Law & Order

The Need for Higher Education

Law enforcement has undergone a series of evolutionary steps in the last 50 years. Police officers have gone from minimally trained and poorly equipped to highly trained and equipped with advanced technologies. This progression has prompted a rethinking of the need for education in law enforcement leaders. Napier elaborates.

Degree or No Degree

Many police agencies now require college degrees for advanced rank positions or offer pay incentives to those with degrees. Even at the entry level position, more police agencies are requesting minimum college requirements at application. In the highly competitive private sector, a college degree is an absolute necessity to compete for the jobs with the best pay, benefits, and advancement opportunities. Schanlaub elaborates further on the concept of a more educated police force.

10 Things the New Detective Should Know

When a new detective is assigned to an investigative assignment for the first time, it is all too common for him to become overwhelmed due to a lack of orientation. More often than not, the luck of the draw will determine whether he ends up with a dedicated, seasoned investigator who is willing to show the new jack the ropes, or if he ends up pairing with the tired, less enthusiastic, "work better solo" type. Joyce discusses ten things new detectives need to learn in the early stages of their...

Getting to Know Miami

Olson discusses getting on a genuine opportunity to witness the multicultural playground that has developed in Miami over the past 50 years. Details on travel arrangements, national parks, and museums and attractions are presented.

Beyond the Bachelor's Degree

A bachelor's degree requiring a four-year commitment is an accomplishment in itself; however, when it comes to being competitive in today's executive level police job field, it not might be enough. It is not uncommon for command positions within larger agencies to acquire more than a bachelor's degree. Schanlaub elaborates.

Patrol Officers' Opinions On the Importance of a College Degree

The debate concerning the college-educated officer will likely continue indefinitely. For years, this debate has stemmed from the fact that many police administration as well as researchers believe that the policing occupation has been transforming in ways that call for a college degree. In light of this on-going dispute, increasing numbers of local police departments are requiring at least some college as a prerequisite for entry-level hiring. In this regard, Bruns presents the results of a ...

First Officer's Duties at the Homicide Scene

Geberth discusses the first officer's duties at the homicide scene. The initial actions taken by the first officer in a homicide case may determine whether or not there will be a successful homicide investigation. It is imperative that the first officers adhere to recognized and standard operating procedures to assure a professional conclusion.

Book Review: Managing the Investigative Unit

Field reviews MANAGING THE INVESTIGATIVE UNIT by Daniel S. McDevitt.

Calendar of Events

On The Job

Are You Ready?

Hurricane Katrina has proven that officials and other response team are not going to get help to one's city in time. In this light, Sanow tackles the issue on what one should do to prepare when another disaster happens.

News

Blackhawk Products Group Acquires Dynamic Entry

Mike Noell, CEO and President of BlackHawk Products Groups LLC, has announced the acquisition of Dynamic Entry, the premier manufacturer of manual tactical entry tools preferred by professionals. Noell stated that Dynamic Entry's manual breaching tools have a worldwide reputation as the finest tools available for tactical entries.

Taser &Amp; Ies Judgmental Trainer

At the 112th Annual International Association of Chief of Police Conference, IES Interactive Training and TASER International announced the launch of the TASER-T Judgmental Trainer (TJT), an interactive training system that delivers advanced simulated training for law enforcement agencies deploying TASER non-lethal devices. The TJT system, developed by IES Interactive Training, comes equipped with the TASER M26 and X26 User Course, produced exclusively by IES' Summit Training International, a...

Grant Writing

Performance Measuring the Grant

Performance Institute is a think tank, with dual headquarters in Arlington VA and San Diego CA. Its mission is transferring knowledge to transform organizations. Here, Slahor discusses the Performance Institute 2004 National Symposium on grants for state and local law enforcement, targeted on how to find grants and how to get them awarded to an agency.

Technology

Gps Monitoring Offenders

As Global Positioning System devices become smaller and more affordable, their usefulness has expanded until they are now used to keep track of boats, cars,a nd in some cases, even people. The VeriTracks offers a system, which can effectively track where the offender goes. Swager provides more details.

Open Channels

Texas Interoperability Pilot Project

The state of Texas Communications Interoperability Pilot Project has convinced three interoperability solution vendors to install their demonstration for Texas' Department of Public Safety, at their own expense. The primary goal of the project is to create networked interoperability between all first responders to ensure that regardless of who arrives at the scene of an emergency, everyone can talk to each other. The State's Department of Public Safety will then analyze how well each interope...

Sergeant

Control Your Emotions

Oldham comments that as sergeants in law enforcement, it is absolutely crucial to have some knowledge of one's officers so that one can spot those who are in trouble and those who are teetering on the edge of self-destructive behaviors. To do so, he suggests to take the time to prove on one's being approachable, and willingness to listen and assist in whatever way to make things better.

Training

Producing a Police Training Video

In the first of a multi-part series of articles on producing a law enforcement training video, Nowicki discusses the basics of achieving it, along with knowing its importance as well as relevance. Among others, he highlights the things needed including a digital video camcorder, ample videotape, and a camcorder battery. In addition, he focuses on the importance of practice in video shooting, editing, and production skills.

Product Spotlight

More Than Aerial Photography

Using Proprietary methods and technologies, Pictometry produces extremely detailed sets of aerial images of an entire county, with every feature and landmark photographed from multiple angles and resolution. The images produced are all digital, and are linked to a computer-based map of entire surveyed area.

Patrol

Non-Traditional Strategies for Domestic Violence

The legal definition of domestic violence is an act by a person who inflicts corporal injury on his spouse, former spouse, or a current or former partner with whom the offender is in an intimate relationship. Advocates of domestic violence prevention, however, believe this definition is not broad enough, thus they extend the definition to include sexual, emotional, and financial abuses. This disagreement over the definition only adds confusion in determining what really constitutes domestic v...

Download

Small Town Networking

Dees features Hermiston OR's cooperative Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program, which has provided substantial funding for personal protective equipment, communications systems, and other aids to local public safety agencies that may be called into service in the event of an emergency at the depot. He comments that with interoperability being a hot button to obtain federal funding, it may be better to go with it as everyone can use and interconnect than with a proprietary system t...

Commentary

Problem-Solving Environment

Martin comments on leadership towards problem solving environment. Among other things, he says that the strength of character of a leader will allow them to work with other strong personalities to develop strategies to combat the problems within their jurisdictions while ensuring that the organization continue to have strong leadership well into the future.

Traffic Safety

Speed Management to Reduce Crash Fatalities

Speed management is moving to the fore as a top priority in the US' efforts to reduce motor vehicle crashes. The US Department of Transportation's (DOT) goal is to reduce the nation's highway fatality rate to 1.0 per 100 million vehicle miles by 2008 from the current level of 1.5 per 100 million. To accomplish this goal, the DOT and NHTSA, along with the Governor's Highway Safety Association and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, recently released several detailed studies and analyse...

Communications

Emergency Deployable Interoperable Communications Systems

Florida purchased nine Emergency Deployable Interoperable Communication Systems (EDICS). The system ensure that upon the arrival on the scene of an incident, it allows any agency to be able to communicate with any other agency regardless of radio type, frequency, or mode. Whitehead provides more details.

Roll Call

Deadly Force

Deadly force is generally defines as any force that can reasonably be expected to cause death or serious bodily injury. Petrocelli discusses the circumstances to use deadly force and the limits it poses to law enforcement officers. Among others, it can generally be used in two circumstances, the first in the case of a fleeing felon, and the second is in the protection human life.

Up-Close

Creative Criminal Investigations

Kollar discusses several creative approaches in investigating criminal activities. Among other things, the Internet is a powerful tool for assisting in all aspects of criminal investigations. It can be used as resource for investigative techniques and articles, networking with other investigators, researching case law, sharing information about a particular suspect, obtaining records, locating fugitives, mapping, and even obtaining satellite imagery of building to assist in raid planning.

Domestic Violence

Battering Intervention for Police Families

Reactive intervention (after a crisis occurs) by law enforcement, psychologists, and domestic violence advocates must become more proactive. Proactive intervention, preventative family counseling, and other support services must be incorporated with reactive punitive sanctions to prevent or minimize further and future domestic violence incidents. Davis presents a 3-step program on battering intervention for police families.

Safety

Nysp School Resource Officer Program

In fall 2000, the New York State Police (NYSP) decided to establish a School Resource Officer (SRO) Program as an extension of its existing school violence prevention efforts. The State Police Planning and Research Section successfully applied for a US Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (USDOJ COPS) COPS in Schools Grant to help fund this effort. The first 36 SROs were deployed to 62 school districts across upstate New York in Feb 2002.

Special Report

The Fbi National Academy: An Unbeatable Educational Experience

As one of the leading schools for law enforcement managers, the FBI National Academy offers an unbeatable educational experience by providing a higher level of education and training. Here, Stockton discusses why the academy is one of the leading schools for law enforcement managers.

Knowledge

Police Technology &Amp; Trivia Quiz

Community

Rewarding Campus Crime Tipsters

The establishment of a campus chapter of Crime Stoppers is one of the most effective and least costly options in existence to fight crime on college campuses. It is modeled after metropolitan and county Crime Stoppers programs across the country. This option allows students and staff to report incidents anonymously via an advertised phone tip line without the fear of reprisal.