Organized Crime @ MindSay 
New Law to Set Voluntary Standards for 911 Dispatchers
Tallahassee.com, (08/03/2008), Nic Corbett
A new Florida State law, effective October 1, 2008, mandates that the Florida Department of Health establish criteria for certification of 911 dispatchers. The city of Tallahassee and Leon County are waiting to see what requirements are spelled out as part of the certification program. At present, the new standard calls for slightly more than 1 month of training for dispatchers. City police dispatchers, however, receive 6 months of training, which includes 4 to 6 weeks of classroom work. County dispatchers receive 4 months of training and officials are about to include classroom instruction as part of the county training. Construction of a new joint dispatch center for city and county dispatchers continues, which officials believe will make the system more efficient.
www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200808030200/BREAKINGNEWS/80717010
DHS Plans to Unify Emergency Communications
FCW.COM, (08/01/2008), Alice Lipowicz
The National Emergency Communications Plan mandates that cities most at risk for terrorist attacks must be able to demonstrate interoperability among agencies by 2010. The plan has been in development since 2002 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is a direct response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Goals for the plan include that by 2010, 90 percent of the 60 high-risk areas designated under the Urban Area Security Initiative demonstrate interoperability within 1 hour after a multijurisdictional event. By 2011, 25 percent of all urban jurisdictions must demonstrate communications capabilities 1 hour after a routine event. Finally, by 2013, 75 percent of all jurisdictions must have demonstrated response level communications 3 hours after an event. This plan is in line with the National Response Framework, National Incident Management System, National Preparedness Guideline, and Target Capabilities List, and was developed with input from practitioners and manufactures in the area of communications.
www.fcw.com/online/news/153354-1.html
Information Sharing Effectiveness Questioned by GAO
Homeland Security Today, (07/24/2008), Anthony L. Kimery
Nearly 7 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, State and local agencies are not the only entities questioning the impact of Federal information sharing initiatives, as well as other related reform programs. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that the government cannot in fact assess the impact of information sharing or its effectiveness at preventing terrorism. The government needs to create milestones, results, and an overall program definition in order to implement the program successfully. According to GAO, steps have been taken to better implement the Information Sharing Environments (ISE) scope, but elements still require implementation.
hstoday.us/content/view/4394/149/
Fingerprints Provide Clues to More Than Just Identity
Science News, (08/07/2008)
Staff at Purdue University have developed a new technology that is capable of analyzing fingerprints gathered at a crime scene to determine what other materials were left behind with the fingerprint. Along with this development, the technology is also capable of differentiating between two overlapping fingerprints left at a scene. The technology relies on the compounds that comprise a fingerprint; some compounds are natural while others are based on what was handled by the person leaving the print. It is because of this uniqueness of these compounds that the technology is capable of separating multiple prints. The Purdue team's findings will be published in the August 8, 2008 issue of Science.
esciencenews.com/articles/2008/08/07/fingerprints.provide.clues.more.just.identity
West Midlands police Launch 'Untouchables' Team to Tackle Gangsters
SundayMercury.com, (08/02/2008), Ben Goldby
The Serious and Organized Crime Unit, established by West Midlands police, is tasked with the mission of apprehending the most dangerous criminals in the area. The group will be used to target gang leaders, money launderers, street thugs, and drug dealers, and can use whatever laws are at its disposal to apprehend these individuals. The task force can use crimes such as littering or driving while disqualified to make a successful arrest and subsequent prosecution. Since the unit's inception it has already made progress in the region by making two successful gun seizures and the region's largest marijuana bust. The unit consists of five teams that are not based solely in one location, but rather are capable of moving to those areas where the need exists. The unit stresses it will work with those people trying to leave the gang lifestyle, but will go after all members of organized crime with all legal means.
www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2008/08/02/west-midlands-police-launch-untouchables-team-to-tackle-gangsters-66331-21455817/
City Would Photograph Every Vehicle Entering Manhattan and Sniff Out Radioactivity
The New York Times, (08/12/2008), Al Baker
The New York Police Department is developing a proposal dubbed Operation Sentinel to further protect the city against terrorist attacks. The program would rely on technologies, such as cameras for still photos, license plate scanners, and radiation sensors. Each vehicle crossing into the city via bridge or tunnel will be photographed and have its license plate scanned and will be checked for radioactive materials. The captured information will be time stamped and the data will then be relayed to the command post in Lower Manhattan, where it will be indexed for at least 1 month storage. If the data is linked to a suspicious vehicle or to a case, the data will be stored longer, but if no connections are made the data will be erased. The proposal is part of a 36-page plan for security at the site of ground zero, and it is hoped to be a step toward adoption of a plan similar to the system implemented in London.
www.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/nyregion/12cars.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin
police, Firefighters Get New Tool in Responding to Emergencies
phillyBurbs.com, (08/14/2008), Melissa Hayes
First responders in Burlington County, Pennsylvania, will have the ability to view three-dimensional images of locations throughout the county. The county purchased the software from Pictometry International, Inc. Users will have the ability to view properties or areas from multiple angles and be able to zoom in and out on the building, which can help save time and lives during an emergency. Countywide leasing was offered by Pictometry so that other county agencies and municipalities can take advantages of the software. County 911 dispatchers will be trained immediately on the new system.
www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/112-08142008-1576662.html
GE Security Advanced technology Video Surveillance Solutions Help Support Reduction in Crime at LA's MacArthur Park
Centredaily.com, (08/13/2008)
In an effort to provide a safer environment and efficient response during the 2008 May Day Immigration Rally, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) worked with GE Security to upgrade the security system. The upgrade includes the latest in video management and in stationary and pan, tilt, and zoom cameras to help capture footage of the MacArthur Park area. According to LAPD, surveillance posted at the park has resulted in a steady decline of criminal activity in the area. The system used to update MacArthur Park includes cameras hooked to a wireless system using fiber optic cable. Information is transferred to Rampart Station, located several miles from the park, on the wireless system. The system allows police and other first responders to be more efficient with personnel deployment.
www.centredaily.com/business/technology/story/773913.html
Va. DNA Project Is in Uncharted Territory
The Washington Post, (08/17/2008), Maria Glod
Thirty-three years after a rape and murder case had been closed and a man convicted, newly discovered DNA evidence has led to the arrest of another person in relation to the crime. This finding is part of a 3 year, $1.4 million project by the Virginia State Police to reexamine bodily fluid samples from roughly 400 cases involving rape, murder, or other serious crimes from more than 30 years ago. As of yet, no determinations have been made regarding anyone being wrongly convicted. However, there have been at least eight instances in which the convicted persons' DNA does not match evidence from the scene. Defense lawyers and legal scholars are trying to help make the process more clear and open to those convicted.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/16/AR2008081602216.html
police Cameras Scan Plates for Stolen Cars
Azcentral.com, (08/14/2008), Michael Ferraresi
The Arizona Department of Public Safety Vehicle Theft Task Force has been using Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras and software to help investigators do their job more efficiently. According to staff, on a good day an officer may be able to manually process 400 plates, but with the new system in place an officer can now process 5,000 plates a day. Phoenix police share a unit between two precincts, and one precinct is attempting to get grant funding to purchase its own unit. The Arizona Department of Public Safety hopes to be able to deploy an additional 25 mobile ALPR cameras during the next 2 months.
www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2008/08/14/20080814phx-autotheft0815.html
On August 6, 2008, Conversations with Cops at the Watering Hole will feature an interview of John Giduck on the Beslan School Seige. According to Esquire Magazine, “On the first day of school in 2004, a Chechen terrorist group struck the Russian town of Beslan. Targeting children, they took more than eleven hundred hostages. John Giduck is the author of Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America's Schools.
Program Date: August 6, 2008
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Schools as Terror Targets
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2008/08/07/Schools-as-Terror-Targets
About the Guest
John Giduck has a Bachelor’s Degree from Penn State and a law degree from the University of Denver. He also earned a Master’s Degree in International Affairs, specializing in Russian studies, from the University of Colorado, which included completion of the Russian Culture and Language Program at St. Petersburg State University in Russia. He has traveled extensively throughout Russia and the former Soviet Union, training with Russia’s elite Special Forces units for more than 10 years; and, is a certified instructor in Russian Special Forces hand to hand combat.
John Giduck has trained state and federal law enforcement officers and agents, including DEA, FBI, US Marshal’s Service, and SWAT teams throughout the US. He has served as a consultant on various international and terrorism subjects, and as a Russian Organized Crime instructor, for numerous federal and state agencies. He currently devotes his professional time to the Archangel Group, providing anti-terrorism consulting and training to U.S. law enforcement, government and military, part of which includes John serving as a civilian contract U.S. Army Special Forces hand-to-hand combat and firearms instructor. As well, he holds several black belts, is a multiple inductee into international martial arts halls of fame, and is a former U.S. national weightlifting champion.
John Giduck is a lifetime member of the Special Operations Association, Rocky Mountain Tactical Team Association, Russian Special Forces Brotherhood of the Red Beret Association, and is a lifetime executive member of the British Professional Bodyguard Association. He is a graduate of the FBI Citizen’s Academy and holds the highest level expert certification in Homeland Security through the American College of Forensic Examiners International, and is a former member of the Executive Advisory Board of the American College of Homeland Security and Police Marksman magazine. He is a current member of the Advisory Board of the College of Disaster Medicine and Management of Philadelphia University. In addition to other published materials and articles on terrorism, Russian organized crime and close quarters tactics, finished his book, Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy With Lessons for America’s Schools, in 2005. His second book, co-authored with Green Beret Sergeant Major John Anderson, entitled The Green Beret In You: Living With Total Commitment To Family, Career, Sports and Life, was published in late 2007.
As part of his work with Archangel, John Giduck is also a scuba, tactical diving and CQB instructor, and teaches terrorist-hostage negotiations, narco-terrorism, terrorism and global organized crime, and Russian organized crime courses. He is now working on his doctoral dissertation on the global expansion of radical Islam through King’s College of London.
About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.
About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.
Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2008/08/07/Schools-as-Terror-Targets
Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
909.599.7530
History
The Investigative Roundtable on Organized Crime is a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement group, which has been in existence for 23 years. Every September, the Investigative Roundtable, in cooperation with the Virginia State Police, has held an Organized Crime conference in Virginia Beach.
The conference is attended by law enforcement officers and intelligence analysts from across the United States and Canada. Conference programs are devoted to Organized Crime in its various forms.
The Investigative Roundtable was initially comprised of members of the Pennsylvania State Crime Commission, who created a Board to oversee the conference. Several years ago, the members stepped away from active involvement and turned the conference over to representatives from Virginia law enforcement with full endorsement and support. To that end, the Executive Committee was formed and now administers the conference. The Committee consists of representatives from the Virginia State Police, the Prince George County Police Department, MAGLOCLEN and ROCIC.
The Investigative Roundtable on Organized Crime Conference has been the mainstay of local, state and federal law enforcement personnel for 23 years. It continues that tradition by continuing to offer diverse training programs.
The 24th Annual Investigative Roundtable on Organized Crime Conference is set for September 7-11, 2008, at the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel & Conference Center. Call (800) 468-2722 or (757) 481-9000 to make your reservation.
Conference
Investigative Roundtable on Organized Crime - 2008 Virginia Beach, Virginia September 7-11, 2008
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION RUNS FROM 4:00 TO 6:00 P.M. ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2008. REGISTRATION WILL REOPEN AT 7:00 P.M. ON THE 7TH FOR LATE ARRIVALS. Registration will continue ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2008, BEGINNING AT 7:30 A.M. The Conference kicks off on Monday, September 8, 2008, at approximately 9:00 a.m.
TENTATIVE 2008 Conference Programs (subject to change)** Mexican Drug Cartels; Nigerian Organized Crime; Traditional Organized Crime; Dogfighting; Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs; Hate Groups - White Supremacists; Intelligence Preparatipn for the Operating Environment; ICE Intel; Counterfeit Goods; Constitutional Update for Law Enforcement; MySpace; Gangsta Mindset; Muslim Culture.
**Training credit is subject to approval by DCJS.
Conference Registration
Early registration fee is $185 if received PRIOR TO August 8, 2008.
Fee for registrations received AFTER August 8 is $225.
On-line, fill-in registration forms are available by request to Michelle.Winfree-Williams@vsp.virginia.gov.
You can mail your conference registration form and check to: Investigative Roundtable, 1740 E. Parham Road, Richmond, VA 23228
Hotel Registration
Special conference rates are available. The single/double rate is $105/night plus tax. Call the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel & Conference Center directly at 800-468-2722 (or 757-481-9000) to make your reservation. Be sure to mention you are with the Investigative Roundtable.
Room reservations must be made NO LATER THAN August 16, 2008, to guarantee a room at the conference rate. The conference rate will be honored September 6 through September 13 for those who wish to arrive early and stay beyond the conclusion of the conference. Reservations after the cut-off date are subject to availability. Space is limited to the first 200 registrants. Early registration is encouraged.
Free parking is available on site. As a courtesy to conference attendees, we will make arrangements to pick you or your group up at the Norfolk International Airport. Call Analyst Michelle Winfree-Williams (see below) at least four days prior to the conference to arrange for a pick up.
Contact Information
For further information, contact Analyst Supervisor Michelle Winfree-Williams at (804)674-2553 or email to Michelle.Winfree-Williams@vsp.virginia.gov or invroundtable@aol.com
June 28, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) On July 5, 2008, Conversations with Cops at the Watering Hole will feature a conversation with O’Neil De Noux, a police officer-turned-writer. He has worked as a homicide detective and organized crime investigator. He has also been a private investigator, U.S. Army combat photographer, criminal intelligence analyst, newspaper writer, magazine editor, computer graphics designer and creative writing instructor.
Program Date: July 5, 2008
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Crescent City Crime
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2008/07/06/Crescent-City-Crime
About the Guest
As a police officer, O’Niel De Noux received seven commendations for solving difficult murder cases. In 1981, he was named ‘Homicide Detective of the Year’ for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. In 1989, he was proclaimed an ‘Expert Witness’ on the homicide crime scene in Criminal District Court, New Orleans, LA.
O’Niel De Noux’s published novels include: Grim Reaper, The Big Kiss, Blue Orleans, Crescent City Kills and the Big Show. His short story collections include Hollow Point/The Mystery of Rochelle Marais and Lastanza: New Orleans Police Stories; which received an “A” rating from Entertainment Weekly Magazine. O’Niel De Noux adapted one of the Lastanza stories “Waiting for Alaina” into a screenplay, which was filmed in New Orleans and broadcast on local TV in 2001.
In March 2006, New Orleans Confidential, a collection of 1940’s noir private-eye short stories was published by PointBlank Press. According to Weekly, “Former homicide detective De Noux turns out an engaging, fast-paced collection of stories featuring private eye and womanizer extraordinaire Lucien Caye as he tracks philandering husbands, possible murderers and missing cats. Set predominantly against the rich backdrop of 1940s New Orleans, these stories-abounding with ample bosoms and willing women-are fun, and the author knows his stuff when it comes to the Big Easy.” Another Lucien Caye story, The Heart Has Reasons, won the Private Eye Writer’s of America’s prestigious Shamus Award for Best Short Story 2007.
Besides his novels, O’Neil De Noux has had over 200 short stories published. Until Hurricane Katrina, he taught creative writing and mystery writing courses at the University of New Orleans and Delgado Community College and McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA, from 1993 to 2005. He is the founding editor of two fiction magazines, Mystery Street and New Orleans Stories.
Currently, O’Neil De Noux has two original short stories Guilty of Dust and Sin and Maria’s Hand available on Amazon Shorts, an audio story “Ankle Biters of Old Arizona; or, Attack of the Wild Chihuahuas (on Sniplits.com) and stories forthcoming in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, as well as a number of anthologies.
After his home was seriously damaged by Hurricane Katrina, O’Neil De Noux re-settled on the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain in 2006 and returned to law enforcement. He is currently a Police Investigator with the Southeastern Louisiana University Police Department in Hammond, LA.
About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.
About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.
Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement
Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
909.599.7530
April 8, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three law enforcement officials.
Howard Williams began his 30 year law enforcement career as a cadet for the Austin Police Department (Texas). Working a variety of assignments he rose through the ranks of the department to become the commander of the Organized Crime Division in 2002. In 2003, Howard Williams accept the position as Chief of Police for the San Marcos Police Department (Texas).
Howard Williams completed his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Southwest Texas State University in August 2002 and a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in August 2000. Howard Williams is the author of Asset Forfeiture: A Law Enforcement Perspective.
According to the book description of Asset Forfeiture: A Law Enforcement Perspective, it “reviews the myriad statutes, rules, regulations, confusing and often contradictory judicial decisions, and detailed processes to outline forfeiture procedures for law enforcement administrators, investigators, and officers. The text consists of three principal sections: the development of modern asset forfeiture policy, asset forfeiture law, and administering forfeiture programs.”
Allen Hatley was a freelance writer and twice elected constable in Bandera County (Texas). Allen Hatley served in the US Army and saw service in Korea from 1951 to 1952. He holds a BS and MS in Geology and an Advanced Peace Officer Certification from the State of Texas. In addition to his 30 year career in the petroleum industry, Allen Hatley has an active and varied law enforcement career.
In 1988, he graduated from the Middle Rio Grande Law Enforcement Academy and received his Basic Peace Officer Certificate. He worked as a criminal investigator for the district attorney’s office and as a narcotics agent in the Southwest Narcotics Task Force. In 1993, he was elected as Constable, Precinct Number 4, Bandera County and re-elected in 1997. He retired in 1998. Allen Hatley is the author of Bringing the Law to Texas: Crime and Violence in Nineteenth Century Texas; The Oil Finders: A Collection of Stories About Exploration; Early Texas Indian Wars 1822-1835; The First Texas Legion During the American Civil War; The Indian Wars in Stephen F. Austin's Texas Colony, 1822-1835; Reluctant Rebels: The Eleventh Texas Cavalry Regiment; The First Texas Legion; and, Texas Constables: A Frontier Heritage.
According to the book description of Texas Constables: A Frontier Heritage, “Though a host of Texas Rangers, U.S. marshals, and even town marshals populate the legends and annals of law enforcement, the stories and exploits of constables, an equally significant group of peace officers, have gone mostly unheralded. In a long-overdue examination, Allen Hatley traces Texas constables to their roots in medieval England and colonial America and chronicles a rich history from January 1823, when a constable was appointed as the first law-enforcement officer in Stephen F. Austin's colony.”
Allen Capwell is the former sheriff of the Wyoming County (New York). Allen L. Capwell is the author of The Sheriff of Wyoming County: 150 Years of Protection and Service.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 951 police officers (representing 400 police departments) and their 2024 police books in 34 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
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