Florida Police Chiefs Association Update: Week Ending April 20, 2012
Apr 20, 2012
The following is an informational update on law enforcement news, events, legislative developments and meetings relating to the Florida Police Chiefs Association community for the week ending April 20, 2012. Click on the hyperlinks in bold type to access all information.
Should you have any questions or comments, please contact Florida Police Chiefs Association lobbyists, Colodny Fass.
NEWS
New York Times: Task Force Appointed to Look at Florida Gun Laws
Governor Rick Scott of Florida on Thursday named the members of a task force that will examine the state’s gun’s laws, including the expansive and controversial Stand Your Ground law that has been cited in the February 26 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
PolitiFact: Governor Rick Scott said Florida crime rates are at a 40-year low
Florida crime rates are at 40-year lows.
Blog: Orlando in top 50 US cities prone to cyber crimes
Orlando and other cities with international profiles, easy access to shipping, and high Internet connectivity rates are among the top U.S. cities known for cyber crimes, malware attacks, and other fraudulent online transactions, a new report shows.
West Melbourne police officers vote to unionize
West Melbourne police officers have voted to form a union, marking the first time the department has had a collective bargaining unit in more than 18 years.
Blog: David Harris Testifies in Riviera Beach Cop Corruption Trial; Pat Galligan Does Not
A Riviera Beach detective could spend hundreds of years in prison for helping her boss pad his overtime, while he has escaped testifying at the trial that is largely about him.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection promotes environmental crime awareness
Governor Rick Scott has proclaimed this week as Florida’s 11th Annual Environmental Crime Prevention Week.
Gun permits in Florida: A growth industry
George Zimmerman is part of a large and growing class in Florida: He holds a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Opinion: Transfers to adult court don’t explain drop in youth crime
The state of Florida transfers far more juvenile offenders to the criminal (adult) court system than any other state in the nation. In this sense at least, Florida can rightly claim to be No. 1.
Editorial: Governor Rick Scott would rather incarcerate than rehabilitate
Governor Rick Scott just vetoed a bill that had passed unanimously in the Senate and 112-4 in the House.
Waste Management rolls out new crime prevention program
Margate has a new set of eyes and ears looking out for trouble in the community – garbage truck drivers.
Police expect to nab the bad guys quicker with new DNA lab
After a good scrub-down with water and bleach, the new police evidence Biological Processing Lab opened April 16 in Boca Raton’s 6500 Congress Ave. building.
Fort Lauderdale to host Police and Fire Games in 2013 and 2014
More than 3,500 police and firefighters will be in Fort Lauderdale next year to compete in the annual Florida Police and Fire Games.
Wall Street Journal: Police, Pill Mills and Privacy
Politicians, law-enforcement officials and physicians in Kentucky are locking horns over a proposed bill to crack down on the abuse of prescription drugs, in a debate that pits patient privacy against efforts to curb the nation’s expanding epidemic of addiction to painkillers.
Prescription Pill Abuse Fight Comes to Bowling Green
The state’s fight against prescription drugs isn’t just in Frankfort.
Crestview fires Police Chief Brian Mitchell
Police Chief Brian Mitchell has been fired.
Fallen Police Officers Honored in Florida Tour De Force
Police officers are riding for those who no longer can – pedaling 270 miles up the Florida coast as part of the 15th annual Tour de Force.
Ex-Tampa Officer Begs for Mercy in Tax Fraud
A former police officer who used a law enforcement database to help criminals steal more than $1 million from U.S. taxpayers begged a federal judge for mercy Thursday, saying he “did something stupid.”
REPORTS
U.S. Department of Justice: Data Analysis Tool
This tool allows users to examine National Crime Victimization Survey data on both violent and property victimization by select victim, household, and incident characteristics. The survey is an annual data collection conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and collects information on nonfatal crimes, reported and not reported to the police, against persons age 12 or older from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. Violent crimes include rape and sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Property crimes include household burglary, motor vehicle theft, and theft. Users can generate tables with national estimates of the numbers, rates, and percents of victimization, from 1993 to the most recent year that such data are available. The pre-set Quick Tables show trends in crime and reporting to the police. Users can access the Custom Tables to analyze victimization by select characteristics.
U.S. Department of Justice: Journal of Juvenile Justice
This new journal addresses a variety of issues in juvenile justice, such as juvenile victimization, delinquency prevention, intervention, and treatment. This issue features articles that address truancy intervention, polygraph testing for juveniles, homeless youth and arrest history, education in juvenile detention facilities, and juvenile reentry.
MEETINGS
May 9
Criminal and Juvenile Justice Information Systems Council: The next Criminal and Juvenile Justice Information Systems Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 9, 2012, at 8:30 a.m. at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Headquarters located at 2331 Phillips Road, Tallahassee, Florida.
May 7-10
Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission: Hilton Naples Florida Hotel, 5111 Tamiami Trail North, Naples, FL 34103
May 18
Cause Determination Hearings: 10 a.m. Click to view the Agenda. Hilton Ocala, 3600 SW 36th Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34474
July 10-12
2012 Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Annual Training Symposium: Sawgrass Marriott, 1000 PGA TOUR Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida 32082. Toll-Free: 1-800-457-4653
Various
- Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute
- State Officer Certification Exam Review Schedule (click here for 2012 dates)
- Southeastern Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (SLEDS)
- Criminal Justice Standards Training Commission, Officer Certification and Officer Discipline Workshops