Florida Police Chiefs Association Update: Week Ending August 22, 2014
Aug 26, 2014
The following is an informational update on law enforcement news, events, legislative developments and meetings relating to the Florida Police Chiefs Association community as of August 22, 2014.
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& Webb.
NEWS
Odds of municipal pension reform grow slimmer
The Florida League of Cities, which represented Florida’s cities in crafting the bill, has joined with a host of conservative advocacy groups to create a new coalition.
Florida Police Union Tries to Block Camera Plan
Miami-Dade’s police union on Friday moved to thwart Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s plan to equip all county patrol officers with wearable surveillance cameras, saying the devices could place “the lives of the public and the officers in danger.”
Miami Herald Reporting Prompts Policy Changes In Florida Prisons
After months of scathing reports, Florida’s Department of Corrections announced it will begin implementing a series of reforms within the state’s prisons. The changes are aimed at improving how guards treat mentally-ill inmates, as well as increasing transparency in instances where things go wrong.
Air Force aiding Florida police in sex stings
Not only have Central Florida law enforcement officers violated federal rules in conducting “To Catch a Predator”-inspired sex stings, but WTSP in Tampa has learned they may also violate longstanding federal law that prohibits the use of military resources to enforce state laws.
Florida, Alabama and Texas are among the most enthusiastic recipients of surplus military gear
The Defense Department’s excess property program provides state and local law enforcement agencies with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of unused military equipment annually.
- Southwest Florida police getting surplus military equipment
- Central Florida police acquire military surplus gear
- South Florida cities can roll out Ferguson-like arsenals
“ICE detainers” have illegally imprisoned countless individuals, opening enforcing agencies to liability. Letters sent to 62 sheriffs urge Florida counties to join the hundreds of places – including Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties – that have stopped enforcing the unconstitutional holds.
Fight to combat synthetic drugs includes new tools and faces new threats, Pam Bondi says
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said law enforcement agencies need to continue to develop tools to combat illicit synthetic drugs and warned against the dangers of devices such as electronic cigarettes.
Florida sex stings aren’t targeting whom you think
Law enforcement agencies have widespread support for combating sexual predators and crimes against children. But, police chiefs and sheriffs across Florida remain split on how far an agency should go to round up potential offenders.
Texting in Florida: How drivers are being caught, cited
Drivers who break one law are likely to ignore another.
Police fire chiefs speak with residents about nine recent arsons in City of Sanford
Since June 30 nine arsons have occurred within the City of Sanford.
Can you help track down Florida’s 60 most wanted?
According to the Florida Attorney General, the following 60 people are the state’s most wanted. Anyone who has seen these individuals is asked to call law enforcement. Citizens are warned not attempt to apprehend or detain them.
Midway Police Chief named to Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team
Midway Police Chief Jerome Turner Jr. is joining the fight to end domestic violence in Florida.
Clearwater’s top cop goes to St. Petersburg
St Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman announced his decision to hire Clearwater police chief Anthony Holloway.
Winter Haven Police Chief Gary Hester To Take New Deputy County Manager Position
Winter Haven police chief Gary Hester will be stepping down from the Winter Haven Police Department and taking a position with Polk County.
West Melbourne Police Apply For Accreditation
West Melbourne Police Chief Richard T. Wiley submitted an application on August 12 for accreditation through the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation.
Lightning Kills Florida Police K-9 Inside Kennel
The Panama City Beach Police Department lost one of its K-9 officers after a deadly lightning strike.
Police Chiefs Charity Awards 4 Scholarships in Honor of Former Auburndale Chief
Nolan McLeod died June 20, 2012, from stomach cancer, but not before telling his family and friends in law enforcement about his wish.
Former Police Chief: Anti-Homelessness Laws In U.S. Are “Close To Ethnic Cleansing”
A Pennsylvania police chief turned Florida homelessness advocate says he’s disgusted with the increasing amount of discrimination people on the streets face.
More homicides are reported in states where you can “Stand Your Ground,” report finds
The nation’s widely adopted “Stand Your Ground” laws may be driving up homicide rates and fueling racial bias in law enforcement, a new preliminary report from the American Bar Association warns.
REPORTS
Police Officer Body-Worn Cameras: Assessing the Evidence
From the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs–This report provides a review of the available evidence on officer body-worn cameras. The goal is to provide a comprehensive resource that will help law enforcement agencies to understand the factors they should consider to make informed decisions regarding the adoption of body-worn camera technology. Given the lack of research, there is little evidence to support or refute many of the claims, and there are outstanding questions regarding the impact and consequences of body-worn cameras, law enforcement agencies should be cautious and deliberative in their exploration of the technology.
An Introduction to Evidence-Based Practices
From the Justice Research and Statistics Association–Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, criminal justice researchers who undertook the summarizing of what was known about effective programs were concerned with describing what the evidence showed about what types of interventions were effective; however there was no systematic effort to identify specific programs that were shown to be effective, nor to rate the quality of the studies that led to their conclusions. In recent years, evaluation methods for criminal justice programs have improved, along with the dissemination of information needed for replication. As used in the evidence-based practice movement in criminal justice, the objective for effectiveness is reduction in the continuation of the criminal behavior being targeted for treatment.
From the National Insurance Crime Bureau–This annual report identifies the ten most stolen vehicles in the United States. The report examines vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center and determines the vehicle make, model and model year most reported stolen in 2013. After a slight increase in 2012, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) predicts a reduction in national vehicle thefts of 3.2% when final 2013 statistics are released later this year. The peak year for vehicle thefts was 1991 with 1,661,738. If the FBI’s preliminary 2013 vehicle theft estimate holds, thefts will be under 700,000-a number not seen since 1967 and a reduction in vehicle thefts of over 50% since 1991. The Honda Accord and Honda Civic were the most stolen vehicles in the nation in 2013.
From the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice–This paper proposes an expanded model for defining drug-related crimes, i.e., drug attribution factors (“DAFs”), beyond that proposed by prior research. Earlier model of drug-related crime identifies three categories of DAFs: “economic-compulsive” (crimes committed to obtain money for buying drugs); “psychopharmacological” crime (crimes committed due to the effect of drugs, such as assaults and homicides); and “systemic” crime (crimes committed by individuals and organizations in the course of operating a drug-trafficking enterprise). In addition to these three categories of DAFs, this paper proposes four additional types of DAFs indirectly related to drug supply and demand. Although these drug-related harmful effects may not involve specific law violations, they constitute part of the cost of drug supply and consumption. One of the four additional drug-related costs to society is the diminishment of positive contributions to society the drug-user might have provided had he/she not become dependent on drugs. A second indirect effect pertains to the adverse impacts the drug-user has on his/her children and other family members because of drug dependence. A third indirect effect is the impact of drug market activities on the neighborhood environment and constructive influence. The fourth indirect cost of drug use is the general diminishment of the informal ability of a society to mold the moral development of its members and thus deter crime.
Florida Office of the Attorney General Smart Phone App
From the Office of the Florida Attorney General–This mobile smart phone app allows users to link to several resources from the Florida Attorney General, including a Citizen Services contact form to file a complaint; a complaint form for Medicaid fraud, patient abuse, neglect, or exploitation; news releases and weekly briefings from the Attorney General; and information about the office units of the Office of the Florida Attorney General.
Law Enforcement’s Leadership Role in Juvenile Justice Reform
From the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation–In September 2013, the International Association of Chiefs of Police collaborated with the MacArthur Foundation to host the National Summit on Law Enforcement Leadership in Juvenile Justice. The summit participants identified concrete steps that law enforcement executives can take to elevate the priority of preventing and addressing juvenile crime, to respond to youth in more effective and developmentally appropriate ways, and to take a more active role as change agents in their communities. This report highlights 33 summit recommendations for law enforcement and juvenile justice stakeholders to address juvenile crime and develop more effective, developmentally appropriate responses to juvenile offenders and at-risk youth.
Measuring and Using Juvenile Recidivism Data to Inform Policy, Practice and Resource Allocation
From the Council of State Governments Justice Center–Juvenile arrest rates, including for violent crimes, fell by approximately 50% from 1997 to 2011, to their lowest level in more than 30 years. In combination with this sharp drop in arrests, state and local reforms have had a significant impact: From 1997 to 2011, youth confinement rates declined by almost half. Many states also are striving to ensure that youth who have been diverted from confinement, as well as those returning home after time spent in a facility, receive supervision and services that reduce recidivism and improve other youth outcomes. This issue brief highlights the key findings of a survey of juvenile correctional agencies in all 50 states and provides state and local policymakers with recommendations for improving their approach to the measurement, analysis, collection, reporting and use of recidivism data for youth involved with the juvenile justice system.
From the Council of State Governments Justice Center–This white paper was written to guide leaders across all branches of government; juvenile justice system administrators, managers, and front-line staff; and researchers, advocates, and other stakeholders on how to better leverage existing research and resources to facilitate system improvements that reduce recidivism and improve other outcomes for youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The focus of the white paper is to promote what works to support successful reentry for youth who are under juvenile justice system supervision.
From the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice–The report examines the impact of “prison cycling” –the flow into and out of prison–on crime rates in communities, with special concern about areas that have high rates of prison cycling. There is strong support for the impact of prison cycling on crime, whereby high rates of incarceration heavily concentrated in the most disadvantaged communities might actually exacerbate the problem of crime in those communities. It seems that such cycling has different effects in different kinds of neighborhoods, consistent with the idea of a “tipping point,” but more clearly expressed as an interaction between crime policy and type of neighborhood. The results from three study sites in Tallahassee, Florida, Boston, Massachusetts and Trenton, New Jersey provide consistent support for this “tipping point” hypothesis. Further research will investigate whether this neighborhood interaction holds in other sites.
Making the Case for Status Offense Systems Change: A Toolkit
From the Coalition for Juvenile Justice–This guide presents a set of resources for judges, juvenile justice professionals and advocates to help educate others about status offenses and the need for better responses to youth charged with these behaviors. The materials in this toolkit will help users work with a wide range of audiences, including those who do not have extensive knowledge about status offenses or the court system. The toolkit contains talking points on status offenses, a fact sheet that debunks myths about status offenses, a presentation on improving responses to youth charged with status offenses, a brief overview of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice’s National Standards for the Care of Youth Charged with Status Offenses, and additional resources.
Violent Victimization in New and Established Hispanic Areas, 2007-2010
From the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics–Hispanic populations in many U.S. communities experienced rapid growth during the past three decades. Before 1980, most Hispanics lived in the Southwest and in New York, Florida and Illinois. From 1980 to 2010, the number of Hispanics living outside of these areas increased from 2.7 million to 13.5 million. Meanwhile, from 2007 to 2010, the overall rate of violence in new Hispanic areas exhibited no statistically significant difference from that in established Hispanic areas. During this time period, new Hispanic areas had a lower overall rate of violent victimization compared to small Hispanic areas that had relatively little growth in Hispanic populations. Unlike blacks and whites, Hispanics experienced higher rates of violent victimization in new Hispanic metropolitan areas (26 per 1,000) than in other areas (16 to 20 per 1,000). Hispanics ages 18 to 34 exhibited the largest variation in victimization rates by type of area. Those in new Hispanic areas experienced violence at higher rates than those in established and small Hispanic areas. Among all age groups, new Hispanic areas did not show statistically significant higher rates of violent victimization for non-Hispanic white and black residents. New Hispanic areas did not show statistically significant higher rates of violent victimization for non-Hispanic white and black residents.
Changing Lives: Prevention and Intervention to Reduce Serious Offending
From the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs-With subjects grouped by program focus – family, school, peers and community, individual, employment – the bulletin assesses early childhood, juvenile, and early adulthood programs that have demonstrated measurable impacts on offending in early adulthood or up to age 29 using methodologically sound evaluation studies and research reviews. Additionally, this bulletin provides estimates of the costs and benefits of specific evidence-based programs for juveniles and young adult offenders.
Juvenile Justice Resource Hub: Evidence-Based Practices
From the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change–This Web site provides timely, in-depth information on juvenile justice issues and trends. In addition to sections on mental health and substance use disorders, community-based alternatives, juvenile indigent defense, and racial-ethnic fairness, the Hub recently added a section on evidence-based practices. This section addresses key issues and reform trends relating to evidence-based practices, highlights model policies and recent research, and provides links to resources and experts.
Managing Drug-Involved Offenders
From the U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice–Swift-and-certain sanctions programs, when implemented correctly, have demonstrated significant ability to reduce re-offending, probation/parole revocations, and incarceration across a range of offender types and criminal justice settings. Hawaii’s HOPE program, which began in 2004, was the first successful large-scale implementation of swift-and-certain sanctions. HOPE includes regular random drug tests (six times a month during the first few months of the program). Sanctions, which can include brief jail terms, are delivered within days of a detected violation. The program relies on streamlined judicial processes and coordination among all the agencies involved, including courts, probation, law enforcement and treatment providers. Delays within the court system are minimized, which expedites the reporting of failed drug tests, the scheduling of court hearings, and the issuance of bench warrants for absconders. Offenders are made aware at the outset of program admission that violations have a high probability of being detected, and violations will be dependably punished. For participants who consistently fail or miss drug tests, treatment, which can include long-term residential treatment, is mandatory. This report notes differences between swift-and-certain programs and drug courts, including the decreased role of judges in day-to-day treatment management. The HOPE program’s evaluation found that the rate of missed and failed drug tests dropped over 80 percent, with about 25 percent of the caseload testing positive only one time.
Juveniles in Residential Placement, 2011
From the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention–Although the findings of the 2011 biennial survey of state public and private juvenile residential facilities are generally positive, the population of juvenile offenders in residential placement has declined 42% since 1997, and the number of status offenders in residential placement was down 64% from 1997. This bulletin highlights several areas where improvement is warranted, especially regarding rates of confinement for minority youth. Nationwide, the residential placement rate for black youth was more than 4.5 times the rate for white youth, and the rate for Hispanic youth was 1.8 times the rate for white youth.
RULEMAKING
Florida Division of Victim Services and Criminal Justice Issues Revised Rule Texts on Compensation Claims and Relocation Assistance
The Florida Department of Legal Affairs, Division of Victim Services and Criminal Justice Programs issued a Notice of Change for the following proposed Rules:
2A-2.001 Definitions
2A-2.002 Victim Compensation Claims
2A-2.013 Property Claims
2A-2.014 Domestic Violence Relocation Assistance
2A-2.015 Sexual Battery Relocation Assistance
Click here to access the proposed Rule texts and complete Notice.
Florida Division of Victim Services and Criminal Justice Initiates Rulemaking on Human Trafficking Relocation Assistance
The Florida Department of Legal Affairs, Division of Victim Services and Criminal Justice Programs issued a Notice of Rule Development for Rule 2A-2.016, entitled “Human Trafficking Relocation Assistance.” The proposed Rule clarifies definitions, documentation and benefits and procedures for claims filed for Human Trafficking Relocation Assistance pursuant to Florida’s Crimes Compensation Act. To view the Notice and proposed Rule text, click here.
UPCOMING FLORIDA POLICE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION EVENTS
September 22-26
Future Law Enforcement Executives Seminar
The Florida Hotel, 1500 Sand Lake Road; Orlando, FL
October 25
IACP Annual Conference
121st Annual Conference, Orlando, FL
January 11-13, 2015
Mid-Winter Training Conference & Exposition
Hilton Tampa Downtown
To reserve your room, call 1-800-445-8667 and mention that you are with the Florida Police Chiefs Association, or click here.