Florida Police Chiefs Association Update: Week Ending June 14
Jun 17, 2013
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 June 14, 2013. 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
Florida prison officers win $603,000 settlement
The State of Florida has worked out a $603,000 settlement with the federal government to settle a long-running dispute with the union representing prison guards, compensating them for time spent preparing for going to and from their duty stations.
Private prescription drug info of thousands in Florida database gets leaked
To keep dangerous prescription drugs controlled, the government maintains a database to make sure that it monitors who gets what pills from what doctors and how often.
Tracking transient sex offenders problematic in central Florida
More than 230 convicted sex offenders in central Florida are almost untraceable.
Local police agencies amassing DNA databases
A growing number of local law enforcement agencies across the country have moved into what had previously been the domain of the FBI and state crime labs – amassing their own DNA databases of potential suspects, some collected with the donors’ knowledge, and some without it.
Opinion: Crash data cast doubt on red-light cameras
Red-light cameras won’t have to improve safety very much to achieve stupendous-sounding drops in crashes at two Melbourne intersections, a report for the city shows.
ACLU study: Southwest Florida officials can’t explain higher rate of marijuana arrests for blacks
Black people in Southwest Florida are arrested at a higher rate for marijuana possession than their white counterparts – a trend that mirrors what is happening across the country, according to an American Civil Liberties Union analysis.
Cruise ship crime statistics aren’t smooth sailing
Groups, lawmaker urge better reports of incidents at sea
Does what happens on a cruise ship stay on the cruise ship?
Combat Veteran Sues City of Daytona Beach Over Gun Confiscation
The non-profit group Florida Carry, Inc. is suing the city of Daytona Beach, Fla., on behalf of a combat veteran who says police came into his home without a warrant and confiscated 16 firearms.
Sarasota Police Chief Thwarts Suspected Robbers
Chief Bernadette DiPino helped catch three people now being questioned in a strong-armed robbery on Saturday afternoon.
Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino is being credited with being in the right place at the right time on Saturday after she caught three people later charged in connection to a strong-arm robbery.
Alabama police chief suspended for visiting murderer
Alabama’s Gadsden Civil Service Board voted Wednesday to suspend Police Chief John Crane for visiting a convicted murderer in jail over the course of three years.
Revealed: Massive Whitey Bulger arsenal
Jurors in the James ‘Whitey’ Bulger trial were shown photos and videos of a massive collection of weapons, including machine guns, used by the Boston gangster and his gang to amass millions of dollars while committing drug dealing, extortion, loansharking, illegal sports betting, and murder.
REPORTS
Florida Department of Law Enforcement: Introduction to Human Trafficking Online Course
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has created a new online training program to help front-line officers recognize and respond to human trafficking. The U.S. Department of State estimates that 27 million people are trafficked worldwide annually, and in 2011, Florida ranked third nationally in the number of calls received by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center’s hotline. The training provides information about the indicators of potential human trafficking along with related state and federal laws.
An estimated 9.5 percent of adjudicated youth in state juvenile facilities and state contract facilities (representing 1,720 youth nationwide) reported experiencing one or more incidents of sexual victimization by another youth or staff in the past 12 months or since admission, if less than 12 months. About 2.5 percent of youth (450 nationwide) reported an incident involving another youth, and 7.7 percent (1,390) reported an incident involving facility staff. An estimated 3.5 percent of youth reported having sex or other sexual contact with facility staff as a result of force or other forms of coercion, while 4.7 percent of youth reported sexual contact with staff without any force, threat, or explicit form of coercion. About 67.7 percent of youth victimized by another youth reported experiencing physical force or threat of force, 25.2 percent were offered favors or protection, and 18.1% were given drugs or alcohol to engage in sexual contact. The percentage of youth in Florida’s juvenile facilities reporting sexual victimization was 5.2 percent.
U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance: State and Territory Fact Sheets.
These fact sheets provide an overview of key criminal justice statistics including expenditures, law enforcement and court structure, crime trends, arrest data, and corrections data for each state. The fact sheets are designed to provide descriptive statistics and contact information regarding state criminal justice functions.
Urban Institute: Collecting DNA at Arrest – Policies, Practices and Implications
This report examines the federal and state legal framework that allows the collection of DNA from individuals who are arrested, even if there is no subsequent charge or conviction. In addition, the report looks at how the policy has been implemented across the country and the effects of arrestee DNA collection on the growth of databases and the number of matches made to arrestee profiles. The study found that the policy has increased the samples in DNA databases and has resulted in more matches, but the additional workload has presented a burden on laboratory and administrative personnel. Florida is currently phasing in its arrestee law, adding additional felony offenses each year. Full implementation, which will authorize collection for all felony offenses, is expected by 2019.
This report presents key findings from the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement (SYRP) on youth’s victimization in placement, including their experiences of theft, robbery, physical assault, and sexual assault. SYRP is the only national survey that gathers data directly from youth in custody, using anonymous interviews. The report describes a variety of youth characteristics and facility conditions that correlate with victimization rates and identifies a core set of risk factors that predict the probability of a youth experiencing violence in custody. Results indicate that 46% of youth had their property stolen in their absence, 10% were directly robbed, 29% were threatened or beaten, 9% were beaten or injured, and 4% were forced to engage in sexual activity.
Center for Court Innovation: Testing the Cost Savings of Judicial Diversion
This study of judicial diversion programs in the state of New York found that in the first year after New York adopted “judicial diversion” provisions giving judges discretion to refer offenders to treatment, nearly 1,400 more drug-addicted offenders were mandated to treatment, an increase of 77% from the year before. The increase in treatment referrals produced savings of $5,144 per offender. The savings were attributed to a drop in re-offending and the fact that many drug treatment programs are inexpensive compared to incarceration.
The Research-Based Smarter Sentencing course was developed through the Justice Management Institute to provide information for prosecutors, public defenders, judges, and community corrections professionals to reduce the risk of recidivism through a systemic application of research-based approaches to sentencing. The course teaches the primary stakeholders how to apply these approaches to plea negotiations, sentencing, and parole and probation revocations in order to avoid incarceration while at the same time enhancing public safety. This notebook follows the course, with information presented according to the five modules of the course. Each module includes background information, references pertaining to the information in that module, and exercises for understanding the issues presented in the module
MEETINGS
June 25
The Florida Department of Management Services announces a public meeting of the Joint Task Force for the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System. The Technical Sub-Committee for Strategic Planning will be presenting a Strategic Plan for review.
DATE AND TIME: June 25, 2013, 9:00 a.m.
PLACE: 4030 Esplanade Way, Suite 301, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0950
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 2 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: Debi Smith at (850)922-7435 or debi.smith@dms.myflorida.com. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, (800)955-8771 (TDD) or (800)955-8770 (Voice).
June 27
A proposed Rule to relax State of Florida restrictions on security personnel from outside the state who provide emergency security services after a formal declaration of a state of emergency by Florida’s Governor or a federal agency is scheduled to be considered during a June 27, 2013 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services workshop.
The proposed Rule, 5N-1.120, entitled “Filing of Application; License Issuance and Temporary Authority of Out of State Licensees,” would allow security personnel duly licensed in their home state to enter Florida to provide emergency security services without having to be licensed in Florida, and without having to be employed by a security agency already doing business in Florida.
Currently, the Rule allows only those security agencies already licensed in the State of Florida under the authority of Chapter 493, F.S. to bring in security personnel from outside the state to provide emergency security services after a formal state of emergency declaration.
Under the provisions of the proposed Rule, security personnel coming into Florida during such conditions would be required to meet three requirements:
(1) They would have to be licensed as security personnel in their home state
(2) They would have to have received formal training as security officers
(3) They would have to have been subjected to a background check as part of the determination of eligibility for licensure
The proposed Rule revision also establishes limits the kinds of firearms and ammunition that such out-of-state security personnel would be allowed to carry.
It also stipulates that currently certified and active law enforcement officers licensed from other states would also be able to enter Florida to provide security services during a state of emergency.
To view the complete notice, click here.
August 19-23
The Florida Police Chiefs Association, in cooperation with the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute, has scheduled an Advanced Future Law Enforcement Executives Seminar from August 19 – 23, 2013, at the Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista in Orlando, Florida. This training is structured as a sequel course for graduates of the FPCA/FCJEI’s Future LE Executives Seminar or for those who have been in a command position for three or more years. For more information, click here.
September 16-20
The Florida Police Chiefs Association, in cooperation with the Florida Criminal Justice Institute, has scheduled a Future Law Enforcement Executives Seminar from September 16 – 20, 2013, at the Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista, 8100 Lake Street in Orlando, Florida. For more information, click here.