Title: TechBeat Summer 2003 Series: N/A Author: National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center Published: July 2003 Subject: Technology for Law Enforcement Pages: 42 Bytes: 82KB 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 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 ------------------------------- Kansas City Shares the Crime A witness to a convenience store robbery gives police a physical description of the perpetrator. That description includes a small scar over the right eyebrow. A few weeks later a witness to another convenience store holdup a few blocks away gives police a similar physical description but does not report any scar. That witness, however, does see the make and model of the perpetrator's car. In a perfect world detectives would be able to connect these crimes and issue one description that includes both the facial mark and the vehicle. But in the real world they can't. Why? When crimes take place in different jurisdictions, investigators often do not have access to each other's case information. In the Kansas City metropolitan area more than 85 agencies have banded together to do something about the problem of information sharing by employing the Internet, a "super database," and geographic information system (GIS) crime-mapping technologies. A steering committee representing these 85 agencies and the 10 counties and 2 States they serve is driving the development of the Kansas City Regional Crime Analysis GIS (KCRCAGIS), with assistance from the National Institute of Justice's National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC)-Rocky Mountain. KCRCAGIS will give these agencies a chance to develop broader pictures of crime trends and share resource costs effectively. "Criminals commit crimes close to where they work and live," says Noah Fritz, deputy director of NLECTC-Rocky Mountain and director of its Crime Mapping and Analysis Program (CMAP), which provides technology assistance and introductory and advanced training to State and local agencies. "They also base their choices on their routine activities. People drive to work the same way every day, put on their right shoe before their left, or whatever. Criminals often have similar reasons for picking certain places. They do what has succeeded before." Jurisdictions often try to share information about ongoing investigations through monthly task force meetings and through more frequent e-mail alerts, Fritz says. But the creation of a regional information sharing system like KCRCAGIS may improve their ability to collaborate and solve cases sooner. "We're trying to identify serial crime: murder, rape, robberies. This tool will allow investigators to make sense of trends and identify interesting leads," he says. The KCRCAGIS project was launched in August 1999 as the first regional crime-mapping project to include jurisdictions from multiple States. Doug Weishar, a captain with the Kansas City (Missouri) Police Department and deputy director of the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area's (HIDTA) Investigative Support Center, is co-chair of the project. He has been with the project since its inception. Dave Burger, a captain with the Lenexa (Kansas) Police Department, serves as the other co-chair. "A bunch of us started to talk about it. Here we were, with 80 to 100 separate agencies spanning 2 States and 10 counties, and nothing linked even our pin maps," Weishar recalls. "A lot of analysts were taking advantage of Federal dollars to take crime-mapping training. They started bringing copies of the maps they were making to monthly meetings and sharing them. This helped us realize it would be even more valuable if we could get on our computers and see what others were working on." The original committee, which Weishar describes as "a ragtag bunch of volunteers," expanded its efforts, moving from discussions about needs, to a needs assessment survey, to development of a concept paper and other work often done by consultants. The committee sent the concept paper to every chief and sheriff in the Kansas City metropolitan area and asked them to allow the committee to make decisions for their agencies and for the area. Support, according to Weishar, was overwhelming. "We heard about this program called RCAGIS, used in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. It was designed by the University of Maryland and allowed regional sharing of crime-mapping data," he says. "We started figuring, okay, this is something that we could use. We thought maybe there was something we could just plug in. We got our commanders and the technical support people involved and found that we could use something like this, but not exactly like this. We learned that you have to find a way to make it work with your equipment." To make it work, the committee called on NLECTC-Rocky Mountain and CMAP. "Noah [Fritz] came over, listened to our concept, and was very excited about helping," Weishar says. "He applied for and got permission to use NIJ funds to support us for a year. He and his staff of professionals have helped us tremendously. They have been fantastic in developing policies and procedures on how to extract the data." Fritz says that the Greater Kansas City law enforcement community had been looking into crime mapping for about a year before CMAP got involved: "They had already drawn in the agencies and had the MOUs in place. They did an outstanding job of getting agreements together." NLECTC-Rocky Mountain and CMAP signed on to provide 12 months of technology assistance and recently started a second 6- to 12-month support phase. "Our job is to facilitate the technology decisions. We don't make decisions for them, we get them to ask themselves the right questions," Fritz says. That technical assistance included locating a designer for the KCRCAGIS application, hosting the test database, assessing the capabilities of the agencies participating in the initial data collection and testing, and helping devise a plan to bring in more agencies and speed up data submission. "Our goal is to have each of the nine agencies involved in the first stage adopt another agency and teach them what they need to know to come on board," Weishar says. "When their first student is on board, they'll move on to a second. We hope that some of the second-generation agencies will also adopt other agencies, but we understand that small departments may not be able to do so." "These agencies will basically train the trainers," Fritz adds. "We will step back after the system becomes operational, and they will keep bringing in partners." Even using this ripple effect, Weishar says he expects full implementation will take approximately 3 years. His move to HIDTA made him realize the extent of the connectivity issues, and that, although the technology exists, coordination is needed. Weishar also realized that HIDTA would make the perfect host for the KCRCAGIS database. "The highway is already set up. This saves us even more, because we don't have to purchase the server." He adds that Midwest HIDTA Director Dave Barton agrees that KCRCAGIS fits perfectly into HIDTA's information sharing mission. (HIDTA offices nationwide represent a cooperative effort among Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions.) Using the Midwest HIDTA's server represents just one of several money-saving ideas implemented by the committee. Weishar says the members will continue to search out alternative funding sources. "We're pretty excited about it," he says. "We've absolutely saved a ton of money on the front end. We know that right now, money is pretty tight with the Federal Government due to homeland security, so we're not going to wait for Federal funding. We're exploring other avenues of financing." For more information on the Kansas City Regional Crime Analysis GIS project, contact Capt. Doug Weishar, Midwest HIDTA, at 816-746-4962, ext. 264; e-mail dweishar@midwest.hidta.net. Or, contact Noah Fritz, National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center-Rocky Mountain, 800-416-8086; e-mail nfritz@du.edu. Learn More About HIDTA The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program enhances and coordinates drug control efforts among local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies. The program provides agencies with coordination, equipment, technology, and additional resources to combat drug trafficking and its harmful consequences in critical regions of the United States. To learn more about HIDTA, log on to www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/hidta/. ------------------------------- You Don't Have Mail LSD dropped onto an envelope and covered with a stamp. Cocaine injected into the thick ink of a colorful gel pen. A childlike crayon drawing covering a smear of methamphetamine. Shreds of marijuana hidden behind an address label. No matter what, a drug addict will find a way. So says Capt. Greg Gearhart, operations manager of the New Generation Adult Detention Center in Pima County, Arizona. His facility's civilian mailroom staff, like other correctional facility mailroom employees across the country, know firsthand about the daily struggle to locate contraband drugs hidden in inmate mail by their outside suppliers. According to Gearhart, in Pima County, legal mail--mail from an inmate's lawyer--is not opened and searched in the mailroom. Instead, it is taken into the detention pods and opened in front of the inmate. The contents are given to the inmate immediately. However, an informant told facility personnel that marijuana, cocaine, and heroin were getting into the detention center via this allegedly legal mail. A tip last summer led detention center staff to the perpetrators of a scam involving legal mail and marijuana. "We knew what was coming in, we knew who it was coming to, and we knew the name of the fictitious attorney," Gearhart says. "We had a trained dog smell those pieces of mail, and he reacted positively. That gave us probable cause to search it thoroughly, and we found marijuana behind the attorney's address label. Another letter had drugs hidden between two pieces of paper that were glued together." Gearhart says the Pima County detention center houses around 1,500 inmates. It has one full-time mailroom officer and another who helps part-time--a staffing setup fairly similar to those used in many other smaller facilities. This small mailroom staff opens and hand inspects several hundred pieces of inmate mail daily, except around holidays when the amount may reach 1,000 pieces per day. Staff use ultraviolet light to illuminate suspicious areas or marks. Suspicious mail may be taken outside and sprayed with a chemical testing spray, and/or eventually sent to a lab for analysis. However, Gearhart says, his facility recently received an alert from another State saying that drug smugglers are getting ahead of mailroom staff and getting around the ultraviolet light check by soaking entire letters in methamphetamine. It was clear that mailroom staff needed help, but using a dog to sniff each of the hundreds of pieces of mail coming into the center daily was not practical. In searching for a viable solution to the problem, the detention facility contacted the Border Research and Technology Center (BRTC), part of the National Institute of Justice's National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center system. "We asked what can you do to help us?" Gearhart recalls. "Is there any new technology out there, or is there any old technology that we don't know about that we should?" An answer came through BRTC's host organization and technology partner, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). A team from SNL's Entry Control and Contraband Detection Department helped jail officials conduct a mailroom residual background contamination evaluation and incoming mail contamination evaluation to determine the feasibility of using available trace drug detection equipment. "The Pima County folks weren't looking for bulk narcotics such as might come into the country at a port," notes Chris Aldridge, BRTC director. "They were looking for very small amounts." According to the SNL team, drug detection systems fall into two categories: bulk detectors and trace detectors. Both systems can be used for nonintrusive drug testing of packages and containers. Bulk Detectors. Bulk detectors use x rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and similar imaging techniques to detect a pound or more of contraband substances. These bulk systems usually do not produce automated alarms and require a human operator to examine the resulting image and then decide whether to examine the item further. Trace Detectors. Trace detectors operate in two sample collection modes: vapor or swipe. They detect drug residue on the exterior of an item or vapors emanating from inside. Portable "sniffers" are available for detecting drug vapors. However, when vapors from several ounces of drugs are not present, as was the case at the Pima County facility, surface particle detectors can be used in the "swipe" mode. Using a cloth-like medium, the operator swipes the surface of an item. The sample is then inserted into the detector so collected particles can be extracted, analyzed, and identified. If drugs are present, the detector alerts the operator. SNL proposed two contraband detection systems for evaluation by Pima County. One is a hand-portable system offering both swipe and vapor collection capabilities. When combined with a commercial chemical detector, the system is capable of detecting substances at parts per trillion. The other is a highly sensitive stationary device with swipe capability only. SNL's testing covered methamphetamines, LSD, cocaine, and marijuana--often drugs of choice among inmates. Both systems are capable of testing for other substances as well, including explosives. "Both machines were very effective in finding all types of substances in the mail," says Lt. Dan Brown, who is in charge of the facility's security services, including the mailroom. "They tested some pieces we were suspicious of, including what was supposed to be a child's crayon drawing that didn't look like it was done by a child. It tested positive. In another case, they found drugs under a stamp." Pima County sent the tested samples to its drug laboratory for confirmation, and criminal charges are pending in one case. Although both systems performed well, the detention facility prefers the hand-portable system with both vapor and swipe detection capabilities. "[The hand-portable system] will allow us to go into other areas of the facility as well and test papers and even cells," Gearhart adds. "This would help control other ways that drugs might get in, such as being smuggled in by work furlough crew members or by visitors. If we've received any type of confidential information as to where drugs might be, we can follow up on the tip with testing." Training needs for the new equipment should be minimal, Brown says, because it is easy to learn to use. Staff will need to work the swipe testing into their normal routine, but it should eventually eliminate the need to look at items under ultraviolet light and save time. While training should not present any problems, funding may. Gearhart says that like many correctional facilities across the country, Pima County faces budget restrictions, and the detention center administrator plans to look into alternative funding sources, such as a Federal grant, for the $70,000 to $100,000 project. "To me, stopping the introduction of drugs into the jail is worth any cost." Pima County has found ways to use SNL's evaluation results to improve procedures even before the equipment purchase takes place. For example, Gearhart says his facility no longer accepts mail with postage stamps. Even personal letters must be mailed in prepaid postage envelopes or taken to the post office and metered. This eliminates the possibility of hiding drugs behind the stamps. In addition, staff now destroy the original envelopes containing legal mail and replace them with clean blank manila envelopes. Finally, all letters written in ink gel are returned. This combination of procedural changes should help stop some inmates from receiving contraband. When the new equipment is in place, Gearhart and Brown hope that even more inmates will have to learn to get along without illicit drugs. For additional information about the Pima County, Arizona, contraband detection initiative, contact Capt. Greg Gearhart at 520-547-8391, e-mail ggearhar@pimasheriff.net; or Chris Aldridge, Border Research and Technology Center, 888-656-2782, e-mail cdaldri@brtc.nlectc.org. What Every Public Safety Officer Should Know About Radiation and Radioactive Materials: A Resource Guide This resource guide provides a broad list of sources of information and guidance for law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and other public safety officers who may be the first responders to a terrorist attack in which a nonnuclear radiological device (known as a radiological dispersal device (RDD) or a "dirty bomb") is used. These resources will help departments and agencies develop and update procedural guidelines and personnel training. Also covered are resources for response, equipment funding, and general information. Although many of the following resources provide links to other websites, the list should not be considered all inclusive. A number of other government and nongovernment organizations also provide publications, guidelines, information, and training for first responders. Most have websites and can be located by using a search engine, such as Google[tm] or AltaVista.[tm] Website addresses change frequently. If a listed address no longer works, try locating the site by using a search engine. A 35-page, electronic version of this guide that includes expanded resource descriptions and an appendix of general contact information for Federal Government agencies involved in planning and implementing responses to radiological attack can be downloaded through JUSTNET, the website of the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center system, at www.justnet.org. For assistance, call 800-248-2742. A quick-reference poster that provides basic information about radiation hazards and initial response is in the Spring 2003 TechBeat, also available at www.justnet.org. PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents: A Planning Guide for the Management of Contaminated Patients, 2001. www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mhmi.html Links to a three-volume planning guide (with accompanying video) to help first responders, both onscene and at the hospital, with the medical management of patients exposed during a hazardous materials incident. ------- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Radiation Studies Casualty Management After a Deliberate Release of Radioactive Material. www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/casualtiesradioactive.asp Recommends immediate actions for police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians who may be faced with a nuclear terrorist act. ----- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Radiation Studies Casualty Management After Detonation of a Nuclear Weapon in an Urban Area. www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/casualtiesdetonation.asp Recommends immediate actions for police personnel, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians who may be faced with the detonation of a nuclear weapon in a populated area. ------- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Guidance for Protecting Building Environments From Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks, May 2002. www.cdc.gov/niosh/bldvent/pdfs/2002-139.pdf Provides specific recommendations for building owners and managers on how to protect indoor environments from airborne chemical/biological/radiological agents. ------- Central Intelligence Agency, Interagency Intelligence Committee on Terrorism Chemical/Biological/Radiological Incident Handbook, October 1998 (updated). www.cia.gov/cia/publications/cbr_handbook/cbrbook.htm Provides information for first responders to use when making a preliminary assessment of a suspected chemical, biological, or radiological incident. The handbook includes a concise list of indicators of the use and/or presence of chemical, biological, or radiological material to aid in the assessment. ------- Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Association Introduction to NBC Terrorism: An Awareness Primer and Preparedness Guide for Emergency Responders, October 15, 2001. www.disasters.org/dera/library/Heyer%20WMD.pdf Includes a section on nuclear and radiological weapons, including dirty bombs, and discusses decontamination techniques for victims and first responders. ------- Federal Emergency Management Agency Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness, September 2002 (rev. ed.). [Chapter on national security emergencies, section on nuclear and radiological attack.] www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/security.pdf Discusses possible fallout and effects of a nuclear or radiological attack, including a dirty bomb. ------- Federal Emergency Management Agency Toolkit for Managing the Emergency Consequences of Terrorist Incidents: Interim Planning Guide for State and Local Governments, July 2002. www.fema.gov/onp/toolkit.shtm (Available in PDF and text-only formats.) Contains a series of checklists and forms for assessing the capabilities of State and local emergency response agencies to respond to terrorist incidents. ------- International Association of Emergency Managers IAEM Terrorism Program Guide, March 2002. www.iaem.com/terrorism_program_guide_.html Offers detailed information on emergency planning, including creating a quick response plan; organizing and setting priorities for emergency response planning; planning for response to nontraditional emergencies; ensuring continuity of operations; preparing and implementing training exercises; disseminating emergency response information to the public; and assessing technology options to support homeland security and emergency response functions. ------- National Fire Protection Association Recommended Practice for Responding to Hazardous Materials Incidents (NFPA 471), 2002. www.nfpa.org/PDF/471.pdf Sets forth the NFPA's recommended standard operating guidelines for organizations that are responsible for responding to hazardous materials incidents, including the release of radioactive materials (considered a level 3 incident--the highest level in the standard). ------- National Fire Protection Association Standard for Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials Incidents (NFPA 473), 2002. www.nfpa.org/PDF/473.pdf Defines the roles and responsibilities of emergency medical personnel who may be required to respond to hazardous materials incidents and includes suggested training requirements, hazardous materials classifications, and informational references for terrorist and criminal activity. ------- National Fire Protection Association Standard for Professional Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials Incidents (NFPA 472), 2002. www.nfpa.org/PDF/472.pdf Defines internal standards for qualifications of various categories of persons responding to incidents involving hazardous materials, including incidents involving radiation and incidents resulting from criminal or terrorist activities. ------- National Institute of Standards and Technology Aid for Decontamination of Fire and Rescue Service Protective Clothing and Equipment After Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Exposures, NIST Special Publication 981, 2002. www.mipt.org/pdf/nistspecialpub981.pdf Provides fire and rescue services and other emergency first responders with information on basic decontamination processes for personal protective equipment after exposure to low levels of chemical or biological agents or radiological materials following an attack with a weapon of mass destruction. ------- National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center System What Every Public Safety Officer Should Know About Radiation and Radioactive Materials, February 2003. www.justnet.org/radiation/brochure.html Provides basic information about radiation, radiation hazards, and initial response. It is not intended to replace an agency's existing policies, procedures, or training. ------- National League of Cities Homeland Security: Practical Tools for Local Governments, November 2002 (rev. ed.). www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/files/reports/terrorism.pdf Developed for local officials by the National League of Cities' Working Group on Homeland Security. Provides a set of guidelines for responding to terrorist attacks, discusses planning for terrorist attacks in general and responding to specific types of terrorists, and includes a comprehensive list of resources. ------- National Safety Council Emergencies and Disasters. www.nsc.org/issues/prepare.htm Offers resources on emergency response planning for emergency responders, businesses, communities, and journalists. Links to articles and guidance documents on effective emergency response planning, a 10-point checklist for emergency preparedness, a list of more than 100 documents related to emergency preparedness, and an emergency response reference guide prepared to assist with quick action procedures. ------- Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site www.orau.gov/reacts/ Sponsored by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, provides an information resource for the medical management of radiation accidents and includes guidance for radiation accident management for first responders. ------- U.S. Department of Transportation Emergency Response Guidebook, 2000: A Guidebook for First Responders During the Initial Phase of a Dangerous Goods/Hazardous Materials Incident, 2000. http://hazmat.dot.gov/gydebook.htm www.tc.gc.ca/canutec/erg_gmu/erg2000_menu.htm Contains guides for first responders that describe potential hazards of various types of hazardous materials and appropriate emergency actions to take when arriving at the scene of an accident involving hazardous materials. ------- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Protective Action Guides. www.epa.gov/radiation/rert/pags.htm Discusses protective action guides (PAGs) developed by EPA to help State and local authorities make radiation protection decisions during emergencies. ------- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency RadFacts: A Quick-Reference Guide to Radiation Terms and Concepts. www.epa.gov/radiation/rert/radfacts.htm Provides glossary of radiation terms for persons involved in a nuclear emergency and discusses basic concepts for measurement of radiation, types of radiation, limits of radiation exposure, effects of radiation, and emergency response terms. ------- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air Environmental Protection Agency Radiological Emergency Response Plan, January 10, 2002. www.epa.gov/radiation/rert/docs/rerp-1-00.pdf Presents EPA's policy and procedures guide to readiness for responding to releases of radiation and to radiological emergencies and includes an outline of EPA's procedures for responding to terrorist incidents. ------- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fact Sheet on Dirty Bombs. Washington, DC: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, December 6, 2002. www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/dirty-bombs.html Discusses the impact of a dirty bomb and issues regarding the security and control of nuclear materials and links to Nuclear Regulatory Commission information regarding responses to radiological emergencies. ------------------------------- PERSONNEL TRAINING Center for Terrorism Preparedness, School for Environmental and Emergency Management, University of Findlay http://seem.findlay.edu/calendar/2003courses.html Lists a schedule of courses for 2003, including weapons of mass destruction and first-responder courses. ------- Counter-Terrorism Training and Resources for Law Enforcement www.counterterrorismtraining.gov Serves as a single point of access to counterterrorism training opportunities and related materials available from the Federal Government and from private and nonprofit organizations. ------- Federal Emergency Management Agency Comprehensive Exercise Program. www.fema.gov/rrr/cepnew.shtm Through training and disaster drills, the Comprehensive Exercise Program (CEP) improves the proficiency of Federal, State, and local governments to perform emergency management functions in an efficient and timely manner. ------- Federal Emergency Management Agency, Education and Training www.fema.gov/tab_education.shtm Links to FEMA programs, courses, and materials to support emergency preparedness and response by emergency personnel and the general public; to the Emergency Management Institute (EMI); to the National Fire Academy; to community emergency response teams; and to EMI independent study courses. ------- Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Management Institute http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/ Links to course offerings, catalogs, and independent study courses offered through FEMA's Emergency Management Institute. ------- Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Management Institute Catalog of Activities 2002-2003, 2002. http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/EMICatalog1/menu/index.html Provides an online catalog of courses provided by FEMA's Emergency Management Institute, including a course schedule, curriculum descriptions, and indexes of resident, nonresident, and independent study courses. ------- Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Management Institute Community Emergency Response Teams. http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/CERT Provides information and links to training materials for community emergency response teams, teams of citizens who are trained and recruited to be auxiliary responders following a disaster. ------- Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Fire Administration Emergency Response to Terrorism: Self-Study (ERT:SS) (Q534). www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/fire-service/nfa-off3ss2.cfm Accesses a free, 10-hour, self-paced course designed to provide basic awareness training to prepare first responders for terrorist incidents. ------- Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Fire Administration, National Fire Academy www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/fire-service/nfa.cfm Links to courses and programs offered by NFA. NFA works to enhance the ability of fire and emergency services personnel and allied professionals to deal more effectively with fire and related emergencies. NFA courses include curriculums on emergency response to terrorism, hazardous materials, and incident management. ------- Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Catalog of Training Programs: Calendar Years 2001-2002, 2001. www.fletc.gov/tmd/cotp.pdf www.fletc.gov/ssd/programs.htm www.fletc.gov/ssd/ssd_home.htm Lists courses provided by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center for Federal law enforcement agency personnel relating to counterterrorism, antiterrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and critical incident response available through the Security Specialties Division. ------- Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, National Center for State and Local Law Enforcement Training First Responder Training Program. www.fletc.gov/osl/frtp.htm Provides information, course schedule, and links to the registration page for a free 3-day course that addresses the first response of law enforcement officers to major incidents ranging from criminal acts to natural disasters. ------- International Association of Fire Fighters Training for Radiation Emergencies: First Responder Operations, 1998. http://tis.eh.doe.gov/fire/fro/fro.html Presents an online training guide in both instructor and student versions consisting of nine units that discuss responses to both chemical and radiological emergencies: hazardous materials review; hazardous materials recognition and identification; chemical properties; an introduction to radioactive materials; hazardous materials packaging, transportation, and storage; radiation release response and control; personal protective equipment and decontamination procedures; scene management; and preincident planning. ------- Louisiana State University, National Center for Biomedical Research and Training, Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education www.ace.lsu.edu/ Provides links to courses offered by the academy, a member of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium under the sponsorship of the Office for Domestic Preparedness. ------- Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism Courses and Training Events. www.mipt.org/trainingcourses.asp (Search on "radiological.") Provides a list of courses for first responders on responding to radiological incidents, with a focus on terrorism. ------- Texas Engineering Extension Service, National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center www.teex.com/division.cfm?div=NERRTC www.teexwmdcampus.com Provides information on the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center (NERRTC), part of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, established in 1998 to prepare Federal, State, and local officials (including law enforcement officials, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and public works and emergency management agencies) to prepare for and respond to chemical and biological attacks, weapons of mass destruction, and other terrorist acts. ------- U.S. Department of Energy, National Center for Exercise Excellence, Nevada Test Site, WMD Radiological/Nuclear Awareness www.sema.state.mo.us/HazMat%20Tech%20Course.pdf Provides information on a 32-hour course for hazardous materials (HazMat) personnel, as well as law enforcement, bomb squad, and emergency medical service personnel who have cross-trained to the level of HazMat technician. ------- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office for Domestic Preparedness Emergency Responder Guidelines. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, August 1, 2002. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/EmergencyRespGuidelinesRevB.pdf Provides baseline information for first responders on the training necessary to respond to a weapon of mass destruction. ------- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office for Domestic Preparedness Exercise Program. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/exercises/state.htm Describes ODP's State and Local Domestic Preparedness Exercise Program and helps States and localities in advancing domestic preparedness through evaluation of authorities, plans, policies, procedures, protocols, and response resources. ------- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office for Domestic Preparedness ODP Weapons of Mass Destruction Training Program: Enhancing State and Local Capabilities To Respond to Incidents of Terrorism, 2003. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/coursecatalog.pdf Presents the course catalog (current as of February 2003) for all ODP programs related to terrorism response and weapons of mass destruction. ------- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office for Domestic Preparedness Overview: Training and Technical Assistance. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/ta/overview.htm Describes ODP's State and Local Domestic Preparedness Training and Technical Assistance Program, which provides direct training and technical assistance to State and local jurisdictions to enhance their capacity and preparedness to respond to domestic incidents. ------- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office for Domestic Preparedness State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support Helpline, 1-800-368- 6498, 2001. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/helpline.htm Describes the activities of the helpline and the types of support available to States and localities under the Nunn-Lugar-Domenici Domestic Preparedness Program, which provides assistance to the Nation's 120 largest cities. ------- U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance Law Enforcement Training Database. http://bjatraining.aspensys.com (Search on "Terrorism/Anti-Terrorism" from dropdown menu.) Provides a database of all federally funded and supported training available to State and local law enforcement officials relating to weapons of mass destruction; emergency response to criminal and terrorist attacks; law enforcement response to terrorist attacks; and chemical, biological, and nuclear attacks on public transportation. ------- U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, and Corrections Training Resources (LECTR). www.lectr.org Provides an online national repository of law enforcement and emergency management (including hazardous materials, fire, and medical) course announcements and training resources; links to websites of training providers and facilities; contact information for individual trainers; and course information. ------------------------------- RESPONSE RESOURCES Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc. State Radiation Control Agencies. www.crcpd.org/map/map.asp Lists State-by-State radiation control contacts. ------- Federal Emergency Management Agency Rapid Response Information System. www.app1.fema.gov/rris/ Provides a reference guide, training aids, and an overall planning and training resource for response to a chemical, biological, and/or nuclear terrorist incident. ------- Federal Emergency Management Agency State Offices and Agencies of Emergency Management. www.fema.gov/fema/statedr.shtm Provides contact information for and links to State emergency management departments and agencies (also provides contact information for Territories, but does not link to territorial agencies). ------- FirstGov.gov Homeland Security and Emergency Services, by State. www.firstgov.gov/Topics/Homeland_Security.shtml Links to State departments of homeland security, emergency management, and public safety. ------- National League of Cities Homeland Security: Federal Resources for Local Governments, September 2002. www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/files/reports/fedlresrc.pdf Offers a guide for municipal officials of Federal Government terrorism response programs. ------- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Emergency Preparedness, National Disaster Medical System/Office of Emergency Preparedness Home Page http://ndms.dhhs.gov Links to the National Disaster Medical System, a partnership among the Departments of Health and Human Services, Defense, and Veterans Affairs; FEMA; State and local governments; private businesses; and community volunteers that is responsible for the Federal health and medical response to weapon of mass destruction attacks, as well as links to the home page for the Metropolitan Medical Response System. ------- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Radiological Emergency Response: Contacting Us. www.epa.gov/radiation/rert/contact.htm Provides contact information for EPA's Radiological Emergency Response Program, including information on reporting a radiological emergency and contact information for obtaining the Manual of Protective Action Guides. ------- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Radiological Emergency Response Team. www.epa.gov/radiation/rert/rert.htm Briefly discusses the duties of EPA's Radiological Emergency Response Team, which responds to emergencies involving the release of radioactive materials, including deliberate acts of nuclear terrorism. ------- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ready to Respond: EPA's Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs. www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/readytorespond/index.html Briefly describes EPA's role in responding to radiological emergencies and the cleanup of radiological incidents and discusses the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan. ------- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP)-Operational Plan. www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/frerp/frerp.htm Details the Federal response to a peacetime radiological emergency, including radiological sabotage and terrorism. ------- WMDFirstResponders.com www.wmdfirstresponders.com Serves as an information clearinghouse to assist law enforcement and other first responders in improving their capabilities to respond to a weapon of mass destruction attack or other terrorist attacks. ------------------------------- EQUIPMENT FUNDING National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center 1033 Program-Surplus Property. www.nlectc.org/equipment/1033.html Provides information on the 1033 Program, which makes excess Department of Defense personal property (supplies and equipment) available to State and local law enforcement agencies. ------- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office for Domestic Preparedness Equipment Acquisition Grants. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/grants/goals.htm Describes ODP's Equipment Acquisition Grant Program, which provides all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories with funding to enable State and local jurisdictions to purchase specialized equipment to respond to a weapon of mass destruction incident and to mitigate the consequences of those incidents. ------- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office for Domestic Preparedness Fiscal Year 2002 State Domestic Preparedness Program: Program Guidelines and Application Kit, 2002. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/02odpkit.pdf Provides financial assistance for the purchase of specialized equipment to enhance State and local agencies' capability to respond to weapon of mass destruction (WMD) incidents; protection of critical infrastructure; costs related to the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of WMD exercises; and administrative costs associated with the implementation of statewide domestic preparedness strategies. ------- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office for Domestic Preparedness State Domestic Preparedness Equipment Program: Needs Assessment and Strategy Development. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/assessments/definition.htm#tools (Click on "Local Jurisdiction Data Entry Module.") Provides information about the fiscal year 1999 ODP State Domestic Preparedness Equipment Program and the State-based needs assessments being implemented under the program. ------------------------------- GENERAL INFORMATION Center for Defense Information "Pascal's New Wager: The Dirty Bomb Threat Heightens," CDI Weekly. www.cdi.org/terrorism/dirty-bomb.cfm Discusses a recent Federation of American Scientists (FAS) study on the likely effects of a dirty bomb. ------- Center for Strategic and International Studies Radiological Weapons as Means of Attack. www.csis.org/burke/hd/reports/radiological.pdf Provides information on the effects of radiation, the types of radiological weapons available (including radiological dispersion devices, or dirty bombs), potential sources of materials for dirty bombs, and the potential impact of various types of radiological weapons. ------- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health Radiation Studies--Emergency Response. www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/response.htm Links to emergency response fact sheets that provide information on various types of radiation emergencies, including nuclear attacks and dirty bombs. ------- Council on Foreign Relations Terrorism: Questions and Answers: Dirty Bombs. www.terrorismanswers.com/weapons/dirtybomb.html Provides basic information about dirty bombs. ------- Council on Foreign Relations Terrorism: Questions and Answers: Loose Nukes. www.terrorismanswers.com/weapons/loosenukes.html Provides basic information about poorly guarded nuclear weapons, materials, or know how that could fall into the wrong hands. ------- Federal Emergency Management Agency, Response and Recovery Federal Response Plan, April 1999. www.fema.gov/rrr/frp/ Sets forth the agreement among 27 Federal departments and agencies, including the American Red Cross, that provides the mechanism for coordinating delivery of Federal assistance and resources to augment efforts of State and local governments overwhelmed by a major disaster or emergency. ------- Monterey Institute of International Studies, Center for Nonproliferation Studies Commercial Radioactive Sources: Surveying the Security Risks, 2003. http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/opapers/op11/op11.pdf Examines the security risks posed by commercial radioactive sources and their potential for use in a dirty bomb, discusses the types of materials that may be used in a dirty bomb, describes possible scenarios involving the detonation of a dirty bomb or other radiological dispersion device, describes the possible effects of a dirty bomb, and provides recommendations on increased security for radioactive materials. ------- National Safety Council Understanding Radiation. www.nsc.org/issues/radisafe.htm Provides information for the general public on radiation, including an online guidebook, Understanding Radiation in Our World, that discusses radiation in general and includes a list of references and resources for additional information. ------- New York Times "Some See Panic as Main Effect of Dirty Bombs," March 7, 2002. www.nytimes.com/2002/03/07/politics/07NUKE.html Provides information on dirty bombs. (Access to the article requires registration.) ------- Testimony of Rose Gottemoeller, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Testimony before the House Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and International Relations of the Committee on Government Reform, September 24, 2002. www.ceip.org/files/projects/npp/pdf/Testimony/RoseGsept242002.pdf Discusses the likely consequences of a dirty bomb and possible sources of materials for the radioactive component of such a bomb. ------- Testimony of Dr. Henry Kelly, President, Federation of American Scientists Testimony before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, March 6, 2002. www.fas.org/ssp/docs/kelly_testimony_030602.pdf Provides an overview of the potential consequences of radiological attacks involving nonnuclear devices (dirty bombs), including security risks related to the possible theft of radioactive materials for use in a bomb and health risks related to the release of radiation; discusses three potential scenarios involving the release of various levels of radiation; and provides maps that show the immediate and long-term contamination effects that would result from each scenario. ------- U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice Inventory of State and Local Law Enforcement Technology Needs to Combat Terrorism, January 1999. www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/173384.pdf Provides an inventory of technologies and training needed by State and local law enforcement agencies to combat terrorism, as identified by representatives of those agencies in interviews and focus groups. ------- The White House "Emergency Preparedness and Response," July 2002. www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/book/sect3-5.pdf Discusses steps the Federal Government should take, including support for first responders, to plan and prepare for large-scale terrorist incidents. This is a chapter from the National Strategy for Homeland Security. ------- The White House National Strategy for Homeland Security, July 2002. www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/book/nat_strat_hls.pdf Sets forth Federal policy recommendations and strategies for improving homeland security. ------------------------------- NIJ Technologies for Public Safety in Critical Incident Response Conference and Exhibition September 23-25, 2003 Renaissance Grand Hotel, St. Louis, Missouri A coordinated effort by first responders requires not only cooperation, but also access to and knowledge of the best technologies to safely and efficiently respond to the diverse public safety emergencies they are faced with every day. For this fifth annual conference, the National Institute of Justice will bring together professionals from law enforcement, fire, emergency management urban search and rescue, and other first responders to: o Observe the latest tools and technologies that address their needs in responding to critical incidents, such as terrorist threats and acts, major industrial accidents, natural disasters, cybercrime, and threats to the safety of our communities. o Participate in roundtable discussions on these and other issues critical to their missions. o Hear from colleagues and other experts on lessons they have learned in various response situations. The conference will feature 12 breakout sessions and 3 plenary sessions on such topics as homeland security, cybercrime, transportation security, chemical/biological weapons, training technologies, incident command systems, information sharing, and interoperability. For additional details, conference registration, and hotel information, log on to www.justnet.org/conf/nij2003/nij2003.html. ------------------------------- A Big Bang and a Flash With LTL What if you were confronted by a flash of light so bright that it rivaled looking directly into the sun and were simultaneously blasted by a bang that reached a painful 170 decibels? You certainly would be disoriented; your behavior, greatly altered. You no doubt would be less aggressive, if not in retreat or full flight. You also would have just experienced a variable-range, less-than-lethal ballistic round that may soon provide law enforcement and corrections with an additional option in dealing with noncooperative or aggressive individuals and crowds up to 100 yards away. "If you are the target, it would be pretty terrifying. You probably will think you are going to be incinerated," says Greg MacAleese, president and CEO of Law Enforcement Technologies (LET), which has received funding from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to develop this new generation flash-bang round. According to MacAleese, when the round bursts, flake aluminum is ejected and ignited to create a brilliant flash that is comparable to looking directly into the sun for 60 milliseconds but causes no permanent damage to a person's vision. In addition, the flake aluminum poses no appreciable burning hazard. It cools to the ambient temperature within a fraction of a second. The acoustics, he says, reach a painful level of 170 decibels but, again, cause no permanent damage. "The whole idea is to simultaneously attack most of your senses," MacAleese says. "It will disorient individuals and make it easier for a SWAT team, in a standoff situation, to take someone into custody without killing them. It is designed to take the resistance out of somebody." NIJ is funding LET to develop two versions of the flash-bang round. One version will enable the user to manually select the range at which the round will burst. The second, a more sophisticated version, will have a radar-controlled burst capability. The selectable-range version will be able to be fired from any 40mm (military) or 37.5mm (law enforcement) launcher. The shooter will manually set the round to burst at one of three range settings. This version is expected to be commercially available this year at a cost of about $30 per live round and about $15 per training round. Unlike the selectable-range round, the radar-controlled round will require a dedicated launcher system, which LET is developing using its own funds. The launcher will be capable of determining the range from the shooter to the target and the proper aiming elevation. When the shooter has aimed the launcher at the target and positioned it at the correct angle, a LED (light emitting diode) displays flashes to notify the shooter that the round is ready to be fired. "When the round is fired, that's when the genius behind the design comes in," MacAleese says, referring to the system's nearly autonomous capability that was devised by LET's partners, Sandia National Laboratories and Martin Electronics. As the round leaves the chamber, it passes over a sensor, which activates a transponder. That transponder sends signals back to a radar array on the firing platform. The radar locks on the target, and when the roundÑtraveling at 250 feet per secondÑcomes within 9 feet of its target, the launcher's electronics signal an electronic match to detonate the round and ignite the flake aluminum. "This sounds like Buck Rogers, but it uses all off-the-shelf existing technology," MacAleese says. "What we wanted to do was develop a flash-bang that could be fired accurately from approximately 20 to 100 yards from a target." Most projectiles, he says, have an error range of plus or minus 10 percent because of the variability of propellants used in the ballistics. "If you are 20 yards away, that's 2 yards, that's not so bad. If you are 100 yards away, that's 10 yards, and you begin to run into problems. This new round is designed to be accurate within 6 inches, but the real challenge was making it that accurate from different distances." The radar-controlled system is expected to be ready for field testing later this year and available commercially in 2004. Live rounds are expected to cost about $60 and training rounds about $30. The launchers will be priced at approximately $2,500, but the company plans to develop leasing options to help keep them affordable to departments and agencies with limited budgets. LET already plans to enhance the rounds by adding irritating chemicals or paint that could mark a suspect indelibly. Testing is under way to determine suitable flame-resistant paints and irritants. "We are taking tremendous pains to make it saf--but uncomfortable for the target," MacAleese says. "I don't think the target will necessarily appreciate this, but we are trying to create a kinder, gentler projectile." Even without the added irritants, the effect of the round's burst will last somewhere between 45 seconds and 15 minutes, depending on factors such as time of day, whether the individual looks directly at the burst, and how close the burst is to the individual. The project's objective, MacAleese says, was to come up with something for departments of all sizes, with varying budgets and varying needs. "As a former cop, I know their needs pretty well. We're trying to develop options that will make their jobs a lot easier and a lot safer." According to Amon Young, NIJ project manager, this flash-bang system is different because it is capable of being deployed against individuals or groups at a distance. NIJ senior program manager Joe Cecconi adds that the "flash-bang has been used in the past in grenade fashion by being thrown into a room. The officer has to pull the pin and there are only a few seconds of delay. Officers have injured their hands . . . . This particular device will represent less of a hazard in that regard." MacAleese says that most firefights take place within a range of 10 yards or less, and at that range, a bursting round would impact the shooter as much as the targeted individual or group. However, he says, the LET system will give law enforcement its first less-than-lethal flash-bang option effective within a 20- to 100-yard range. Developing options that will make the lives of law enforcement officers easier and safer is what NIJ's Less-Than-Lethal (LTL) Technologies program is all about. The program provides funding for the development and evaluation of technology that gives law enforcement and corrections officers effective alternatives to lethal force. Two LTL technologies that could be commercially available in the near future include MultiSensory Grenade. Scientific Applications and Research Associates is developing the MultiSensory Grenade (MSG) for the U.S. Marine Corps. The grenade combines sound, light, and odor to overwhelm three of the five human senses. Unlike existing LTL weapons, the design of the MSG allows for easy configuration so that the sensory subcomponents can be changed to adapt to new uses. NIJ is funding an evaluation of baseline MSG prototypes with the assistance of various law enforcement agencies. Ring Airfoil Projectile. The Ring Airfoil Projectile (RAP) is a 2-inch rubber ring that inflicts pain but no permanent bodily injury when it strikes an individual. (See "NIJ Takes the Rap," TechBeat, Winter 1998, at www.justnet.org/techbeat/justnet.html.) The ring potentially could be filled with pepper powder and break open on impact. NIJ sponsored the development of a single-shot prototype by Guilford Engineering, which was demonstrated at NIJ's 2001 Mock Prison Riot. However, in field testing, law enforcement agencies did not like the single-shot concept. Cecconi says NIJ hopes to have a prototype of an eight-shot device ready for testing by fall 2003. For more information on the variable range, less-than-lethal flash-bang round project or other projects under the National Institute of Justice's Less-Than-Lethal Technologies Program, contact Joe Cecconi, 202-305- 7859, or e-mail cecconij@ojp.usdoj.gov. ------------------------------- 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 https://puborder.ncjrs.org/secure/register/register.asp. 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. ------------------------------- 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 © 2003 PhotoDisc, Inc./Getty Images, Inc.; Comstock Images; Dynamic Graphics, Inc.; SuperStock; Digital Vision; Corbis; and RubberBall Productions. Staff: Managing Editor, Rick Neimiller; Writers, Becky Lewis and Stephanie Neuben; Editor, Michele Coppola; Assistant Editor/Writer, Brian Higgins; Graphic Designers, C. Denise Collins and Tina Kramer. ------------------------------- New Pubs Online The following publications are available (online only) through the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center. Log on to the JUSTNET website at www.justnet.org to view or download these publications. o What Every Public Safety Officer Should Know About Radiation and Radioactive Materials: A Resource Guide. This resource guide is a follow-on to the NLECTC brochure on the same subject. The guide is a comprehensive list of sources of information for public safety officers who may be the first responders to a terrorist attack in which a nonnuclear radiological dispersal device is used. o Tech Profiles: Making a Difference. This report presents stories told by law enforcement, corrections, and public safety officers who have benefitted directly from technology assistance and expertise provided by the NLECTC system. ------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------- 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 evaluationsÑtesting equipment under field conditionsÑon 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 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. Bay Area Goes Wireless To Secure Bridges, Tunnels Computerworld The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is constructing a massive surveillance project to monitor seven bridges and three tunnels. The Bay Area Surveillance Enhancement (BASE) system is an extension of the homeland security project implemented following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The system will use a network of wireless links and 250 video cameras to monitor and transmit data to the command center. Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol will use the system to detect any suspicious activities at key infrastructure sites. Radiocarbon Dating To Help Identify Illegal Drug Stockpiles Australian Associated Press Radiocarbon dating is the latest weapon law enforcement officials can use in the war against illegal drugs. Scientists have used the method to date items of historical significance, such as the Shroud of Turin and a mummified body found in the Italian Alps. Law enforcement personnel plan to use radiocarbon dating to determine when drug making materials found in investigations were manufactured and locate stockpiles of illegal drugs in certain countries. Radiocarbon dating is especially helpful in opium, heroin, cocaine, and morphine investigations. Profiling the Hackers Associated Press State University of New York at Buffalo researchers are working on a system that can profile network users in real time and catch cybercriminals in the act. These profiles are built by tracking each command a user executes at each computer terminalÑthe way a person opens files, sends e-mail, searches archives, and performs other routines are continuously watched for even the smallest deviations. Anomalous behaviorÑentering a zone that is off-limits or using a stolen password, for exampleÑis reported to network administrators. With this approach, an intruder with malicious intent can be identified very early. In addition, the system operator can contain the damage, repair it in real time, and shut out the intruder. New Alert System Activated in Ohio Columbus Dispatch A new Ohio alert system, called "A Child Is Missing," uses computer-mapping technology and a national database of 45 million telephone numbers to contact 1,000 homes and businesses in the surrounding area where the missing person was last seen. When police register an abduction or missing person report, the system goes live within 5 minutes and a recorded message with the description of the missing person, the last-known sighting, and the local contact number alerts those in the designated radius. Obscure U.S. Agency Seeks Gizmos To Combat Terrorism Wall Street Journal A little-known U.S. Federal agency called the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) is playing a key role in the process of developing devices and gadgets to be used in the NationÕs war on terrorism. The TSWGÕs main task consists of sorting through thousands of proposals for antiterrorism devices, identifying those proposals with the most promise, and funding those proposals from conception to reality. Since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the TSWGÕs 70-employee office has sifted through 16,000 proposals, reducing that number to a final cut of 120 viable projects. Now, at the behest of the Homeland Security Department, the TSWG is preparing to make a public call for antiterrorism devices. In return, the Homeland Security Department will contribute $30 million to the TSWG's budget. The Department of Homeland Security has a lengthy wish list for antiterrorism devices: chemical decontamination kits; air-sampling systems for businesses and apartment buildings; transportable water treatment and distribution systems; underwater mine-detecting technology for the NationÕs ports; and a highly efficient screening system for railroad passengers and baggage. The TSWG has already helped bring several antiterrorism gadgets to market, including a small, radioactivity-detecting device known as a "dosimeter" that will soon be available at a price of just $3. Where the Hall Monitor Is a Webcam New York Times An increasing number of U.S. schools are turning to video surveillance cameras in an effort to boost security, especially as safety concerns rise. In Fresno, California, for example, the campus that houses the W.E.B. DuBois and Carter G. Woodson charter schools uses 12 cameras, affixed at entrances, corridors, and the computer lab, to allow real-time monitoring of students inside the buildings. Anyone with an Internet connection and password can watch the students remotely, including the Fresno Police Department. School administrators, instructors, and students say the cameras make the school feel more secure. In Biloxi, Mississippi, meanwhile, the city has spent $1.2 million to place a surveillance camera in every classroom, which number nearly 500. But Biloxi superintendent of schools Dr. Larry Drawdy says the sense of security may be misleading, since someone wanting to inflict harm in a school usually wants attention, rather than hopes to escape. Tag, You're It CIO Slowly but surely, enterprises are finding it easier and cheaper to track and manage assets through radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, in which products and other items are equipped with electronic tags containing ID data that can be read remotely. RFID technology reduces the need for human intervention, provides data more efficiently than bar codes (and can store more data as well), is reliable in extreme environments, and is unaffected by nearby objects, all of which can significantly increase business productivity while saving money. A chip and an antenna are embedded within RFID tags, which come in two varieties: Passive tags that have no batteries and whose transmission range usually extends to only a few feet, and larger, battery-powered active tags that can transmit data from hundreds of feet away. As RFID tags become smaller and cheaper, they will be incorporated into more and more everyday products, according to industry observers. Potential applications include the tracking of mail, pets, and children, as well as crowd control and ID counterfeiting prevention. Tiny Computer Lock Simplifies Security ZDNet Australia Sandia National Laboratories has unveiled the Recodable Locking Device, a combination lock about the size of a dime that uses microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology. Like a traditional combination lock, the Recodable Locking Device will accept only a single code. However, the mechanism gives a user only one chance to select a preset code, and if the code is wrong, the lock will be shut until the owner resets it. Since it operates using electrical signals, the lock might be appropriate for use on computer networks. Standard Bearers Government Executive The White House has called on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to assist the Federal Government in its homeland security efforts. NIST scientists were responsible for irradiating about 2 million pieces of quarantined mail when postal facilities were contaminated with anthrax spores, and now they are focusing on developing a guide that will help first responders crack down on nuclear smuggling. Through NIST's Office of Law Enforcement Standards, the institute has developed a collection of guides that will help law enforcement agencies and first responder organizations evaluate chemical detection, biological agent detection, personal protection, communications, and decontamination equipment. And by testing the various risks chemicals pose to first responders, NIST will develop standards and certification programs for such equipment. NIST officials say military surplus equipment may not always be appropriate for law enforcement officials and first responders. Government Asked To Arm Fisheries, Officers With Batons, Spray Daily News (New Zealand) Fisheries law enforcement officers in New Zealand are requesting the government equip them with batons and pepper spray in order to handle violent poachers preying on coastline ecosystems. There has been a rise in violent encounters with fishermen violating rules, and the Ministry of Fisheries board will consider a number of health and safety reforms in 2003, including arming about 100 fishery officials with batons and pepper spray.