Law Enforcement Technology

Editor's Note: Many of these technologies are adapted from military use or adapted to military use. Moreover, many of the law enforcement agencies are using these technologies for homeland security, all hazards as well as counterterrorism missions.

NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, September 6, 2007

"City Looks at $40M Police Headquarters"
Waukegan News Sun (IL) (09/04/07); Peterson, Craig

The Waukegan, Ill., City Council is considering design plans for a new headquarters for its police. A five-floor building with communications, training, investigations, records, evidence processing, and office space is thought to cost around $40 million. A police headquarters outfitted with the modern crime-fighting devices is the most sophisticated and costly facility any municipal government will construct, architects have informed aldermen. While initially, plans had called for redoing the previous city hall facility or constructing on an adjacent location, Police Chief Bill Biang explained that seven architectural companies studied refurbishing the present facility and all said it was not a good idea. Biang added there is no room to expand horizontally, and the building cannot support adding floors to it. He also stated that acquiring land would counter the savings of redoing the facility. The council may use a referendum to pay for the new police headquarters. http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/
news/540363,5_1_WA04_WAUKEGANCOPS_S1.article

"A High-Tech Helping Hand for Soldiers"
Philadelphia Inquirer (09/04/07); Holcomb, Henry J.

The Wearable Intelligent Reporting Environment (WIRE), developed by Lockheed Martin, is designed to help soldiers in the field by recording their activity and turning speech it records into documents so soldiers do not have to write reports after a hard day on patrol. If approved, soldiers would wear a headset with an earphone and microphone designed to separate voices from gunfire and other noise. The headset is connected to a rugged but lightweight computer tucked into the soldier's combat vest. The system allows soldiers to dictate a report while in the field, all without taking their hands off their weapons or their eyes off of the action. The computer asks for responses that fill out forms designed for different situations and asks about words or situations it does not understand. The computer automatically creates a report and sends it to commanders, along with data from the soldier's GPS receiver. Data from multiple patrols can be analyzed immediately to fine-tune strategy and tactics. WIRE is designed to work with headsets and batteries already used by the military, and because the device does not have a video screen a single charge lasts as long as most patrols. WIRE also has significant potential for law enforcement applications. Crime analysis expert Robert Cheetham says fresh digital reports from the field would be extremely valuable to police commanders and could allow them to detect patterns and prevent future crimes. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/20070904_
A_high-tech_helping_hand_for_soldiers.html

"GPS Technology Helps to Locate Police Dogs"
Cherry Hill Courier-Post (NJ) (09/04/07); Strupczewski, Leo

The Camden County, N.J., Sheriff's Department is one of the initial law enforcement agencies in the nation to obtain GPS technology that can help an officer locate his dog. The dog's collar contains the GPS device, and the dog's officer carries a hand-held device not much larger than a BlackBerry, to track the animal. If a dog gets lost, department members can locate him by finding a pawprint on the handler's screen and proceeding towards it. The Minnesota firm White Bear Technologies manufactures the Roam-EO technology, and contributed four units to the Camden Sheriff's Department's four canine divisions. Roam-EO offers the department real-time information, which is sent to an officer's hand-held unit. Each device is priced at $499, and there is an insurance fee for dogs of $4,500 to $6,000, although that price can increase if training is included. United States Police Canine Association executive director Russ Hess thinks the technology will become more popular as the systems become more advanced.
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/
article?AID=/20070904/NEWS01/709040362/1006

"Police to Unveil New Communication Gear"
WTNH.com--Channel 8 (Conn.) (09/05/07); Latina, Jodi

First responders in Connecticut will have new technology in the near future to assist them in emergency events. On Wednesday, they are set to receive a communication system that helps links departments throughout Connecticut. It will be the initial state in the country to have the radio common channel erected. The system is intended to maintain open communication lines during an emergency. Currently, if a police officer in Enfield, for example, wishes to speak with an officer in Madison, they would have to use the phone. With a common radio frequency, the link could be immediate. The new system will also keep portable radios in sync. The technology, which is known as band, is priced at $1 million, and connects to current radio systems.
http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=7027349&nav=3YeX

"Groves Police Get Anti-Gang Grant"
Mid County Chronicle (TX) (09/05/07); Kutac, Dennis

Authorities with the Groves, Texas, Police Department claim superior technology equipment is what they want to buy after getting a federal granted intended to help target gang violence and associated crimes. Sen. John Cornyn ( R) claims the $350,350 grant was provided by the U.S. Department of Justice's Anti-Gang Initiative and was dispensed by the Texas Office of the Attorney General. Groves Police Department Det. Steven Hinton noted the proposal the department actually presented for the Project Safe Neighborhoods grant totaled $84,489, which it requested earlier this year and from which it obtained around $80,000. Hinton explained the equipment the department wants to acquire includes thermal-imaging devices, binoculars, recorders, and transmitters. "Our department will be buying technology extremely advanced mainly for undercover work and surveillance," he stated. Groves City Marshal Jeff Wilmore pointed out that the grant will also enable the Groves Police Department to bring its Safe Streets Crime Unit and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force together to deal with gang-associated and personal crimes. Cornyn stated the Anti-Gang Initiative offers money to support new or enlarged anti-gang and enforcement plans under the current Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative.
http://www.midcountychronicle.com/news/2007/0905/Front_Page/001.html

"Sandy Springs, GA Police Department Selects SunGard's OSSI Public Safety Software"
WebWire (09/03/07)

SunGard HTE, a leading international provider of government information technologies, reports that the Sandy Springs, Ga., Police Department has signed a contract to implement the company's OSSI Public Safety Suite of software. The suite provides a fully integrated system that affords each agency real-time access to shared information, helping to improve response times, reduce costs, and increase officer safety. The Sandy Springs Police Department will implement the Records Management System and Mobile Computing components of the OSSI Public Safety Suite. Records Management System provides a comprehensive system to collect, store, and access information gathered by law enforcement personnel during daily activities. Mobile Computing Technology is a wireless application that provides access to information for officers in the field. Together, these components will help officers to stay connected with real-time data while in the field. http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=46613

"Lawmen on Target with CVTC Technology"
Calhoun Times (GA) (08/31/07); West, E.K.

The Northwest Georgia Enforcement Executives Association convened in August at Coosa Valley Technical College (CVTC) for the introduction of the new Computer LaserShot Technology in the Criminal Justice program. The innovative technology was given to the officers by CVTC Criminal Justice coordinator and instructor Tom Bojo. "This is an outstanding piece of equipment that can be used not only for laser shot simulation classroom purposes but law enforcement departments can reserve the simulator for training," he stated. LaserShot is a computer-simulation program that employs a simulated handgun and a laser-action screen. Numerous drills and situations--including vehicle chases and hostage scenarios--take place onscreen with various endings. LaserShot instruction is only done at CVTC's Gordon County campus as part of the Criminal Justice program. In addition, the program provides classrooms, crime-scene rooms, computer research facilities, and rescue maze capability. "Our technology capabilities give students hands on experience allowing them to use what they learn in the field," notes Bojo, which keeps officers interested and offers them ongoing feedback.
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&
pnpID=722&NewsID=834262&CategoryID=3388&on=1

"Area Police Forces Add High-Tech Gear"
Valley News Dispatch (08/26/07); Biedka, Chuck

Harrison Township, Pa., law enforcement will soon begin utilizing a video enhancement system, while police in O'Hara will discover how to utilize a high-tech surveillance system that can be employed to investigate a variety of crimes, including drug trafficking. The video enhancement system can be utilized with the majority of video systems to upgrade the quality of images, such as those found on a firm's surveillance tapes. Meanwhile, the video surveillance system is small, easy to hide, and employs a camera that is motion activated. The system, which also records sounds, can be utilized inside or outdoors. O'Hara's surveillance system is the third advanced technological tool that the police department has acquired from the U.S. government. The department is also employing a thermal imaging camera. Harrison Police Chief Mike Klein noted his department will pursue a grant in 2008 to purchase the same surveillance system O'Hara is using. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_524172.html

"Oil City Police Go to Nab Speeders"
Oil City Derrick (PA) (08/30/07); Clark, Karen

The Oil City, Pa., Police Department has been employing the Electronic Non-Radar Device (ENRADD) since January, permitting officers to more aggressively pursue speeders. In addition, ENRADD makes it a lot harder for violators to figure out where police are probably waiting and watching. ENRADD--a wireless speed-detection device--enables police to operate a speed check almost anyplace, including on leading thoroughfares, bridges, and back streets. ENRADD has a pair of tripods that each have sensor units. Officers put the three-foot tripods on either side of the road. As cars drive between the sensors, their speed is determined and sent through a wireless radio connection to a display head situated in a patrol vehicle. Experts contend that ENRADD can save a police department $3,000 to $5,000 a car annually on gas and maintenance because police do not have to chase vehicles that are going too fast. http://www.thederrick.com/stories/08312007-5008.shtml

"Video Billboards Coming This Way"
Philadelphia Inquirer (08/21/07) P. E1; Slobodzian, Joseph A.

The Philadelphia region will soon erect digital billboards, which are being lauded by police for promoting public safety. ClearChannel Outdoor stated it would have eight 14-by-48 video billboards with advertising images or messages that would change every eight seconds on leading highways by the end of this year from Bucks County to Philadelphia and into Delaware County. The company attempted to install a couple of billboards on Aug. 20, only to be stopped by continuous rain. ClearChannel claims the billboards recently informed drivers in Minneapolis and St. Paul about the demise of the Interstate 35W bridge and offered optional routes. Separately, a missing girl from Minneapolis was located one day after digital billboards were utilized in an Amber Alert. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson supports the digital billboards, noting they are in the "community's best interests because they have the capability to deliver important emergency information, such as Amber Alerts or disaster-preparedness bulletins." Driver-safety organizations and environmentalists, however, contend that the billboards will endanger motorists and are an eyesore.
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20070821_
Video_billboards_coming_this_way.html

"Asotin County Sheriff Upgrades Tasers"
Lewiston Morning Tribune (ID) (08/21/07) P. 1D; Cole, David

Deputies in Asotin County, Idaho, are now carrying Tasers with newer technology, which are better at controlling dangerous suspects and are safer, authorities claim. In June, Asotin County Sheriff Ken Bancroft began carrying the new Taser X26 model, replacing the older Taser M26. The Taser X26 discharges a pair of small probes, which look like fish hooks that have been straightened. The probes can fly as far as 25 feet, penetrating the clothing of a suspect and going into the body, Bancroft explained. The Taser X26 costs $200 more than the M26, at $800 apiece. The sheriff's office bought 14 of the X26s, one for every field deputy and two for joint use by Asotin County Jail correctional deputies. The Taser X26 is shaped like a firearm, weighs less than the older Tasers, and documents the length of activation time. http://www.lmtribune.com

"Strategy Game Trains Cops and Firefighters"
PC World (08/23/07); McMillan, Robert

Graduate students from the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering are collaborating with Sandia National Laboratories on a real-time strategy game that allows police officers, fire fighters, and other first responders to practice emergency scenarios. The game, Ground Truth, is realistic because events in the game occur in real time, putting added pressure on first responders to act swiftly. Jim Pointer, the medical director of Alameda County's Emergency Medical Services Agency, recently completed an intense session of Ground Truth that called for him to oversee a city's response to a toxic chemical spill. During the scenario, he was responsible for managing traffic barriers, putting hazmat teams and police cars in position to respond to the spill, and managing medical collection points while keeping an eye out for toxic plumes. Pointer says the game is fun, educational, and has great promise. Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft III game provided inspiration for Ground Truth, which could eventually receive funding from private industry or even the Homeland Security Department. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136306-c,games/article.html

"Dallas PD Fights Crime With Video Surveillance"
Security Technology & Design (07/07) Vol. 17, No. 7, P. 52; Levin, Gregg

In early 2005, the Dallas Police Department launched a pilot project involving the installation of video surveillance cameras in the busy Deep Ellum area of the city. After just four months of operation, the project was credited with significantly reducing the number of crimes in the area, prompting the Police Department to consider expansion. With funding from the Meadows Foundation, bids were sought to install a wireless video surveillance system in Dallas' central business district with a goal of reducing crime in hot spots by 30 percent. In January, the new system was deployed, covering about 30 percent of the downtown area with round-the-clock monitoring and allowing operators to change the direction of the camera lenses remotely as well as allowing officers to redeploy cameras as needed to increase monitoring capabilities at special events or other downtown locations. The Police Department now plans to increase the number of cameras deployed around the city by threefold.
http://www.securityinfowatch.com/print/Security-Technology-
and-Design/Video-Surveillance/Dallas-PD-Fights-Crime-With-Video-Surveillance
/11804SIW2

"Riot Act"
Police Magazine (08/07) Vol. 31, No. 8, P. 34; Griffith, David

Since it was closed in 1996, the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville has hosted the annual Mock Prison Riot, which is one of the premier corrections and law enforcement training events in the world. The Mock Prison Riot, which is held each May, is planned and executed by the staff of the Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLTEC) and the National Corrections and Law Enforcement Training and Technology Center (NCLETTC). Personnel from the two organizations act as leaders of the "rioters," who are mostly students from local colleges and high schools. In addition, OLTEC develops scenarios that allow law enforcement agencies that are participating in the Mock Prison Riot to practice putting down prison disturbances. Although the scenarios are choreographed to some extent, there are some surprises for the responders. In some of the scenarios, the prisoners give up quickly, while in others they put up a fight. Along with developing the riot scenarios, OLETC and NCLETTC work with the participating law enforcement agencies and the makers of the products that are on display at the Mock Prison Riot's Technology Showcase to provide training opportunities that involve new or improved products. Since it is held in an abandoned prison, the event offers a one-of-a-kind training opportunity for law enforcement agencies such as the Gwinnett County (Ga.) Sheriff's Office's Rapid Response Team. "We really can't train very well in our jail because it is occupied," said Major Carl Sims of the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office. "And that's a problem because a cell offers a unique environment that's difficult to duplicate outside of a corrections facility." http://www.policemag.com/Articles/2007/08/Riot-Act.aspx

Law Enforcement Technology

Editor's Note: Many of the technologies reviewed in these articles are cross-over technologies from the military to law enforcement, or law enforcement to the military.

NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, August 16, 2007

"Iris Scan Boosts Jail Security"
Fort Collins Coloradoan (08/10/07) P. 3A; Reed, Sara

The Larimer County, Colo., Detection Center is now utilizing iris scanning to increase prison security and improve efficiency. Employing a handheld scanner, deputies at the facility scan the irises of everybody who is booked into the prison on top of fingerprint and photographing them. "One of the strong reasons we bought into the system is that someone might pose as someone else at release," explained Lt. Pat McCosh. He recalled how a prisoner was set for release but a different prisoner who had a similar name was set free instead. The scanner captures a black-and-white photo of the individual's eye, digitizes it, and stores it for later comparison. Irises do not change over time, are as individual as fingerprints, and the scan is not impacted by glasses or contacts. Money paid by people booked into the prison financed the $88,000 system, McCosh stressed. He added that the scans are not connected to any personal data besides a name and a file number. http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070810/NEWS01/708100342/1002

"Crime-Tipping Technology Updated"
Contra Costa Times (CA) (08/08/07); Gokhman, Roman

When a passer-by saw a man attempting to kidnap his girlfriend, he used his cell phone to videotape the crime in action and shot an image of the vehicle's license plate number. Law enforcement have noticed the accessibility of the public to assist police with such witness-supplied evidence, so some agencies have created ways for the public to submit and post footage on the Web to assist with arresting criminals. Yet some say the initiative is a matter of credibility, as in the case of individuals holding grudges and falsifying information. The Pismo Beach Police Department has launched the "E-Tip" program, where the public can email video footage to an address monitored by emergency dispatchers. Police Chief Joe Cortex says the department wanted "to get more timely crime-tip info" so the initiative was instated. He added that at first there was apprehension about receiving prank tips, but he noted such instances have not been an issue. Knox County sheriff's communications specialist Drew Reeves says the program has been successful at his department, and although the evidence does not supplant the work of officers, it is an effective tool for assisting with crime solving. http://www.contracostatimes.com/alamedacounty/ci_6571801

"Jones Studies Cameras in Use at Virginia Beach"
Charleston Daily Mail (WV) (08/09/07) P. 4C; Pettit, Zack

Charleston, W.Va. Mayor Danny Jones and other city leaders recently traveled to Virginia Beach to see how that city has benefited from the use of surveillance cameras. According to Charlie Meyer, the chief operating officer for Virginia Beach, there is not as much hard facts and figures as there is anecdotal evidence that surveillance cameras deter crime. He that he could not say that any one factor affected crime rates in Virginia Beach. Nonetheless, Meyer said he is a big supporter of using surveillance cameras because they can monitor more effectively than an officer on patrol and because they can gather evidence. Virginia Beach's emphasis on improving street lighting also seems to have helped deter crime and has prevented the cameras from being ineffective, Meyer said. Jones noted that Charleston needed to improve lighting as well. He added that Charleston's camera initiative would not likely get underway until next year, after officials obtain and learn to use the ca! meras and resolve public concerns about invasion of privacy. http://www.dailymail.com/story/News/2007080968/Mayor-and-police-chief-have-eye-opening-trip-to-check-out-surveillance-cameras/

"Grant Will Aid Care of Copters"
Sacramento Bee (CA) (08/09/07) P. G1; Sanchez, Edgar

The Department of Justice has granted $475,880 to the Sacramento City Council to improve the city's two police helicopters. Aire One and Aire Two will receive night-vision goggles, infrared cameras, and a thermal-imaging camera that will assist law enforcement in spotting individuals from the craft during the night. Sgt. Mike Hutchins says that the new model infrared camera will be especially beneficial because it has a low-light color capability that makes seeing suspects considerably easier at night. The camera will take high-definition photographs of an individual that exhibits the color of the clothing the suspect is wearing; pilots can then relay the information to officers on the ground. Additionally, the cameras' infrared features will thwart attempts from suspects to resort to hiding places such as the bushes or garbage cans, because the camera's technology will capture a glow around the suspect. Lt. Sylvia Moir said the cameras will also be able to assist in searching for missing persons, while the technology can be used by weather specialists in the winter to detect trouble spots in the case of flooding. The federal funding will also pay for replacement main rotor blades for Air One and a reconstructed engine for Air Two. http://www.sacbee.com/city/story/312943.html

"Courthouse Security Upgrades Near Completion"
Kokomo Tribune (IN) (08/08/07); de la Bastide, Ken

Howard County, Ind., authorities have scheduled a tentative date of Aug. 20 to install increased security measures at the courthouse. County authorities had earlier hoped the improved security initiatives would be enacted by April 20, 2007. The county got $30,000 from the state Department of Homeland Security to buy equipment and has spent another $110,000 for additional security improvements and a pair of security officers. Although courthouse staff will have access to the facility's west door, other county workers and public members will be mandated to come in through the east door. Extra cameras costing $44,000 were ordered for the building after a recent failed break-in. Any individual breaching Howard County's security regulations, which include a weapons ban, could be fined as much as $2,500. Law enforcement officers who are off-duty will be mandated to keep their weapons in the security office. A frequent-visitor pass will be given to attorneys and other individuals who have regular courthouse business. http://www.kokomotribune.com/local/local_story_220220537.html

"Houston OKs High-Tech Tracking of Probationers"
Macon Telegraph (GA) (08/08/07); Crenshaw, Wayne

On Aug. 7, the Houston County Board of Commissioners voted to use new technology to monitor people on court probation. The board voted to alter the agreement with Sentinel, its probation firm, to permit for tracking of certain probationers utilizing GPS technology and alcohol-tracking bracelets. Sentinel had formerly been contracted to follow as many as 50 probationers with electronic ankle brackets and phone checks. Every day, data from the bracelets is downloaded over the phone, and it would inform probation officers whether an individual had violated probation. County administrator Steve Engle explained that the advantage of using GPS technology is that it would permit officers to monitor the location of a probationer at any time. He added that the sheriff's department asked for the new service mostly to monitor child molesters. The alcohol-tracking gadgets would be employed for DUI violators and other people mandated by the court to not drink alcohol. The devices, attached to the wrist, detect alcohol consumption through sweat, and would instantly inform the individual's probation officer if alcohol is discovered. http://www.macon.com/197/v-print/story/107254.html

"Homeland Security Tests Strobe-like 'Puke-Ray' to Safely Subdue Suspects"
USA Today (08/08/07) P. 1A; Hall, Mimi; Moreno, Eric

The Department of Homeland Security has invested $1 million for testing of the LED (light-emitting diode) Incapacitator that would blind any individual staring into the beam of light. The tool could be used to abet authorities in their capture of a criminal or to handle belligerent airline passengers. The light will be tested at Pennsylvania State University's Institute of Non-Lethal Defense Technologies this fall, and if the technology receives the green light, the incapacitator could be in the hands of law enforcement by 2010. Program manager Gerald Kirwin says the device would also be used by air marshals, border patrol agents, and other Transportation Security Administration officials. Intelligent Optical, the company that is developing the beam, says the effect of the LED induces "a real disorientation [ranging] from vertigo to nausea" or as the online publication The Registrar deems it, the "puke-ray." Although Intelligent Optical President Bob Lieberman says the device is undergoing medically supervised tests, human rights groups say they are concerned the LED would be used on illegal immigrants. Other issues include the potential for the lights being sold on the black market if they get into the hand of criminals, or whether law enforcement would have to wear protective gear to prevent the devices from being used against them. http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070808/1a_bottomstrip08.art.htm

"Police Arrest Intruders Near Fallen Bridge, Boost Security"
CNN.com (08/09/07)

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is taking over the responsibility of providing security at the site of the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, which authorities consider a death-scene investigation site. Security is being increased after Minneapolis police announced that they arrested 16 people for trespassing at the site and interfering with the investigation. Stressing the need to "maintain the honor and the dignity" of the site where five people died and eight people are still missing, Minneapolis police announced that they are deploying security technology at the site, including surveillance cameras and motion detectors. The technology will notify police if intruders are detected. http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/08/08/bridge.collapse/index.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"City Council Proposes Split of 911 Center"
Dallas Morning News (08/09/07); Eiserer, Tanya

The Dallas City Council last week received a proposal from City Manager Mary Suhm that aims to overhaul the city's troubled call center. The call center has been beset with a number of problems recently, including incomplete and sometimes incorrect information being passed from call-takers to police and understaffed overworked operators struggling to keep up with the large volume of calls. Police have also been dispatched to nonpolice matters, such as a fallen tree in a roadway. Under Suhm's plan, the emergency 911 operation and the nonemergency operations--such as 311 service calls--will be split into two next fiscal year. Suhm's plan also provides money for four new supervisors for 311 and six new 911 operators. But according to Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle, the problems at the call center cannot be corrected until 911 operations are moved from the Fire Department's control to the Police Department's control--something Suhm's plan does not call for. However, Suhm said the city is probably going to move 911 operations back to the police department after the center has been split between 911 and 311, and after a new dispatch system gets off the ground this month. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews
/stories/080907dnmet911.36262a3.html

"New Crime Lab Planned for Triad"
High Point Enterprise (08/11/07); Kimbrough, Pat

Earlier in August, North Carolina legislators sanctioned money to help form the Piedmont Triad Regional Crime Laboratory. The $567,911 will be employed to lease space and hire new employees for a State Bureau of Investigation lab that will facilitate forensic crime-scene evidence study for law enforcement groups in the area. The new lab would mean investigators would not have to depend as much on state labs in Raleigh and Western North Carolina, where it can take weeks or months to analyze evidence. Triad sheriffs have tentatively consented to offer federal forfeiture money from their various agencies to the lab to assist with start-up and operating expenses. Though a location has not been selected, Guilford County Sheriff B.J. Barnes reported that Greensboro is a likely setting and that the tentative scheduled opening date is April 2008. The new lab will offer drug chemistry and toxicology study, latent evidence analysis, and computer forensics, although it will not provide DNA study. Barnes noted that although local police agencies were contacted about the new facility, it will mostly be a function of area sheriff's offices. http://www.hpe.com/

"Dispatchers Face Challenges in Tracking Emergency Calls"
Houston Chronicle (08/09/07) P. 9; Stauffer, Kimberly

Emergency dispatch workers in Montgomery County, Texas, are working to alter the way they accept and deal with emergency calls. Nearly 60 percent of 911 calls are made from cell phones, which means they are often dropped or contain static, and if callers cannot provide dispatchers with an address and other data, finding them can be difficult. A deal between cell-phone companies and the FCC mandates wireless carriers to provide location data and technology. Montgomery County Sheriff's Department executive director Bob Gunter notes that with the carriers' aid, emergency dispatchers can find a person around 80 percent of the time. He notes, however, that a large part of the technology's bill is footed by law enforcement. Within the next few years, the sheriff's department will start installing new technology permitting the public to call emergency services from any location. Gunter states that the National Emergency Number Association is working will all cell-phone providers in the creation of next-generation technology--namely, IP-based Internet-style technology. For example, he says, if somebody sees a shooting and employs a cell phone or camera to take a picture of the event, he or she can upload and send it to dispatch and call 911. http://www.chron.com/

"Officials Laud Unmanned Weapons, See Challenges"
ABC News (08/07/07); Shalal-Esa, Andrea

Speaking during AUVSI's Unmanned Systems North America 2007 conference in Washington, D.C., Lt. Gen. Donald Hoffman said the U.S. military sees increasing value in the use of unmanned planes, boats, and ground vehicles. "I see this as an explosive arena," Hoffman said, noting that unmanned, high-altitude surveillance planes like the Global Hawk have a number of advantages over their human-operated counterparts. Not only can unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) stay in the air for up to 24 hours, they also have potential applications in the area of "near space," which is unreachable by manned planes. Other UAVs include the Reaper, a faster, deadlier version of the Predator that is capable of flying twice as high. UAVs are not without their drawbacks; however, plans are already in the works to overcome concerns about their fueling and the bandwidth needed to operate the UAVs. The Navy plans to further develop its use of unmanned aircraft with a $2 billion contract this fall for maritime surveillance. In addition, the Navy has outfitted the Littoral Combat Ship with the equipment necessary to control unmanned boats. http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3456951

"Taser Gets Personal"
East Valley Tribune (AZ) (08/07/07); Hogan, Shanna

The latest Taser model is more stylish and less expensive than prior models. The Taser C2 Personal Protector is lightweight and comes in an array of new colors and sizes, including metallic pink, titanium silver, electric blue and black pearl. Like older models, the C2 delivers 50,000 volts of electricity, leaving an attacker incapacitated for up to 30 seconds. But Taser representatives hope the new colors and compact size of the C2 will attract a wider range of consumers, including women. "For the last seven years, we've been making law enforcement our No. 1 priority," says Taser International Chairman Tom Smith. "Everything we did looked like a firearm, felt like a firearm, it was very aggressive. People didn't want that 'Dirty Harry' look." Still, Smith adds that "some law enforcement officials" have misgivings about increasing the accessibility of Tasers to civilians. http://www.eastvalleytribun! e.com/

"Teens Help Clovis Police Get a New Set of Robot Eyes"
Fresno Bee (CA) (08/07/07) P. B1; Benjamin, Marc

The Clovis Police Department recruited a couple of high school students to build a remote-controlled surveillance device. The device features a camera to allow SWAT to see inside their target with a closed-circuit camera. "It can be the eyes in there first and then the commanders and chiefs can make a tactical decision without risking a body," explains officer Dave Grotto, who recruited his 18-year-old nephew and his friend to build the remote-controlled device. The robot the teens built runs on tank treads and is outfitted with a camera on a scissor lift that can turn 360 degrees. Scenes captured by the camera are relayed to a five-inch television monitor affixed to the remote control. The camera can operate for two hours before needing to be recharged. http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/105826.html

"Digital Age Gives Police an Edge in Identifying Victims"
Beaumont Enterprise (08/06/07); Myers, Ryan

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Child Victim Identification Program, which was begun five years ago, employs facial recognition to compare digital pictures in what could be the biggest collection of child pornography in the world. Local, state, and law enforcement groups, as well as law enforcement agencies from other countries, have donated images to the program. Since 2002, 8.6 million image files have been downloaded, helping locate 1,100 child victims. The program's most important function is locating children whose images are given for the first time. If a child has not been witnessed previously in the program, he or she could be a present abuse visit. Law enforcement is devising new ways to investigate individuals found with child pornography. The most significant change in recent years has been cooperation between various law enforcement organizations via the Child Victim Identification Program, claims program manager Jennifer Lee. http://www.southeasttexaslive.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18667104&BRD=2287&PAG=461&dept_id=512588&rfi=6

"Upkeep of Security Devices a Burden"
Washington Post (08/13/07) P. A1; Sheridan, Mary Beth

Emergency preparedness officials across the country say they are facing mounting costs related to the upkeep and maintenance of security equipment they purchased via homeland security grants since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Local officials believe they will be forced to spend a significant percentage of any future homeland grants on maintaining the equipment they have now, instead of purchasing new equipment. In many cash-strapped jurisdictions, expensive equipment is gathering dust because the equipment costs too much to maintain. For example, the FBI used a $25 million grant in 2003 to equip about 400 state and local bomb squads with a $12,000 high-tech bomb kit. The wireless laptop-based bomb kits allow U.S. bomb squads to communicate and share data about weapons of mass destruction and other explosives, and the kits even come with digital cameras that allow bomb squad members to take photos of suspicious devices, send the photos to the FBI, and get immediate advice. The initial $25 million grant included a prepaid wireless card and three-year service agreement, but once the prepaid subscriptions ran out, the local squads were forced to foot the bill. As a result, many bomb squads across the country have stopped using the devices. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR2007081201244.html?hpid=topnews

"Robotic Insect Takes Off for the First Time"
Technology Review (07/19/07); Ross, Rachel

Harvard University researchers have created a life-size robotic fly that could one day be used as spies or to detect harmful chemicals. The robotic fly weighs only 60 grams, has a wingspan of three centimeters, and has its movements modeled after those of a real fly. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is funding the research on the robotic fly, which still has a significant amount of work left to be done, in the hope that it will lead to stealth surveillance robots. Recreating a fly's efficient movements in a robot about the same size was difficult because existing manufacturing processes do not make the sturdy, lightweight parts necessary. The research team developed its own fabrication process, using laser micro-machining to cut thin sheet of carbon fiber and polymers into two-dimensional patters. After more than seven years of working and improving parts, the robotic fly finally flew this spring. The robot still needs significant work, as it is currently held on a tether that keeps it moving in a straight, upward direction. The researchers are working on a flight controller so the robot can fly as instructed. The fly is also currently connected to a external power source, so an onboard power source needs to be developed. Leader of the robotic fly project Robert Wood said a scaled-down lithium-polymer batter would provide less than five minutes of flight time. Tiny sensors and software routines need to be developed and integrated as well so the fly can detect dangerous conditions and be able to avoid flying into obstacles. http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/19068/

"Ground Vehicles a Larger Presence at Unmanned Vehicle Exhibition"
Defense News (08/06/07); Osborn, Kris

There were more unmanned ground systems at this year's Unmanned Systems North America exhibition show--which was held by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland--than in years past, according to exhibitors and military officials. "In previous years, there were few unmanned ground vehicles at this show," said iRobot co-founder Helen Greiner. "This year, about one-third are ground." One of those robots was the 9-foot, 3,500-pound Mobile Detection Assessment Response System (MDARS), a security-guard robot from General Dynamics Robotics Systems (GDRS) that is capable of walking a beat without human control, avoiding both fixed and moving obstacles and detecting intruders up to 300 meters away. According to a Defense Department official with the Physical Security Action Group, MDARS would be the Army's first land-based semi-autonomous robot. GDRS is currently negotiating a $70 million deal t! o provide the Army with 24 to 30 robots, said Brian Frederick, manger of the MDARS program at GDRS. http://defensenews.com/story.php?F=2951265&C=america

Program Takes 'LEEP' for America

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

May 23, 2007 – U.S. servicemembers are working overseas to build capable police forces, and a member organization of the Defense Department's America Supports You program is helping that cause. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

"The Law Enforcement Equipment Program facilitates the transfer of used law enforcement equipment to any American armed forces unit to be used to equip or train a friendly foreign police force," said Steve Newton a former police chief, who founded LEEP.

"We do not carry an inventory of equipment," he explained. "We simply act as a go-between for the American law enforcement community and the military."

The program also will assist in the transfer of needed equipment directly to the foreign police units if they're supervised by the United States, Newton, who also is a Marine and Navy veteran, added.

The Law Enforcement Equipment Program began to help an under-equipped Iraqi police force, he said. The program has since expanded to include Afghanistan and other areas where U.S. forces are training, or supervising the training, of foreign law officers.
"I believe that it is our responsibility to assist our armed forces in any and all ways possible," he said on the program's Web site.

The needs expressed by the servicemembers on behalf of the foreign law officers include everything from reflective belts and vests to body armor, batons and handcuffs. Some areas also are asking for riot control sets, gloves and even traffic cones.

America Supports You often serves as a way for a group to network and find another group that can fulfill a request it can't. This has been the case for The Law Enforcement Equipment Program, Newton said. His program has received several referrals from other America Supports You members.

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Training Center Transformation Ensures Combat-Ready Troops

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 30, 2007 – When the National Training Center opened here in 1981, it presented the most realistic environment imaginable for troops to prepare for a potential large-scale, tank-on-tank confrontation with the Soviet Union in Germany's Fulda Gap. Today, this sweeping training center has transformed dramatically to train troops for the fight they face today against terrorists and insurgent groups in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Deep within the Mojave Desert, on a post larger than Rhode Island, there's little sign of the National Training Center's past life, when it focused on preparing troops for a major Cold War confrontation.

Gone is the permanent opposing force that operated with Soviet tactics, dressed in Soviet uniforms and navigated the training grounds in Vietnam-era M-551 Sheridan tanks modified to look like T-72 and BMP tanks.

Army Capt. Sean Patrick, an observer-controller with the Operations Group here, remembers going through the old NTC in 1999. "It was a high-intensity conflict environment, designed for tank-on-tank conflict," he recalled. "It was wide-open desert, with no towns. We were fighting the Soviet army, so our techniques were different."

Today, Patrick and the rest of the NTC cadre and staff offer what soldiers training here describe as the best preparation they could receive stateside for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Troops now train for the many diverse tasks they'll be called on to conduct while deployed: mounted and dismounted patrols, cordon-and-search missions, searches for weapons caches and high-value targets, bilateral talks with Iraqi officials, and infrastructure missions.

"What we do here runs the spectrum, from troop-leading procedures to teaching units how to react to contact and everything in between," said Patrick.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Adam Lammers, another observer-controller, went through NTC in 1997 with the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment. Ten years later, he's training the same unit for its third deployment to Iraq.

"Instead of putting the emphasis on big tank-on-tank battles, now the focus is on stability and support operations," he said. "Also, back then, we used tactical assembly areas. Now our operations are FOB (forward operating base)-based. So a lot has changed."

Training reflects the environment and threats troops will face in Iraq, and is altered slightly for troops deploying to Afghanistan. Scenarios are updated regularly to reflect lessons learned on the battlefield, said Army Col. Steven Salazar, commander of the Operations Group. "We do absolutely everything we can possibly think of to make sure we have a current environment and a current scenario," he said.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Heath Thayer, a section trainer for the scout platoon, calls the NTC's similarity to conditions in Iraq the perfect environment to reinforce the tactics, techniques and procedures troops will use during their deployment.

"This gives us an opportunity to rehearse (standard operating procedures and tactics, techniques and procedures) that soldiers have been working on at home station and evaluate if they will actually work in theater ... against the most realistic and up-to-date threats," he said. "It's all very realistic, about as realistic as it gets."

Much of the activity centers around 12 Iraqi-style villages that dot the landscape, inhabited by some 1,600 actors posing as Iraqi citizens. Most of these actors are soldiers from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment that serves as NTC's permanent opposing force, but 250 are Iraqi-Americans. They adopt roles ranging from political or tribal leaders to mullahs to everyday people whose support varies for or against U.S. troops depending on their actions.

John Wagstaffe, the training center's public affairs officer, compares the scenarios that take place in these villages to "an improvised Shakespearean play."

Citizens in the fictional village of Wasl, for example, started a recent training exercise relatively neutral toward the Americans in their midst. But after a patrol from the 3rd Infantry Division disrupted a house during a search and treated an "Iraqi" woman in a way the local people thought inappropriate, they staged a demonstration. The protest turned violent, and two soldiers were "captured."

The following day, a small group of soldiers met with the town mayor, police chief and religious leaders to help turn a bad situation around. "We focus on getting soldiers used to dealing with the Iraqis and how to react to different scenarios," explained David Beach, one of two site managers in the "town."

Army Pvt. 2 Jimmy Hills, who has played a friendly Iraqi for the past six months, said he sees a direct correlation between soldiers' actions and the local people's behavior. "It all depends on what the soldiers do. If they mess up the city, it's just like in real life; we get angry," he said. "When soldiers go through here, they actually reap the repercussions of their actions. As they do that, they are learning cultural awareness, how to use the language and what to look for."

Nearly every training situation here enforces the ever-present threat posed by improvised explosive devices and snipers. Pyrotechnics are used widely to keep troops ever watchful for roadside bombs, car bombs and insurgents wearing suicide vests. Snipers hide within the villages, often attacking when troops react to IEDs.

For example, medics going through Lammers' simulation training exercise lane got a taste of that when their Humvee and a vehicle loaded with "Iraqis" got hit by an IED. As the troops secured the area and began treating patients, they were hit with a sniper attack.

Army Cpl. Nathan Bell, a gunner with the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, who returned from Iraq in March, called the villages, explosives, rocket-propelled grenades and sniper fire here good preparation for the unit's upcoming deployment. "This is all pretty realistic, and it's making us better prepared," he said. "We're able to work on deficient areas and get retrained in areas we need it."

Army 1st Lt. Doug Serota had glowing words for the training the NTC cadre offered his troops. "These guys learned a lot from overseas, and they know what they need to push our way," he said. "There's always stuff we can learn, and these guys are awesome in what they give us."

The NTC cadre and staff say they recognize the urgency of the training. "Nobody comes to the NTC anymore unless they are going to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan," Wagstaffe said. "That puts a lot more pressure on us to ensure that the training is challenging and meaningful. We have to be sure that when people leave here, they are ready to go."

After-action reviews, conducted after training events, take on a more pressing nature than ever before. "No thin skin, okay?" Army Sgt. 1st Class Steve Smith, an observer-controller, said as he talked with members of 1st Platoon, 58th Combat Engineer Company, about a road-clearance training mission.

Smith pointed out shortcomings in the mission in which five tracked vehicles got ambushed and two of them got hit with IEDs. The vehicles were spaced too closely together, making them vulnerable to attack, he noted. The soldiers didn't properly scan the area for secondary IEDs before reacting to the first. They had no established succession of command in the event that the leaders were lost. And a single vehicle crew was tapped to do two missions it couldn't possibly do simultaneously: evacuate casualties while setting up a traffic control point.

"Hopefully you will learn something from here," Smith told the soldiers, all bound for Iraq within the next few months. "Take what you get here and apply it."

"The whole thing we do here is to get these guys spun up and get them ready," said Bob Mortensen, a civilian who advises troops going through route-clearance training. "The more knowledge people have when they get (to the combat theater), the better. So that's our mandate: to train these guys, give them the most up-to-date information so that when they're into the theater, they're prepared."

Army Sgt. Tony Smith, preparing for his third deployment to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade, said he welcomes the preparation he's getting at NTC. "This training parallels everything we deal with over there in Iraq," he said.

"This is probably as close as we are going to get to what it looks like and what we're going to be exposed to in Iraq," agreed Sgt. Marcus Williams, Smith's comrade. "It gets pretty intense here, because that's what it's going to be like when we are over there. So this is the time we can make mistakes and fix those mistakes."

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