Title: TechBeat, Summer 1999
Author: NLECTC
Published: August 1999
Subject: technology in law enforcement
pages: 28
bytes: 65kb

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TECHbeat
Summer 1999
Dedicated to Reporting Developments in Technology for Law
Enforcement, Corrections, and Forensic Sciences

------------------------------

Coplink: Database Detective

It's called a "Web-based intuitive integrated interface." But in layman's
terms it's called "Coplink." What it will do is help put an end to a serious
problem faced by law enforcement every day . . . the inability to exchange
information about criminal cases across jurisdictions.

With the help of a nearly $1 million grant from the National Institute of
Justice (NIJ), the Tucson, Arizona, Police Department and the University
of Arizona's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Laboratory are making Coplink a
reality. When completed, Coplink will be a mechanism that not only links
databases, but also searches these databases for associations and links
between people, places, and things.

"We're trying to provide a way for law enforcement agencies to share
information, specifically case information, and to bring it all together in
an integrated system where they can also do some sophisticated types of
analysis on the information," says Sgt. Jenny Schroeder, project leader at
the Tucson Police Department, where the system is being tested. As a
trial, Schroeder's department has integrated its records management
system, gangs database, and video mug shot database.

"The problem with having lots of isolated systems is that you have to
search multiple records and databases," Schroeder says. "The first
hallmark of Coplink is that it takes legacy data, puts it into a warehouse,
and uses a Web-based interface to make the information available to
criminal justice agencies. It doesn't imply a change in anyone's operational
system, it simply makes data from other agencies available."

Similar initiatives that pool information are typically in the form of a
distributed database system, wherein all participants maintain and control
their own databases. The Coplink project, however, warehouses and
integrates the data at a local or regional level. These local or regional
systems can then be interconnected into a large distributed law
enforcement "intranet" or a group of "extranets." As technology moves
ahead, new applications can be added and the interface improved
incrementally. Agencies will not have to undergo redevelopment to take
advantage of the rapidly changing technology. As integration with other
agencies occurs, users will continue to have the same easy interface,
which will keep training costs down.

With Coplink, agencies can use data from other jurisdictions and
government entities that is stored on widely differing systems and
computer platforms. Jurisdictions will be able to maintain data security,
yet efficiently and quickly provide vital information to partner agencies. It
is an aggressive approach that requires more work in the early stages but
allows agencies to use more sophisticated analysis tools later on,
Schroeder says.

No tool similar to Coplink has been available previously because the
technology that would foster this kind of connectivity and interoperability
did not exist. In addition to NIJ's support, the creation of this technology
was aided by scientists at the University of Arizona's Artificial
Intelligence Laboratory with funding from the National Science
Foundation (NSF) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA).

Hsinchun Chen, Ph.D., a University of Arizona professor of management
information systems and the AI laboratory director, says an initial $7
million in NSF and DARPA funding in part paid for the laboratory's
creation of a software program that helped the Central Intelligence
Agency analyze data and relationships relating to Russian technologies
and their use of those technologies. Chen says that when a machine--not a
person--extracts the meanings and relationships between data, it is termed
"machine learning." This ability to analyze data and relationships is the
second hallmark of the Coplink project. Developed at the University of
Arizona, Coplink uses "concept space," a data-mining tool that points out
the relationships between objects, whether those objects are people,
vehicles, organizations, locations, weapons, or crimes.

In a preliminary test case, the Tucson police agreed to help a Federal
agency track down a homicide suspect, even though the agency did not
know the suspect's name. The agency had only a confidential informant's
tip that the suspect had a sister living in Tucson who several years ago had
been assaulted by her boyfriend. The agency did have the boyfriend's
name from the complaint, which the Tucson police ran though concept
space. In less than a minute, the system returned the woman's name and
the name of her brother.

The Coplink project is expected to yield a proof-of-concept prototype for
both the database interface and concept space. "Everything will be very
simple," Chen says. "Users won't have to memorize function keys. It will
work just like the Web: point and click."

After further development and testing, Schroeder says, the plan is to link
the Tucson department with the Phoenix Police Department and later to
extend the project to agencies throughout the State. The near-term project
goal is to share public record case information with other agencies.
However, current Coplink users hope to resolve issues of legality and
coordination to share more investigative and intelligence information.

When fully developed, Coplink users hope to see it made available either
commercially or through a nonprofit foundation created specifically to
package and sell it. "We want to see it made available at a reasonable
cost," says Tom Coty, NIJ project manager. "The public paid for its
development with tax dollars, and we want to be sure it's readily available
and affordable for the users."

For more information about Coplink, contact Tom Coty at the National
Institute of Justice, 202-514-7683; Sgt. Jenny Schroeder at the Tucson
Police Department, 520-791-4499; or Dr. Hsinchun Chen at the
University of Arizona, 520-621-4153

------------------------------

Hide and Seek

The alert eye of a staff member spotted a suspicious package the morning
of January 2, 1997, at the Federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas.
The staffer notified prison authorities, who searched the mailroom and
found yet another suspicious envelope. The local bomb squad was
immediately contacted and the area evacuated. X-rays of the envelopes
revealed that they contained explosive devices. But that was not the end of
it. Additional explosive devices similar to those discovered in the prison
mailroom were intercepted at the Washington, D.C., office of El Hayat, a
Saudi Arabian newspaper, and at the Leavenworth post office. Although
no one was hurt in the incident, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) took
the threat very seriously. 

Coming in many shapes and sizes, contraband can be life threatening to
staff and inmates. Its detection is paramount to the safe and orderly
operation of every correctional facility. It is for these reasons that the
BOP's Office of Security Technology, with funding assistance from the
National Institute of Justice, continuously researches and evaluates
devices that can aid prison staff in the detection of contraband during their
daily activities.

Because of the Leavenworth and El Hayat letter bomb incidents, BOP
began considering mail screening technologies that could complement its
existing mail x-ray procedures, according to Karen Hogsten, acting
director of BOP's Office of Security Technology. In its research, she says,
her office came across the SCANMAIL 10K, a device manufactured in
England and used extensively overseas and in Canada. The device was in
the process of being introduced and marketed in the United States.

SCANMAIL is not an x-ray device and does not detect explosives.
Instead, it finds metal objects in letters, magazines, padded mailers,
newspapers, paperback books, and catalogs. The scanner provides visual
and audio alarms when metal is detected, while ignoring normal office
items like staples and paper clips.

BOP tested the device at the Metropolitan Corrections Center in New
York City. Nine test pieces were concealed among inmate and staff mail,
including a blank .22-caliber bullet; a utility knife razor blade; a 3-inch
piece of a hacksaw blade; a handcuff key; a penny; a small 1.5 volt battery
(like those used in electronic greeting cards); a blank 9 mm bullet; a small,
gold, foil-lined computer chip; and an electronic greeting card with wires
and a battery.

According to Hogsten, "SCANMAIL did not miss a thing." Every test
piece was detected in every mail item. Mail items that were too thick for
the 2.25-inch opening, such as a phone book, were simply opened, laid
face-down lengthwise, then fed through the scanner. Letters were put
through four and five at a time with the test pieces contained in the middle
letter. The test pieces were detected with 100-percent accuracy, as was a
padded mailer with five magazines with the test pieces in the middle
magazine, and a padded mailer with three paperback books inside. BOP
officials conducted additional tests, in which metallic objects were
concealed in clothes, shampoo bottles, baby powder, and soap bars.

Staff members in the prison's mailroom noted that using SCANMAIL did
not significantly increase their processing time for screen mail. They also
recognized that while the device is not a substitute for normal x-ray
procedures, it can complement standard mailroom security tools such as
x-rays and canines.

Hogsten says that in addition to mail screening devices, BOP was
interested in identifying a technology that would provide immediate,
reliable, nonintrusive, and noncontact screening of inmates for small
weapons and/or metallic contraband that can be concealed in body
cavities. The most commonly used methods involve metal detection
devices and visual searches. X-rays are the most effective means for
searching body cavities; however, they are normally not used for routine
processing of inmates.

During its research, she says, BOP investigated the Body Orifice Security
Scanner (BOSS). This newly developed metal detector chair incorporates
nonmotion static detection and has two independent sensors: one mounted
in the seat for rectal and vaginal region detection and a second, countertop
sensor mounted on the side of the chair for oral region detection. When an
inmate sits in the chair or places his or her chin on the oral scanner, audio
and visual alarms alert the staff if there is a metallic object located in the
scanned orifice. The detectors are sensitive enough to detect a handcuff
key 6 inches from the sensor surface.

In researching the BOSS chair, BOP discovered that the New York City
Department of Corrections had used it with good results. Based on this
information, BOP put BOSS chairs in four of its facilities for 90-day
evaluations. During that time, the devices detected two contraband items
that were not discovered by handheld metal detectors--a razor blade and a
gold chain with a medallion. Both items were wrapped in tape, placed in
the cut-off finger of a rubber glove, and concealed in the inmate's rectum.
Also, shrapnel and dental work that went undetected by metal detectors
and were not visible through normal visual search procedures were
detected by BOSS and later verified through medical and dental x-ray
records. According to Hogsten, BOP staff indicated much more
confidence in conducting visual searches after using the BOSS chair than
without the use of the chair. Both SCANMAIL and the BOSS chair have
been installed in numerous Federal facilities.

"These are just two examples of available products or their equivalent that
meet or exceed BOP specifications," Hogsten says. "Other products may
also be available that meet or exceed these specifications. Presently BOP
also is investigating the use of digital closed-circuit television and passive
alcohol detection sensors."

For more information on any of these technologies, call the Federal
Bureau of Prisons' Office of Security Technology at 202-307-3191.

------------------------------

Where Users Aren't Losers

Are you a "user?"

You should be.

These days, not being a user--a user of the Internet that is--can certainly
be a major disadvantage to law enforcement and corrections agencies.

To keep law enforcement and corrections personnel from falling behind
the Internet curve, the National Law Enforcement and Corrections
Technology Center (NLECTC)-Rocky Mountain offers as a free service to
criminal justice practitioners a class titled "Internet Resources for
Criminal Justice," which teaches how to make the most of the Internet.

"The Internet is a tremendous resource that more and more people are
taking advantage of," says Joe Russo, Corrections Specialist for
NLECTC-Rocky Mountain and a class instructor. "To illustrate this point,
consider the incredible growth in the number of Internet users. In 1997,
there were 50 million users worldwide. By the year 2000 it is estimated
that there will be more than 100 million users. As they say, 100 million
people can't be wrong. These folks have learned that the Internet is an
indispensable tool to gather and share information across the entire globe .
. . and do it in real time."

According to Russo, the class begins with a brief history of the
development of the Internet to provide a perspective on its creation and its
evolution over the years. Next, he demonstrates the process for tracking
down information. This includes an introduction to a variety of "search
engines," along with the logic that goes into structuring a query. Through
a series of exercises, students begin to learn which search engines are most
effective in specific situations. Russo notes that students are given ample
time to practice searching techniques on their own so they understand how
these techniques work and become more efficient in their use.

An additional component of the class involves a "tour" of several criminal
justice agencies' World Wide Web sites. The goal here, Russo says, is to
illustrate the many ways agencies use the Internet to dispense and solicit
information. Web sites featured include the California Highway Patrol,
where an individual can scan incident report information as it occurs.
Photographs of "most wanted" delinquent parents are displayed on the Los
Angeles County District Attorney's Office Web site. The New York City
Police Department's Web site asks for the public's help in finding missing
persons and identifying suspects. Other Web sites provide the capability to
search for inmates being held in Illinois Department of Correction
facilities, or to search the San Diego County Sheriff's booking log, or to
search for registered sex offenders, by precinct, in Chicago. 

"But we don't just end the class there," says Mike McGee, Law
Enforcement Specialist for NLECTC-Rocky Mountain and another of the
class's instructors. "Students are also introduced to the variety of Internet
tools and resources useful in conducting investigations, including online
calculators to assist in traffic accident investigations, crime scene evidence
collection, crime mapping, missing persons searches, explosives
information, fraud and scams, unsolved crimes, and many, many others."

As one example, McGee demonstrates for each class a CD-ROM of hate
groups that have Web sites on the Internet. Developed by the Simon
Wiesenthal Center, this CD provides information on, and Web site
addresses for, more than 600 hate groups that use the Internet to recruit
young people.

The class concludes with a review of Internet resources for doing research
on criminal justice issues. A vast amount of statistics and research studies
can be found on the Internet, McGee says, and all you need to do is click a
button to download the data you are looking for. Students are shown how
to access crime statistics online from such sources as the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and a number of
individual States. Other important resources include the National Institute
of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Archive of Criminal
Justice Data, and National Criminal Justice Reference Service.

To date, Russo says, the "Internet Resources for Criminal Justice" class
has been presented to more than 100 criminal justice practitioners. Classes
are held quarterly at NLECTC-Rocky Mountain's host facility, the
University of Denver. Agencies interested in the class but unable to travel
to Denver can host the training at their facilities. During the past year, the
class has been presented onsite to members of the New York City
Department of Probation, the New Mexico Gang Task Force, and the
Fulton County (Georgia) District Attorney's Office. A computer
laboratory with Internet access, such as might be available at a high school
or college, is necessary to host the class. There is no cost for instructor
time and travel.

For those who cannot come to Denver or host a class, a diskette with the
bookmarked Web sites used in the class presentation is available at no
charge. This disk, "Criminal Justice Resources on the Internet," contains
access to almost 400 sites in a well-organized descriptive format that can
be easily downloaded to the Internet browser of a personal computer.

For additional information about the class, "Internet Resources for
Criminal Justice," or to request the "Criminal Justice Resources on the
Internet" diskette, contact Joe Russo or Mike McGee at the National Law
Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center-Rocky Mountain, 800-
416-8086.

------------------------------

Product Alert!

Physical Analysis of DKL LifeGuard [trademark] Device

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) tasked and funded the Sandia
National Laboratories (SNL) to conduct a detailed physical analysis, based
on fundamental scientific principles, of a DielectroKinetic Laboratories,
LLC (DKL), Model 3 LifeGuard [trademark] device to determine if it
could function as advertised. The DKL LifeGuard [trademark] devices are
marketed as a human presence detector and tracker. The results of SNL's
analysis conclusively demonstrate that the LifeGuard Model 3 device
cannot possibly function as a passive long-range detector of human
heartbeats based on the scientific principles of dielectrophoresis.

A summary of Sandia's findings indicates that the passive circuit,
attributed to detecting heartbeats based on dielectrophoresis, is actually a
nonfunctioning, open circuit. Additionally, this circuit includes a
component composed of human hair glued between two small pieces of
polystyrene. There was also no discernible feedback mechanism or drive
to move the antenna located at the front of the device that would cause it
to point toward a beating human heart.

This analysis summary is provided for informational purposes. A copy of
SNL's report titled Physical Examination of the DKL LifeGuard
[trademark] Model 3 can be located at
www.nlectc.org/pdffiles/dklanalysis.pdf. For additional information,
contact Thomas Coty, National Institute of Justice, at
cotyt@ojp.usdoj.gov.

------------------------------



Enough To Go Around

If your agency qualifies, everyone in your department or division can now
have his or her own copy of TechBeat at no cost.

All you have to do is to provide us with the quantity you need and a
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Your only obligation is to disseminate them once they arrive.

To start this service with our next issue, Fall 1999, contact Rick Neimiller,
NLECTC-National, at 800-248-2742 or rneimiller@nlectc.org by August
31, 1999. Orders after this date will be fulfilled with the Winter 2000
edition. And remember, you can always access TechBeat online at
www.nlectc.org. 

------------------------------

We Got You Covered

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), responding to recommendations by
the law enforcement and corrections community, converted its
Technology Assessment Program Information Center (TAPIC) into the
National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center
(NLECTC) system. Created in 1994 as a component of NIJ's Office of
Science and Technology, NLECTC's goal, like that of NIJ, is to offer
support, research findings, and technological expertise to help State and
local law enforcement and corrections personnel do their jobs more safely
and efficiently.

NIJ's NLECTC system consists of facilities located across the country that
are colocated with an organization or agency that specializes in one or
more specific areas of research and development. Although each
NLECTC facility has a different technology focus, they work together to
form a seamless web of support, technology development, and
information.

NLECTC-National
2277 Research Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: 800-248-2742
Fax: 301-519-5149
E-mail: asknlectc@nlectc.org

The National Center, located just 30 minutes north of Washington, D.C.,
is the hub of the NLECTC system. It provides information and referral
services to anyone with a question about law enforcement and corrections
equipment or technology. Its staff manages the voluntary equipment
standards and testing program that tests and verifies the performance of
body armor, metallic handcuffs, shotguns, and police vehicles and tires.
This office produces consumer product lists of equipment that meets a
specific set of performance standards and also operates JUSTNET (Justice
Technology Information Network), an Internet World Wide Web site that
provides links to the entire NLECTC system and other appropriate sites,
as well as assistance to those seeking information about equipment,
technology, or research findings.

NLECTC-Northeast
26 Electronic Parkway
Rome, NY 13441
Phone: 888-338-0584
Fax: 315-330-4315
E-mail: nlectc_ne@rl.af.mil

NLECTC-Northeast is located at the Air Force Research Laboratory,
Rome Research Site (formerly Rome Laboratory), on the grounds of the
Griffiss Business and Technology Park. The center sponsors research and
development efforts into technologies that address command, control,
communications, computers, and intelligence. This center draws on the
expertise of Air Force scientists and engineers in its development of
technologies that can be used to detect weapons concealed on individuals,
an effort that is expected to yield stationary equipment for use in buildings
and handheld devices for field and patrol officers. Other areas of research
and development include through-the-wall sensors, audio processing,
image processing, timeline analysis, computer forensics, secure
communications, and command/control.

NLECTC-Southeast
5300 International Boulevard
North Charleston, SC 29418
Phone: 800-292-4385
Fax: 843-760-4611
E-mail: nlectc-se@nlectc-se.org

Two of the focus areas of NLECTC-Southeast are corrections
technologies and surplus property acquisition and distribution for law
enforcement and corrections. The center facilitates the acquisition and
redistribution of Federal surplus/excess property to State and local law
enforcement and corrections agencies. The equipment must be used for
law enforcement purposes only. Utilizing the JUSTNET Web site, the
center educates law enforcement and corrections professionals about
Federal surplus and purchasing programs. The efforts of NLECTC-
Southeast have resulted in agencies receiving equipment they would not
ordinarily have access to or might not have been able to afford due to
budgetary constraints. This facility also studies the needs of corrections
agencies. It is guided in this mission by a committee of criminal justice,
law enforcement, and corrections practitioners that identifies requirements
and sets priorities for research and development. NLECTC-Southeast is
allied with the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) and the Naval
Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center In-Service
Engineering, East Coast Division (NISE East). NLECTC-Southeast's
other areas of focus include information management and technologies,
simulation training, and designated special projects. 

NLECTC-Rocky Mountain
2050 East Iliff Avenue
Denver, CO 80208
Phone: 800-416-8086 or 303-871-2522 in the Denver area
Fax: 303-871-2500
E-mail: nlectc@du.edu

Located at the University of Denver, NLECTC-Rocky Mountain focuses
on communications interoperability and the difficulties that often occur
when different agencies and jurisdictions try to communicate with one
another. This facility works with law enforcement agencies, private
industry, and national organizations to implement projects that will
identify and field test new technologies to help solve the problem of
interoperability. NLECTC-Rocky Mountain also houses the newly created
Crime Mapping Technology Center, the training and practical application
arm of NIJ's Crime Mapping Research Center, which is staffed by NIJ
social scientists and scholars who utilize crime analysis research to
improve police field operations and develop crime-mapping software for
small, medium, and large departments. The Rocky Mountain facility also
conducts research into ballistics and weapons technology, as well as
information systems. Sandia National Laboratory has been designated as a
satellite of NLECTC-Rocky Mountain. The laboratory works in
partnership with NLECTC-Rocky Mountain and focuses on technology
for detecting and neutralizing explosive devices (Operation Albuquerque). 

NLECTC-West
c/o The Aerospace Corporation
2350 East El Segundo Boulevard
El Segundo, CA 90245-4691
Phone: 888-548-1618
Fax: 310-336-2227
E-mail: nlectc@law-west.org

NLECTC-West is housed on the grounds of The Aerospace Corporation, a
nonprofit corporation that provides technical oversight and engineering
expertise to the Air Force and the U.S. Government on space technology
and space security systems. NLECTC-West draws on The Aerospace
Corporation's depth of knowledge and scientific expertise to offer law
enforcement and corrections the ability to analyze and enhance audio,
video, and photographic evidence. In cooperation with The Aerospace
Corporation, this NLECTC facility also has available an extensive array of
analytic instrumentation to aid in criminal investigations, such as a
scanning electron microscope, an x-ray microscope, and a mass
spectrometer, all of which are used to process trace evidence. Its other
areas of expertise include computer architecture, data processing,
communications systems, and identifying technologies to stop fleeing
vehicles.

Border Research and Technology Center (BRTC)
225 Broadway, Suite 740
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: 888-656-BRTC (2782)
Fax: 888-660-BRTC (2782)
E-mail: brtcchrisa@aol.com

The Border Research and Technology Center works with the Immigration
and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Customs
Service, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and the U.S.
Attorney for the Southern District of California to develop strategies and
technologies that will facilitate control of the Southwest border. One of its
most recognized accomplishments has been the implementation of
SENTRI (Secured Electronic Network for Travelers' Rapid Inspection).
BRTC also works on joint ventures to identify technologies that will stop
fleeing vehicles and is currently participating in a project to detect the
heartbeats of people concealed in vehicles or other containers.

Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES)
100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8102
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8102
Phone: 301-975-2757
Fax: 301-948-0978
E-mail: oles@nist.gov

Supported by NIJ, the Office of Law Enforcement Standards applies
science and technology to the needs of the criminal justice community.
While its major objective is to develop minimum performance standards
for equipment and technology, which NIJ promulgates as voluntary
national standards, OLES also undertakes studies leading to the
publication of technical reports and user guides. Its areas of research
include clothing, communications systems, emergency equipment,
investigative aids, protective equipment, security systems, vehicles, and
weapons. It also develops measurement methods for analytical techniques
and standard reference materials for forensic scientists and crime labs.
Since the program began in 1971, OLES has coordinated the development
of nearly 200 standards, user guides, and advisory reports. Housed at the
National Institute of Standards and Technology, OLES works closely with
NLECTC-National to conduct tests and to guarantee the performance and
quality of equipment used by police and corrections.

Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLETC)
Wheeling Jesuit University
316 Washington Avenue
Wheeling, WV 26003
Phone: 888-306-5382
Fax: 304-243-2131
E-mail: oletc@nttc.edu

The Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization, a
program of NIJ, is located at Wheeling Jesuit University. OLETC's
mission is to work with industry, manufacturers, and laboratories to
facilitate the commercialization of technologies for the law enforcement
and corrections marketplace. OLETC provides special services and
assistance to innovators, entrepreneurs, universities, Federal and other
laboratories, and U.S. manufacturers nationwide in commercializing
technologies that will enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement and
corrections practitioners. A national partnership is being developed to
provide a continual pipeline of innovative products, concepts, and
value-added services that will expedite the commercialization of new
products and services needed for State and local law enforcement and
corrections communities. OLETC has directly assisted in commercializing
several innovative products, including the RoadSpike [trademark], a novel
vehicle-stopping device; Tiger Vision [registered trademark], a special
low-cost, handheld night vision device; an Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Technician Training Kit; and the Counterpoint Stab and Slash Protective
Vest. OLETC has identified more than 70 additional emerging
technologies and concepts that are currently being evaluated for possible
commercialization.

National Center for Forensic Science
University of Central Florida
P.O. Box 162367
Orlando, FL 32816-2367
Phone: 407-823-6469
Fax: 407-823-3162
E-mail: natlctr@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu

The newest addition to the NLECTC system, this facility is housed in the
University of Central Florida and initially will focus on arson and
explosives research. Its mission is to conduct fundamental research into
the basic nature of fire and explosion reactions, provide the support to
develop standard protocols for analyzing arson and explosion debris,
promote the use of electronic media to access and exchange information
about the forensic sciences, and provide educational opportunities to
practicing professionals and full-time students. This new facility will draw
on the experience and expertise of the university, which houses a forensic
science program with an active research program, as well as the Institute
of Simulation and Training, which is currently exploring ways to simulate
explosive reactions to study various chemical processes.

------------------------------

From the Street. . .  to the Street

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has long believed that one of the
most vital aspects of its program is the solicitation of ideas and
suggestions from criminal justice practitioners. It is this information that
helps form the framework of NIJ's work. NIJ's Office of Science and
Technology and its National Law Enforcement and Corrections
Technology Center (NLECTC) system acquire this information through
conferences, regional workshops, and most especially through a series of
advisory groups. These groups are composed of representatives from all
areas of law enforcement, corrections, and the forensic sciences, and focus
on everything from operational technological needs to liability issues and
public acceptance of these new technologies.

One such group, the Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology
Advisory Council (LECTAC), is composed of law enforcement,
corrections, and forensics practitioners who serve as advisers to the
NLECTC system and recommend technology program priorities. Because
LECTAC's members are also the end users of new technologies, they
bring the day-to-day needs of police and corrections officers to the
forefront. As a result of their recommendations, NIJ is able to bring in
researchers, scientists, and engineers to address the emerging needs of the
law enforcement and corrections communities.

LECTAC's current research priorities include the development of
technologies and research in the areas of concealed weapons and
contraband detection, vehicle stopping, enhanced DNA testing, officer
protection, less-than-lethal technology, information management,
counterterrorism, location and tracking, secure communications, and
noninvasive drug detection. Following are updates on several sample
projects that fall under these headings, many having both law enforcement
and corrections applications.

o Update: Sticky Shocker. The Sticky Shocker is a less-than-lethal
projectile that uses stun gun technology to temporarily incapacitate a
person at standoff range. The Sticky Shocker is a low-impact, wireless
projectile fired from compressed gas or powder launchers and is accurate
to a range of 10 meters, sticking to the target with a glue-like substance or
with short, clothing-attachment barbs. The projectile incorporates a
battery pack and associated electronics that impart a short burst of
high-voltage pulses capable of penetrating several layers of clothing. The
pulse characteristics are safe, similar to well-established, nonlethal
electrical shock devices, and will disable individuals or cause extreme
discomfort. Applicable missions include any standoff encounter in which
an individual needs to be temporarily incapacitated without exposing law
enforcement and corrections officers to unnecessary risk. Prototype
development is complete and has been successfully fired at targets 30 feet
away. A safety assessment leading to field trials is under consideration.
For more information, contact David Fields, Joint Program Steering
Group, 703-696-2355; or Sandy Newett, National Institute of Justice, 202-
616-1471.

o Forensic Investigations Information Management System (FIIMS). The
objective of this effort is to develop a way to implement the application of
technologies that will enhance the role of forensic science in the criminal
justice system. FIIMS includes real-time video, audio, and infrared
imagery transmission from a crime scene; telecommunications for
distance learning (such as for conducting autopsies); capabilities for case
review; image processing and analysis tools; multimedia databases; and
the ability to link multiple laboratories throughout the State of New York
and the rest of the United States by video conferencing. A technology
transfer model has been developed to accelerate the project, which
partners NLECTC-Northeast, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL),
AFRL's Information Directorate, the New York State Police Forensic
Information Center, the New York State District Attorneys Association,
and the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. For more
information, contact NLECTC-Northeast, 888-338-0584.

o Video Image Stabilization and Registration (VISAR). The Video Image
Stabilization and Registration project is aimed at taking the "shake" out of
shooting video. Arsev H. Eraslan, chief scientist at the Office of Law
Enforcement Technology Commercialization, and scientist Paul Meyer
have developed VISAR, a new image stabilizing software that uses an
imaging algorithm to eliminate shaking, adjust for inadvertent zoom, and
brighten dark areas. The software package can highlight an object in an
image and line up the pixels from several video frames to produce a
steadier, clearer video. It will be patented by scientists at the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration's Marshall Space Flight Center. For
more information, call Arsev Eraslan at the Office of Law Enforcement
Technology Commercialization, 888-306-5382.

o Unification of Ballistics Imaging Systems. The Office of Law
Enforcement Standards (OLES) at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) has found a way to unify the computerized systems
used by law enforcement for ballistics matching. Both the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
(ATF) use computerized systems to compare digitized pictures of unique
scratches and imperfections on fired bullets or spent cartridges to similar
images housed in an extensive computer database. Matches link bullets or
cartridges to a specific gun, providing leads that may help identify
criminals. However, the FBI's Drug-Fire and the system supported by the
ATF, called IBIS (for Integrated Ballistics Identification System), are not
compatible. Among the problems: different lighting used to photograph
forensic samples and different mathematical algorithms used to analyze
images. The Office of Law Enforcement Standards within NIST's
Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory (EEEL) has bridged the
gap by addressing the major obstacle separating the two systems.
EEEL/OLES specified how the IBIS and Drug-Fire manufacturers could
include the other's photographic lighting as an option. Now an IBIS setup
can produce data that can be assessed by a Drug-Fire counterpart, and vice
versa. With this accomplishment in hand, EEEL/OLES is finalizing a
standard to address the dual-system capability and will complete tests later
this year to ensure interoperability. For more information, contact Bruce
Field at NIST/EEEL, 301-975-4230.

o Assessment of State and Local Law Enforcement Needs for Combating
Electronic Crime. NIJ is collaborating with the National Cybercrime
Training Partnership (NCTP) to perform a comprehensive needs
assessment of State and local law enforcement needs for combating
electronic crime. This needs assessment effort is based on a 1998
Summary Report prepared by NCTP's Information Technology Working
Group, which recommended that a comprehensive study be conducted to
determine State and local law enforcement needs to counter electronic
crime. Utilizing its NLECTC system, NIJ launched the needs assessment
at a grass-roots level. More than 130 State and local criminal justice
professionals, representing all 50 States, met in a series of small
workshops to identify their current and anticipated future needs in
combating electronic crime. A panel of electronic crime experts will be
called upon to formulate meaningful conclusions from the information
gathered from the criminal justice professionals. These experts will come
from industry, academia, and various government agencies. NIJ will
produce a final report that will include the following: a summary of the
needs expressed by the State and local criminal justice professionals, the
conclusions drawn by the panel of electronic crime experts, and
recommended technology and point-of-contact resources for addressing
the electronic crimefighting needs identified. NIJ anticipates the report
will be published in April 2000. For more information about this project,
contact Amon Young at NIJ, 202-514-4338.

------------------------------

The Leo Link

Until the arrival of the Internet, there was no practical way for law
enforcement officers to easily communicate among themselves. Although
national networks such as the National Crime Information Center and the
National Law Enforcement Teletype System offer access to local, State,
and Federal databases, no system has served the needs of the individual
officer or law enforcement manager. But with the advent of the Law
Enforcement Online (LEO) intranet, law enforcement personnel--right
down to the officer level--now have the ability to communicate in a secure
mode with one another.

On July 13, 1995, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) entered into a
cooperative agreement with Louisiana State University (LSU) at Baton
Rouge to establish the Center for Advanced Support of Technology for
Law Enforcement (CASTLE). The center was tasked to be an advanced
technological resource to further the state of the art in law enforcement
communications capabilities, technologies, and procedures. An initial
component of CASTLE has been the creation of LEO.

According to Harlin R. McEwen, FBI Deputy Assistant Director, Criminal
Justice Information Services Division, LEO provides a communications
mechanism to link all levels of law enforcement in all parts of the United
States, supporting broad, immediate dissemination of information
concerning the best technologies and practices in law enforcement. LEO is
intended to be a user-friendly, no-cost-to-user service, which can be
accessed by the law enforcement community using industry-standard
personal computers. Exclusively for the law enforcement and criminal
justice communities, LEO's unique value, McEwen says, lies in its ability
to deliver communications services and distance learning to local, State,
and Federal law enforcement on an anytime, anywhere basis. Although
still in its early stages, he says, LEO is already becoming an important
tool in equipping officers to counter crimes that involve a coordinated
effort across United States law enforcement operations.

Currently, LEO provides facilities for electronic communications,
including electronic mail (e-mail), chat rooms (private, onscreen
interactive keyboard conversations), bulletin boards, Law Enforcement
Special Interest Group (LESIG) communications, and calendars of events.
In addition, LEO offers an online library of law enforcement publications,
including newsletters, studies, research papers, technical bulletins, and
reports of interest to the law enforcement community. Such
communications and information are provided to users in a secure user
environment. Multiple tiers of security are provided, so that groups with a
specialized area of interest may exchange sensitive but unclassified
information without concern that it will be compromised or distributed to
the broader user community.

A distance-learning capability also has been added to LEO. This
capability provides online training courses and material in the latest
investigative and enforcement techniques, augmenting the formal training
courses offered at the FBI Training Academy at Quantico, Virginia, as
well as the training courses offered by other law enforcement agencies.
McEwen says that during 1999, LEO is expanding its distance-learning
courses by offering training in a larger number of topics. Distance
learning, he says, will offer departments a 24-hour-a-day, self-paced
education system, which could translate into a significant savings in
training costs for a department and allow it to offer more training
programs to a greater number of officers.

Also set for expansion during 1999 is the Topical Electronic Library,
which is planned to be the repository of a broad range of law enforcement
multimedia information available to the vast majority of the law
enforcement community. This library will offer timely, secure, and
accurate access to information not otherwise available to local, State, and
Federal law enforcement.

According to McEwen, any approved employee of a duly constituted
local, State, or Federal law enforcement agency or an approved member
of an authorized LESIG can currently access LEO at no cost. At present,
users access the LEO system through a national, toll-free, dial-up
network, but the addition of other communications delivery systems, such
as the Internet, are being considered for the future. LEO currently serves
more than 14,000 registered users and is projected to grow to 18,000 users
by the end of 1999 and 30,000 users by the end of 2000.

To go online with LEO, contact the FBI's LEO Program Office, 202-324-
8833, and ask for an application, or contact Gary L. Gardner, LEO unit
chief and program director, at ggardner@leo.gov for more information. 

Editor's note: In addition to serving as a Deputy Assistant Director for the
FBI, Harlin R. McEwen is vice chair of the Law Enforcement and
Corrections Technology Advisory Council, which serves as an advisory
body to the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology
Center system.

------------------------------

Since LEO became an operational reality in 1996, many people in the law
enforcement community have come to rely on it for secure
communication and information sharing, a capability not currently
otherwise available. Some examples of participation in LEO include:

o In 1997, the National Sheriffs' Association Executive Board voted
unanimously to adopt LEO as its main form of electronic communication
with its member sheriffs throughout the United States, and to this end has
committed personnel resources to support its content development and
manage its area on LEO.

o The Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners uses LEO to share
information concerning ammunition, commercial product standards,
weapons, forensic techniques, and technical case assistance from other
examiners. LEO has become an indispensable information-sharing
vehicle.

o The FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services group uses LEO to
communicate with the agency's Advisory Policy Board (APB) and its
various subcommittees, exchanging information and receiving feedback in
a timely and cost-effective manner. This provides significant cost savings
over travel and mailing.

o The National Executive Institute (NEI), Law Enforcement Executive
Development Association (LEEDA), and Major Cities Chiefs (MCC) are
using LEO to facilitate timely communications between members. It is
anticipated that this capability will grow into an essential vehicle for peer
support and growth in dealing with critical crime and law enforcement
administrative problems.

o The FBI National Academy Associates was one of the initial supporters
of LEO, has adopted it as its primary form of electronic communication
with its members, and is becoming ever more dependent upon it to
facilitate communication and training.

o LEO is rapidly becoming the main method of contact with and between
the FBI Bomb Data Center, FBI special agent bomb technicians, and State
and municipal technicians. It is anticipated that by the end of 1999, all
bomb squads throughout the United States will be communicating via
LEO and relying on it for lifesaving information. LEO has become critical
to the exchange of potentially life-saving information about explosive
devices and render-safe tools. Without this capability the realistic potential
for loss of life is present. No other forum currently exists or is planned
that provides instantaneous information in multimedia form to bomb
technicians in life-threatening situations.

o The FBI Awareness of National Security Issues and Response and the
National Infrastructure Protection Center programs use LEO to
disseminate time-critical information regarding security issues to law
enforcement throughout the Nation as well as the commercial/private
sector. This initiative is in direct support of the President's directives on
the Critical Infrastructure Protection and Economic Espionage.

------------------------------

Wanted: Good Photos

TechBeat is always looking for good-quality photos that depict the many
aspects of the law enforcement, corrections, and forensic sciences
communities and illustrate the various tasks their personnel perform daily.

Photos should either be in color print or color slide format. Prints should
preferably be 5 inches by 7 inches or 8 inches by 10 inches in size.
Duplicate prints/slides made from originals--not the originals themselves--
should be sent, as we cannot accept responsibility for prints/slides that
may be damaged or lost. Appropriate credit will be given to contributing
photographers when their work appears in the TechBeat newsletter.

Send your photographs, along with your name and daytime telephone
number, to: Rick Neimiller, TechBeat Managing Editor, NLECTC, M/S
8J, 2277 Research Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20850. For more
information, call 800-248-2742, extension 5432. 

------------------------------

Whatcha Gonna Do

Just before 7 a.m. on an April day in 1992, officers from the U.S.
Marshal's Service, along with three Montgomery County, Maryland,
police officers, burst into a home in a Washington, D.C., suburb. As the
officers came into the house, one of their "ride-alongs," a photographer
from The Washington Post, began taking pictures of the residents: a man,
Charles Wilson, dressed only in underpants, and his wife, Geraldine,
dressed in a negligee. The officers were not there to arrest the couple.
Instead they were after the couple's son, Dominic, believing that the
house's address was also his. The Wilsons' son was wanted for violating
probation on felony charges of robbery and assault. But Dominic was not
at their house at the time of the raid. He did, however, turn himself in later
at the urging of his parents.

Case closed?

Not quite. Although the photographs were never published, the couple
sued the law enforcement officers involved in the raid. The Wilsons
contended that the officers had violated their right to privacy under the
Fourth Amendment by allowing a photographer as well as a reporter to
enter the house.

In recent years, the practice of media "ride-alongs" with law enforcement,
popularized on such television shows as "COPS," have become a public
relations tool to dramatize the activities of police departments across the
country. However, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that this
practice could very well place officers at risk of having to pay monetary
damages.

Citing a centuries-old principle of respect for the privacy of the home, in
May 1999 the Court found in Wilson v. Layne that during the execution
of a warrant, the presence of third parties unrelated to the actual execution
of the warrant, such as a member of the media, is a violation of the Fourth
Amendment rights of the homeowner and would allow the homeowner to
seek monetary relief from the officers conducting the search or arrest. In
siding with the Wilsons, the Supreme Court held that the Fourth
Amendment requires that police actions in the execution of a warrant be
related to the objectives of the authorized intrusion. The Justices
determined that the presence of reporters was not related to the objective
of the authorized intrusion because the reporters did not assist police in
the execution of the warrant.

Law enforcement representatives presented several reasons to justify the
media being allowed to accompany law enforcement officers during
arrests. But the Court found that the reasons stated, which included
minimizing police abuses, fell short of permitting a Fourth Amendment
exception.

According to James H. Falk, Sr., chair of the National Institute of Justice's
National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center Liability
Panel, the decision does not totally bar ride-along programs. Falk says that
it appears to still be permissible to have members of the media accompany
officers in situations that are of a public nature, where the expectation of
privacy is not present, rather than in or around a person's private
residence. However, he says, this "public versus private" line must be
clearly drawn to prevent any liability concerns for officers.

Falk says that for departments that desire to videotape arrests for quality
control or evidentiary purposes, the Court did stress the continued
permissibility of that practice as long as the individuals videotaping the
scene were law enforcement personnel and that the videotape generated
remained the property and possession of that law enforcement agency.
This, he says, is in accordance with the permissibility of the use of
mounted video cameras on police cruisers to record the details of traffic
stops.

For more information or guidance on media ride-along programs, law
enforcement agencies are advised to consult their own municipal counsel,
as local laws may differ in regards to some aspects of these issues. James
H. Falk, Sr., is an attorney with the Falk Law Firm in Washington, D.C.,
and is a trial and appellate advocate on constitutional law issues.

------------------------------

Coming Up: NIJ Technology Institute for Corrections
October 25-29, 1999
Washington, D.C.

Mission: To promote effective and affordable technology in support of
corrections.

Agenda/Goals: Provides participants the opportunity for continued
education on existing and developing technologies related to the
corrections field and for problemsolving through technology
implementation and lessons learned. Also provides the National Institute
Justice (NIJ) the opportunity to enhance its programs through participant
feedback, comments, and recommendations. Includes briefings at NIJ's
Office of Science and Technology and a local correctional institution.

Registration: Limited to 25 middle-level corrections practitioners who
regularly deal with technology issues in their departments or agencies.
Contact Jeri Allen, National Law Enforcement and Corrections
Technology Center-National, at 800-248-2742 for an application or for
additional information. 

------------------------------

From the Director

Law enforcement, courts, and corrections officials and officers working in
the field know how crucial technology is to their day-to-day operations. In
some circumstances, having the right tool can even mean the difference
between life and death. 

The technological revolution that has swept society as a whole in recent
years has also affected the criminal justice system. Some technologies that
not long ago seemed advanced--vests that can stop bullets and electronic
monitoring of probationers--today seem commonplace. But the revolution
continues apace, with ever more spectacular advances now being made, or
in the testing stages, or on the drawing board.

As the research arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, the National
Institute of Justice (NIJ) has, since its founding 30 years ago, been in the
forefront in sponsoring the development, testing, and demonstration of
technology to improve the justice system. The development of DNA
testing standards, soft body armor, and improved fingerprint evidence
collection are some of the many areas in which NIJ has played a leading
role. 

More recently, with strong support from the Administration and the
Congress, NIJ has accelerated the pace of its efforts. Less-than-lethal
technologies to minimize the use of force, computerized mapping to
pinpoint and analyze crime patterns, concealed weapons detection to
prevent violence, methods of stopping fleeing vehicles to apprehend
suspects, and improvements in DNA laboratories to aid in evidence
testing--all these capabilities, and others, are now being explored by NIJ.
Their application can mean even greater transformations in law
enforcement operations. 

TechBeat plays an important role as an essential link communicating the
latest information about these developing technologies from the National
Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center. By keeping law
enforcement, courts, and corrections personnel current about the tools they
can use, the newsletter makes a difference in controlling crime and
ensuring justice.

Jeremy Travis
Director
National Institute of Justice 

------------------------------

The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center is
supported by Cooperative Agreement #96-MU-MU-K011 awarded by the
U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice. Analyses of test
results do not represent product approval or endorsement by the National
Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice; the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce; or Aspen
Systems Corporation. Points of view or opinions contained within this
document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the
official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The National Institute of Justice is a component of the Office of Justice
Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of
Justice Statistics, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
and Office for Victims of Crime.

------------------------------

Sign Up To Receive Free Reports From the National Criminal Justice
Reference Service

In addition to funding the National Law Enforcement and Corrections
Technology Center, NIJ also supports the National Criminal Justice
Reference Service (NCJRS), an international clearinghouse on crime and
justice information. NCJRS staff respond to reference questions, provide
referrals to other resources, distribute NIJ and other Office of Justice
Programs (OJP) documents, and maintain a mailing list of more than
45,000 registered users. In addition, NCJRS sponsors the NIJ Criminal
Justice Conference Calendar at http://www.ncjrs.org/calendar, which lists
conferences and meetings of interest to the criminal justice community. If
you are interested in signing up for the NCJRS mailing list, you may
request a registration form using any of the following methods:

Fax-on-Demand. Dial 800-851-3420, select option 1, then option 2. The
registration form is #1 on the document index. The form will be faxed to
you immediately.

Fax. You may fax your request for a registration form to 410-792-4358.
You will receive a form promptly in the mail.

E-mail. Send an e-mail to askncjrs@ncjrs.org and request a registration
form. It will be sent to you in the mail.

Write. Send a written request to NCJRS, Box 6000, Rockville, MD
20849-6000.

Call. You may call an NCJRS information specialist and request a
registration form. The number is 800-851-3420.

As a registered user, you will receive the bimonthly NCJRS Catalog, the
quarterly NIJ Journal, and selected reports based on your criminal justice
interests. For more information about NIJ and NCJRS, visit their Web
sites: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij and http://www.ncjrs.org.

------------------------------

New Publications/Videos

The following publications/videos are available from the National Law
Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center-National:

TechBeat, Spring 1999. This issue of TechBeat features the use of
surveillance cameras to combat crime, plans to convert an old prison into
a training facility for public safety personnel, and preparing computer
systems for Y2K compliance.

TechBeat, Winter 1999. Articles in this issue of TechBeat discuss the
electronic monitoring of inmates in the community, a computer system
that allows law enforcement agencies in five States to share information
on gang activity, and the Massachusetts State Police program to curb
aggressive and dangerous driving.

Autoloading Pistols for Police Officers: NIJ Standard-0112.03. This
standard establishes performance requirements and test methods for
pistols to be used by law enforcement officers. It is a general revision of
and supersedes NIJ Standard-0112.02 dated January 1995, and addresses
new pistol designs, calibers, revised procedures for verifying head space,
and general revision of the testing procedures.

Selection and Application Guide to Police Body Armor. While body
armor is a household word in the law enforcement community, questions
about its selection and use are frequently asked. This guide responds to
commonly expressed concerns and provides information to help determine
the level of protection required by officers.

Addendum to NLECTC Publications List. This supplement lists all
publications produced by the NLECTC system since May 1997. The
original NLECTC Publications List is included with the addendum.
Publications are classified in both documents according to the following
categories: protective apparel/equipment; weapons/munitions;
handcuffs/restraining devices; security systems/equipment; surveillance
systems; forensics/criminalistics; communications; vehicles/vehicle
equipment; and miscellaneous.

"Why Can't We Talk?" When Lives Are at Stake. This videotape
examines the issues and problems surrounding interoperability and public
safety radio communications. Learn why planning, designing, and funding
public safety wireless communications systems are critical activities for
ensuring the public welfare.

Land Transportation Security Technology: An Improved Response for a
Changing Threat. This video explores applying technology to improve
responses to biological, chemical, and explosive incidents and to threats to
transportation systems. Three scenarios are portrayed involving a subway,
a train, and a bus. This video should be useful to first responders--police,
fire, EMS, and emergency preparedness personnel--and to transportation
employees. The video was funded by the National Institute of Justice/Joint
Program Steering Group and produced by Oak Ridge National Laboratory
and the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center-
Southeast.

The following publications/videos will be available soon:

Keeping Track of Electronic Monitoring. This bulletin will give an
indepth look at current and upcoming home monitoring devices, system
components, buy/lease factors and options, and recommendations for
establishing an electronic monitoring program.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of 1999 Patrol Vehicle Tires. This bulletin
summarizes results of the National Institute of Justice's comprehensive
evaluation of patrol vehicle tires, conducted in April 1999.

1999 Mock Prison Riot Video. This videotape features technologies used
to quell a mock prison riot staged by the National Institute of Justice's
Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization. Emerging
technologies were incorporated into training scenarios to demonstrate the
latest crimefighting technologies.

To obtain any of the above publications or videotapes or to receive
additional copies of the TechBeat newsletter, write NLECTC, P.O. Box
1160, Rockville, MD 20849-1160; telephone 800-248-2742. Publications
can also be downloaded from JUSTNET at http://www.nlectc.org.

------------------------------

NLECTC Is Online

o Information on new technologies, equipment, and other products and
services available to law enforcement, corrections, and the criminal justice
communities, including access to a database of more than 4,000 available
products and technologies.

o Online News Summary includes article abstracts on law enforcement,
corrections, and forensics technologies that have appeared in major
national newspapers, magazines, and periodicals and on national and
international wire services and Web sites.

o Publications from NIJ and NLECTC that you can view or download to
your system.

o Interactive Topic Boards that allow you to post questions and exchange
information with hundreds of professionals in their specialty areas.

o Frequently Asked Questions that offer detailed information based on
thousands of calls to our information specialists.

o Calendar of Events that lists the latest upcoming meetings, seminars,
and training.

o Links to other important law enforcement and corrections Web sites.

For help in establishing an Internet connection, linking to JUSTNET, or
finding needed technology and product information, call the NLECTC
Information Hotline at 800-248-2742.

------------------------------

TechBeat is the flagship publication of the National Law Enforcement and
Corrections Technology Center system. Our goal is to keep you up to date
on technologies that are currently being developed by the NLECTC
system, as well as other research and development efforts within the
Federal Government and private industry. Your questions, comments, and
story ideas are always welcome. Contact: Rick Neimiller, managing
editor, through NLECTC-National, 800-248-2742, or e-mail to
asknlectc@nlectc.org. Additional copies of TechBeat are available at no
cost. Writer and contributing editor, Lois Pilant. Reproduction of any part
of this publication is encouraged by NLECTC unless otherwise indicated.