Title: TechBeat Spring 2003 Series: N/A Author: National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center Published: April 2003 Subject: Technology for Law Enforcement pages: 35 bytes: 80KB 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 Spring 2003 Dedicated to Reporting Developments in Technology for Law Enforcement, Corrections, and Forensic Sciences ------------------------------- Counting With Fingers At a small-town grocery store, clerks move quickly among the shelves of canned goods and boxes of pasta, holding scanners in their palms, passing them over barcodes and flashing information back to the store's central database. A routine inventory is under way. Down the road in the State correctional facility, officers move among inmates "counting heads," not just once, but several times during the course of the day-another type of routine "inventory," but one that consumes more time and resources. Soon, however, correctional officers may have access to technology that makes counting inmates as quick and accurate as taking store inventory. Every day, at every correctional facility across the country, correctional officers take inmate head counts. Some counts are done a few times each day; others are done up to a dozen times. "Until now, a manual head count has been an institution's only option," says Rob Donlin, corrections program manager at the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ's) National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC)-Southeast. "If that manual count produces the correct number, everything is fine. But a problem happens if the manual count comes up short. Say that you are supposed to have 75 inmates in your cell block, and you come up with 74. The first thing you would do is count them all over again to make sure that you didn't make a counting error. If you come up with 74 again, then you know that someone is missing, but you don't know who." When a situation such as this occurs, staff conduct a roll call to determine who is missing, a tedious process than can take hours. Meanwhile, administrators may notify local law enforcement of a potential escape, but until staff complete the roll call, administrators cannot provide a name or a description. By later this year, however, a new scenario may be in place. BWX Technologies, which operates the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has teamed up with NLECTC-Southeast to develop a portable biometric identification scanner that uses technology similar to the devices that perform those grocery store inventories. A prototype of this biometric counting system is currently undergoing extensive field testing in a number of correctional facilities. Donlin says that with the envisioned biometric counting system, correctional officers will use handheld units to scan inmates' fingerprints and send them back to a central database. The central unit will check the fingerprint for a match in the database and, in less than 5 seconds, will send back the inmate's mug shot for visual verification. When all officers have completed their scanning rounds, the central unit will generate a report either indicating that all inmates have checked in or listing those who are missing. He says that while the counting system may have little effect on the time it takes to perform an initial count, it will eliminate the need for second counts and roll call counts. It also will immediately provide data on missing inmates, including their fingerprints and mug shots. Although using scanners to verify fingerprints is not new, using them to verify inmate fingerprints is. In an effort to keep down the ultimate cost of a biometric counting system, BWX Technologies staff searched extensively for commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology that met the requirements they received from NLECTC-Southeast. While the idea for a biometric counting system for correctional applications came out of an NLECTC brainstorming session, Donlin says, BWX Technologies Y-12 staff made it a reality. "They're the brains behind it. We just go in with the ideas and say, 'Make it happen.' I'm sure someone, somewhere, has looked into developing a biometric counting system before, but when we asked for it, the people at Oak Ridge came up with a winner." The winner they came up with was a commercially available biometric device that includes a fingerprint scanner, a speaker that beeps when the scan is complete, and a full-color screen to display the mug shot. The device also includes voiceprint recognition, a full keyboard, and a smart-card scanner, among other features. "It will do a whole lot more than what we have in mind. It has lots more buttons than we need," says BWX Technologies' Ron Cain. As part of the COTS approach, the existing scanner, which weighs about 31/2 pounds, including a battery, and costs about $5,000, is being used in the field tests. Then, Cain says, a stripped-down version will be created once testing is complete. This stripped-down version, he says, may weigh less and certainly will cost less-approximately $2,000 per unit. Cain describes that final version as including only an on/off button, the fingerprint scanner, the speaker, and the display. It will use wireless technology to transmit fingerprints to a database maintained on an ordinary PC, and will run on Windows(r) CE 3.0, an operating system designed for PDAs (personal digital assistants). Although using existing technology made Cain and coworker Kibbee Streetman's job easier, they still had to research the technology, design the database, and anticipate snags. "One of our biggest challenges is that all of these ideas we have talked about are very doable with existing wireless technology, but questions remain about how well it will work in a correctional environment, where there is a lot of concrete and a lot of metal that could interfere with transmission," Cain says. "If this seems to be a problem when testing reaches the maximum-security level, we may need to install repeaters to boost the signal." Initially, field testing began in a correctional facility work center, which does not have large amounts of concrete and metal. Testing is continuing at a number of other facilities that have various security levels. But at every security level, evaluators, and ultimately future users, must deal with inmates who will try to beat the system. Donlin says that the system's database can store all 10 fingerprints for every inmate, allowing a correctional officer to choose any finger at random. This helps block attempts by inmates to try such tactics as sanding their thumbprints or making a phony thumb that slips over their own but uses a cast of someone else's print. Since the database sends back the mug shot that corresponds with a given fingerprint, a correctional officer who sees someone else standing in front of him knows someone is trying to trick the system. The difficulty of altering or faking all 10 fingerprints definitely played a role in the decision to use fingerprints as a biometric indicator, according to Cain and Streetman, who say that NLECTC-Southeast's original request specified only that the counting system be based on a unique biometric identifier. They also considered voiceprints and even a new, developing technology that scans the veins under the skin. "Fingerprints seemed like the best choice, because they are hard for someone to change, yet simple for the inmate and the correctional officer to scan," Cain says. Because BWX Technologies' contract with DOE allows the group to perform work for other agencies under certain conditions, NLECTC-Southeast was able to approach the contractor about developing a biometric counting system. "If we go out and solve a technology problem for someone else, and can later apply that solution to work done for DOE, it's a win-win situation," Cain says. DOE wins because the agency gains access to information on new technology, and NLECTC-Southeast and the corrections community win because it is hard to get the private sector interested in developing technology for the corrections community. "Corrections is a very small field from a business standpoint," Donlin says. "There are a lot of things that would make the job easier, but the business world doesn't look into developing them because there wouldn't be enough profit in the product. The correctional field either has to use existing technology or find people, such as NIJ, who will listen to what they have to say and do the research and development." Members of the corrections community got their chance to have input into the system's development, which is being funded by NIJ, during a Corrections Technology Workshop sponsored by NLECTC- Southeast last fall. Cain says that he came to give a 10- to 15-minute presentation on doing inmate counts, and came away with numerous ideas for other uses for the system. Participants suggested tying the fingerprints to a medical database, so health professionals could pull up complete medical records and also be sure that one inmate was not trying to get another's medication; using the system to track inmates on a work detail; and restricting access to certain areas by placing scanners outside each location and using them for portal control. Expanding on the latter suggestion, Donlin explains that an inmate who works in the cafeteria would be allowed into that area early in the morning, but other inmates could not go inside until mealtime. "Inmates are always playing games," he says. "They get paid, say, 40 cents a day to work in the work center, and they report to work, but then they say they have to go to the doctor, they have to go to the psychologist, they spend the whole day running around, then claim they were there the whole time. Using this system for portal control would track their movements and verify their movements for that day." As the system comes into full use in numerous correctional facilities, Cain expects corrections personnel to come up with even more ways to use the fingerprint scanner. "Just like new versions of software come out all the time, we will keep coming out with new versions of the biometric counting system that can do more things." For more information on the biometric counting system project, call Rob Donlin, 800-292-4385, or e-mail, donlin@nlectc-se.org. ------------------------------- Up Close From a Distance Investigators have only one chance to protect and secure a crime scene, collect evidence, and document images for future review. But crime scenes by their nature are often chaotic. Vital evidence can be inadvertently overlooked, contaminated, or even destroyed by the best-intentioned investigators. The use of teleforensics technology under evaluation by the El Paso, Texas, Police Department may reduce crime scene problems as it aids investigations. Teleforensics allows investigators at a remote location to view a crime scene as evidence is being gathered. A technician at the crime scene uses a camcorder (handheld or helmet cam) that is outfitted with a wireless transmitter. The camcorder transmits images via radio frequency to a monitor for detectives to view in real time. Concurrently, the recorder makes a videotape for investigators to view before questioning witnesses or to recreate the crime scene. Teleforensics helps protect potential evidence by limiting the number of people allowed inside the crime scene. It gives police a record of the crime scene before it is altered. It can help identify valuable evidence, speed up the investigation, and develop leads. Teleforensics provides outside investigators with the same information as those at the crime scene, which improves their analysis of the scene. The El Paso teleforensics project began in 1999 when the Border Research and Technology Center (BRTC), a program of the National Institute of Justice, provided equipment to the department. This initial equipment, dubbed the investigator's toolkit, consisted of little more than a microphone and a camera in a briefcase. Using low-cost, commercial- off-the-shelf technology, BRTC's technology partner Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, created a prototype for the department to evaluate during covert operations. BRTC's mission, says its director, Chris Aldridge, is to work with law enforcement agencies and other entities to strengthen technology capabilities along the Nation's borders. Aldridge says the El Paso Police Department was chosen for the project not only because El Paso is a border city, but also because its officers are "technology champions." El Paso Homicide Commander Michael Czerwinsky has become a teleforensics expert. Czerwinsky gives presentations on the technology at conferences all over the country. He first used the toolkit when he was a lieutenant in the department's Intelligence and Vice Unit. In the project's first phase, Czerwinsky and two other members of the unit-Sgt. Darwin Armitage and Sgt. Arthur McDaniel-used a briefcase version of the toolkit in undercover surveillance to obtain audio and video evidence. The number of pleas increased because of "the high quality of the evidence that was presented to the [District Attorney's] office" from the toolkit, Czerwinsky says. When he was promoted to commander of the Homicide Division, Czerwinsky realized the toolkit could be adapted for use in crime scene investigations, and he asked Armitage and McDaniel to modify it. They took the toolkit apart and pieced together a new version using existing and donated equipment. They then tested the components at a dummy crime scene set up for the Homicide Division. Armitage notes they initially used a small camera worn around the neck, hooked it up to a transmitter, and sent the video to a receiver in the toolkit. The video was disappointing. But once they plugged a wireless transmitter into a standard handheld camcorder, the quality of the transmission improved significantly. "This is a big improvement over typical homicide investigations, where detectives would go into the scene, take a couple of shots, and then come out and try to explain what they saw based on the photographs," Armitage says. "Photos don't even compare to you seeing it live." Czerwinsky says the teleforensics project entered its second phase when investigators tested the toolkit during four homicide investigations. In the first case, a female stabbing victim was found dead in her home. Using the toolkit, investigators viewed not only the victim and her injuries, but also crime scene evidence. As a technician recorded the scene, investigators at the command post watching the live feed noticed a piece of mail in the house with an inmate number. Investigators determined that the letter came from a relative of the victim who was serving time on drug charges. "That provided a possible motive or connection," Czerwinsky says. "Discovering such evidence so early in the investigation is invaluable." In the second case in which the toolkit was used, another woman was found murdered in her home. Investigators viewing the live feed of the scene quickly determined that the case required expert forensic analysis of blood-spatter patterns and latent fingerprints. In the past, Czerwinsky says, investigations could be slowed down because investigators had to wait for the walkthrough to determine how the scene should be analyzed, then they had to wait for the experts to arrive. Using the toolkit, investigators can determine which experts are needed even before a walkthrough is completed. The toolkit also helps investigators determine whether additional equipment should be sent to the scene. Furthermore, it helps investigators and technicians make decisions faster. In a multiple homicide investigation, Armitage says, the medical examiner viewing the crime scene on a monitor at the command post was able to formulate a preliminary approach to the autopsies. "She knew well in advance what she would need." While these investigations proved that teleforensics aids crime scene analysis, they also revealed flaws in the system. The signal from the transmitter was weak, which sometimes caused the video feed to break up and radio transmissions to fade out. Police also were concerned about possible media interception of the live feed, since the transmissions were not encrypted. Moreover, there were concerns about the legality of presenting evidence from the toolkit in court. To address these concerns, Czerwinsky gave the District Attorney's office an overview of the project. "They gave us their blessing," he says. After proving the concept of teleforensics at four crime scenes, the project moved into its third phase-using helmet cameras equipped with the technology at critical incidents such as protests, riots, or hostage situations, that require the intervention of SWAT teams. Czerwinsky notes the use of teleforensic technology in critical incidents means the incident commander no longer has to make critical decisions based only on oral briefings from on-scene personnel, radio transmissions by officers, and cell phone traffic. Without seeing what is happening for themselves, he says, commanders can have a hard time getting the information they need. "There are a lot of officers on radios, and there is a lot of screaming, and it can get chaotic. But with helmet cams, a live video feed is streamed to the command post, which gives the commander more information to make a better decision." In addition, Czerwinsky says that video from the scene of a critical incident helps investigators re-create the incident. Traditionally, investigators interview witnesses to a critical incident and piece together what happened. "When the SWAT team goes in, their job is to save lives and eliminate any threat. They're going to destroy the crime scene. They'll be stepping on blood, removing victims, altering evidence. But that's their mission. The crime scene is secondary. The helmet camera allows investigators to see the crime scene before it was altered." Adds Czerwinsky, "I'm not saying [the tape] will have everything on it, but it will eliminate a lot of confusion." Investigators tested the helmet cameras at two mock school-shooting scenarios. At the first mock shooting, an investigator followed SWAT team members with a camcorder as the team entered the school. The transmission from inside the incident was sent to a 25-inch monitor located with incident commanders. The result: "Although we were able to get some good video," Armitage says, "the quality was not as good as transmissions from the crime scene investigations. But it worked. . . . They were watching what the SWAT team was doing." Based on the feedback from SWAT team members, Armitage and Richard Sparks, a specialist at SNL, developed a prototype helmet cam using surplus Army helmets that had been donated to the El Paso Police Department. These prototypes were tested by SWAT team members at a second mock school shooting. As contact team members entered the school wearing the helmet cam, recovery team members watched the action on a pocket-sized monitor. The only problem encountered was electromagnetic and radio interference. "The transmitters are really low powered, not real high quality, and they just don't send video through the building very well," Armitage says. He notes that the test was "a good learning experience. We are working to resolve this problem." According to Armitage, most investigators have been receptive to teleforensics technology. He says veteran investigators take time to warm up to the idea, but once they see what the technology can do, they like it. SWAT team members especially liked the helmet cam because the recovery team could see what the contact team was doing inside the school, a clear advantage over radio communications. "When the contact team goes in [with the helmet cam], the recovery team can see where a victim is and know exactly how to get there," Armitage says. SWAT team members also approved of the pole cameras that were created for the mock shooting, which enabled them to see around corners and above and below stairwells. The appeal of this technology, Czerwinsky says, is that it is affordable and user friendly and can be easily modified to fit a department's needs. It is well suited to smaller agencies that do not have the budgets to buy state-of-the-art equipment from a vendor. Moreover, he says, when buying from a vendor, "you're stuck with what the vendor gives you." The intention for the investigator's toolkit is to develop a plug-and-play system that works with simple, off-the-shelf technology. "The goal of this project is to show departments that there is equipment out there that they can put together without having to spend thousands and thousands of dollars," Armitage says. Before receiving the investigator's toolkit, the El Paso department bought an expensive video-only system, he says, that "really wasn't functional. The video was just awful. You couldn't see anything." Czerwinsky and his team strongly believe the toolkit could become an industry standard. Although other departments may be using similar technology, he says, "no one is using it in the same way." The next step is sending the video feed over the Internet so commanders can view a crime scene or critical incident on laptops or PCs at their desks. At one of the mock school shootings, El Paso investigators used a modem to transmit video to police headquarters about 20 miles away. "The video was fluttered and had a 30-second delay because the technology being used was low end," Czerwinsky says. "But we were just trying to prove that it would work." In the meantime, further refinements are being made to the toolkit. SNL is working on a newer version that will have infrared lighting for night vision capabilities, longer battery life, and improved range of transmission. El Paso Chief of Police Carlos Leon says he is honored that his department was chosen for this initiative and is excited about the possibilities both for his department and for departments across the country. He believes the investigator's teleforensics toolkit will save lives. For general information on the teleforensics toolkit for investigators, call Commander Michael Czerwinsky, 915-585-6115 or e-mail, MichaelC@ci.el-paso.tx.us. For technical questions call Sgt. Darwin Armitage, 915-759-2000 or e-mail, eppdradar@msn.com; or call Sgt. Arthur McDaniel, 915-544-7633, or e-mail, ArthurM@ci. el-paso.tx.us. ------------------------------- Commericalization: Pushing the Idea "Some of the best ideas for new products come from those who know a better way to do the job, but who lack the business acumen or capital," says Nick Tomlin, deputy director of the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ's) Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLETC), part of the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center system. "We give their ideas a push to get them out to the field more quickly. Since 1995, our mission has been to put technology into the hands of law enforcement and corrections." OLETC's decision to provide commercialization assistance to a particular technology depends on whether that technology will add genuine value to the public safety field and falls within the needs and priorities established by the Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Advisory Council (LECTAC). LECTAC is a national body of more than 100 criminal justice and public safety professionals representing local, State, and Federal agencies; associations; and courts. The advisory council also has representatives from Canada, the United Kingdom, and Israel. Tomlin says that if a technology meets the criteria, OLETC stands ready to provide market research and evaluation; application and competitive analysis; and information on intellectual property, licensing, strategic partnerships, and capital formation. OLETC also provides operational demonstration opportunities and coaches participants in project management and commercialization planning. In addition to its day-to-day commercialization assistance initiatives, Tomlin says OLETC hosts three to four Commercialization Planning Workshops(r) each year for entrepreneurs with little experience in commercializing a product or for established businesses that want to pursue the public safety market. These 5-day workshops give technologists the tools and knowledge they need to take their ideas or products to market. OLETC also sponsors a yearly National Commercialization Conference to bring manufacturers and venture capitalists together with technologists and inventors. But the ultimate opportunity to demonstrate new technologies and receive feedback, Tomlin says, occurs at the annual Mock Prison Riot at the former West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville. The event brings together hundreds of corrections officers and tactical teams to use and assess new technologies in realistic situations. Organized by NIJ, OLETC, the National Corrections and Law Enforcement Training and Technology Center, and the West Virginia Division of Corrections, the 2003 Mock Prison Riot on April 27-30 is expected to showcase 75 different technologies for almost 1,200 law enforcement and corrections professionals. For more information about the commercialization assistance and activities offered through the Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization or the technologies mentioned in this article, call 888-306-5328 or log on to the center's website, www.oletc.org. For information about the Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Advisory Council, contact Jeff Vining, 800-248-2742, or e-mail, jvining@nlectc.org. ------------------------------- What could an orthopedic surgeon, a manufacturer of hearing equipment, an engineer from Ireland, and a former patrol officer possibly have in common? Three things. They developed technologies they thought would benefit law enforcement and corrections officers, they lacked the experience or knowledge to bring these technologies into the criminal justice market, and they received commercialization assistance from the Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLETC). Hand-in-Glove Fit While the overall rate of AIDS[1] in the prison population is five times greater than that of the general population in the United States, an even larger problem may be hepatitis C, an incurable liver infection that can be spread through contact with blood and is generally contracted through intravenous drug use and shared needles. An estimated 1.4 million prisoners infected with hepatitis C travel in and out of the Nation's prisons and jails each year.[2] Needle-stick injuries occur often in law enforcement, too, and less than 40 percent of officers injured seek medical attention.[3] Every time an officer pats down a suspect or inmate, that officer runs a risk of serious illness, even death. Arizona surgeon Dr. Neal Gimbel had been experimenting with puncture-resistant gloves to protect medical staff from needle sticks and bloodborne diseases since the early 1980s. He worked on his ideas using hand molds and a vat of latex, first in his garage laboratory and then in corporate laboratory facilities. His perseverance paid off in 1995, when he received the first of four patents, and with the help of private investors launched the Gimbel Glove Company. In 1999, Gimbel contacted the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) on how to approach the public safety market with the puncture-resistant gloves developed for the medical community. NIJ referred him to OLETC for help. OLETC invited Gimbel to bring his protective gloves to that year's Mock Prison Riot. "The Mock Prison Riot is a great opportunity to do shoe-leather type of research for anyone marketing to the public safety community," says Wayne Barte, OLETC project manager. "If your product can't stand the rigors of real-life exercises, don't bring it. If these people don't like something, they'll tell you. They are very honest. They need to be-their lives depend on it." Although the puncture-resistant gloves received strong positive feedback at the mock riot, sales were slow. "Law enforcement is an industry with well-connected, mature relationships that are hard to crack regardless of how good a new product may be," Barte says. "The company had sales representatives direct calling agencies with more than 100 officers and telemarketers calling smaller agencies, but they weren't making much headway. They were a small startup company out of Phoenix and no one ever heard of them before." The company, according to Barte, needed a well-connected distribution partner that could get the gloves into the market. In keeping with its mission to get ideas into the marketplace, OLETC arranged for company president Gordon Pardy to meet with a representative from the Hatch Corporation, which has sold protective gear for more than 10 years. The gloves fit into Hatch's product line, and in May 2001, the two companies became partners in the marketing, sale, and distribution of the Gimbel Frisk and Search Gloves. "We received invaluable assistance from OLETC," Pardy says. "We needed feedback from our potential [public safety] users, and we needed to learn how to adapt our marketing strategy from the medical community, which we knew, to that of the public safety market." Hear It With Your Bones More and more, law enforcement and corrections officers are sharing the same equipment needs as firefighters and other emergency response personnel. The ability to communicate over high noise levels is as much a priority with firefighters as it is with police. Also, corrections officers must work daily in cell blocks-open areas of steel and concrete, where the confusing din of shouting and clanging during a disturbance makes officer communication extremely difficult. OLETC and the Fire Fighting Task Force (FFTF) are helping to commercialize a technology originally developed for the U.S. Navy SEALs that allows all branches of public safety to communicate over high noise levels. "You literally hear with your bones," says Harold Holsopple, president of Sensory Devices, whose company licensed the technology used to develop the Radioear tactical headset. According to Holsopple, bone conduction technology bypasses the outer ear, sending and receiving audio signals via vibrations in the skull or cheek bones instead. It leaves the ears either uncovered and alert to surrounding sounds or covered and protected against background noise, as the user prefers. The perception of speaking and hearing is the same as in normal conversation. Because the microphone and receiver work by "hearing" with the bone structure of the head, tactical officers who do not want to be heard by suspects can communicate with each other in a hushed whisper that is easily heard by other members of the team. Also, because sound is transmitted through the bones, officers can maintain clear radio communication with each other with minimum interference from ambient noise in situations with very high noise levels. The origin of the Radioear headset goes back a few years to when FFTF coordinator Robert Saba visited the U.S. Naval Coastal Station in Panama City, Florida, in search of potential technologies for use by firefighters. There, he came across the "head contact microphone," a technology developed by Naval Surface Warfare Center engineer Frank Downs at the request of the U.S. Navy SEALs. The SEALs were looking for a miniature waterproof microphone to use in full-face masks to overcome wind noise on high-speed boats. Saba immediately recognized its potential for firefighting applications. In early 1998, Saba and Downs took a prototype of the head contact microphone, which had been incorporated into a firefighter's helmet, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for feedback from potential users. The technology, which was patented by the U.S. Navy, had been vividly demonstrated at a Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Conference in San Diego, California, when a fire company created 110 decibels of noise by running a chain saw, a pumper, and other equipment outside the hotel where the conference was taking place. A firefighter standing outside spoke into a standard radio and was unintelligible to the listeners in the hotel, but when he spoke while wearing the prototype head contact microphone, he was easily understood. After reading about the prototype helmet in a Pittsburgh newspaper, the vice president of Sensory Devices contacted Saba. In July 1998, the company began licensing discussions with the Navy, and the company was licensed to develop and manufacture the microphone the following April. Sensory Devices already had developed communication headsets that used electromagnetic bone vibration, but only for reception. The company relied on standard air microphones for transmission. With the new technology, however, Sensory Devices was able to incorporate bone-conduction microphones for transmission. Recognizing how valuable this hands-free communication technology would be to law enforcement and corrections officers, as well as to firefighters, Saba invited Sensory Devices to demonstrate the technology at the 2000 Mock Prison Riot. Although the original mission of the FFTF was to develop technologies to assist and protect firefighters on the job, it has since developed a formal relationship between OLETC, the Federal Laboratory Consortium, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Center for Technology Commercialization to include the needs of law enforcement and corrections professionals. "The introduction of the Radioear headsets at the mock riot was positive beyond expectation," Holsopple says. "We did demonstration after demonstration." As a result of the mock riot, the Minnesota Department of Corrections ordered a number of the devices for evaluation and has since ordered more. Lt. Carol Krippner, Special Operations Response Team Commander at the State's St. Cloud facility, has used the headsets in training. "The ability to communicate quietly, without open mikes, in a stealthy entry like a hostage situation is important," she says. "The team can be right on the other side of the wall from the inmates, getting directives from a commander. They know when they're given the green light to go in, and there's no beeps or feedback that you'd have on the open mike to alert the inmates." Conversely, in dynamic entries with a lot of noise, flashbangs, smoke, and lack of visual contact, Krippner says that team leaders can still communicate without problems. Sensory Devices brought the headsets to the mock prison riots in 2001 and 2002, and will be returning for the 2003 event, during which the devices will be used and evaluated in various riot scenarios. No Barring This Door While installing vandal-proof sprinkler heads in an Irish prison, John Cosgrove of Clane, County Kildare, was asked by the warden if he knew a way to prevent inmates from barricading the doors and jamming the locks. Cosgrove, a mechanical engineer who holds international patents, went home, drew up some plans, tinkered with them, and built a prototype for a new type of door-frame system. "Imagine a situation where inmates have their shoulders to the cell door while they're beating the living daylights out of an officer inside the cell," Cosgrove says. "It takes time to gain access in those circumstances, but with this door, an officer can gain access within 15 seconds." Essentially, Cosgrove says, he designed a system that has a door within a double frame-a moving frame and a frame that's fixed to the wall. The door frame has hinges and security locks on either side of it. When the moving interior frame is unlocked, the door that normally opens into the room can then be opened out into the corridor, safely and quickly. Officers can access the barricaded area faster, without force and without damaging the door's hardware. After use, the door can be returned to full service within 15 minutes or less. In addition to its utility as a cell door, Cosgrove says, it is effective for use in passageways, clinics, and offices in jails and prisons where it can prevent prisoners from commandeering a corridor and creating unsafe, "no go" areas in a riot situation. Cosgrove says that marketing to law enforcement and corrections in Ireland and England does not differ markedly from the process in the United States. However, one important difference arises when it comes to his barricade-proof door: Unlike cell doors in Ireland, most cell doors in U.S. correctional facilities open out into the corridor, preventing them from being barricaded from inside. This means, however, that prisons and jails in the United States are built with corridors 8 to 10 feet wider to allow safe passage when the cell doors are opened. By using a door that instead opens into the cell, Cosgrove says the cost of building a correctional facility could be reduced by 10 percent because the corridors would be narrower and thus reduce the amount of square footage. Correctional facilities with reduced square footage, he says, would have lower maintenance, lighting, heating, and cooling costs. In addition to showcasing the door at the various mock riots, OLETC provided Cosgrove with information and research assistance, performed market research, and knocked on a number of doors in pursuit of manufacturing partners. In 2001, Cosgrove and Maximum Security Products entered into a manufacturing license agreement that will allow the barricade-proof door to be manufactured in the United States for the North American market. Code 3 "Back" Up The Quebec Occupational Health and Safety Research Institute found that inadequate seats in police patrol cars can cause lower back pain.[4] Driving can increase back pain in some people due to different forces-acceleration, deceleration, swaying-that act on the body when the car is in motion and the feet are being used to drive the car and cannot be placed on the floor to stabilize the body.[5] Add to those forces the hard equipment normally carried by officers on their duty belts, some of which presses against their backs and makes it impossible to get normal lumbar support. The result is back problems. Fernando Cuen used to spend up to 8 hours a day in his patrol car. Eventually he developed back problems so disabling he retired. The problem? An officer's duty belt often carries more than 20 pounds of equipment, and patrol vehicle seats are not designed to provide back support when the duty belt prevents the lower back from making contact with the seat. Although little documented research exists, anecdotal evidence shows that back pain is a real problem for officers who spend many hours in their vehicles. Cuen pondered the problem and came up with a design for a device. The Code-3 Squeeze(tm)--in California, Code 3 signifies a priority call--is an ergonomic device designed to reduce back injuries by literally squeezing vehicle seats to allow room for duty belts and their accessories. Cuen says a 10-gauge, cold, rolled-steel bar clamps around the lower back of the seat, compressing the lower portion and creating a concave space where the equipment can fit. A padded cloth slipcover fits over the metal bar to provide protection from heat or cold and a pneumatic pump can be used to inflate three air bladders, allowing the officer to customize his or her back support. Cuen, who had never been in business before, attended one of OLETC's Commercialization Planning Workshops. The result was the signing of a nationwide distribution agreement with the Enforcement Technology Group, which will market the device under the name Alleviator. [1]Maruschak, Laura, HIV in Prisons and Jails, 1999, Bulletin, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, July 2001. [2]Hepatitis C and Incarcerated Populations: The Next Wave for Correctional Health Initiatives, Washington, DC: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, November 2000. [3]Lorentz, J., L. Hill, and B. Samimi, "Occupational Needlestick Injuries in a Metropolitan Police Force," American Journal of Preventive Medicine 18 (2) (February 2000). [4]C“t‚, MichŠle, Auto Patrol Duty and Back Problems in Quebec Police Officers, Montreal: Quebec Occupational Health and Safety Research Institute, 1999. [5]Hedge, Alan, Driving and Back Care, http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1541.html. ------------------------------- 4th Annual Innovative Technologies for Community Corrections Conference June 2-4, 2003 Hyatt Regency Crystal City Arlington, Virginia This conference will spotlight the innovative use of technology in community corrections and provide a glimpse of the technologies in development that will soon be available to assist agencies with their mission performance. Tentative topics include: o Advances in Electronic Monitoring o Advances in Drug and Alcohol Testing Technologies o How To Obtain Funding for Your Technology Project o Crime Mapping for Community Corrections o Less-Than-Lethal Weapons o Supervising High-Tech Offenders o Technology for Managing Sex Offenders o Management Issues in Implementing Technology o Innovative Case Management Systems o Distance Learning and Computer-Based Training Registration fee: $125 per person (covers the cost of meals). For more information or to be placed on our mailing list for information regarding this conference, please call Jennifer Dunne at 800-416-8086, or e-mail jdunne@du.edu. Hosted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center-Rocky Mountain, a program of the National Institute of Justice. ------------------------------- Coming From NIJ Law Enforcement Technology Institute 2003 July 14-18, 2003 Washington, D.C. Each year the National Institute of Justice sponsors a technology institute specifically for midlevel law enforcement personnel from State and local departments and agencies who are involved with technology and technology initiatives. During this 5-day institute, participants receive information and assistance on existing and developing technologies, work through problems relating to technology implementation, and exchange technology lessons learned. Participants also receive briefings and demonstrations at various agencies and departments in the metropolitan area. Participants bring to the institute questions, technology problems and solutions, and a desire to accomplish their jobs more efficiently and effectively. There is no cost for the Law Enforcement Technology Institute, and all travel, food, and lodging expenses are covered. However, only 25 to 30 individuals are selected to attend. Deadline for applications is June 1, 2003. To obtain applications or to receive additional information, call the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center in Rockville, Maryland, at 800-248-2742, or send an e-mail to asknlectc@nlectc.org. Information also is available through JUSTNET at www.jusnet.org. ------------------------------- Annual Conference on Criminal Justice Research and Evaluation July 28-30, 2003 Washington, D.C. This yearly national conference offered by the National Institute of Justice is for criminal justice researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and students interested in learning more about what works in the criminal justice field. The 2003 conference will include more that 150 plenary sessions, concurrent panels, and training workshops. More than 150 leading criminal justice evaluators, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers will make presentations. This year, more than 800 participants are expected to attend. The cost of the 3-day conference, to be held at the JW Marriott Hotel, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., is $175 and does not include lodging, meals, or travel expenses. However, the government per diem rate of $150 (single occupancy) per night plus tax has been arranged with the hotel. To receive additional information or to register, contact the Institute for Law and Justice by phone, 703-684-5300; fax, 703-739-5533; or e-mail, nijpcs@ilj.org. Log on to www.nijpcs.org/RE/ RE2003/index.htm for more information. (Hotel reservations must be made directly with JW Marriott by June 20, 2003. Contact the hotel at 202-393-2000 or 800-228-9290.) ------------------------------- www.justnet.org 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. Publications from NIJ and NLECTC that you can view or download to your system. Frequently Asked Questions that offer detailed information based on thousands of calls to our information specialists. Calendar of Events that lists upcoming meetings, seminars, and training. Links that can take you to other important law enforcement and corrections websites. 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. ------------------------------- What Every Public Safety Officer Should Know About Radiation and Radioactive Materials This quick-reference poster for public safety personnel provides basic information about and an understanding of radiation, radiation hazards, and initial response. It is not intended to replace an agency's existing policies, procedures, or training. Agency response protocols should be developed and followed for response to suspect weapons of mass destruction incidents. This aid is not intended to serve as a response guide. Introduction Radiation is part of our environment. It comes from both natural and manmade sources. Natural sources include cosmic radiation from space, radioactive rocks and soils, and other radioactive materials found in food and water. Humans have been exposed to these natural radiation sources since the dawn of humanity. Manmade sources of radiation include medical diagnosis and treatment, the nuclear power industry, scientific research, consumer products, and nuclear weapons testing. What Is Radiation and What Is Contamination? Radiation is a form of energy. The atoms of some elements are radioactive and spontaneously release energy (radiation) as they transform from unstable to stable forms. Most elements are stable and do not emit radiation and therefore are not considered radioactive. Radioactive material located in a place where it is not wanted is known as contamination. For example, radioactive fuel contained in a nuclear reactor is not considered contamination. However, if that same fuel is released from the reactor into the environment during an accident, it is considered contamination. Different Kinds of Radiation Remember that radiation is a form of energy released from a radioactive atom. That energy can be released in four different forms: alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, and neutrons. Awareness of the different forms of radiation will better prepare you to protect yourself and the public. o Alpha particles can travel short distances (inches). A sheet of paper or the outer layer of a person's skin easily stops them. Radioactive materials that emit alpha particles are hazardous only when inhaled, ingested, absorbed, or injected. o Beta particles can travel farther and can pass through a sheet of paper and some clothing, but are stopped by thin metal or glass. Beta particles can damage skin, but like alpha particles the greatest hazard comes when a person inhales, ingests, absorbs, or is injected with materials that emit beta particles. o Gamma rays are similar to x rays. They travel at the speed of light through air. Concrete, lead, steel, and other dense materials can be used to block (shield) gamma rays. Gamma rays can be an extreme external body hazard. o Neutrons are extremely small atomic particles. They can travel long distances in air and are released when an atom breaks apart, a process known as fission. Water and concrete can be used to shield neutrons. Neutrons, like gamma rays, can be an extreme external body hazard. Special instrumentation and trained personnel are needed to accurately identify the form(s) of radiation. Reliable packaging information (if available) may also help to determine the radiation type. Natural Sources of Radiation Radiation emitted by radioactive elements is naturally present in soil, water, and air. Radioactive materials are found all the way up the food chain, including in humans. The human body naturally contains many radioactive elements. Building materials, such as granite, contain radioactive materials. Even the air we breathe contains small concentrations of the radioactive gas radon, which seeps from the Earth's crust. Cosmic radiation from outer space also is a source of natural radiation. The atmosphere screens out most cosmic radiation, but some still penetrates to the ground. The dose from cosmic radiation increases with altitude. As a result, people living at higher elevations receive a higher cosmic radiation dose than those living at sea level. People whose occupations require airline travel will experience a higher level of radiation exposure for the same reason. Manmade Sources of Radiation Radioactive materials can be produced in nuclear reactors. X-ray machines and nuclear reactors are examples of manmade radiation sources. Manmade radioactive materials are used in medicine, industry, research, and nuclear weapons. Medical uses of radiation can be roughly broken into diagnostic and therapeutic. Diagnostic uses include routine x rays and injection or ingestion of radioactive materials for imaging internal organs. Therapeutic applications include cancer treatments. Industrial uses include physical property measurements, smoke detectors, and weapon night sights (tritium). Special nuclear materials, such as plutonium and uranium, are used in nuclear weapons. What Is a Dirty Bomb? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the term "dirty bomb" commonly refers to a device that spreads radioactive material by exploding a conventional (non-nuclear) explosive, such as dynamite. Dirty bombs are sometimes called radiological dispersal devices. Typically, the initial threat of a dirty bomb is from the explosion, not from radioactive materials or radiation. However, the spread of radioactive contamination is likely to create hysteria and terror among the public and contaminate the exposed area. Dirty bombs are not traditional nuclear weapons and cannot cause mass devastation like a nuclear weapon or an improvised nuclear device. They are difficult to accurately describe or characterize because they may be constructed using different types of containers and virtually any industrial or medical radiation source. Detection of Radioactivity The most obvious means of determining the presence of radioactive material is by locating a radiation warning symbol on a vehicle, container, or object, or at the entrances and exits of a room or facility. Nuclear radiation cannot be seen, heard, smelled, or tasted. It can be detected, however, using proper instrumentation. Various types of detectors are required to detect specific types of radiation. Some simple radiation detection instruments are available commercially. These types of detectors include personal devices used to detect radiation exposure and are similar to those worn by x-ray or medical personnel; duty-belt-worn detectors, commonly referred to as radiation pagers, which can be used for searching for sources; handheld monitors for determining radiation exposure data; and larger, more sophisticated instrumentation, which can be used to determine the type of radioactive atoms present. The cost of these types of detectors ranges from several hundred to several thousand dollars. What Actions Do I Take If I Suspect a Radioactive Source or Contamination? Follow the protocols established by your agency. Remember: Detection and identification of a radioactive source and contamination require special training and instrumentation. The extent of contamination can depend on many factors, including the size of the explosive, if any; the amount and type of radioactive material used; the weather; and the terrain. Department policies and procedures may differ regarding whom to contact if a radiological event is suspected. Make sure you have ready access to telephone numbers to contact the appropriate resources. Supervisor: Fire/HazMat: FBI: FEMA: EPA: NRC: Other: What Are the Risks and How Do I Protect the Public and Myself? The fundamental principle in radiation protection is that all exposures should be kept to a minimum. Typically, exposure to radioactivity has no immediate symptoms (asymptomatic). We are all continually exposed to natural radiation. However, heavy exposure to intense sources, although rare, can cause radiation sickness, with initial symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Eye damage, increased cancer risk, genetic defects, and even death can result from higher exposure levels. Three key factors influence an individual's radiation dose from exposure to a given source: time, distance, and shielding. o Time. The most direct way to reduce a radiation dose is to reduce the time spent working with or in the vicinity of radiation sources. If the exposure time is cut in half, the dose will be cut in half. o Distance. When the working distance from a point radiation source is increased by a factor of two, the dose received from that source will be reduced by a factor of four. Moving from 20 feet to 40 feet from the source will decrease your exposure to 1/4 of the original exposure. o Shielding. Shielding is the use of any material to reduce the intensity of the radiation by absorbing or deflecting the radiation. Again, first and foremost, follow your agency's response protocol. If one is not available, remember: In the case of an explosion, the blast may cause injury and death to those in its immediate proximity. Also, entry without proper equipment, training, and procedures into an area with dispersed radioactive materials may put you at risk. Individuals or items suspected of being radiologically contaminated should be isolated and secured until they can be surveyed with proper radiation detection instrumentation. Only trained personnel should perform the survey and decontamination of individuals or property. The area also should be secured so that unauthorized personnel are not exposed to radiation and do not disturb the scene. Remember that dust and other airborne particles and fragments from an exploded dirty bomb may contain radioactive materials. Appropriate respiratory equipment and clothing should be worn and proper procedures followed. For more information about other resources addressing this topic, contact the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center system at 800-248-2742, or e-mail asknlectc@nlectc.org. [This poster was developed in cooperation with the Law Technology Support Center at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Technology Center, which is funded by the National Institute of Justice (Interagency Agreement #2002-LT-R-032) and is a technology partner with the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center- Southeast.] ------------------------------- 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), Operation America (bomb detection technologies), 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 co-located 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 Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8102 301-975-2757 oles@nist.gov ------------------------------- Tech Shorts TechShorts is a sampling of article abstracts published weekly as part of the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center's (NLECTC's) online information service: the Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology News Summary. Offered through JUSTNET, the website of NLECTC, this weekly news summary provides synopses of recent articles relating to technology developments and initiatives in law enforcement, corrections, and the forensic sciences that have appeared in newspapers, newsmagazines, and trade and professional journals. The summaries also are available through an electronic e-mail list, JUSTNETNews. Each week, subscribers to JUSTNETNews receive the summary directly via e-mail. To subscribe to the JUSTNETNews/Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology News Summary, e-mail your request to asknlectc@nlectc.org or call 800-248-2742. Note: Providing synopses of articles or mentioning specific manufacturers or products does not constitute the endorsement of the U.S. Department of Justice or NLECTC. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold. The NLECTC Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology News Summary should be cited as the source of the information. Copyright 2003, Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland. You've Got Jail Associated Press Law enforcement officers are using e-mail messages and electronic files to document valuable evidence that could assist in the prosecution of suspects. Computer data, dubbed the "gift that keeps on giving" by California Attorney General Tom Greene, is difficult to delete. Investigators are able to rely on backup copies of electronic messages, as deleted files on a computer's hard drive will remain until that space is overwritten with new data. Although criminals or people who simply want to protect their personal information can use encryption software to scramble their e-mail, most people are not that knowledgeable, according to prosecutors. Monitoring System Links Suspects, Crime Scenes Associated Press The Seminole County Sheriff's Office in Sanford, Florida, uses global positioning system (GPS) technology to track suspects who may be released from jail pending trials. The technology establishes connections between a suspect's whereabouts and areas where crimes took place. County Judge John Sloop says he thinks GPS is a great idea, having just slapped a Seminole EMPACT (Electronic Monitoring Protection and Crime Tracking) device on a 19-year-old man arrested on drug charges before releasing him to post bail. Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union approves of such measures as a way to reduce the need to build and expand prisons. Protection at the Pumps Canadian Security Canada's Pioneer Petroleums has installed surveillance video and point-of-sale/exception monitoring systems in 80 of its locations. While one camera is focused on the cash register to monitor transactions, another is aimed on the store floor, and, in some outlets, up to 10 cameras are focused on gas pumps. Monitoring systems are used to prevent and deter employee theft by recording unusual transactional events and matching them with video surveillance. Cameras used for pumps are fitted with telephoto lenses to allow the capture of license plate numbers if a customer fails to pay. The cameras also help to verify the legitimacy of slip-and-fall claims. Brooklyn To Join Queens Using Digital Photos for Domestic Violence Cases Associated Press The New York City Police Department, which processes approximately 90,000 domestic violence cases annually, will start admitting digital photographs as evidence in Brooklyn. This will replace the traditional use of Polaroid photos. Brooklyn will be the second New York borough whose precincts use digital photos in this capacity, the first being Queens. Law enforcement has been slower than other sectors to embrace digital photography, mainly because of conservative attitudes toward new technology and limited budgets. Digital photography offers improved lucidity, which makes signs of violence such as swollen eyes, bruises, and handprints much clearer. Furthermore, judges can receive digital images immediately through computers, thus speeding up the arraignment process and the movement of domestic violence cases through the courts. All-Seeing Scan Spares Your Blushes New Scientist Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientists have developed the 3D Body Holo Scanner, which sees through clothes and can detect any concealed weapons, even if they are nonmetallic. The scanner was originally designed to replace x-ray scanners and metal detectors at airports, but while the millimeter-band radio waves it uses do not carry the health risks associated with x-rays, the image generated reveals too many personal-and potentially embarrassing-details. Pacific Northwest's Greg Koller said the most likely initial applications of the scanner will be in embassies and prisons, and he expects its commercialization will be accelerated by the shift in public opinion toward security following September 11, 2001. The scanner produces a 3D image of the subject via sensors that pick up the reflections of the radio waves, which are processed by computer software. Pacific Northwest has attempted to tweak the software so that it can still detect weapons without endangering the subjects' modesty. Its goal is to extract key objects and superimpose them on a mannequin devoid of sexual characteristics. Prison Monitoring System Keeps Close Tabs on Inmates Chicago Tribune Some U.S. prisons are now using a radio-monitoring system that tracks prisoners and corrections officers through tamper- and water-resistant bracelets and pager-like devices, respectively, which are monitored by a network of receivers. The system reportedly conducts headcounts every 2 seconds, pinpoints the location of a prisoner or guard within 20 feet, and allows guards to signal for help. Currently, the 300-inmate Calipatria State Prison in California, a 200-inmate maximum-security juvenile prison in Michigan, and a large medium-security prison in Logan, Illinois, are among those using the system. However, the estimated $1 million cost to outfit a prison has deterred more municipalities from purchasing the system, especially in tight budget times. The system is based on technology developed about 20 years ago for military applications. In Crash Data, Lots To Debate New York Times Online Transportation experts continue to debate whether red-light cameras improve public safety. The Federal Highway Administration admits its annual crash data for Howard County, Maryland, are not definitive enough to determine the impact of the county's red-light-reduction program. However, critics suggest that red-light cameras just change the nature of car accidents from one type to another. A Charlotte, North Carolina-based study conducted over a 3-year period concluded that the number of front-to-side crashes at intersections equipped with red-light cameras decreased by 37 percent, but rear-end collisions grew 4 percent. Richard A. Retting of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concludes that despite the increase in rear-end collisions, the drop in the number of dangerous front-to-side crashes indicated in the study justifies the installation of cameras, since rear-end collisions are less deadly. The Department of Transportation reported 1,131 fatalities and 84,000 injuries in 2001 caused by drivers failing to stop at red lights. Program Aids Police in Identification Clarion Ledger To help identify people whose faces have become excessively disfigured, police in Jackson, Mississippi, have been trained to use a new facial imaging software. The software helps police reconstruct a person's face by eliminating the injury. The $5,000 computer program can also be used to make composite sketches based on eyewitnesses' accounts. Furthermore, officers can change eye color and skin tone, add scars, or place a hood on the composite. Smart Paint Creates Chameleon Tanks BBC News Online Researchers located at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the U.S. Army's Armament Research and Development Center are developing microscopic electromechanical machines called nanomachines that will be embedded in the paint that covers military vehicles. This paint will alert Army personnel if the coating has been damaged, and will be capable of self-repair. It will also reduce the vehicle's sensitivity to explosions and enable vehicles to change color and become instantly camouflaged and invisible on the battlefield. Would-Be Car Thieves Taking the Bait Tech TV Police departments around the country are increasing their use of remote control and global positioning system (GPS) technology in undercover "bait cars." The bait car appears on a city map displayed on a laptop monitor in the police department. If the vehicle is broken into, a trumpet alarm sounds and alerts police that a theft is in progress. Once the car starts moving, the location is relayed by the GPS device. "We can actually shut down the vehicle. We can kill the ignition and have the vehicle coast harmlessly to a stop. And we have the option of locking the doors so that the suspects can't escape," says Chris Dengeles, a detective with the Arlington County (Virginia) Police Department. Law enforcement has been using bait cars since 1997, but new technology is allowing police to track vehicles longer and farther, with more options for bringing the thieves to justice and collecting video and audio evidence. ------------------------------- Real-Time Forensics For the past 3 years, the National Institute of Justice has funded a joint Teleforensic Feasibility Demonstration Program with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the New York State Public Safety Administration to aid and improve investigation and collection of evidence at crime scenes. The overall goal of this program is technology that permits the investigator to analyze and transmit evidence at a crime scene to a remote location for further review. The New York State Police have played an active role in developing a crime scene vehicle that can be used for collection of crime scene data and video. The vehicle would store information and transfer video and data to a remote location in real time. NASA has developed a working group focused on developing nondestructive techniques for the analysis of physical evidence at crime scenes. In particular, the group has concentrated on studying the use of portable x-ray fluorescence analysis systems to identify gunshot residues, primer residues, blood, and semen at crime scenes. The proposed design of a field unit is based on systems initially developed for the planetary exploration program. For additional information about this joint teleforensics project, contact Ray Kimble, 202-305-4638, Kimbler@ojp.usdoj.gov. ------------------------------- Be on the Lookout 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 25 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 25 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 winter 2003 issue of TechBeat, published by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, a program of the National Institute of Justice, 800-248-2742." Questions/Comments/Story Ideas: We welcome all questions, comments, and story ideas. Please contact Rick Neimiller, TechBeat managing editor, at 800-248-2742 or e-mail rneimiller@nlectc.org. 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) 2002 PhotoDisc, Inc.; BrandX Pictures/PictureQuest; Eyewire; Digital Vision; Getty Images, Inc.; Artville; Alamy Images; Creatas; Art Explosion; and Aspen Systems Corporation. 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 technologies currently being developed by the NLECTC system, as well as other research and development efforts within the Federal Government and private industry. TechBeat is published four times a year. Managing Editor, Rick Neimiller; Contributing Writers, Becky Lewis, Stephanie Neuben, and Jackie Siegel; Editor, Michele Coppola; Assistant Editor, Brian Higgins; Graphic Designers, C. Denise Collins and Tina Kramer; Assistant Graphic Designer, Gemma Radko. ------------------------------- A New Publication The following publication is available from the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center-National: Walk-Through Metal Detectors for Use in Concealed Weapon and Contraband Detection, NIJ Standard- 0601.02. This standard establishes performance requirements and testing methods for active walk-through metal detectors used to find metal weapons and/or metal contraband carried on a person and/or concealed by a nonmetal object. This standard supersedes NIJ Standard-0601.01 published in 2000. To obtain the above publication, 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. ------------------------------- National Criminal Justice Reference Service In addition to funding the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) supports the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), an international clearinghouse on crime and justice information. NCJRS staff respond to reference questions, provide referrals to other resources, distribute NIJ and other Office of Justice Programs (OJP) documents, and maintain a mailing list of more than 45,000 registered users. In addition, NCJRS sponsors a calendar of events at www.eventcalendar. ncjrs.org, 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 1 again. The registration form is #1 on the document index. The form will be faxed to you immediately. Fax. Fax your request for a registration form to 410-792-4358. You will receive a form promptly in the mail. Online. Go to www.ncjrs.org/puborder and request registration form BC640. It will be sent to you in the mail. Or register online at www. ncjrs.org/register. Write. Send a written request to NCJRS, P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-6000. Call. Call an NCJRS information specialist at 800-851-3420 and request a registration form. As a registered user, you will receive the bimonthly NCJRS Catalog, the NCJRS Users Guide, and news and announcements of new publications and resources based on your criminal justice interests. For more information about NIJ and NCJRS, visit their websites: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij and www.ncjrs.org. ------------------------------- 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.