Will [County, Illinois] prepared for bioterrorism?
“The Will County Health Department received one of the highest scores possible during its 2007-2008 Public Health Emergency Local Technical Assistance Review. Will County's Bioterrorism Preparedness Program, specifically the Pharmaceutical Distribution Plan, earned 99 percent out of a possible 100 percent after a review conducted by the Illinois Department of Public Health.” (The Herald News; 03July08) http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1037620,4_1_JO03_HEALTH_S1.article
Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing
“The invention is a composition and method for prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of tularemia caused by Francisella tularensis comprised of Cationic Liposome DNA Complexes (CLDC) complexed with noncoding DNA and membrane antigens isolated from F. tularensis strain LVS (MPF). F. tularensis is category A pathogen (as designated by the NIH) that was previously weaponized by both the former Soviet Union and the United States of America and is currently a potential bioweapon and bioterrorism threat. Furthermore, tularemia is endemic to the U.S. (majority of the cases occurring in the Midwest) and Europe.” (Trading Markets; 03July08) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1733701/
Report: Weapons can’t be destroyed by 2017
“Transporting chemical weapons from the Blue Grass Army Depot to Arkansas and Alabama, as well as halting construction plans for the weapons disposal facility, are just a few among many alternatives the Department of Defense (DOD) has offered to help speed up the process of destroying America’s remaining chemical warfare.” (Richmond Register; 03July08; Ronica Shannon) http://www.richmondregister.com/localnews/local_story_185080545.html
PB [Pine Bluff] Arsenal to get more to destroy?
“The Pentagon has drafted a plan to send more of its chemical weapon stockpile to the Pine Bluff Arsenal and three additional disposal sites to meet a 2017 deadline to destroy lethal chemical agents and munitions.”
(Arkansas Democrat; 03July08; Mike Linn) http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/230358/
Immune Buildings’ Designed to Combat Chemical Warfare and Diseases
“Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) [Canada] have opened a new engineering lab to design a ventilation system that could protect schools, hospitals, and other public buildings from chemical warfare and bioterrorist attacks. ‘Think of it as a complex fire alarm for industrial chemical spills, airborne diseases, and biological warfare strikes on vulnerable public spaces,’ says engineering dean and lead researcher Janusz Kozinski.” (NewsWise; 03July08) http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/542328/
Thompson veterans bill prompts hearing
“Legislation introduced by Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena to help veterans who were unknowingly tested with chemical and biological weapons in the 1960s and ‘70s, recently prompted a House of Representatives subcommittee meeting. […] In a statement, Thompson said he hopes the hearing will ultimately push his bill toward consideration by the House.” (The St. Helena Star; 03July08)
http://www.sthelenastar.com/articles/2008/07/03/news/local/doc486bebb0537f1480731104.txt
U.S. Issues Broad Threat to WMD Accomplices
“Serious consequences await those that aid terrorists in acquiring or using unconventional weapons under a new policy that national security adviser Stephen Hadley has broadcast. The Bush administration, however, is not clarifying whether the punishment could include U.S. nuclear weapons use, an ambiguity that suits some experts but troubles others. Speaking May 28 to representatives of some 80 governments attending a Washington meeting on curbing the spread of unconventional arms, Hadley noted that the United States for many years has maintained that any state that employs biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons, often referred to collectively as weapons of mass destruction (WMD), against the United States, its forces, or friends and allies could face U.S. retaliation with ‘overwhelming force.’” (Arms Control Association; 02July08; Wade Boese) http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2008_07-08/WMD.asp
GAO: First Responders' Detection of Hazardous Releases Inadequate
“More than six years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, local first responders do not have tools to accurately and quickly identify the release of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear materials in an urban environment, according to a new report issued by the Government Accountability Office, GAO, the investigative branch of Congress.” (Environmental News Service; 03July08) http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2008/2008-07-03-092.asp
NYPD Unveils $1 Million Anti-Terror Patrol Boats
“Just in time for the Fourth of July, the NYPD is dramatically stepping up its war against seaborne terrorist threats. CBS 2 HD went along on one of the first patrols of the new vessel for an exclusive look at this new and important way to help keep the city safe.” (WCBS TV; 04July08; ChrisWragge)
http://wcbstv.com/technology/tracs.boat.nypd.2.763644.html
Terror suspect out on bail seven years after arrest
“An alleged al-Qaeda operative said to have ‘direct links’ with Osama bin Laden was released on bail from a top-security jail. The Algerian man, identified only as U, left Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire after spending more than seven years in jail fighting extradition and deportation. His release came two weeks after the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) granted bail to the radical preacher Abu Qatada. A third terror suspect, who was cleared of conspiracy to murder in the ‘ricin plot’ trial in 2005, is negotiating for his release on bail.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4265640.ece
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Showing posts with label dna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dna. Show all posts
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- June 13, 2008
ART: [Steven] Kurtz investigation in ‘Seized’ spotlight
“A four-year bioterrorism investigation would hurt the career of most people. For Buffalo [New York] artist and University at Buffalo professor Steven Kurtz, such a probe was an inspiration. Kurtz shows the mess the government left behind after their investigation in his exhibition, ‘Seized,’ which runs through next month at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center.” (Niagara Gazette; 12June08; Anthony Custode) http://www.niagara-gazette.com/nightandday/local_story_164165225.html
$6.7 billion for Foster City [California] biotech firm
“Invitrogen Corp. said Thursday that it has struck a deal to buy Applied Biosystems of Foster City, a pioneering maker of gene-sequencing tools, in a cash-and-stock transaction valued by the companies at $6.7 billion. […] The two companies have few overlapping products, but both provide tools and supplies for academic researchers and pharmaceutical company scientists. Applied Biosystems, which provided some of the first automated DNA sequencing machines for the Human Genome Project, also sells equipment for bioterrorism detection, forensic investigations and paternity testing. Both companies supply research tools for studies of proteins and small molecules as well as for DNA and other genetics-related compounds.” (SF Gate; 13June08; Bernadette Tansey) http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/12/BUOI11898U.DTL
Trial postponed to Sept. for man held in Vegas ricin case [Las Vegas, Nevada]
“Trial has been postponed for an unemployed graphic designer who authorities suspect poisoned himself keeping the exotic toxin ricin in his extended-stay motel room just off the Las Vegas Strip. U.S. District Court Judge Robert C. Jones on Thursday reset trial to Sept. 9 for Roger Bergendorff. The court record says defense lawyers and prosecutors agreed to more time. Trial had been scheduled to start Tuesday in federal court in Las Vegas.” (Sign on San Diego; 13June08; Associated Press) http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20080613-0829-nv-ricinmystery.html
Murder conspiracy accused 'brought ricin to Ireland'
“The conspiracy to murder trial of a Clare woman and an Egyptian man has heard evidence from an American woman who says, when she travelled to Ireland in September 2006 with Essam Eid, they brought ricin. Theresa Engels told the jury at the Central Criminal Court that herself and Essam Eid, who were living together in Las Vegas at the time, made the poison after getting a recipe on the Internet.” (Belfast Telegraph; 12June08) http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article3795305.ece
26 IDP [Internally Displaced Persons] children hospitalized after eating toxic seeds
“Twenty-six children of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) living in Yoakapuram Settlement Camp in Urumpiraai after being displaced [in the] Palaali High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikaamam north, were admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital (JTH) Tuesday evening, after eating poisonous seeds of the wild Castor Oil plant. The children are recovering after treatment, and are out of danger, JTH sources said.” (TamilNet; 12June08)
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25999
Chemicals at Water Plants Need More Protection from Terrorists, Experts Say
“Laws regulating the security of most factories and other businesses that possess a large amount of chemicals should also cover drinking water and wastewater treatment plants, some experts said at a House hearing Thursday. The Chemical Security Anti-terrorism Act of 2006 created a framework for the Department of Homeland Security to establish national standards for chemical facilities.” (Info Zine, Kansas City; 13June08; Jackie Best) http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/28874/
[Military Veterans] Vets press for info on 1960s chemical tests
“Jack Alderson was ordered never to talk about the secret weapons tests he helped conduct in the Pacific during the 1960s. He kept quiet for decades. Sparse attendance at a 1993 reunion prompted Alderson, a retired Navy Reserve lieutenant commander, to speak out. He learned that more than half of the 500 or so crew members who took part in the tests were either dead or suffering from cancer, respiratory problems or other ailments. Alderson wondered whether his own skin cancers, allergies and chronic fatigue were linked to those tests or were simply the result of aging.” (Google, Associated Press; 12June08; Erica Werner) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h6mM70jju27eQpAELACuysUGpHOAD918GSL00
Hazardous brews surprise
“Jason Croker is no soldier, but he is a trooper. Yesterday, he told high schoolers how he mistakenly mixed two cleaning products together at his pizza joint job when he was 15, cooking up a hazardous brew. ‘I created chlorine gas, which they used for chemical warfare in the First World War,’ he said at the launch of the Workers Compensation Board's SAFEWork media campaign. Croker, now 28, felt like he was choking as his lungs constricted after the Lime-A-Way he was using accidentally came into contact with bleach. Croker suffered no permanent damage and people in the pizza place were quickly evacuated, averting a serious situation.”(Winnipeg Sun; 13June08; Simon Fuller) http://winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/2008/06/13/5866546-sun.html
‘Exporter of the Year’ [Andes Chemical Corp] Exported Sarin Gas Precursor Without License
“Miami-based Andes Chemical Corp., which exports a variety of chemicals to the Caribbean as well as to Central and South America, was earlier this year named ‘Exporter of the Year’ in the ‘Materials’ Category by Commercial News USA, the ‘official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Department of Commerce.’ Not very long after that, Andes entered into a settlement agreement with the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (‘BIS’) pursuant to which Andes admitted that it had exported sodium bifluoride, a precursor of sarin gas, to Jamaica without a license. Andes further agreed to pay a $60,000 for the six unlicensed shipments which occurred between May 2003 and July 2007. The company voluntarily disclosed the violations to BIS.” (Export Law Blog; 11June08; Clif Burns)
http://www.exportlawblog.com/archives/348
Written on the Body: The Reality of War
“A new report from Fallujah – the Guernica of the Iraq War – brings this home most forcefully. Two of the great witnesses of this war – Dahr Jamail and his collaborator, Ali al-Fadhily – present disturbing evidence of how the use of chemical weapons against the people of Fallujah during the brutal decimation the city in 2004 continues to bear horrific fruit today: Babies born in Fallujah are showing illnesses and deformities on a scale never seen before, doctors and residents say. The new cases, and the number of deaths among children, have risen after ‘special weaponry’ was used in the two massive bombing campaigns in Fallujah in 2004.” (Baltimore Chronicle and Sentinel; 13June08; Chris Floyd) http://baltimorechronicle.com/2008/061308Floyd.shtml
Padilla co-defendant [Kifah Wael Jayyousi] faces jail restrictions
“A federal judge has refused to block prison officials from placing one of convicted terrorism conspirator Jose Padilla's co-defendants in a special unit that imposes tight restrictions on visitors and communications with the outside world. U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke said she found no constitutional violations in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons decision to send 46-year-old Kifah Wael Jayyousi to the ‘communications management unit’ at Terre Haute, Ind.” (Google, Associated Press; 12June08; Curt Anderson)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hPjpHT_j6DX3dhRrakgSSWQseYcAD918KIM05
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
“A four-year bioterrorism investigation would hurt the career of most people. For Buffalo [New York] artist and University at Buffalo professor Steven Kurtz, such a probe was an inspiration. Kurtz shows the mess the government left behind after their investigation in his exhibition, ‘Seized,’ which runs through next month at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center.” (Niagara Gazette; 12June08; Anthony Custode) http://www.niagara-gazette.com/nightandday/local_story_164165225.html
$6.7 billion for Foster City [California] biotech firm
“Invitrogen Corp. said Thursday that it has struck a deal to buy Applied Biosystems of Foster City, a pioneering maker of gene-sequencing tools, in a cash-and-stock transaction valued by the companies at $6.7 billion. […] The two companies have few overlapping products, but both provide tools and supplies for academic researchers and pharmaceutical company scientists. Applied Biosystems, which provided some of the first automated DNA sequencing machines for the Human Genome Project, also sells equipment for bioterrorism detection, forensic investigations and paternity testing. Both companies supply research tools for studies of proteins and small molecules as well as for DNA and other genetics-related compounds.” (SF Gate; 13June08; Bernadette Tansey) http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/12/BUOI11898U.DTL
Trial postponed to Sept. for man held in Vegas ricin case [Las Vegas, Nevada]
“Trial has been postponed for an unemployed graphic designer who authorities suspect poisoned himself keeping the exotic toxin ricin in his extended-stay motel room just off the Las Vegas Strip. U.S. District Court Judge Robert C. Jones on Thursday reset trial to Sept. 9 for Roger Bergendorff. The court record says defense lawyers and prosecutors agreed to more time. Trial had been scheduled to start Tuesday in federal court in Las Vegas.” (Sign on San Diego; 13June08; Associated Press) http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20080613-0829-nv-ricinmystery.html
Murder conspiracy accused 'brought ricin to Ireland'
“The conspiracy to murder trial of a Clare woman and an Egyptian man has heard evidence from an American woman who says, when she travelled to Ireland in September 2006 with Essam Eid, they brought ricin. Theresa Engels told the jury at the Central Criminal Court that herself and Essam Eid, who were living together in Las Vegas at the time, made the poison after getting a recipe on the Internet.” (Belfast Telegraph; 12June08) http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article3795305.ece
26 IDP [Internally Displaced Persons] children hospitalized after eating toxic seeds
“Twenty-six children of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) living in Yoakapuram Settlement Camp in Urumpiraai after being displaced [in the] Palaali High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikaamam north, were admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital (JTH) Tuesday evening, after eating poisonous seeds of the wild Castor Oil plant. The children are recovering after treatment, and are out of danger, JTH sources said.” (TamilNet; 12June08)
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=25999
Chemicals at Water Plants Need More Protection from Terrorists, Experts Say
“Laws regulating the security of most factories and other businesses that possess a large amount of chemicals should also cover drinking water and wastewater treatment plants, some experts said at a House hearing Thursday. The Chemical Security Anti-terrorism Act of 2006 created a framework for the Department of Homeland Security to establish national standards for chemical facilities.” (Info Zine, Kansas City; 13June08; Jackie Best) http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/28874/
[Military Veterans] Vets press for info on 1960s chemical tests
“Jack Alderson was ordered never to talk about the secret weapons tests he helped conduct in the Pacific during the 1960s. He kept quiet for decades. Sparse attendance at a 1993 reunion prompted Alderson, a retired Navy Reserve lieutenant commander, to speak out. He learned that more than half of the 500 or so crew members who took part in the tests were either dead or suffering from cancer, respiratory problems or other ailments. Alderson wondered whether his own skin cancers, allergies and chronic fatigue were linked to those tests or were simply the result of aging.” (Google, Associated Press; 12June08; Erica Werner) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h6mM70jju27eQpAELACuysUGpHOAD918GSL00
Hazardous brews surprise
“Jason Croker is no soldier, but he is a trooper. Yesterday, he told high schoolers how he mistakenly mixed two cleaning products together at his pizza joint job when he was 15, cooking up a hazardous brew. ‘I created chlorine gas, which they used for chemical warfare in the First World War,’ he said at the launch of the Workers Compensation Board's SAFEWork media campaign. Croker, now 28, felt like he was choking as his lungs constricted after the Lime-A-Way he was using accidentally came into contact with bleach. Croker suffered no permanent damage and people in the pizza place were quickly evacuated, averting a serious situation.”(Winnipeg Sun; 13June08; Simon Fuller) http://winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/2008/06/13/5866546-sun.html
‘Exporter of the Year’ [Andes Chemical Corp] Exported Sarin Gas Precursor Without License
“Miami-based Andes Chemical Corp., which exports a variety of chemicals to the Caribbean as well as to Central and South America, was earlier this year named ‘Exporter of the Year’ in the ‘Materials’ Category by Commercial News USA, the ‘official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Department of Commerce.’ Not very long after that, Andes entered into a settlement agreement with the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (‘BIS’) pursuant to which Andes admitted that it had exported sodium bifluoride, a precursor of sarin gas, to Jamaica without a license. Andes further agreed to pay a $60,000 for the six unlicensed shipments which occurred between May 2003 and July 2007. The company voluntarily disclosed the violations to BIS.” (Export Law Blog; 11June08; Clif Burns)
http://www.exportlawblog.com/archives/348
Written on the Body: The Reality of War
“A new report from Fallujah – the Guernica of the Iraq War – brings this home most forcefully. Two of the great witnesses of this war – Dahr Jamail and his collaborator, Ali al-Fadhily – present disturbing evidence of how the use of chemical weapons against the people of Fallujah during the brutal decimation the city in 2004 continues to bear horrific fruit today: Babies born in Fallujah are showing illnesses and deformities on a scale never seen before, doctors and residents say. The new cases, and the number of deaths among children, have risen after ‘special weaponry’ was used in the two massive bombing campaigns in Fallujah in 2004.” (Baltimore Chronicle and Sentinel; 13June08; Chris Floyd) http://baltimorechronicle.com/2008/061308Floyd.shtml
Padilla co-defendant [Kifah Wael Jayyousi] faces jail restrictions
“A federal judge has refused to block prison officials from placing one of convicted terrorism conspirator Jose Padilla's co-defendants in a special unit that imposes tight restrictions on visitors and communications with the outside world. U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke said she found no constitutional violations in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons decision to send 46-year-old Kifah Wael Jayyousi to the ‘communications management unit’ at Terre Haute, Ind.” (Google, Associated Press; 12June08; Curt Anderson)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hPjpHT_j6DX3dhRrakgSSWQseYcAD918KIM05
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Monday, April 07, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- April 7, 2008
Cisco releases Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security
“Cisco Systems Inc., announced last week the Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security, a technology platform designed to enable government agencies to protect assets, employees and citizens through a secure, intelligent, converged network. Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security supports the growing needs of defense, civilian, public safety, state and local government agencies to focus on business continuity and force protection mission requirements to minimize risk and address the security needs of citizens. […] This emerging capability is critical to force protection, as Major General Stephen V. Reeves, USA Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical and Biological Defense, testified on March 12, 2008 before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats & Capabilities.” (Computer Technology Review; 07Apr08)
http://www.wwpi.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3952&Itemid=128
SIGA Technologies Inc. Takes Steps toward FDA Approval for its Lead Smallpox Antiviral
“SIGA Technologies Inc. announced it has launched an initiative to produce DNA registration batches of its leading smallpox antiviral, ST-246. The company specializes in the development of pharmaceutical agents effective against biowarfare pathogens. For the past few months, the company has consulted with the FDA to choose its final chemical formulation for large-scale production, and has chosen the market image and packaging needed to commercialize the material.” (TransWorldNews; 04Apr08)
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=42320&cat=8
Man sickened by ricin seen as acting alone
“Authorities believe a man sickened by the deadly toxin ricin was a ‘lone wolf’ who manufactured the substance intending to do some kind of harm, an FBI agent said Thursday. Investigators believe Roger Bergendorff manufactured the ricin in the Salt Lake City area, but they haven't been able to turn up any evidence of the location, agent Juan Becerra said. ‘This could be somebody mad about taxes or the fact that the transit bus didn't come — whatever the situation may be,’ said Becerra, an FBI spokesman in Salt Lake City. ‘All of a sudden you've got a potential full-blown public-safety hazard.’" (Denver Post; 04Apr08; Associated Press)
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_8805053
Integrating detection and identification of biothreat agents
“While recent incidents have garnered the public’s desire for increased surveillance of the food supply, one lingering perception in the food industry has been that consumers should address many safety issues with proper handling techniques. This perception has reaffirmed the decisions by government entities to limit developing food and water surveillance technologies, and focus greater attention and resources on monitoring aerosol biothreats. […] This article discusses recent advances in developing comprehensive monitoring systems that can detect in real time and identify conclusively a biothreat from a broad range of pathogens and toxins. Such advances have been addressing the need to monitor and protect public health and safety from an ever-growing list of homeland security biothreats.” (Medical Device Link; 04Apr08; Colette A. Côté) http://www.devicelink.com/ivdt/archive/08/04/007.html
Training prepares officers for chemical attack
“Six local law enforcement officers traveled to Alabama for training and returned to Burke County [North Carolina] with a better knowledge of chemical weapons of mass destruction. Lt. Tom Rhyne with the Burke County Sheriff's Office said the six officers are part of the State Medical Assistance Team. It's their job to help protect and assist medical responders during an emergency, Rhyne said. The training took place in Anniston, Ala., at the Center for Domestic Preparedness, a federal site under the Department of Homeland Security umbrella.” (Morganton News Herald; 07Apr08; Julie Chang)
http://www.morganton.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=MNH/MGArticle/MNH_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173355211657
AP Interview: N. Korea's chemical disarmament should be separated from nuclear issue
“Efforts to disarm North Korea of chemical weapons should be separated from negotiations to end its nuclear program, the head of the chemical weapons watchdog agency said Friday. Israel, Egypt and Syria also should separate the question of chemical weapons disarmament from the wider issues of Middle East peace, said Rogelio Pfirter, director general of the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW.” (Associated Press; 04Apr08) http://www.pr-inside.com/ap-interview-n-korea-s-chemical-disarmament-r520303.htm
New global push to scrap chemical weapons
“A treaty-verification body on Friday called on 12 nations, including Syria, Iraq and Israel, to join a landmark pact for destroying stockpiles of chemical weapons. The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons made the appeal ahead of a review conference next week. So far 183 countries have ratified the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention banning the use, development, production, stockpiling and transfer of chemical weapons, but more states need to join.” (Mail & Guardian Online; 04Apr08)
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=336228
Eliminating chemical weapons
“Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen believes the destruction of chemical weapons can and should be speeded up. His comments came on the eve of this week's meeting of the United Nations Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. The 183 countries which have signed up to the Chemical Weapons Convention meet every five years in The Hague. The treaty is unique, not only in that it forbids a whole category of weapons of mass destruction but also because it enforces intensive inspections to ensure that countries are not secretly manufacturing the chemical agents.” (Radio Netherlands; 07Apr08; Hans de Vreij)
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/globalisation/080407-chemical-weapons-mc
Israel stages 5-day civil defence exercise
“Israel launched a 5-day civil defence exercise on Sunday that will include simulated chemical and biological attacks on the Jewish state. Israeli media have reported a rise in tension along Israel’s northern border with Syria in tandem with news of the civil defence drill. Israeli officials said there had been no unusual Syrian military movements. ‘I want to make it crystal clear that this is an exercise, and nothing but a routine exercise,’ Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said at the start of Israel’s weekly cabinet meeting, adding, ‘The Syrians know this and I hope they are assimilating this.’” (Daily Times; 07Apr08)
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C04%5C07%5Cstory_7-4-2008_pg4_4
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
“Cisco Systems Inc., announced last week the Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security, a technology platform designed to enable government agencies to protect assets, employees and citizens through a secure, intelligent, converged network. Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security supports the growing needs of defense, civilian, public safety, state and local government agencies to focus on business continuity and force protection mission requirements to minimize risk and address the security needs of citizens. […] This emerging capability is critical to force protection, as Major General Stephen V. Reeves, USA Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical and Biological Defense, testified on March 12, 2008 before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats & Capabilities.” (Computer Technology Review; 07Apr08)
http://www.wwpi.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3952&Itemid=128
SIGA Technologies Inc. Takes Steps toward FDA Approval for its Lead Smallpox Antiviral
“SIGA Technologies Inc. announced it has launched an initiative to produce DNA registration batches of its leading smallpox antiviral, ST-246. The company specializes in the development of pharmaceutical agents effective against biowarfare pathogens. For the past few months, the company has consulted with the FDA to choose its final chemical formulation for large-scale production, and has chosen the market image and packaging needed to commercialize the material.” (TransWorldNews; 04Apr08)
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=42320&cat=8
Man sickened by ricin seen as acting alone
“Authorities believe a man sickened by the deadly toxin ricin was a ‘lone wolf’ who manufactured the substance intending to do some kind of harm, an FBI agent said Thursday. Investigators believe Roger Bergendorff manufactured the ricin in the Salt Lake City area, but they haven't been able to turn up any evidence of the location, agent Juan Becerra said. ‘This could be somebody mad about taxes or the fact that the transit bus didn't come — whatever the situation may be,’ said Becerra, an FBI spokesman in Salt Lake City. ‘All of a sudden you've got a potential full-blown public-safety hazard.’" (Denver Post; 04Apr08; Associated Press)
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_8805053
Integrating detection and identification of biothreat agents
“While recent incidents have garnered the public’s desire for increased surveillance of the food supply, one lingering perception in the food industry has been that consumers should address many safety issues with proper handling techniques. This perception has reaffirmed the decisions by government entities to limit developing food and water surveillance technologies, and focus greater attention and resources on monitoring aerosol biothreats. […] This article discusses recent advances in developing comprehensive monitoring systems that can detect in real time and identify conclusively a biothreat from a broad range of pathogens and toxins. Such advances have been addressing the need to monitor and protect public health and safety from an ever-growing list of homeland security biothreats.” (Medical Device Link; 04Apr08; Colette A. Côté) http://www.devicelink.com/ivdt/archive/08/04/007.html
Training prepares officers for chemical attack
“Six local law enforcement officers traveled to Alabama for training and returned to Burke County [North Carolina] with a better knowledge of chemical weapons of mass destruction. Lt. Tom Rhyne with the Burke County Sheriff's Office said the six officers are part of the State Medical Assistance Team. It's their job to help protect and assist medical responders during an emergency, Rhyne said. The training took place in Anniston, Ala., at the Center for Domestic Preparedness, a federal site under the Department of Homeland Security umbrella.” (Morganton News Herald; 07Apr08; Julie Chang)
http://www.morganton.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=MNH/MGArticle/MNH_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173355211657
AP Interview: N. Korea's chemical disarmament should be separated from nuclear issue
“Efforts to disarm North Korea of chemical weapons should be separated from negotiations to end its nuclear program, the head of the chemical weapons watchdog agency said Friday. Israel, Egypt and Syria also should separate the question of chemical weapons disarmament from the wider issues of Middle East peace, said Rogelio Pfirter, director general of the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW.” (Associated Press; 04Apr08) http://www.pr-inside.com/ap-interview-n-korea-s-chemical-disarmament-r520303.htm
New global push to scrap chemical weapons
“A treaty-verification body on Friday called on 12 nations, including Syria, Iraq and Israel, to join a landmark pact for destroying stockpiles of chemical weapons. The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons made the appeal ahead of a review conference next week. So far 183 countries have ratified the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention banning the use, development, production, stockpiling and transfer of chemical weapons, but more states need to join.” (Mail & Guardian Online; 04Apr08)
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=336228
Eliminating chemical weapons
“Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen believes the destruction of chemical weapons can and should be speeded up. His comments came on the eve of this week's meeting of the United Nations Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. The 183 countries which have signed up to the Chemical Weapons Convention meet every five years in The Hague. The treaty is unique, not only in that it forbids a whole category of weapons of mass destruction but also because it enforces intensive inspections to ensure that countries are not secretly manufacturing the chemical agents.” (Radio Netherlands; 07Apr08; Hans de Vreij)
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/globalisation/080407-chemical-weapons-mc
Israel stages 5-day civil defence exercise
“Israel launched a 5-day civil defence exercise on Sunday that will include simulated chemical and biological attacks on the Jewish state. Israeli media have reported a rise in tension along Israel’s northern border with Syria in tandem with news of the civil defence drill. Israeli officials said there had been no unusual Syrian military movements. ‘I want to make it crystal clear that this is an exercise, and nothing but a routine exercise,’ Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said at the start of Israel’s weekly cabinet meeting, adding, ‘The Syrians know this and I hope they are assimilating this.’” (Daily Times; 07Apr08)
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C04%5C07%5Cstory_7-4-2008_pg4_4
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- March 26, 2008
Nerve Gas Test Veteran Wants [Ministry of Defense, U.K.] Apology
“A Former RAF [Royal Air Force] wireless operator who volunteered for chemical experiments at Porton Down [British government research facility] is to seek an apology and compensation from the Ministry of Defence for being unknowingly exposed to nerve gas. Frederick Selley, 76, from Stroud, was told he was helping with research into the common cold when he volunteered for the experiments in 1951 […] An MoD statement said: ‘The Government accepts there were aspects of the trials where there may have been shortcomings and where, in particular, the life or health of participants may have been put at risk.’” (Gloucestershire; 24Mar08).
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=231771&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231754&home=yes&more_nodeId1=231776&contentPK=20220937
Judge advances anthrax vaccine refusal case
“A U.S. federal judge has ruled that the Defense Department must again consider exonerating two military pilots whose Connecticut Air National Guard careers ended after they refused to take compulsory anthrax vaccine shots… The federal courts have since found that the military's mandatory vaccine program was being conducted illegally for more than six years, beginning with its March 1998 inception […] a statute of limitations might prevent military personnel from filing lawsuits more than six years after an alleged wrong has occurred.” (Global Security Newswire; 24Mar08; Elaine M. Grossman).
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0308/032408gsn1.htm
Biosensing Nanodevice To Revolutionize Health Screenings
“Even more incredible than the device itself, is that it is based on the world's tiniest rotary motor: a biological engine measured on the order of molecules […] A prototype of the DNA detector is already in development. It is roughly the size of a small tissue box. Sampling would be as simple as taking a swab from an infected wound or a piece of baggage, dissolving it in a solution and placing a drop on a slide bearing reference F1-ATPases and their nanorods. Once in the instrument, red blinking signals emitted by rotating nanorods would let a computer know there's trouble, literally, in a flash. […] ‘Rapid and sensitive biosensing of nucleic acids and proteins is vital for the identification of pathogenic agents of biomedical and bioterrorist importance,’ notes [Arizona State University researcher Wayne] Frasch, who is also with the Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
‘It also provides a new avenue through which to analyze genotypes and forensic evidence.’” (Science Daily, 25Mar08).
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083344.htm
Chemists create 'designer enzymes'
“U.S. scientists have created ‘designer enzymes’ in what is called a major achievement in computational chemistry and protein engineering. Led by UCLA Professor Kendall Houk and University of Washington biochemist David Baker, the scientists expect such designer enzymes to have applications for defense against biological warfare by deactivating pathogenic biological agents, as well as creating more effective medications.” (United Press International; 24Mar08).
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Health/2008/03/24/chemists_create_designer_enzymes/5546/
New network will quickly tell doctors of drug, device problems
“A new electronic health notification network that was unveiled today promises to more quickly notify doctors and hospitals about safety alerts concerning drugs and medical devices […] Set to go live in June, the new Health Care Notification Network (HCNN) will use e-mail to notify doctors about safety alerts issued by drug or device manufacturers […] The HCNN will also be used as a notification system in the event of a bioterrorism attack or the outbreak of a nationwide epidemic.” (Computer World; 25Mar08; Heather Havenstein).
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=government&articleId=9071520&taxonomyId=13&intsrc=kc_top
Audit faults oversight of emergency trailers [Massachusetts]
“A new audit is criticizing the oversight of 10 trailers meant to be used in the event of a bioterrorist attack or other mass casualty incident… [Massachusetts state auditor Joseph] DeNucci’s audit also found that periodic drills or exercises using the trailers and equipment failed to take place and not all municipalities within each region had been notified of the availability and location of the trailers.” (Boston Herald; 24Mar08; Associated Press).
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1082547&srvc=rss
Universal Detection Technology Invited to Present Its BSM-2000 Anthrax Detection System to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security
“Universal Detection Technology, […] a developer of early warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter terrorism consulting and training services, announced today that it has been invited to present the technology deployed in its BSM-2000 airborne anthrax monitor to the U.S.House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security.” (Market Wire; 24Mar08).
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=835499
El Paso County [Colorado] Health Dept. faces worker shortage
“Nearly a quarter of the nation's public health workers will be eligible for retirement in the next few years, and more than 250,000 workers are needed by 2020 to avoid a public health crisis, according to a new report […] The report, released Feb. 27, was produced by the Association of Schools of Public Health. It says a lack of recruitment efforts, pending retirements and a downsized work force in the past 30 years could leave the public lacking on fronts including disease outbreaks, bioterrorism and natural disasters. The shortage is made worse, it says, by the increasing specialization in the world of public health that creates less flexibility among existing workers to juggle multiple jobs.” (The Gazette; 24Mar08; Brian Newsome).
http://www.gazette.com/articles/health_34580___article.html/public_paso.html
New Technique Will Speed The Development Of Vaccines
“The new method allows researchers to rapidly screen large numbers of pathogen proteins, called antigens, for their ability to prompt an immune response in a host. Proteins with that ability are good candidates for use in vaccines. The method will be especially valuable in the quest for vaccines against persistent diseases such as malaria, sleeping sickness and syphilis […Wendy Brown, an immunologist] is using it to screen proteins from Coxiella, a bacterium that causes Q fever and is considered a possible bioterrorism threat.” (Medical News Today; 25Mar08).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/101528.php
TB Patients Chafe Under Lockdown in South Africa
“Struggling to contain a dangerous epidemic of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, known as XDR-TB, the South African government’s policy is to hospitalize those unlucky enough to have the disease until they are no longer infectious […] ‘XDR is like biological warfare,’ said Dr. Bongani Lujabe, the chief medical officer at Jose Pearson hospital. ‘If you let it loose, you decimate a population, especially in poor communities with a high prevalence of H.I.V./AIDS.’ […] Further complicating matters, South Africa’s provinces have taken different approaches to deciding how long to hospitalize people with XDR-TB.” (New York Times; 25Mar08; Celia W.
Dugger).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/world/africa/25safrica.html?em&ex=1206504000&en=9793c0d894629eca&ei=5087%0A#
Smiths Detection to supply U.S. military with next-generation chemical agent detector
“Smiths Detection, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, announced that its Military unit has been awarded a $23.8 million contract option to supply the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) with lightweight detectors under its Joint Chemical Agent Detector (JCAD) program, potentially the biggest of its kind in the world… The M4 JCAD is smaller and lighter also offering soldiers better detection capabilities than chemical point detection systems currently in service. It also benefits from the use of a non-radioactive technology compared with previous generations of detectors.” (Military & Aerospace Online, 25Mar08).
http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/323728/32/NEWS/none/none/1/Smiths-Detection-to-supply-US-military-with-next-generation-chemical-agent-detector/
In an Era of School Shootings, a New Drill [New York]
“Mr. Matheney, the school’s principal, was roaming the suburban campus as if he were an ‘active shooter,’ à la Virginia Tech or Columbine, as part of a ‘lockdown drill’ now required twice a year here and in many schools around the country […] Now, in a ritual reminiscent of the 1950s, when students ducked under desks and covered their heads in anticipation of nuclear blasts, many schools are preparing for, among other emergencies, bomb threats, hazardous material spills, shelter-in-place preparation (in which students would use schools as shelters if a dirty bomb’s plume were to spread dangerously close) and armed, roaming sociopaths.” (The New York Time; 25Mar08; Tina Kelley).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/nyregion/25drills.html?hp
Splinternet launches dirty-bomb detector
“Splinternet officials announced the release of the new GammaTect Plus integrated gamma radiation detection sensor system. GammaTect Plus, deployed at radioactive storage sites including seaports, airports, government buildings and military installations among other potential targets, is a company initiative to reduce the potential threat of a dirty bomb […] Company officials say the launch of the GammaTect Plus, linked to Splinternet's DefenTect management, monitoring and alerting system, identifies high energy gamma violations and then takes a series of photographs with isotope ID information. The system then sends the data to a command center where an alarm is triggered.” (United Press International; 25Mar08).
http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Industry/Briefing/2008/03/25/splinternet_launches_dirty-bomb_detector/1906/
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
“A Former RAF [Royal Air Force] wireless operator who volunteered for chemical experiments at Porton Down [British government research facility] is to seek an apology and compensation from the Ministry of Defence for being unknowingly exposed to nerve gas. Frederick Selley, 76, from Stroud, was told he was helping with research into the common cold when he volunteered for the experiments in 1951 […] An MoD statement said: ‘The Government accepts there were aspects of the trials where there may have been shortcomings and where, in particular, the life or health of participants may have been put at risk.’” (Gloucestershire; 24Mar08).
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=231771&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231754&home=yes&more_nodeId1=231776&contentPK=20220937
Judge advances anthrax vaccine refusal case
“A U.S. federal judge has ruled that the Defense Department must again consider exonerating two military pilots whose Connecticut Air National Guard careers ended after they refused to take compulsory anthrax vaccine shots… The federal courts have since found that the military's mandatory vaccine program was being conducted illegally for more than six years, beginning with its March 1998 inception […] a statute of limitations might prevent military personnel from filing lawsuits more than six years after an alleged wrong has occurred.” (Global Security Newswire; 24Mar08; Elaine M. Grossman).
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0308/032408gsn1.htm
Biosensing Nanodevice To Revolutionize Health Screenings
“Even more incredible than the device itself, is that it is based on the world's tiniest rotary motor: a biological engine measured on the order of molecules […] A prototype of the DNA detector is already in development. It is roughly the size of a small tissue box. Sampling would be as simple as taking a swab from an infected wound or a piece of baggage, dissolving it in a solution and placing a drop on a slide bearing reference F1-ATPases and their nanorods. Once in the instrument, red blinking signals emitted by rotating nanorods would let a computer know there's trouble, literally, in a flash. […] ‘Rapid and sensitive biosensing of nucleic acids and proteins is vital for the identification of pathogenic agents of biomedical and bioterrorist importance,’ notes [Arizona State University researcher Wayne] Frasch, who is also with the Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
‘It also provides a new avenue through which to analyze genotypes and forensic evidence.’” (Science Daily, 25Mar08).
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083344.htm
Chemists create 'designer enzymes'
“U.S. scientists have created ‘designer enzymes’ in what is called a major achievement in computational chemistry and protein engineering. Led by UCLA Professor Kendall Houk and University of Washington biochemist David Baker, the scientists expect such designer enzymes to have applications for defense against biological warfare by deactivating pathogenic biological agents, as well as creating more effective medications.” (United Press International; 24Mar08).
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Health/2008/03/24/chemists_create_designer_enzymes/5546/
New network will quickly tell doctors of drug, device problems
“A new electronic health notification network that was unveiled today promises to more quickly notify doctors and hospitals about safety alerts concerning drugs and medical devices […] Set to go live in June, the new Health Care Notification Network (HCNN) will use e-mail to notify doctors about safety alerts issued by drug or device manufacturers […] The HCNN will also be used as a notification system in the event of a bioterrorism attack or the outbreak of a nationwide epidemic.” (Computer World; 25Mar08; Heather Havenstein).
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=government&articleId=9071520&taxonomyId=13&intsrc=kc_top
Audit faults oversight of emergency trailers [Massachusetts]
“A new audit is criticizing the oversight of 10 trailers meant to be used in the event of a bioterrorist attack or other mass casualty incident… [Massachusetts state auditor Joseph] DeNucci’s audit also found that periodic drills or exercises using the trailers and equipment failed to take place and not all municipalities within each region had been notified of the availability and location of the trailers.” (Boston Herald; 24Mar08; Associated Press).
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1082547&srvc=rss
Universal Detection Technology Invited to Present Its BSM-2000 Anthrax Detection System to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security
“Universal Detection Technology, […] a developer of early warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats and provider of counter terrorism consulting and training services, announced today that it has been invited to present the technology deployed in its BSM-2000 airborne anthrax monitor to the U.S.House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security.” (Market Wire; 24Mar08).
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=835499
El Paso County [Colorado] Health Dept. faces worker shortage
“Nearly a quarter of the nation's public health workers will be eligible for retirement in the next few years, and more than 250,000 workers are needed by 2020 to avoid a public health crisis, according to a new report […] The report, released Feb. 27, was produced by the Association of Schools of Public Health. It says a lack of recruitment efforts, pending retirements and a downsized work force in the past 30 years could leave the public lacking on fronts including disease outbreaks, bioterrorism and natural disasters. The shortage is made worse, it says, by the increasing specialization in the world of public health that creates less flexibility among existing workers to juggle multiple jobs.” (The Gazette; 24Mar08; Brian Newsome).
http://www.gazette.com/articles/health_34580___article.html/public_paso.html
New Technique Will Speed The Development Of Vaccines
“The new method allows researchers to rapidly screen large numbers of pathogen proteins, called antigens, for their ability to prompt an immune response in a host. Proteins with that ability are good candidates for use in vaccines. The method will be especially valuable in the quest for vaccines against persistent diseases such as malaria, sleeping sickness and syphilis […Wendy Brown, an immunologist] is using it to screen proteins from Coxiella, a bacterium that causes Q fever and is considered a possible bioterrorism threat.” (Medical News Today; 25Mar08).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/101528.php
TB Patients Chafe Under Lockdown in South Africa
“Struggling to contain a dangerous epidemic of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, known as XDR-TB, the South African government’s policy is to hospitalize those unlucky enough to have the disease until they are no longer infectious […] ‘XDR is like biological warfare,’ said Dr. Bongani Lujabe, the chief medical officer at Jose Pearson hospital. ‘If you let it loose, you decimate a population, especially in poor communities with a high prevalence of H.I.V./AIDS.’ […] Further complicating matters, South Africa’s provinces have taken different approaches to deciding how long to hospitalize people with XDR-TB.” (New York Times; 25Mar08; Celia W.
Dugger).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/world/africa/25safrica.html?em&ex=1206504000&en=9793c0d894629eca&ei=5087%0A#
Smiths Detection to supply U.S. military with next-generation chemical agent detector
“Smiths Detection, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, announced that its Military unit has been awarded a $23.8 million contract option to supply the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) with lightweight detectors under its Joint Chemical Agent Detector (JCAD) program, potentially the biggest of its kind in the world… The M4 JCAD is smaller and lighter also offering soldiers better detection capabilities than chemical point detection systems currently in service. It also benefits from the use of a non-radioactive technology compared with previous generations of detectors.” (Military & Aerospace Online, 25Mar08).
http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/323728/32/NEWS/none/none/1/Smiths-Detection-to-supply-US-military-with-next-generation-chemical-agent-detector/
In an Era of School Shootings, a New Drill [New York]
“Mr. Matheney, the school’s principal, was roaming the suburban campus as if he were an ‘active shooter,’ à la Virginia Tech or Columbine, as part of a ‘lockdown drill’ now required twice a year here and in many schools around the country […] Now, in a ritual reminiscent of the 1950s, when students ducked under desks and covered their heads in anticipation of nuclear blasts, many schools are preparing for, among other emergencies, bomb threats, hazardous material spills, shelter-in-place preparation (in which students would use schools as shelters if a dirty bomb’s plume were to spread dangerously close) and armed, roaming sociopaths.” (The New York Time; 25Mar08; Tina Kelley).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/nyregion/25drills.html?hp
Splinternet launches dirty-bomb detector
“Splinternet officials announced the release of the new GammaTect Plus integrated gamma radiation detection sensor system. GammaTect Plus, deployed at radioactive storage sites including seaports, airports, government buildings and military installations among other potential targets, is a company initiative to reduce the potential threat of a dirty bomb […] Company officials say the launch of the GammaTect Plus, linked to Splinternet's DefenTect management, monitoring and alerting system, identifies high energy gamma violations and then takes a series of photographs with isotope ID information. The system then sends the data to a command center where an alarm is triggered.” (United Press International; 25Mar08).
http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Industry/Briefing/2008/03/25/splinternet_launches_dirty-bomb_detector/1906/
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- March 19, 2008
Three-Minute Anthrax Sensor
“A sensor system that can rapidly detect six potential airborne bioterror agents, including [spores that cause] anthrax, is now on the market. The detector relies on living immune-system cells genetically engineered to emit light when exposed to a particular contaminant. From sampling the air to getting a readout from the cells, the detection process takes only three minutes. The company selling the sensor, Innovative Biosensors, of Rockville, MD, is marketing it for use in airports and other buildings, including laboratories where research on dangerous pathogens is performed.” (Technology Review; 18Mar08; Katherine Bourzac).
http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/20431/
Missouri and Illinois health officials to conduct [a]nthrax exercise
“Health officials in Missouri and Illinois will be conducting a large-scale exercise tomorrow to test their response to a biological attack. The exercise will simulate how health officials and emergency responders would handle an [a]nthrax attack in the St. Louis area. The activities will be conducted behind closed doors and not out in public.”
(KMWU News; 17Mar08; Marshall Griffin).
http://publicbroadcasting.net/kwmu/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1245390§ionID=1
Inflammatory response to dying cells' distress calls may be helpful or harmful
“[…] The [Dr. Brad T.] Cookson lab [at the University of Washington] has done many studies of caspase-1 and how it mediates the pathway of pro-inflammatory programmed cell death. The lab's most recent study will be published the week of March 10 to March 14 in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study looked at how two different noxious stimuli, anthrax toxin and Salmonella infection, trigger the caspase-1-mediated cell death pathway.” (Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News; 17Mar08).
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=32269639
Police make chip that can ID bioweapons quickly
“The [Japanese] National Research Institute of Police Science has developed a new type of DNA chip that can identify which biological weapon has been spread in the event of a bioterrorist attack. […] The chip is encased in a cassette measuring 5.3 centimeters by 3.5 centimeters. It contains DNA information on 20 potential biological weapons, such as anthrax [spores] and other bacteria and viruses. When a collected agent is put inside the chip and an electric current applied, the agent multiplies, and it takes only about an hour before the chip determines whether the agent matches a reagent inside.” (The Yomiuri Shimbun; 19Mar08).
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/science/20080319TDY03301.htm
[Soccer team] Chelsea[‘s] boss Avram Grant sent second death threat package laced with white powder
“Chelsea boss Avram Grant is at the centre of a new death threat scare after receiving a second package laced with powder and filled with racist abuse. The package, addressed to Mr. Grant, who is Jewish and originally from Israel, arrived at the [Chelsea] club yesterday, according to reports […] Like the first package on February 19, the substance was found to be harmless but the incident has terrified workers.” (The Daily Mail; 18Mar08).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=537828&in_page_id=1770
Halabjah memory must 'be kept alive'
“The primary researcher into the chemical attack on the Iraqi town of Halabjah spoke of the importance to keep its memory alive on the event's 20th anniversary. […] He noted that ‘there's absolutely no evidence of birth defects resulting from the use of chemical weapons in 1988’ but pointed to long-term health consequences and the lingering effects on the community as having a sustained impact.” (Middle East Times; 17Mar08).
http://www.metimes.com/Security/2008/03/17/halabjah_memory_must_be_kept_alive/d03e/
Paper bombs: The latest terror threat
“[…] In the [radical revolutionary group] Naxals' latest weapon of terror, ammunition is hidden between two slim sheets of paper and any attempt to open them will set off an explosion. The bomb could be disguised as a file, or even an ordinary rundown children's story book. Police have recovered 800 gms of RDX [explosive nitroamine] hidden in such 'paper bombs', during recent raids. […] Says Nitish Priyadarshi, a nuclear expert based in Ranchi [Jharkhand], ‘The explosives are inserted between the thin pages in powder form, and it's controlled either by a radio signal or by some other timers. The concern is that basically that a dirty bomb can be planted inside.’” (Times Now; 18Mar08; Jagori Dhar).
http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=6572
U.S. adapts cold-war idea to fight terrorists
“[…] After piecing together a more nuanced portrait of terrorist organizations, [administration, military and intelligence officials assigned to counter terrorism] say there is reason to believe that a combination of efforts could in fact establish something akin to the posture of deterrence, the strategy that helped protect the United States from a Soviet nuclear attack during the cold war. […] Four years later, however, the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism concluded: ‘A new deterrence calculus combines the need to deter terrorists and supporters from contemplating a WMD attack and, failing that, to dissuade them from actually conducting an attack.’” (International Herald Tribune; 18Mar08; Eric Schmidt and Thom Shanker).
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/18/america/18terror.php
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
“A sensor system that can rapidly detect six potential airborne bioterror agents, including [spores that cause] anthrax, is now on the market. The detector relies on living immune-system cells genetically engineered to emit light when exposed to a particular contaminant. From sampling the air to getting a readout from the cells, the detection process takes only three minutes. The company selling the sensor, Innovative Biosensors, of Rockville, MD, is marketing it for use in airports and other buildings, including laboratories where research on dangerous pathogens is performed.” (Technology Review; 18Mar08; Katherine Bourzac).
http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/20431/
Missouri and Illinois health officials to conduct [a]nthrax exercise
“Health officials in Missouri and Illinois will be conducting a large-scale exercise tomorrow to test their response to a biological attack. The exercise will simulate how health officials and emergency responders would handle an [a]nthrax attack in the St. Louis area. The activities will be conducted behind closed doors and not out in public.”
(KMWU News; 17Mar08; Marshall Griffin).
http://publicbroadcasting.net/kwmu/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1245390§ionID=1
Inflammatory response to dying cells' distress calls may be helpful or harmful
“[…] The [Dr. Brad T.] Cookson lab [at the University of Washington] has done many studies of caspase-1 and how it mediates the pathway of pro-inflammatory programmed cell death. The lab's most recent study will be published the week of March 10 to March 14 in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study looked at how two different noxious stimuli, anthrax toxin and Salmonella infection, trigger the caspase-1-mediated cell death pathway.” (Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News; 17Mar08).
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=32269639
Police make chip that can ID bioweapons quickly
“The [Japanese] National Research Institute of Police Science has developed a new type of DNA chip that can identify which biological weapon has been spread in the event of a bioterrorist attack. […] The chip is encased in a cassette measuring 5.3 centimeters by 3.5 centimeters. It contains DNA information on 20 potential biological weapons, such as anthrax [spores] and other bacteria and viruses. When a collected agent is put inside the chip and an electric current applied, the agent multiplies, and it takes only about an hour before the chip determines whether the agent matches a reagent inside.” (The Yomiuri Shimbun; 19Mar08).
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/science/20080319TDY03301.htm
[Soccer team] Chelsea[‘s] boss Avram Grant sent second death threat package laced with white powder
“Chelsea boss Avram Grant is at the centre of a new death threat scare after receiving a second package laced with powder and filled with racist abuse. The package, addressed to Mr. Grant, who is Jewish and originally from Israel, arrived at the [Chelsea] club yesterday, according to reports […] Like the first package on February 19, the substance was found to be harmless but the incident has terrified workers.” (The Daily Mail; 18Mar08).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=537828&in_page_id=1770
Halabjah memory must 'be kept alive'
“The primary researcher into the chemical attack on the Iraqi town of Halabjah spoke of the importance to keep its memory alive on the event's 20th anniversary. […] He noted that ‘there's absolutely no evidence of birth defects resulting from the use of chemical weapons in 1988’ but pointed to long-term health consequences and the lingering effects on the community as having a sustained impact.” (Middle East Times; 17Mar08).
http://www.metimes.com/Security/2008/03/17/halabjah_memory_must_be_kept_alive/d03e/
Paper bombs: The latest terror threat
“[…] In the [radical revolutionary group] Naxals' latest weapon of terror, ammunition is hidden between two slim sheets of paper and any attempt to open them will set off an explosion. The bomb could be disguised as a file, or even an ordinary rundown children's story book. Police have recovered 800 gms of RDX [explosive nitroamine] hidden in such 'paper bombs', during recent raids. […] Says Nitish Priyadarshi, a nuclear expert based in Ranchi [Jharkhand], ‘The explosives are inserted between the thin pages in powder form, and it's controlled either by a radio signal or by some other timers. The concern is that basically that a dirty bomb can be planted inside.’” (Times Now; 18Mar08; Jagori Dhar).
http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=6572
U.S. adapts cold-war idea to fight terrorists
“[…] After piecing together a more nuanced portrait of terrorist organizations, [administration, military and intelligence officials assigned to counter terrorism] say there is reason to believe that a combination of efforts could in fact establish something akin to the posture of deterrence, the strategy that helped protect the United States from a Soviet nuclear attack during the cold war. […] Four years later, however, the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism concluded: ‘A new deterrence calculus combines the need to deter terrorists and supporters from contemplating a WMD attack and, failing that, to dissuade them from actually conducting an attack.’” (International Herald Tribune; 18Mar08; Eric Schmidt and Thom Shanker).
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/18/america/18terror.php
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Public Safety Technology in the News
Editor's Note: Many of these technologies are being used for a homeland security and/or counterterrorism mission by a local, state or federal law enforcement agency.
Company Makes Cheaper Choice to GPS
Salt Lake Tribune, (01/12/08), Tom Harvey
There are times when a person may need to locate something or someone, for example, Alzheimer's patients, stolen vehicles, or interrupted 911 emergency phone calls. A Utah company, S5 Wireless, has built a wireless test network in Salt Lake City to demonstrate a chip it developed that can track and locate almost anything the chip is placed in. The chip uses existing cell phone networks, which will reduce costs compared to current GPS systems and have a wider range than other wireless systems. Several factors make the chip unique. First is the low cost of $1 to manufacture, second is a battery life of about 2 years, and finally, the chip is traceable indoors and out. Since the tracking system piggybacks on cell phone networks, the chips can be located in about 2 seconds within a proximity of about 45 feet.
www.redding.com/news/2008/jan/12/company-makes-cheaper-choice-to-gps/
O’Malley Wants DNA Database Expanded
Washingtonpost.com, (01/11/08), John Wagner
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has presented a plan for the collection of DNA samples from people arrested for violent crimes and burglaries. The plan would expand the State's current repository, which only includes samples from convicted offenders. The proposal will be considered during the Maryland General Assembly's 90 day legislative session. The program is modeled after a similar law in Virginia and would cost $1.7 million a year.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/10/AR2008011003461_pf.html
Law Enforcement Puts New Planning Technology to Use
La Crosse Tribune, (01/14/2008), Dan Springer
A new mapping program from Pictometry International Co. could have a positive effect on the public safety community. The software, now in use by La Crosse County (Wisconsin), will provide high-resolution images of any spot in the county. Unlike currently available services, such as GoogleEarth, Pictometry's images appear to be clearer, which provides viewers a much more detailed view of any area of interest. Plus, these images are taken from different angles, which allows users to obtain further detail. The images can also be used to obtain measurement data. The program has many opportunities for use by the La Crosse County Sheriff's Department, including search and rescue, standoff and hostage situations, and accident reconstruction.
www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2008/01/14/news/01lead.txt
Schools Incorporate Wi-Fi into Disaster-Response Plans
Wi-Fi Planet.com, (01/21/2008), Amy Mayer
Environmental and population concerns, along with transportation infrastructure, have contributed to the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District's request to become part of emergency planning and disaster response. Behind this proposal is the fact that the California school district is capable of offering public safety organizations Wi-Fi network capabilities and could maintain this service using generators if the event of a power failure. Also, these services could be extended to citizens should schools have to used as temporary shelter. Those same Wi-Fi capabilities can be used by law enforcement during nonemergency times. Officers can have access to student databases and other information without taking their laptops into the school.
www.wi-fiplanet.com/columns/article.php/3722926
Online Cop Protects Helena Children
Helenair.com, (01/23/08), Angela Brandt
Grant funding from the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has allowed a Helena Police Department detective to assume a role patrolling the Internet for those committing crimes against children. Det. Bryan Fischer is one of five detectives assuming this new role throughout the state of Montana. Since Fischer began in December 2007, seven cases are now under investigation. According to Fischer, some predators are quick to reveal their intentions, whereas others will take their time and foster a relationship before revealing their intent.
www.helenair.com/articles/2008/01/23/local/top/45lo_080123_onlinecop.txt
Wayland Police Get Night Vision
MetroWest Daily News, (01/20/08), Gabriel Leiner
Using funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP), the Wayland (Massachusetts) Police Department will be acquiring the AN/PVS-14 Night Vision kit. The kit includes a monocular scope, a magnifying lens, a camera adapter, a portable mount, and head gear. The technology will be used in response to night burglaries and to monitor specific areas of town that are considered high priority. The equipment also allows the department to combine components in order to capture still photos or movies during surveillance, and then enhance the images for clarity using Video Detective, a piece of equipment purchased last year by the department.
www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1839125303
LAPD Finds a Way to Connect
Los Angeles Times, (01/16/08), Richard Winton
In an area that is rich in cultural diversity, with 224 spoken languages, last summer the Los Angeles Police Department introduced the Phraselator to assist officers in communicating with residents. The device derives its translations from preloaded police commands that were created with the assistance of officers who have some foreign language proficiency. Officers could use this device for natural disasters, crowd control, or medical emergencies. Officers simply speak a key term or phrase into the unit's microphone and select the correct phrase. The unit can broadcast the translated phrase using the patrol unit's speaker system. To ensure the message is intelligible, the speakers on the cruiser are designed to carry the sound about a half mile away without any distortion. The units are also capable of allowing police to ask questions and record responses that can be translated later. Originally the device was deployed for use by U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-translate16jan16,1,1648880.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true
Portland, Oregon Police Improve Incident Tracking and Public Information Sharing Using ArcGIS
Directions Magazine, (01/22/08)
In an effort to assist officers and inform the public, the Portland Police Department extended its crime mapping services. The department has enhanced records management to include spatial data relating to highway data to improve the tracking of events on major highways. For citizens, the public website has been updated in an effort to communicate crime data to the community. The Portland Police Department's Freeway Mapping Project uses ERSI's ArcGIS 9 software to capture and plot crime data on a city map. This information can then be used to more accurately track data, as well as provide better information to field officers and commanders. This same data is used to update the agency's public website once a month.
www.directionsmag.com/press.releases/index.php?duty=Show&id=20721&trv=1
Delaware: Forensics Facility Helps Police
Daily Times, (01/23/08), Terri Sanginiti
The year-old Delaware State Police Forensics Firearms Services Unit will help speed up the process of matching rounds to a firearm for crimes committed in Delaware. The new process can potentially make a match in hours, rather than months. Comparison is done between the newly retrieved rounds and those stored in a national database. When a match is made, it is then determined if both rounds came from the same firearm. This process can work to narrow the list of suspects, or it can help to eliminate suspects. The cost associated with getting this new unit up and running was roughly $400,000 for equipment such as an Integrated Ballistic Identification System, dual comparison microscope, and a bullet recovery system. www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080123/DW01/80123021/1058/DCP
York Secures $98,000 Grant for Traffic Enforcement
North Country Gazette, (01/24/08)
The Warren County (New York) Sheriff's Department will be receiving a $98,000 grant to allow for the purchase and installation of Traffic and Criminal Software (TraCS) computers in 21 of the agency's cruisers. This award comes less than a month after the sheriff had been sworn into office, and will cost the taxpayers nothing. The system functions as an automated reporting program for law enforcement, designed to be more accurate and timelier and improve the collection and dissemination of incident data to be analyzed. Additionally, the system can produce electronic citations for patrol officers. Officials feel that TraCS will improve highway safety for both officers and civilians by reducing the amount of time spent issuing tickets or collecting accident report information.
www.northcountrygazette.org/news/2008/01/24/york_secures_grant/
Company Makes Cheaper Choice to GPS
Salt Lake Tribune, (01/12/08), Tom Harvey
There are times when a person may need to locate something or someone, for example, Alzheimer's patients, stolen vehicles, or interrupted 911 emergency phone calls. A Utah company, S5 Wireless, has built a wireless test network in Salt Lake City to demonstrate a chip it developed that can track and locate almost anything the chip is placed in. The chip uses existing cell phone networks, which will reduce costs compared to current GPS systems and have a wider range than other wireless systems. Several factors make the chip unique. First is the low cost of $1 to manufacture, second is a battery life of about 2 years, and finally, the chip is traceable indoors and out. Since the tracking system piggybacks on cell phone networks, the chips can be located in about 2 seconds within a proximity of about 45 feet.
www.redding.com/news/2008/jan/12/company-makes-cheaper-choice-to-gps/
O’Malley Wants DNA Database Expanded
Washingtonpost.com, (01/11/08), John Wagner
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has presented a plan for the collection of DNA samples from people arrested for violent crimes and burglaries. The plan would expand the State's current repository, which only includes samples from convicted offenders. The proposal will be considered during the Maryland General Assembly's 90 day legislative session. The program is modeled after a similar law in Virginia and would cost $1.7 million a year.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/10/AR2008011003461_pf.html
Law Enforcement Puts New Planning Technology to Use
La Crosse Tribune, (01/14/2008), Dan Springer
A new mapping program from Pictometry International Co. could have a positive effect on the public safety community. The software, now in use by La Crosse County (Wisconsin), will provide high-resolution images of any spot in the county. Unlike currently available services, such as GoogleEarth, Pictometry's images appear to be clearer, which provides viewers a much more detailed view of any area of interest. Plus, these images are taken from different angles, which allows users to obtain further detail. The images can also be used to obtain measurement data. The program has many opportunities for use by the La Crosse County Sheriff's Department, including search and rescue, standoff and hostage situations, and accident reconstruction.
www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2008/01/14/news/01lead.txt
Schools Incorporate Wi-Fi into Disaster-Response Plans
Wi-Fi Planet.com, (01/21/2008), Amy Mayer
Environmental and population concerns, along with transportation infrastructure, have contributed to the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District's request to become part of emergency planning and disaster response. Behind this proposal is the fact that the California school district is capable of offering public safety organizations Wi-Fi network capabilities and could maintain this service using generators if the event of a power failure. Also, these services could be extended to citizens should schools have to used as temporary shelter. Those same Wi-Fi capabilities can be used by law enforcement during nonemergency times. Officers can have access to student databases and other information without taking their laptops into the school.
www.wi-fiplanet.com/columns/article.php/3722926
Online Cop Protects Helena Children
Helenair.com, (01/23/08), Angela Brandt
Grant funding from the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has allowed a Helena Police Department detective to assume a role patrolling the Internet for those committing crimes against children. Det. Bryan Fischer is one of five detectives assuming this new role throughout the state of Montana. Since Fischer began in December 2007, seven cases are now under investigation. According to Fischer, some predators are quick to reveal their intentions, whereas others will take their time and foster a relationship before revealing their intent.
www.helenair.com/articles/2008/01/23/local/top/45lo_080123_onlinecop.txt
Wayland Police Get Night Vision
MetroWest Daily News, (01/20/08), Gabriel Leiner
Using funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP), the Wayland (Massachusetts) Police Department will be acquiring the AN/PVS-14 Night Vision kit. The kit includes a monocular scope, a magnifying lens, a camera adapter, a portable mount, and head gear. The technology will be used in response to night burglaries and to monitor specific areas of town that are considered high priority. The equipment also allows the department to combine components in order to capture still photos or movies during surveillance, and then enhance the images for clarity using Video Detective, a piece of equipment purchased last year by the department.
www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1839125303
LAPD Finds a Way to Connect
Los Angeles Times, (01/16/08), Richard Winton
In an area that is rich in cultural diversity, with 224 spoken languages, last summer the Los Angeles Police Department introduced the Phraselator to assist officers in communicating with residents. The device derives its translations from preloaded police commands that were created with the assistance of officers who have some foreign language proficiency. Officers could use this device for natural disasters, crowd control, or medical emergencies. Officers simply speak a key term or phrase into the unit's microphone and select the correct phrase. The unit can broadcast the translated phrase using the patrol unit's speaker system. To ensure the message is intelligible, the speakers on the cruiser are designed to carry the sound about a half mile away without any distortion. The units are also capable of allowing police to ask questions and record responses that can be translated later. Originally the device was deployed for use by U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-translate16jan16,1,1648880.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true
Portland, Oregon Police Improve Incident Tracking and Public Information Sharing Using ArcGIS
Directions Magazine, (01/22/08)
In an effort to assist officers and inform the public, the Portland Police Department extended its crime mapping services. The department has enhanced records management to include spatial data relating to highway data to improve the tracking of events on major highways. For citizens, the public website has been updated in an effort to communicate crime data to the community. The Portland Police Department's Freeway Mapping Project uses ERSI's ArcGIS 9 software to capture and plot crime data on a city map. This information can then be used to more accurately track data, as well as provide better information to field officers and commanders. This same data is used to update the agency's public website once a month.
www.directionsmag.com/press.releases/index.php?duty=Show&id=20721&trv=1
Delaware: Forensics Facility Helps Police
Daily Times, (01/23/08), Terri Sanginiti
The year-old Delaware State Police Forensics Firearms Services Unit will help speed up the process of matching rounds to a firearm for crimes committed in Delaware. The new process can potentially make a match in hours, rather than months. Comparison is done between the newly retrieved rounds and those stored in a national database. When a match is made, it is then determined if both rounds came from the same firearm. This process can work to narrow the list of suspects, or it can help to eliminate suspects. The cost associated with getting this new unit up and running was roughly $400,000 for equipment such as an Integrated Ballistic Identification System, dual comparison microscope, and a bullet recovery system. www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080123/DW01/80123021/1058/DCP
York Secures $98,000 Grant for Traffic Enforcement
North Country Gazette, (01/24/08)
The Warren County (New York) Sheriff's Department will be receiving a $98,000 grant to allow for the purchase and installation of Traffic and Criminal Software (TraCS) computers in 21 of the agency's cruisers. This award comes less than a month after the sheriff had been sworn into office, and will cost the taxpayers nothing. The system functions as an automated reporting program for law enforcement, designed to be more accurate and timelier and improve the collection and dissemination of incident data to be analyzed. Additionally, the system can produce electronic citations for patrol officers. Officials feel that TraCS will improve highway safety for both officers and civilians by reducing the amount of time spent issuing tickets or collecting accident report information.
www.northcountrygazette.org/news/2008/01/24/york_secures_grant/
Friday, January 25, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- January 25, 2008
Man indicted for E[ast] Greenwich [Township, New Jersey] anthrax threat
“A truck driver accused of mailing the East Greenwich Township municipal building a package of white powder labeled ‘anthrax’ has been indicted by a Gloucester County grand jury. Police say Timothy W. Tobiason, 51, in an attempt to get revenge against the township, mailed a box of white powder and a note identifying it as anthrax to the municipal building on Aug. 7. […] It wasn't anthrax. He was indicted by a Gloucester County grand jury on charges of threatening violence.” (nj.com, 25Jan08, Gloucester County Times) http://www.nj.com/news/gloucester/local/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1201245018130040.xml&coll=8
Key Anthrax Virulence Factor Discovered
“Researchers have discovered how the anthrax bacterium protects itself from the immune system's biochemical assault. The results reveal not only a novel aspect of anthrax virulence, they also suggest a new target, known as bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bNOS), for fighting the pathogen, said study leader Evgeny Nudler, a professor of biochemistry at the New York University School of Medicine. ‘That is the obvious continuation of our work,’ said Nudler, ‘to find small molecule inhibitors of bacterial nitric oxide synthase that would not touch its human counterpart. If we are lucky, we will find this inhibitor that would potentially work as an antibiotic.’" (Washington Post; 24Jan08; Jeffrey Perkel, HealthDay News) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/24/AR2008012402484.html
Food safety’s fiscal influence studied
“After a few spinach and green onion recalls, food safety of produce coming from outside the United States is top of mind – and so is the cost of such recalls. Add in evidence that agricultural bioterrorism is a real threat, and U.S. officials could be facing a fiscal disaster. Five Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness faculty members [at Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus] recently received funding of more than $262,800 from the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD) to study the potential monetary losses that could arise in the event of an agro-terrorism attack or contamination of imported produce coming through the border between Arizona and Nogales, Mexico, one of the busiest ports at the Southwest border. […] An intended outcome of the project is to provide better data with which the NCFPD can create food safety policies that help diminish incidents of contamination of food as it travels from grower to produce, importer and retailer.” (Arizona State University, 24Jan08, Stephanie Patterson) http://asunews.asu.edu/20080124_foodsafety
Officials doubt lab a danger
“Opponents of a proposed bioresearch lab in Athens are using scare tactics to fight it, and they're not working, Athens-Clarke [Georgia] Mayor Heidi Davison said Wednesday. Davison supports the National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility, but has said she could be persuaded to change her mind. A speech Tuesday by Edward Hammond, a critic of biodefense programs, did nothing to sway her, she said. ‘I've heard a lot of misinformation and hyperbole, but I haven't heard any facts,’ she said.” (Online Athens, 24Jan08, Blake Aued) http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/012408/news_20080124042.shtml
Malaysia invests in biodefence R[esearch &D[evelopment]
“In view of the worldwide bio-terrorism threat, Malaysia is arming itself with bio-defence countermeasures. Director-general of health Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the country would invest in biodefence research and development, and the manufacturing and commercialisation of products such as halal vaccines. The biodefence products and services would not only be used locally but also supplied to some member countries of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and other countries within Asia. To start the ball rolling, Emergent BioSolutions Inc and Ninebio […] (9Bio) yesterday announced the formation of a joint venture which would focus on creating critical biologics infrastructure and supplying biodefence countermeasures, including an anthrax vaccine known as BioThrax (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed), and other medical medical and complementary products and services.” (New Straits Times, 25Jan08, Annie Freeda Cruez) http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/20080125111658/Article/index_html
Scientists manufacture bacteria DNA
“Taking a significant step toward the creation of synthetic forms of life, researchers reported Thursday that they had manufactured the entire genome of a bacterium by stitching together its chemical components. The feat marks the first time that anyone has made such a large strand of hereditary material from off-the-shelf chemical ingredients. Previous efforts had yielded DNA strands less than one-twentieth the size, and those pieces lacked many of the key biological programs that tell a cell how to stay alive. On the basis of earlier experiments, the researchers say the synthetic DNA would ‘boot up’ inside a cell, like a downloaded operating system can awaken a computer -- a potentially historic event that would amount to creation of the first truly artificial life-form. Team members emphasized that they have not done that yet but expressed confidence that they would do so before the end of the year. […] Critics, however, [worry] that without better oversight of the fledgling field, synthetic biology is more likely to lead to the creation of potent biological weapons and runaway microbes that could wreak environmental havoc.” (The Detroit News, 25Jan08) http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080125/LIFESTYLE03/801250374/1040
Chemical weapons destruction at Anniston [Chemical Agent Depot] ahead of schedule
“With chemical weapons destruction at the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal [in Alabama] running ahead of schedule, a company official said safety procedures haven't been ignored. The work is more than 50 days ahead of schedule and the company handling the project could collect $100 million or more in incentive pay for early completion, […].” (al.com, 24Jan08, AP) http://www.al.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-33/120119715870190.xml&storylist=alabamanews
Army Corps to Resume Chemical Munitions Dig
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans Thursday to resume digging in Northwest Washington [D.C.] in search of buried chemical weapons. The weapons were left during World War I testing at American University.”
(WJLA.com, 24Jan08)
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0108/490524.html
Chemical warfare detection spray released
“ICx Technologies, based in Virginia, announced the launch of a new enzyme-based chemical agent detection spray that pinpoints chemical warfare threats. ICx is a developer of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats detection technologies. The company announced the release of ICx Agentase Disclosure Spray that changes color when sprayed on surfaces contaminated with nerve agents.” (UPI, 25Jan08) http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Industry/Briefing/2008/01/25/chemical_warfare_detection_spray_released/7204/
Grant keeps O'Hara [Township, Pennsylvania] ready to sniff out trouble
“O'Hara emergency volunteers soon will be able to detect dangers such as chemical warfare agents, radiation and toxic industrial gases. For the second consecutive year, the township will receive assistance from the federal government to help respond to potential disasters. This year, it's in the form of a $35,000 Chemical Detection Kit. […] O'Hara is one of only 201 municipalities across the country to receive the equipment. In Pennsylvania, there were 11 detection kits doled out.” (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 24Jan08, Tawnya Panizzi) http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_548908.html
Central African Republic Designates OPCW [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons] National Authority
“In compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the Central African Republic has informed the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that it has designated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as its National Authority. A CWC National Authority is crucial in ensuring the effective implementation of the CWC within each State Party’s national jurisdiction.” (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 25Jan08) http://www.opcw.org/pressreleases/2008/PR02_2008.html
[Paul] Wolfowitz appointed chairman of arms-control advisory panel
“Paul Wolfowitz, the former World Bank president and former deputy secretary of defense who was instrumental in the US decision to invade Iraq in 2003, has been named chairman of a panel that advises the State Department on arms-control issues. Wolfowitz, now a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, will head Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's International Security Advisory Board, the State Department said yesterday in a statement. ‘The ISAB provides the Department of State with a source of independent insight, advice, and innovation on all aspects of arms control, disarmament, nonproliferation, political-military issues, and international security and related aspects of public diplomacy,’ the State Department said. Wolfowitz was among the senior US officials who warned of Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction capabilities, a key justification for invading Iraq and toppling the late dictator Saddam Hussein.” (The Boston Globe; 25Jan08; Janine Zacharia, Bloomberg News) http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/01/25/wolfowitz_appointed_chairman_of_arms_control_advisory_panel/
Bulgaria, U.S. to cooperate in WMD proliferation prevention
“The [g]overnment [of Bulgaria] approved a draft agreement between Bulgaria and the United States on cooperation in the prevention of the proliferation of weapons for mass destruction (WMD), the Government Information Service said on Thursday. The purpose of the agreement is to promote cooperation between the two countries in combating the proliferation of WMD and the related technologies, materials and experience to and from the territory of Bulgaria, and prevent the illegal transfer, including through transiting and transportation, of nuclear, biological chemical and radiological weapons and the related technologies and experience. The agreement will be signed for a term of six years.”
(China View, 25Jan08, Xinhua)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/25/content_7491062.htm
Russia says foreign spies seeking WMD data: RIA [News Agency]
“Russia's domestic security service said on Friday it had foiled several attempts by foreign spies to obtain technology for weapons of mass destruction, RIA news agency reported. The Federal Security Service (FSB) said Western and Asian spy services had tried to obtain information about nuclear enterprises in Siberia and from scientists working on secret high technology projects.” (Reuters, 25Jan08, Conor Sweeney)
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2535475320080125
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
“A truck driver accused of mailing the East Greenwich Township municipal building a package of white powder labeled ‘anthrax’ has been indicted by a Gloucester County grand jury. Police say Timothy W. Tobiason, 51, in an attempt to get revenge against the township, mailed a box of white powder and a note identifying it as anthrax to the municipal building on Aug. 7. […] It wasn't anthrax. He was indicted by a Gloucester County grand jury on charges of threatening violence.” (nj.com, 25Jan08, Gloucester County Times) http://www.nj.com/news/gloucester/local/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1201245018130040.xml&coll=8
Key Anthrax Virulence Factor Discovered
“Researchers have discovered how the anthrax bacterium protects itself from the immune system's biochemical assault. The results reveal not only a novel aspect of anthrax virulence, they also suggest a new target, known as bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bNOS), for fighting the pathogen, said study leader Evgeny Nudler, a professor of biochemistry at the New York University School of Medicine. ‘That is the obvious continuation of our work,’ said Nudler, ‘to find small molecule inhibitors of bacterial nitric oxide synthase that would not touch its human counterpart. If we are lucky, we will find this inhibitor that would potentially work as an antibiotic.’" (Washington Post; 24Jan08; Jeffrey Perkel, HealthDay News) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/24/AR2008012402484.html
Food safety’s fiscal influence studied
“After a few spinach and green onion recalls, food safety of produce coming from outside the United States is top of mind – and so is the cost of such recalls. Add in evidence that agricultural bioterrorism is a real threat, and U.S. officials could be facing a fiscal disaster. Five Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness faculty members [at Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus] recently received funding of more than $262,800 from the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD) to study the potential monetary losses that could arise in the event of an agro-terrorism attack or contamination of imported produce coming through the border between Arizona and Nogales, Mexico, one of the busiest ports at the Southwest border. […] An intended outcome of the project is to provide better data with which the NCFPD can create food safety policies that help diminish incidents of contamination of food as it travels from grower to produce, importer and retailer.” (Arizona State University, 24Jan08, Stephanie Patterson) http://asunews.asu.edu/20080124_foodsafety
Officials doubt lab a danger
“Opponents of a proposed bioresearch lab in Athens are using scare tactics to fight it, and they're not working, Athens-Clarke [Georgia] Mayor Heidi Davison said Wednesday. Davison supports the National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility, but has said she could be persuaded to change her mind. A speech Tuesday by Edward Hammond, a critic of biodefense programs, did nothing to sway her, she said. ‘I've heard a lot of misinformation and hyperbole, but I haven't heard any facts,’ she said.” (Online Athens, 24Jan08, Blake Aued) http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/012408/news_20080124042.shtml
Malaysia invests in biodefence R[esearch &D[evelopment]
“In view of the worldwide bio-terrorism threat, Malaysia is arming itself with bio-defence countermeasures. Director-general of health Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the country would invest in biodefence research and development, and the manufacturing and commercialisation of products such as halal vaccines. The biodefence products and services would not only be used locally but also supplied to some member countries of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and other countries within Asia. To start the ball rolling, Emergent BioSolutions Inc and Ninebio […] (9Bio) yesterday announced the formation of a joint venture which would focus on creating critical biologics infrastructure and supplying biodefence countermeasures, including an anthrax vaccine known as BioThrax (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed), and other medical medical and complementary products and services.” (New Straits Times, 25Jan08, Annie Freeda Cruez) http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/20080125111658/Article/index_html
Scientists manufacture bacteria DNA
“Taking a significant step toward the creation of synthetic forms of life, researchers reported Thursday that they had manufactured the entire genome of a bacterium by stitching together its chemical components. The feat marks the first time that anyone has made such a large strand of hereditary material from off-the-shelf chemical ingredients. Previous efforts had yielded DNA strands less than one-twentieth the size, and those pieces lacked many of the key biological programs that tell a cell how to stay alive. On the basis of earlier experiments, the researchers say the synthetic DNA would ‘boot up’ inside a cell, like a downloaded operating system can awaken a computer -- a potentially historic event that would amount to creation of the first truly artificial life-form. Team members emphasized that they have not done that yet but expressed confidence that they would do so before the end of the year. […] Critics, however, [worry] that without better oversight of the fledgling field, synthetic biology is more likely to lead to the creation of potent biological weapons and runaway microbes that could wreak environmental havoc.” (The Detroit News, 25Jan08) http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080125/LIFESTYLE03/801250374/1040
Chemical weapons destruction at Anniston [Chemical Agent Depot] ahead of schedule
“With chemical weapons destruction at the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal [in Alabama] running ahead of schedule, a company official said safety procedures haven't been ignored. The work is more than 50 days ahead of schedule and the company handling the project could collect $100 million or more in incentive pay for early completion, […].” (al.com, 24Jan08, AP) http://www.al.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-33/120119715870190.xml&storylist=alabamanews
Army Corps to Resume Chemical Munitions Dig
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans Thursday to resume digging in Northwest Washington [D.C.] in search of buried chemical weapons. The weapons were left during World War I testing at American University.”
(WJLA.com, 24Jan08)
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0108/490524.html
Chemical warfare detection spray released
“ICx Technologies, based in Virginia, announced the launch of a new enzyme-based chemical agent detection spray that pinpoints chemical warfare threats. ICx is a developer of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats detection technologies. The company announced the release of ICx Agentase Disclosure Spray that changes color when sprayed on surfaces contaminated with nerve agents.” (UPI, 25Jan08) http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Industry/Briefing/2008/01/25/chemical_warfare_detection_spray_released/7204/
Grant keeps O'Hara [Township, Pennsylvania] ready to sniff out trouble
“O'Hara emergency volunteers soon will be able to detect dangers such as chemical warfare agents, radiation and toxic industrial gases. For the second consecutive year, the township will receive assistance from the federal government to help respond to potential disasters. This year, it's in the form of a $35,000 Chemical Detection Kit. […] O'Hara is one of only 201 municipalities across the country to receive the equipment. In Pennsylvania, there were 11 detection kits doled out.” (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 24Jan08, Tawnya Panizzi) http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_548908.html
Central African Republic Designates OPCW [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons] National Authority
“In compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the Central African Republic has informed the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that it has designated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as its National Authority. A CWC National Authority is crucial in ensuring the effective implementation of the CWC within each State Party’s national jurisdiction.” (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 25Jan08) http://www.opcw.org/pressreleases/2008/PR02_2008.html
[Paul] Wolfowitz appointed chairman of arms-control advisory panel
“Paul Wolfowitz, the former World Bank president and former deputy secretary of defense who was instrumental in the US decision to invade Iraq in 2003, has been named chairman of a panel that advises the State Department on arms-control issues. Wolfowitz, now a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, will head Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's International Security Advisory Board, the State Department said yesterday in a statement. ‘The ISAB provides the Department of State with a source of independent insight, advice, and innovation on all aspects of arms control, disarmament, nonproliferation, political-military issues, and international security and related aspects of public diplomacy,’ the State Department said. Wolfowitz was among the senior US officials who warned of Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction capabilities, a key justification for invading Iraq and toppling the late dictator Saddam Hussein.” (The Boston Globe; 25Jan08; Janine Zacharia, Bloomberg News) http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/01/25/wolfowitz_appointed_chairman_of_arms_control_advisory_panel/
Bulgaria, U.S. to cooperate in WMD proliferation prevention
“The [g]overnment [of Bulgaria] approved a draft agreement between Bulgaria and the United States on cooperation in the prevention of the proliferation of weapons for mass destruction (WMD), the Government Information Service said on Thursday. The purpose of the agreement is to promote cooperation between the two countries in combating the proliferation of WMD and the related technologies, materials and experience to and from the territory of Bulgaria, and prevent the illegal transfer, including through transiting and transportation, of nuclear, biological chemical and radiological weapons and the related technologies and experience. The agreement will be signed for a term of six years.”
(China View, 25Jan08, Xinhua)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/25/content_7491062.htm
Russia says foreign spies seeking WMD data: RIA [News Agency]
“Russia's domestic security service said on Friday it had foiled several attempts by foreign spies to obtain technology for weapons of mass destruction, RIA news agency reported. The Federal Security Service (FSB) said Western and Asian spy services had tried to obtain information about nuclear enterprises in Siberia and from scientists working on secret high technology projects.” (Reuters, 25Jan08, Conor Sweeney)
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2535475320080125
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Law Enforcement Technology
Editor's Note: Many of the technologies reviewed in these articles are being used by federal, state and local law enforcement (as well as military) for counterterrorism and homeland security.
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
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
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"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
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