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December 2003 |
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Homeland Security Update NEWS FLASH!! The COPS Program's Fading Impact is Being Felt Across the Country
When the Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS) program was introduced in the 1990s, it provided
more than $8 billion in grants to saturate crime-plagued areas across the
country with officers. "Community policing" became the solution to the
high crime rates of that decade. This forged unprecedented ties between
cops and neighborhood patrols. However, nowadays budgets are leaner and
the largest federally funded buildup of local police is being phased out.
The COPS program provided grants to pay for all or part of entry-level
officers' salaries during their first three years of work. Now, many
cash-strapped police departments are trimming their ranks to meet
increasingly tight local budgets. As a result, police departments
are pulling officers off patrols at a time when crime rates are beginning
to tick upward again. Some police officials say the needs of local cops
are being overlooked because of broader concerns about national security.
To view this article go to: 2004 National Summit on Performance & Cost Management Innovations for Law Enforcement Agencies (March 10-12, 2004)
As a result of the impending
end of the 9-year old Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program,
and studies showing that crime rates are on the rise again, law
enforcement agencies are being left with increasing crime problems as
federal assistance funds are pulled out of their budget. To aid agencies
in countering this alarming change in funding availability, the
Performance Institute will host a conference featuring leaders in
performance and cost management. The conference will show agencies how to
maximize the funding available in the wake of this shocking change of
events. For more information go to: House Panel to Set Performance Goals for Homeland Security
Republican leaders of the House
Select Committee on Homeland Security will set performance standards for
the Homeland Security Department, but will seek to avoid the recent
mistake of creating arbitrary or unrealistic goals. The committee chairman
and a group of subcommittee heads will meet with DHS managers
during the next two months to develop performance measures to gauge the
success of homeland security programs and policies as the department moves
into its second year of existence. The measures will affect everything
from the management and personnel of the department to which programs get
funded. The panel wants to help the department prioritize its projects,
set goals for key efforts, measure progress toward those goals, and make
corrections on an ongoing basis. The committee plans to hold hearings
early next year and then write new legislation covering the department by
next September. To view this article go to: Some Homeland Security Activities Remain Unfunded
Despite President Bush's
approval of the fiscal 2004 Homeland Security Department spending bill,
more than 25 percent of federal homeland security activities remain
unfunded. Congress has passed 4 of 13 departmental appropriations bills.
The Homeland Security appropriations, signed by Bush, account for
approximately half of administration-wide spending on homeland security.
Total fiscal 2004 federal spending on homeland security is expected to be
$41.3 billion. Only about two-thirds, or approximately $23.9 billion, of
the total Homeland Security Department funding of $29.4 billion is for
homeland security activities. The only other homeland security spending
approved so far is about $6.7 billion under the Defense Department, which
combined with the Homeland Security Department, brings the total to date
to about $30 billion, or three-quarters of the total $41.3 billion. To
view this article go to: Homeland Security Select Committee Calls for Restraint in First Responder Spending
As the new Chair of the Select
Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Christopher Cox, R-CA, wrote his
first major bill focusing on intelligence, questioning DHS officials about
the department's intelligence operations and capacity. He wants to review
how "first responder" funds are being used and distributed. Cox's proposal
would require the Homeland Security Department to award its
first-responder grants solely on the basis of how likely a given location
is to be attacked by terrorists. Cox wants to merge information about
known threats with data about critical infrastructure's vulnerability to
an attack. This would be used to produce a list of priorities for the
department’s first-responder spending. However, from a practical
standpoint, it's very hard to assemble a comprehensive national analysis
of threats and vulnerabilities. Producing an accurate risk analysis poses
an enormous technical challenge. It requires a four-dimensional matrix
that weighs the relative importance of protecting a given asset,
vulnerabilities, terrorists' capabilities and motives, and the current
security effort. To view this article go to: Emergency Management Agency in Lawrence County, Ohio, Offered Terror Response Training Session
A day-long weapons of mass
destruction training exercise was done at the Lawrence County Emergency
Management Agency in Ironton. The goal of the exercise was to evaluate
plans, policies and procedures in responding to the use of weapons of mass
destruction. Participants included law enforcement, health agencies, fire
and rescue responders and local government officials. Through these
exercises, participants could clarify their roles and responsibilities in
the event of a terrorist attack, or the use of weapons of mass
destruction. Lawrence County is among 28 of 88 Ohio counties to get
funding this year for homeland security. Ohio and Lawrence County are well
prepared to respond to a terrorist attack. To view this article go to: Performance Management in Policing Strategic Management and Performance Measurements in Law Enforcement
At an event on cost management,
budget and innovations for law enforcement agencies hosted by the
Performance Institute, Carl DeMaio described a performance management
framework with succinct, clear end outcome goals as well as succinct
performance measures to track an agency’s success. With the development
of outcome oriented goals and measures, organizations can more clearly
align their activities and outputs to streamlined strategic goals. To view
the presentation slides go to: Transforming Tacoma Police
Police and city leaders have
taken the first steps to change the management of the Tacoma Police
Department, which is accused of being corrupt. An upcoming internal
investigation by Washington State Patrol might lead to discipline or
staffing changes, including a new chief, that will begin the overhaul of
the 400-member department. Transforming a police department's culture is a
time-consuming challenge. State Patrol Chief Ronal Serpas lectures
nationally on police accountability, has worked with the Washington,
D.C.-based Police Foundation to assess and improve police department
performance in cities across the country such as Detroit, Los Angeles and
New Orleans. City officials hired police chiefs from the outside to handle
the cleanup work and rebuild community trust. The chiefs reorganized their
departments, made officers accountable for their work and used best
practices from across the nation to revamp policies and better train
officers. To help overhaul the department, city leaders asked the State
Patrol to follow-up its criminal investigation with a review at 34
allegations of misconduct against 32 city and police employees. The review
will determine which allegations are credible and address how deep a
problem still exists. To view this article go to: Wilmington Police Department to Undergo Comprehensive Review
The Wilmington Police
Department has gone through turbulent times in the past year, culminating
in the September with the dismissal of Chief John Cease. As a result, City
officials hired consultants from the Police Executive Research Forum to
conduct a comprehensive review of Wilmington Police Department operations
looking at every aspect of the department's organization. The police
department's organizational structure also will be examined along with
staffing, officer concerns and the effectiveness and efficiency of every
organizational component. In addition, law enforcement interaction with
citizens, along with community perception of the police department, will
be considered. Study recommendations will help shape future departmental
policies and procedures. To view this article register with Star News at: Officer Recruitment, Retention, and Training Police Revise Hiring Rules to Judge Applicants to Homicide Detail
The San Francisco Police
Department is changing its practice of picking investigators for the
homicide detail based solely on how long they have been on a waiting list
with no regard to merit. San Francisco has been the only major police
department in the country that does this. However, Chief Alex Fagan's
proposed a plan to take into account management interviews with
prospective homicide inspectors and the applicants' talent, training and
experience along with how long they have been on the waiting list. This
change is needed to keep pace with the best practices of police
departments. In the past, the homicide unit had a very rigid staffing
system and had to take in inspectors who had very little training, and in
some cases did not know how to write a search warrant or conduct an
interrogation. Under the new policy, the department will still work off
the waiting list in picking homicide inspectors, but will be able to
choose out of a pool of the top five candidates. The final selections will
be made based on experience with important cases, seniority as an
investigator and on training in a variety of areas, including
interrogation and homicide investigations. To view this article go to: 2004 National Conference on Law Enforcement Diversity Recruitment – Improve Recruitment and Retention Efforts of Both Women and Minorities (February 9-11, 2004)
The role of diversity
management in law enforcement has become increasingly important. Law
enforcement agencies are tasked with recruiting and selecting the best and
brightest, keeping that specialized workforce and molding diverse members
of your agency into a seamless team who are all unified in the pursuit of
a common goal: public safety. Failure to develop a substantial diversity
recruiting program can result in loss of qualified candidates, inadequate
staffing and legal liability. To ensure that you are up-to-date on the
latest information and methods of selection, recruitment and innovative
staff development and training, The Performance Institute invites you to
attend the 2004 National Conference on Law Enforcement Diversity
Recruiting, in Arlington, VA, on February 9-11, 2004. For more information
go to: Racial Profiling is a Widespread Public Belief
Racial
profiling is one of the most complex and controversial issues facing law
enforcement professionals today. The existence of racial profiling by
police officers is a widespread public belief that creates liability
problems for law enforcement agencies that encounter allegations of racial
profiling. This is an activity that undermines the public trust vital for
an effective community policing organization. It is the responsibility of
the police manager to train, hire, retain, supervise, and direct police
personnel in a manner consistent with the impartial and ethical delivery
of police services. Integrating policy, data collection and analysis,
community outreach, an accountability based management system that holds
officers responsible for their conduct, and a citizen complaint process
are all necessary tools that a police manager must use to effectively
reduce incidents and limit civil liability associated with the practice of
racial profiling. To view this report go to:
Police Liability Concerning Civil Rights
One of the fundamental
responsibilities of American law enforcement is the protection of civil
rights. Although such an admonition does not typically appear in a law
enforcement agency's mission statement or in its standard operating
procedures manuals, there is an abundance of statutory and case law
establishing this mandate. The increasing appearance of high-profile cases
of "police abuse" that involve officers who "stood around" when fellow
officers were violating victims' civil rights are bring into focus what is
meant by the "duty to intervene" to protect these rights. To view this
information go to: Evaluating Racial Profiling in Traffic Stops
Law enforcement agencies
recently have been scrutinized as to the quality and quantity of their
traffic stops, specifically as to the racial/ethnic distribution of the
motorists stopped. Agencies and officers have been accused of “racial
profiling” or stopping motorists simply because of their racial/ethnic
origins. At the heart of the issue is the claim that officers use a
driver’s racial/ethnic origin in their decision to stop a particular
motorist or a particular group of motorists, and that this racial bias is
reflected in the racial distribution of drivers at various decision points
throughout the stop event. These stop events include: the initial stop
and the reason for the initial stop; asking the driver to exit the
vehicle; running a warrant check; requesting a consent search; conducting
a search; seizing property; detaining the driver; 8) warning, citing, or
arresting the driver. A recent study that focuses on the initial stop
aims to prove whether or not racial profiling does exist based on the
collection, analysis, and interpretation of police traffic stop data. To
view this study go to: 2003 Sex Crimes Summit – Effectively Respond to Sex-Related Crimes, Investigate Incidents and Manage Sex Offenders (December 10-12, 2003)
As a law enforcement, probation
or parole officer, public safety official or case worker in sexual
offender management, you are faced with the constant challenges of
investigating sex-related crimes against members of your community. In
situations involving sex crimes, effective case management from response
and investigation through offender registration- is essential to ensure
the safety of your community. Because your agency could face a situation
calling for response to a crime of a sexual nature at any time, adequate
education and training are essential to ensure that sex crimes receive
proper attention. For this reason, The Performance Institute is hosting
the 2003 Sex Crimes Summit in San Diego, CA. For more information go to: Northern Virginia Receives $2.1 Million for Community Policing
A Justice Department grant
program has awarded $2.1 million to Northern Virginia police departments.
It encourages community policing and has called on local departments to
prepare against terrorism. The grants, provided by the Office of Community
Oriented Policing Services (COPS), allow the hiring of 28 full-time police
officers among Fairfax County, Alexandria and Leesburg by funding 75
percent of their salaries for three years if the jurisdictions pick up the
rest. Fairfax County received the largest local grant, $1.2 million, to
help hire 16 full-time officers. Alexandria received $675,000 for nine
officers and Leesburg $225,000 for three. A popular and widely accepted
practice, community policing often includes placing officers in specific
neighborhoods so they can get to know their community and better respond
to concerns and needs. Several departments throughout the Washington
region have developed community policing efforts. In Fairfax County, where
community officers are assigned to specific neighborhoods or beats, they
establish a rapport with homeowners associations, civic groups and
residents. To view this article go to: Homeland Security Allocates Over $2 billion for First Responders
More than $2 billion in
department grants will be allocated to states to better prepare state and
local emergency personnel to respond to future terrorist attacks. This
will be done through three programs. The State Homeland Security Program
will allocate $1.7 billion to improve first responders' capabilities.
About $500 million will be provided to states through the Law Enforcement
Terrorism Prevention Program. In addition, Homeland Security has also made
$35 million available to aid in the development of Citizen Corps Councils.
States would then be required to allocate 80 percent of their funding to
local communities. To view this article go to: Hawthorne Institute Serves as Grants Gateway
The Hawthorne Institute’s
Grants Information Center is a valuable online resource for up-to-date
news and information about grants and funding opportunities available to
all levels of law enforcement. The Center provides information on grant
identification, administration, writing, and training. The Institute was
created to help promote effective leadership in public policy. For more
information go to: FEMA Announces the Assistance To Firefighters Grants To Aid America's Fire Departments
Michael D. Brown, Under
Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response,
announced 134 grants to assists rural, urban and suburban fire departments
throughout the country through the 2003 Assistance to Firefighters Grant
program. The grants will ultimately total approximately 7,000 awards worth
$750 million in direct assistance to firefighters. The program provides
over $10 million to help local fire departments fund the purchase of
firefighting equipment, fund firefighter health and safety programs,
enhance emergency medical services programs, and conduct fire prevention
and safety programs. Since June, over 5800 fire departments have received
nearly $406 million to support their role as first responders in the
neighborhoods and communities they serve as firefighters. To view this
article go to: 2004 National Summit on White Collar Crime (January 21-23, 2004)
Among the most cunning and
untrustworthy criminals are white collar-criminals — those who seek to
separate people from their power, influence, and most importantly their
money. These criminals constantly use deception, lies, and trickery to
achieve their devious goals. They work hard to “beat the system” and now
is the time to ensure that the system is equipped, trained, and prepared
to fight back. To assist you in meeting these challenges, we invite you to
attend the 2004 National Summit on White Collar Crime, being hosted in New
Orleans, LA, on January 21-23, 2004. Through this innovative and
informative conference on white collar crime response you will be
presented with strategies and tactics that will not only put your agency
on the high road to stopping white collar crime in your jurisdiction, but
also present how collaborating with other law enforcement agencies in your
area and around the country will amplify efforts to reign in on this
growing menace. For more information go to: Spotlight: The Computer And Technology Crime High-Tech Response Team (CATCH) Accompanying the benefits of a thriving technology-rich society is the increased criminal activity as criminals use technology to devise new schemes and expand old ones. Such criminality impacts both the profitability for technology industry and the safety and security for the individual citizen. According to a study done in California, the estimated impact of technology crime in that state over the past few years was $6.5 billion in industry losses and $358 million in tax revenue losses. To address the increasing impact of technology crimes, the law enforcement community has formed a Computer And Technology Crime High-tech Response Team, or "CATCH," a multi-agency task force formed in June 2000 to apprehend and prosecute all criminals who commit crimes using or targeting high technology in San Diego, Imperial and Riverside Counties. The collaborative methodologies designed and implemented by this Southern California consortium has been identified by police agencies and private think tanks nation-wide as having some of the most proactive strategies for technology crime response.
Since becoming operational on
June 1, 2000, CATCH has been a part of a statewide and nationwide network
of task forces dedicated to battling criminals who attempt to exploit the
technology industry or infrastructure for criminal gain. This integrated
methodology promotes the most thorough prosecution of the high-tech cases
and provides for rapid communication between all levels and sectors of
government. Another important component in reshaping San Diego into a technology hub has been the cooperation between the region's corporations and law enforcement. CATCH recognizes that cooperation between it, the other state high-tech task forces, and the private sector industry is critical to the success of CATCH. With members including SAIC, Sony, American Electronics Association, Cox Communications, UCSD and Qualcomm, CATCH has the support of a dynamic Steering Committee to assist CATCH in the assessment of crime risk and to prioritize high technology crime targets in the region. This collaboration and cooperation between law enforcement and local business has aided in cutting costs, improving quality of services, and ensuring that the training and technology used by law enforcement are the same- or better- than what is available to the criminals that they are charged with stopping.
Additionally, the phenomenal
growth and success of the local High-Tech Crime Investigators' Association
(HTCIA) chapter is a proud achievement for the region's technology
industry and law enforcement and is an example of the benefit to our
citizens that results from private industry and public government
partnerships. The HTCIA has provided continued training to officers and
investigators, as well as a venue for information exchange that is
designed to keep technology crimes investigation and response on the
cutting edge.
President:
Carl DeMaio The Law Enforcement Development Center Newsletter is provided as an informational update to all law enforcement officials. Should you not wish to continue to receive the free newsletter, please respond to this email address with "unsubscribe" and your email will be taken off of the distribution list.
The Performance
Institute is a private think tank that serves as the nation’s leading
authority and repository on performance-based management practices for
government organizations. Its mission is to identify, study and disseminate
the leading management innovations pioneered by “best-in-class” government
programs at federal, state and local levels. Through its national
conferences on pressing issues, interactive executive training programs, and
best practice research projects, the Institute provides cutting-edge
expertise in the design, implementation and evaluation of strategies to
solve operational challenges and enhance government performance. |
