Florida Police Chiefs Association Update: Week Ending March 30, 2012
Apr 2, 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 March 30, 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.
Criminal Justice Commission: Work For Fairness
The easiest problem regarding Florida’s Criminal Justice Standards and Training commission has been fixed with a change of membership.
Governor Rick Scott signs Medicaid billing changes; may cost counties $326 million
Against the wishes of counties and tea party leaders, Governor Rick Scott signed a controversial bill into law Thursday that will change the way counties are billed for Medicaid costs and could set up a legal showdown.
Teamsters Sue Florida Department of Corrections Over Weakened Supervision of Dangerous Criminals
Teamsters Local 2011 today filed a legal challenge to restore the requirement that probation officers visit the homes of dangerous criminals on probation.
Has Florida turned into the “Gunshine State?”
For years, Florida Capitol Police asked gun owners to check their firearms at the door. Not anymore.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is scheduled for an on-site assessment as part of a program to achieve accreditation by verifying it meets professional standards.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement assists Michigan with a warrant arrest
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement Ft. Myers Regional Operations Center arrested Scott Allen Baker, 41, of Cape Coral, for an outstanding warrant from the state of Michigan for embezzlement.
Embattled police chief seeks job in Florida
A former Rehoboth police chief, who was forced from his job, reportedly wants to head back to work.
Florida Chief Shares Thoughts on Consolidation
Police Chief Ted Litschauer has broken his silence on the issue of police consolidation.
More changes to retirement plans of some state workers could be coming
On the last day of the 2012 session, state lawmakers voted to reduce contributions to the retirement accounts of 100,000 public employees, many of whom work in higher education or law enforcement.
Three law enforcement veterans tackle Tampa’s Republican National Convention security planning
Assistant Police Chiefs Marc Hamlin and John Bennett led a nearly flawless Super Bowl in 2009. Sheriff’s Col. Ed Duncan has three decades of tactical experience.
Los Angeles Times — Profiling by police: Individuals vs. statistics
Racial profiling by police is notoriously difficult to prove.
Blog: PolitiFact Florida examines the facts of “stand your ground”
There’s a lot of debate going on about Florida’s “stand your ground” law and how it may protect neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman from facing criminal charges in the shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford. Gov. Scott signs video voyeurism bill, other measures (Saint Petersblog)
Blog: Federal court refuses to block ordinance aimed at shutting down Internet cafes
Amid a statewide debate about whether the businesses are illegal gambling parlors, a federal appeals court this week refused to block a Seminole County ordinance aimed at shutting down Internet cafes, reports Jim Saunders of the News Service of Florida.
Tech tangle: Florida’s computer systems are being consolidated
One of Governor Jeb Bush’s early moves after he took office in 1999 was to create a State Technology Office to oversee the modernization and consolidation of state government’s computer and IT systems.
Feds: Tax fraud an epidemic in Florida and spreading nationwide
The IRS and federal investigators say they’ve redoubled their efforts to combat tax fraud from identity theft, a crime they call an “epidemic” in Florida that’s spreading nationwide.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced the outcome of a two-year insurance fraud investigation resulting in the arrests of 15 defendants for their roles in a Miami ring that used lunch trucks to stage more than a dozen accidents and file more than $800,000 in fraudulent property damage and Personal Injury Protection claims.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today announced $25,000 in rewards for three Floridians who provided key information that led to arrests and convictions in five major insurance fraud cases.
Cop on disability faulted for side job: Drug dealer
It’s a standard feature of workers’ compensation insurance policies that you can’t hold a job while collecting benefits, but the Ohio Supreme Court took the definition of “job” to a new level this week — drug dealing, it turns out, is real work.
Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Life Without Parole For Juveniles
Between 10 am and noon today the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments about whether it is constitutional to sentence someone to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a crime they committed as a juvenile – even homicide.
- U.S. Department of Education: Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2011: This report provides data on crime and safety at school from the perspective of students, teachers and principals. Of the 33 student, staff, and nonstudent school-associated violent deaths occurring between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010, 25 were homicides, 5 were suicides, and 3 were legal interventions. From July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010, there were 17 homicides and 1 suicide of school-age youth (ages 5-18) at school. In 2010, students ages 12-18 were victims of about 828,000 nonfatal victimizations, including 470,000 thefts and 359,000 violent victimizations, 91,400 of which were serious violent victimizations. In 2009, about 31 percent of students in grades 9-12 reported they had been in a physical fight at least one time during the previous 12 months anywhere, and 11 percent said they had been in a fight on school property during the previous 12 months.
- Journal of Police Studies: Technological Innovations in Crime Prevention and Policing: A Review of the Research on Implementation and Impact: New technological innovations have been developed to prevent crime and improve police performance. This article examines a range of new technological innovations that have applications in the areas of crime prevention generally and crime control by police in particular. It provides a description of recent technological innovations, summarizes the available research on the extent of adoption in the United States and reviews the available research on the impact – both intended and unintended – of each form of new technology on crime prevention and police performance. The article also discusses three issues – militarization of crime prevention and policing, coercive versus non-coercive technology and public versus private sector control over crime prevention and policing – raised by both proponents and opponents of what has come to be known as the second technology revolution.
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