Title: TechBeat Winter 2004
Series: N/A
Author: National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center
Published: January 2004
Subject: Technology for Law Enforcement
pages: 30
bytes: 66KB

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

National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center 
TechBeat Fall 2003 
Dedicated to Reporting Developments in Technology for Law Enforcement,
Corrections, and Forensic Sciences 

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

A CapWIN-Win Solution 

Spanning the Potomac River just south of Washington, D.C., the Woodrow
Wilson Bridge handles tens of thousands of vehicles every day. The bridge is
part of the I-95 corridor that carries traffic along the East Coast from Maine to
Florida and part of the Capital Beltway that carries commuters between their
homes and their jobs in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. 

In 1998, a man threatening to jump from the bridge into the Potomac River
closed the bridge for more than 5 hours, bringing traffic in the region to a
standstill. Incompatible communications equipment prevented emergency
personnel from different jurisdictions on the scene from being able to
communicate with each other. This communications gap resulted in confusion
and unnecessary delay in resolving the incident and the resulting traffic
problems. 

Unfortunately, this was not a singular incident. In the Washington, D.C.,
metropolitan region, public safety personnel responding to a critical incident
involving multiple jurisdictions are often hampered by an inability to
communicate directly with other agencies. 

To address this communications gap, officials from Maryland, Virginia, and the
District of Columbia launched the Capital Wireless Integrated Network
(CapWIN) in 1999 with initial funding from the U.S. Department of
Transportation and the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ's) AGILE Program,
which helps local and State public safety agencies address interoperability
issues. 

The goal of the CapWIN project is to create the first integrated multi-State
transportation and public safety information wireless network in the United
States. Once completed, CapWIN will allow police officers, firefighters,
transportation officials, and other emergency personnel to communicate directly
with each other during a critical incident using standard laptops. As a result,
personnel from different agencies will be able to develop a coordinated
response to an incident. 

The idea behind the program "is to allow different [public safety and
transportation] agencies to communicate and to set up a logical means of doing
it," says John Binks, the CapWIN Training Manager at the University of
Maryland's Center for Advanced Transportation Technology. IBM, the primary
integrator on the project, will build the network with off-the-shelf components
and provide an open standard interface to allow participating agencies to
communicate with each other using their existing equipment. "It's much better
than trying to get three States to throw away all of their equipment and [then]
spend more money on the same type of equipment," Binks says. CapWIN also
will provide mobile computing capabilities for agencies that currently have none. 

Using a standard laptop mounted in a police cruiser or a fire truck, users will be
able to log on to the CapWIN system using a Web browser. Once logged on
to the network, they will be able to see which other agencies are logged on
using a global directory, instant-message those other users, or enter chat rooms
set up for a specific incident to find out the latest information. 

Law enforcement users will be able to use CapWIN to access crime databases
in all three jurisdictions, which, Binks says, is "groundbreaking . . . . It's a big
deal to have three different States working together" and sharing sensitive
information. Typically, when a police officer pulls over a car and runs a check
on the driver's identification, the officer is able to obtain information only from
the National Crime Information Center, which is a national crime database, and
the crime database in his or her jurisdiction. The officer may find no outstanding
warrants for the person in that State. CapWIN will allow the officer to view the
crime databases in all three jurisdictions, potentially alerting the officer that the
person is wanted in another State. Binks says the agencies determine how much
information they want to share from their databases and who can access it.
According to NIJ program manager Tom Coty, agencies will be sharing "even
hot files with each other like warrants and criminal records, and other
information they normally wouldn't share." As a result, CapWIN "will provide
much more powerful information for any participating agency in the D.C. area,"
which will make police officers "safer and more informed," Coty says. 

To date, CapWIN has already proved on a small scale that it can do what it
was designed to do. In 2001, project staff conducted a pilot project in which
22 laptops were mounted in police, transportation, and fire vehicles in the 3
jurisdictions to determine if messaging between the vehicles was possible. Says
Binks, "The idea was to see if we could get some limited technology to
communicate back and forth." With the use of the Alexandria (Virginia) Police
Department's messaging switch, the vehicles were able to interface and transfer
information from one agency to another. 

The next step in the process, according to Binks, is to conduct beta testing to
learn which aspects of the network are working well and which need to be
modified. In fall 2003, personnel from 16 agencies in the region received
training at the CapWIN Training Center on how to use the CapWIN network
interface. Next, Binks says CapWIN plans to put 56 laptops in vehicles in
target areas for about 3 months of testing. After testing is completed, Binks
says the project will be ready to go into full production. 

In addition to beta testing, Binks says CapWIN and IBM are working on an
interface for PDAs (personal digital assistants). This interface will allow
motorcycle police, police on foot patrols and horseback, and police in
helicopters to use PDAs as officers in patrol cars will use laptops-to access
criminal databases and run background checks or send instant-messages to
personnel from another agency. Binks says local agencies have already been
asking about the PDA interface "pretty aggressively." 

Currently, he says about 35 agencies in the D.C. metropolitan region are
involved with CapWIN. He expects that number to grow because CapWIN
receives daily inquiries about the project and staff are invited to appear at
conferences across the Nation to speak about the project. For agencies in the
D.C. metropolitan area that are interested in becoming involved with CapWIN,
Binks says, "All they have to do is call us." 

NIJ's Coty predicts that, if successful, CapWIN will have national implications.
"What we will get out of this is a model that can be replicated, that details how
to develop the partnerships and cooperation among the many different
agencies, and that leverages as much of the existing technology as possible."
Binks adds that a requirement of the CapWIN project is to develop a national
model that other States can adopt. To that end, a full-time standards manager is
responsible for providing documentation on everything the project has done so
it can be easily replicated. Says Binks, "That's the unique aspect of coming
through a university and being grant funded. People can learn from what we've
done." He adds, "We're not selling anything, we're trying to solve a problem." 

For more information about the Capital Wireless Integrated Network project,
call 301-614-3700 or visit the CapWIN website at www.capwin.org. Or,
contact Tom Coty at the National Institute of Justice, 202-514-7683;
cotyt@ojp.usdoj.gov.

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

Making Way for Segway 

They're called Segway(tm) Human Transporters (HTs) and they've been
featured on the news, advertised on Internet popup ads, and more and more,
seen on city streets carrying a courier or a postal delivery person. But with the
assistance of the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ's) National Law
Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) system, Segway
HTs may become standard issue for law enforcement and corrections officers. 

"Segway is looking at different applications where the devices could be tested,
applications where people wear or carry a lot of heavy gear. That includes
Army special operations as well as law enforcement bomb squads and
HAZMAT teams," says Bruce Richter, program manager at
NLECTC-Northwest in Anchorage, Alaska. In turn, he says, law enforcement
officers are interested in using the transporters in such areas as parks, parking
garages, and crowded downtown streets. 

Early in 2003, Michael O'Shea, NIJ's program manager for
NLECTC-Northwest and a former law enforcement officer, contacted Segway
regarding its evaluation program. In May, the company sent a representative to
Anchorage to demonstrate the device. Shortly thereafter, NLECTC-Northwest
was given the green light from its advisory council to be part of the evaluation
program. In August, 10 officers from the Juneau Police Department received
training on two Segways provided on loan by NLECTC-Northwest. 

Initially, Richter had reservations. But he quickly realized the battery-operated
vehicles presented a number of advantages. "It looks like a toy, so you don't
realize its capabilities," he says. "Then, when I saw the photographs of bomb
suit testing, it instantly clicked. Bomb suits sometimes can weigh about 100
pounds, and they're hot. They wear you out quickly. The Segway can get you
on the scene quickly, extend your available work time, and get you away
quickly. It just made sense." 

Richter also notes that officers on Segways wearing HAZMAT airpacks do not
use up their air supply as quickly as they would if they walked to a scene; that
type of physical exertion often fogs up face masks, another potential problem
avoided by Segway use. Because all the electronics on a Segway HT are
sealed, it can be quickly decontaminated by washing it down after use at a
HAZMAT scene. 

"It has many uses for people who have to be on their feet in areas that are
congested with people, such as narrow hallways and crowded streets," says
Maxine Andrews, also a program manager at NLECTC-Northwest and one of
three Segway HT- certified trainers on the center's team. "It respects the
environment, since there are no emissions. It doesn't take months to learn how
to use. I helped train the officers in Juneau, and they were out on the street
patrolling almost immediately. The evening of the training, they went out and
took it up the steepest hill they could find to check its performance." 

Alaska law enforcement agencies quickly caught on to Segway's potential.
Although the Juneau police filed the first application to participate in the Segway
loaner program, after just 1 month of operation, NLECTC-Northwest had
already received numerous other requests, including 

o Alaska State Department of Corrections for correctional facility interior
patrol. 

o Several large high schools for school resource officer campus patrol. 

o Alaska State Troopers for parking lot patrol at the State fair. 

o Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage for parking garage and
terminal patrol. 

o Law enforcement agencies on the islands of Kodiak and Sitka for patrol. 

All of these agencies, and others, lined up to borrow the Segway HTs,
Andrews says. "One agency may try them and say, we have no use for them,
and the next will say, yes, we want to buy them. Either way, they haven't had to
spend money to find that out." 

Juneau P.D. started the process by borrowing two of the three
NLECTC-Northwest Segway HTs from August to October 2003. Richter
says that up to five cruise ships, each carrying as many as 3,400 passengers,
may dock in Juneau at the same time. "That creates so much foot traffic, it's
hard to get a police cruiser through if there is an incident near the docks.
Another advantage is that officers using the devices stand about 8 inches taller
than others in a crowd, providing them a much better view of their
surroundings." 

While Juneau had two Segways to test, a third moved around to other
interested agencies. However, no agency gets a Segway until officers from the
agency take a formal 4-hour training course on its use. 

"Training is designed to give you the tools to understand the capabilities of the
machine and help you avoid the ways that you can get yourself into trouble with
it," Richter says. "It's easy enough to get a false sense of confidence after using
it for only a few minutes; you think you know how to move it. What you really
know is just enough to get yourself into trouble." 

Richter says problems commonly encountered include maneuvering too close to
an object-so the sidewall runs up against it and the Segway attempts to climb
the object-or trying to turn too quickly, given its tight turning radius. 

"After officers take the training, they become extremely excited after seeing
what the devices can do," Andrews says. "They might have thought they
couldn't use it, but now they can see all kinds of applications. For example, you
could use it to patrol at a street fair and not be exhausted from walking if, late in
a shift, you're called on to give chase. You also could be at one end of that
street fair, or at one end of an airport, and get a call that a defibrillator is
needed at the other end." According to Andrews, early reports from officers at
Anchorage's airport show that an officer carrying such equipment on a Segway
could beat officers on foot to the other end of the terminal by as much as 2
minutes-critical time for someone suffering a heart attack-and arrive with plenty
of "wind" to start CPR, if necessary. 

Segway HTs have a range of about 12 miles on currently available batteries.
"We don't expect an officer to typically use it for an entire shift, just for a few
hours here and there," Richter says. The device needs about 4 to 6 hours for a
complete recharge. Lithium batteries, which will be available soon, will double
the range of the device. Another enhancement that already is available is an
all-terrain tire, which could improve winter operation. However, many of the
Alaska agencies appear more interested in using it indoors than in deep snow,
and coastal areas like Juneau typically receive more rain than snow. He says
that agencies interested in buying their own Segways after trying out the
NLECTC-Northwest loaners can apply for U.S. Department of Homeland
Security grant funds to pay for the devices, which cost around $5,000 each. 

In addition to police and corrections agencies in Alaska, evaluations of
Segways arranged through NIJ and the NLECTC system have been conducted
by police departments in Annapolis and Montgomery County, Maryland, and
Syracuse, New York, and by the sheriff's department in Los Angeles County,
California, for the local transit system. The device also will be evaluated by Port
Authority Police at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and by
school safety officers across the country. 

For more information on the Segway Human Transporter loaner and evaluation
program in Alaska, contact Bruce Richter at bruce.richter@ctsc.net or Maxine
Andrews at maxine.andrews@ctsc.net. Both can be reached by telephone at
866-569-2969. For more information about the program elsewhere in the
United States, contact Michael O'Shea, 202-305-7954 or
osheam@ojp.usdoj.gov. 

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

About NLECTC-Northwest 

Law enforcement, corrections, and other public safety officers in Alaska and
other cold, remote areas of the United States face unique challenges to their
crime prevention, investigation, and rehabilitation efforts from weather, terrain,
and distance. 

The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center
(NLECTC)-Northwest was established in partnership with Chenega
Technology Services Corporation to help define public safety requirements for
information and operational technologies, with specific attention to technologies
that support law enforcement and corrections under the extreme weather
conditions, mountainous terrain, and vast distances found in Alaska and other
remote areas of the United States. 

For more information about NLECTC-Northwest, call 866-569-2969, e-mail
nlectc_nw@ctsc.net, or log on to www.justnet.org/nlectcnw/. 

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

Cyber Cops in Training 

It's called electronic crime, or e-crime. The weapon can be a computer, the
scene of the investigation can be a hard drive, and the perpetrators and victims
can be thousands of miles apart. It can involve identity theft, financial
misappropriation, privacy invasion, child pornography, or intellectual property
theft. It can render law enforcement agencies helpless.

Since the information technology revolution began, law enforcement has faced
the growing problem of cybercrime. But a lack of resources and trained
personnel has put many agencies behind the curve. Along with trained
personnel to investigate such traditional crimes as murder, arson, theft, and
assault, law enforcement needs "cyber cops" to fight electronic crime. 

"To meet this growing need for trained personnel, the CyberScience
Laboratory (CSL) at the National Institute of Justice's National Law
Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC)-Northeast and
its e-Crime Intern Program in Rome, New York, are providing college and high
school students with a unique opportunity to gain knowledge and hands-on
experience in the field of cyberscience in the law enforcement community," says
NLECTC-Northeast's Robert DeCarlo, Jr., who is an economic crime
specialist with CSL. "The foundation of this program is a joint venture between
academia and both the public and private sectors in an effort to expose students
to a challenging experience in support of cyberscience developments. 

"One of the things that I like to emphasize is that we're trying to help these
young people find productive, meaningful jobs," DeCarlo says. "We want to get
them involved in the area of e-crime and encourage them to make it their
specialty in law enforcement or private industry, as a computer forensics analyst
or similar occupation. The goal is to get them involved in the field and have
them stay in it." 

DeCarlo explains that CSL creates internships in which "students do more than
file papers. They perform full-time, productive work, which could include
heading up a special project or making a key presentation. Projects vary
according to CSL's needs but often include testing and tool assessments." 

"For example," DeCarlo says, "one of the interns [Roseanne Comito] who I
mentored tested a steganography detection tool . . . . She wrote a detailed
assessment for the vendor and the vendor used it to refine the tool."
(Steganography is the art of hiding data within a computer graphic or file.)
Comito used her knowledge of steganography on another project, working with
a group of gifted middle school students who were part of the Discovery
Channel's 2002 Young Scientist Challenge competition. [Editor's note: More
information about Roseanne Comito's project and the Young Scientist
Challenge can be found at http://access.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Stories/Detectives/.] 

Comito's project involved middle school students. But another CSL internship
program conducted during summer 2003 offered high school students
workplace experience and allowed them to create a course about cybercrime
for other high school students. "They talked to the staff and got a feel for the
workplace," says Andrea Belmont, an electronic crime specialist with CSL.
"They chose to create a website to showcase the course," which focuses on
information assurance and cybersecurity, or ways to protect network data and
systems. 

Both the high school and college interns receive wages based on their
experience, DeCarlo notes. This experience plays a key role in whether they
are selected to participate in the program. He says that he, Belmont, and others
review the resumes submitted each semester and select qualified students. 

"When we look at resumes," DeCarlo says, "we primarily look for someone
who is studying criminal justice, information technology, or computer science;
who is interested in cybercrime; and who wants to stay in the field as a career."
Belmont adds that although there is no set grade-point standard, students must
be in good academic standing and receive a recommendation from an
instructor. Many applicants learn about the internship program from their
instructors who urge them to apply. 

Schools that have participated in the intern program include Utica College,
Syracuse University, University of Miami, Florida Atlantic University, George
Mason University, Carnegie Mellon University, Dartmouth College, Stanford
University, State University of New York Institute of Technology, Hilbert
College, Cornell University, Columbia University, and John Jay College of
Criminal Justice. DeCarlo points out that interns do not have to relocate to
upstate New York for a semester. CSL can place interns with U.S. Secret
Service e-crime task forces across the country. DeCarlo says that any college
that would like to take part in the program should call him. "We'll talk and figure
out if they have programs we can draw from." 

To find out more about the CyberScience Laboratory e-Crime Intern Program,
contact Robert DeCarlo, Jr. at 888-338-0584 or e-mail
robert.decarlo@rl.af.mil. 

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

Parlez-Vous Cyber-Speak? 

How well do you know the language of e-crime? Try matching the terms on the
left with the definitions on the right, then check the answers to see how well you
did. 

Terms 
1. Steganography 
2. Firewall
3. Trojan Horse 
4. IDS (Intrusion Detection System) 
5. Network Sensor 
6. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Network 
7. Information Assurance 
8. Cybersecurity 
9. IP Address 
10. E-mail Spoofing 
11. Denial of Service (DoS) 
12. Social Engineering 
13. Packet Sniffing 

Definitions 

a. A unique string of numbers that identifies a computer or device on the
Internet. 

b. A malicious program that masquerades as a benevolent one. 

c. A type of network in which individual users connect to each other directly,
without a centralized server. Can be used to share files (legal or illegal) easily
among individuals. 

d. The art of hiding data or pictures within a file or files. 

e. The act of capturing packets of data flowing across a computer network. 

f. An attack that seeks to slow or disable a network by overwhelming it with
useless traffic. 

g. The protection of data and systems in networks connected to the World
Wide Web. 

h. A system that scans areas within a computer or network for possible security
breaches.

i. The act of deceiving people into divulging information that allows access to
computers and network infrastructure. 

j. The protection of information systems to ensure their integrity. 

k. A set of related programs that protect a private network from users based
outside the network. 

l. A program that monitors or "sniffs" a system for problems. 

m. The act of forging the header information on an e-mail so that it appears to
have originated from somewhere other than its true source. 

Answer: 1. d; 2. k; 3. b; 4. h; 5. l; 6. c; 7. j; 8. g; 9. a; 10. m; 11. f; 12. i; 13. e

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

A Disaster Waiting To Happen

When the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published a list of
disaster preparedness training objectives in the wake of the attacks of
September 11, 2001, chances are the agency did not envision that it would
result in 72 hours of mass casualties and terrorist threats.

However, on an early September weekend last year, Moundsville, West
Virginia, faced a domestic terrorist drug laboratory, a suspicious package,
poisoned picnickers, a boat collision, and more. For the second time in 2 years,
Moundsville was in the midst of a series of incidents that would tax public safety
agencies to their limits. 

But for this Ohio Valley town and surrounding area it was all just part of Mock
Disaster 2003, sponsored by the National Corrections and Law Enforcement
Training and Technology Center (NCLETTC). 

NCLETTC, located in Moundsville, was established as a year-round training
and technology center for corrections, law enforcement, and public safety
first-responder organizations. The September 2003 event was the second
mock disaster organized by the center with assistance from the National
Institute of Justice's Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization
and the National Technology Transfer Center's Emergency Response
Technology Program, both in nearby Wheeling, West Virginia. 

The first mock disaster in 2002 received a national first-place award from the
Government Security Expo and Conference and U.S. Law Enforcement
Exposition and Conference in the category of Disaster Preparedness/ First
Responders. But NCLETTC and its partners in planning the 2003 event saw
room for improvement. 

Suzanne Park, outreach manager for NCLETTC, says that in designing Mock
Disaster 2003, the planning committee-which included local, State, and Federal
law enforcement, hospitals and health departments, fire departments,
environmental protection agencies, medical examiners, and local chemical
companies-tried to keep in mind such issues as communications difficulties
(interoperability) and delays in calling in other agencies. 

Months of planning resulted in six separate, yet interrelated, scenarios based on
the FEMA training objectives. Park says the participating agencies ranked the
objectives according to their needs. The planners incorporated the objectives
that received the highest overall scores into the scenarios, along with special
requests for other activities such as an accident with multiple extractions, a
boating accident involving alcohol use, and a biological attack. 

The agencies taking part in the six scenarios included emergency medical
services, fire departments, law enforcement and corrections agencies, 911
centers, hospitals, medical examiners' offices, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the U.S. Armed Forces, the American Red Cross, the Salvation
Army, utility companies, local industries-even a hospice. Park recalls her
surprise when she learned that a local hospice wanted to join in the drill. She
learned that after September 11, hospice agencies took on bereavement
counseling following mass deaths. Because the  scenarios included multiple
fatalities, the hospice would fit in. 

"We brought them all in, and said let's make this as real-life as possible," Park
says. "While at first it might seem farfetched to have this type of drill in rural
West Virginia, when you stop and think about it, we have the Ohio River right
here, we have Interstate 70 coming through the area, and it's really quite
feasible. We're talking West Virginia, and we're also talking rural United States.
This is how most of us live and work. Most of us don't live in large cities." 

The mock disaster planners had to do more than develop the six scenarios.
They also drew up plans for the workshops and vendor demonstrations that
would be held during the 3-day event. Workshops, Park says, ranged from
"Moulage 101" (preparing "victims" for participation in a mock disaster drill) to
"Terrorist ID for Everyday People" (how to help mail carriers, meter readers,
and others identify suspicious behavior) to "Rope Rescue Operations for the
Emergency Responder." Participants had 24 workshop sessions to choose
from, 6 of which were offered twice. 

Participants also could visit approximately 50 vendor exhibits displaying new
technologies. Prior to the event, the planning committee reviewed the
technologies to be displayed and selected several for use in particular scenarios.
For example, a thermal imaging camera was made available for evidence
collection in a dimly lit warehouse. 

If a new technology did not fit into a scenario, vendors could demonstrate their
products in a scheduled session. Technologies demonstrated included chemical
detection systems, personal alarms, a smoke generator for use in firefighter
training, gear to protect first responders from extreme heat, respiratory
protection gear, thermal vision gear, and incident monitoring software. 

"There's a lot going on, and obviously people want to be part of this," Park
says. "The vendors want to get the technology out there, and sometimes, when
they give demonstrations at conferences and meetings, they don't get to show it
to the end user. This event allowed the end users to see and use it." 

Those end users owe their opportunity to see that technology to a group of area
emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who began planning the first mock
disaster drill early in 2001, according to NCLETTC Director Steve Morrison.
That group brought NCLETTC into the process to help it obtain funding,
Morrison says. After September 11, its members realized that communities
need to prepare to deal with all aspects of a disaster. The group called on
NCLETTC's resources to help bring fire departments, law enforcement
agencies, and hospitals into the planning process. What started out as an
EMT-only drill became Mock Disaster 2002. That initial event featured only
one scenario-a chemical attack by a domestic terrorist group on spectators and
a high school band at a political rally. 

"It has been a unique experience to see the first-responder community coming
together to work on this project," Morrison says. "More importantly, we have
seen agencies partnering and working together because of their knowledge of
each others' capabilities, training, and equipment. This is the ultimate in
community team building." 

In addition to helping secure funding and bringing other agencies on board,
NCLETTC, located in the former West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville,
has the ideal facilities to host the mock disaster. When not hosting such special
training events as mock disasters or the annual Mock Prison Riot, Morrison
says, NCLETTC facilities are open to corrections, law enforcement, and other
public safety agencies for training. Some portions of the penitentiary have been
renovated into state-of-the-art classrooms, but most of the cells remain
untouched and can be used for practice in cell extraction, prisoner restraint and
control, hostage negotiation, and more. In addition, public safety professionals
can attend scheduled classes at NCLETTC, vendors can rent space to put on
demonstrations, or agencies can rent facilities for use in training exercises.
NCLETTC also offers basic and advanced computer classes to the general
public with more community outreach projects being planned. 

For more information about the National Corrections and Law Enforcement
Training and Technology Center, its programs, and facilities, call
304-843-4147, or visit the center's website at www.nclettc.org. 

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

The Scenario For Disaster 

The "disaster" began and ended with the informant: a phone call about illegal
activities at "Acme Environmental Labs," then the recovery of a barrel full of
"remains" from the river. In between, participants in Mock Disaster 2003 faced
a series of related scenarios-each with its own set of challenges and training
opportunities. 

On a Friday afternoon last September, law enforcement officials in
Moundsville, West Virginia, received a call from an informant-a member of a
domestic terrorist group-that Acme Environmental Labs served as a cover for a
clandestine drug laboratory. Immediately, West Virginia State Police, along
with special response, explosive ordnance disposal, and sniper teams, went to a
booby-trapped rural cabin. The evidence collected by law enforcement and
other first responders proved key to responding to the scenarios that followed.
It showed that the terrorists were using the Internet to communicate, had
created fake identification for themselves, and were targeting elected officials
for assassination. 

The next morning, the arrival of a suspicious package at the local wastewater
treatment plant pulled city police, fire, and rescue agencies to one side of town.
Recognizing that they lacked the proper equipment and resources, the local
agencies called in an explosive response team from the West Virginia State
Police. Meanwhile, across town at a local park, an area hospital association
was holding its annual picnic. A report of what was thought to be an explosive
device in a garbage can brought a few first responders to the park. Shortly after
they arrived, dozens of people attending the picnic became violently ill. These
"victims" walked into the emergency rooms of a half-dozen local hospitals,
forcing the hospitals' infectious disease specialists to call in assistance from local
health departments. 

That afternoon, the underwater rescue team received a call to retrieve two
barrels from the nearby Ohio River. One contained a number of body parts in
pieces too small to identify (DNA testing later identified them as the informant).
The other contained "suspicious substances."  [Editor's note: Although a more
complicated scenario had been planned, heavy rains in the area reduced this to
a dive and recovery operation.] 

Finally, a truck carrying chemicals-and driven by one of the terrorists-was
headed for a plant on the Ohio River when it collided with a school bus. First
responders had to deal with possibly hazardous chemicals, multiple extractions,
and several deaths. 

"We really tried to roll in as many different types of responses to situations as
we could," says Suzanne Park, outreach manager for the National Corrections
and Law Enforcement Training and Technology Center, which hosted the
3-day mock disaster. "One of the things we learned from the first mock disaster
in 2002 is that these agencies don't have the opportunity to participate in
training with a broad spectrum of other agencies. They train within themselves,
or maybe with one or two others. Participating in the 2002 drill opened a lot of
eyes, and participants said they really needed to learn which agencies have
what resources available. 

"Planning the 2003 event became a really awesome learning experience for
everyone involved," Park adds. "This is about how to use both the resources at
hand and the other resources available in the community. One agency cannot be
and do everything. It's about learning who has the resources and the
capabilities." 

On Sunday, Sherry Muncy from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Clarksburg,
West Virginia, gave a briefing on the results of the exercises. Muncy shared
with agency leaders what her role would be in prosecuting the event and how
their work would affect what she presented. She praised the agencies for their
level of training and preparedness. "Witnessing this event was such a
remarkable experience. It has given me a much better understanding of what
you do in your preparation and training to protect our communities." 

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

The NLECTC '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 

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

TechShorts 

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
2004, Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland. 

Information Highways 
San Jose Mercury News 
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Caltrans will oversee
implementation of the 511 Driving Times system, which will eventually estimate
travel times throughout most of California's Bay Area. Some 150 sensors will
be installed along Interstate 80 and parts of Highway 101 and Interstate 880 to
track speeds of vehicles equipped with FasTrak devices. Information gathered
from the sensors will be sent to a government database. Drivers can call the
511 travel information line to hear the latest updates on travel conditions, while
legislators can use the information to plan future road improvements. However,
privacy advocates are concerned that the information could be used to track
individual vehicles and issue speeding tickets. [For more information about 511
Driving Times, log on to http://www.511.org.] 

Work Begins on Statewide Communication System 
Associated Press 
In an effort to facilitate communication between agencies throughout Indiana,
law enforcement and emergency officials launched Project Hoosier SAFE-T
with the goal of replacing the old radio systems with a network that all
emergency agencies can use. The Integrated Public Safety Commission is
coordinating the project, which is based on an 800 MHz radio system that
carries signals from tower to tower to create broader coverage. More than $13
million in Federal grants for the project have been allocated to the State, but
project field coordinator Steve Skinner says the effort's total cost after 15 years
should be around $160 million. The cost of the radios will fall on the agencies
that choose to join the program. It will probably take longer to implement the
project in one-third of the State where radio coverage is impeded by craggy
terrain. State officials add that individual sites will still be prone to technical
glitches that will be rectified on a case-by-case basis. [For more information on
Project Hoosier SAFE-T, log on to www.in.gov/ ipsc/safe-t.] 

New Anti-Robbery Procedures at B of A 
American Banker
Bank of America, encouraged by a pilot test in Los Angeles that reduced bank
robberies by 69 percent, has announced a full rollout of new security policies
and equipment at its U.S. branches. The new security procedures include
armed security guards, photo surveillance equipment, bulletproof barriers, new
training programs, and traps that detect weapons. The announced changes
come after Bank of America tested the new policies and equipment at 281 Los
Angeles branches in 2002. The FBI and local law enforcement groups assisted
the bank during the tests, which saw bank robberies drop from 77 between
June 2001 and January 2002 to just 24 during the same time period a year
later. 

Super-Hero Tech 
ABC News 
Researchers from the U.S. Army's National Protection Center at the Soldier
Systems Center developed the Law Enforcement/Corrections Tactical Uniform
System (LECTUS) in order to allow officers to see in the dark, protect
themselves from bullets and blows, communicate with other officers with only a
whisper, see through the eyes of other team members, and enter places with
noxious chemicals or smoke without harm. The system, which is based on the
military's Land Warrior system, uses communication technology that detects
vibrations in the skull when speaking and mutes loud sounds from the
environment to protect the wearer from ear damage. Although LECTUS is
currently designed with nylon, spandex, and ceramic plates, researchers hope
future innovations will bring about smart fabrics that will reduce the weight of
the system. LECTUS already is more flexible than current protection suits worn
by SWAT teams and prison guards. Testing of the new technology, which is
still in its infancy, is underway. [For more information, log on to
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/FutureTech/futurecop030604.html.] 

Animation Lets Murder Victims Have Final Say 
New Scientist 
German researchers have developed a 3D graphics program that can help
forensics experts reconstruct faces from the skeletal remains of dead people
found by the police. The graphics system of Kolja Kahler and Jorg Haber of
the Max Planck Institute for Computer Science in Saarbrucken, Germany, and
their colleagues speeds up the traditional forensic process of having an artist
make a plaster cast of a skull and cover it with clay to mimic flesh. This
laborious process tends to take the forensic artist several weeks. In addition to
speeding up the facial reconstruction process, the program's animation
approach is beneficial in that it allows police to add expressions to the facial
reconstruction with the click of a mouse. "An artist cannot give the model
personality, and a lot of times, that's what people recognize," says Todd
Matthews of Doe Network, a global organization that works with forensic
artists to match unidentified bodies. Police typically have forensic artists create
one sculpture, and the lack of facial expressions often makes the model difficult
to recognize. Dieter Buhman, a forensics expert at the Institute of Forensic
Medicine at Saarland University in Saarbrucken, has recommended that the
team create a way for the police to add hair color, hairstyles, and skin texture
to reconstructed faces using their 3D graphics program. [For more information,
log on to www.newscientist.com/news/news. jsp?id=ns99994005.] 

TDOT SmartWay Opens New Control Center 
Associated Press 
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has opened its TDOT
SmartWay system, which uses 20 electronic message boards, 150 speed
sensors, and 56 cameras along 36 miles of Nashville's interstate highways to
form an "intelligent" transportation system and reduce traffic congestion. Control
center operators watch the camera views and use the message boards to inform
drivers of problems and to suggest alternatives. TDOT officials say that the
instant feedback should let the department tell law enforcement officials about
problems more quickly and improve response time. The $16 million system is
to be expanded to Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Memphis, and is 90 percent
federally funded; TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely estimates that the system
will add as much as 30 percent to the road system's capacity and cost far less
than widening the pavement. The camera views are to go up on the TDOT
website and will be fed to local television stations, and the system will be part of
Tennessee's Amber Alert for missing and abducted children. Nicely says that
law enforcement agencies will be linked directly to the system. [For more
information, log on to www.tdot.state.tn.us/tdotsmartway.] 

Files Filling Up Prison Storage Rooms 
Associated Press 
Iowa's prisons want to obtain State funding to store countless paper documents
collected over the years on computer compact discs (CDs). The Iowa Medical
and Classification Center at Oakdale alone has documented every prisoner
ever held in the State, and would require an estimated $400,000 in the first year
alone to upgrade its recordkeeping. Rusty Rogerson, who serves as the center's
warden, estimates it would take 5 years to complete the archiving process.
Oakdale collects a criminal file, a medical file, and an inmate file for each new
arrival in prison, which averages to 14 new inmates each day. The records are
currently contained in a 3,000-square-foot area, but officials hope to eliminate
permanent storage by destroying paper documents after their information is
transferred to CD. The proposal is set to go before the legislature this January
and implementation of the new system could start as soon as September 1. 

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

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- 

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

NCJRS Contact Information at a Glance 

Web: http://www.ncjrs.org 
Phone: 800-851-3420 (Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST). 
Fax: 301-519-5212 (requests for assistance). 410-792-4358 (publication
orders). 
Mail: NCJRS, P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-5000. 

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

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. 

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

Where's My TechBeat! 

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 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 summer
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) 2003
PhotoDisc, Inc.; Corbis Images; Digital Vision; National Law Enforcement and
Corrections Technology Center-Northwest; and National Corrections and Law
Enforcement Training and Technology Center. 

Staff: Managing Editor, Rick Neimiller; Writers, Becky Lewis, Jackie Siegel,
and Stephanie Neuben; Editor, Michele Coppola; Assistant Editor/Writer,
Brian Higgins; Graphic Designers, C. Denise Collins and Tina Kramer. 

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

Log on to: 
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 offers detailed information based on thousands of
calls to our information specialists. 

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

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. 

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

A Photo Finish(ed) 

Late one afternoon last August, the San Joaquin County (California) Sheriff's
Department received a report of a strong-arm robbery. Four men had grabbed
a wallet and ripped a gold necklace from the neck of a male victim walking with
a friend. Deputies John Davis and Dave Koneckey arrived on the scene 17
minutes later. 

During the initial interview, the victim described the suspects, including their
race and approximate ages. He reported he had met one of the suspects
before, but could recall only his first name. Davis entered the first name, race,
and 3-year age range of the suspect into the mobile data computer (MDC) in
his patrol car. Seconds later a photo, address, and phone number appeared on
the screen. Davis called the victim over, who made a positive identification. 

The deputies tracked the suspect to his home, where they spoke with him and a
second man. Both men admitted to being at the robbery scene, but each
claimed not to have taken the victim's property. Neither would name the other
two men involved. Both were taken into custody and charged with strong-arm
robbery. 

The sheriff's department resolved this case quickly with the help of a mug shot
database that is instantly available to their officers in the field. Known as the
CusInS Photo Viewer, this continuously updated database is part of the
department's Custody Information System (CusInS, pronounced "cousins"). 

"Having this type of system in all patrol units has greatly enhanced the officers'
ability to identify suspects and create lineups for victims in the field," says Capt.
Stephan Moore of the department's patrol division. At the touch of a computer
screen, more than 200 deputies have access to a database that contains
100,000 mug shots taken by the sheriff's department and the county's 7 police
departments during the past 5 years. In addition to the photos, identification
numbers, monikers, addresses, and phone numbers are maintained and updated
as soon as changes are noted. "The victim in the robbery had a photo to look at
about 20 minutes after the call was made," says Tom Hennig, project manager
for the sheriff's department and a designer of the system. "In our experience,
memory fades quickly with time; the longer the delay, the less the memory
works." 

The CusInS Photo Viewer keeps track of the most current mug shot and
demographics for everyone in the system. When any field is modified, new data
replace the existing data. Every day deputies rely on the photo viewer for
recent photos of suspects. Without the mug shot database, deputies would have
to depend on verbal descriptions of appearance-height, weight, hair-that can be
subject to interpretation, or of clothing that can be easily modified. "All the
deputies can tell stories of when they used CusInS to ascertain suspects'
identities," Hennig says. "Time and time again these suspects are then arrested
to answer for charges against who they really are and not who they're
pretending to be." 

When Deputy Ryan Biedermann made a routine traffic stop of a vehicle with an
expired registration, the suspect, who possessed no vehicle information or
identification, provided a name and date of birth. The CusInS Photo Viewer
first displayed a photo of the man's brother, but a further search using only the
man's last name turned up a photo of the suspect under another name. This led
to the discovery of a felony warrant from an adjoining county. "Without the
positive photo ID, the suspect would have been able to get away with using his
brother's ID and would not have been arrested," Biedermann says. 

The CusInS Photo Viewer can be especially helpful for new deputies or for
those who have been assigned to a new beat. A deputy can become familiar
with community policing needs and known troublemakers without spending
weeks learning an area. Deputies also are often required to watch for parolees
and warrant violators. The photo viewer allows deputies to view the latest
booking photos on their MDCs as they make contact with subjects or suspects
wanted for interview or arrest. 

The CusInS Photo Viewer allows for searches on height, weight, sex, age, hair
color, race, first name, last name, and partial identification numbers. This
enables deputies to search for identity without having a suspect's name. This
search capability also enables the department to identify unknown corpses
based on their characteristics. Once a positive identification has been made, the
deputy can work the case from phone numbers, addresses, and identification
numbers in the database. 

A recent addition to the mug shot database is its in-the-field lineup capability.
The software creates a lineup of subjects who are similar in appearance, but
have varying features such as a beard, mustache, hair, or no hair. This allows
officers to see how the suspect could change his or her appearance. It also can
help victims and witnesses identify subjects. 

Because the CusInS Photo Viewer is in the startup folder on every MDC,
deputies can access the program with a touch of the screen. Once the program
is on screen, deputies can search any field to create candidate lists. As more
particulars are entered, the search is narrowed or returns an exact hit. If the
photo does not match the suspect, or the suspect cannot be found, the search
can proceed until a match is found or the deputy returns to the station. Because
many suspects are repeat offenders, 60 percent of all suspects booked by the
sheriff's department already have a photo in the system. As more photos enter
the system, Hennig expects that the positive hit rate will grow. 

Accessing the CusInS Photo Viewer has been made as easy as possible.
Hennig says deputies were responsible for all of the screen design and search
scenarios. Every deputy trained to use the MDC can operate the photo viewer
with 10 minutes or less of training. All training is done as part of normal
briefings with the aid of a laptop and projector. Hands-on training is completed
the first time the deputy uses the program in the car. "Our deputies have
become so adept as users of this program that it is now as critical to their job as
their weapons, radio, vehicle, and maybe partners," Hennig adds. "Without this
tool, many suspects would have walked for lack of a positive ID." The MDCs
are updated wirelessly each day with no degradation to radio frequency traffic
or functions. It takes about 1.25 minutes of downloading to update a day's
worth of photos and associated demographics (phone numbers, addresses,
etc.). If it were just adding or replacing photos, the time would be cut in half.
Hennig says complaints about the system are minimal and mainly relate to the
accuracy of the information-a data entry issue. Work is underway to add
juvenile mug shots to CusInS as well as to expand its use to all county law
enforcement agencies. 

Development and deployment of the CusInS Photo Viewer was funded by a
2001 Making Officer Redeployment Effective (MORE) grant from the Office
of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). This grant built on the
earlier MDC and wireless network project, which was funded by a 1998
COPS MORE grant. 

For more information on the development and implementation of the CusInS
Photo Viewer, call Tom Hennig, project manager, San Joaquin Sheriff's
Department, 209-468-4423, or e-mail thennig@co. san-joaquin.ca.us.

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

5th Annual Innovative Technologies for Community Corrections Conference

June 14 16, 2004
Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston, Massachusetts

Registration fee: $150 per person (covers the cost of provided meals)

The conference will spotlight the innovative use of technology in community
corrections and emerging technologies. A vendor exposition will be available
for attendees to interact with technology providers.

Tentative topics include: 

o Innovative Case Management Systems
o Drug and Alcohol Testing Technologies
o E-Learning for Community Corrections
o Advances in Electronic Monitoring
o Technology to Manage Sex Offenders
o Officer Safety

For more information or to be placed on our mailing list regarding this
conference, please call Joe Russo at 800 416 8086, or e-mail
jrusso@du.edu.

Hosted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology
Center Rocky Mountain, a program of the National Institute of Justice.

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

See What You Can Do

at the 8th annual Mock Prison Riot 

May 2 5, 2004 at the former penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia

For more information, log on to www.oletc.org or call 888 306 5382.