Saturday, December 16, 2006

A Modern-Day Jack The Ripper In Ipswich ?

At least five prostitutes have been murdered over the past six weeks in and around Ipswich, north-east of London. Each victim is found naked, dumped in woodlands or in water around the outskirts of the city. The media has dubbed the killer the "Ipswich Ripper" and attempts are being made to draw parallels between this case and that of Jack the Ripper in 1888.
Apart from the obvious similarities in victimology, the major comparison in my opinion is the time-frame in which the murders are occurring. It appears to be quite compressed (five in six weeks), which as serial killers go, is somewhat uncommon. For many modern serial killers, often weeks, months or even years will go by between killings. This "compressed" time scale is somewhat similar to the Ripper killings, which took place over approximately thirteen weeks from August through November 1888. Both timeframes are relatively atypical for serial murders.
It has been suggested that the Ipswich murderer is "increasing in frenzy" as he goes from victim to victim. If this is truly the case, it may be similar to how the original Ripper murders progressed, with ever more violence and depraved mutilation performed on each new victim.
In the end, however, we know so little about the details surrounding these Ipswich murders, and in fact we know so little about who the original Ripper actually was, that any comparisons at this point are purely speculative and academic.
Can't get enough of "Jack The Riper"? Check out the website www.Casebook.org. This article is reprinted from that case study, and many other facts not generally known are revealed and examined. Who knows, you may become a "Ripper-ologist"!!
As to the "Ipswich Ripper", New Scotland Yard has come a long way since the original Ripper stalked Whitechapel in the late 1800's. Forensic science today will no doubt figure in largely when the Ipswich homicides are cleared.

Friday, November 17, 2006

BLACK BOX CRASH DATA RETRIEVAL

Unknown to mostly of the general public, Crash Data black boxes, commonly called Event Data Recorders or EDRs are in almost all commercial trucks and most new cars these days. With in the next couple of years, they will be in all vehicles. Within the next few years, it will become a MUST for all investigators who conduct accident and personal injury investigations to know how to obtain the crash data from black boxes that will be in almost every vehicle. These black boxes, much like the black boxes we hear about in airline accidents, record data pertaining to speed, brake timing, seat belt usage and other data during a vehicle crash. Although this vital evidence will not take the place of an accident investigation in and of itself, it is becoming a vital part of the data the investigator collects to reconstruct the accident. Those investigators armed with the knowledge and know-how on how to do this will be the only investigators who will be able to successfully conduct these types of investigations. It's becoming a vitally important area of conducting personal injury and accident investigations now and this 20 minute digital video gives you a heads-up on this. To find out more about these automobile black boxes, check out the site:http://www.pimall.com/nais/crashdataseminar.html

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

The Top Ten Impossible Things To Say When You’re Drunk

1. “I think it’s too soon for us to have sex.”
2. “No thanks barkeep, I’ve had enough already.”
3. “Good evening, officer. Isn’t it a lovely night?”
4. “You’re right.”
5. “I’d love to go home with you, but you’re just not that attractive.”
6. “No thanks. I don’t want any pizza.”
7. “I should probably just keep my mouth shut about it.”
8. “Z, Y, X, W, V, U, T . . . ”
9. “Let’s just talk it through. There’s no need for violence.”
10. “No, I don’t know why you pulled me over.”

Reprinted from APB

Monday, October 23, 2006

Meet Dumb And Dumber: Classic Stupid Robbers

Winston Lamar and Drew Nash. The dopey Floridians were arrested early this morning after Lamar flashed a BB gun and the duo swiped beer from a Stuart gas station. Their first mistake was letting the Speedway worker grab the gun from them. Then they departed with the brew, but left Lamar's ID behind. Not content with those miscues, Lamar, 22, later called the store and asked if he could swing by and retrieve his belongings. Sure, said clerk Marie Blanco. But when Lamar and Nash, 21, returned, they were met by Martin County Sheriff's deputies, who transported Dumb and Dumber to the local lockup.

It's nice to see some things are consistent wherever you work!!!

Saturday, September 23, 2006

How To Spot An Illegal Script Or Forgery On EBAY

Most dealers advertisting "COPIES" or "REPRINTS" are selling bootleg illegal copies of copyrighted items. Be careful of this scam because many are also associated with illegal forgeries!

How to spot a forgery on Ebay and frequently asked questions on what to do if you have been the victim of a forgery scam.

The police, FBI and Professional Autographed Dealers Association estimates
that 90-98% of the A-list Hollywood Celebrity autographs on Ebay are forgeries or are in some way counterfeit. There is now a firestorm of 20,000-30,000 forgeries, counterfeits and illegal copyrighted items being sold every few weeks. It has become a multimillion dollar business.

Beware of Ebay Dealers with a GOOD feedback rating. That’s right a GOOD feedback rating! The FBI warns that most forgery dealers have good feedback ratings often in the thousands. Just because a dealer shows a good feedback rating does NOT mean the item is authentic, all it means is the dealer has sent out an item in a timely manner. Forgers are very manipulative and will use good “customer service” to mask the fact they are selling forgeries.
Beware of Dealers with a lot of inventory. Celebrities sign a very limited number of items every year. Dealers who claim to have dozens or even hundreds of items from the same celebrity or film production are most likely selling forgeries.
Beware of dealers selling items like scripts or photos that are REPRINTS or COPIES. First, many of theses items are copies of forgeries and Second, most of the items are ILLEGAL copies of copyrighted motion picture and television photos and scripts. If you buy one of these item it is just like buying a bootleg copy of a movie, it’s illegal and you could be held liable so stay away from these dealers. If you want to buy an authorized script copy contact the studio to purchase an authentic copy (not an illegal one).
Watch out for "Listing Tricks": Watch out for listing tricks that sellers use to get out of legal responsibility for selling you a forgery. If an item says “Autographed Photo of Angelina Jolie” They are not claiming the item is SIGNED BY Angelina, they are only claiming that somebody signed it.
Watch out for fuzzy photos and unclear signatures: There are problems with both clear and fuzzy photos. A clever forger may show a picture of an authentic autograph and sell you a false one. Other dealers buy directly from forgers who come close enough to the real signature that they proudly display the forgery with a crystal clear photo. But a dealer who won’t even show a clear photo or clear signature is definitely suspect and probably avoided.
Watch out for Trick Certificates of Authenticity: COA’s can be printed on any paper by anyone unless the COA specifically holds legal claims that the item is real and the person takes legal responsibility. If it is otherwise the COA is just a trick and false sense of security. Insist that a COA has a live signature and the person claiming legal responsibility’s name is printed clearly under the signature. Make sure the COA states that the item is a legal original autograph signed BY the celebrity in question and that further the photo and or script the signature is printed on is authorized by copyright and trademark laws and by the owner of the trademark.
Don’t buy from dealers who will NOT allow you to authenticate the item before you send the money: Make sure the seller has a notice in their listing that allows winning bidders to authenticate the item before the buyer send payment. A seller who does not offer this service is probably trying to trick you into buying the item. A money back guarantee is not enough because a forger will make off with your money.
Google Ebay Seller forgery lists: Consumer Advocates have set up lists of Ebay sellers who are thought to be selling forgeries. Check out the lists and make sure you aren’t buying from one. X-LIST ect..

WHAT TO DO IF YOU PURCHASED A FORGERY OR ILLEGAL COPYRIGHTED ITEM?

1) Immediately contact the police and file a report. Your local police department is required to take the report and they will be forwarded to the district of the seller. DO NOT let the police department tell you only to report it to EBay because Ebay does not have the authority to press criminal charges. If criminal charges are brought the seller may be required to pay restitution and refund all the victims money. A criminal court order can NOT be bankrupted so it is a legal judgment that the convicted criminal is required to pay.
2) After filing a police report then report the incident to Ebay’s Fraud Department and submit the police report number.
3) Leave negative feedback on the seller to warn other buyers.
4) Contact the studio and celebrity and provide the police report number.
5) Contact Paypal or your Credit Card and initiate a dispute to get your money back.

Finally, in your letters to the studios and celebrities formally request that they implement a forgery prevention program. The FBI has suggested a forgery prevention program to the studios and celebrities using a tamperproof holographic label and it will virtually SHUT DOWN forgeries and illegal copies. It only costs a few pennies but the studios and celebrities are waiting for the public to show interest in forgery prevention so your voice definitely makes a difference.


To contact the celebrities regarding forgeries address to:

Screen Actors Guild
Forgery Prevention
Alan Rosenberg; President
5757 Wilshire Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90036-3600

FAX NUMBER: (323) 549-6677

FBI Contact Information:
Forgery Program is called Operation Bullpen
san.diego Telephone: (858) 565-1255

INTERESTING WEB SITES

Investigators Guide To Sources Of Information

http://www.gao.gov/special.pubs/soi.htm
Fish used to detect terror attacks
By MARCUS WOHLSEN Associated Press Writer

SAN FRANCISCO- A type of fish so common that practically every American kid who ever dropped a fishing line and a bobber into a pond has probably caught one is being enlisted in the fight against terrorism. San Francisco, New York, Washington and other big cities are using bluegills — also known as sunfish or bream — as a sort of canary in a coal mine to safeguard their drinking water.
Small numbers of the fish are kept in tanks constantly replenished with water from the municipal supply, and sensors in each tank work around the clock to register changes in the breathing, heartbeat and swimming patterns of the bluegills that occur in the presence of toxins.
"Nature's given us pretty much the most powerful and reliable early warning center out there," said Bill Lawler, co-founder of Intelligent Automation Corporation, a Southern California company that makes and sells the bluegill monitoring system. "There's no known manmade sensor that can do the same job as the bluegill."
Since Sept. 11, the government has taken very seriously the threat of attacks on the U.S. water supply. Federal law requires nearly all community water systems to assess their vulnerability to terrorism.
Big cities employ a range of safeguards against chemical and biological agents, constantly monitoring, testing and treating the water. But electronic protection systems can trace only the toxins they are programmed to detect, Lawler said.
Bluegills — a hardy species about the size of a human hand — are considered more versatile. They are highly attuned to chemical disturbances in their environment, and when exposed to toxins, they experience the fish version of coughing, flexing their gills to expel unwanted particles.
The computerized system in use in San Francisco and elsewhere is designed to detect even slight changes in the bluegills' vital signs and send an e-mail alert when something is wrong.
San Francisco's bluegills went to work about a month ago, guarding the drinking water of more than 1 million people from substances such as cyanide, diesel fuel, mercury and pesticides. Eight bluegills swim in a tank deep in the basement of a water treatment plant south of the city.
"It gave us the best of both worlds, which is basically all the benefits that come from nature and the best of high-tech," said Susan Leal, general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
New York City has been testing its system since 2002 and is seeking to expand it. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection reported at least one instance in which the system caught a toxin before it made it into the water supply: The fish noticed a diesel spill two hours earlier than any of the agency's other detection devices.
They do have limitations. While the bluegills have successfully detected at least 30 toxic chemicals, they cannot reliably detect germs. And they are no use against other sorts of attacks — say, the bombing of a water main, or an attack by computer hackers on the systems that control the flow of water.
Still, Lawler said more than a dozen other cities have ordered the anti-terror apparatus, called the Intelligent Aquatic BioMonitoring System, which was originally developed for the Army and starts at around $45,000.
San Francisco plans to install two more bluegill tanks.
"It provides us an added level of detection of the unknown," said Tony Winnicker, a spokesman for the city's Public Utilities Commission. "There's no computer that's as sophisticated as a living being."

Reprinted from Policeone.com

Monday, September 18, 2006


Story Book Crime Scene


Remind anybody of who they work with...?
INTERESTING WEB SITES:

High Tech Crime Investigation Associationhttp://www.htcia.org/
Financial Crimes Enforcement Networkhttp://www.fincen.gov/.
IACP Law Enforcement Info Managementhttp://www.iacptechnology.org/
United Nations Crime and Justice Info Networkhttp://www.uncjin.org/

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.”

Thucydides quote
“LEST WE FORGET…”

WTC Victims of Attack:

Sgt John Coughlin #3751, ESS4
Sgt Michael Curtin #3256, Ess2
Sgt Rodney Gillis, #1889, ESS8
Sgt Timothy Roy #2926, STED
Det Claude Richards #244, Bomb Squad
Det Joseph Vigiano #4511, ESS3
PO John Dallara #4011, ESS2
PO Vincent Danz #2166, ESS3
PO Jerome Dominguez #10003, ESS3
PO Stephen Driscoll #17482, ESS4
PO Mark Ellis #11441, TD4
PO Robert Fazio #6667, 13 Pct
PO Ronald Kloepfer #22403, ESS7
PO Thomas Langone #14356, ESS10
PO james Leahy #8943, 6 Pct
PO Brian McDonnell #6889, ESS1
PO John Perry #3266, 40 Pct
PO Glen Pettit #3815, PAPO
Moira Smith #10467, 13 Pct
PO Ramon Suarez #12671, TD4
PO Paul Talty #28907, ESS10
PO Santos Valentin #21630, ESS7
PO Walter Weaver #2784, ESS3

Friday, August 25, 2006

IF YOGI BERRA WAS A DETECTIVE

The following statements, taken from Detective Supplemental Reports, could easily have been written by Yogi Berra if he was a detective.

“They were living domesticatally.
They’re habitating at …
Seeking the location of his whereabouts…
He was of Jamaican assessment.
Seeking to identify his identification.
Identified a pattern of unrelated incidents.
Was wearing a multi-colored white tee shirt Known to congregate by himself.
The eyewitness is blind and did not see anything.
They went into a feet pursuit.
He has numerical arrests on his rap sheet.
The bus driver was working off duty at the time.
The information was received from an anonymous CI.
His sister states that she is not related to her brother.
The suspicious package was examined and determined to be not suspicious.
The unarmed security guard fired two shots at the perp.
All the calls that day happened another day.

Also, does anyone know when the word “conversating” became a recognized word in the English language?
IDENTITY THEFT INVESTIGATORS GUIDE AVAILABLE

A recently release publication by the national Institute of Justice focuses on the ever increasing problem of Identity Theft.Law Enforcement Agencies and Identity Theft, (NCJ 205701) a 64 page booklet, is a new COPS POP Guide, addresses the problem of identity theft, and reviews the factors that increase the risk of it. Identity theft is a new crime, facilitated through established, underlying crimes such as forgery, counterfeiting, check and credit card fraud, computer fraud, impersonation, pickpocketing, and even terrorism. You Can Access full text at COPS Online:http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1271

Thursday, July 27, 2006

INTERESTING WEB SITES

http://a836-acris.nyc.gov/Scripts/Coverpage.dll/index_
ACRIS: A very valuable tool that can be used to locate individuals; actual microfiche copies of land transactions

.http://www.arrangeonline.com
National Obituary Archives
SOME LESSER KNOW ORGANIZATIONS

Did you know that there is an International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators? If you’re looking into the private sector, or seeking assistance or background on such crimes, they may be of some help. You can check them out at:www.iafci.org There is also an International Association of Undercover Officers. They can be found at:www.undercovercops.org I was just wondering, though, about this organization. Do they publish a membership guide? What do they call their Annual meeting? I can’t imagine walking into a hotel lobby with the welcoming sign “Welcome to All Undercover Officers”. What would you do, attend with a mask on? Does the hotel have 250 people registered as John Johnson? This just doesn’t seem to be a job role that would lend itself to public programs. But...there you go...
YOU’VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND THE VERNACULAR


PHRASE MEANING

Acting in concrete... Acting in concert
Athletic flips with conversions... Epileptic fit with convulsions
Colossal bag... Colostomy
Diabolic... Diabetic
Electrocution school... Electrician school
Get indicated... Get indicted
Getting paid... Doing robberies
Fireballs in eucharist... Fibrosis of the uterus
Lincoln Townhouse... Lincoln Town Car
Monogrammed headache... Migraine headache
Onions on the feet... Bunions
Persecuted... Prosecuted
Provoked... Revoked
Roaches of the liver... Cirrhosis of the liverS
Singing merry Jesus... Spinal meningitis
Smoke insulation... Smoke inhalation
Statue of liberties... Statute of limitations
Streeticide... Outdoors homicide
Subway farez... Savoir faire
Throwing asparagus... Casting aspersions
Veranda rights... Miranda rights
Very closed veins... Varicose Veins
Virginia... Vagina

Sunday, July 16, 2006

CODIS, DNA, AND THE DATABASES

The FBI Laboratory’s Combined DNA Index System is better known as CODIS. CODIS blends forensic science and computer technology into an effective tool for solving violent crimes. CODIS enables federal, state, and local crime labs to exchange and compare DNA profiles electronically, thereby linking crimes to each other and to convicted offenders. Originally a pilot project begun in 1990, CODIS has evolved from its origination as serving 14 state and local laboratories to its current nationwide level. The DNA Identification Act of 1994 formalized the FBI’s authority to establish a national DNA index for law enforcement purposes. It was in October 1998 that the FBI’s National DNA Index System – NDIS – became operational. CODIS is implemented as a distributed database with three levels – local, state, and national. NDIS is the highest level in the CODIS Program, exchanging information on a national level. All DNA profiles originate at the local level (LDIS), then flow to the state (SDIS) and national (NDIS) levels. CODIS generates investigative leads using two indexes: the forensic and the offender indexes. The Forensic Index contains DNA profiles from crime scene evidence. The Offender Index contains DNA profiles of individuals convicted of sex offenses and other violent crimes which are included in the DNA requirements of the particular local and state agencies. Matches in the Forensic Index can link crime scenes from different jurisdictions, possibly identifying serial offenders. Police agencies can coordinate their respective investigations, sharing leads they may have developed independently, when a Forensic Index match occurs. Matches between the Forensic and the Offender Index provide investigators with an identity of the culprit. It is noted that all states are participating in the National DNA Index System (NDIS), except for Mississippi, Rhode Island, and Hawaii. DNA evidence collected at a crime scene is analyzed by a forensic laboratory at the local level; Once typed, the profile is then run against the convicted-offender DNA profiles in the State Databank to attempt to make a match. In addition, profiles from other unsolved cases are compared against it to identify serial crimes. If no match occurs at the state level the profile is uploaded to the Federal DNA Index System for comparison with DNA profiles from other states. DNA profiles remain in the Federal Databank and are regularly searched against new profiles as they are added to the system. It is important to remember, as an investigator, that once a match is made of the suspected profile the search will usually end. If there is no “match” locally, it is submitted to the state; if no match in the state, then it is submitted to the federal database. This is important to keep in mind. The investigator should keep in contact with the ME’s Office analyst; this will ensure that the appropriate checks which you want done are so completed.
IDENTITY THEFT UPDATE

The No. 1 state for identity theft is Arizona, where one in six adults has had his or her identity stolen in the past five years. Why? Blame it on two things, according to Javelin Strategy and Research, a private research firm that conducted the study:(1) A large number of methamphetamine users in the state.(2) A decision by local governments to post public records on the Internet. This is how bad it is in Arizona: Identity theft there is double the national average. And it's being fueled by meth addicts. James Van Dyke, president of Javelin, calls it a "supply-chain effect." Van Dyke told ABC News reporter Leslie Yeransian, "Meth users will take your bills in the mail and sell your bank statements as a form of payment. Then the [meth-]maker will use those bank statements to go into an existing account or make a new account off that information or sell your statements to an identity theft specialist."The police admit that methamphetamine use and identity theft are a tightly linked problem. "Every time we find a meth lab, we also find identity theft," Detective Tony Morales of the Phoenix Police Department told ABC News. "These meth freaks like to hang together, and they learn about identity theft tricks together."How are the meth addicts getting such sensitive data? They aren't just stealing it out of dumpsters or your mailbox. Often, they are getting it from the government--with a click of a mouse on the Internet. That's especially true in Arizona where counties put very private information on very public Web sites for the convenience of county employees. Two treasure troves for ID criminals are divorce decrees and tax liens. Still, Van Dyke says the greatest risk to innocent people is the old-fashioned paper trail. "They should be more worried about documents going through the mail. We found in our research that only 9 percent of identity theft can be traced to Internet use and billing," he told ABC News. "If you follow normal precautions on the Internet you are actually better off than using mail."Top five states for identity theft:1. Arizona 2. Nevada 3. California 4. Texas 5. Colorado

Thursday, June 15, 2006

TIP ON REVERSE PHONE NUMBER INQUIRIES

You can conduct a basic reverse telephone number inquiry rather quickly, on your cell phone, through a recent service that Google has added. Most telephones can perform “Text Messaging”. This reverse phone search is conducted through a text-messaging message sent to Google at a special location established for this purpose. Google has established a “short code: to provide this information. This short-code, the location that you send the message “To”, is: 46645 Type in the “To” section this number: 46645 Then, in the “Message” section type in the phone number, including the area code and dashes, of the number you are seeking the reverse look-up. The phone number should look like this in the “message” section:888-555-1234. You will receive, in a short time, the results of this reverse phone search. Keep in mind, though, that this search utilizes white pages and yellow page directories, and is NOT a web-based search. Results may be limited to those phone numbers that are listed, however, it may be helpful to you.
Here’s a little tidbit for another of those “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” categories.

In the 77th Precinct (NYPD) several years ago, there was a stickup man by the name of Bobby Jones. His specialty was robbing gas stations. He would give the attendant, when there were attendants, a note saying: "this is a hole up. gimme all your money." He would then sign the note, Bobby Jones. In the detective squad at that time there was a Street Name file – handwritten index card type, way before computers. The gumshoes looked up his name, and sure enough, there he was. Contacting him with a ruse to come into the squad office, he was asked to come in and when he did, he was asked if he would write a note for them. "Sure," he said, "I ain't got nothin' to hide."He was asked to write: "this is a hold up, give me all your money." He complied writing "this is a hole up, gimme all your money," and, without being asked, he signed his name. Tag, Bobby, you're it.

Friday, May 12, 2006

INTERESTING WEB SITE

HOAXBUSTERS HomePage
http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HoaxBustersHome.html

FOR THE JAZZ LOVER

http://www.live365.com/stations/drhorner
KITTY GENOVESE

On March 13th, 1964, one of one of the most infamous crimes in American history occurred in the Kew Gardens neighborhood of Queens, New York. At around 3 AM, 28-year-old Catherine "Kitty" Genovese was attacked, sexually assaulted, and murdered as she walked from her parked car. The assault lasted thirty-five minutes and occurred outside of an apartment building where a reported 38 witnesses either heard or saw the attack and did nothing to stop it. A front-page article in the New York Times sparked an avalanche of press and weeks of national soul searching. The case has lived on in plays, musicals, TV dramas -- it even spawned a whole new branch of psychology. Today the name Kitty Genovese remains synonymous with public apathy.
THE ITALIAN ANTIQUE POLICE

It seems in Italy they have an Antique Police Force. I don’t mean a police force consisting of older members, but an entire police force dedicated to preventing the theft and tracking of stolen ancient artifacts. Highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal article written by Stephanie Gruner, the Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Patrimony is perhaps the largest armed force of its kind anywhere, and most surely the world’s most effective. There are over 300 of the country’s 120,000 carabinieri, in 11 offices from Venice to Palermo, leading the anti-looting and recovery efforts for this country’s antiquities.“Each morning a report arrives on the desk of Col. Giovanni Pastore, second in command of a military police unit charged with protecting Italy’s cultural patrimony. The few pages list everything from antique watches to Renaissance paintings that were either ripped off or recovered the day before. ”A recent report listed that “robbers entered a church in Ascoli Piceno and left with two ancient wood pews, the better for making fake antique furniture. A burglar at a church farther north in Novara had just enough time to break the wooden arm off of a baby Jesus, as it lay cradled in the arms of the Virgin Mary, before making an escape. Thieves stole a cache of marble statues from a family villa elsewhere. On a bright note, more than two dozen sculptures, antiques and paintings were recovered just one month after their theft from a villa outside Milan. ”These antiques gumshoes have become internationally well-regarded, and have served as experts and trainers in Iraq, Kosovo, Cuba and Peru. Representatives from countries such as Greece and Hungary have traveled to Italy to learn how these officers work. In an average week, carabinieri fly helicopters over archaeological sites taking aerial photographs to reveal illegal diggings. They go on offshore dives to prevent unauthorized underwater excavations. They also lecture at schools, universities and conferences “to convince Italians that looting and trafficking in their own cultural heritage isn’t just against the law, but against their own interests. Still other officers in their stylish black-and-red uniforms show up unannounced at antiques shops, auction houses and outdoor markets to videotape items for sale to match against the more than 2.5 million missing objects cataloged in the art squad’s vast database.”They don’t stop there. There are others searching through other databases that list sales at auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s, and also surfing the internet to find hot antiquities for sale. They also utilize wire-tapping, satellites, and other modern technological devices in their battle to track down stolen goods.What detective force would exist without its “sources of information” – paid and unpaid. Archaeologists, museum curators, and the anonymous source all contribute to their success. “Sometimes it’s a tombaroli with a grudge against a competitor who tips them off. Other times word arrives out of the blue – like the email received recently with a link to an auction on eBay, listing for sale an Etruscan urn missing since the summer of 2004. ”Between 1970 and 2005, according to the organization’s own figures, 845,838 objects were reported stolen, while less than a third of that number were recovered and only 4,159 arrests were made. In addition, according to Col. Pastore, the number of robberies at private properties has decreased from 673 in 2003 to 619 in 2005. This unit has also confiscated over 228,000 counterfeit works since 1970.Despite the odds, this unit is credited with doing an outstanding job.The quantity of potential targets is quite astounding. Italy has some 6,000 registered archaeological sites, 100,000 or so churches, more than 45,000 castles and gardens, and roughly 35,000 historic residences – not to mention thousands of miles of coastline, beneath which lie yet more buried treasure. All are potential targets.Some of the obstacles that arise include the issue that many of these valuabvles aren’t cordoned off behind ropes or protected by glass walls, much less watched around the clock by guards or cameras. “Italy is not a country of museums”, says a cultural ministry employee. “It’s a museum in itself, a large open-air museum.”Not surprisingly, funding is another issue that often stands in the way.Financing for cultural affairs have been drastically reduced by the government – by over 20% in just the past two years alone. While these cuts have hit protection efforts, it was also noted by the ministry official that “no matter how much money Italy has for art protection, preservation and anti-looting, it’s never enough.” Not only protecting the theft of these antique items from their Italian home, the unit spends a considerable amount of time fighting the demand for these objects overseas. In the United States alone, hundreds of museum pieces remain under dispute as to their rightful ownership.The squad’s operational headquarters, in Rome, houses the loot collected in their crime fighting efforts. A recent visit their showed art work from Picasso, Dali, Miros and a delicate Degas ballerina line up along the floor – all fakes. The seller applied for and got an export license for his “masterpieces” but they were stopped at the border – all counterfeit.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

INTERESTING WEB SITE

Check out this site that allows you to generate a police sketch (well...sort of):

http://flashface.ctapt.de/
THE DETECTIVES FORTE: TALKING TO PEOPLE

A detective must be good at talking to people – all kinds of people. Complainants, witnesses, victim’s family, and suspects who we require a statement from.

In a recent book written by Professor Robert Jackle, titled “Street Stories” (which has been highlighted on this site previously), Giorgio provides his keys for interrogation. It is certainly worth posting here."Detective Gennaro Giorgio (NYPD Ret.), dressed to the nines and with his customary aplomb, testified about his cat-and-mouse interviews and conversations with (a suspect). Giorgio’s rules for interrogation are simple and straight forward:
"Know the case from beginning to end, down to the smallest detail. Specific knowledge is the key to successful interrogation. Listen patiently to suspects. Never confront them in an accusatory way. At first, write nothing, taking in everything a suspect says without challenge. Then go back over the suspect’s statement, writing it out carefully. Read it back to the suspect and have him sign it. Lock suspects into their statements, whether true or false. Then key in on inconsistencies in the statements or on aspects of the statements one knows independently to be false. Make careful notes of casual conversations with suspects. Sometimes suspects blurt out damning statements spontaneously at off-guard moments. Observe the suspect’s demeanor carefully during the interview, especially when he is telling known lies. Make a mental note of any behavioral patterns that regularly accompany the known lies, such as facial tics, hand rubbing, head touching, turning away, licking lips, or displays of anger. Point out the lies without, at first, letting the suspect know how one knows he is lying. Ask the suspect why he is lying. Then point out some piece of actual evidence that contradicts his story. Insistently but quietly demand an explanation for the discrepancy. If none is forthcoming, move on to the next discrepancy. If one has no tangible evidence on hand, use dodges, ruses, or tricks to elicit statements from suspects. At a certain point, offer the suspect an out—a plausible explanation, justification, or excuse for his depredation, suppressing all personal moral revulsion and clearly indicating that one understands and indeed empathizes with such a motive or account. In short, let suspects convict themselves with their own words. Denials of guilt are as useful legally as admissions or confessions if one has independent evidence to undermine the denials and thus the suspect’s credibility before a jury.

Friday, April 28, 2006

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AID

For everyone who has ever had an evaluation - just remember, it could have been worse. These are actual quotes taken from Federal Government employee performance evaluations.

"Since my last report, this employee has reached rock-bottom and has started to dig."
"Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap."
"When she opens her mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet."
"This young lady has delusions of adequacy."
"He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them."
"This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot."
"This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts, the better."
"He doesn't have ulcers, but he's a carrier."
"He brings a lot of joy whenever he leaves the room."
YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP

The following are excerpts from actual investigative supplemental reports.

“We went to the door looking for the perp. We knocked, there was no answer. We knocked hard, then we knocked really really hard. There was still no answer”.

“I spoke to the doctor in the hospital. He said the victim’s condition was very very bad.”

“The witness stated she could not identify the perp, but that she would be able to identify the dog. Because we have no photos of dogs for an array request this case be closed.”
LOCARDS EXCHANGE PRINCIPLE

Every contact leaves a trace.This is the principle upon which most of our forensic science analysis is based on. Latent prints developed from surfaces touched; hair and fibers recovered from areas where a person was present; DNA found on weapons handled.
COMMON RESUME MISTAKES TO AVOID

"Education: Curses in liberal arts, curses in computer science, curses in accounting."
"Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain store."
"Personal: Married, 1992 Chevrolet."
"I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse."
"Exposure to German for two years, but many words are not appropriate for business."
"Proven ability to track down and correct erors."
"Personal interests: Donating blood. 15 gallons so far."
"I have become completely paranoid, trusting completely nothing and absolutely no one."
"References: None, I've left a path of destruction behind me."
"Strengths: Ability to meet deadlines while maintaining composer."

Monday, April 17, 2006

Say What...?

Some of these I may have printed on this site in the past – but nevertheless, they are certainly worth repeating. Keep in mind that these are actual quotes – some from complainants, witnesses, prisoner debriefings – and many from other Detectives! Enjoy!
“That’s putting the horse before the cart”
“If you don’t like the smell of Ben-Gay, try using the senseless kind”
“I got a mind brain headache (migraine headache)”
“He’s like a bull in a china closet”
“Behind every cloud is a silver platter”
“Go through everything with a fine toothbrush”
“Too many fires on the iron”
“We’re all making some shingles” (shekels)
“Let’s shake some feathers, or ruffle the trees”
“What time was the pronunciation”? (pronouncement of death)
“He’s in a seduced (induced) coma”
“I want her arrested, she kicked me in my test cycles (testicles)”
“She’s my wife-in-law” (common law wife)
“The statue of liberties (statute of limitations) passed on that charge”
“I’m an oppartunour.” (entrepreneur)
“I don’t speak English, I speak American”.
“I’m no criminal, I’m on parole”.
“I shot in self defense, I’m a defendant”.
“He don’t drink, he has sore roses (cirrhosis) of the liver”.
“She speaks English and Spanish, she’s bilateral”. (bilingual)
“I took one of those elastic altitude (scholastic aptitude) tests when I was upstate”.
“Can I play solitary on the computer on my break?” (solitaire)
“He’s got Al’s-Hammer (Alzheimer’s) disease”
“It was one of those 2 lebonese girls that live down the street”. (Lesbian)
“I got minstrel (menstrual) pain”.
“The bullet went in my thigh and missed my tentacles (testicles)”.
“The doctor said he got trouble with his veins from flea bites (phlebitis)”.
“The Arabs got biodegradable weapons.” (Biological weapons)
“He’s not a Baptist, he’s an Episcopal Alien”.
“I had a depraved (deprived) childhood”.
“I got an upper repository (respiratory) infection”.
Sign on a car repair shop: “We Fix Automated Transitions”
“He can’t come to work. He has conductors eye sores”. (Conjunctivitis)
“Somebody has to come here to sign the affa-davis”. (affidavit)
“You know, that Ornamental (Oriental) Chinese looking guy down the block”
“That’s one of them bomb dogs, it’s a Laboratory Receiver.” (Labrador Retriever)
"The fatal injury was repaired at St. Mary's and she is recovering"

Saturday, April 01, 2006

ANALYTICAL LINGUISTICS

(WHAT DID HE SAY?) A person who doesn’t have anything to conceal will generally recall events chronologically and in a concise manner. Those who are involved in crimes often feel the need to justify their actions. Their statements won’t follow a logical, chronological time frame or may avoid what really happened. They may also include extraneous information in their statements, information that’s not necessary to tell the story.

And, yes, they’ll probably fall asleep when left alone in the holding cell.
BASIC CRIME SCENE REMINDERS

Upon arrival at the scene, don’t touch anything. Observe, Describe, and Record what you see. Your description should enable someone reading it months later to get the feel of what the scene looked like to the arriving investigator. Remember such details as lighting, weather, smell, etc. Be sure in recording your description of your observations at the scene that you are writing what you see, and not what you think you see (do NOT interpret).
FOR THE INVESTIGATORS KNOWLEDGE

The Medical Examiner is tasked with determining the cause and manner of death. What’s the difference? Cause is a medical distinction. Some examples of a cause of death would be “blunt force trauma”, or “strangulation”, etc. Manner of death is a legal distinction. Manner of death include homicide, accidental, and suicide.
FREE 411

Free directory assistance and long distance dialing? There is a new company that provides free directory assistance and long distance calling when connecting through their directory assistance. The new service, at 1-800-FREE411, could make paying for directory assistance a thing of the past. Too good to be true? Not as long as your willing to sit through a 10-second ad. The service is funded not by consumers paying to access it, as the conventional directory assistance is, but by companies that pay to have callers hear their ads while they wait for listings. You can check out their web site at www.free411.com.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

COME IN DICK TRACY”

Remember the old Dick Tracy cartoons? Remember Dick Tracy’s wristwatch that he used to call for assistance? Well, it’s here. There is a digital voice recorder that also functions as an MP3 player – and a wrist watch! The fully functional watch is also a media player with 256MB flash memory built in which will allow you to record up to 9 hours of voice recording, as well as download MP3 music files. You can play back the recording with an easy USB plug and play, or play back via stereo headphones or window media player. Available for $189.95 at www.PIgear.com Imagine the investigative potential of recording a conversation from a wristwatch?

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

NOTE: CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

As I have written in the past, many of the postings here should be credited to the writer of another Blog; Brooklynnorth. He is a Detective Commander and obviously a very knowledgable fellow, Lt. John Cornicello NYPD. Without his experience, knowledge and sense of humor this Blog would certainly be less than it is.
WHERE DID THAT CAR COME FROM

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has created an online database consiting of motor vehicles or boats affected by Huricanes Katrina and Rita for the public to search in an effort to protect them from fraudulent sellers. The online data is made available to law enforcement, state fraud bureaus, insurance companies and state departments of motor vehicles. The NICB is also making the data available to the general public to help protect buyers against fraud. Effective immediately, anyone can log on to www.nicb.org and query a suspected VIN free of charge, against the regularly updated database to find out if there is a match. For more information on NICB and disaster fraud, visit their web site. You can also call 1-800-TEL-NICB.
YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP

Here are some excerpts of actual conversations heard in and around Squad rooms. Some during interviews, some by… detectives?

They were all conversating.
We conversated telephonically.
They were living domesticatarly.
They’re habitating.
Seeking the location of his whereabouts.
He was of Jamaican assessment.
Seeking to identify his identification.
Identified a pattern of unrelated crimes.
He was wearing a multi-colored white t-shirt.
He is known to congregate by himself.
The eyewitness is blind and didn’t see anything.
They went into a feet pursuit.
He has numerical arrests on his rap sheet.
The bus driver was working off duty at the time.
The information was received from an anonymous CI.
His sister states she was not related to her brother.
The suspicious package was examined and determined to be not suspicious.
The unarmed security guard fired 2 shots at the perp.
All the calls that day happened another day.
ORGANIZE AND ASSOCIATE

There are a multitude of associations and organizations for investigators in the private sector. Some organized by specialty, others by geographic area. Here’s a listing of some of the more unusual.

There is a European Council of Detectives. You can check their web site at:www.euro-detectives.org

The Professional Investigators and Security AssociationBased in Charlottesville, VA, they can be found at: www.pisa.gen.va.us

National Defender Investigator Association.www.ndia.net

National Association of Legal Investigators.This association represents private investigators who conduct work for the defense. They also have a national accreditation program.www.NALI.com

The Council of International Investigators, headquartered in Singapore.www.cii2.ord

World Association of Detectives. This international group hosts an annual convention that brings detectives from… all over the world (where else?)! Claim to be the largest and oldest association of its kind in the world.www.wad.net
THE CSI EFFECT

Prosecutors and defense attorneys are facing the "CSI Effect"-high expectations from jurors because of media glamorization of the criminal-justice system.
Jurors believe forensic evidence can be found at every crime scene and is always admissible in court.
They also believe that expert witnesses may not be credible and that crimes can be solved in less than an hour.
Jurors have the inability to tell real life from entertainment.
Movies and television shows like "CSI," which began in 2000, take liberties with what is scientifically accepted and expand it, Clifford Strider, a prosecuter in an Ohio District said.
"On 'CSI,' someone was found stabbed and they poured plaster in the knife wound to get an image to match to the knife," he said. "You can't do that. Skin is elastic and changes as soon as a knife is removed."
But men and women, often walking into a courtroom for the first time when they are called to jury duty, don't know that.
"Jurors say the reality of the courtroom is disappointing and the evidence is not as appealing as expected," Strider said.
Police and court shows have entertained since the advent of radio and "Mr. District Attorney - the champion of people and defender of truth," Strider said.
But the three television networks available in those early days have ballooned to more than 100, with dozens of crime and court shows, 24-hour news coverage, trials of the century and re-enactments of major cases. Strider said people believe all police departments have helicopters, multiple criminal investigators and evidence that can be analyzed in hours.
When they get on a jury, they wonder why the evidence is not there.
"I think it is good for jurors to be demanding and expect proof beyond a reasonable doubt, but I think there are cases where the jury is out of control and gets angry," said Mark Godsey, a University of Cincinnati associate professor of law who directs the Ohio Innocence Project, which seeks to overturn wrongful convictions.
Godsey, a former federal prosecutor, said jurors should not expect DNA testing in a $100 theft.
"Hello - we are not actually 'CSI,' and the government and taxpayers are not putting those resources into every case," he said.

Partially Reprinted from Policeone

Monday, March 27, 2006

Police Humor

So you thought police officers didn't have a sense of humor....

The following were taken off of actual police car videos around the country.

#15 "Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch out after you wear them awhile."
#14 "Take your hands off the car, or I'll make your birth certificate a worthless document.
"#13 "If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."
#12 "Can you run faster than 1,200 feet per second? In case you didn't know, that is the average speed of a 9mm bullet fired from my gun."
#11 "So you don't know how fast you were going. I guess that means I can write anything I want on the ticket, huh?"
#10 "Yes, Sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh .. did I mention that I am the shift supervisor?"
#9 "Warning! You want a warning? O.K., I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket."
#8 "The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"
#7 "Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go to ride on rides, eat cotton candy."
#6 "Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven."
#5 "In God we trust, all others we run through NCIC."
#4 "Just how big were those two beers?"
#3 "No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to have quotas but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we want."
#2 "I'm glad to hear the Chief of Police is a good personal friend of yours. At least you know someone who can post your bail."and the best one . .
#1 "You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? . You're right, we don't. .. Sign here."

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Top Ten Signs The Guy Did It

1. He says he did it.
2. He says he didn’t do it.
3. He falls asleep during questioning.
4. You found a human suit made out of the guy he killed during the search.
5. There are 64 eye witnesses.
6. He left so much DNA at the crime scene that the lab was able to clone him.
7. At any point in the interview, the guy says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” (At least that’s how it works on TV.)
8. His polygraph looks like an earthquake chart.
9. He says everything’s fine now because the bad voice in his teeth has been replaced with a pleasant “whooshing” sound.
10. That feeling you get when you look at him.

Reprinted from APB
LEGAL BRIEF: THE DAVIS RULE

What should you do when a suspect who waived his Miranda rights says he might want a lawyer? This is the question that the US Supreme Court recently ruled on.

WHILE I AM PRESENTING THE FACTS ACCORDING TO THE US SUPREME COURT RULING, THIS IN NO WAY IS MEANT AS A GUIDE IN A FLORIDA STATE COURT! ALWAYS REFER TO THE DEPARTMENT’S LEGAL BUREAU, OR THE DA / SA OFFICE FOR PARTICULAR RULINGS. THIS IS MEANT FOR THE FURTHERANCE OF THE INVESTIGATORS LEGAL KNOWLEDGE!

A fairly common scenario, you obtain a valid Miranda waiver from a suspect in custody and begin interrogation. Part way through your questioning, the suspect begins to feel uneasy about going forward and says something about remaining silent or talking to a lawyer. What then? Must you stop interrogating? Do you need to clarify his wishes? Or can you keep talking? The US Supreme Court gave the answers in Davis v. U.S. The Supreme Court acknowledged its earlier ruling in Edwards v. Arizona that a statement obtained through police custodial interrogation will not be admitted to prove guilt at trial if it resulted from questioning that continued after the suspect’s request for an attorney. But where it is not necessarily clear that a suspect who has already waived his rights is asking for an attorney, the court declined to place the burden of resolving the ambiguity on the police.“If a suspect makes a reference to an attorney that is ambiguous or equivocal in that a reasonable officer in light of the circumstances would have understood only that the suspect might be invoking the right to counsel, our precedents do not require the cessation of questioning. Rather, the suspect must unambiguously request counsel. He must articulate his desire to have counsel present sufficiently clearly that a reasonable police officer in the circumstances would understand the statement to be a request for an attorney. ”Finding that the statement, “Maybe I should talk to a lawyer,” was not an unequivocal, unambiguous invocation of the right to counsel, the court upheld the admission of Davis’s statements and unanimously affirmed his conviction and sentence. The five-member majority held that it is not necessary for officers to stop an interrogation when the suspect makes an ambiguous reference to invoking his rights. There are no magic words that a suspect has to use to constitute a clear and unambiguous invocation of Miranda. Certainly a statement such as “No more questions”, or “I want a lawyer” are unambiguous. Wishy-washy qualifications such as “I think…” or “Maybe I should…” would normally be ambiguous enough to come within the Davis rule that there is no need to clarify the suspect’s wishes and no need to stop questioning. It is further noted that the Davis ruling only applies where the suspect initially gave a clear, unambiguous waiver when given initially given his Miranda rights. Once he has waived, the burden shifts to him to clearly, unambiguously assert his rights if he wants questioning to cease. For example, if the suspect responds to the Miranda admonishment by saying something like, “I think maybe I should get a lawyer,” you should not proceed without clarifying whether or not you have an invocation of counsel. It’s only after a clean waiver has been obtained that the Davis rule kicks in. NOTE: NOT all states follow the US Supreme Court rulings on exclusionary issues. States are free to interpret their own constitutions as providing greater protection to criminals than the US Constitution provides. Where do you suppose Florida falls??