Florida Police Chiefs Association Update: Week Ending August 3, 2012

Aug 3, 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 3, 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

 

Nation’s Longest Serving Police Chief Retires at 70

Groveland Police Chief Thomas R. Merrill was recognized with the Distinguished Service Award from the Florida Peace Officers Association for being the longest servicing police chief in the nation.

 

In Florida’s Lake County, first African-American to hold Police Chief job takes interim reins ahead of internal probe

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 police captain sworn in as Milford’s chief

With officers from his new department and chiefs from several surrounding communities standing by, Police Chief Michael Viola was welcomed to Milford during his swearing-in ceremony Wednesday.

 

Law agencies increasingly “like” social websites

Social networking websites aren’t just for checking in, tweeting and pushing products anymore.

 

Florida Department of Law Enforcement clears retired Northeast Florida police chief

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has cleared a retired St. Augustine Beach police chief accused of taking firearms, a mountain bike and a motorcycle.

 

Governor Scott appoints Sheriff David Shoar to Criminal Justice Commission

St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar is one of five people who Governor Rick Scott has appointed to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.

 

 

REPORTS


U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Administration:  Reducing Crime through Intelligence-Led Policing

Several law enforcement agencies have experienced success in combating complex violent crime problems through incorporation of intelligence-led policing (ILP).  Using principles of information sharing to combat terrorism, ILP relies on analytically understanding multi-jurisdictional crime threats, developing a pathway toward solving the crime problems, and relying on proactive information sharing, both within the agency and externally with other law enforcement agencies, to maximize the number of law enforcement personnel who may identify indicators of threats and intervene.  This report presents case studies of selected agencies that have successfully employed ILP procedures to reduce violent crime. Two of the programs highlighted in this report are Palm Beach County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office- Gangs as Criminal Enterprise program and Tampa, Florida, Police Department- Focus on Four Crime Reduction Plan.

 

Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice:  Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories, 2009

The nation’s publicly funded forensic crime labs perform a variety of services, such as DNA tests, controlled substance analyses, and latent fingerprint examinations.  This report examines crime lab personnel, budgets, workloads, and other administrative information, including backlogs in requests for forensic services.  At the end of 2009, the nation’s publicly funded crime labs had an estimated backlog of 1.2 million requests for forensic services, which was relatively unchanged from the backlog at yearend 2008.  The estimated budget for all publicly funded crime labs in 2009 was about $1.6 billion compared to the $1.0 billion budget for labs in 2002.

 

U.S. Government Accountability Office:  Criminal Alien Removals Increased, but Technology Planning Improvements Needed

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.  Of about 183,000 aliens removed under the program from October 2008 through March 2012, about 74 percent had a criminal conviction.

 

U.S. Government Accountability Office:  Preliminary Results on Efforts to Assess Facility Risks and Oversee Contract Guards

GAO’s preliminary results indicate that the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service is not assessing risks at federal facilities in a manner consistent with standards such as the National Infrastructure Protection Plan’s risk management framework, as FPS originally planned.

 

 

MEETINGS

 

August 20 – 24

Advanced Law Enforcement Executives Seminar:  Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista, 8100 Lake Street, Orlando, Florida.

 

September 4

9:00 a.m.–Florida Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System Public Workshop (Joint Task Force Board Standard Operating Procedures and Technical Committee) to discuss operational matter on the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System.  Florida Department of Management Services, Division of Telecommunications; 4030 Esplanade Way, Suite 225A, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0950; Conference call-in information: 1(888) 670-3525, passcode: 7604900010

 

September 7

9:30 a.m.–Florida Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System Public Workshop (Joint Task Force on Law Enforcement Radio Communications Board) to discuss operational matters for the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System.  : Betty Easley Conference Center, Room 152, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee, Florida 32399; Conference Call: 1(888) 670-3525, Passcode #7604900010

 

Development of Rulemaking:  Enforcement of Convenience Store Program Violations

The Florida Department of Legal Affairs Division of Victim Services and Criminal Justice Programs has proposed the development of an amendment to 2A-5.011, entitled “Enforcement” to update guidelines for enforcement of convenience store program violations.  Preliminary text for this proposed Rule is not yet available.

 

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