Behind The Badge

2011-11-18T08:53:00.002-05:00

Solving a murder at Harlem’s Green Parrot Grill

It may be the only time a tropical bird helped crack a New York cold case.

On July 12, 1942, Max Geller, owner of the Green Parrot Bar and Grill on Third Avenue and 100th Street, was shot to death in his small restaurant by a lone gunman.

None of the restaurant’s patrons could (or would) identify the killer, and the police had no clues.

Months passed, and finally, a breakthrough. Geller had kept a real parrot in his restaurant, and a detective learned that the bird was trained to call regular customers by name.

Witnesses had said that the bird screeched “robber robber robber” as his owner was shot. The detective, however, “had a hunch that the parrot had actually repeated “Robert Robert Robert.”

“Suspicion focused on a man named Robert Butler, 28, who had left Manhattan shortly after the shooting.”

Cops located Butler, a former taxi driver, in Maryland, where he confessed to shooting Geller in a drunken rage because Geller refused to serve him.

Brought back to New York in November 1943, Butler was sentenced to 15 years.

2011-05-08T08:30:00.002-04:00

Common term Coined in New York (again)

Some readers' may have noticed my predisposition to writing about issues in and around the New York area as it relates to subject matter here. Let's just say having been born and raised there, I am and will always be a New Yorker. Moving on...

One term most people are familiar with is the well known label "Hooker", mostly associated with the long standing profession of prostitution.

Corlears Hook was named in the 17th century for the Van Corlears Family, early Dutch settlers who had a farm near the East River. In the 18th century the British renamed it Crown Point, and in the 19th century it reverted back to its' New Amsterdam name.
But it was no longer farmland. In the 1830's it became the City's most notorious red-light district attracting sailors and the women who serviced them...
The women of Corlears Hook..."were the most debased and lowest of their class. They were untidy, flashy and covered with brass jewelry and tinsel," states Seafaring Women, by David Cordingly. "Their dresses are short, arms and necks bare, and their appearance is as disgusting as can be conceived". A rather scathing description for women during any period in history.

The area known as Corlears Hook is generally credited in giving rise to the term "Hooker".
The area now is a park offering views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges-with no hint of its importance in creating the popular term for ladies of the evening.

2011-05-08T08:15:00.002-04:00

New York City's First Drug Dealer

A dubious distinction at best, the famous Astor family usually known for real estate development in and around New York (Astor Place, Astor Row, Astoria Queens)apparently got started in another lucrative trade: Drug smuggling.

John Jacob Astor, a german immigrant made his first fortune trading furs with the natives in the late 1700's and eventually shipping pelts worldwide.

Having been associated with China from his fur trading, the needed connections were already in place.
He began purchasing thousand of pounds of Turkish Opium and shipped it to China, illegally as Opium was banned there in 1799. After a few years of successful smuggling, he quit the business evidently unscathed and began a new career in another prosperous trade: New York Real Estate.

2010-05-04T14:50:00.002-04:00

Don't Overlook The Obvious

2010-04-15T17:07:00.002-04:00

New York City’s founding families

The city’s oldest cemeteries are home to the tombstones of early bigwig early New Yorkers.

The first Riker (of Rikers Island fame, of course) arrived in New Amsterdam from Holland in 1638.(For all you non-New Yorker's that's the jail on it's own island).

His descendent, John Lafayette Riker, was a Civil War colonel in a Union Army volunteer regiment called the Anderson Zouaves.

Riker was killed at the Battle of Fair Oaks in 1862 and buried in Green-Wood Cemetery.

2010-02-20T08:11:00.002-05:00

..."Know A Good Lawyer"?

These little gems are from a book called "Disorder in the American Courts", and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place..

ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
___________________________________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, "isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?"
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
______________________________
ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
______________________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK?
What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And, Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
_____________________________
And the best for last:
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No .
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

2010-02-17T07:49:00.002-05:00

Street Slang: NYC Born

Ever heard street slang and wondered how it came about or where it came from?...

The term "Jones" or "jonesin" (jone-sin, jones-ing) was originally used by drug addicts and junkies when referring to their habit; "I got a 3 bag a day Jones"...or the desire for drugs; "I'm jonesin' for some ______". The term is said to have been created after Jones St. in the West Village of NYC...
then there is Great Jones St and Great Jones Alley which runs behind Great Jones St. It's rumored that Great Jones Alley was a big hang out for the drug culture in Greenwich Village... hence the term, "Jonesin'".

2010-02-02T11:32:00.003-05:00

Interviews: "Make 'Em Do It Backwards"!

Theories abound about how best to tell if a suspect is lying to you, short of hooking him up to a polygraph or CVSA, and even then...it's only a tool. We hear about kenesics, the use of body language and movement, different cues to look for, and on and on. Well, here's one more for your consideration: Make 'em tell it backwards. That's right. One more wrench in your toolchest should be having your subject recount all the facts for you as always, then....have them do it backwards in a timeline. One of the best ways to obtain cues to possible deception may be simply to have the subject tell his or her story backwards. You will find it's much more difficult for a person who is fabricating a story, alibi or incident to do so while telling it in a reverse or backwards timeline. In doing so you will start to see a pattern within the context of the interview:
Extreme Brevity: You will get very condensed versions.
Sparse Details: When lying, subjects will tend to offer few details generally speaking.
Justifications: When details are offered in the fabrications, they will tend to be in the form of justifications or rationalizations.
Non-verbal giveaways: During deception, the subjects may more often press their lips together firmly and look away like they were trying to think, to concentrate hard. Also their hand gestures may be different. When being truthful, they may tend to gesture away from their body, the opposite -- toward their chest -- when making up stories. And, when lying, grooming gestures may be more evident. These cues are all based on you obtaining a baseline of truth prior to your interview. You will notice, that Kenesics do play a part in this style of interview. Talk to your subject, get their baseline, then give it a try.

2010-02-01T11:57:00.005-05:00

THE MOST RECOGNIZED PERSON THAT NO ONE KNEW

The retired NYPD Lieutenant that thousands of cops know, yet never knew, recently passed away.

Jesse Oldshein was the inspiration for the paper target that thousands of New York (and other) cops shot at for years. How many of us ever knew his name? How many ever knew he was a real person?

Jesse Oldshein retired as a Lieutenant, and has been living in Florida. He died recently, at the age of 92.

It was less than 2 years ago that he was unmasked as “The Thug” – the male holding a gun in a shooting pose that we shot at as a target at Firearms training for years.
When this target was replaced in 2008, with a faceless Mr Clean look-alike, it was revealed that Jesse Oldshein was the model for the target.

When he showed up for firearms training one day in the early 1960’s, Oldshein was asked to pose for a picture. “Pose in a boxing stance”, he said he was told. “Next thing I know, my face is on a target.”

Jesse Oldshein served as a Lieutenant in the 79 Precinct before he retired.

Not only was he the face that everyone knew, even if we didn’t know him, but he was truly a “cops cop”.

In a thank-you letter sent to Jesse OIdshein from Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, he summed it up best when he wrote “Yours is the face that launched a thousand careers.”

We say “Farewell- and God Bless” to this NYPD legend.

2010-01-18T09:36:00.000-05:00

The Role of Private Individuals Before the Police

Throughout the period 1674 to 1829 many victims of crime were able to identify and apprehend the culprits before contacting a constable or a justice of the peace to secure their arrest. Those who witnessed a felony were legally obliged to apprehend those responsible for the crime, and to notify a constable or justice of the peace if they heard that a crime had taken place. Moreover, if summoned by a constable to join the "hue and cry", inhabitants were required to join in the pursuit of any suspected felon.

Although these legal obligations were rarely enforced, Londoners continued to help apprehend suspected criminals. As the Proceedings frequently illustrate, cries of "stop thief!" or "murder!" from victims often successfully elicited the assistance of passers-by. This sense of individual responsibility for law enforcement was eroded over the eighteenth century, however, as increasing numbers of men were paid to carry out this task. For example, victims frequently paid thief-takers to locate and apprehend suspects. Moreover, the difficulties the authorities had in identifying and apprehending criminals led them to offer rewards to those whose arrests led to the conviction of serious criminals, and pardons to accomplices who were willing to turn in their confederates. Increasingly, ordinary Londoners left the task of securing criminals to people who were motivated to do so by the prospect of financial or other rewards.

2009-12-26T11:31:00.003-05:00

Miranda Warnings: Hollywood Vs. Real World

How many times have we all seen a television show or movie that depicts an arrest and while in the process the LEO'S give Miranda Warnings to the suspect? How many of us actually do that? As a member of a patrol division or a detective squad I submit that doing that too soon can be just as bad as not doing it at all.
The truth is if you're a patrol cop and you make an arrest, there is a chance you may want to question your arrestee. If you were to administer Miranda as you are arresting your suspect like they do on television, you may very well be shutting your bad guy (or girl)down before you need to. The ride "back to the house" can be very productive depending on circumstances. If it's a job that you will handle all the way through, you are going to want to talk to your subject right? Why then would you want to lose the opportunity to gather spontaneously uttered information? Those comments and statements made from the rear of your patrol vehicle by your subject will certainly be called into question if you gave Miranda prior to them being made. I have seen too many times LEO's in the real world doing their job as if they were trained by cops on different TV shows...sad but true. We are human and absent a good training officer and /or mentor people (yes even Police Officers) will act based on what they are exposed to.
Being a detective for many years it is one aspect of TV and movies that I cannot deal with. Why would a producer/director of a movie or series show take the time to hire real LEO's (retired or active) as consultants and then throw in the mistake of advising Miranda as the arrest is taking place? Because that is what people have seemingly come to expect. The same reason all the CSI issues are now so prevalent...it's been shown in the movies and on TV so much, real jurors expect DNA, fingerprint evidence and other aspects of crime scene investigation to be present in a case before they will convict (but that's yet another post).
It is not necessary to advise an arrested person of their right to remain silent UNLESS they are going to be questioned! Yes they have been arrested, yes you will want to question them. Think about this...
don't do it on the street to "get it out of the way", or to make sure you won't forget. Give them the opportunity to "vent" all the way back to the station. Then, during your "pre-interview chat" let them know their rights prior to getting into your subject matter.
I realize we all have or own style of working and we all do what we have found works best for"us"....but let's keep our edge and don't give away the game before you get started.

2009-10-24T18:37:00.000-04:00

“Don’t investigate your conclusion – let your conclusion be a result of your investigation”.

2009-10-24T18:31:00.000-04:00

MONEY LAUNDERING

According to a research report Anti-Money Laundering: A Brave New World for Financial Institutions, money laundering is typically a three-stage process:

Stage One: Placement. Moving illicit funds into the financial system by, for example, depositing cash in banks, buying valuables (gold, diamonds, artwork), etc.

Stage Two: Layering. Moving the funds around in the financial system to cover the audit trail to the origination point of the funds. Examples are multiple cross-border wire transfers, investments in securities, deposits in overseas “shell” banks or secret bank accounts (e.g., numbered accounts).

Stage Three: Integration. Finally, the disguised funds are reintroduced into the legitimate economy. This may be accomplished by investing the money in real estate or business ventures, or to acquire luxury assets or other goods, sometimes through the use of credit cards. “Front” businesses are sometimes established for this purpose. A front business engages in legitimate business operations, but at the same time generates false invoices or uses other techniques to absorb the laundered funds.

Money laundering schemes can range from simple to sophisticated. Here are a few examples:
Generation and payment of false invoices. This technique involves a front business which creates invoices for goods and services not actually delivered, or delivered at inflated prices, allowing money launderers to collect and bank cash that is effectively disguised as sales for a business operation.

Loan defaulting. In this scheme, the launderer takes out a bank loan, using the illicit funds as collateral. The launderer then deliberately defaults on the loan, causing the bank to lay claim to the collateral. The launderer has thus effectively traded illicit funds (which the bank now holds) for clean money — the loan money originally extended by the bank.

Manipulation of insurance policies. The malefactor purchases a large insurance policy, pays one or more premiums, and then cancels the policy, obtaining a refund of the premiums (usually minus some penalties). An audit trail would show the refunded monies as originating from the insurance company.

2009-10-14T20:13:00.002-04:00

911 Attack Still Claiming Lives

Years later the attack on the WTC is stil claiming lives of Police Officers. Three more NYPD MOS have had their names added to a memorial for those who lost their lives working the rescue /recovery efforts. Those three officers, Robert B. Helmke of Hauppauge, Det. William J. Holfester of Mastic Beach, and Sgt. Michael W. Ryan of Hauppauge, died of illnesses that may have been related to their efforts at the World Trade Center disaster site following the Sept. 11 attacks, officials said.

2009-10-14T12:55:00.003-04:00

Cop Arrested On Train: I Was Defending Myself

An off-duty NYPD officer arrested after allegedly pointing his gun at Long Island Rail Road passengers has said he was defending himself against unruly hockey fans, but authorities said Tuesday the now-suspended cop broke the law when he brandished his weapon.

“The allegation is that he was not acting in any legal law enforcement capacity, and he allegedly used his weapon to menace the passengers, so it doesn’t matter that he’s licensed or a trained professional,” said Eric Phillips, a spokesman for the Nassau district attorney’s office.
At his Brentwood home, Officer David Hendrick, 38, declined to comment Tuesday.

In an earlier interview on News 12 Long Island, he said he was “letting them know who’s boss” when he pulled his gun on what he described as several drunk and aggressive Rangers fans coming home from a game Sunday night. He said in the interview that he identified himself as a police officer on the 9:17 p.m. Ronkonkoma-bound train and warned them to stop harassing passengers. “It started out with cursing, disrespecting people, drinking,” he said.

He said he told the group, “You have two choices: Stop the drinking, stop the cursing, stop the smoking, the disrespect by everybody, or I escort you off the train.”

He continued: “A rumble ensued. I had my gun on me. They were coming at me. We were fighting, throwing blows. . . . I pulled out my gun, pointed it at the subjects. It was two against one.”

Later Tuesday, he was no longer talking. He returned home just after 5 p.m. When he saw reporters, he sprinted to his front door.

MTA and Nassau police had arrested Hendrick on Sunday at the Mineola station.

Hendrick pleaded not guilty Monday in Nassau District Court in Hempstead to second-degree criminal possession of a loaded weapon, a felony, and second-degree menacing, a misdemeanor. A judge set bond at $2,000 and cash bail at $1,000. If convicted, Hendrick faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.

Reprinted from PoliceLink

2009-10-03T10:31:00.002-04:00

Why Don’t We Get It…?

Here we go again, Officers in a jam over postings on Facebook. This time a few buddies got together and video taped themselves burning a dummy wearing the agency’s uniform while leaning up against a cross. Then, the coupe de gras…show it to the world! Resignations and demotions followed. Whether it will stick is another thing.

The act itself and the posting of the video was said to have been a “stress reliever” with the names of other Officers’ and the head of the agency pinned to the dummy. Now one Officer will have a lot less stress having been relieved of supervisory duties in the Investigative Division of their department and another can relax at home…
Look, there is no one that is more of a prankster and joker than yours truly. It’s fun to have a good time and “act up”. It’s also easy to understand some of the things we all do that we call “stress relievers”. We are different when it comes to the things we see and deal with. This job calls for a certain type of humor in order to survive that most of the civilized world just doesn’t get. It is getting old though watching people get jammed and ruin their careers for posting idiotic rants and videos on social networking sites. I also do not always agree with the decisions to discipline people over exercising their right to free speech (or what we believe is free…but that’s another post altogether!). We are obviously held to a higher standard and are expected to set ourselves apart from the masses. That has been upheld over and over again. All I can say is….”C’mon Man! Why don’t we get it”?

2009-09-02T16:41:00.000-04:00

“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

2009-08-07T09:51:00.002-04:00

IF YOGI BERRA WAS A DETECTIVE

(I had to re-post this after reading one individuals report last week...Tip of The Day: Write like you speak, not like people expect you to write...no "cop-ese"!)

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?

2009-08-07T09:42:00.001-04:00

INVESTIGATOR’S THOUGHTS TO PONDER

“Truth is knowledge, only verified”.

"A man does not look behind the door unless he has stood there himself."

"If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck... it is a bird of some sort."

Benedict Arnold was always the first one to rise when George Washington walked into the room.

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

"Singularity is almost invariably a clue. The more featureless and commonplace a crime is, the more difficult it is to bring it home."

"I have become convinced there is no one truth, nor two; there are often several truths."

"In the war between falsehood and truth, falsehood often wins the first battle, but truth wins the last."

2009-08-06T14:50:00.002-04:00

MOTIVES FOR FALSE CONFESSIONS

To date, the innocence project has freed in excess of 200 individuals from prison based on DNA evidence. These innocent defendants were found guilty of serious felonies such as murder and rape. Furthermore, about twenty percent of them confessed to committing the crime either to the police during an interrogation, or to a judge as a result of a plea bargain with the prosecutor. What causes innocent people to confess to crimes they did not commit?

The simple answer is that, at the time of the confession, many of these suspects believed that it was in their best interest to confess, e.g., escape a death sentence, keep children out of a foster home, etc. However, when evaluating individual cases, a number of specific motivations can be identified. When evaluating the trustworthiness of a confession, the investigator, prosecutor and judge should consider the following motivations for false confessions.

Tangible Gains

When speaking of the value of the polygraph technique, John Reid told the following story. A man from Chicago confessed to a homicide that occurred in California. The man was extradited to the west coast and charged with the killing. At that point he recanted his confession, and explained that he was seeking to escape the cold weather of Illinois. Of course, no one believed him until Reid was able to verify his truthfulness through the polygraph technique. Other examples of tangible gains that may lead to a false confession include seeking shelter, food, medical care, and protection (being hunted by drug lords). These suspects may come forward and confess without any interrogation (the so-called voluntary false confession), or confess after a relatively short and mild interrogation. Once their need has been satisfied, they recant the confession but find that it is much easier to be charged with a crime than having the charges dropped.

Protecting a Loved One

During a New Year's Eve party, a guest was shot in the host's back yard. When the police arrived, the host's teenage son came forward and explained that the guest was arguing with his father so the boy ran into the house, retrieved a shotgun and killed the guest. The boy was charged with first degree murder and obtained an attorney. Once the boy learned that he would be tried as an adult and face life in prison, he recanted his confession and explained that it was his father who actually shot the guest. A polygraph confirmed the boy's statement; the father was interrogated and confessed. We have also experienced the opposite situation, where a parent has confessed to protect a son or daughter who was involved in criminal activity.

Low Intelligence / Youthful Offenders

In the previous New Year's Eve killing, the boy's father told him that because he was a teenager he would not go to prison. It has been suggested that suspects who are young or have a low IQ may fail to understand the severity of consequences they face through their decision to confess. Consider an analogous situation: I believe most adults of average intelligence would pay the IRS a $200 fine even though they contest the alleged error on their tax return; putting an end to the hassle, fear and frustration of dealing with the IRS is worth $200. However, I doubt that the same taxpayer would be willing to spend even a day in jail as punishment for the contested error.

Suspects under the age of 16 who have had little contact with police, or suspects who have an IQ under 65 are statistically abundant in documented false confession cases. Certainly a confession coming from this category of suspect should be carefully scrutinized to make certain that it was obtained in the absence of a promise of leniency and that the confession contains corroborative information that originated from the suspect. When investigators are dealing with these vulnerable suspects, caution should be exercised to make certain the interrogations are not too lengthy, intense or psychologically manipulative.

Coercion

Many innocent people will confess to a crime if they are subjected to sufficient pain or threats of harm (coercion). This concept is fundamental to common law, and within the judiciary there is zero-tolerance when it comes to coercion. For a confession to be admissible as evidence, it must be obtained without inflicting or threatening to inflict any physical harm to the suspect.

While coercion specifically relates to the suspect's physical well being, there is a related psychological circumstance which may have an even greater impact on false confessions. Consider the following interrogation of an innocent mother in a case involving the death of her infant child.

"Martha, the fact that you can't tell the truth about what you did to your child tells us you're an unfit mother. You know what we do with unfit mothers? We place their children in foster homes. Your children will be placed in foster homes across the country and they will never see each other again and you will never see them. That's what will happen if you don't confess to shaking your child."

When an innocent suspect is convinced that his denials will not prevent a prison sentence, loss of reputation, or loss of something else he values, in an effort to reduce or escape those inevitable consequences, certainly the suspect may be persuaded to confess. Under this circumstance, because the suspect is still under the threat of the consequence, the confession may not be retracted until the suspect feels it is safe to do so.

Duress

The average innocent suspect can answer questions and fend off persuasive interrogation techniques for many hours without being tempted, in any way, to confess. However, when the sessions become too lengthy, intense or unbearable, the innocent suspect may confess to terminate the conditions. Duress describes lengthy questioning, as well as deprivation of biological needs such as sleep, warmth or food. Unlike coercion, duress is considered by the courts on a continuum, in which a number of different factors are considered.

A homicide confession obtained after a ten hour interrogation from a mentally competent adult suspect who has waived his Miranda rights may be considered by most courts as legally admissible. However, a burglary confession obtained after a ten hours of interrogation of a 15-year-old suspect who did not have a parent or guardian present may be suppressed, partially as a result of duress. When evaluating the trustworthiness of a confession, it is important to recognize that some suspects are more susceptible to persuasive interrogation techniques.

Mental Illness

Following a heinous crime, it is not uncommon for innocent individuals suffering from mental illness to come forward and confess. Some of them are delusional and receive "messages" to confess. Others have lost touch with reality and believe they committed the crime. Some confess to seek attention or recognition. Most of these cases involve voluntary confessions (obtained in the absence of interrogation) which are readily identified as false because the confession lacks accurate corroboration.

This motivation presents a greater difficulty when the innocent suspect with a mental illness initially maintains his innocence, and confesses after interrogation. Innocent suspects with anxiety disorders are more susceptible to duress than the average population. With some depressive disorders, the individual may rationalize a false confession by convincing themselves that they deserve to be punished for some real or imagined past transgression.

The latter group of suspects are aware that they did not commit the crime at the time of their confession. These suspects were simply vulnerable to interrogation tactics that the mentally healthy suspect can easily resist. Consequently, mental illness and cognitive functioning becomes an important factor when considering duress.

Faulty Memory

Finally, an innocent person may be persuaded to confess if he has no recollection of his activities at the time of the crime but is convinced, after learning of evidence of his guilt, that he must have committed the crime. This is termed a coerced internalized false confession. There is generally a tangible cause for the suspect's memory loss such as intoxication, head trauma, epilepsy or suffering from multiple personality disorder.

Once convinced of their guilt, these suspects may accept this as the truth, plead guilty in court and accept their prison sentence. Through time, therapy or happenstance, this suspect may question his guilt. But, as with the earlier suspect who confessed to obtain a warmer climate, he discovers that it is very difficult to undo a plea bargain.

Conclusion

Just because there are many possible motivations for innocent people to confess does not mean that most confessions are false. To the contrary, the average criminal suspect is more than capable of resisting standard interrogation tactics and a great deal of effort is required to persuade these individuals to tell the truth. But experience and scientific evidence proves that innocent suspects have confessed. Furthermore, each of these false confessions satisfied a particular motivation. Awareness of these motivations should assist investigators in selecting appropriate interrogation techniques for particular suspects and should also assist prosecutors and judges to identify confessions that may not be true.

With the above discussion in mind, the following represents some factors to consider in the assessment of the credibility of a suspect's confession. These issues are certainly not all inclusive, and each case must be evaluated on the "totality of circumstances" surrounding the interrogation and confession, but nevertheless, these are elements that should be given careful consideration:
1. The suspect's condition at the time of the interrogation
a. Physical condition (including drug and/or alcohol intoxication)
b. Mental capacity
c. Psychological condition
2. The suspect's age
3. The suspect's prior experience with law enforcement
4. The suspect's understanding of the language
5. The length of the interrogation
6. The degree of detail provided by the suspect in his confession
7. The extent of corroboration between the confession and the crime
8. The presence of witnesses to the interrogation and confession
9. The suspect's behavior during the interrogation
10. The effort to address the suspect's physical needs
11. The presence of any improper interrogation techniques

excerpts from John E. Reid & Associates

2009-08-02T09:08:00.003-04:00

A LOOK AT A COMMON BUT UNCERTAIN TERM: HAIRBAG

A term that we (mostly up North)have all heard, and probably used, is certainly one of those that has an uncertain point of origin.

Could the following synopsis have some truth to it?

The story goes like this.

"Back in the day" an officer was permitted to get a haircut while on duty.

After finishing the haircut, the barber would sweep up the loose hair that was now on the floor and put it into a bag. Later, if a supervisor inquired as to why an officer was not on his foot post (occurred more often in cold/inclement weather), or touched an officers shield and felt that it wasn't cold despite frigid weather,
the officer would inform the supervisor that he had been getting a haircut.

The supervisor would then ask the officer to produce his "hairbag" or go to the barber himself and request to see the officers "hairbag."

So long as the cop or the barber produced a hairbag, the cop was ok.

After a while, veteran officers would often carry a bag of hair with them so they could produce it when requested to do so, such as on the times when they were found to be off-post and needed an excuse as to why. Over the years, this policy became less common and only savvy veterans would attempt to pull off the "hairbag" excuse when confronted by a supervisor.

2009-07-31T08:59:00.000-04:00

2009-07-24T09:37:00.000-04:00

You don't know me, you just think you do
Written by Kristen Roman
APB

On a recent evening, as I walked with my five-year-old son into the park near our home, I encountered one of our neighbors. I don’t know him that well, but I have seen him in the park many times with his grandchildren, and I’m sure we exchanged names once long ago. I’ve lived in this neighborhood for 16 years, having moved here when I began my career as a police officer. Many of my neighbors know that I work for the Madison Police Department, so it was not surprising to me that the neighbor I expected to simply pass by in the park that evening knew I worked in law enforcement.

As my son and I headed toward the play equipment, we passed the neighbor, and he and I nodded and smiled politely. Then he turned and asked me if I’d read a recent news article about two NYPD officers who had been indicted for various and sundry criminal activities. Honestly, I wasn’t paying much attention to the details of the story to which he was referring, because I was distracted by the realization that the only conversation I’d ever had with this neighbor was a variation on the same theme – police misconduct.

I realized that he was not interested in whether I’d read the article or what my thoughts were on the matter. Instead, he just wanted to vent about the police to the police. And to him, I was the police. I decided to give him a few minutes to finish his story and then try to politely move on. I suppose I could’ve responded with my own variation on his theme, such as “Did you hear about that grandfather who abused his granddaughters?”

He is, after all, a grandfather. Trust is essential in human relations, professional or otherwise. We entrust doctors with our physical well-being, clergy with our spiritual growth, teachers with our children, bankers with our money and police officers with our safety. Of course, nearly all societal roles carry with them an authority that can be responsibly applied or abused. When that trust is broken – whether by doctors or teachers, police officers or grandfathers – it is crucial to remember that the acts of a few are not representative of the whole. I am not “the police.”

I am an individual, proud to work in law enforcement and certain that I practice my profession responsibly, honestly, passionately and always with a keen awareness of the trust that has been placed in me by those in my community and by those with whom I serve. As human beings, we all have a responsibility to each other and we should all be held accountable for our behavior, regardless of our profession. Why, then, is the law-enforcement profession so easily criticized, and why do so many citizens believe they know how to do our job better than we do?

Few people think it is their place to tell a doctor, or a carpenter, or a financial adviser how to do his job if they know nothing of what they speak. It is difficult enough to sustain enthusiasm for one’s work when a significant portion of the people encountered did not seek you out and are not pleased you are there. One can deflect only so much second-guessing, and rude commentary – “I pay your salary!” “Why aren’t you out catching real criminals?” “Why didn’t they just shoot him in the leg?” – before it begins to instill a sense of alienation.

A continued absence of support and an “us vs. them” paradigm can breed a type of isolation and disconnect. This, in turn, can create an atmosphere ripe for some people – who got into this profession to make a difference for the better – to take a turn for the worse. Too often, stories printed in newspapers and reported on the six o’clock news perpetuate a mistrust of police.

The mistakes of a few officers are held out as representative of the profession, or, worse, officers who acted justifiably have doubt cast upon them when none is warranted. And as with media coverage when the occasional plane crashes, an objective perspective is lost because no one hears about the thousands of successful flights that occur each day. Law enforcement is a noble profession made up of individual men and women who pilot countless successful “flights” in their careers under the most turbulent conditions.

A single officer shouldn’t be held accountable for every instance of police misconduct any more than a single snowflake should be blamed for a blizzard. It is better to engage meaningfully with officers, avoiding sweeping generalizations and perhaps even offering a simple thank-you. Odds are it is well deserved and long overdue.

2009-07-09T14:03:00.002-04:00

Newspaper Headlines That Make You Say...Huh...?

"Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead"

"War Dims Hope For Peace"

"Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge"

"Enfield (London)Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide"

"Cold Wave Linked To Tempatures"

"If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile"

"Man Struck By Lightening: Faces Battery Charge"

"Juvenile Court To Try Shooting Defendant"

Makes you wonder who does the editing at these fine publications...

2009-06-27T09:31:00.012-04:00

USS NEW YORK

Here she is, the USS New
York, made from the
World
Trade
Center !

USS
New York
It was built with 24 tons of
scrap steel from the World Trade
Center .

It is the fifth in a new class of warship -
designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists.
It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft. Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite , LA to cast the ship's bow section.

When it was poured into the molds on Sept 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there.

"It was a spiritual moment for everybody there". Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager said that when the WTC steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up. It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said.."They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back."

The
ship's motto?
'Never Forget'

2009-06-15T09:36:00.000-04:00

NEW DC POLICE MUSEUM SEEKS ARTIFACTS FOR DISPLAY

The new National Law Enforcement Museum is on a mission to acquire artifacts and materials for exhibition and collection in the new facility slated to open in Washington, DC in 2009. The Museum is inviting the U.S. public — and especially the law enforcement community — to help scour the country (and your attic!) to obtain objects, artifacts, documents, images, and oral histories that will tell the story of our nation’s law enforcement history from the 17th century to the present.

The Museum will be located in historic Judiciary Square, just steps away from the U.S. Capitol and directly across the street from the National Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial.

The Museum portion of the National Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial Fund Web site at www.nleomf.com has the most updated museum “wish list,” as well as other information about the new Museum. There are artifact donation and artifact loan forms that can be downloaded from the site. Any items taken in by the Museum before the exhibits open will receive the utmost care and will be stored in the Museum’s state-of-the-art archival storage facilities. All items accepted into the collection will be tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

Nothing, however, should be sent to the Museum without first being discussed with the Museum staff, so if you have materials to donate or loan, please contact the Exhibition Coordinator Kimberly Nelson at kim@nleomf.com or fax information to her at (703) 832-0483.

2009-05-09T10:48:00.001-04:00

National Police Week Piece

http://www.in.com/videos/watchvideo-paul-harvey-the-policeman-2808695.html

Cut and paste this if it does not link...it's worth it.

2009-03-25T14:35:00.005-04:00

ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

"Two years ago on Sunday March 25th 2007 Moncks Corner Police Department in S. Carolina the Nation lost two of the finest officers ever to serve".

Two years ago today they made the Ultimate Sacrafice saving another. Officers were called to an abduction/domestic, units responded and they were able to get the victim out of the house. The suspect ran at both of them with a pump shotgun, they did get to shoot back but shotgun blasts were too much for both as they took several headshots......
Submitted by Ric

2009-02-10T13:13:00.001-05:00

Fraud and Identity Theft During Tax Time

This is the time of year we all are scrambling to collect receipts, bills and other important papers that are needed to file our taxes. It is sometimes a high stress period for some, while others look forward to the day their refund will arrive.
During this time there are those who would use the emotion and stress involved in tax preparation to commit a host of crimes against you, the good tax paying citizen.
“Phishing” is associated with the internet and email services. Phishing is an attempt to get you to divulge personal information about yourself and your finances in the hopes of using that information to steal your identity.
Scammers and con artists can use technology to replicate legitimate looking services. At tax time, the services and /or questionnaires appear to come from Uncle Sam himself…the IRS. These communications seek to lure tax payers into supplying names, social security numbers, credit card information and other personal identification information.
Remember…
Never respond to emails asking for information relating to refunds. The IRS’s website is the legitimate source for checking on refund status:
http://www.irs.gov/
When you have completed your return make sure you shred everything. Do not just throw it in the garbage.
If you believe you may be a victim of fraud contact the your Police Department for assistance. You may also contact the Attorney General’s Fraud Help Line at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226). You can also file a complaint online at http://www.myfloridalegal.com/
Informed and educated consumers can protect themselves from falling prey to these schemes.
And yes...it even happens to us!

2008-11-16T08:27:00.002-05:00

"Uncle Sam" Says To Government Employees..."Work Until You're 62"!

A major change proposed by the IRS for public pension plans could eliminate early retirement pay for government employees in less than two years.
A new regulation the agency is pursuing would prohibit most public pension plans from allowing participants to retire and collect benefits earlier than age 55, with a preferred retirement age of 62.
The IRS has the ability to implement the rule because public pensions have tax deferral status given to them by the federal agency.
Any ideas on why the IRS would consider this? The higher income from a full salary means higher income taxes you pay. Never mind the fact that if you came on the job as a "twenty something" year old you may very well have to work 30 years or more! That may not hit home with some of the newer members of the law enforcement family but think about it...doing this job is hard enough and if you want to do it for 30 years God Bless! I just don't want the government telling me or anybody else that I have to.
Labor unions across the country are looking at this and are currently fighting implementation of the rule. In fact it is in direct contrast to the agreement most agencies have with their employees. If you work under a contract (which I hope and pray you do...I have the PBA thank God) this type of ruling would be a change in your terms of employment, which is contractual, which would violate that agreement.

Stay tuned for this important issue to us all. You can read more about this by going to http://www.lris.com/, a great resource for public safety labor information.

Parts of this article were taken from the Las Vegas Review Journal Sept. 22nd.

2008-09-27T09:54:00.003-04:00

TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER

Recently I made my first trip to our nations capitol. The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier is a must see for anyone visiting. The changing of the guard is impressive as well as emotional. I should mention it was August and about 90 degrees when I was there (not the best time to be in D.C.) and to look at the soldiers you would never know it...

Here are some facts related to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and those soldiers chosen to guard it.

How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?

The guard takes 21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?

Again, he stops for 21 seconds for the same reason as noted above.

Did you know that the gloves that the soldier wears are wet? His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.

He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.

The Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30."

Other requirements of the Guard include a commitment for 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives.

They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way.

After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn.

The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.

The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.

There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.

During the first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV.

All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.

A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred.

Among the notables are:

President Taft, Joe E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame.

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, Congress took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson.

The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, since 1930.

2008-09-27T07:59:00.001-04:00

AVTOMAT KALASHNIKOVA

The AK-47 is short for the Russian “Avtomat Kalashnikova”, which means “Kalashnivov’s automatic”, and 47 refers to the year in which it was selected as the official weapon of the Soviet Union. The AK47 is noted as a weapon that is very easy to use, with very high firepower. Their strength is in their size: neither so small as to lack sufficient firepower, like revolvers, nor so big as to become unwieldy or have too much recoil. They are so simple to clean and assemble that in the former Soviet Union the military trained schoolboys to do it in an average of two minutes. Mikhail Kalashnikov is the inventor of this high-powered weapon. Little did he anticipate what his resulting firearm would become, when he set out to design a weapon of value for the Soviet Army that he served in for many years. Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov was born in 1919, and is now a well-preserved old man, who still gets invited all over the place as a movable icon to the most famous assault rifle in the world. Before retiring from the armed services of the Soviet Union, he received a general’s stipend of 500 rubles, which is more or less $500 a month. If he had been able to patent his weapon in the West, he would undoubtedly be one of the richest men in the world. There are approximately more than 150 million Kalashnikovs of varying models that have been produced over the years. Even if he only earned one dollar for each weapon, he would be swimming in money.“I did not invent that weapon to make money, but only and exclusively to defend the Motherland in a moment in which she needed it. If I had to go back and do it all over again, I would do exactly the same things and live my life just as I have. I have worked all my life, and my life is my work”. Interesting, as there is nothing in the world which has produced more deaths than the AK-47. It has killed more than the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, more than the bubonic plague, more than malaria, more than all the attacks of the Islamic fundamentalists.Yet there are those who consider its inventor, and the gun itself, to be an icon.

2008-09-14T08:55:00.002-04:00

Domestic Violence and Homicide

DID YOU KNOW...that for 2005, Florida had 120,386 reported incidents of domestic violence, and that domestic violence accounted for 176 (20%) of the state's 881 murders? The spouse or live in partner was the victim in 54% of cases, and children were the victims in 7% of cases. Source: Florida Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team Annual Report, 2006.

When women and children are victims of homicide the perpetrator is frequently known to them, and equally frequent that perp is a family member or close associate, i.e: spouse, boyfriend, "ex" or some variation of that.

The following informaton is from a report submitted by the Florida Deptartment of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Domestic Violence Fatality Review Teams. To veteran LEO's most of this information is unfortunately not a revelation. Some of the statistics however are very sobering.

The following data is from 19 cases provided to the FDLE’s DVDRC by the participating
Domestic Violence Fatality Review Teams. The cases were not selected based on any specific
date, time frame or circumstance. The data is from 10 teams covering only 15 counties,
and the number of reviews completed by each team varies. Therefore, the reader is
cautioned about drawing conclusions from this data.

Complainant Information

Regarding the 19 domestic violence fatality reports reviewed for the 2006 reporting period,
twenty-six percent of the calls were received from a family member of the perpetrator of the
fatality and 23% of the calls were received from a family member of the decedent. Fifteen
percent of the calls were received from a neighbor. A maintenance man, a witness at a hotel, a
deputy sheriff and the new intimate partner were reflected in the “other” category as the
complainant of the fatality. Nearly 70% of the calls were received after the event.

Twenty-six telephone calls were received regarding the 19 domestic violence fatality reports
reviewed for the 2006 reporting period. This was due to multiple complainants recorded in
seven of the reports. The category of “Other” consists of: one anonymous caller, one bartender,
one land lord, one warrants deputy and one homeland security officer.

Event Information

Of the 19 domestic violence fatality reports reviewed for the 2006 reporting period, there were
three cases with multiple victims, resulting in a total of 23 fatalities. Firearms (18) accounted for
78% of the 23 deaths. Over half of the decedents, 56%, were killed in their own residences.
There were a total of 23 victims in the 19 incidents reviewed for the 2006 reporting period. The
offense type category reflected that the perpetrator killed multiple victims in three of the fatality
review reports. The review forms reflected three victims in one report and two victims in two reports.

Environment Information

Of the 19 domestic violence fatality reports reviewed for the 2006 reporting period, an active
injunction was filed on the perpetrator in 16% of the cases; previous injunctions had been
present on the perpetrator in 16% of the cases and in one case an injunction was requested by the decedent twice but withdrawn the next day, and in one case the perpetrator had returned to a previous relationship with the decedent while an active injunction was on file. One decedent had a previous injunction filed at the time of the fatality.

Relationship Information

Of the 23 domestic fatalities reviewed for the 2006 reporting period, the victim in 30% of the
fatalities was the spouse or ex-spouse of the perpetrator and in 35% of the fatalities the victim
was the ex-boyfriend, cohabitant or ex-cohabitant of the perpetrator.
Prior threats to kill the decedent occurred in 35% of the fatalities. Previous incidents of
domestic violence had been reported in 35% of the fatalities. A significant change in the
relationship between the decedent and perpetrator had occurred in 52% of the fatalities.
Regarding the 23 domestic violence fatalities reviewed for the 2006 reporting period, the
categories of spouse, ex-spouse, ex-boyfriend, co-habitant and ex-cohabitant made up 65% of
the relationships involved in the fatalities.

This report goes on to document escalating circumstances, services requested and/or legal orders and injunctions, prior indicators of a lethal incident, etc.

I dont like getting bogged down in reports detailing alot of "stats" however, this report makes it very clear that intimate partner homicides (IPH's) are prevelant and in many cases there was a clear pattern of violent events leading up to the homicide.
It should also be noted that men as well as women are victims of IPH, although not as often as women.

Should you be interested in seeing the report in its entirety here is the link: (You may have to copy and paste it).
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/CitResCtr/Domestic_Violence/2006_DV_FRT.pdf

2008-09-09T12:14:00.014-04:00

SEPTEMBER 11 REMEMBER THE HEROES. REMEMBER THEIR FAMILIES

Sgt. John Coughlin
Sgt. Michael Curtin
PO John D'Allara
PO Vincent Danz
PO Jerome Dominguez
PO Stephen Driscoll
PO Mark Ellis
PO Robert Fazio
Sgt. Rodney Gillis
PO Ronald Kloepfer
PO Thomas Langone
PO James Leahy
PO Brian McDonnell
PO John Perry
PO Glen Pettit
Det. Claude Richards
Sgt. Timothy Roy
PO Moira Smith
PO Ramon Suarez
PO Paul Talty
PO Santos Valentin
Det. Joseph Vigiano
PO Walter Weaver

2008-09-06T16:15:00.004-04:00

Philadelphia Officer Killed-Partner Critically Injured

The Philadelphia Police Department is in mourning following a car accident in Mantua last night that claimed the life of one officer and left another critically injured. The deceased has been identified as Isabel Nazario, a Narcotics Strike Force officer detailed to the 16th Police District in West Philadelphia, police said. Her partner, Terry Tull, was listed in extremely critical condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania last night.About 9 p.m., police began pursuing a white Cadillac Escalade near 46th and Westminster after the car failed to stop when police tried to pull it over, said Lt. Frank Vanore, a police spokesman. Nazario and Tull learned of the pursuit and decided to join in, he said. As they headed south on 39th Street with Tull at the wheel, the Escalade , being driven by a 16-year-old unlicensed male traveling east on Wallace Street, broadsided their cruiser near the passenger door, police said.
Nazario, 40, a mother with 18 years on the force, was killed instantly. The driver of the Escalade was treated at Children's Hospital for minor injuries last night, then transported to the Homicide Unit for questioning, the sources said.

Submitted by a member of the PPD

2008-09-03T15:04:00.002-04:00

VATICAN PROTECTION

If the President is protected by the Secret Service, who protects the Pope? The Swiss Guards, of course. The Swiss Guards celebrated their 500th anniversary in 2006, founded in 1506, and at one time consisted of several different military commands. The Papal Swiss Guard is the only Swiss Guard that still exists. Is the Papal Swiss Guard actually Swiss? In a word, very.
To be more precise, the Papal Swiss Guard is mostly German Swiss. In 2006 the Papal Swiss Guard, responsible for the pope's personal security and the protection of the Vatican, could look back on 500 years of history.
Established in January 1506, the Papal Swiss Guard (there were other Swiss Guards in France), an official Vatican City security unit, is still made up of Swiss volunteers.
Although it is over 500 years old and its members wear colorful uniforms dating back centuries, the Swiss Guard is a highly trained security unit, much like the U.S. Secret Service that guards the U.S. President.
Following the 1981 assassination attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II, the level of training for the Swiss Guard was intensified even more. The official languages of the Swiss Guard are German and Italian. The elite corps is famous for its distinctive yellow-and-blue uniform which, as the first official history of the Guards recently stressed, was not designed by Michelangelo, as widely believed.
The colors which make the uniform so attractive are the traditional Medici blue, red and yellow, set off nicely by the white of the collar and gloves. The blue and yellow bands give a sense of lightness as they move over the red doublet and breeches. The Guard's every-day uniform is completely blue. With the passing centuries there have been a few minor changes, but on the whole the original dress has been maintained. It is commonly thought that the uniform was designed by Michelangelo, but it would seem rather that he had nothing to do with it. Why Swiss, you ask? During the Middle Ages and in Renaissance times, the Swiss had the reputation of being Europe's most reliable mercenaries - tough fighters who hardly ever changed sides.
They famously proved their worth during the Sack of Rome in 1527, when 147 Guards laid down their lives to protect Pope Clement VII from the rampaging army of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
The 110-strong Swiss Guards have strict recruitment terms. The Guards get their recruits from a group of Swiss towns and villages which for centuries have provided the pope's personal corps.
Candidates have to be single males over the age of 18, and practicing Catholics ''of stainless character''.
At one time there was also a height requirement, of 1.74m tall (OK, who can compute that into “American” measurement?), although this has recently been relaxed.
They also have to have completed their compulsory military service in Switzerland.

2008-07-28T16:44:00.001-04:00

IT’S NOT JUST FLORIDA! (OR NYC)

The rate of suicides and murders committed by family members in Italy increases by 20% when the summer heat kicks in, a renowned Italian criminologist recently reported in an Italian news outlet. Referring to the summer as a ''terrible'' season for psychiatry wards, Francesco Bruno from Rome's La Sapienza University said there was a direct correlation between soaring temperatures and fraying tempers.
''In 2007 we registered a little fewer than 600 murders, with an average of two a day. But if we look at the hottest - and therefore most critical - periods, the average soars to between 2.2 and 2.3 murders a day,'' Bruno said.
The criminologist explained that dehydration is a major element in people losing control of their aggressive impulses.
''The cerebral cortex needs a lot of water to function well. When the temperature soars, it can be a struggle to control both our destructive and auto-destructive impulses, which arrive from the deepest parts of the brain, resulting in the tragedies we read in the newspapers''.
People suffering from schizophrenia are especially at risk from losing control in hot weather, but Bruno added that ''all the psychiatric illnesses feel the heat: in summer we register an increase in the cases of depression too, especially among women''.
But the criminologist said the heat alone can't be blamed for the increase in violent crime within the family. ''We have to remember that loneliness plays a fundamental role during the summer months too: it can make problems worse and increase the desperation of people already at risk,'' he added.

2008-07-28T16:36:00.001-04:00

ART CRIME

Investigating art-crime is certainly not at the top of most detective’s hit list.
Certainly the investigation of a theft of art or a cultural artifact is a demanding one to be presented to any investigator.
Art and cultural property crime - which includes theft, fraud, looting, and trafficking across state and international lines -- is a looming criminal enterprise with estimated losses running as high as $6 billion annually.
To recover these precious pieces--and to bring these criminals to justice--the FBI uses a dedicated Art Crime Team of 13 Special Agents to investigate, supported by three Special Trial Attorneys for prosecutions...and it mans the National Stolen Art File, a computerized index of reported stolen art and cultural properties for the use of law enforcement agencies across the world.
The FBI established a rapid deployment Art Crime Team in 2004.
The team is composed of 13 Special Agents, each responsible for addressing art and cultural property crime cases in an assigned geographic region.
The Art Crime Team is coordinated through the FBI's Art Theft Program, located at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Art Crime Team agents receive specialized training in art and cultural property investigations and assist in art related investigations worldwide in cooperation with foreign law enforcement officials and FBI Legal Attaché offices.
Since its inception, the Art Crime Team has recovered over 850 items of cultural property with a value exceeding $134 million.
The National Stolen Art File (NSAF) is a computerized index of stolen art and cultural property as reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and the world. The NSAF consists of images and physical descriptions of stolen and recovered objects, in addition to investigative case information. The primary goal of the NSAF is to serve as a tool to assist investigators in art and cultural artifact theft cases and to function as an analytical database providing law enforcement officials with information concerning art theft.
All requests for searches of the National Stolen Art File must be made through a law enforcement agency in support of a criminal investigation. Individuals or organizations in the United States wanting to access the NSAF should contact their local FBI office.
Art crime represents the third highest grossing criminal enterprise worldwide, behind only drugs and arms trafficking. It brings in $2-6 billion per year, most of which goes to fund international organized crime syndicates.
Most art crime since the 1960s is perpetrated either by, or on behalf of, international organized crime syndicates. They either use stolen art for resale, or to barter on a closed black market for an equivalent value of goods or services. Individually instigated art crimes are rare, and art crimes perpetrated for private collectors are rarest of all.
One of the greatest problems is that neither the general public, nor government officials, realize the severity of art crime. Art crime funds all organized crime enterprises, including terrorism.
And yet it is often dismissed as a victimless crime, because it is not understood.
Italy has by far the most art crime, with approximately 20,000 art thefts reported each year. Russia has the second most, with approximately 2000 art thefts reported per year.Italy is the only country whose government takes art crime as seriously as it should. Italy’s Carabinieri are by far the most successful art squad worldwide, employing over 300 agents full time. Other countries have had great success with their art squads, despite lack of governmental support, while many countries do not have a single officer dedicated to art crime, the third largest criminal enterprise worldwide.

2008-06-22T18:01:00.003-04:00

GUNSHOT RESIDUE

As investigators, you should know that a “Gunshot Residue Test” – or “GSR” – is not a surefire exam to determine whether or not someone has fired a gun! In fact, it should be stressed that, according to Marc S. Taylor, a gunshot-residue expert from California who has testified nationally for both prosecutors and defense attorneys, a gunshot residue test “should never be referred to as showing that someone fired a gun”. The reason for this is the ability to contaminate – in both a contamination to show a “positive”, as well as to show a “negative” – that should cast all doubt on any validity of this exam. Why, then, is the test conducted? Perhaps because it looks good when people watch it being done on TV, on shows like CSI!
It has been noted that across the country defense experts are fighting the validity of “positive” results, as tests have proven a “false-positive” could occur from contaminants from items that already have gunshot residue on them – such as handcuffs, car seats, or even the police officers clothing. This is combined with the known “negative” results which could easily be obtained from having cleaned ones hands before a swab being taken. It has long been considered an unreliable test any time the subject was out of view of the tester or police officer for any amount of time, as one could easily wipe and clean hands, thus removing particles before being swabbed.

WHAT IS GUNSHOT RESIDUE?
The tiny particles that are released when a handgun is fired, consisting of lead, barium and antimony particles. In theory, when firing a gun, these particles are displaced into the air and onto the hands of the person firing the gun – thus, testing “positive” for these elements, one would – TRY – to conclude that you fired the gun. However, as noted above, there are variables which cannot be controlled that could easily cause a “false positive” – as well as a “false negative” – that should leave any investigator with the very big question that needs to be answered any time such a test is recommended – “Why Should A Gunshot Residue Test be Conducted?”

GUNSHOT RESIDUE TEST FOR SUICIDES

One investigation where it could be considered more valuable than others may be in the investigation of apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Provided there was no opportunity for contamination.
The examination of gunshot residue can disprove an assumption made falsely or mistakenly. For example, in the case of an apparent suicide involving a handgun, a gunshot residue collection should be done on the hands of the deceased. If no residue is found, the case could actually be a murder made to look like a suicide.
Certainly a consideration for the investigator.

2008-06-22T17:56:00.000-04:00

WHY CANVASS?

Investigators world-wide can attest to the importance of a proper canvass as a critical component to an effective investigation.
Unfortunately, all too often the canvass is looked on as a tedious task – one that gets delegated to detectives being “flown-in” from other agencies to provide necessary manpower at the early stages of the investigation.
An effective canvass though, can mean the difference between success and stagnation. What are you looking for in a canvass?
An actual eyewitness to the crime.
Information about the circumstances of the crime.
An approximate time of occurrence and/or estimate of time of death.
Information about the victim – background, habits, intelligence that could provide a motive.

Handling a canvass properly, and following up on information provided, can turnaround an otherwise slow progressing case.

2008-06-22T17:55:00.000-04:00

FIVE KEY COMMODITIES OF ORGANIZED CRIME:

What are the five key commodities which organized crime groups around the world make their largest profits?

Diamonds
Arms
Narcotics
Energy products
Cigarettes

2008-06-22T17:51:00.002-04:00

FROM THE DETECTIVE’S LIBRARY: MCMAFIA

A recent text chronicling international organized crime, MCMAFIA by Misha Glenny, has provided some interesting and educational reading for this true crime buff.

“With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the deregulation of international financial markets in 1989, governments and entrepreneurs alike became intoxicated by forecasts of limitless expansion into newly open markets”.
Did you realize that roughly one-fifth of global GDP is by illegal trade?
While providing a very authoritative look at Russian organized crime, it also presents a compelling narrative on organized – and not so organized – illegal trade throughout other parts of the world, and its impact on our everyday life.
I had not realized the high level of trade in illegal, untaxed cigarettes throughout the world. Having some first hand experience with untaxed cigarettes and the violence that can ensue among dealers, it is no wonder that, on an even higher scale, this is being conducted throughout the world.

What about Israeli organized crime?

I did not know that the Israeli crime syndicates more closely resemble the Sicilian Mafia than its Russian counterparts. The Israeli crime groups are gathered around families, much the same way the Sicilians are.
“When you have crime based on families, then issues such as honor and vendettas come into play,” states Professor Amir, a leading Israeli criminologist.
Gambling had been the traditional industry around which the Israeli crime syndicates gathered and thrived. But in the 1990’s, they branched out and moved into an even more lucrative area. According to the U.S. DEA, the Israeli families continue to be a major element in the transfer of large shipments of Ecstasy from Belgium to the US. Europe is the top manufacturing base for this synthetic narcotic, Ecstasy. The main West European center being Amsterdam, although recently industrial-scale arrests and seizures have been made in Serbia and Bulgaria as well.
A 2003 State Department report indicated that Israel is the hub of global ecstasy trafficking, having branched out from Europe to the United States.
“Israel drug-trafficking organizations are the main source of distribution of the drug to groups in the U.S., using express mail services, commercial airlines, and recently using air cargo services,” the report states. For a country as dependent on American financial, political, and military support, this would seem to be an embarrassment to Israel.

2008-06-18T14:34:00.003-04:00

YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED- NYPD COP KILLERS UP FOR PAROLE

P.O. Carragher, James
Date of Death: 1982-02-11
Command: Housing Authority Police Service Area 1
Cause of Death: Shot Off Duty Robbery

Officer Carragher was shot and killed as he attempted to arrest two suspects that tried to rob him. Officer Carragher had just returned home from his tour of duty and was about eight feet from his building when he was approached by two men with guns. The men attempted to rob Officer Carragher. Officer Carragher drew his weapon and was able to fire five shots before being shot and killed. Officer Carragher had been with the Housing Police Department for 16 years.

P.O. Ryman, Harry
Date of Death: 1980-08-14
Command: 60 Pct.
Cause of Death: Shot-Investigation

Officer Ryman was shot and killed when he attempted to stop three men from stealing his neighbor’s car. Officer Ryman exited his house to investigate a noise at approximately 0340 hours. He confronted three men who were attempting to steal his next door neighbor's car. Officer Ryman identified himself as a police officer and attempted to arrest the three suspects’. One suspect drew a handgun and opened fire, striking Officer Ryman three times in the chest. Before he fell Officer Ryman was able to return fire, striking one suspect in the head. Officer Ryman was removed to Kings County Hospital where he died from his wounds. Two alert Police Officers who were waiting in the emergency room for word on Officer Ryman's condition spotted three men entering the hospital. One man was bleeding from the head. As the officers approached, two of the suspect fled, and after a brief foot pursuit were arrested. The third man was arrested in the emergency room. All three were charged with First-Degree Murder. Officer Ryman, 43, had been with the NYPD for 17 years.

P.O. Sledge, Cecil
Date of Death: 1980-01-28
Command: 69 Pct.
Cause of Death: Shot-Auto Check

Officer Sledge was shot and killed while making a traffic stop in Brooklyn of a suspect wanted for shooting at his girlfriend. He was shot when he approached the vehicle. As he fell to the ground his gunbelt became caught on the car and he was dragged approximately one quarter mile before falling free from the vehicle. The suspect was apprehended after taking an elderly woman hostage in her own home. The suspect, Salvatore DeSarno was on parole at the time of the murder (while he resisted arrest for numerous armed robberies). As a result of Officer Sledge's murder, one man patrols were no longer authorized unless the officer was equipped with a shotgun. Officer Sledge had been with the agency for 12 years. He was 35 years old. He left behind a wife, Linda and 2 children - 3 1/2 year old Richard and 9 month old Corinne.

Each of the killers of these NYPD Police Officer’s comes up for parole in August 2008. YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED! If you can help provide any first-hand knowledge of these officers, their actions, or any information that can help in formulating a presentation to the N.Y. State Parole Board on behalf of the official Police Department response, please do so! I am asking you to forward any information, first-hand info of these officers, their actions, etc. to the NY State Parole Board. In the very near future all will be asked to help by sending letters to the Governor and others on the Parole Board urging the parole for these cop killers be denied. Your help and assistance is appreciated in advance.

2008-06-05T13:10:00.004-04:00

Remember...They're Actors!!

These two "Detectives" were recently arrested in separate incidents.

Dennis Farina AKA Law and Order Detective Joe Fontana was arrested at Los Angeles Airport (LAX) for carrying a loaded firearm in his briefcase. His response, "I forgot it was in there". How do you forget you're carrying a loaded weapon? Then, it was later determined that the handgun was unregistered! More charges and a higher bail...This from a retired Police Officer.

Next up we have Gary Dourdan from every real detectives nemesis show CSI who was arrested for DUI and illegal possession of several different controlled substances. More proof of what all law enforcement officers everywhere already know..."it's just an acting role, it doesn't mean they live their lives with integrity and character, something almost all of us do every day".

2008-05-29T08:37:00.002-04:00

Burglary Florida Style

When S. Florida resident Nathan Radlich's house was burgled recently, thieves ignored his wide screen plasma TV, his VCR, and even left his Rolex watch. What they did take, however, was 'a generic white cardboard box filled with a grayish-white powder.' (That's the way the police report described it.) A spokesman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said, 'that it looked similar to high grade cocaine and they'd probably thought they'd hit the big time.' Later, Nathan stood in front of the numerous TV cameras and pleaded with the burglars: 'Please return the cremated remains of my sister, Gertrude. She died three years ago.' The next morning, the bullet-riddled corpse of a local drug dealer known as Hoochie Pevens was found on Nathan's doorstep. The cardboard box was there too; about half of Gertrude's ashes remained. Scotch taped to the box was this note which said: 'Hoochie sold us the bogus blow, so we wasted Hoochie. Sorry we snorted your sister. No hard feelings. Have a nice day.'

You really can't make this stuff up!!

2008-05-04T08:47:00.003-04:00

OFFICER DOWN

Tour of Duty: 12/1996 - 05/03/2008
Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski
Philadelphia Police Department
End of Watch: Saturday, May 3, 2008
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 12 years
Badge Number: 486
Date of Incident: Saturday, May 3, 2008

Authorities said the suspects held up a the Bank of America inside Shop Rite located at Aramingo and Castor Avenues at about 11:45 a.m. A 24th District Police Sergeant, 40-year-old Stephen Liczbinski, was shot by the fleeing gunmen while attempting an arrest in the 2600 block of Schiller Street. Sergeant Liczbinski was taken to Temple University Hospital where he died.

Update:1 perp shot and killed (same one who shot the officer), second shot and wounded and in custody, one still at large.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Philadelphia PD and Sgt. Liczbinski's family.

2008-03-12T19:44:00.000-04:00

GPS by Phone

A free service for directions by phone is touting itself as the ideal answer for those times when you may have left your GPS at home (or in someone else’s car). According to directions, anyone can get driving directions by calling from their cell phone; Dial 347-328-4667, tell the voice activated service a starting address and destination address, and instantly receive a text message with Mapquest driving directions. According to the company, the service is free and works on all cell phones.You can also check into this at their web site:

www.dialdirections.com/default.html

2008-02-10T08:31:00.000-05:00

“WHAT NUMBER IS THIS?

”If you need to know what number you are calling from, whether it be a land phone or a cell phone, you can try the following. Dial: 800-444-4444. You will hear an MCI recorded message giving you the phone number you are calling from. It doesn’t work on VOIP or internet phones, though.

2008-02-10T08:30:00.000-05:00

INTERESTING WEB SITE

If you use a computer, you surely use Google to conduct searches. There are ways to search sites, links, date ranges, etc. which may increase the effectiveness of your search. A quick “cheat sheet” provided at Google can be found at:
www.google.com/help/cheatsheet.html
Check it out, it could be quite helpful.

2008-02-10T08:26:00.000-05:00

LOOK FOR THE OBVIOUS

Recently, a corporate investigations firm was hired to review and audit payments made during renovations at a construction site. Reviewing the amount of money paid for work on the buildings water tank, the auditors began the process of going over the itemized bill. Work performed to drain, clean, and repair, then paint and refill the tank were closely reviewed. Some of the items the team wanted to examine, as good investigators conducting a forensic audit, included comparison for the amount paid for the work involved relative to similar work by other firms. Was therre substandard paint applied? Was the tank painted before repairs were made? Was the tank even painted at all? While others began the tedious accounting task of auditing the billing procedures, one of the more experienced, “street-detectives”, went out and performed the obvious: was there even a water tank on the roof of the building? You guessed it – the firm was being billed for work on a water tank that didn’t even exist!

2007-12-10T10:16:00.000-05:00

IN MEMORIAM: Palm Beach County Florida:

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office

Deputy Jonathan Wallace Deputy Donta Manuel

November 28, 2007 D/S's Wallace and Manuel were tragically killed during the pursuit of a stolen vehicle. Deputy Wallace was 23 years old and had been on the job less than two years. Deputy Manuel was 33 years old and had 13 years experience. They both leave behind loving families and thousands of others grieving.

2007-12-06T12:50:00.000-05:00

A LITTLE HOMICIDAL HUMOR

“It was obviously a natural death – you’re naturally going to die when you get shot that many times”.

“A friend will help you move. A real friend will help you move the body”.

Famous last words: “What are you gonna’ do now, Shoot me”?

2007-11-29T09:07:00.000-05:00

Great Quote

I saw this quoted in a memoriam once and it never left me. This is who we are and what we do every single day of the year.

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

2007-11-26T19:17:00.000-05:00

HOMICIDE GLOSSARY

Cadaveric spasm or shock- the stiffening and rigidity of a group of muscles immediately after death, a kind of instant rigor mortis, a muscle phenomenon in which some muscles of the body become stiff instantly, rather than in the usual two to eight hours normal rigor takes to develop.

Contact wound- a star shaped wound that occurs when a firearm is pressed against the body and fired. The gasses expands under the skin and bursts away from the body.

Paterred injuries- reflects the identity of wounding object (hammer blows).

Petechial hemorrhages- small pin-like hemorrhaging under skin and membrane lining of the eyelids, usually noticeable in asphyxia related homicides. Also seen on the inside of lips.

Stippling- pinpoint hemorrhaging due to the burned gunpowder discharged from a firearm, usually indicates proximity of firearm to victim.

2007-10-18T08:20:00.000-04:00

For The Music Lover In US All

"Pandora.com" lets you choose the type of music you like and sets up a free stream that gets stored in your own personal player.

2007-09-27T11:16:00.000-04:00

“Can You Believe?”

I recently saw a story announcing the new candidates for the “Stella Awards”. For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck, who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico where she purchased the coffee. You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right?

7th Place: Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury after breaking her ankle after tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.

6th Place: Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles, California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps.

5th Place: Terrence Dickson, of Bristol, Pennsylvania was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to subsist for days on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish.

4th Place: Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th place in the Stella's when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor's beagle, even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.

3rd Place: Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone (coccyx). The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. What ever happened to people being responsible for their own actions?

2nd Place: Kara Walton, of Claymont, Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge at the time. The jury awarded her $12,000, plus dental expenses.

1st Place: This year's runaway 1st place Stella Award winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma who purchased a new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set! The Oklahoma jury awarded her $1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.

Note:While I do believe that this actually happened, I cannot say that it happened recent enough to be in “this year’s” stories. Regardless, they certainly are funny, believable in this litigious society of sue anyone you can, and printed here for entertainment, and not as a Law Review subject matter.

2007-09-26T09:47:00.000-04:00

Observation Skills Exercise

How do we know that this table being sold on eBay belongs to a man?

Email your answers if you can figure it out. I will post the name of the Super Sleuth (unless you tell me not to).

I will post the answer in the near future.

2007-09-19T12:33:00.000-04:00

2007-06-28T13:32:00.000-04:00

REMINDER

I will post your thoughts and stories (if appropriate) to this site. Email me at chas1133@bellsouth.net

2007-05-07T15:05:00.000-04:00

BROOKLYN

Old Brooklynites (and neighboring areas) understand. If you ain't from Brooklyn, just forget this; you wouldn't understand. Some is for older, some is for younger. You're truly from Brooklyn if you can relate to any of the following:

1. Alternate side of the street parking.
2. Ate at Chock Full O' Nuts Shops (date nut bread and powdered donuts that were crunchy).
3. Ate dinner every Sunday night at Fong Fongs on Church Avenue.
4. Ate Italian food at Collaro's on Coney Island Ave.
5. Bought bobka at the original Ebingers on Flatbush Avenue, or at Butterbun on Nostrand Ave. 6. Bought Ebinger's Black-Out Cake (and didn't count the calories)
7. Bought knishes from Mrs. Stahls in Brighton, or Ruby the Kinish Man.
8. Bought knishes on the beach and didn't mind the sand.
9. Bought pickles out of a barrel. The salt made you pucker.
10.Can name all the Brooklyn High Schools. Just try and do that today (impossible).
11.Don't speak with an accent - everybody else does.
12.Drove over the Marine Park Bridge for a 10-cent toll, and Brooklyn Battery Tunnel for 35 cents.
13.Everybody knows somebody from the neighborhood, even if it is your mother's cousin's son-in-law's sister's boyfriend.
14.Got a "Kitchen Sink" at Jahn's.
15.Got a J.D. card and feeling like Al Capone.
16.Had a prom date at the Club Elegante.
17.Had roller skates with keys.
18.Hand ball in the park.
19.Hit two sewers in punch ball.
20.It's not the "shore", its the "beach" idiot.
21.Kings Plaza.... how come we get the crappy mall?
22.Knew who the neighborhood wise guy was, but you'd never tell the cops.

Want to see more of these pearls? http://www.brooklyn-usa.org/Pages/Remberberwhen.htm

Reprinted from the official Brooklyn Borough President's Website.

2007-03-18T10:06:00.000-04:00

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 YOUR DEPARTMENT'S LEGAL BUREAU, OR THE SA's 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 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 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 clear 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?

2007-03-18T09:51:00.000-04:00

A Detective, The Police, no finer calling is there.

Work should be fun. Yes, work should be fun. When you are doing exactly what you want to do, then you are successful, and happy. Be safe and remember, work should be fun!

2007-03-18T09:41:00.000-04:00

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP

Here are some excerpts from actual police reports;

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.

Report writing 101?...

2007-03-18T09:35:00.000-04:00

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 is a listing of some of the more unusual:

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

The Professional Investigators and Security Association based 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. They claim to be the largest and oldest association of its kind in the world.
www.wad.net

2007-03-18T08:34:00.000-04:00

Computer Program For The Investigator

The search engine Google has a free feature available that can be very helpful. It's called "Desktop", and can be accessed from Google's main search page. One of the functions of this program is it index's your hard drive. Once installed, the program stores and arranges emails, files and web history on your machine. This process occurs once during a period when your computer is idle for more than 30 seconds. As you continue to receive emails, this feature automatically adds them along with any updates to your files and web browsing history. This would allow you to quickly find emails, and view previously visited websites. Google Desktop creates cached copies (snapshots) of your files and other items each time you view them, and stores these copies on your computer’s hard drive. As a result, you can often use Desktop to find items you accidently deleted, instead of having to recreate them from scratch.

Desktop is also a great tool for parents who want to monitor their child's internet use. The program runs virtually undetected except for a small icon in the system tray (the bottom right corner of your screen where programs that are running show small symbols). There are also alot of other features to this free program. To find out more about about it, go to Google's main page and right above the searchbox in the middle of the page click on "more". That will open a small side menu that says "even more". Click on that and you arrive at all sorts of "extras" within Google. Find the icon of a small multi-colored swirl and that is "Desktop". Once there, click on "Features" and you will be taken to a full explainantion of what this little program does. Happy hunting!

2007-03-02T07:13:00.000-05:00

The Top Ten Signs You Have The Wrong Lawyer

1. Instead of “Objection!” he keeps yelling, “Bingo!”

2. She keeps asking you things like, “Would it kill you to say you did it?”

3. Your legal team is suing each other because someone ate the last bagel.

4. The only motion he’s made has been rubbing his crotch.

5. He giggles uncontrollably every time anyone says the word “briefs.”

6. He’s incredulous that he lost the case and says, “Well, it worked on Judge Judy!”

7. Instead of “Your Honor,” your attorney addresses the judge as “Player.”

8. She’s drinking rum and cokes for breakfast in the parking lot.

9. Half of his previous clients have tried to kill him.

10. His law degree is from the University of Baghdad.

Reprinted from APB

2007-03-02T07:08:00.000-05:00

GADGETS FOR THE INVESTIGATOR

Document Scanner that Fits in a Pocket:

DocuPen is a handheld color scanner, no bigger than a pen that can fit in your pocket, that helps you scan documents for retrieval later on. Docupen offers a 24-bit color scanning device that is just 8-inches long and less than 1-inch wide, can be easily carried in your pocket, and is USB interfaced in a very simple manner that can download scanned documents to your computer. Few buttons to worry about, and the scanning is simple to accomplish. A slow pass across the page with the “pen” will save the document to the scanner. When you get back to your computer, simply plug it into the USB port. The document is scanned into your computer. The pen can hold about 100 pages in its internal memory. In addition to the color devices, there is also a black-and-white only device available. The manufacturers web site can be found at:http://www.planon.com/ The color version runs for around $300; the B&W one for considerably less, at around $100. It may be a convenience you find worth having.

2007-03-02T07:04:00.000-05:00

LEGALLY SPEAKING

Homicide: The killing / death of a human being by another human being.

Murder: Unlawful homicide.

Practically speaking, all “murder’s” are “Homicides”, but NOT all homicides are murders. For example, death caused by another under legal means – justifiable homicide – is still a homicide, but is not an “unlawful” homicide – NOT a murder. A Police Officer shoots and kills another during the proper performance of police duties; “Justifiable” Homicide is ruled; the incident is still a “Homicide” – but NOT a murder.

2007-03-02T07:01:00.000-05:00

EDGED-WEAPONS

Did you know that 92% of police injuries are caused by edged weapons?

The most common weapon used to inflict these injuries is a screwdriver.

The minimum safe distance from an assailant wielding an edged weapon is 21 feet.

2007-02-14T20:33:00.000-05:00

The Top Ten Things Law Enforcement Doesn’t Have To Worry About

1. What to do about all those highly qualified recruits who are lined up around the corner.
2. How to spend all that federal money.
3. Missing the season finale of “Dancing with the Stars.”
4. Who will win this season’s “Project Runway” and “Flavor of Love.”
5. Guilt stemming from wealth and a stress-free existence.
6. Who fathered Anna Nicole’s baby.
7. Earthquakes. (East Coast only).
8. Tornadoes (West Coast only).
9. Who actually shot J.R.
10. Answering fan mail.

Reprinted from APB

2007-02-14T20:24:00.000-05:00

BACKGROUND SEARCHING THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

Reviewing a recent edition of an investigative magazine, I noticed that corporations are reporting their hiring managers have been researching employment applicants on internet “social networking” sites, and uncovering a lot of interesting information on these prospective employees.“Social Networking” sites are another name for the popular sites such as MySpace.com, Facebook, etc.Not sure which are the popular sites in your area? Ask a teenager! They’ll know! How does this apply to the detective? Recent information also provides information being uncovered on some subjects that reveal another side to him/her that the investigator could find very valuable. For example, evidence of gang affiliation searching through the MySpace pages of a subject may be uncovered through photographs that are posted, web sites they link to, or comments made on their comments pages. Perhaps you’ll find photos posted of people in gang-significant clothing demonstrating gang signs. Certainly an interesting fact to be aware of. A detective had noted one such anecdote. A detective from Victorville, California ran a query using the term “Victimville”, which was a gang-slang for that town, on MySpace. There were about 350 such links, however, a search by the particular gang-name returned a manageable 3-sites; visiting the links on those sites connected to links of friends of those posted, providing a wealth of background information prior to sitting down and interviewing his subject. Certainly something worth keeping in mind. Remember, sometimes the detective doesn’t know what he/she is looking for until he finds it!

2007-02-11T15:49:00.000-05:00

INTERESTING WEB SITES

Autopsy Database:
www.med.jhu.edu/pathology/iad.html
INTERNET AUTOPSY DATABASE - Searchable collection of over 49,000 autopsy facesheets.

Biographical Dictionary:www.s9.com/biography/
BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY - Contains biographical information on thousands of notable people spanning from present day to ancient times
.
Electronic Librarywww.elibrary.com/id/2525/
ELECTRONIC LIBRARY - Search thousands of newspapers, magazines, journals and books using a keyword.

2006-12-16T15:05:00.000-05:00

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.

2006-11-17T07:48:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-08T09:04:00.000-05:00

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

2006-10-23T10:06:00.000-04:00

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!!!

2006-10-23T08:50:00.000-04:00

2006-09-23T16:07:00.000-04:00

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

2006-09-23T15:57:00.000-04:00

2006-09-23T15:50:00.000-04:00

INTERESTING WEB SITES

Investigators Guide To Sources Of Information

http://www.gao.gov/special.pubs/soi.htm

2006-09-23T15:47:00.000-04:00

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

2006-09-18T14:57:00.000-04:00

Story Book Crime Scene

Remind anybody of who they work with...?

2006-09-18T14:16:00.000-04:00

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/

2006-09-12T15:02:00.000-04:00

“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

2006-09-12T14:57:00.000-04:00

“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

2006-08-25T13:22:00.000-04:00

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?

2006-08-25T13:16:00.000-04:00

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

2006-07-27T14:40:00.000-04:00

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

2006-07-27T14:37:00.000-04:00

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...

2006-07-27T14:32:00.000-04:00

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

2006-07-16T10:24:00.000-04:00

2006-07-16T10:21:00.000-04:00

2006-07-16T10:06:00.000-04:00

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.

2006-07-16T10:02:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-15T15:03:00.000-04:00

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.

2006-06-15T14:50:00.000-04:00

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.

2006-05-12T13:46:00.000-04:00

INTERESTING WEB SITE

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

FOR THE JAZZ LOVER

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

2006-05-12T13:44:00.000-04:00

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.

2006-05-12T13:38:00.000-04:00

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.

2006-05-04T15:31:00.000-04:00

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