Once the exclusive domain of the state patrols, cities and counties of all sizes now have these programs. It’s been almost 11 years to the day since I last wrote about take-home police car programs in P&SN and, my, how times have changed! The word “unbelievable” comes to mind. The focus of that column was how departments were coping with the economy and the doom and gloom forecast of potential $5.00 a gallon gas prices. Well, that dire prediction never…
“…exposing the tactics that law enforcement uses to make confessions happen.” Just when you didn’t think another punch or kick was coming, here it comes, late – after the whistle – and even from someone who was on your side. I’m talking about James L. Trainum’s new book, How the Police Generate False Confessions: An Inside Look at the Interrogation Room (Rowman and Littlefield). There’s so much to say about the timing, the title and the tone of the arrival…
Confrontations in which officers do not recognize others as police occur more often than most realize. As if the stress, confusion and general chaos which will probably define the environment immediately after you either use your weapon to defend yourself or your family or intervene in a situation, there is a very real danger – very, very real – of you being mistaken for a perp yourself by the responding on duty officers – and shot as a result. Here’s…
When forced to switch from primary to secondary, speed is imperative. Some instructors will tell you to clear the malfunction on your rifle rather than automatically transitioning over to your handgun. Others will tell you to automatically transition over to your handgun and not worry about what’s going on with the rifle. They’re both right – depending on the circumstances. Quick Decision When considering making the switch from your primary weapon system (your rifle) to your secondary weapon system (your…
Investigations now often include evidence gathered from such sources as social media, Web sites and cloud services. Pointing the way toward the best methods to collect and properly handle such information were team members from TransPerfect Legal Solutions. Andrew Neal, Director, Forensic Technology and Consulting; Daniel Andriulli, Digital Forensics, Manager; and Joe Pochron, Digital Forensics, presented their ideas at the 61st Annual Meeting of ASIS, the world’s leading security organization. Fundamentals Andrew Neal said forensic science is not new, having…
Michael Carpenter Maintaining High Standards Sometimes, it seems that when police commanders get into trouble, it’s for what they don’t do. The duties and responsibilities of a police commander – at any level and in any size agency – are so numerous and diverse that it can be easy to overlook something – even the little things. And, sometimes, the one thing you overlook could be the one thing which will get you and your department on the six o’clock…
Three decades after its invention, where does ALPR technology stand and what do you need for effective implementation? Since Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) systems first gained recognition as “force multipliers” for North American law enforcement, they’ve enabled significant improvements in everything from stolen vehicle recoveries to criminal intelligence gathering. As a 2014 RAND report noted, however, expiring grant funds, privacy related criticism and a lack of research are all causing police administrators to reevaluate ALPRs which compete for other…
Michael Carpenter “The Times They Are A-Changin’ ” Do you remember who sang that song? (Or, maybe you’re old enough to remember listening to that song on a transistor radio!) Either way, even though it was written more than 50 years ago, the fact is that the times are still changing…and, in some cases, changing very quickly. In the private sector, if a store doesn’t continually change by updating its inventory regularly based on customer needs, then it will lose…
“Nyberg for the State, Your Honor” I’ve been told by four different people that I should have gone, or should go, to law school. I don’t know. What would I do? Criminal defense? No. Civil? Ugh, maybe. Prosecutor? My heart would be in it, but it would have to be in the right jurisdiction. I was very lucky during my two plus decades in homicide to have worked with some truly outstanding prosecutors, many of whom are judges now, but…