Florida Police Chiefs Association Update: Week Ending August 17, 2012
Aug 17, 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 August 17, 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
Tampa police demonstrate RNC crowd control techniques
Police donned riot gear, rolled out an armored truck and issued a booming announcement from a loudspeaker Thursday.
Law enforcement showcases Republican National Convention security vessels
The Republican National Convention will be the largest maritime security effort the area has ever undertaken, Tampa Police said Tuesday.
Titusville’s chief of police retires
Budget struggles drive veteran leader to resign
Fighting budget battles, not crime, took its toll on a police chief faced with cutting department salaries and workload.
Port St. Lucie picks new police chief
After months of searching Port St. Lucie officially has a new police chief. Acting Chief John Bolduc was unanimously voted in by the city council at Monday night’s meeting.
Clermont names interim police chief
Clermont City Manager Wayne Saunders has decided to put retiring police Chief Steve Graham and Capt. Jon Johnson on administrative leave for the duration of an investigation into alleged wrongdoings within the department.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement to no longer send crime scene units to Central Florida
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has made a major shift in how it handles Central Florida crime scenes.
National Rifle Association wants open-carry gun law in Florida
The National Rifle Association will seek to pass a bill legalizing the open carrying of firearms in Florida during the 2013 session of the state Legislature, renewing a crusade for expanded gun rights that faltered last year, according to a longtime lobbyist for the group.
Escambia, Florida form new firearms investigative unit
Local and state law enforcement and prosecutors announced today the formation of a new unit designed to add additional support to investigations into gun violence across the county.
Largo police officer named Florida’s Traffic Officer of the Year
Officer Kurt Iskra can be found at Largo’s busiest intersections, at the city’s worst crash sites or pulling over people whose speeding or impaired driving endangers other motorists.
Washington Post: Police embrace emerging social media tool
Minutes after a shooting near the Oakland Airport this year, the gunman was on the loose. And police Sgt. Chris Bolton quickly fired off a flurry of text alerts to thousands of nearby residents through a social media tool for law enforcement agencies.
Antique, unused, illegal weapons pile up at gun buy-back events
Kenneth Stein on Thursday gave away a .22-caliber rifle he got when he was 15 for target shooting, but it instead ended up spending several decades collecting dust in a closet.
GM recalls more than 38000 Impala police cars
General Motors is recalling more than 38,000 Chevrolet Impala police cars in the U.S. and Canada because a part in the front suspension can crack and cause a crash.
Green Police? Cops In Florida Go Undercover In Hybrid, Greener Cars
For years, the unmarked police car has helped law enforcement agencies around the world capture speeding drivers, pounce on unsuspecting criminals and provide covert investigative opportunities
REPORTS
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Update
- H.R. 218 (The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act) An explanation of federal law allowing active and former law enforcement officers who meet the law’s requirements to carry a concealed firearm nationwide.
- State v. Glasco: Search of Suspect’s Cellphone Incident to Arrest The Florida Supreme Court is currently reviewing the issue of warrantless cellphone searches incident to a lawful arrest. Until the Florida Supreme Court reaches a ruling, the law in Glasco is valid and binding across the state.
Florida Attorney General Criminal Law Update
- United States Supreme Court Oral Arguments Set for October 31, 2012
- 11-564 – Florida v. Jardines – scope of Fourth Amendment application to police use of a drug-sniffing dog on the exterior of a private home (grant limited to Question 1).
- 11-817 – Florida v. Harris – drug-sniffing dog’s “alert” as probable cause to search a car or truck
New Blog: Cost-Benefit Knowledge Bank for Criminal Justice
Few jurisdictions have a sense of the return on investment they are getting from their criminal justice system expenditures. This web-based resource helps to broaden the knowledge base of practitioners and policymakers about criminal justice cost-benefit analysis and support practitioners in building their capacity to promote, use, and interpret cost-benefit analysis in criminal justice settings. Resources include a glossary on the basics of cost-benefit analysis, a reference database that includes a collection of online resources, and a step-by-step guide to cost-benefit analysis for justice policy.
National Center for Juvenile Justice: Juvenile Court Statistics 2009
In 2009, courts with juvenile jurisdiction handled an estimated 1,504,100 delinquency cases. While the number of delinquency cases processed by juvenile courts increased 30% between 1985 and 2009, between its peak year 1997 and 2009, the delinquency caseload declined 20%. Between 2000 and 2009, offenses with the largest percentage decrease in caseloads included motor vehicle theft (49%), stolen property offenses (40%), and arson (26%). Trends in juvenile court cases paralleled trends in arrests of persons younger than 18. The number of juvenile court cases involving offenses included in the FBI’s Violent Crime Index 2 (criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) fell 8% between 2008 and 2009.
To implement the 2010 National Drug Control Strategy, ONDCP obtained input from drug control stakeholders to help ensure that they shared responsibility for implementation, established a new process to determine progress made, and reported that most action items in the Strategy were on track or complete as of November 2011.
Data from the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement indicate that the percentage of its removals attributable to Secure Communities increased from about 4 percent in fiscal year 2009 to about 20 percent in fiscal year 2011
Bureau of Justice Statistics: Victimizations Not Reported to the Police, 2006-2010
The highest percentages of unreported crime were among household theft (67%) and rape or sexual assault (65%) victimizations, while the lowest percentage was among motor vehicle theft (17%) victimizations. The most common reason (42%) for not reporting was fear of retaliation or of getting the offender into trouble. This fear was also the most common reason (46%) victims did not report intimate partner violence to the police. Crimes perpetrated by someone the victim knew well, such as a neighbor, coworker or teacher (62%), or by a casual acquaintance (60%) were more likely to go unreported than crimes committed by a stranger (51%).
Sex offender registration and notification systems have been established within the U.S. in a variety of ways. There are a number of resources which are referred to, loosely, as “sex offender registries”. Each state has its own distinct sex offender registration and notification system and each of these systems has its own nuances and distinct features. Every jurisdiction (meaning each state, territory, or tribe) makes its own determinations about who will be required to register, what information those offenders must provide, and which offenders will be posted on the jurisdiction’s public registry website. This report summarizes the sex offender registration and notification system within the U.S., as well as pertinent case law.
MEETINGS
September 6
Region XII Training Council meeting; 8:45 a.m. Agenda includes Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission updates, Palm Beach State College/Criminal Justice Institute Assessment Center Updates and Region XII budget approval. To view the meeting notice, click here.
September 11
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission public meeting to determine whether or not probable cause exists to pursue disciplinary action against the certification of sworn correctional, law enforcement or correctional probation officers. 10:00 a.m. Valencia Community College, Criminal Justice Institute, Auditorium, 8600 Valencia College Lane, Orlando, Florida. To view the complete meeting notice, click here.
PROPOSED RULES
Florida Department of Corrections
- The Florida Department of Corrections (“DOC”) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to update the inmate grievance rules and to implement s. 944.241, Florida Statutes, concerning grievances over the restraint of pregnant inmates. Form DC1-306 is revised for conformity with the Rule and DOC titles are changed. The effect of the rulemaking is to promote efficiency by specifying matters for which an inmate may proceed directly to a formal grievance or to the Office of Secretary of Corrections without first having to submit an informal grievance. The rulemaking provides a new grievance procedure, including a time extension, for grievances relating to restraint of pregnant inmates. Rule 33-103.019, F.A.C., which is a forms list, is repealed because all of the forms are currently incorporated within the Rule text. To view the meeting notice and complete list of proposed Rules, click here.
- The DOC has issued a Notice of Proposed Rule for Rule 33-602.220, entitled “Administrative Confinement,” which would amend Form DC4-650 (Observation Checklist) to provide for a tear-resistant instead of a plastic covered mattress. The proposed Rule also strikes the forms list and, instead, incorporates each form in the substantive Rule text. If requested within 21 days of the August 17, 2012 notice, a hearing will be scheduled. To view the notice, click here.