Featured Blog Posts – May 2009 Archive (11)

It's a terrible loss and my heart goes out to the families. The one with the LOSS and the one who has to LIVE With what happened. It's all about the situation, and how it was handled; every person with a GUN in hand, is not a criminal. As officers we have to insure the actions we take, don't take out the GOOD GUY. I feel that prior to "Shooting", the other officer should have joined the chase, since there were two of then in the car; then make a choice after contact is made, at some point… Continue

Two fishermen who were no strangers to the waters of Lake Artemesia in Berwyn Heights, Prince George’s County Maryland, noticed a dark colored bag floating in the river on March 22, 2009 and pulled it out of the water. Inside, they discovered a deceased baby with the umbilical cord still attached. The child was of the female gender, 20 inches long, and 2.490 grams.



The Prince George’s County Police Homicide Unit was called in on the case by the Maryland Park Police who have… Continue

In the last two weeks we have seen two high-profile reports where law enforcement officers put the boots to a suspect at the end of a pursuit. There was no room for interpretation or mitigation with either one—both were recorded on video. This isn't especially uncommon, but the practice needs to come to an end because it's wrong from every perspective.…

Continue

Is civilian vigilance necessary to ensure law enforcement isn't shortchanged?

Mike Wasilewski and Althea Olson, LCSW

2009 May 4



Whether its roots can be traced to the declining economy, some sort of demographic shift, bolder criminals, or an unarmed and vulnerable population may be debatable. Maybe the cause is something altogether different. What is certain is that a 46% increase in robberies, along with a general increase in other types of street crime, is a… Continue

Prince George’s County Maryland is a diverse community with various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds encompassed by a wide span of physical territory that remains a continual challenge for public safety. Historically, the area was known to be laden with crime coupled with criticism often unfairly levied at the police. For the police officers themselves, it was a case of “Heck if we do, heck if we don’t.” However, things have changed and changed for the better. The Prince George’s County… Continue

Owing to a number of unusual circumstances, including failures of personally-owned technology, poor planning, and various undertakings requiring my personal attention, I have watched the sun set and rise again while I prepared today's news and other features for your information and enjoyment. I've spent a good chunk of my working life in darkness, but I try to avoid that sort of thing these days. It messes with my circadian rhythm and I am less patient with people who call me on…

Continue

As I mentioned in my last post, one of my favorite presentations at the NIJ’s Technology Institute for Rural Law Enforcement, held here last week, was given by Officer Matt Burg of the Aspen (Colo.) PD.



In March of 2008, the Aspen city council approved the use of hybrid duty vehicles as part of a pilot program. The idea was that hybrid vehicles would reduce carbon emissions as part of city efforts to go green and decrease fuel costs.



The department chose Toyota Highlanders… Continue

Last week, one of our lead stories concerned an item in President Obama's proposed budget that reduced the amount of money in the Public Safety Officers Benefits program almost by half, from $110 million to $60 million.

The Public Safety Officers Benefit program pays over $300,000 to the family of a public safety officer (law enforcement, fire service, emergency medical services) killed in the line of duty. The amount of the benefit is adjusted each year to keep pace with…

Continue

Police officers, professionals in the criminal justice system, and others congregate in Washington, D. C. during National Police Week (May 10-15, 2009) to honor all the fallen law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty. The pain, the loss, the grief, combined with memories and the joy of fond recollections permeate the mass of people who come to pay tribute and honor those who sacrificed their lives in the pursuit of public safety. It is a time for all to come together to support the… Continue

I had the privilege of attending the NIJ’s Technology Institute for Rural Law Enforcement in Coronado, Calif., this last week. The institute, hosted by the Rural Law Enforcement Technology Center (RULETC) convened 35 attendees who submitted presentations that were evaluated by RULETC staff. These presentations addressed technologies in some way—problems, solutions, reports, etc.—that will impact small or rural police departments.



“Innovation is innovation, and we’re trying to get the… Continue

Earlier this week, the Spring Lake (NC) Police Department was stripped of its arrest and investigation powers. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office has taken over law enforcement duties for the town of around 10,000, near Pope AFB and Army post Ft. Bragg. I can't say with authority that this is unprecedented, but I can't remember it ever happening before. I understand, as…

Continue