2017

Busted! – Real Stories of Genuine Absurdity July/August 2017

James L. McClinton, Ph.D Odds are this guy was just trying to pass the buck… In Massachusetts, a man who contested a speeding ticket in court gave the judge a unique explanation – the officer’s radar gun may have picked up a deer. The Haverhill man was clocked going 40 mph in a 30 mph zone in West Newbury and was given a $105 ticket. He appealed in court, asking the officer if he was 100% sure his radar gun…


…AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

Ramesh Nyberg Underage Girls and Marriage (No, Not in Yemen or Libya…HERE) There are a ton of issues to choose from which I could write about so, before we continue, let me give you this gentle disclaimer: The many law enforcement issues I could (and maybe should) be writing about here are just too much of an emotional tornado for me, so I’ve chosen another topic. Not to worry, I’ll go back to tackling the obvious stuff which makes all…


NRA Foundation Launches Cars For Freedom: Back Our Blue, A New Initiative To Support America’s Law Enforcement

The NRA Foundation is proud to announce the next phase of its Cars For Freedom initiative: NRA Cars For Freedom: Back Our Blue. The nationwide campaign asks supporters to stand with the NRA in support of America’s law enforcement, by donating cars, boats, tractors and other vehicles to the initiative. Donations are tax deductible and will be used to bolster the NRA Foundation’s Law Enforcement program, which provides training, supplies and other benefits to our nation’s law enforcement officers. Those…


“Understanding Digital Footprints: Steps to Protect Personal Information”

“Understanding Digital Footprints: Steps to Protect Personal Information” provides material designed to assist law enforcement personnel in protecting themselves and their families from becoming cyber targets: protecting personal information; cyber dos and don’ts; and links to further cyber training and resources. To view the full document, visit http://tinyurl.com/m4acwvg. Additional cyber-related resources are available on the Law Enforcement Cyber Center Web site at www.iacpcybercenter.org.  


Two New Reports on School Safety Technology

The Justice Technology Information Center’s school safety Web site (www.schoolsafetyinfo.org) recently posted “Using Technology to Prevent Violence in Schools.” This new article looks at the results from two NIJ funded research studies, including details on technologies used in schools; factors affecting the use of these technologies; and what is known about their effectiveness. While you’re on the site, check out more success stories, the calendar of events, resources and more.  


The First ICE Weekly Alien Criminal Releases List

As directed by executive order, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued its first report (available at http://tinyurl.com/mp8ow5r) identifying jurisdictions which obstruct ICE efforts to arrest and deport alien criminals, as well as the volume and severity of crimes enumerated among the aliens identified. Jurisdictions with sanctuary and de facto sanctuary policies will not be able to hide from the public safety impact of denying ICE detainer requests and releasing alien criminals back into our communities. The report states that…


Shodan – Search Engine for Internet Connected Devices

The Shodan search engine enables users to discover Internet connected devices – also known as the Internet of Things (IoT) – where they are located and who is using them.  Users can also keep track of all the computers on their network which are directly accessible from the Internet to understand their digital footprint. The tool also includes power plants, smart TVs, refrigerators, and more devices. Additional information is available at www.shodan.io.  


Retired News Reporter Develops Algorithm to Try and Identify Serial Killers Using UCR Data

In 2004, Thomas Hargrove, a 61-year-old retired news reporter from Virginia, became aware of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Supplementary Homicide Report (https://ucr.fbi.gov/) and contemplated whether it was possible to teach a computer how to spot serial killers. He spent months trying to develop an algorithm which would identify unsolved cases with enough commonalities to suggest the same murderer. Hargrove eventually founded the Murder Accountability Project (MAP) (http://murderdata.org/), a small nonprofit seeking to make FBI murder data more…


Law Enforcement Cautions Against New Social Media App

A new smartphone application has law enforcement concerned about sexual predators gaining access to children’s private information. In a matter of minutes, anyone – including sexual predators – can get on the Live.me application and watch videos of people near them and gather information the user provides. From Facebook to Instagram to Twitter, there are now so many different ways people can “go live” on social media. The one big difference with this app is that anyone can watch and…


LAPD Revises Use-of-Force Policy to Reduce Police Shootings

Recently, the Los Angeles, California, Police Commission adopted a revised use-of-force policy which calls on officers to avoid resorting to deadly force by de-escalating the tension in interactions with the public. The policy has the backing of the union representing the Los Angeles Police Department’s more than 8,000 rank-and-file officers. LAPD officials said that, with the recent focus on de-escalation, and now the adoption of the revised policy and training programs, the focus is on minimizing the number of police shootings…