Title: TechBeat Fall 2004
Series: N/A
Author: National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center 
Published: October 2004
Subject: Technology for law enforcement
pages: 30
bytes: 68K

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 800-248-
2742. 
--------------------------- 

National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center 
TechBeat Fall 2004 
Dedicated to Reporting Developments in Technology for Law Enforcement,
Corrections, and Forensic Sciences 
--------------------------- 

Corrections Data Mining

Scattered among the thousands of inmates in a State's correctional system are a
few who receive monthly visits from the same woman. Shortly after she makes
her visits, these inmates deposit large sums of money. Because the inmates are
in different facilities, no one notices that the woman is one inmate's "aunt,"
another inmate's "wife," and yet another inmate's "sister." Soon, however, a
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) initiative, the Corrections/Law Enforcement
Intelligence Gathering and Sharing Project, will help correctional administrators
identify and evaluate data analysis/data mining software to sort through massive
amounts of information from different sources to find patterns and in turn share
information and partner with law enforcement to stop, and even prevent, crime.

Today's age of information technology could also be called an age of
information overload. With so much information at everyone's fingertips, finding
and sharing the right information has become critical. Data analysis/data mining
tools make it easier to analyze the vast amounts of information contained in
large databases by finding patterns and deviations much more quickly than any
team of analysts. Many corrections departments want to move toward adding
these tools to their intelligence operations, but they feel uncertain about which
steps to take next and criteria to use. The goal of NIJ's Intelligence Gathering
and Sharing Project is to make the selection and implementation process easier.

As part of that project, a team of information technology experts from NIJ's
Border Research and Technology Center (BRTC), part of the National Law
Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center system, and its technical
partner, the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center-San Diego (SSC-SD),
go through the same data analysis/data mining tool selection process faced by
corrections departments. The project will eventually not only help correctional
administrators across the country select the data analysis tools that meet their
needs but also improve their intelligence gathering and sharing capabilities.
Once the project is completed, the team will issue a report and offer a
workshop on lessons learned.

Other major players in the project are State correctional personnel from
Nebraska and Iowa, who say their departments already had information sharing
projects but that NIJ's involvement smoothed the process and sped up their
timetables. (Both States have project advisory teams that include local units of
the FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as local law
enforcement.)

"The project helped us increase our networking efforts even before the testing
began, and that's what we want to see happen," says Laura Scheffert James,
Iowa's Assistant Deputy Director for Eastern Operations. "If there is
information we can provide that will be of benefit to other agencies, there will
also be benefits for us. We see this as a two-way information flow. This
particular project applies the [analysis] tool to our database, and it will impact
what information we can make available. However, the biggest benefit to us
comes from the whole process of learning what our partners need-of learning
what information is most pertinent to them."

"NIJ is giving us good feedback and good ideas and keeping us focused," says
B.J. Spring, administrative assistant in the Intelligence Division at the Nebraska
Department of Correctional Services. "The sharing will happen in a better
fashion than if we had just muddled through it ourselves."

BRTC's Dr. Wadad Brooke Dubbleday says the project has shown her that
much of what happens within jails and corrections facilities influences what
happens on the outside. "Corrections may be able to share information with law
enforcement, and it will turn out that each had a piece of the puzzle, and the
picture is now complete," she says.

The completed picture includes pieces provided by the mining and analysis
software, which finds previously undiscovered relationships and patterns,
enabling both corrections and law enforcement to use their resources more
effectively and intelligence analysts to perform their jobs at a higher level. In
Nebraska, reaching that higher level became a long-term goal several years ago
when the State created Spring's position with the specific assignment of
compiling statistics potentially related to drug use and looking for patterns.
Although Spring and his analysts had recorded some success, he says the NIJ
project came along just when Nebraska wanted to move on. Before
involvement with the NIJ project, Nebraska had compiled databases on 

o Incidents suspected of having a drug-related link.
o Exchanges of large amounts of cash.
o Suspicious phone calls (culled from reports on all phone calls by a manual
review). 
o Visitors to inmates who had previously been flagged as exhibiting suspicious
behavior.
o Account information.
o Vital statistics such as all inmates' height, weight, and date of birth.

When Nebraska became an evaluation site, these categories expanded and
changed. The State now collects information on every visitor and every phone
call, additional inmate incidents, and additional inmate identifiers such as scars,
tattoos, and other marks. "With the addition of the analytical software, we hope
we can take this copious amount of information, run it through the process, and
have it tell us something that we didn't already know-that it will draw some
relationships we wouldn't have seen otherwise," Spring says. "Will it be
something as precise as 'There will be a buy Thursday at 2?' We don't know,
we are really anxious to see what it will do."

Iowa also had already collected similar information and expanded
information-gathering efforts once the project began. "We saw that we have a
great deal of information that can be of value to outside agencies. We view this
as an opportunity to find out what information would be most useful to our
outside partners and to expand those efforts," says Scheffert James. 

With the thought of expanding those efforts, Iowa decided to place access to
data mining and analysis on the desktop of every member of the project
advisory team and all department of corrections intelligence officers. Iowa also
gives access to other investigators who need to analyze data related to a
specific case. In Nebraska, the chief information officer at each facility and the
investigative team analysts received access. "We wanted to put the tool in the
hands of the actual users, the ones who would be taking the information and
conducting the investigations," Spring explains. "We wanted it at their fingertips,
instead of making them rely on the central office to get information to them."

Although their approaches are similar, the Nebraska and Iowa programs
currently run on separate tracks. "We were wondering if we would be able to
interact, because we have common borders and are aware that activity certainly
crosses State lines," Scheffert James says. She adds that Iowa asked about the
possibility and was told it might be arranged in later stages of the program.
"Such an interface would be an ideal situation," says Edward Lai, project
technical lead from SSC-SD. "Once everything is completely set up and
working the way we expect it to, if we can get both States together and get the
data flowing between them, that would be an additional accomplishment over
and above reaching the project objectives."

If interaction does not happen during the project itself, it will likely occur when
the two departments of correction assume control of the data analysis tool. In
addition, if other corrections agencies learn from the Nebraska/Iowa
experience and set up their own data analysis systems, sharing may eventually
take place among more than just those States.

State departments of correction interested in establishing their own data analysis
projects will be able to obtain the final report of the project when it becomes
available. These agencies also may attend a wrap-up workshop, which will
promote data sharing and encourage replication of the project. For more
information on the Corrections/Law Enforcement Intelligence Gathering and
Sharing Project, contact Dr. Wadad Brooke Dubbleday at the Border
Research and Technology Center, 888-656-BRTC or
ubbelda@brtc.nlectc.org. 

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

Corrections/Law Enforcement
Intelligence Gathering and Sharing Project 

The selection of evaluation sites and data analysis software for the
Corrections/Law Enforcement Intelligence Gathering and Sharing Project
resulted from a planned step-by-step process that ultimately will be part of the
end product. Project participants knew that numerous data analysis/data mining
applications already existed. However, because these applications can be
complex and expensive to configure, operate, and maintain, law enforcement
agencies and corrections facilities need assistance when it comes to selecting
the right one. Therefore, the project team planned to meet three objectives:

o Identify state-of-the-art data analysis/data mining tools to improve intelligence
gathering, analysis, and sharing in correctional environments.

o Select an evaluation site and a test tool.

o Prepare a publication describing the selection process and the lessons learned
during the project to help others in the field make their own selections.

"We went through it pretty methodically . . . in the hopes that other departments
of correction can apply this when selecting tools," explains Dr. Wadad
Dubbleday of the Border Research and Technology Center. The final report,
however, will not release the names of the evaluated products, in keeping with
the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) policy not to endorse a particular vendor's
technology.

The process started with a survey that was sent to every State department of
corrections and a number of the Nation's larger jails. The project team
compared responses to its criteria, which included--

o Preexisting use of an automated data capture system.
o Participation in the Criminal Justice Information System Initiative sponsored
by the State Governor's office.
o Prior staff training in intelligence gathering and analysis.
o Commitment to assign intelligence and information technology staff to
participate in the project.
o Agreement to create an onsite project advisory team that includes external
law enforcement stakeholders.
o Willingness to train onsite staff in use of the tool and to participate in an
after-action review and evaluation process.

The team narrowed the field by conducting telephone interviews and site visits
before selecting Iowa and Nebraska. 

The selection process for the data mining and analysis tool followed a similar
pattern. Again, the team first developed selection criteria, including--

o Product features.
o Cost.
o Learning curve.
o Data requirements.
o System requirements.
o Vendor support.

Particular emphasis was placed on finding tools that included GIS (geographic
information system) mapping capability, the ability to search free text for
keywords, and a "transparent" structure that allows users to get similar query
results no matter how the databases themselves are constructed. The team
started with a broad-based process, in this case answering yes/no questions by
visiting vendor websites. They then narrowed the field by compiling responses
in a spreadsheet and finally inviting a few vendors to make presentations.

On selection, NIJ paid for licenses for each of the two tools for a year; after
that, continued maintenance is the responsibility of the Iowa and Nebraska
DOCs. Each State's intelligence analysts received training and each DOC
improved its infrastructure as needed. Evaluations began in late summer 2004.

The final report, to be published in 2005, will outline the selection process,
explain the ease or difficulty involved in learning to use the software, and list
potential savings and lessons learned. On publication, the project team plans to
hold a workshop for other DOCs that are interested in purchasing data analysis
tools.

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

BorderTrack

A new product or technology can be the tangible answer to the question of how
public safety agencies could do things better, faster, safer. But that product has
to get into the right hands before it can fulfill its promise; and because of other
priorities, time constraints, or lack of appropriate collaborators, that does not
often happen.

Every now and then, however, the right people connect, the pieces fit, and
results happen-results such as the BorderTrack GPS Position Indicator, a
technologically sophisticated and still evolving system that grew from questions
stirred up during a simple demonstration of laser range-finder binoculars.

When Major Billy Asbell of the National Guard Bureau gave a presentation on
laser range-finder binoculars to the advisory council of the National Institute of
Justice's Border Research and Technology Center (BRTC), questions began
racing through the mind of John Bott, a BRTC staff engineer. Asbell explained
that National Guard personnel onboard helicopters used the binoculars to
provide global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of marijuana fields
growing in remote areas of Kentucky, enabling eradication teams to return to
wipe out the crop. The National Guard, he said, was using military PLGR
(precision lightweight GPS receiver) technology to provide the coordinates.
This technology replaced the Guard's former system-a spotter marking an X on
a paper map. 

"Right then, I thought there could be other applications," Bott recalls. "I thought,
if I ever had a chance to get my hands on a pair, I'd like to take them to a law
enforcement agency and let them figure out how they might use them." When
Bott finally got his chance, he learned that a pair of binoculars was already in
the hands of a researcher at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center-San
Diego (SSC-SD), the U.S. Navy's research, development, test and evaluation,
engineering, and fleet support center for command, control, and communication
systems and ocean surveillance. The Center also provides technical support to
BRTC. Bott contacted the researcher and learned that SSC-SD had already
adapted the laser range-finder binoculars for use by Navy Special Forces,
adding laptop capability and replacing PLGR with a more readily available
commercial GPS system. 

"We were able to capitalize on the Navy's investment, and that allowed us to
move forward with the law enforcement project," Bott says. The next step
involved finding a law enforcement agency to test the device. He realized that
tracking people or objects with GPS technology had little appeal in a major city
like San Diego, where everything revolves around street addresses. However,
the U.S. Border Patrol in San Diego does operate in remote areas. It became
the first agency to express an interest in evaluating the system, which became
known as BorderTrack.

Primarily developed by Scot McIntosh, a contractor supporting Bott and
BRTC, BorderTrack incorporates a laptop computer and/or personal digital
assistant (PDA) with the laser range-finder binoculars, enabling the user to sight
on a target, obtain its GPS position, and generate a report. However,
development did not end there; the system currently has three software options:

o BorderTrack. Combines GPS and laser range-finder output to pinpoint the
location of a target; it also generates a popup reporting form that can be
exported to a database.

o LaserFind. A simpler application of BorderTrack that yields just the target's
location, which the user can either enter as a waypoint into a handheld GPS,
plot on a paper map, or enter into separate mapping software.

o TeleMapper. Adds mapping capability, locating the observer, the target, and
a sightline between them on a map, enabling users to pick out commonly used
roads and well-known geographic features.

TeleMapper comes in a laptop version only, whereas BorderTrack and
LaserFind also have PDA versions. All software options, however, can display
locations in various formats. In addition, a mount allows the user to use the
binoculars with a thermal heat scope to generate even more precise readings,
and a remote control capability enables the user to take cover or shelter after
setting up the BorderTrack system at a good vantage point.

The Border Patrol has tested the device from a helicopter and generated results
that were accurate within 100 meters, despite movement and vibration. Officers
also field tested the binocular/scope mount and obtained more accurate results.
BRTC plans further field testing with local law enforcement agencies. Additional
innovations are in development, including advanced mapping capabilities and
wireless data transmission. Mapping advances would add layers that could
indicate, for example, well-known drug-smuggling routes or the location of
every telephone booth in an area. BRTC has already established a wireless
connection between the GPS receiver and the laptop/PDA, but the system still
uses a cable to connect the binoculars and the GPS; eventually, the cable may
also disappear. 

Although the right connections allowed the right pieces to come together to
create BorderTrack, one key piece is missing: readily placing it in the hands of
local law enforcement agencies, particularly in rural areas. "The binoculars are
fairly expensive, so a lot of law enforcement agencies would not be able to buy
them," Bott says. "I've talked to sheriffs' offices that were interested until they
found out the price. We've also done market surveys to attempt to locate other,
less expensive equipment that serves the same purpose but have located
nothing that is comparable."

BRTC is exploring a way to put the last piece in place: adding the device to the
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)-Counterdrug Technology
Assessment Center Technology Transfer program. Law enforcement agencies
submit proposals to the program, and if approved, they receive equipment and
training at no charge. Because BorderTrack can be used to trace drug
trafficking activities, Bott believes it could be included in ONDCP's catalog of
approved technologies, which would in turn grant access to the device to local
law enforcement agencies. If that happens, the potential suggested by Major
Asbell's presentation could be fulfilled. 

For more information on the BorderTrack system, contact John Bott at
619-553-1283 or bottjp@spawar.navy.mil.

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

Hungry for your own copy?

TechBeat is the award-winning newsmagazine of the National Law
Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) system. Our goal
is to keep you up to date with current and developing technologies for the
public safety community, as well as other research and development efforts
within the Federal Government and private industry. TechBeat is published four
times a year. 

Individual Subscriptions: TechBeat is available at no cost. If you are not
currently on our mailing list, please call us at 800-248-2742, fax
301-519-5149, or e-mail us at asknlectc@nlectc.org. 

Domestic Department Subscriptions: If your division, department, or agency
has more than 20 individuals, we can drop ship as many copies as you require.
All you have to do is provide us with the quantity needed, a shipping address
(no Post Office boxes, please), and a contact name and telephone number.
Your only obligation is to disseminate them once they arrive. If you require
fewer than 20 copies, please provide us with the names and addresses of
individuals who are to receive the newsmagazine and we will send copies
directly to them. Contact Rick Neimiller, TechBeat managing editor, at
800-248-2742, for additional information or to subscribe.

Address Correction: Please notify us of any change in address or point of
contact. Call 800-248-2742; fax 301-519-5149; or e-mail
asknlectc@nlectc.org.

Article Reproduction: Unless otherwise indicated, all articles appearing in
TechBeat may be reproduced. We do, however, request that you include a
statement of attribution, such as: "This article was reproduced from the Fall
2004 issue of TechBeat, published by the National Law Enforcement and
Corrections Technology Center, a program of the National Institute of Justice,
800-248-2742."

Awards: TechBeat has received numerous awards, including the 1998 Best of
Category, Excellence in Printing Award from the Printing & Graphic
Communications Association; the first-place 1998 Blue Pencil Award for Most
Improved Periodical from the National Association of Government
Communicators; the 1999 Silver Inkwell Award of Merit from the International
Association of Business Communicators; and the APEX 2001 Award of
Excellence for Magazines and Newspapers-Printed.

Photo Credits: Photos used in this issue of TechBeat copyright (c) 2004
Arresting Images; Corbis Images; Brand X Pictures; Photodisc; and
Thinkstock.

Staff: Managing Editor, Rick Neimiller; Editor, Michele Coppola; Assistant
Editor/Writer, Brian Higgins; Lead Writer, Becky Lewis; Contributing Writers,
Gretchen Wiest and Jared Keller; Graphic Designers, C. Denise Collins and
Tina Kramer.

We're Now Printer Friendly

Found an interesting article in this issue of TechBeat you'd like to share with
someone or distribute at a meeting? Well, now you can. Although every edition
of TechBeat is available for online viewing in PDF and ASCII formats, you
now can read and/or download printer-friendly versions of individual articles
going back through 2000. To view/download specific articles, just visit our
website at www.justnet.org. Click on the blue TechBeat tab at the top of the
home page. Then click on the issue and then the article you wish to view or
print. (Adobe(r) Reader(r) 4.0 or above required for viewing and printing.)

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

www.justnet.org

Online News Summary

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions offers detailed information based on thousands of
calls to our information specialists.

Publications 

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

Calendar of Events 

Calendar of Events lists upcoming meetings, seminars, and training.

Links 

Links takes you to other important law enforcement and corrections websites. 

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

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

Waste Not, Want Not

If some correctional administrators never thought that a portable toilet primarily
used by campers had a place in their facilities, they were not alone. Phillips
Environmental Products, Inc., maker of the Portable Environmental Toilet(tm)
(PETT), never did either. The idea of marketing a portable toilet to the
correctional community did not occur to the company until the Office of Law
Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLETC), a program of the
National Institute of Justice and part of the National Law Enforcement and
Corrections Technology Center, became involved.

Wayne Barte, a senior project manager at OLETC, approached Phillips
Environmental Products in November 2003 during the Montana Small Business
Innovation Research Conference in Bozeman when he heard company
representatives making a pitch for the portable toilet system to another
conference attendee. "I went over, introduced myself, and said I could think of
a couple of applications for the corrections field," Barte recalls. "I asked if they
had ever given any thought to that market, and their answer was none."

Barte says he initially thought of the ever-present need to examine waste
products for contraband. Inmates sometimes swallow balloons or other objects
filled with substances such as cocaine, and a correctional officer has to search
body waste for the item. Correctional staff often put an inmate suspected of
smuggling alone in a cell and turn off the water to the toilet so that the waste can
be trapped.

According to Barte, instead of water or chemicals, the PETT system uses a
vegetable-based powder enclosed in plastic bags for individual use. The
powder gels the waste products into a semisolid, whitish material. Barte thought
officers could look at the bag's contents, feel the outside of the used bag to
locate any contraband, and then extract it. The company found his ideas of
interest and agreed to a demonstration of the product at the January 2004
meeting of OLETC's Advisory Council. In addition, Barte contacted the
Northeastern Technology Product Assessment Committee (NTPAC), a
regional forum that shares information about corrections technologies, to
schedule a demonstration.

At the demonstrations, members of both groups saw how the portable toilet
system works. PETT is about the same size as a standard U.S. toilet, but it
breaks down to approximately the size of a large briefcase. Each individual uses
his or her own powder-filled removable plastic bag, which zips shut for
transport away from remote sites. Because the double-layered,
puncture-resistant bags are biodegradable, they can be placed in any garbage
can. A privacy tent, which includes stakes and its own backpack carrying case,
has a 4-foot-by-4-foot base. It weighs 6 pounds and fits into a tote, which also
holds the toilet, bags, and other accessories and includes a special outside
compartment dedicated to transporting used bags.

The deputy director of probation and parole for the State of New Mexico
pointed out that the accompanying tent made the portable toilet perfect for road
crews. Currently, he said, if someone needs to use the restroom, the whole
crew has to stop working so that officers can load everyone up and take them
to a restroom. "With the tent, they can pack it out and keep on working."

At both demonstrations, participants came up with more potential uses for the
toilet. Diane Quinn, OLETC technology agent for corrections and the center's
representative to NTPAC, says representatives brainstormed one use after
another, including the following scenarios.

o In the event of a natural disaster, such as a flood, correctional facilities
typically are not evacuated; rather, staff and inmates shelter in place. If the
facility loses its running water, staff could set up the portable toilets.

o SWAT teams on training exercises typically spend extended periods in the
wilderness. The lack of facilities can pose a problem, particularly for female
personnel.

o Correctional officers transporting a prisoner often feel reluctant to stop at rest
areas or at businesses because of the potential for escape attempts. The
portable toilet system could be set up in the back of the transport vehicle.

o Law enforcement officers using a van on a stakeout could use a portable
toilet.

o A member of the Chicago Police Department forensics unit, present at the
Flight 93 crash site after the events of September 11, 2001, said that female
Federal Bureau of Investigation agents at that site had no immediate access to
facilities and that "having something like this would have made life a little better
in a tough situation."

o A correctional facility that needs to establish a temporary guard post outside
a building could easily put up the system and tent and then take it down when
the post closed.

"Everybody who looks at it thinks of another use," Barte says. "We've had so
many ideas, it's taken on a life of its own."

Although OLETC and NTPAC members thought of many uses, no one thought
of any needed modifications. Barte and Quinn agree this is highly unusual,
because members of both groups often ask vendors to make substantial
modifications. (One small change that had been suggested in November
2003-having clear bags in addition to the original green-had already been
implemented by the January 2004 demonstrations.) The only real concern that
arose from the demonstrations was the effect of the gelling powder on latex
items such as gloves. Quinn notes that the company completed a series of tests
that confirmed the powder has no adverse effects. 

The Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization has deployed
demonstration units of the Portable Environmental Toilet for evaluation to the
New Mexico Department of Corrections, the Licking County (Ohio) Sheriff's
Department, and the forensics unit of the Chicago (Illinois) Police Department.
For more information, contact Dianne Quinn or Wayne Barte, 888-306-5382,
or dquinn@oletc.org or wbarte@oletc.org.

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

Tracking the Predator

The year: 1996. The place: Las Vegas, Nevada. The problem facing local
enforcement: a series of 22 robberies. The challenge: to predict the location of
robbery number 23 and to stop it. The solution: a software program that
predicts animal movements, developed by researchers in Glacier Bay National
Park, Alaska.

"I looked at the 22 robberies and I had a feeling that there must be a pattern.
But to see that pattern was beyond my ability," says Dan Helms, then a crime
analyst with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. "So I tried to think
of who would know more about predicting patterns than a crime analyst does."

Helms sought information from a number of fields, including air traffic control
and epidemiology (the scientific discipline that studies the incidence, distribution,
and control of a disease in a population). He also phoned a friend who was
working as a warden at Kruger Game Park in South Africa. "He had a number
of different techniques he suggested that I could try," Helms says. "So I
laboriously set out to write a set of tools for the software I was using. Just when
I had come up with something, which barely did what I wanted, he called me
back to ask if I was really going to try the suggested techniques."

If so, Helms continues, his friend wanted to direct him to the software, Animal
Movement, developed by U.S. Government researchers at the Alaska Science
Center-Biological Science Office in Glacier Bay National Park and available
through the Internet. Helms put aside his own tools and used Animal Movement
to make a prediction about robbery number 23. Based on that prediction, the
perpetrator was arrested while he was casing the site.

"I was sold on the technology as soon as I'd seen it in action," Helms says. "I
didn't expect to hit one out of the park on the very first try, but it sure did sell
the rest of my department on it. I believe I was the first person to apply the tool
to crime mapping, but its use is now widespread in crime analysis and many
other disciplines."

Animal Movement's creators, Philip Hooge and Bill Eichenlaub, developed the
program to study animal migration and movement patterns; however, the
principles behind it also apply to the study of movements in general. Animal
Movement is an extension that runs under versions 3.0 through 3.3 of
ArcView(r), a family of desktop geographic information system (GIS) software
applications that enable users to visualize, analyze, and manipulate spatial
information. The Animal Movement extension includes more than 40 functions
specifically designed to help analyze movements. The extension works under
PC, Unix(r), and Macintosh(r) operating systems and is available on the
Internet as a free download at www.absc.usgs.gov/glba/gistools/index.htm. 

"Since the tool itself is free, this is a huge advantage for law enforcement
agencies, which have to decide very carefully how to spend every software
dollar," Helms says. Law enforcement agencies can take advantage of another
"freebie" associated with Animal Movement-training from the Crime Mapping
and Analysis Program (CMAP) at the National Institute of Justice's National
Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center-Rocky Mountain in
Denver, Colorado. This federally subsidized training program also is offered to
public safety personnel at the Northeast Counterdrug Training Center at Fort
Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center in Pennsylvania. The program
offers two different 40-hour, 5-day classes: Introduction to Crime Mapping
covers the basics and Advanced GIS for Tactical Crime Analysis uses Animal
Movement and other tools.

In the advanced class, students use sample data derived from actual crimes to
determine movement and timing patterns, backcast to find the home location,
forecast the next part of the pattern, and develop a response. The class not only
teaches students how to identify data but also teaches them how to do
something with that data, says Helms, who came to CMAP in 2002 to first
design, then teach the course. "The advanced class has been very successful.
We have had hundreds of students from numerous agencies," Helms says. One
student, Bill Edmonds of the Colorado Springs Police Department, who took
the training along with a colleague in 2002, remembers, "We came back and
started applying this to crime patterns we were experiencing, particularly to
residential burglary patterns." Because Colorado Springs already used
ArcView software, the department just needed to add the free extension,
"which made it the right price for us."

In the past 3 years, Colorado Springs has used Animal Movement to resolve 4
residential burglary cases involving approximately 200 incidents. "In one very
successful instance," Helms says, "the picture that emerged from the software
showed us where the suspect lived within one block. Officers arrested him the
same day we put out a bulletin suggesting he might live in that area. Another
case involved commercial burglaries of 64 minority-owned businesses. They
took place all over town, although they were all located along major
thoroughfares. We were able to narrow his residence down within a
quarter-mile area."

Edmonds adds that Colorado Springs has had cases in which Animal
Movement was not successful: "What seems to be true is, if there are not a lot
of incidents, specifically if there are fewer than 10, you don't get good results."
With that in mind, Edmonds has found it best to use Animal Movement in
conjunction with other tools, such as a program that analyzes times of incidents
and makes predictions. "It's not as though you just open a box and find an
answer. These are tools, and you have to identify the set of tools that gives you
the best answer."

Helms used that approach when he first identified Animal Movement as a useful
tool in 1996. Edmonds believes that more crime analysts should attempt to use
lessons learned from other disciplines. "You don't lose anything by trying
something new. There could be techniques from other disciplines, such as
epidemiology, that also could help us," he says. "At CMAP, the program is
really moving in the right direction. They are looking to move crime analysis
beyond what it used to be."

For more information and prerequisition requirements regarding crime mapping
training classes provided by the Crime Mapping and Analysis Program, contact
Danelle DiGiosio, 800-416-8086 or cmap@du.edu.


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

Mapping from Bosnia to Baghdad

Like many instructors, Dan Helms hears from former students. They let him
know how they have used geographic information system (GIS) techniques,
including Animal Movement, which they learned during Crime Mapping and
Analysis Program (CMAP) training. The calls and e-mails come from nearby
Colorado communities, other parts of the United States, and even Baghdad,
Iraq.

Although CMAP generally provides training only to civilian law enforcement
officers, CMAP instructors trained NATO security forces in Bosnia who
performed police-related tasks. One of Helms' students, intelligence analyst
Aaron Ortiz, returned to Bosnia and used GIS techniques to break up cases
related to drug smuggling, black market weapons, and international terrorism.
Ortiz next found himself in Iraq, where he took on the assignment of stopping
rocket attacks that besieged U.S. forces immediately after they took control
Baghdad.

The attacks by Iraqi insurgents were like clockwork, according to Ortiz.
Recalling his CMAP training, he says, "I began to take a look at the points of
impact within the area and was able to pinpoint likely intended targets. I also
began to analyze some of the tougher aspects of the problem. Where were they
shooting from? Who were the parties responsible?"

After receiving information detailing the points of origin of the attacks, Ortiz
developed a series of hypotheses on the nature and location of the group (or
groups) responsible. In the fluid world of post-Saddam Iraq, this was no small
feat. "We used a number of the techniques that they teach at the CMAP class,"
he says. "We looked for patterns of frequent activity, and we found them. Once
we had located these hotspots, we began to develop other intelligence based
on that information. We'd have an attack in the morning, with two short volleys
separated by an hour to an hour and a half, and then, in the evening on the same
day, we'd see the same pattern. This pattern would repeat itself every 3 days,
or so."

Ortiz analyzed the attacks from several angles, considering the timing of each
and the distances from which they were launched. Combining new information
with established data points, Ortiz could assist in planning a series of successful
operations that completely disrupted at least one of the groups responsible.
When, after a few months had passed, the compound again began to take fire
from a new direction, Ortiz returned to his original data and determined the new
attacks were the product of at least one of the earlier groups. Once more,
Ortiz' analysis led Coalition forces in designing operations to interdict these
attacks. 

"Most people think of a GIS as a computerized map-which it is," Helms says.
"However, it's also much more. A map is just a picture of geography-whether
it's physical, social, or political. A true GIS not only encompasses the pictures
of where things are but what shape they are and how big they are, et cetera. It
also holds all the underlying data about those things. So, instead of just looking
at a polygon that might stand for, say, a major city, I can use GIS to look at
that polygon and learn what the population of that polygon is, what the
demographics are, how many crimes have occurred there, and much more. . . .
The technology that we transfer [in CMAP training] is largely GIS oriented, but
also includes other types of computer software, database, and information
systems."

Given the apparent power of GIS-related tools to assist law enforcement,
police departments across the country should be moving en masse to adopt
technologies and training programs in this area. However, according to Helms,
there seems to be a general lack of knowledge in the public safety community
regarding the nature of GIS and its capabilities. "These technologies have been
developed for and are widely used outside of law enforcement," Helms says,
"for example, by medical doctors, meteorologists-think of the nightly weather
report and the moving maps they use-transportation planners, civil engineers,
and military scientists, to name a few. Law enforcement is a latecomer to the
table."

Ortiz maintains that despite the obvious differences in environment and strategy,
much of his experience in Iraq is directly translatable to domestic law
enforcement. He believes the lessons to be learned from CMAP training have
near-universal applicability to the problems facing public safety personnel
worldwide. "The problems we face in Iraq-attacks with IEDs [improvised
explosive devices], rocket-propelled grenades, and small arms-are all, to a
certain degree, analogous to gang activity," he says. "Though the motivations of
the groups involved might differ, their techniques are the same, and after all,
they're human. They've all got to sleep somewhere and use the roads to get
around. There are definite geographic reasons why a crime takes place where
and when it does."

Whether in Iraq or the United States, the ever-present problem of criminal
activity exists. With the advent of GIS technologies and training, law
enforcement personnel have been given a useful tool to analyze, combat, and
eventually defeat serial crime.

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

The Center System

The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center
(NLECTC) system, a program of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), offers
no-cost assistance in helping agencies large and small implement current and
emerging technologies.

The NLECTC system was established in 1994 by NIJ's Office of Science and
Technology to deliver information and technology assistance to more than
18,000 police departments; 50 State correctional systems; thousands of
prisons, jails, and parole and probation departments; and other public safety
organizations.

With a network of regional centers and specialty offices located across the
country, the NLECTC system has been able to deliver expertise in a number of
technologies by forming partnerships with such host organizations as the Air
Force Research Laboratory, the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center,
and The Aerospace Corporation. Through these partnerships, NLECTC staff
have access to the latest innovations in research and development. 

The NLECTC system serves as an "honest broker" resource for technology
information, assistance, and expertise.

Contact NLECTC for:

Technology Identification

The NLECTC system provides information and assistance to help agencies
determine the most appropriate and cost-effective technology to solve an
administrative or operational problem. We deliver information relating to
technology availability, performance, durability, reliability, safety, ease of use,
customization capabilities, and interoperability.

Technology Assistance

Our staff serve as proxy scientists and engineers. Areas of assistance include
unique evidence analysis (e.g., audio, video, computer, trace, and explosives),
systems engineering, and communications and information systems support
(e.g., interoperability, propagation studies, and vulnerability assessments).

Technology Implementation

We develop technology guides, best practices, and other information resources
that are frequently leveraged from hands-on assistance projects and made
available to other agencies.

Property Acquisition

We help departments take advantage of surplus property programs that make
Federal excess and surplus property available to law enforcement and
corrections personnel at little or no cost.

Equipment Testing

In cooperation with the Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES), we
oversee the development of standards and a standards-based testing program
in which equipment such as ballistic- and stab-resistant body armor,
double-locking metallic handcuffs, and semiautomatic pistols is tested on a
pass/fail basis. NLECTC also conducts comparative evaluations-testing
equipment under field conditions-on patrol vehicles; patrol vehicle tires and
replacement brake pads; and cut-, puncture-, and pathogen-resistant gloves.
NLECTC also has evaluated emerging products to verify manufacturers' claims.
The primary focus of OLES is the development of performance standards and
testing methods to ensure that public safety equipment is safe, dependable, and
effective.

Technology Demonstration

We introduce and demonstrate new and emerging technologies through such
special events, conferences, and practical demonstrations as the Mock Prison
Riot (technologies for corrections) and an annual public safety technology
conference. On a limited basis, NLECTC facilitates deployment of new
technologies to agencies for operational testing and evaluation.

Capacity Building

We provide hands-on demonstrations of the latest technologies to address such
operational issues as crime and intelligence analysis, geographic information
systems, explosives detection and disablement, inmate disturbances and riots,
and computer crime investigation.

Technology Information

NLECTC disseminates information to the criminal justice community at no cost
through educational bulletins, equipment performance reports, guides, consumer
product lists, news summaries, meeting/conference reports, videotapes, and
CD-ROMs. NLECTC also publishes TechBeat, an award-winning quarterly
newsmagazine. Most publications are available in electronic form through the
Justice Technology Information Network (JUSTNET) at www.justnet.org.
Hard copies of all publications can be ordered through NLECTC's toll-free
number, 800-248-2742, or via e-mail at asknlectc@nlectc.org.

Technology Commercialization

Our law enforcement and corrections professionals, product and
commercialization managers, engineers, and technical and market research
specialists work together to identify new technologies and product concepts.
They then work with innovators and industry to develop, manufacture, and
distribute these new, innovative products and technologies.

Technology Needs Assessment

Our national body of criminal justice professionals-the Law Enforcement and
Corrections Technology Advisory Council (LECTAC)-ensures that we are
focusing on the real-world needs of public safety agencies.

Because most of the country's law enforcement and corrections services are
provided at the local level, the NLECTC system is composed of five regional
centers and is complemented by several specialty offices and a national center.
Most centers and offices are collocated with or supported by federally funded
technology partners so they can leverage unique science and engineering
expertise.

NLECTC-National
2277 Research Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20850
800-248-2742
asknlectc@nlectc.org

NLECTC-Northeast
26 Electronic Parkway
Rome, NY 13441-4514
888-338-0584
nlectc_ne@rl.af.mil

NLECTC-Southeast
5300 International Boulevard
North Charleston, SC 29418
800-292-4385
nlectc-se@nlectc-se.org

NLECTC-Rocky Mountain
2050 East Iliff Avenue
Denver, CO 80208
800-416-8086
nlectc@du.edu

NLECTC-West
c/o The Aerospace Corporation
2350 East El Segundo Boulevard
El Segundo, CA 90245-4691
888-548-1618
nlectc@law-west.org

NLECTC-Northwest
3000 C Street, Suite 304
Anchorage, AK 99503-3975
866-569-2969
nlectc_nw@ctsc.net

Border Research and Technology Center (BRTC)
1010 Second Avenue, Suite 1920
San Diego, CA 92101-4912
888-656-2782
info@brtc.nlectc.org

Rural Law Enforcement Technology Center (RULETC)
101 Bulldog Lane
Hazard, KY 41701
866-787-2553
ruletc@aol.com

Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLETC)
2001 Main Street, Suite 500
Wheeling, WV 26003
888-306-5382
oletc@oletc.org

Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES) 
100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8102
Building 220, Room 8208
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8102
301-975-2757
oles@nist.gov

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

TECHShorts

Technology News Summary

TECHshorts is a sampling of the technology projects, programs, and initiatives
being conducted by the National Institute of Justice and the centers and
specialty offices that constitute its National Law Enforcement and Corrections
Technology Center (NLECTC) system. If you would like additional information
concerning any of the following TECHshorts, please refer to the specific
point-of-contact information that is included at the end of each entry.

In addition to TECHshorts, an online, weekly technology news summary
containing articles relating to technology developments in public safety that have
appeared in newspapers, newsmagazines, and trade and professional journals is
available through the NLECTC system's website, JUSTNET, at
www.justnet.org. This service, the Law Enforcement and Corrections
Technology News Summary, also is available through an electronic e-mail list,
JUSTNETNews. Each week, subscribers to JUSTNETNews receive the news
summary directly via e-mail. To subscribe to JUSTNETNews, e-mail your
request to asknlectc@nlectc.org or call 800-248-2742.

Note: The mentioning of specific manufacturers or products in TECHshorts
does not constitute the endorsement of the U.S. Department of Justice,
National Institute of Justice, or the NLECTC system.

On the Trail of Sex Offenders, Kidnappers
NLECTC-West
In 2003, the Washington State legislature passed Senate Bill 5404, which
directed the State's Department of Corrections (DOC), Department of Social
and Health Services, and Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs
(WASPC) to conduct a pilot project to track level-three sex offenders and
kidnappers using passive data logging global positioning systems (GPS). The
purpose of the field trials was to test the availability, reliability, and effectiveness
of these electronic monitoring systems. WASPC and the DOC requested
technology assistance from NLECTC-West with the project. The results of the
field trials, in which one commercial product was evaluated, have been
documented and are available in a final report published by the DOC. Key
findings include: Battery life is important and may be impacted by the amount of
time the offender is allowed to be in the community; false alarms about the
bracelet being lost may depend on the type of bracelet; GPS signal acquisition
may be difficult when leaving a building in an "urban canyon" or when riding on
a bus; poor phone lines in an offender's living quarters (e.g., old hotels) may
impact reporting to the monitoring station; and clothing may impact GPS
reception. For more information and access to the report, contact Mike Epstein
at NLECTC-West, 888-548-1618, epstein@law-west.org.

An Intelligence Center for the 21st Century
NLECTC-Northeast
A piece of information collected by a police officer might seem insignificant, but
when combined with other pieces and further analyzed it may yield intelligence
that could deter a crime or uncover a terrorist plot. The partnership of the law
enforcement and intelligence communities is key to confronting today's complex
criminal landscape. Prior to September 11, 2001, intelligence collection efforts
were often informal and lacked structure. Today, however, a proactive
approach to policing is needed and intelligence collection must include all
Federal, State, county, and local agencies. The Upstate New York Regional
Intelligence Center (UNYRIC), a multiagency, colocated intelligence center,
collects, analyzes, and disseminates intelligence. It also makes relevant Federal
counterterrorism information available in realtime to police officers and offers a
model to guide information-sharing initiatives in other States.
NLECTC-Northeast is partnering with the New York State Police to support a
systematic method for defining how technology is applied and integrated
(technology insertion) at the center. The technology insertion model involves
planning and direction (determining what you need to know), collection
(gathering what you do not know), analysis and production (transforming
information into intelligence), and dissemination (releasing and delivering
intelligence). For more information about UNYRIC and the support provided
by NLECTC-Northeast, call 888-338-0584, ask for Maureen Regan,
maureen.regan@dolphtech.com, or Deborah Cutler, debra@dolphintech.com. 

Body Armor Safety Initiative
NLECTC-National
In response to concerns from the law enforcement community, the U.S.
Department of Justice began an initiative that addresses the reliability of body
armor used by law enforcement personnel and examines the future of
bullet-resistant technology and testing. In conjunction with NLECTC-National
and the Office of Law Enforcement Standards, the National Institute of Justice
is examining Zylon(r)-based bullet-resistant vests (both new and used) and
reviewing the existing process by which bullet-resistant vests are certified. The
results of the studies are being communicated as rapidly as possible to law
enforcement and the public via a recently established webpage
(www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/sciencetech/body_armor.htm). The webpage includes
information about NIJ's research, official statements, and other resources on the
topic of body armor safety. Law enforcement and corrections agencies seeking
more information about the Body Armor Safety Initiative should contact
NLECTC-National, 800-248-2742 or asknlectc@nlectc.org. Media inquiries
should be directed to the Office of Communication, 202-307-0703 or
askojp@ojp.usdoj.gov.

'Fingering' Inmates
NLECTC-Southeast
Physically accounting for institutionalized inmates is critical. Currently in the
United States, a manual count with physical identification of each inmate is done
an average of five times a day. These counts are labor intensive and risky in
terms of margin for error. They also present opportunities for inmates to
frustrate and disrupt security efforts. Biometric identification using
finger-imaging technology may be a viable alternative. NLECTC-Southeast, in
partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is developing a portable
biometric identification scanner as a tool to undertake inmate counts. The
Southeast Center envisions that with a biometric counting system correctional
officers will use handheld units to scan inmates' fingerprints and send them back
to a central database, which will confirm the fingerprint as a match and, in less
than 5 seconds, send back the inmate's mug shot for visual verification. As
correctional officers complete their scanning rounds, the central unit or database
will generate a report that indicates either all inmates have been accounted for
or lists those who are missing. Although the biometric counting system may
have little impact on the time it takes to perform an initial count, it will
completely eliminate the need for second counts and rollcall counts. It also will
immediately provide data on missing inmates. For more information about
finger-imaging technology and its use in corrections, contact Rob Donlin,
800-292-4385 or donlin@nlectc-se.org.

Helping Hand for Handwriting Analysis
National Institute of Justice
Through funding from the National Institute of Justice, State University of New
York (SUNY) researchers are developing a software system, called
CEDAR-FOX, to perform tasks used by forensic document examiners (FDEs)
in the examination of handwriting evidence (such as ransom notes, forged
checks, etc.). CEDAR-FOX, which runs on Windows(r) platforms,
automatically extracts and analyzes handwriting features. It can compare a
handwriting sample to a database or compare two handwriting samples to each
other. The software system includes a mechanism for learning from writer
samples, retrieval from a database of handwriting samples, and providing a
measure of the strength of evidence in performing a handwriting match. The
information processing model incorporates the methods used by FDEs,
including the discriminating elements of handwriting (relative proportions of
letter sizes, legibility, lexeme characteristics, etc.). It also addresses the
individuality of handwriting and the error rates associated with determining
whether two handwriting samples originated from the same writer. For more
information, contact Dr. Sargur Hari Srihari, Center of Excellence for
Document Analysis and Recognition, SUNY at Buffalo, 716-645-6164, ext.
113, or srihari@cedar.buffalo.edu.

Crossing the Boundary With Data Analysis
NLECTC-Rocky Mountain
A white paper detailing the Kansas City Regional Crime Analysis Geographic
Information System (KCRCAGIS) project is available from NLECTC-Rocky
Mountain. The KCRCAGIS project is a cooperative effort between the Rocky
Mountain Center and a group of nine police departments from the Kansas City,
Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri area. The goal of KCRCAGIS is to
develop a system to help different departments within a given geographic region
to securely share crime analysis data in numerous different formats via the
Internet. According to NLECTC-Rocky Mountain, results have been
impressive thus far. System participants now have access to each other's data
and can perform analyses on any events that occur, regardless of jurisdictional
boundaries. Query capabilities include location, date, time, modus operandi,
and suspect and vehicle information. For a copy of the white paper or more
information, contact Danelle DiGiosio, 800-416-8086, cmap@du.edu.

Calling Inspector Raman
Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization
The Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLETC) is
assisting Wyoming-based company DeltaNu in the commercialization of a
real-time, handheld crime scene investigation laboratory called Inspector
Raman(tm). The device uses Raman spectroscopy, a method of chemical
analysis that enables real-time reaction monitoring and characterization of
compounds in  noncontact manner. A sample is illuminated with a laser and the
scattered light collected. The wavelengths and intensities of the scattered light
can be used to accurately identify most chemical materials. Raman
spectroscopy technology is already widely used in the chemical, polymer,
semiconductor, and pharmaceutical industries because of its high information
content and ability to avoid sample contamination. Currently, the device is
under field evaluation by a major metropolitan law enforcement agency. It also
was one of eight demonstration technologies presented at the September 2004
meeting of OLETC's Advisory Council. In addition, representatives of DeltaNu
attended OLETC's Commercialization Planning Workshop(r). For more
information about Inspector Raman or commercialization assistance provided
by OLETC, contact Wayne Barte, 888-306-5382 or wbarte@oletc.org.

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

It's Phishing Season

"Phishing" (pronounced: fishing) may lend itself to corny headlines, but it
describes a serious, sophisticated practice in which Internet con artists-using
bogus e-mails and websites designed to look like those of legitimate companies,
banks, or government agencies-trick unwitting customers into divulging sensitive
financial and personal information.

Staff at the CyberScience Laboratory (CSL) in Rome, New York, have been
gathering information on this phishing epidemic for many months to share with
law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Funded by the
National Institute of Justice to be a national resource center in the fight against
cybercrime, CSL has begun to get requests for training, assistance, and
outreach on this proliferating online crime. 

In a typical phishing scam, the perpetrator copies the webpage code from a
well-known site (such as eBay(r), Citibank, or AOL(r)) and uses it to set up a
replica page, complete with company logo, fonts, styles, and links to mimic the
real company webpages. He or she then uses spamming techniques to send a
million or more e-mails with a single click. The e-mails advise Internet users that
their billing information needs to be confirmed or updated because of a
technical or security problem and directs them to click on a hyperlink to reach
the official corporate or institutional website.

In actuality, the link sends them to the scammer's look-alike page. Once there,
the user is asked to provide credit card information, password, personal
identification number, Social Security number, mother's maiden name, and other
closely guarded data. Armed with this information, the scammer can proceed to
run up charges in the user's name, empty bank accounts, apply for loans or new
credit cards, and commit many other types of identity theft.

According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), an industry
watchdog organization, consumer phishing attacks are on the rise. In April
2004, 1,125 unique new attacks were reported-an increase of 180 percent
over the previous month. (The number of attacks may even be higher, because
APWG can only report the number of scams they hear about.) The group
estimates that about 5 percent of phishing e-mail recipients "take the bait," but if
1 million e-mails are sent out, 50,000 people will be victims. 

Gartner, Inc. (http://www4.gartner.com/Init), an information technology
research firm, estimates that 

o More than 57 million Internet users in the United States have received some
sort of e-mail related to a phishing scam.

o Close to 2 million checking accounts have been exploited. 

o Annual losses associated with phishing exceed $2 billion.

In July 2004, CSL's Jeffrey Isherwood discussed phishing scams at a meeting
of the U.S. Secret Service's Electronic Crimes Task Force during a cybercrime
seminar in Charlotte, North Carolina. Isherwood covered such topics as how
to spot phishing e-mails, tools for analyzing e-mail headers and tracking
phishing e-mail to its source, and the need for law enforcement agencies to
educate the public about phishing.

"Public awareness is the key, as it is in [fighting] all types of crime," says
Isherwood. "People need to be suspicious of any e-mail that solicits credit card
or other confidential information; that is not how legitimate companies work."
And he cautions that those receiving a phishing e-mail should not click on the
hyperlink and should not send a hard copy to report the incident; rather, they
should forward the e-mail as an attachment to an appropriate resource (see "If
You Get Hooked . . ."). To trace a bogus e-mail, investigators need to "look
under the hood" at the code beneath the headers to figure out its source-not a
simple task. Phishing e-mails are often relayed through dozens of servers in an
attempt to hide the sender's true location.

Law enforcement agencies interested in learning about the methods of phishing
scammers and the resources available to thwart them can contact the
CyberScience Laboratory at 888-338-0584 or register at
www.cybersciencelab.com

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

If You Get Hooked . . .

If you receive a possible phishing e-mail, do not respond to it. Send copies of
the e-mail to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at uce@ftc.gov and to the
Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@antiphishing.org. Also send a
copy of the e-mail to the "abuse" e-mail address at the company that is being
spoofed (e.g., spoof@ebay.com).

If you have already disclosed your personal information to a possible phishing
e-mail or website, immediately file an online complaint with the Internet Crime
Complaint Center (a joint project of the FBI and the National White Collar
Crime Center) at http://www.ic3.gov. Also go to the FTC's identity theft
website at http:www.consumer.gov/idtheft and follow the directions there for
reporting information to credit bureaus, credit card companies, and law
enforcement.

In addition, an article titled "Protect Yourself Online" in the September 2004
edition (Vol. 69, No. 9) of Consumer Reports offers information and resources
regarding phishing scams, computer viruses, junk e-mail (spam), and spyware.

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

Recent Publications

The following publications are available through the National Law Enforcement
and Corrections Technology Center-National:

Michigan State Police Tests 2005 Patrol Vehicles. This bulletin summarizes the
test results from the Michigan State Police 2005 model year patrol vehicle
evaluations. 

2005 Model Year Vehicle Evaluation. This equipment performance report
contains the complete results of comprehensive tests conducted by the
Michigan State Police on 2005 model year police patrol vehicles. Vehicles
were subjected to major tests and evaluations, including vehicle dynamics
testing, acceleration and top-speed testing, brake testing, ergonomics and
communications evaluations, and fuel economy evaluations. 

NLECTC Tests Walk-Through Metal Detectors for Public Safety
Applications. This bulletin summarizes the results of testing performed on five
models of walk-through metal detectors. The models were tested for
compliance with the National Institute of Justice's walk-through metal detector
standard. (This document is law enforcement sensitive. Requests for copies
must be made on agency letterhead.) 

Equipment Performance Report: Walk-Through Metal Detectors. This
equipment performance report presents detailed results of testing performed on
five models of walk-through metal detectors. The models were tested for
compliance with the National Institute of Justice's walk-through metal detector
standard. (This document is law enforcement sensitive. Requests for copies
must be made on agency letterhead.) 

To obtain the above publications, write NLECTC, 2277 Research Boulevard,
Mail Stop 8J, Rockville, MD 20850; telephone 800-248-2742; or e-mail
asknlectc@nlectc.org. Publications also can be downloaded from JUSTNET at
www.justnet.org unless otherwise noted. 

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

National Criminal Justice Reference Service

In addition to funding the National Law Enforcement and Corrections
Technology Center, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and other Federal
agencies support the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS),
assisting a global community of policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and
the general public with justice-related research, policies, and programs.

NCJRS offers reference and referral services, publications, onsite and offsite
conference support, and other technical assistance. The easiest way to access
NCJRS is online.

Start at http://www.ncjrs.org. The NCJRS website showcases the latest
criminal and juvenile justice and drug policy information. Take advantage of 

o Topic-specific resources.
o Online registration and ordering.
o Searchable abstracts and calendar of events databases.

Stay informed. Register at http://puborder.ncjrs.org/register to receive 

o NCJRS Catalog. A bimonthly periodical that highlights recent publications
and products and contains a convenient online order form.

o JUSTINFO. A biweekly electronic newsletter that includes links to full-text
versions of printed publications.

o E-mail notifications. Periodic messages about new publications and resources
that match 

your specific interests.

Ask questions. Share comments. Get answers to your questions or share
suggestions about NCJRS services at 

o http://askncjrs.ncjrs.org (questions)
o http://tellncjrs.ncjrs.org (comments)

NCJRS Contact Information at a Glance

Web: http://www.ncjrs.org
Phone: 800-851-3420 (Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. e.s.t.)
Fax: 301-519-5212
Mail: NCJRS, P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-6000

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

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.