This report is one in a series of three documents created by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), with support from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), on the law enforcement response to public health emergencies. This report identifies the considerations that law enforcement executives should address in their public health communications plans, regarding internal communications (those that remain within the law enforcement agency) as well as external communications (those that go to other agencies or the public).
Read on
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/pdf/PERF_Emer_Comm.pdf
Thursday, December 10, 2009
JUSTNET Media Gallery: Watch and Learn
JUSTNET has a new video feature to keep the criminal justice community current on National Institute of Justice technology developments, issues and services. NLECTC Minutes are brief educational online videos that highlight recent technology advances and issues of interest to law enforcement and corrections practitioners. The videos, which are a few minutes long, will touch on a variety of topics. Some could relate to practitioner needs and requirements; others could highlight technology information gathered from NIJ technology institutes for law enforcement and corrections. Each video series will highlight a technology area. The current series spotlights body armor, discussing how body armor works, NIJ Standard-0101.06 and its effect on the law enforcement community, and the differences between stab-resistant and ballistic-resistant armor. Topics planned for future videos include technology developed under NIJ’s Aviation Technology Program.
Watch the Videoes
http://www.justnet.org/Pages/MediaGallery.aspx
Watch the Videoes
http://www.justnet.org/Pages/MediaGallery.aspx
Walter Reed Patients Test Next-generation Prosthesis
By Christen N. McCluney
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 10, 2009 - Wounded warriors at the Military Advanced Training Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here are testing a new microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee. The X2 microprocessor knee by Otto Bock HealthCare is the result of a medical research project funded in support of the Military Amputee Research Program. This project, administered by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, had the goal of developing "an electronically controlled prosthetic knee joint that meets the specific demands of military staff in real world activity," said Troy Turner, Advanced Technology Research Program manager at TATRC.
He added that in 2005, officials recognized that even the cutting-edge prosthetic devices weren't good enough.
"Otto Bock had the C-Leg," he said. "It was the best that was available, but not the best needed." Soldiers needed a prosthetic knee with a longer battery life that would enable them to walk and run backward and forward and go up stairs foot over foot.
Otto Bock developed a proposal that later was funded and has developed a new knee that has more durability and functionality, extended battery life, remote-control functions and can handle higher weight loads.
Adele Levine, a physical therapist at the center, said many patients were dealing with knee and joint pain with the C-leg, and saw relief almost immediately once they began wearing the new X2.
"Once I got the confidence to trust the leg that it would do what it was supposed to do, I almost got immediate relief," said Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Marcus Wilson, one of the three patients at Walter Reed testing out the microprocessor knee. "No knee pain [or] hip pain. Everything evened out."
The leg enables him to stand in any position and rest on the amputated side, relieving pressure on his intact leg, he said. He also can run again without having to switch to another leg.
"With the old C-Leg, you can't run," he said. "Now, it's as simple as getting a remote and putting it in running mode and going. As fast as you can go, the leg will keep up with you."
Army Staff Sgt. Alfredo De los Santos has been using the new X2 microprocessor for a little more than two weeks. "Ever since I got this leg, it's been heaven," he said. "I went to Busch Gardens. I walked all day long. I only take it off when I go to sleep at night."
De los Santos, who works out two or three times a day and recently participated in the Army Ten-Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon using a hand-crank chair, said that before using the X2 he occasionally would use canes to alleviate some of the back pain he was having because he enjoys being active. "Now, I can jump and mostly do everything," he said.
Levine said that with the X2 De los Santos has alleviated a lot of his previous concerns about the pressure he was putting on his intact side and his concerns with quality of living.
"He is so much happier. He tells us this at least 20 times a day," she said. "He's always concerned about the future and his condition in 20 years; this gives him a lot of hope."
The knees are currently being fitted on 30 wounded warriors at Walter Reed and at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, and are expected to be widely available in 2011.
"It's what you make out of it," De los Santos said when asked about his hope with the X2. "If you can do this, you can do anything. You can accomplish anything, and you have to make the decision to make it work."
(Christen N. McCluney works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 10, 2009 - Wounded warriors at the Military Advanced Training Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here are testing a new microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee. The X2 microprocessor knee by Otto Bock HealthCare is the result of a medical research project funded in support of the Military Amputee Research Program. This project, administered by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, had the goal of developing "an electronically controlled prosthetic knee joint that meets the specific demands of military staff in real world activity," said Troy Turner, Advanced Technology Research Program manager at TATRC.
He added that in 2005, officials recognized that even the cutting-edge prosthetic devices weren't good enough.
"Otto Bock had the C-Leg," he said. "It was the best that was available, but not the best needed." Soldiers needed a prosthetic knee with a longer battery life that would enable them to walk and run backward and forward and go up stairs foot over foot.
Otto Bock developed a proposal that later was funded and has developed a new knee that has more durability and functionality, extended battery life, remote-control functions and can handle higher weight loads.
Adele Levine, a physical therapist at the center, said many patients were dealing with knee and joint pain with the C-leg, and saw relief almost immediately once they began wearing the new X2.
"Once I got the confidence to trust the leg that it would do what it was supposed to do, I almost got immediate relief," said Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Marcus Wilson, one of the three patients at Walter Reed testing out the microprocessor knee. "No knee pain [or] hip pain. Everything evened out."
The leg enables him to stand in any position and rest on the amputated side, relieving pressure on his intact leg, he said. He also can run again without having to switch to another leg.
"With the old C-Leg, you can't run," he said. "Now, it's as simple as getting a remote and putting it in running mode and going. As fast as you can go, the leg will keep up with you."
Army Staff Sgt. Alfredo De los Santos has been using the new X2 microprocessor for a little more than two weeks. "Ever since I got this leg, it's been heaven," he said. "I went to Busch Gardens. I walked all day long. I only take it off when I go to sleep at night."
De los Santos, who works out two or three times a day and recently participated in the Army Ten-Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon using a hand-crank chair, said that before using the X2 he occasionally would use canes to alleviate some of the back pain he was having because he enjoys being active. "Now, I can jump and mostly do everything," he said.
Levine said that with the X2 De los Santos has alleviated a lot of his previous concerns about the pressure he was putting on his intact side and his concerns with quality of living.
"He is so much happier. He tells us this at least 20 times a day," she said. "He's always concerned about the future and his condition in 20 years; this gives him a lot of hope."
The knees are currently being fitted on 30 wounded warriors at Walter Reed and at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, and are expected to be widely available in 2011.
"It's what you make out of it," De los Santos said when asked about his hope with the X2. "If you can do this, you can do anything. You can accomplish anything, and you have to make the decision to make it work."
(Christen N. McCluney works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Boston's Big Sniff
Science and Technology (S&T) Snapshots
Since ancient times, airborne chemical and biological weapons have been used to threaten populations. During sieges throughout history, human and animal corpses were used in attempt to spread plague and cholera. In the First World War, chlorine and mustard gas killed hundreds of thousands.
More recently, the chem-bio threat has gone—literally—underground. In 1993, during the World Trade Center truck bombing, a canister of hydrogen cyanide was placed in the truck in the hope that the poison gas would be blasted up the ventilation system. Two years later, Japanese cult members opened canisters of sarin in the Tokyo subway, killing 12 and leaving thousands in need of medical attention.
The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is charged with leading Federal efforts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a domestic attack. Secretary Napolitano has emphasized preparedness and shared responsibility when it comes to protecting the nation's critical infrastructure.
One vitally important aspect of preparation is for public safety officials to understand how gases might behave in different scenarios—such as when released in the underground subway system of a large American city. The incapacitation or destruction of a major transportation system could debilitate the overall stability of the United States and threaten national security.
That's why on December 5, the Department's Science & Technology Directorate began releasing plumes of sulfur hexafluoride and perfluorocarbon gas, and sodium fluorescein particles in the tunnels of Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) subway system.
Yes, you read that right.
But not to worry. "Both gases are innocuous, non-toxic, and inert," says Teresa Lustig, a program manager in S&T's Chemical & Biological Division, who is leading the study. "They've been used since the 1960s in dispersion experiments, and pose no health risk."
Throughout the seven day S&T study, particle and gas concentrations are being sampled in more than 20 stations and in subway cars in the underground portion of the MBTA system. Commuters may notice the presence of equipment and researchers, but the study is designed not to disrupt normal activities or inconvenience the public.
Some of these non-toxic gases have been used in similar studies and others even have common, everyday uses. Sulfur hexafluoride is a harmless, common tracer gas used for indoor and outdoor air testing. Perfluorocarbons are used during eye surgery to temporarily replace the vitreous humor when a retina is being reattached. Sodium fluorescein is an organic dye used in medical imaging applications and in oceanography as a marker in seawater.
A similar subway system airflow study was conducted in 2008 in the Washington, DC area, and serves as an excellent contrast to the Boston study. Whereas the MBTA subway system is very old and poorly ventilated, Washington's is relatively modern and well-ventilated.
Data obtained from these initial groundbreaking studies have been critical to the development of specifications for the next generation of biological agent detectors, and for designing response strategies for both biological and chemical detection systems.
The research team included scientists from Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) of Argonne, Ill.; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) of Berkeley, Calif.; ICx Technologies of Arlington, Va.; Defense Science and Technology Laboratory of the United Kingdom; and Chemistry Centre of Australia.
Here's how the study worked:
The particle tracers, embedded in an aerosol spray, were released at the same time as the gases so that researchers could compare which form of agent—aerosol or gas—travels further, faster, or more unpredictably. The gaseous and aerosol tracers are complementary—dispersing and sinking at different rates and in different patterns—allowing removal mechanisms such as deposition and filtration to be measured in addition to the transport and dispersion processes. The gaseous tracers, like the chemical agents they simulate, provide baseline data for the transport and dispersion processes because they pass through filters and are transported much further. The two gases weigh about the same as air, which means they remain airborne indefinitely and can be measured in the air for a much longer period of time. The aerosol particles deposit on surfaces and the ground after a short period.
Since ancient times, airborne chemical and biological weapons have been used to threaten populations. During sieges throughout history, human and animal corpses were used in attempt to spread plague and cholera. In the First World War, chlorine and mustard gas killed hundreds of thousands.
More recently, the chem-bio threat has gone—literally—underground. In 1993, during the World Trade Center truck bombing, a canister of hydrogen cyanide was placed in the truck in the hope that the poison gas would be blasted up the ventilation system. Two years later, Japanese cult members opened canisters of sarin in the Tokyo subway, killing 12 and leaving thousands in need of medical attention.
The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is charged with leading Federal efforts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a domestic attack. Secretary Napolitano has emphasized preparedness and shared responsibility when it comes to protecting the nation's critical infrastructure.
One vitally important aspect of preparation is for public safety officials to understand how gases might behave in different scenarios—such as when released in the underground subway system of a large American city. The incapacitation or destruction of a major transportation system could debilitate the overall stability of the United States and threaten national security.
That's why on December 5, the Department's Science & Technology Directorate began releasing plumes of sulfur hexafluoride and perfluorocarbon gas, and sodium fluorescein particles in the tunnels of Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) subway system.
Yes, you read that right.
But not to worry. "Both gases are innocuous, non-toxic, and inert," says Teresa Lustig, a program manager in S&T's Chemical & Biological Division, who is leading the study. "They've been used since the 1960s in dispersion experiments, and pose no health risk."
Throughout the seven day S&T study, particle and gas concentrations are being sampled in more than 20 stations and in subway cars in the underground portion of the MBTA system. Commuters may notice the presence of equipment and researchers, but the study is designed not to disrupt normal activities or inconvenience the public.
Some of these non-toxic gases have been used in similar studies and others even have common, everyday uses. Sulfur hexafluoride is a harmless, common tracer gas used for indoor and outdoor air testing. Perfluorocarbons are used during eye surgery to temporarily replace the vitreous humor when a retina is being reattached. Sodium fluorescein is an organic dye used in medical imaging applications and in oceanography as a marker in seawater.
A similar subway system airflow study was conducted in 2008 in the Washington, DC area, and serves as an excellent contrast to the Boston study. Whereas the MBTA subway system is very old and poorly ventilated, Washington's is relatively modern and well-ventilated.
Data obtained from these initial groundbreaking studies have been critical to the development of specifications for the next generation of biological agent detectors, and for designing response strategies for both biological and chemical detection systems.
The research team included scientists from Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) of Argonne, Ill.; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) of Berkeley, Calif.; ICx Technologies of Arlington, Va.; Defense Science and Technology Laboratory of the United Kingdom; and Chemistry Centre of Australia.
Here's how the study worked:
The particle tracers, embedded in an aerosol spray, were released at the same time as the gases so that researchers could compare which form of agent—aerosol or gas—travels further, faster, or more unpredictably. The gaseous and aerosol tracers are complementary—dispersing and sinking at different rates and in different patterns—allowing removal mechanisms such as deposition and filtration to be measured in addition to the transport and dispersion processes. The gaseous tracers, like the chemical agents they simulate, provide baseline data for the transport and dispersion processes because they pass through filters and are transported much further. The two gases weigh about the same as air, which means they remain airborne indefinitely and can be measured in the air for a much longer period of time. The aerosol particles deposit on surfaces and the ground after a short period.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Respirator Trusted-Source Information Page
This information may be regarded as a trusted source to verify which respirators are approved by NIOSH, how to get them and how to use them. This web page is currently under development, and therefore not all areas are functional at this time. We hope that you visit us frequently to use the new capabilities as they become available. The web page will include content to address each of 3 sections of information as follows:
Section 1: NIOSH-Approved Respirators: What are they, How can they be identified, Where can I get them?
Section 2: Use of NIOSH Respirators: Information on how to implement the use of respirators in the Workplace and use them appropriately.
Section 3: Ancillary Respirator Information: Commonly asked Questions and Answers (Fact Sheets), Respirator Myths, Science of Respirator Function and Performance, Respiratory Protective Devices Not Approved by NIOSH.
Visit the website
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/RespSource.html
Section 1: NIOSH-Approved Respirators: What are they, How can they be identified, Where can I get them?
Section 2: Use of NIOSH Respirators: Information on how to implement the use of respirators in the Workplace and use them appropriately.
Section 3: Ancillary Respirator Information: Commonly asked Questions and Answers (Fact Sheets), Respirator Myths, Science of Respirator Function and Performance, Respiratory Protective Devices Not Approved by NIOSH.
Visit the website
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/RespSource.html
Public Safety Technology in the News
Anti-Crowding Measures Save Metro Jail $1.2 million
Courier-Journal, (12/01/2009), Jessie Halladay
Steps taken by officials in Louisville, Ky., to reduce crowding in the Metro Corrections jail have translated into a $1.2 million savings for the city. In 2008, a commission comprising judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors and members of the community issued 37 recommendations to improve conditions and reduce crowding. As of December 2009, jail director Mike Bolton said 25 of the recommendations have been implemented or are in progress. Plans include a day-reporting program, under which the jail will oversee offenders not housed in the jail. The cost of housing an inmate at the jail is $64 a day, compared with $24 a day to monitor the person in the community. The jail has also worked with the Kentucky Department of Corrections to expedite the transfer of jail inmates to state prisons. The result is that a 126-bed facility at the metro police headquarters has been vacant for a year, saving. $1.2 million. The program’s initial costs are being paid for with a $500,000 feder! al grant. The department also is implementing an electronic bond payment system to allow suspects to post their own bond with a credit card at a jail kiosk or family members to post bond online. The department will also be testing a GPS monitoring system.
www.courier-journal.com/article/20091201/NEWS01/912010350/Anti-crowding+measures+save+metro+jail+$1.2+million
State to Let Cops Use Stun Guns, With Limits, Joining Rest of U.S.
NorthJersey.com (11/24/2009), Karen Sudol and William Lamb
New Jersey is the latest, and last, state to allow law enforcement officers to use stun guns. The state’s policy restricts when officers can use the devices. The policy allows trained police officers to use the weapons only against emotionally disturbed individuals who are armed and refuse to surrender. Other restrictions include prohibiting the use against people who refuse to comply with an officer’s order to move, drop to the ground or exit a vehicle. New Jersey officers also can’t use stun guns on people who are handcuffed or in moving vehicles. Also, before using a stun gun on a person on an elevated surface, officers would have to make an effort to prevent or minimize injury. The number of stun guns distributed will be based on the size of a city’s or town’s police department.
www.northjersey.com/news/72196417.html
U.S., Canada Will Share Refugee Fingerprints
CBC News (11/24/2009)
The United States has agreed to share fingerprints with Canada, Australia and Britain to combat illegal immigration and verify claims of refugee status. The program will use fingerprints and other methods to confirm identity, travel and immigration history. During a trial run of the program two years ago, the U.S. and Canada exchanged fingerprints on 343 refugee claimants, one-third of which had applied to live in both countries, and 5 percent had a criminal history in the U.S. Canadian authorities say all fingerprints will be destroyed once people become successful refugee claimants or Canadian citizens.
www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/11/24/biometrics-refugees024.html
Text-a-Tip Programs Help Promote School Safety
eSchoolNews.com, (12/01/2009)
A program that allows citizens to submit anonymous tips through cell phone texting is helping police solve crimes. One provider of the text-a-tip technology has about 400 law enforcement agencies as clients, including Seattle, Miami and San Diego. The system allows citizens to submit a text message of up to 160 characters to police, who can then send messages back to ask follow-up questions. Police can’t identify the sender of the text because the messages are sent to a separate, third-party server, which strips out identifying information and assigns an encrypted alias before forwarding the message to police. Boston police credit the program for providing key leads in four high-profile killings. The program has also proved useful for enhancing school and campus security. In Douglas County, Colo., a text message about a student’s “kill list” led police to weapons in the child’s home. Campus police at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles have used the techn! ology to receive tips about rowdy fans at football games.
www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/news-by-subject/safety-security/index.cfm?i=62020
Buckeye Police Use $250,000 Grant Funds to Buy Armored Vehicle
Arizona Republic, (12/03/20009), Jackee Coe
An Arizona SWAT team is getting a new armored vehicle courtesy of a grant from the federal government. The Buckeye Police Department was awarded the $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Urban Area Security Initiative. The BearCat Tactical Armored Vehicle, to be delivered in spring 2010, will provide ballistic protection for a SWAT team during critical situations. The vehicle also features gun ports to allow officers to fire from within the vehicle; chemical, biological, radiological and environmental capabilities should there be an incident at a nearby nuclear generating station; and multiple spotlights. The city’s SWAT team has 16 police officers; a 10-person tactical support unit is available to assist the team when necessary.
www.azcentral.com/community/swvalley/articles/2009/12/03/20091203swv-buckeyeswat1204.html
SFPD, SFMTA Agree to Boost Police Presence on Muni
KTVU.com, (11/24/2009)
Results from a crime pattern tracking system have prompted police to place more officers on San Francisco Municipal Railway trains and buses. The CompStat crime pattern tracking system relies on the recording of detailed statistics to identify crime patterns. Individual police captains are held accountable for crime in their districts. Deployment of resources is based on crime analysis, community complaints and the concerns of bus and rail operators. Uniformed officers will be added to the bus and rail lines identified as having the most crimes, including assaults, thefts and graffiti. The police department and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will also be coordinating stepped up enforcement of fare evasion laws.
www.ktvu.com/news/21707668/detail.html
Cold Case Could Get New Look
Stillwater-NewsPress, (12/04/2009), Chelcey Adami
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is using a $500,000 federal grant to fund a cold case unit. The grant from the National Institute of Justice, which will last 18 months, will pay for facilities, new positions and overtime. The unit is based at OSBI headquarters in Oklahoma City. OSBI agents typically have a caseload of 15 to 17 cases at any given time, about seven of which are classified as cold cases. One cold case investigators are hoping to solve is a murder case from the late 1990s. Grant guidelines state that any cold cases reopened must have DNA for a suspect profile.
www.stillwater-newspress.com/local/local_story_338124310.html
New Dispatching System Maps 911 Calls
BolivarMoNews.com, (12/04/2009), Sarah West
The Polk County (Missouri) Emergency 911 Center has replaced its five-year-old computer-aided dispatch system with a CAD system that can map calls to within three meters of the point of origin. The new system, installed in August, validates addresses, indicates officers and units on duty, keeps all calls in progress onscreen, and has automatic time stamps. Because the new system is map based, police can generally trace hang-up calls to an address. A training module in the system allows users to train on the system without affecting what other workers are doing.
www.bolivarmonews.com/articles/2009/12/04/news/doc4b183b2f91c19214378236.txt
Courier-Journal, (12/01/2009), Jessie Halladay
Steps taken by officials in Louisville, Ky., to reduce crowding in the Metro Corrections jail have translated into a $1.2 million savings for the city. In 2008, a commission comprising judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors and members of the community issued 37 recommendations to improve conditions and reduce crowding. As of December 2009, jail director Mike Bolton said 25 of the recommendations have been implemented or are in progress. Plans include a day-reporting program, under which the jail will oversee offenders not housed in the jail. The cost of housing an inmate at the jail is $64 a day, compared with $24 a day to monitor the person in the community. The jail has also worked with the Kentucky Department of Corrections to expedite the transfer of jail inmates to state prisons. The result is that a 126-bed facility at the metro police headquarters has been vacant for a year, saving. $1.2 million. The program’s initial costs are being paid for with a $500,000 feder! al grant. The department also is implementing an electronic bond payment system to allow suspects to post their own bond with a credit card at a jail kiosk or family members to post bond online. The department will also be testing a GPS monitoring system.
www.courier-journal.com/article/20091201/NEWS01/912010350/Anti-crowding+measures+save+metro+jail+$1.2+million
State to Let Cops Use Stun Guns, With Limits, Joining Rest of U.S.
NorthJersey.com (11/24/2009), Karen Sudol and William Lamb
New Jersey is the latest, and last, state to allow law enforcement officers to use stun guns. The state’s policy restricts when officers can use the devices. The policy allows trained police officers to use the weapons only against emotionally disturbed individuals who are armed and refuse to surrender. Other restrictions include prohibiting the use against people who refuse to comply with an officer’s order to move, drop to the ground or exit a vehicle. New Jersey officers also can’t use stun guns on people who are handcuffed or in moving vehicles. Also, before using a stun gun on a person on an elevated surface, officers would have to make an effort to prevent or minimize injury. The number of stun guns distributed will be based on the size of a city’s or town’s police department.
www.northjersey.com/news/72196417.html
U.S., Canada Will Share Refugee Fingerprints
CBC News (11/24/2009)
The United States has agreed to share fingerprints with Canada, Australia and Britain to combat illegal immigration and verify claims of refugee status. The program will use fingerprints and other methods to confirm identity, travel and immigration history. During a trial run of the program two years ago, the U.S. and Canada exchanged fingerprints on 343 refugee claimants, one-third of which had applied to live in both countries, and 5 percent had a criminal history in the U.S. Canadian authorities say all fingerprints will be destroyed once people become successful refugee claimants or Canadian citizens.
www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/11/24/biometrics-refugees024.html
Text-a-Tip Programs Help Promote School Safety
eSchoolNews.com, (12/01/2009)
A program that allows citizens to submit anonymous tips through cell phone texting is helping police solve crimes. One provider of the text-a-tip technology has about 400 law enforcement agencies as clients, including Seattle, Miami and San Diego. The system allows citizens to submit a text message of up to 160 characters to police, who can then send messages back to ask follow-up questions. Police can’t identify the sender of the text because the messages are sent to a separate, third-party server, which strips out identifying information and assigns an encrypted alias before forwarding the message to police. Boston police credit the program for providing key leads in four high-profile killings. The program has also proved useful for enhancing school and campus security. In Douglas County, Colo., a text message about a student’s “kill list” led police to weapons in the child’s home. Campus police at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles have used the techn! ology to receive tips about rowdy fans at football games.
www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/news-by-subject/safety-security/index.cfm?i=62020
Buckeye Police Use $250,000 Grant Funds to Buy Armored Vehicle
Arizona Republic, (12/03/20009), Jackee Coe
An Arizona SWAT team is getting a new armored vehicle courtesy of a grant from the federal government. The Buckeye Police Department was awarded the $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Urban Area Security Initiative. The BearCat Tactical Armored Vehicle, to be delivered in spring 2010, will provide ballistic protection for a SWAT team during critical situations. The vehicle also features gun ports to allow officers to fire from within the vehicle; chemical, biological, radiological and environmental capabilities should there be an incident at a nearby nuclear generating station; and multiple spotlights. The city’s SWAT team has 16 police officers; a 10-person tactical support unit is available to assist the team when necessary.
www.azcentral.com/community/swvalley/articles/2009/12/03/20091203swv-buckeyeswat1204.html
SFPD, SFMTA Agree to Boost Police Presence on Muni
KTVU.com, (11/24/2009)
Results from a crime pattern tracking system have prompted police to place more officers on San Francisco Municipal Railway trains and buses. The CompStat crime pattern tracking system relies on the recording of detailed statistics to identify crime patterns. Individual police captains are held accountable for crime in their districts. Deployment of resources is based on crime analysis, community complaints and the concerns of bus and rail operators. Uniformed officers will be added to the bus and rail lines identified as having the most crimes, including assaults, thefts and graffiti. The police department and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will also be coordinating stepped up enforcement of fare evasion laws.
www.ktvu.com/news/21707668/detail.html
Cold Case Could Get New Look
Stillwater-NewsPress, (12/04/2009), Chelcey Adami
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is using a $500,000 federal grant to fund a cold case unit. The grant from the National Institute of Justice, which will last 18 months, will pay for facilities, new positions and overtime. The unit is based at OSBI headquarters in Oklahoma City. OSBI agents typically have a caseload of 15 to 17 cases at any given time, about seven of which are classified as cold cases. One cold case investigators are hoping to solve is a murder case from the late 1990s. Grant guidelines state that any cold cases reopened must have DNA for a suspect profile.
www.stillwater-newspress.com/local/local_story_338124310.html
New Dispatching System Maps 911 Calls
BolivarMoNews.com, (12/04/2009), Sarah West
The Polk County (Missouri) Emergency 911 Center has replaced its five-year-old computer-aided dispatch system with a CAD system that can map calls to within three meters of the point of origin. The new system, installed in August, validates addresses, indicates officers and units on duty, keeps all calls in progress onscreen, and has automatic time stamps. Because the new system is map based, police can generally trace hang-up calls to an address. A training module in the system allows users to train on the system without affecting what other workers are doing.
www.bolivarmonews.com/articles/2009/12/04/news/doc4b183b2f91c19214378236.txt
Secretary Napolitano Unveils “Virtual USA” Information-Sharing Initiative
December 9, 2009: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today officially launched Virtual USA, an innovative information-sharing initiative—developed in collaboration with the emergency response community and state and local governments across the nation—that helps federal, state, local and tribal first responders communicate during emergencies.
“Our first responders need interoperable tools to make accurate and timely decisions during emergencies,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Virtual USA makes it possible for new and existing technologies to work together seamlessly during disaster response and recovery and gives the public an opportunity to contribute information in real-time to support the efforts of police officers, firefighters and other emergency management officials.”
The announcement came as part of the White House Open Government Initiative and reflects President Obama and Secretary Napolitano’s shared commitment to making government more efficient and fostering a culture of transparency, participation and collaboration.
Virtual USA links disparate tools and technologies in order to share the location and status of critical assets and information—such as power and water lines, flood detectors, helicopter-capable landing sites, emergency vehicle and ambulance locations, weather and traffic conditions, evacuation routes, and school and government building floor plans—across federal, state, local and tribal governments.
Virtual USA:
• Integrates Existing Frameworks and Investments: Virtual USA utilizes current information-sharing platforms to permit new and existing technologies to seamlessly exchange information with one another.
• Draws on Local Input: Virtual USA is based on the needs of local and state first responders to manage data access within their own jurisdictions and to share information with relevant jurisdictions across the nation.
• Employs a Comprehensive Approach: Virtual USA is not limited to information exchanges between two agencies; instead, the initiative fosters dynamic information sharing among all federal, state, local and tribal practitioners.
• Provides a Flexible, Accessible Platform: Because Virtual USA uses open data standards and open source software, more states and localities can join this information exchange project.
• Involves Everyone: Virtual USA allows Americans in their own communities to contribute information—in real-time—to support the efforts of police, fire and emergency management officials during disasters and recovery efforts.
Developed by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), Virtual USA currently operates as a pilot in eight states—Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Virginia and Tennessee—with plans to incorporate additional states underway. In Virginia alone, Virtual USA has reduced response times to incidents involving hazardous materials by 70 percent.
For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.
“Our first responders need interoperable tools to make accurate and timely decisions during emergencies,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Virtual USA makes it possible for new and existing technologies to work together seamlessly during disaster response and recovery and gives the public an opportunity to contribute information in real-time to support the efforts of police officers, firefighters and other emergency management officials.”
The announcement came as part of the White House Open Government Initiative and reflects President Obama and Secretary Napolitano’s shared commitment to making government more efficient and fostering a culture of transparency, participation and collaboration.
Virtual USA links disparate tools and technologies in order to share the location and status of critical assets and information—such as power and water lines, flood detectors, helicopter-capable landing sites, emergency vehicle and ambulance locations, weather and traffic conditions, evacuation routes, and school and government building floor plans—across federal, state, local and tribal governments.
Virtual USA:
• Integrates Existing Frameworks and Investments: Virtual USA utilizes current information-sharing platforms to permit new and existing technologies to seamlessly exchange information with one another.
• Draws on Local Input: Virtual USA is based on the needs of local and state first responders to manage data access within their own jurisdictions and to share information with relevant jurisdictions across the nation.
• Employs a Comprehensive Approach: Virtual USA is not limited to information exchanges between two agencies; instead, the initiative fosters dynamic information sharing among all federal, state, local and tribal practitioners.
• Provides a Flexible, Accessible Platform: Because Virtual USA uses open data standards and open source software, more states and localities can join this information exchange project.
• Involves Everyone: Virtual USA allows Americans in their own communities to contribute information—in real-time—to support the efforts of police, fire and emergency management officials during disasters and recovery efforts.
Developed by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), Virtual USA currently operates as a pilot in eight states—Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Virginia and Tennessee—with plans to incorporate additional states underway. In Virginia alone, Virtual USA has reduced response times to incidents involving hazardous materials by 70 percent.
For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.
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