and training the hijackers in all aspects of the operation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash is alleged to have administered an al Qaeda training camp in Logar, Afghanistan where two of the September 11th hijackers were trained. He is also alleged to have traveled to Malaysia in 1999 to observe airport security by US air carriers in order to assist in formulating the hijacking plan.
Ramzi Binalshibh is alleged to have lived with the Hamburg, Germany al Qaeda cell where three of the 9/11 hijackers resided. It is alleged that Binalshibh was originally selected by Usama bin Laden to be one of the 9/11 hijackers and that he made a "martyr video" in preparation for the operation. He was unable to obtain a US visa and, therefore, could not enter the United States as the other hijackers did. In light of this, it is alleged that Binalshibh assisted in finding flight schools for the hijackers in the United States, and continued to assist the conspiracy by engaging in numerous financial transactions in support of the 9/11 operation.
Ali Abdul Aziz Ali's role is alleged to have included sending approximately $120,000 to the hijackers for their expenses and flight training, and facilitating travel to the United States for nine of the hijackers.
Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi is alleged to have assisted and prepared the hijackers with money, western clothing, traveler's checks and credit cards. He is also alleged to have facilitated the transfer of thousands of dollars between the accounts of alleged 9/11 hijackers and himself on September 11, 2001.
The military commissions provide the following protections for the accused: to elect not to testify at trial and to have no adverse inference drawn from it; to be represented by detailed military counsel, as well as civilian counsel of his own selection and at no expense to the government; to examine all evidence presented to a jury by the prosecution; to obtain evidence and to call witnesses on his own behalf including expert witnesses; to confront and cross-examine every witness called by the prosecution; to be present during the presentation of evidence; to have no statements obtained by torture admitted; to have a military commission panel (jury) of at least five military members (12 in a capital case) determine guilt or innocence by a two-thirds majority, or in the case of a capital offense, at least 12 members must unanimously decide to impose a sentence of death; and the right to an appeal to the Court of Military Commission Review, then through the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to the U. S. Supreme Court.
These protections are guaranteed to the defendant under the Military Commissions Act, and are specifically designed to ensure that every defendant receives a fair trial, consistent with American and international standards of justice and the rule of law.
When you Hear the Bugle CallI pray that the reading of this very personal account of war and its aftermath will benefit other combat veterans agonized by severe and chronic PTSD as it has been for me in the writing of it. The intention of this account is to help them, their friends and loved ones better understand this devastating “psychological, automatic, and natural response” to repeated, life threatening situations and to offer them hope and guidance in achieving a much brighter future. This publication will bring them to the realization that they are not alone in their sufferings and that professional help, understanding and comradeship, is as close as the nearest Veterans Administration Medical Center.
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Bear’s LessonI want to tell you about the Bear. He was, and to me still is, all that is pure and admirable about being a cop. I was assigned to him during the summer of ’69, and my five months with him left me so in awe, so touched and troubled, that I still often think of him.
The bear flew to the scene of an incident like an avenging angel. His small thick hands grasped the wheel so tightly in anger that I actually feared for the life of the unknown suspect at the other end of the ride. No red lights or siren; just a gut-wrenching wide-open acceleration born of Bear’s fury. I was nervous with this field training officer, who was known to all as Bear – or THE Bear to those who were perpetually in wonder of him, as I certainly was. I stole a glance at him as we throttled around the corner, a block away from our assigned location, and involuntarily shivered at the sight. A 220-pound, five feet, eight-inch body swathed in blue material, harnessed by a gunbelt partially obscured in fat, topped by an undersized head sporting a marine-style crewcut. A bear indeed, with an animal-like anger to match. He scared me then, for he looked so formidable. But this was before I came to know him. And it was before his final bout with evil.
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The Ability to ReasonAs we all learn to live in a Global world and make the transition into the Information Age, the ability to reason is essential. The Ability to Reason is literally, “the use of the cognitive mental powers needed to think, reflect, make decisions, work and apply choice”. It’s now an art-based cognitive skills class. The Ability to Reason Class is currently taught for Court Services in Goodhue County, MN as an innovative approach for early offenders in the Criminal Justice System. After two years, we have an 81% non-recidivism rate. This class has been adapted for use by school Social Workers and Special Ed teachers, plus another adaptation for 12 Steppers in recovery. It is also excellent for parents with pre-teen children in “Surviving Middle School”. The reason this approach is so effective is because it is based on developmental and experiential learning.
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Eyewitness Identification Resource GuideMisidentifications have contributed to the wrongful conviction of more than 75% of the 213 people (as of February, 2008) exonerated through post-conviction DNA testing in the United States. The single largest cause of wrongful conviction, misidentifications plague our criminal justice system from the investigative stage through final disposition.
The Innocence Project closely tracks all eyewitness identification studies, in an effort to help jurisdictions understand how such misidentifications happen – and as importantly, what can prevent them from happening. This Resource Guide synthesizes the most important information for those considering how to improve the accuracy of eyewitness identifications.
Mindful of the different political landscapes of each state, this Guide attempts only to provide its readers with uncontested scientific research, grounded in years of examination and endorsed by a wide range of justice and law enforcement organizations, such as the National Institute of Justice and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
The average citizen might assume that eyewitness identifications are typically accurate, and that DNA exonerations are anomalous flukes. Surprisingly, however, studies show that the rate at which eyewitnesses select non-suspect from photo and live lineup members during the course of an identification procedure hovers around 20%. Of the 213 post-conviction exonerations proven through DNA testing to date, over 75% included at least one misidentification. These facts demonstrate that misidentifications are not irregularities, but rather common occurrences in the course of criminal investigation.
Misidentifications not only harm the innocent, but damage the ability of law enforcement to properly investigate crime. Inaccurate eyewitness identifications can “burn witnesses” and otherwise confound investigations from the earliest stages. Time is a critical factor in a successful criminal investigation; when a misidentification distracts police from the real perpetrator, the potential for justice diminishes, while the threat to public safety increases.
Four-legged Defenders Sniff Out TroubleBy Air Force Senior Airman Eric Schloeffel
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 12, 2008 - Prompted by a few words of command by his handler, military working dog Charlie sprints ahead and attacks a simulated enemy during a training session here. For Charlie, a German shepherd deployed here, this attack is no less a priority than if it were a real insurgent attempting to harm coalition forces. Despite temperatures hovering near the century mark, Charlie makes no bones about pushing his paws to the limit for the seemingly small reward of some praise from his handler.
"The dog sees everything he does here as a game," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Patrick Carroll, 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler. "Even when the dog does have a big find, the dog never sees it as work. Seeking a reward and praise from their handler is the primary reason the dogs do the work for us."
While these military working dogs may be unable to comprehend their important contribution to the global war on terrorism while playing "the game," their capabilities are vital to the safety of coalition forces both inside and outside the base perimeter.
Air Force dog handlers at Kirkuk are assigned to either 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron or 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. Both squadrons have separate kennels and missions.
The 506th ESFS military working dog team conducts missions with the goal of protecting the more than 5,000 coalition forces personnel who reside at the base. While working inside base confines, 506th ESFS military working dogs conduct frequent patrols and assist security forces airmen at entry control points.
"Explosive detection is one of the main things we do with the dogs," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Kevin Nelson, 506th ESFS military working dog trainer. "The dogs are also trained to protect, deter, identify and apprehend any unauthorized personnel or contraband. Basically, the dogs prevent anything from getting on base that isn't supposed to be here."
The 732nd ESFS team typically works with the U.S. Army's 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, during the brigade's missions outside the wire in the city of Kirkuk and surrounding areas.
Similar to the 506th ESFS, the 732nd ESFS military working dog team frequently is on the lookout for explosives during its missions. The team is composed of airmen filling "in-lieu of" taskings -- U.S. Army positions augmented by the Air Force.
"Everything we do in this capacity is outside the wire," said Carroll, who is deployed from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.
The 732nd ESFS team conducts a wide range of missions that include raids, cache searches and vehicle searches. The team's missions can last for more than 10 days outside the wire, Carroll said.
Carroll is not new to the military working dog career field, but he said he feels his current deployment is unlike anything he's ever seen.
"People can tell you what you're getting into, but after leaving that gate you realize it's different than anything you've ever seen," he said. "But I build on each and every mission, and it's been satisfying to help assist the Army mission with Air Force canines."
Carroll, who volunteered for the position, said soldiers have helped his transition into the Army's working environment.
"The Army has made me very comfortable incorporating the dogs into their mission," he said. "I've been working with canines for more than 12 years now, but nothing comes close to what I've seen here. Working outside the wire with the Army has been a very rewarding opportunity."
To accomplish such a wide variety of missions both on and off the base, dog handlers rely on the keen senses of their canines, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andrew Esparza, 506th ESFS kennel master, said.
"A dog's scent is far more advanced than a human's," said Esparza, who is deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. "In comparison, humans can't distinguish the individual ingredients when we smell a pizza. [Dogs] can smell the cheese, pepperoni, oregano and all of the other ingredients individually."
Each handler typically has his or her own assigned dog during a deployment. These dogs often travel with their handler from the United States, and spend much of their deployment patrolling and sharpening their skills.
Since handlers spend so many of their hours with the dogs, the commonly known bond between "man and his best friend" often forms, said Nelson, who is deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
"You can't help being attached to the dogs; they depend on you," he said. "You are completely responsible for the dog's health and safety. But you also always have a partner that will lay down their life for you - these dogs aren't scared of guns, knives or anything else. They are extremely loyal.
"For us, a dog is similar to another person on the team," the sergeant added. "The dog is treated the same as if they are an airman, because the dog won't be any good at his job if we don't take great care of him."
Carroll's dog sleeps in his bedroom, thus making their relationship an around-the-clock endeavor, seven days a week.
"There is definitely a bond that forms when you live with a dog every day for six months," Carroll said. "My dog, Jack, makes the time away from my family not as bad."
While military working dogs will never receive retirement checks or re-enlistment bonuses for their abilities to sniff out weapons caches, these canines are a vital and valued capability in the deployed environment.
"These dogs are basically tools that we use to help save lives," Carroll said. "I know for a fact that my dogs have found weapon caches that would've otherwise been used against coalition forces. Whether it's protecting the base from within or going off base, these dogs play a major part in helping to keep us safe."
(Air Force Senior Airman Eric Schloeffel serves with 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs.) CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- May 12, 2008Homeland security: The week ahead
“The national biodefense center, which will open shortly, provides a Level
4 laboratory in which research on the most dangerous and contagious diseases can be carried out. The center is likely to be one of the most controversial components of the U.S. biodefense effort, given how secret many of its activities are likely to be. Defensive research is legal under the international treaties that ban biological weapons, but secrecy can make it tough to reassure observers that research is really defensive. […] [On May 14th] the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee holds a confirmation hearing for Paul Schneider, President Bush's pick to replace the long-departed Michael Jackson as deputy secretary of homeland security.” (United Press International; 12May08; Shaun Waterman) http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Emerging_Threats/Analysis/2008/05/12/homeland_security_the_week_ahead/9815/
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology Receives $7.1 Million Grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
“The La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology (LIAI) has received a $7.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund safety and effectiveness testing of an antibody treatment that quickly fights the smallpox virus. The treatment could be the nation’s first line of defense in protecting against a terrorist-originated smallpox outbreak and may eventually be stockpiled nationwide alongside the smallpox vaccine. […] LIAI scientist Shane Crotty, Ph.D., who developed the antibody treatment, said the NIH grant will fund pre-clinical testing of the work he and his research team started three years ago. In 2005, the researchers, studying blood samples from people who had received the smallpox vaccine, were able to isolate the anti-H3 antibody as an extremely potent fighter against smallpox.” (Life Science Online; 08May08) http://www.lifescience-online.com/La_Jolla_Institute_for_Allergy_and_Immunology_Rece,9550.html?portalPage=Lifescience%20Today.News
[U.S. Air force] Men who refused vaccine may get clear records
“A federal judge’s decision could lead to clearing the records of military personnel who refused to take mandatory anthrax shots between 1999 and 2004. Judge James Robertson of the district court for the District of Columbia admonished the Air Force Board for the Correction of Military Records, which had rejected a petition by two former Connecticut Air National Guard officers for compensatory relief for back pay and lost promotions after they claim they were forced to resign for refusing the vaccine. The plaintiffs, Thomas Rempfer and the estate of the late Russell Dingle, based their appeal on a separate anthrax vaccine lawsuit.” (Air Force Times; 11May08; William H. McMichael) http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/05/airforce_anthrax_051008w/
Indian student in US jail to walk free
“A student from Andhra Pradesh, languishing in the Phelps County jail in United States for over 14 months after he walked into the University of Missouri-Rolla on February 27 last year, waiving a bag and shouting that he had a bomb and anthrax, could soon be a free man. [...] The Indian consulate at Chicago informed the state government that Sujith would be released in June as charges like felony, assault and criminal action against him has been dropped.” (Hindustan Times; 12May08; Ashok Das) http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=157e11cb-34af-43a0-8e07-72d44364f2cf&&Headline=Indian+student+in+US+jail+to+walk+free
US Country Reports on Terrorism-Belgium
“Belgium continued to strengthen its response to the threat of terrorism, fashioning new institutions in its security services, improving internal coordination among antiterrorism offices, promulgating new laws to deal with terrorism and money laundering more aggressively, and strengthening agencies that confront terrorist financing. […] Belgian emergency action plans have been reviewed and updated to prepare for and respond to potential attacks, including bioterrorism. On a local level, authorities have instituted drills of rapid alert systems, and reviewed critical infrastructure support and civil protection and medical assistance procedures.” (Journal of Turkish Weekly; 12May08) http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=55250
China launches 5-day chemical weapons training course [Beijing]
“A protection and assistance training course jointly sponsored by the Chinese government and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was inaugurated here on Monday. A Foreign Ministry press release said 25 students from 18 countries in the Asia-Pacific region were participating in the five days of training at the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Institute of Chemical Defense. […] The training course will conclude on Friday, the press release announced.” (Window of China; 12May08; Sun Yunlong) http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/12/content_8153418.htm
Amendments to chemical weapons laws approved [United Arab Emirates]
“The Cabinet Legislation Committee discussed and approved amendments to three federal laws at a meeting held here yesterday. […] Headed by Dr Hadif bin Juaan Al Dhahiri, Minister of Justice, the committee has approved to amend federal law 13 for the year 2007, regarding the import and export regulations of commodities, federal law 40 for the year 2006 regarding banning the production, storage and usage of chemical weapons […].” (Khaleej Times; 12May08) http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2008/May/theuae_May418.xml§ion=theuae
Recycled NASA [National Aeronautics & Space Administration] telescope to be used for bomb detection
“An astrophysicist has recycled parts from one of NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory's old instruments for bomb detection. […] James Ryan, an astrophysicist at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, recycled one of them to detect gamma rays emitted by radioactive substances, such as plutonium, uranium and caesium, which could be used in dirty bombs combining conventional explosives with radioa |
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