Title: TechBeat Spring 1999
Author: NLECTC
Published: Spring 1999
Subject: technology in law enforcement
pages: 32
bytes:

Figures, charts, forms, and tables are not included in this ASCII plain-text
file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat
graphic file available from this Web site or order a print copy from
NLECTC at NCJRS at 800-248-2742.


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

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

Keeping an Eye on Crime

The use of surveillance cameras is quickly becoming one of the Nation's
most popular--and economical--ways of using technology to fight crime.
Baltimore, Maryland, for example, focused 16 cameras on what once was
considered a high-crime area. This grant-funded program cost less than
$60,000 and after 3 years is credited with a 34-percent decrease in crime in
that particular area.

Cameras are popping up everywhere: toll plazas, bus stations, tunnels,
traffic intersections, bridges, public parks, office and apartment buildings,
and government offices. In some cases, they are installed by the local
police department. In other cases, the cameras are a result of a partnership
between community groups, the city, and local law enforcement agencies.

But despite the proliferation of surveillance cameras, what has yet to be
determined is how police agencies can make the best use of public
surveillance and video technologies.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in a project that partners the
agency's Office of Science and Technology (OS&T) with its United
Kingdom counterpart, the Police Scientific Development Branch (PSDB)
of the Home Office, is studying how to most effectively access and
analyze the information collected on the video surveillance tapes.
According to Ray Downs, deputy director of OS&T's Research and
Technology Development Division, PSDB, like NIJ, sets standards, tests
equipment, and fosters technology development for police and corrections
agencies. A Memorandum of Understanding, signed by NIJ and PSDB, is
providing a mechanism for the offices to work together on projects of
common interest.

"They use video surveillance a lot in England, probably more than
anywhere else in the world," Downs says. "Our goal is to get a better
understanding of how police use videotapes. We'll be doing a survey to
find out how often police use them, in what manner, and how effective
they are as a source of evidence."

An adjunct to the survey will be to ascertain the current state of the art of
videotape analysis equipment. "We're learning more about the whole field
in general," Downs says. "It's an area that is booming. Equipment quality
is going up and prices are going down, just like a lot of other technology.
So it's likely there will be an expanded use of this technology."

NIJ and PSDB will survey their respective industries and research
communities in their countries and elsewhere, compare notes, and then
determine what they can do to help their law enforcement constituencies
get the most benefit from video surveillance, according to Downs.

Thus far, debate over surveillance cameras is rare, for several reasons.
Downs says that most people are accustomed to being filmed at automatic
teller machines, and therefore may not find surveillance surprising or
intrusive. Many people also believe public surveillance is the price they
must pay for a safer community. Educating the public about the cameras in
the early stages of a video surveillance program has been another factor in
encouraging public acceptance.

This is not to say that protests are nonexistent. While many critics concede
that the cameras are useful crimefighting tools, they say they fear
unscrupulous camera owners could use them to intrude on citizens'
privacy.

The city of Baltimore, in partnership with its business community,
circumvented many problems by implementing safeguards against the
misuse of the system and the information gleaned from it by mounting the
cameras where everyone can see them. "Our cameras are not covert," says
Frank Russo, Director of Public Safety for the Downtown Partnership of
Baltimore, Inc., and a retired Baltimore City police officer. "They are
obvious, which is part of the reason public support has been so
overwhelming. We haven't tried to hide anything."

According to Russo, the black-and-white cameras used in Baltimore are
fixed in place, and they cannot pan, tilt, or zoom. The tapes are held
unreviewed for 96 hours and are reused unless a crime is reported. The
cameras have captured shootings and help police control the weekly "car
show," a Friday and Saturday night gathering of 4,000 to 5,000 people.
They also have cut down on shoplifting from the stores in the area. And
merchants report increased sales. "Our objective was not necessarily to
fight crime, but to make people feel safer. Our goal was to make the area a
more inviting place to be. We feel like we've succeeded in that," Russo
says.

Video surveillance cameras also are employed at the Federal level. The
U.S. Coast Guard's Vessel Traffic Service uses them to monitor coastal
waters. The video system can zoom in on specific vessels for
identification. The service eventually hopes to create a central database
that will catalog and track all ships traveling along the U.S. coast.

For more information about the National Institute of JusticeÕs video
camera surveillance project or to provide input for the survey, contact Tom
Coty, project manager, 202-514-7683. For more information about the
United Kingdom's Police Scientific Development Branch of the Home
Office, contact Jim Aldridge, 44-1727-816240.

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

Out of Retirement, Into Training

It may not merit a photo spread in Architectural Digest, but the renovation
and conversion of this gothic Civil War-era prison in West Virginia into a
modern corrections and police training facility will no doubt find its way
onto the records of criminal justice milestones.

The National Institute of Justice's (NIJ's) Office of Law Enforcement
Technology Commercialization (OLETC) in Wheeling, West Virginia,
recently began working with the Moundsville Economic Development
Council (MEDC) to turn the old West Virginia State Penitentiary, a damp
and dreary stone fortress in Moundsville, into a state-of-the-art training
facility for corrections, law enforcement, and other public safety
personnel. Abandoned since 1995 when the West Virginia Supreme Court
declared it uninhabitable, the prison's now unheated, 5-foot by 7-foot cells,
stacked four stories high, once held more than 2,500 maximum security
inmates. Today, the only people behind bars are tourists who pay $8 each
to see the inside of the old prison, part of which was built in the
mid-1800s.

But the prison has come out of retirement recently, serving as the site for
two mock prison riots sponsored by OLETC to demonstrate the use of new
corrections technologies. It was the success of these two "riots," according
to OLETC's acting director Tom Burgoyne, that served as the impetus for
MEDC's interest in turning the prison into a year-round training facility. 

To be called the National Corrections and Law Enforcement Training
Center, the facility will be renovated with monies secured through MEDC.
These funds include $1 million appropriated by Congress, with another $1
million to be matched by the State of West Virginia, plus another
State-funded $20,000 grant to be used for planning.

When completed, Burgoyne says, the training center will provide more
than just space for OLETC's annual mock prison riot. It will serve as a
year-round, hands-on training facility for Federal, State, and local
corrections, law enforcement, fire, and emergency response personnel. In
addition, the center's actual prison environment will provide a testbed and
showcase for new and emerging technologies. It will help put new
products and new technologies into the hands of the end user.

Types of technologies that OLETC already envisions for demonstrations at
the training center include less-than-lethal, officer protection, weapons and
contraband detection, perimeter and internal security, personnel location
and tracking, interoperability and communications, and telemedicine.
Hands-on training would cover cell-block extractions, prisoner restraint
and control, crime scene evidence collection, command post operations,
negotiations training, bomb/explosives detection training, door entry
procedures, high-risk transportation, incident command systems, aircraft
escapes, interview and information collection, crowd control, and media
interactions.

But before all of this can happen, Burgoyne says, much of the prison needs
to be reconditioned and upgraded. This will include a new heating and air
conditioning system, new plumbing, and structural repairs to its existing
buildings. He notes, however, that already in place is a $5 million dining
room that was added for extra security after a 1986 riot and a 1-acre prison
industries building that sits inside the prison yard and can accommodate
the product displays of more than 100 vendors.

While this training facility is not part of NIJ's National Law Enforcement
and Corrections Technology Center system and is not funded by NIJ, a
working partnership already has been established to permit OLETC to take
advantage of its unique capabilities.

For more information on the Moundsville prison conversion, contact Tom
Burgoyne, OLETC acting director, or Everett Smith, project manager, at
888-306-5382.

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

Another Riot at Moundsville

Corrections officers, police officers, and public safety personnel will once
again hook up with technology innovators and vendors for the third annual
mock prison riot at the old West Virginia State Penitentiary in
Moundsville, May 2-5, 1999.

Sponsored by the National Institute of Justice's Office of Law
Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLETC), this event features
hands-on training in the form of realistic scenarios that involve prison
uprisings, hostage situations, and prison takeovers. During last year's riot,
tactical teams from law enforcement and corrections agencies participated
in training scenarios that included a response to an inmate basketball game
stabbing, three cell-block takeovers, a total-darkness capture, an uprising
staged in the chapel, a high-speed car escape, and an attempt to escape on
a riverboat. More than 100 medical, fire, and emergency response
personnel also participated in support roles to treat and evacuate the
"injured." Criminal justice students from Ohio, West Virginia,
Pennsylvania, and Maryland served as inmates and hostages. 

As in the past, this year's riot will also showcase new and developing law
enforcement and corrections technologies, which will be incorporated into
the training scenarios, field demonstrations, and exhibits. These
technologies will cover everything from night vision devices, security
systems, officer protection products, and less-than-lethal weapons, to
prisoner restraints, communications devices, and personnel location and
tracking systems. This year's riot will also include a demonstration of
interoperability systems and forensics applications.

For more information about attending the riot or demonstrating a
technology, contact OLETC at 888-306-5382, or access JUSTNET at
www.nlectc.org.

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

Debugging the Millennium Bug

More than 40 years ago computers were created that used a simple,
standard programming language called COBOL (common
business-oriented language). In those days, data was stored on Hollerith
cards that had only 80 columns for information. To maximize available
space, programmers shortened the designation of a year from four digits to
two. So, 1959 became 59. Although computers have become more
sophisticated and powerful, the convention of indicating a year by its last
two digits continued as the norm. The concern today is that on January 1,
2000, computers will not recognize 00 as indicating the year 2000, or they
will read it as 1900. The result: computer systems may abort or produce
erroneous data.

Termed the "Y2K (Year 2000) Problem" or the "Millennium Bug," this
glitch some experts believe will be little more than an annoyance. They
predict a few ATM failures, miscalculated paychecks, and some disruption
in the ability to access online databases. Others envision nothing short of a
digital disaster, advising people to stockpile food and learn how to live
without power and water. They foresee gas shortages, power outages,
plane crashes, and business failures.

So where does this leave the city police department or the local jail?
Behind the curve if they have not yet begun checking their systems for
Y2K compliance. Specifically, Y2K can affect two areas: computer
software and the codes that make the software run and systems or
equipment that use embedded chips.

To make computer software Y2K compliant, programmers search out and
convert those lines of code that could cause the program to fail. Equipment
or systems using embedded chips that are date-dependent or date-aware
may be especially vulnerable. These chips are found in air conditioning
systems, emergency generators, security systems, sprinkler systems,
facilities/maintenance systems, and communications equipment.
Nonprogrammable and mass produced, these chips also are hardwired into
everything from handheld radios to microwave ovens.

Lt. Debra Hanlon, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department's
coordinator for Team 2000, San Diego County's $100 million Y2K
compliance project, says her agencyÕs plan covers four areas: inventory,
assessment, remediation, and contingency planning.

Inventory

"Look beyond your toaster. Take off your blinders. If there is anything that
operates based on the day of the month or the year, or if you had to
program the date in when you got it, it is suspect. If it creates reports for
you that include the year, it is suspect," says Steven Meer, vice president
and chief technology officer of SCC Communications Corporation.

Active in several Federal and national organizations that focus on Y2K
concerns, Meer says, "Don't make any assumptions. Talk to the people
who do the maintenance. You may not realize it, but the guy who repairs
one of your systems may use his laptop to do it.

"Administrators should remember that they are linked to other
departments in the city, county, and State. This includes courts,
prosecution, jails, crime labs, and connections to Federal and State
databases. Assess their level of readiness, also. The chief really has to go
on an information search about the interfaces with other systems and other
parts of the government. Don't assume that because the city manager has a
plan that your department will be okay. Don't sit back and let somebody
else take over. Take ownership. This is your problem."

Assessment

With relatively little time left until January 1, 2000, many departments'
Y2K assessments will need to entail a triage operation: screening and
classification. What systems or equipment can fail and not cause undue
harm, and which ones will cause problems if they fail? Is there a patch or
work-around that can be implemented if needed?

"If you're a small department with 5 or 10 personal computers, you might
be able to do it. But if you're a large organization with mainframes and no
one has done anything yet, all you can do is triage and fix what is mission
critical," says Jake Lefman, a vice president of Science Applications
International Corporation (SAIC), a San Diego consulting firm to cities
and public safety agencies.

"By February of this year, most companies were supposed to be in the
final implementation phase. So if youÕre just waking up and saying you
want to do a search, write an RFP, and go through the bid process, I would
say forget it. You need to bring someone in right now who has addressed
the situation and can give you the right advice to help you determine what
your mission-critical items are. You'll have to recognize that you're going
to have some problems and will probably have to do a work-around,"
Lefman says.

Remediation

"Fix it, update it, or replace it," Hanlon says. Contact vendors and ask for
Y2K certification. If the vendor cannot supply it, ask for a solution.

But even that may not be enough, notes Hanlon, whose work has focused
on embedded-chip systems and includes everything from blood alcohol
analyzing equipment to fire alarms and internal systems that could
inadvertently trigger jail doors to open. Testing, she says, is critical. "We
get vendor assurances, but anything that is mission critical, we test
ourselves. We're not taking anything at face value."

Contingency Planning

A contingency plan includes specific strategies should internal systems
fail, as well as plans to address problems that could arise in the
community. "Police departments functioned before computers came
along," says Charles Rinkevich, the former head of the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Center and now a vice president with SAIC. "So we
need to be looking at ways to do things that maintain operations if the
worst case scenario occurs. One possibility is to activate your emergency
operations center on December 31 and keep it up for a couple of days.
Prepare for things to go goofy. Think about what could happen in the city
if you have power outages or a loss of heating or water. What happens if
the traffic lights donÕt function? You need a contingency plan in case of
problems like these."

Agencies also may want to include a disaster drill as part of their
contingency plan, along with an educational component. San Diego
County's Office of Disaster Preparedness is offering citizens a pamphlet
on Y2K preparation, and county officials are planning a public education
effort that includes meetings with community groups and the media.

Experts advise taking a calm, rational approach, one that does not give in
to fear or overdramatization, but that allows for an immediate start on the
inventory and assessment process.

For additional resources relating to Y2K compliance for public safety
agencies, access JUSTNET, the World Wide Web site of the National Law
Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, at www.nlectc.org, or
the President's Council on Year 2,000 Conversion at http://www.y2k.gov.

Y2K Compliant?

o Communications systems (CAD, 911, and any related records
management systems; radios, radio systems, and networks).

o Fleet maintenance programs.

o Building maintenance systems and those that control access, lighting, or
power.

o Security systems.

o Mobile data terminals and computers.

o Paging and alerting devices, systems, or networks.

o Electronic pens; laptop and palmtop computers.

o Bar code readers.

o Electronic laser sighting devices.

o Night vision devices.

o Listening devices.

o Explosives and drug detectors.

o Audio- and video-recording devices.

o Geopositioning and information systems.

o Vehicle systems, including infrared and night vision systems, sirens,
public address systems, and audio- and video-recording devices.

o Helicopter systems, including infrared and night vision systems, sirens,
public address systems, and audio- and video-recording devices.

o Automatic vehicle-locating systems.

o Robots for bomb detection.

o Remote control devices for security cameras or projectors.

o Security cameras.

o Time-stamping devices for legal documents or time cards.

o Parachute and scuba equipment.

o Hazardous materials detection equipment.

o Electronic equipment for crime scene investigations.



o Fingerprint-processing equipment (photographic, laser, special lighting,
or digitizing equipment; data transfer equipment).

o Evidence-processing equipment (labeling, bar coding, stamping).

o Connections to Federal, State, county, and city online databases.

o Office equipment (fax machines, printers, copiers, scanners).

o Metal detectors.

o Mobile devices for controlling traffic signals.

o Card key systems and networks.

o Intercom systems.

o Electronic firearms trigger guards or safety locks.

o Electronic prisoner tracking devices.

o Equipment that does its own maintenance scheduling.

o Equipment that alerts the operator to battery service.

o Software programs that schedule training or certification.

o Crime lab equipment that may be date-dependent.

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

Building a Forensic Laboratory

Building or renovating any facility is a complicated undertaking. But
building a new forensic laboratory or renovating an old one is even more
daunting. Along with the usual concerns that come with facility planning,
forensic laboratories bring with them the added considerations of
environmental health and safety, hazardous materials, evidence
preservation and security, and special requirements that are particular to
the forensic sciences.

Until recently, about the only guidance for creating a forensic laboratory
came from the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors
(ASCLD). Although the information the organization offered on forensic
laboratory planning was up to date and relevant, it was contained in a
number of different documents or it resided with its members, based on
their own hands-on experiences.

Now, with the help of a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) grant, laboratory
planners have a new, comprehensive source of information, Forensic
Laboratories: Handbook for Facility Planning, Design, Construction, and
Moving. This publication, a result of a 2-day workshop attended by
ASCLD members and coordinated by the Office of Law Enforcement
Standards (OLES) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology,
offers guidelines to empower laboratory managers to improve their
facilities and is directed specifically toward forensic concerns. These
guidelines are designed to safeguard the integrity and objectives of the
profession, maximize organizational efficiency, ensure economical
expenditures of resources, and provide a safe working environment for
employees. The handbook, as its title suggests, offers information on
everything from planning a new facility to planning the move.

"ASCLD was getting a lot of requests for information," says OLES
Director Kathleen Higgins. "Some people got funding from their agencies
to build new labs. Some were given existing buildings and told, 'Here, do
something with this. Make a lab out of it.' We looked around and realized
that a lot of these people just didn't have the information they needed.
ASCLD asked for NIJ assistance, and NIJ tasked OLES with bringing
together people with expertise in all areas of facilities planning."

"I've never seen a group of people so eager to make something happen,"
Higgins says. "This was a group with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. As a
result of their work, we were able to put together this document. Forensic
Laboratories won't turn a police administrator into an expert on crime labs
or construction, but it does offer general guidelines on everything from
site planning and design to developing a strategic plan for moving into a
new facility."

According to Higgins, there is a second publication related to forensic
laboratories that is nearing completion, Forensic Sciences: Review of
Status and Needs, which was the result of another workshop. This
publication will detail the future requirements of forensic laboratories and
the forensic science community. It is scheduled to be available later this
year.

Forensic Laboratories: Handbook for Facility Planning, Design,
Construction, and Moving is available at no cost through the National
Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) by calling 800-851-3420. To
view or obtain an electronic version, visit the National Institute of Justice
World Wide Web site at www.ojp.gov/nij, and click on "Publications and
Products," then on "Investigative Sciences."

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

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 safely and more
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 of the
NLECTC facilities has a different technology focus, they work together to
form a seamless web of support, technology development, and information
to help the law enforcement and corrections communities do their jobs
more safely and efficiently.

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 meeting 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 concealed weapons 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 a recent effort to identify 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 TravelersÕ 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)
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Building 225, Room A323
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
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 into 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 needed
new products and services for State and local law enforcement and
corrections communities. OLETC has directly assisted in commercializing
several innovative products, including the RoadSpike, a novel
vehicle-stopping device; Tiger Vision, 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 for
developing 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 education 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 Crime Scene Teleforensics. The National Institute of Justice and the
United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, in
collaboration with the New York State Police Forensic Investigation
Center, are sponsoring a demonstration and evaluation to determine
whether telemedicine technology can provide forensic experts with remote
access to crime scenes. Through the use of medical video teleconferencing
and communications, forensic personnel will be provided with the ability
to: reduce traffic, contamination, and unauthorized personnel at a crime
scene; increase peer and administrative reviews of crime scenes; increase
access to special reviews by forensic experts; and provide crime scene
training. The U.S. Army currently uses a portable, wireless, telemedicine
system for remote military medical care, which is being used in this
project. For more information, contact Saralynn Borrowman, National
Institute of Justice, 202-305-3309.

o Applying Space Technology to Forensic Science. The objective of this
project is to identify and field-test various National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA)-related technologies during crime scene
investigations. Those technologies potentially lending themselves to law
enforcement applications include remote sensing, neutron/gamma-ray
spectroscopy, and x-ray spectroscopy. The use of magnetometers may also
assist investigators in the location of buried bodies by detecting minute
variations in magnetic fields at suspected homicide grave sites, whereas
the development of advanced data networks could connect crime scenes
with forensic laboratories nationwide, allowing almost instantaneous
transfer of field data for time-sensitive analysis and assessment. These
systems would be connected to central crime laboratories by a variety of
methods, including cellular phones, regular phone lines, and microwave
communications systems. Other areas of mutual interest include the
development of portable imaging, detection, molecular excitation, and
analysis equipment; miniaturized analog and digital electronics; more
rugged equipment; and instruments for remote field use. The project also
will explore real-time data compression, high-rate data burst transmission,
and communication systems and networks to speed up the transfer of
information. These technologies ultimately could be made available to
State and local police for investigation of physical evidence at crime
scenes. For more information, contact Lisa Forman, National Institute of
Justice, 202-307-6608.

o Evaluation of Voice Stress Analysis Technology. In response to queries
from a number of law enforcement agencies, the Air Force Research
Laboratory (AFRL) in Rome, New York, and the National Law
Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC)-Northeast,
are evaluating the scientific value and utility of existing, commercial,
voice stress analysis technology for law enforcement and military
requirements. Vendors of this technology claim it can detect stress,
indicating possible deception, in voice communications. The systems are
advertised as being cheaper, easier to use, less invasive, and less
constraining than polygraph technology. A thorough literature search has
been carried out, providing insight into the development of voice stress
analysis, information on previous evaluation efforts, and knowledge of the
existence of various commercial voice stress analysis systems that are
being marketed to law enforcement agencies. One such system has been
purchased, and a police officer and a laboratory researcher have been
trained in its use. Speech data continue to be collected for eventual
inclusion as part of the laboratory evaluation. Contact with voice stress
analysis users, potential users, and other researchers involved in ongoing
evaluations continues. A comprehensive technical report and videotape
presentation of evaluation results will be the final products of this effort.
For more information, contact Sharon Walter, NLECTC-Northeast, 888-
338-0584.

o Backscatter Imaging System for Concealed Weapons Detection. The
National Institute of Justice, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of
Defense (DoD) and the Joint Program Steering Group (JPSG), funded the
modification of an off-the-shelf technology developed by Nicolet Imaging
Systems of San Diego, California, for detecting concealed weapons. The
system uses what is known as the Compton effect, or x-ray backscatter.
Standard medical radiology uses x-rays that pass completely through the
body. But the low-energy x-rays emitted by this system, which are
equivalent to about 5 minutes of exposure to sunlight at sea level, are
reflected back rather than penetrate the body, hence the term "backscatter."
An individual stands before the device and is scanned. Computer software
creates a composite image of the individual from the reflected x-rays. As
different materials absorb and reflect the x-rays differently, they show up
as different shades and shapes in the image. By viewing the false color
feature which has been added and the shape of an object in the image, the
operator can distinguish normal anatomical features and everyday items,
such as keys, from suspicious articles. The major advantage this system
has over magnetometers is that it can detect nonmetallic as well as
metallic weapons. This technology was successfully demonstrated in a Los
Angeles County corrections facility, a Federal courthouse in Los Angeles,
and a State prison in North Carolina. It is commercially available through
Rapiscan Corporation. For more information, contact Dr. Peter Nacci at
the NIJ/DoD Joint Program Steering Group, 703-351-8821.

o Electromagnetic Portal for Concealed Weapons Detection. The National
Institute of Justice has supported the Idaho National Engineering
Laboratory (INEL) in the development of an improved weapons detection
portal employing fluxgate magnetometers. These magnetometers detect
anomalies in the earthÕs magnetic field that are caused by magnetic
material contained in objects carried by individuals. Most commercial
weapons contain ferrous (iron-bearing) materials, which are magnetic.
Because this technology does not sound an alert on such innocuous objects
as keys or coins, it significantly reduces the false alarm rate as compared
with currently available devices, which tend to detect all metal objects. It
can detect weapons with even a small steel content, like that found in
knives used by hobbyists. The INEL portal is ready for commercialization,
with a company in Idaho Falls, Idaho, developing a commercialization
package. A prototype has been installed in the Bannock County, Idaho,
courthouse for operational evaluation. For more information, contact Dr.
Pete Nacci, at the NIJ/DoD Joint Program Steering Group, 703-351-8821.

o Handheld Acoustic System for Concealed Weapons Detection. Through
the sponsorship of the National Institute of Justice, JAYCOR is
developing an inexpensive, handheld device to alert police and corrections
officers to the potential presence of a weapon at a greater distance (4 to 12
feet) than the handheld metal detectors in use today, thus providing a
greater margin of safety. This device also will be able to detect metallic
and nonmetallic weapons concealed under an individual's clothing
utilizing acoustic technology. The detector will be affordable for even
smaller law enforcement and corrections agencies. A breadboard model
already has been demonstrated with positive results. It was able to detect a
plastic knife concealed under a heavy sweatshirt at a distance of 7 feet.
Two working models also have been developed. Testing is being
conducted to determine performance parameters. The working models
were recently demonstrated at the California Border Alliance Group and
received a positive reception from law enforcement representatives. Three
developmental units have been built and will be operationally tested by the
Los Angeles County SheriffÕs Department. For more information, contact
Dr. Pete Nacci, at the NIJ/DoD Joint Program Steering Group, 703-351-
8821.

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

A Map to the Market

Have you ever thought you had a great idea for a new product based on all
your on-the-job experience? But the thought of negotiating the route from
"idea" to "marketplace" had you stymied? 

In truth, the road to market can often be chaotic, messy, and disorderly. It
can be tedious and frustrating. And you can get lost so easily.

So why even venture out? Because the rewards can be enormous. And
now there is a practical roadmap to get you there.

"It can take years to grow a product from the seed of an idea to a
marketable item," says Marcia Rorke, founder and president of Mohawk
Research Corporation. "It took over 40 years to develop DNA
[deoxyribonucleic acid] analysis, and over 40 years for the development of
magnetic resonance imaging and CAT [computerized axial tomography]
scans. About the only thing that didn't take that long was numerically
controlled machine tools. That only took about 20 years to develop."

Rorke, whose company offers consulting and training in new product
development, was one of more than 250 inventors and entrepreneurs at a
recent conference sponsored by the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ's)
Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLETC).

The first-of-its-kind conference, titled "One Step Ahead With
Technology," brought together innovators, venture/seed capitalists,
manufacturers, and the law enforcement and corrections communities to
let them know that a roadman does exist and to show them how to
navigate the road to commercialization in the law enforcement and
corrections marketplace.

Not intended to paint a rosy picture of the commercialization process, the
conference instead offered inventors and entrepreneurs realistic, practical
information they could use. In addition to general sessions on all aspects
of commercialization, conference workshops explored such topics as:

o Financing through the private and public sector.

o Creating a commercialization strategy.

o Finding suitable manufacturing and financial partners.

o Performing market research.

o Finding ways to protect intellectual property. 

o Partnering with NIJ

o Utilizing the services of OLEIC in expediting the commercialization
process.

The Innovation Process

What makes the innovation process difficult is that it requires expertise in
three primary areas. The first area is technical development, which is
where the idea is born, developed, and fine tuned. The second area is
market development, which involves defining the product's customer base.
The third area is organizational development, which entails putting
together a team that can take the product from start to finish. The process
also involves four stages: the research stage, which takes the product from
idea to engineering application; the innovation stage, which goes from
defining the product to creating a prototype; the entrepreneurial stage,
which takes the product into production; and the managerial stage, which
sets up the structure for major market penetration.

What stymies most inventors is that they rarely are expert in all, or even
most, of these areas. "You have to decide what role you want to play. You
have to know what youÕre good at. That way you will be able to avoid
some of the pitfalls," Rorie told conference participants. "You also need to
understand how one area relates to another and how important it is that all
three activities be completed in parallel. For example, what happens if the
technology is ready, but the manufacturer has not been found yet? What if
the manufacturer is ready, but you have no customer base for your
technology? The market may get ahead of you, or you have to have the
technology ready by a certain date, but it hasn't been tested yet. Then you
wind up with a premature prototype and are subject to lawsuits and
injuries."

Other conference panelists agreed. "You need two things--knowledge and
desire," stated Donna Marts, a mechanical engineer with the U.S.
Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL.)
who designed the RoadSpike, a remotely controlled barrier strip that stops
fleeing vehicles. "If you develop the technology on your own, you need to
ask yourself if you're the right person to take it from cradle to grave, or do
you need help?"

When Marts was in the process of developing the RoadSpike, INEL. put
its other experts to work doing market assessments, commercialization
studies, and investigating patent legalities. Although the RoadSpike was
developed through an NIJ grant, INEL's support in these other areas
enabled Marts to do what she does best--design the technology.

"That doesn't mean it was always easy," Marts said. "There will be
barriers, but you can't get frustrated. You have to have a strategy. Find a
way to go over them, around them, or through them. Do whatever you
have to do to be successful. Just the idea that we may have saved one life
because of this technology is reward enough."

The RoadSpike technology was ultimately transferred to OLETC, where it
was licensed for production to PMG Manufacturing Group. It is currently
available to the law enforcement market. (Also see: "RoadSpike Stops
Fleeing Vehicles" in TechBeat, October 1997.) 

Kevin Broussel, owner of Ultra Armor Ltd., created a stab-resistant body
armor specifically for corrections officers. OLEIC helped Broussel assess
the market and determine the financial potential of his product. "OLEIC
found the best price structure that let me offer the customer a price break
without compromising performance. If I hadn't been able to do both, I
wasn't willing to go forward. OLEIC's help was a big part of my decision
to take this to the corrections market," Broussel says. Ultra Armor is now
immersed in the marketing aspect of its product and is focused on
developing a distribution network.

Mark Jones is the inventor of Tiger Vision, a night vision device designed
for use by patrol officers. Like the other panelists, Jones was no expert
inventor. A former San Antonio police officer, he spent years building
prototypes and convincing nearby Texas agencies to try them out. It was
the recommendations of those agencies and the promise of his Tiger
Vision technology that captured the attention of OLEIC. But it took the
clout of OLEIC and NIJ to open the doors to ITT Night Vision, one of the
largest manufacturers of night vision equipment in the world.

OLEIC walked Jones through the process of signing a licensing agreement
that will have ITT manufacturing Tiger Vision and field testing it; if all
goes well, it also will manufacture it for full-scale production. ITT's goal,
says Larry Curfiss, vice president and director of ITT's Commercial
Products Division, is to offer law enforcement a night vision device for
less than $1,000, a marked reduction from the cost of its current night
vision device, which sells for around $3,500. (Also see: "Tiger Vision:
Linking Invention With Industry" in TechBeat, Winter 1999.)

It is ITT's sales and distribution network that could mean the difference
between success and failure for Jones. "The law enforcement market is
totally decentralized," Curfiss says. "You really do have to make
individual calls to these agencies. You have to show them your product.
ItÕs a difficult market. But Mark has a good idea and the customer base is
there. OLEIC had the market research that supports the technology. It was
that information ITT needed to move forward with the project."

Innovation at Work

The conference also featured an exhibit of new products and technologies,
all of which were in various stages of the innovation process. Some were
at the prototype stage, others were in the beginning of the marketing stage,
while still others were waiting for financial and manufacturing partners.
The products and technologies on display included a new type of crime
scene light; an offender tracking bracelet that can be used in areas where
GPS [global positioning system] will not operate; a vest that keeps the
body cool; "smart cards" with computer chips embedded in them; a
wearable computer for crime scene technicians that uses a wireless
modem, laser, wrist-mounted keyboard, and digital camera and sends
information directly back to headquarters; a dual-purpose shotgun shell
that can be a lethal or nonlethal projectile; a gas mask with a built-in voice
amplifier and radio; a gunshot locator that fits into a smoke detector and
automatically contacts 911 at the sound of gunfire; a handheld computer
that provides two-way spoken language translation of English to a foreign
language and back again; a surveillance and reconnaissance robot; and a
new type of optical technology that uses natural light to measure vehicle
speed.

"These are the kinds of products OLEIC looks for," says Tom Burgoyne,
OLEIC acting director. OLEIC then offers a variety of services that can be
applied to almost every stage of the innovation process, including:

o Matching emerging technologies to law enforcement and corrections
needs.

o Assisting in the development of market assessments and business plans.

o Locating complementary technologies, expertise, and testing resources.

o Identifying product standards and test protocols.

o Locating partners, manufacturers, and distributors.

o Identifying grant-funding sources.

o Providing information on liability, intellectual property, and licensing
questions.

Burgoyne says that OLEIC currently has more than 70 potential
technologies and/or product ideas in various stages of commercialization,
including: a new night vision device for use by patrol officers; a
stab-resistant vest; a bomb technicianÕs training kit; an entanglement net
that can be fired from a belt launcher or a 37-mm gas gun; a low-cost,
all-weather, emergency reflector device; a laser speed measuring device
that can fit onto conventional sunglasses, a helmet, or a video camcorder; a
noninvasive optical device that can test for drugs or chemical substances; a
facial identification system that can screen more than 1 million mug shots
in less than 2 seconds; and a laser device that can disorient and distract the
human eye.

For more information about the National Institute of JusticeÕs Office of
Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization services or its current
projects, call 888-306-5382, or e-mail oletc@nttc.edu. For copies of the
TechBeat articles noted above, contact the National Law Enforcement and
Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) in Rockville, Maryland, at
800-248-2742 or access them through the NLECTC system World Wide
Web site, JUSTNET, at www.nlectc.org.

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

Getting There

o Define the product. The innovation process begins with product
definition. This is an important function of the National Institute of
Justice's (NIJ's) Office of Science and Technology and its National Law
Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) system.
Through its regional and national advisory councils, the NLECTC system
learns about the needs of law enforcement and corrections.

o Understand that each stage of the innovation process is driven by a
different kind of person, each of whom is rewarded by different things.
The bench scientist, for example, may be motivated more by potential
awards, the recognition of the scientific community, or the good that can
come from a new product or technology than by profit. Conversely,
manufacturing or financial partners have to focus more on potential
revenues than on how or why the technology was created.

o Accept the fact that you will be doing things over and over again. You
will go through a number of prototypes and may have to bounce back from
misdirected marketing efforts or the rejection of potential partners.

o Realize that there will be major differences between the culture of a
major manufacturer and that of a lone entrepreneur or a small-business
owner. The language will be different, as will the business perspective and
frame of reference. "We had some miscommunication at first because we
had not shared our market strategy up front," says Larry Curfiss, vice
president and director of ITT's Commercial Products Division. "We
discovered we weren't always speaking the same language. Having
someone like OLEIC [Office of Law Enforcement Technology
Commercialization] involved helped break down a lot of those language
barriers."

o Understand that the size and depth of the product's market will
determine the size of your manufacturing partner and your approach to
possible partners. Most manufacturers will focus on the potential return on
their investment, or ROI, which must be substantial enough to affect the
corporate bottom line. When approaching a potential partner, it is
important to know the size and nature of the market, how you plan to tap
into it, and what kind of ROI your partner can expect.

o Consider intellectual property an asset, and protect it as such.

o Have a commercialization plan, preferably one that has the input of
people with expertise in all areas of commercialization. A good plan will
have an executive summary, current project status, deployment plans, a
marketing strategy, and information about potential revenues. It also will
detail the problems you can expect to encounter and how you can plan to
handle them.

o Do not expect your technology to find its way to the commercial
marketplace alone. Find a champion, like NIJ and OLEIC, to help.

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

Technologies, Tools, and Public Safety 

Public safety emergencies--including those posed by terrorist threats and
actions--require not only the coordinated efforts of first responders but
also the best tools and technologies available for a safe and efficient
response.

This spring, Technologies and Tools for Public Safety in the 21st Century,
a conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of JusticeÕs National
Institute of Justice (NIJ), the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S.
Department of Transportation, will focus on the technologies, training
tools, and funding opportunities available to law enforcement, fire,
medical and emergency services personnel, and transportation officials
who must handle these emergencies.

According to NIJ program manager Sandy Newett, the objective of the
conference is to provide a forum for public safety and emergency
management professionals to:

o Identify and become familiar with available technology for operations
and training.

o Exchange educational initiatives and practical tools within the public
safety and emergency services community.

o Receive an update on land transportation security technology issues and
action items from the April 1998 conference.

o Increase awareness of current weapons of mass destruction threats,
assessment tools, and countermeasures.

o Share information on organizations, training, resources, and funding
opportunities to assist public safety and emergency services professionals.

The conference is set for May 26-28, 1999, at the Omni Rosen Hotel in
Orlando, Florida. For registration information, call Michelle Healy, 410-
737-8258. For exhibit information, call Jerry Koenig, 770-977-1200. For
additional information about the conference, contact Sandy Newett, 202-
616-1471, or visit the JUSTNET World Wide Web site at www.nlectc.org.

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

We Won Again

TechBeat, the flagship publication of the National Law Enforcement and
Corrections Technology Center system, was recognized in 1998 with a
first-place Blue Pencil Award for most improved periodical by the
National Association of Government Communicators, which each year
honors Federal agencies for publications that exceed industry standards in
editorial and design excellence. And, TechBeat, for the second year in a
row, has been honored with a best-of-category award in the Excellence in
Print competition sponsored by the Printing and Graphics
Communications Association. 

Dedicated to reporting developments in technology for law enforcement,
corrections, and forensic science professionals, TechBeat was transformed
in late 1997 into a four-color, tabloid-sized publication and enhanced by
the use of unique graphic elements, according to its managing editor, Rick
Neimiller. "TechBeat's new look and format have served the intended
purpose--to more effectively transfer technology information to the
publication's more than 30,000 criminal justice professionals," Neimiller
says. "Along with recapturing the attention of its long-term readers,
TechBeat has attracted many new readers."

To receive a no-cost subscription to TechBeat or to request additional
copies at no charge, call the National Law Enforcement and Corrections
Technology Center, 800-248-2742. TechBeat also can be accessed through
the center's World Wide Web site, JUSTNET, at www.nlectc.org. 

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

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 advancedÑvests that can stop bullets and electronic
monitoring of probationersÑtoday 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
testingÑall 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 #96ÐMUÐMUÐK011 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.

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

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.

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

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 over 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.

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

NLECTC Is Online
www.nlectc.org

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, 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.

To receive future issues of the TechBeat newsletter at no charge, call 800-
248-2742 or e-mail asknlectc@nlectc.org.

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

New Publications/Videos

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

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.

TechBeat, Fall 1998. This issue of TechBeat features the success of the
Utica, New York, Arson Strike Force, the use of computer technology to
streamline handling of domestic violence cases, and DNA computer
analysis.

Equipment Performance Report: 1999 Model Year Patrol Vehicle Testing.
This report provides complete data on the 1999 Michigan State Police
patrol vehicle testing.

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.

"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.

1998 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.

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.

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.

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

Coming Up . . .

NIJ Technology Institute for Law Enforcement
Date: July 19-July 23, 1999
Place: Washington, D.C.

Agenda: Information and assistance about existing and developing law
enforcement technologies; problem solving relating to technology
implementation; exchange of technology lessons learned. Includes
briefings and demonstrations at the FBI Headquarters and National
Academy, Pentagon, U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of
Justice Office of Science and Technology, and National Law Enforcement
and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC).

Registration: Limited to 30 middle-level managers from U.S. law
enforcement agencies. Contact Jeri Allen of NLECTC at 800-248-2742 for
an application or for additional information.