-Caveat Lector- "Engler, Donna" wrote: > > NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary > Thursday, September 23, 1999 > > The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center > (NLECTC) provides the following information as a service to > law enforcement, corrections, and forensic science > practitioners. The summary includes abstracts of articles > from major national newspapers, business magazines, Web sites, > national and international wire services, and periodicals > focusing on law enforcement and corrections technology. > Please note that providing synopses of articles on law > enforcement and corrections technology or the mention of > specific manufacturers or products does not constitute the > endorsement of the U.S. Department of Justice or NLECTC. > > For more information on NLECTC and the web version of this > news summary, please visit JUSTNET at http://www.nlectc.org. > NLECTC may also be reached at 1-800-248-2742. > > Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however copies may > not be sold, and the NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections > Technology News Summary should be cited as the source of the > information. Copyright 1999, Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. > > ***************************HEADLINES************************** > > "Computer Security Proposal Is Revised" > "The Choppers Overhead" > "U.S. to Use Lab For More Study of Bioterrorism" > "Pennsylvania Gov. Ridge Announces $1.8 Million to Enhance > Technology in Crime Laboratories" > "Departments of Justice and Education Release School Security > Technology Guide for Education and Law Enforcement Agencies" > "Phone Companies Get Software to Aid Wiretaps" > "Fairfax Police Use E-Mail First Time in Murders Probe" > "ICS Announces Image MASSter SOLO Forensics, the First > Handheld Portable Hard Drive Duplication and Diagnostic System > for Law Enforcement Applications" > "Customs Gets Plane to Thwart Smuggling" > "CDC Gives States, Cities, $40 Million to Fight Bioterrorism" > "It Looks Like a Jetta, But it Protects Riders Like a Tank" > "Irving Police Introduce 'Extreme Pursuit' Vehicle" > "Every Crime Scene Tells a Story" > "Turning Cities into Citadels" > "From Pounding the Keyboard to Pounding the Pavement" > "Preserving Lawful Electronic Surveillance" > "Shared Books Nab Crooks" > "Present and Future of Biometrics" > > ****************************ARTICLES************************** > > "Computer Security Proposal Is Revised" > Washington Post (09/22/99) P. A31; O'Harrow Jr., Robert > > On Tuesday, the Clinton administration outlined a revamped > plan to improve the security of government computer systems, > proposing a compromise between national security interests and > privacy concerns. The initial plan for the Federal Intrusion > Detection Network (Fidnet) drew criticism from GOP leaders and > civil libertarians, who said the system would intrusively > track computer users who visited government agencies online. > Fidnet would have used software to detect patterns of > potentially criminal computer use, relaying the data > automatically to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The > revised plan, however, mandates only the collection of > patterns that are apparently criminal. Also, Fidnet will not > intrude into private computer systems by creating new links. > National Security Council spokesman David Leavy believes this > revised proposal effectively balances national security > concerns with privacy needs. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "The Choppers Overhead" > Herndon Observer (09/17/99) P. 1; DiGiacinto, Michele > > The Fairfax County, Va., Police Department's helicopter > unit--which includes two helicopters, four former military > pilots, and 14 officers-paramedics--is capable of support > during police missions and emergency medical transports. Both > helicopters have Forward Looking Infrared technology that > allows the unit to pinpoint suspects or patients from the air > and direct police or emergency personnel on the ground. The > unit can assist officers in car chases by taking over the > radio and allowing the officers to concentrate on driving, and > can continue pursuits into other jurisdictions by > communicating and coordinating with those police agencies. The > unit is constantly updating the extensive training they have > received. Flight officers-paramedics are able to perform > procedures other emergency personnel cannot perform without > permission from the hospital, and pilots are visually and > instrumentally rated. The unit performs 300 medical transports > each year, and is credited with saving lives and helping law > enforcement officials on the ground in effectively capturing > criminals. The only complaint about the unit is the noise the > helicopters produce; the pilots are evaluated on noise > abatement and other flying techniques every six months. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "U.S. to Use Lab For More Study of Bioterrorism" > New York Times (09/22/99) P. A1; Miller, Judith > > Spurred by a concerned White House, the Agriculture Department > is seeking funds to transform the Plum Island Animal Disease > Center near Long Island into a top security facility to > research even more dangerous pathogens. The agency is > requesting $75 million this year and $140 million over the > next two years to improve the facility for the study of animal > diseases that may be potentially used by bio-terrorists. The > United States must do more to protect our plant and animal > resources from bio-terrorism, said Senator Richard G. Lugar > (R-Ind.) who co-authored legislation in 1991 and 1996 to > strengthen defenses against biological threats. Plum Island, > once operated by the U.S. Army Chemical Corps, was transferred > to the Agriculture Department in the 1950s for biological > research. The 840-acre island is reportedly monitored by > electronic sensors and patrolled by boats and helicopters. > Workers are required to thoroughly scrub themselves and > disinfect objects such as eyeglasses before leaving the > negative air-pressured buildings. According to intelligence > reports, the threat of biological terrorism looms large in the > modern world. Ken Alibek, a senior germ researcher who > defected to the U.S. from the former Soviet Union in 1992, > claims the USSR employed more than 10,000 scientists to > develop an illegal germ warfare program. Following the > dissolution of the USSR, many of those newly unemployed > scientists were reportedly courted with huge salaries by Iran. > GenCom President Thomas W. Frazier reports there are hundreds > of attacks every year on agricultural targets in the U.S., > Britain, and Canada by extremist environmentalists and other > ideologically motivated groups. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "Pennsylvania Gov. Ridge Announces $1.8 Million to Enhance > Technology in Crime Laboratories" > PR Newswire (09/17/99) > > Pennsylvania's Gov. Ridge has announced that the Pennsylvania > Commission on Crime and Delinquency is giving $1.8 million to > state crime labs for the purchase of the latest technology. > Allegheny County's crime lab will receive $1 million, and the > remaining $800,000 will go to equipment upgrades for the six > laboratories run by the state police. The Ridge's 1999-2000 > budget will also allow for 24 new positions in the state > laboratory system, which will include forensic scientists and > chemistry and evidence technicians. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "Departments of Justice and Education Release School Security > Technology Guide for Education and Law Enforcement Agencies" > PR Newswire (09/17/99) > > The Departments of Justice and Education have released a > handbook called "The Appropriate and Effective Use of Security > Technologies in U.S. Schools". The National Institute of > Justice, the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program, and Sandia > National Laboratories collaborated on the book. The guide is > intended to help law enforcement officials determine security > needs and lay forth the most appropriate tools for ensuring a > safe school environment. In addition, the NIJ is issuing seven > grants worth a total of $1.3 million for the development and > improvement of technology to make schools safer. > > ************************************************************** > > "The Appropriate and Effective Use of Security > Technologies in U.S. Schools" > > This publication may be ordered from the National Criminal > Justice Reference Service at 800-851-3420 or may be downloaded > from the NIJ website at: > http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/178265.htm > > ************************************************************** > > "Phone Companies Get Software to Aid Wiretaps" > APBNews Online (09/15/99) > > An FBI agreement will now allow telecommunications companies > to utilize software made by Nortel Networks to help law > enforcement agencies legally use wiretaps. Under the deal's > terms, Nortel will provide a type of software to its carrier > patrons. The firm will waive the license costs. The 1994 > Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act granted $500 > million to pay back telecommunication businesses for the costs > of assisting law enforcement officials in wiretapping. The FBI > plans to arrange more such agreements with other companies. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "Fairfax Police Use E-Mail First Time in Murders Probe" > Washington Times (09/22/99) P. C3; Sorokin, Ellen > > Fairfax County, Va., police are using the Internet to locate a > man they want to question surrounding the murders of an > Iraqi-American and his family killed May 26. The victims, > businessman Fuad Taima, his wife, and their son were shot in > their home in McLean. Taima founded the American Iraqi > Foundation and performed much of his business over computer > using e-mail. Police have sent 300 messages to Taima's > associates and friends, and have received 12 answers. They > believe Taima's business connections to Iraq may have > something do with the murders. While progress in the case so > far has been slow, police are hopeful that information gleamed > from the Internet may provide new leads. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "ICS Announces Image MASSter SOLO Forensics, the First > Handheld Portable Hard Drive Duplication and Diagnostic System > for Law Enforcement Applications" > Business Wire (09/17/99) > > Intelligent Computer Solutions (ICS) has released a premier > handheld hard disk duplication device, the Image MASSter SOLO > Forensics. Designed for the law enforcement community, the > SOLO Forensics is intended as an all-in-one product that can > retrieve data off a suspect's hard drive, store it on CD-ROM, > and recreate its full contents on another computer. Other > features include the ability to print reports on site with an > optional serial printer, an application called Wipeout that > sweeps the target hard drive before the contents of the > suspect's computer are loaded, and an optional "Fly-Away Case" > that can securely hold the SOLO Forensics and its accessories, > according to ICS. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "Customs Gets Plane to Thwart Smuggling" > Washington Times (09/16/99) P. A9; Seper, Jerry > > At ceremonies last week at Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National > Airport, the U.S. Customs Service announced the introduction > of a technologically advanced P-3 Airborne Early Warning > aircraft to be used in the war against drugs. Authorities want > the Lockheed Martin aircraft, which has a range of 4,600 > miles, a top speed of 360 miles per hour, and the capability > to perform surveillance sweeps up to 200,000 square miles, to > assist in the detection and monitoring of South and Central > America, including Columbia and Peru. Despite the State > Department's praise of Peruvian anti-drug efforts, U.S. > officials believe that since the United States cut back on > flights 17 months ago, drug smugglers have resumed trafficking > their goods in the air. With operating costs lower than other > comparable surveillance planes, this plane still can detect > air and marine interdiction to aircraft, and will fly 10-hour > patrols, watching for flights to Colombian airspace, a region > known as the Andean Bridge. Speaking at the airport ceremony, > Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said: "We will never know > exactly the countless smuggling efforts this program has > deterred, as the drug cartels turn away from the skies in the > face of such a challenge." > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "CDC Gives States, Cities, $40 Million to Fight Bioterrorism" > Reuters Health (09/15/99) > > States and cities across the country have received money from > the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help in the > detection and response to biological and chemical threats, > officials announced Wednesday. Funding will be given to 127 > projects in five categories, including $1.3 million for > "readiness planning assessments" in local and state health > organizations, $7.8 million for better outbreak detection > programs, and additional money to improve state's > laboratories. The CDC is taking its own precautions, setting > aside $19 million for better communication among health > officials, and stockpiling drugs and medical equipment in case > of an attack. The awards to local municipalities are part of > the federal governments $173 million 1999 budget line for > counter-bioterrorism measures. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "It Looks Like a Jetta, But it Protects Riders Like a Tank" > USA Today (09/21/99) P. 3E; Woodyard, Chris > > A 20 percent increase in reported VIP kidnappings in the > greater Mexico City area means boom time for O'Gara Hess & > Eisenhardt's armored car business. The company expects to > convert 240 vehicles into armored cars this year. O'Gara's > vehicles are fitted with bullet-proof glass and bullet-proof > Kevlar fabric on the interior. The vehicles engines have also > been modified and their brakes have been enhanced to > accommodate the 13,200 additional pounds of armor. Prices > range from around $55,000 for a Volkswagen Jetta to $150,000 > for a Mercedes S500. The vehicles are even equipped with > gadgets reminiscent of James Bond films, including pepper > spray cannons in the wheel wells and loudspeakers. To ensure > safety, security experts recommend that VIPs travel > inconspicuously in a mid-level sedan such as a Jetta, > employing a security driver trained in avoiding surveillance. > While the bulk of O'Gara's business is in the relatively > lawless Mexico City, approximately 15 percent of sales come > from U.S. companies. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "Irving Police Introduce 'Extreme Pursuit' Vehicle" > Police (09/99) Vol. 23, No. 9, P. 8; Bouvier, Danielle > > A 1996 Honda CR 250R Motorcross Race Bike was recently > introduced to the Irving, Texas, Police Department's > community-based program by Officer Tony Chelette. Chelette > hopes the bike--also known as the "Extreme Pursuit" > vehicle--brings out a community of adults and children who are > increasingly interested in the motorcross and the supercross > sports, and provides a common interest to bridge the gap > between police officers and the community. Kids at the > demonstration loved the bike--decorated in white plastic with > police graphics--on which Chelette performed wheelies for > them. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "Every Crime Scene Tells a Story" > Law Enforcement Technology (08/99) Vol. 26, No. 8, P. 22; > Wexler, Sanford > > Accurate crime scene handling procedures are necessary to > investigate a crime. An investigation usually begin with > interviews of people on the scene, and progresses to a > walk-through of the area. Photographs provide an good > depiction of the crime scene as it was found. Typical camera > equipment includes: 35mm or larger camera format; 28mm > wide-angles lens; 55mm lens and lens with macro capabilities; > an unattached flash unit; and print or color slide film. > Pictures of the scene and evidence are taken, and accompanied > by a photographic log. Many departments are moving towards > digital imaging, which allows individuals to view the pictures > instantly, and makes delivering the image to a computer > network much easier. Medium-to-high resolution cameras, > costing between $1,000 and $10,000, are sufficient for any > police department's needs. Tampering, however, is easy to > accomplish with digital images. Digital scanning is another > method that many departments have found saves money and works > more efficiently. By scanning negatives, an officer may view > images and only print those that are of interest. Drawing a > crime scene, by hand or through a CAD program, is the final > step in documentation. The most important element of a crime > scene diagram is accurate depiction of distances and > proportions. Visual crime scene data should be a priority, > since juries often retain visual information longer than > information delivered verbally. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "Turning Cities into Citadels" > Government Technology (08/99) Vol. 12, No. 10, P. 44; > Peterson, Shane > > The number of terrorist attacks nationwide and worldwide is > decreasing, but the incidents are increasing in levels of > violence and lethality, according to information from the U.S. > General Accounting Office. Emergency-planning officials must > prepare for the possibility of a deadly occurrence, which is > being helped by the passage of the Defense Against Weapons of > Mass Destruction Act in 1996, which created the U.S. Domestic > Preparedness Program. The program is designed to train > appropriate state, city, and municipal personnel--"first > responders"-- to ready the nation's 120 largest cities. Many > high-tech tools designed to help response teams are being > tested by the National Institute of Justice. The RTR-3 > explosive diagnostic system allows the computer-based X-ray > images of an explosive device to be displayed on a screen and > sent to remote explosive experts. The percussion-activated > nonelectric disrupter is used with RTR-3 and throws a small > slug into the bomb at a target selected by the bomb expert to > disable the device. Personal alarm monitors that change colors > if they are exposed to hazardous chemical and biological > agents warns people to wear protective gear at the scene of an > emergency. A surveillance system that can allow users to > locate and track a person through concrete walls also helps > "first responders" figure out what is happening in different > areas. A chemical-agent warning system detects agents and > sends alarms to a command center who can then launch a > response plan. Through training of city officials, fire and > law enforcement personnel, and emergency medical technicians, > as well as the use of these new technologies, an emergency > plan can be established to contain and control the chaos > normally associated with an emergency situation. > > ************************************************************** > > NIJ Technology Project > RTR-3 Explosive Diagnostic System > http://www.nlectc.org/techproj/nij_p7.html > > ************************************************************** > > "From Pounding the Keyboard to Pounding the Pavement" > Law Enforcement Technology (08/99) Vol. 26, No. 8, P. 70; > Milford, Jim > > Law enforcement officers are adding a new tool to their > investigative arsenal--online searches. DBT Online's Auto > TrackXP locates and retrieves information quickly from > disparate sources. Such online search tools have prompted many > departments to upgrade their information technology systems > with imaging systems and patrol cars with laptop computers. > Auto TrackXP crosslinks information from over 4 billion > current and historical sources, and then puts the data into a > single report. Auto TrackXP searches through a mixture of > public records and other available data. Tools like Auto > TrackXP significantly reduce the time spent investigating > cases. A study by the U.S. Department of Commerce suggests > that new technologies like Auto TrackXP end up saving law > enforcement departments money and time. Auto TrackXP--which > requires its subscribers to have identification and a > password-is equipped with a database that is protected by > firewalls, encryption, active intrusion software, and is > reviewed regularly for effectiveness. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "Preserving Lawful Electronic Surveillance" > Police Chief (09/99) Vol. 66, No. 9, P. 40; Szwajkowski, > Leslie M. > > The government's ability to conduct authorized electronic > surveillance has eroded in recent years as new digital > communications technologies have rendered traditional law > enforcement equipment obsolete. Features such as call > forwarding and conference calling have moved control of the > phone calls from telephone companies to consumers, thwarting > antiquated eavesdropping techniques. In response, Congress > passed the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act > (CALEA) in 1994 that requires telecommunication companies to > provide law enforcement with the capability to legally monitor > communications. To reimburse the companies for their efforts, > Congress allocated $500 million for costs associated with > fulfilling CALEA's requirements. The $500 million allocation, > of which only $102 million has already been appropriated, has > done little to solve points of contention between Congress and > the telecommunications industry, which is taking advantage of > a loophole in CALEA. Under the law, telecommunication > companies are considered compliant with CALEA if they meet > standards that were adopted by the industry, but which > reportedly do not completely fulfill CALEA requirements. The > Department of Justice and the FBI identified nine critical > surveillance capabilities that are missing from the industry's > standard, the absence of which severely hampers American law > enforcement. The industry counters that the nine criteria are > superfluous to the requirements of CALEA and would have to be > funded by a billion-dollar-plus tax passed onto the consumer. > In the four years since the enactment of CALEA, technological > advances have further eroded law enforcement capabilities > while industry lobbyists have argued to push the law's > grandfathering date back. Congress, however, has refused to > budge. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "Shared Books Nab Crooks" > Government Technology (08/99) Vol. 12, No. 10, P. 63; > Dussault, Raymond > > Integrated justice is the attempt to make sharing information > more effective and accurate with quick and easy access, which > reduces the staffing required to figure out the millions of > sheets of associated paperwork produced each day. While the > technology is now available in which law enforcement agencies > can work together to more effectively find the information > that stops crime, many agencies have rivalries, a lack of > trust, and a desire to remain independent from other similar > groups. One approach to integrated justice involves an > individual agency allowing certain individuals access to a > database over secure networks. The National Criminal > Information Center (NCIC) collects data from across the nation > and allows law enforcement to access it. Data is gathered at > the local level, sent to the state level, and then forwarded > to the FBI, which maintains the NCIC. Data delivered in this > manner is often massive, which leads to inaccurate entries and > problems assimilating the information. Another Internet-based > solution is being provided by GTE's The Bastille network, > which uses smart cards, passwords, and user names to provide a > secure network for pertinent law enforcement information. The > 40 groups that belong to The Bastille pay a $199 start-up fee, > as well as $199 per month, and $40 for every smart card > required. The Bastille has a limited number of users providing > data to the system,resulting in a limited amount of available > information; however, technology, such as a bulletin board, > electronic conferencing, e-mail, and other features that the > NCIC does not provide is available through the GTE system. The > second approach to integrated justice requires users to use a > central, common network that allows them access to multiple, > distributed data resources. The Automated Regional Justice > Information System (ARJIS), which has been operating in San > Diego for 20 years, services a network of over 659 computer > terminals and printers in the 4,265 square miles of San Diego > County. Seven thousand users generate 27,000 updates and > inquiry transactions daily. ARJIS established a Joint Powers > Agency (JPA) to administer the system, which is governed by a > board of directors consisting of mayor or a council member > from each incorporated city. Direction is set by and received > from the ARJIS Management Committee, made up of the sheriff > and each of the police chiefs in the county. This method gives > all departments an equal say in ARJIS, and goes further in > than other methods in fully joining justice systems in > searching for and providing law enforcement information. > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > "Present and Future of Biometrics" > Law Enforcement Technology (08/99) Vol. 26, No. 8, P. 74; > Strandberg, Keith W. > > Biometric identification utilizes physiological > characteristics to identify individuals, and most law > enforcement departments use fingerprinting as their primary > biometrical tool. Recent developments in electronic > fingerprinting, including portable systems, appear to be > making traditional inked fingerprinting obsolete; however, > current portable models are cumbersome. Other biometric > methods, like palm prints, hand prints, retinal scans, voice > recognition, and signature analysis are mainly used to provide > an added layer of security. Retinal scans are convenient > because they speed up identification; the premier retinal scan > developer is IriScan. Some prison facilities with a high > turnover use retinal scans on prisoners and visitors. Facial > recognition is another method of identification that is > growing more popular. Facial scanners can scan a crowd, and > then match images against those in a database. Although > biometric systems can return false positives, they can be > dealt with through using a number of biometric systems > together. > > ************************************************************** > > The JUSTNETNews Mailing List is maintained by the National Law > Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center. Regular > postings include the weekly Law Enforcement and Corrections > Technology News Summary and announcements from NLECTC and the > National Institute of Justice Office of Science and Technology > (NIJ/OS&T). 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