By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 5, 2008 - A little piece of Christmas has started to arrive in Iraq and Afghanistan for troops away from home during the holidays. Operation Give's annual Operation Christmas Stocking collection has sent more than 20,000 Christmas stockings to troops -- with more on the way.
"Even in hard times, if we can find a way to help support our troops, we do," Paul Holton, founder and president of Operation Give, said. "Something as simple as a Christmas stocking is easy for people to handle. They stuff these stockings, knowing their little act of kindness is going to improve troop morale."
Operation Give, a Salt Lake City-based troop-support group, has had a "steady stream" of Christmas stockings coming in from all over the nation since they announced the event in the media and on their Web site earlier this year, Holton said. FedEx has provided free shipping of stockings to the group's warehouse. This is the fourth year the group has sponsored the stocking drive.
"Thousands and thousands of pre-stuffed stockings have been sent in, with the greatest stuff imaginable for our men and women serving in the military, in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Elaine Ward, an assistant at Operation Give. Some of the items included disposable cameras, flashlights, harmonicas, clip-on lights, prepaid calling cards, playing cards, dominos, CDs and DVDs.
Operation Give volunteers also have stuffed stockings.
"We have had a great number of local citizens volunteer to stuff stockings for several hours, each Friday night," Ward said. "We have stuffed and boxed up hundreds and hundreds of stockings, large and small, some weighing over 30 pounds."
Throughout the year, Operation Give sends care packages to troops, as well as soccer balls, toys and school supplies to be distributed to local children. The group has more than 150 pallets of care packages they plan to send soon to troops.
"We ship all of it so they can either use the donations or distribute it to the people, helping them to win their hearts and minds," Holton said. "Through this effort, they can build bridges that span over all the misunderstandings and hate that exists in the world, in hopes that the people might change their perspective of us and what we are trying to accomplish."
Showing posts with label salt lake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salt lake. Show all posts
Friday, December 05, 2008
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, 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, December 21, 2007
Face of Defense: Airman Reflects on Saving Team Leaders' Life
By Capt. Michael Meridith, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 21, 2007 - As he sat eating breakfast Dec. 7, Air Force Staff Sgt. Eric Eberhard had no idea that he was just hours away from a struggle to save the life of the airman sitting next to him. The Salt Lake City, Utah, native and former Marine was enjoying a brief pause before another demanding day as a member of a three-person explosive ordnance disposal team based here.
"We were out with a route-clearance team for a medical engagement and had spent the night at a local village," Eberhard said. "We ate breakfast and were waiting for the medical engagement to end so we could do the route clearance back."
Although they weren't scheduled to leave the village until later that day, they were surprised by word that an improvised explosive device had been spotted a short distance away by Afghan National Police.
"We got to the scene and talked to the policeman who found it; he had been on patrol and saw something suspicious in a culvert under a bridge and reported it. The bystanders were being kept at a distance, so we dressed out our team leader in a bomb suit, and he went down into the culvert," he said.
While their team leader examined the IED, Eberhard and his fellow teammate kept a constant watch from their armored joint EOD rapid-response vehicle.
"I was sitting in the front seat when I saw the blast. I still see that flash in my mind," Eberhard said.
Moments after the IED exploded, he leapt from the vehicle and raced to the scene, waving medics forward to follow him.
"I didn't know what to expect; I just knew that I needed to get down there and assess the situation. When I got there, I saw him laying on the ground and saw that his leg and arm were severely injured, but his bomb suit was pretty much intact."
After ensuring no further threat from IEDs, Eberhard finally gave the medics the go-ahead to approach the wounded airman. At the same time, he began to act.
"When I got to him he was trying to sit up, but I made him lay back down. At first, all he could say is, 'It hurts bad. ' But we were glad that he was coherent, and we wanted him to stay that way."
To keep the wounded airman conscious, Eberhard elevated the uninjured leg to force blood back to the core of the body. With that accomplished, he started a tourniquet for the wounded arm while the medic tended to the leg.
"In my mind I knew his arm needed a tourniquet, so I just reached over and grabbed it. I didn't ask anyone, I just did it. He was coherent enough that he was actually helping us by telling us what to do. He told me, 'My arm needs to be tighter,' and I tightened the tourniquet."
With the bleeding controlled and an IV started, Eberhard reported the incident and then helped move his wounded team leader to a field to await helicopter medical evacuation.
"I just talked to him and tried to keep him awake," he said. "We talked about football and video games; we're both pretty competitive about it. Not long after that, I ran back and got him a satellite phone and let him talk to his wife. She was extremely grateful, and he was too. It was one of the things that kept him alert. He was talking to his wife, and because of that he knew he couldn't pass out."
Soon afterward, Eberhard said goodbye as his wounded comrade was taken away to medical care. Eberhard later learned that his team leader lost part of his leg, but was expected to recover.
Over the past few weeks, Eberhard has had time to reflect on that day. At the time, he said, he was mostly driven by instinct, which he credits to the combat-skills training he received before deploying. But he makes it clear that he does not consider himself a hero.
"Everyone is calling me a hero, but it is a weird position to be in," he said. "My definition of a hero is someone who does something they don't have to do in a situation they don't have to be in. No one forced me to be here. I'm a reservist. There was nothing saying I had to deploy; I wanted to. I wanted to let someone on active duty take an extra six-month break and be home with their family."
Despite the events of the day, Eberhard said he has no regrets about volunteering to deploy. In fact, he said the deployment experience has left him with some valuable insights he will carry with him to his home unit, 419th Civil Engineer Squadron, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
"The biggest thing I learned is that if we focus on being the servants, not the masters, and look at deployments as a way to serve our fellow man, it changes the outlook we have on deployments, and it makes a big difference in the lives of the Afghan people," he said.
(Air Force Capt. Michael Meridith is assigned to 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 21, 2007 - As he sat eating breakfast Dec. 7, Air Force Staff Sgt. Eric Eberhard had no idea that he was just hours away from a struggle to save the life of the airman sitting next to him. The Salt Lake City, Utah, native and former Marine was enjoying a brief pause before another demanding day as a member of a three-person explosive ordnance disposal team based here.
"We were out with a route-clearance team for a medical engagement and had spent the night at a local village," Eberhard said. "We ate breakfast and were waiting for the medical engagement to end so we could do the route clearance back."
Although they weren't scheduled to leave the village until later that day, they were surprised by word that an improvised explosive device had been spotted a short distance away by Afghan National Police.
"We got to the scene and talked to the policeman who found it; he had been on patrol and saw something suspicious in a culvert under a bridge and reported it. The bystanders were being kept at a distance, so we dressed out our team leader in a bomb suit, and he went down into the culvert," he said.
While their team leader examined the IED, Eberhard and his fellow teammate kept a constant watch from their armored joint EOD rapid-response vehicle.
"I was sitting in the front seat when I saw the blast. I still see that flash in my mind," Eberhard said.
Moments after the IED exploded, he leapt from the vehicle and raced to the scene, waving medics forward to follow him.
"I didn't know what to expect; I just knew that I needed to get down there and assess the situation. When I got there, I saw him laying on the ground and saw that his leg and arm were severely injured, but his bomb suit was pretty much intact."
After ensuring no further threat from IEDs, Eberhard finally gave the medics the go-ahead to approach the wounded airman. At the same time, he began to act.
"When I got to him he was trying to sit up, but I made him lay back down. At first, all he could say is, 'It hurts bad. ' But we were glad that he was coherent, and we wanted him to stay that way."
To keep the wounded airman conscious, Eberhard elevated the uninjured leg to force blood back to the core of the body. With that accomplished, he started a tourniquet for the wounded arm while the medic tended to the leg.
"In my mind I knew his arm needed a tourniquet, so I just reached over and grabbed it. I didn't ask anyone, I just did it. He was coherent enough that he was actually helping us by telling us what to do. He told me, 'My arm needs to be tighter,' and I tightened the tourniquet."
With the bleeding controlled and an IV started, Eberhard reported the incident and then helped move his wounded team leader to a field to await helicopter medical evacuation.
"I just talked to him and tried to keep him awake," he said. "We talked about football and video games; we're both pretty competitive about it. Not long after that, I ran back and got him a satellite phone and let him talk to his wife. She was extremely grateful, and he was too. It was one of the things that kept him alert. He was talking to his wife, and because of that he knew he couldn't pass out."
Soon afterward, Eberhard said goodbye as his wounded comrade was taken away to medical care. Eberhard later learned that his team leader lost part of his leg, but was expected to recover.
Over the past few weeks, Eberhard has had time to reflect on that day. At the time, he said, he was mostly driven by instinct, which he credits to the combat-skills training he received before deploying. But he makes it clear that he does not consider himself a hero.
"Everyone is calling me a hero, but it is a weird position to be in," he said. "My definition of a hero is someone who does something they don't have to do in a situation they don't have to be in. No one forced me to be here. I'm a reservist. There was nothing saying I had to deploy; I wanted to. I wanted to let someone on active duty take an extra six-month break and be home with their family."
Despite the events of the day, Eberhard said he has no regrets about volunteering to deploy. In fact, he said the deployment experience has left him with some valuable insights he will carry with him to his home unit, 419th Civil Engineer Squadron, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
"The biggest thing I learned is that if we focus on being the servants, not the masters, and look at deployments as a way to serve our fellow man, it changes the outlook we have on deployments, and it makes a big difference in the lives of the Afghan people," he said.
(Air Force Capt. Michael Meridith is assigned to 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)
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