Yet another site which will undoubtedly warehouse defamatory information
about police officers has launched in cyberspace. Ratemycop.com is
a database of just about every police department in the country.
While still under construction, site owners are in the process of
entering every officer for each department by name. Visitors can
rate the individual officers by different criteria and even leave
comments.
Planning out schools for your officers or yourself?
If so, the NJLawman.com Training and Schools section will be your
first stop.
Once again, we've assembled every class from every
New Jersey police academy into one easy-to-use resource broken down by
month for the entire 2008 calendar year.
Whether you in in charge of the training for your
agency or are just looking for a class or two to build your resume, this
section should be added to your favorite places.
Below is a sample for March, 2008.
Click here to reach the main training page.
The premiere law enforcement seminar is coming to Atlantic City, New
Jersey next week.
Calibre Press' Street Survival will be held on January 22 and 23 at
Harrah's Atlantic City. Street Survival is one of the finest law
enforcement seminars ever assembled.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Volunteers in Police Service
NJLawman.com
Recently, a site visitor sent us an email about this one.
There is a website,
http://www.policevolunteers.org which is assembling a collection of
information, resources, and actual organizations involved with law
enforcement-related volunteer work.
The website serves as a gateway to information for law enforcement
agencies and citizens interested in law enforcement volunteer programs.
The VIPS Program offers the following resources:
An online directory of existing law enforcement volunteer programs
that potential volunteers can search to connect with a program in their
community.
Volunteer Programs: Enhancing Public Safety by Leveraging
Resources - a resource guide to assist in the implementation or
enhancement of an agency volunteer program.
An online library of sample documents and forms.
A model policy.
Regional training and networking opportunities.
Technical assistance.
VIPS Info, a monthly electronic newsletter
VIPS in Focus publication series.
Educational videos.
A discussion group for registered VIPS Programs to share information
and ideas.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Ticket Quotas
NJLawman.com
Every so often we get emails requesting the New Jersey law which
"prohibits ticket quotas," so occasionally we post it on the site.
Pay particular attention to section b. Contrary to what may think,
statistical performance - as long as it is not the sole criteria - may
be used for "promotion, demotion, dismissal, or the earning of any
benefit provided by the department or force. Any such arrests or
citations, and their ultimate dispositions, may be considered in
evaluating the overall performance of a law enforcement officer."
40A:14-181.2. Police ticket quota for motor
vehicle violations prohibited; permitted use of statistics.
a. A State, county or municipal police department or force engaged
in the enforcement of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes or any local
ordinance adopted pursuant to this title shall not establish any
quota for arrests or citations. The department or force may,
however, collect, analyze and apply information concerning the
number of arrests and citations in order to ensure that a particular
officer or group of officers does not violate any applicable legal
obligation.
b. The department or force shall not use the number of arrests or
citations issued by a law enforcement officer as the sole criterion
for promotion, demotion, dismissal, or the earning of any benefit
provided by the department or force. Any such arrests or citations,
and their ultimate dispositions, may be considered in evaluating the
overall performance of a law enforcement officer.
Originating some time in 2005, the concoction known as "cheese" has been
gaining popularity, especially in the southwestern part of the country.
Below is an excerpt from a
USA Today article explaining further:
A new heroin-laced powder known as "cheese" is popping up in
middle and high schools in Texas, where dozens of youths have been
caught with the drug, federal and local officials say.
So far the problem has been focused on schools in Dallas, where
police first reported kids snorting the mixture of ground-up cold
medicines and heroin at the start of this school year. However, the
Drug Enforcement Administration, which calls the addictive
concoction "starter heroin," is concerned enough about the drug's
appearance in Dallas that it has alerted agents nationwide to watch
for it.
"It's an emerging problem," DEA spokesman Steve Robertson says.
"It's something we're tracking to see if we can spread the word
before it becomes a huge problem."
Police in Dallas have logged 78 incidents involving cheese in 11
middle and high schools, says Jeremy Liebbe, an investigator with
the Dallas Independent School District Police Department.
Cheese is a tan powder made mostly from acetaminophen and
diphenhydramine HCL — the ingredients in Tylenol PM — with a little
heroin mixed in. Liebbe says samples confiscated in Dallas have been
up to 8% heroin. The drugs are crushed together and typically folded
into notebook paper. A quarter-gram sells for $5, Liebbe says, and a
single hit usually sells for $2.
Like you, we get many emails each week reporting a wide array of
situations ranging from stories of companies overcharging soldiers in
Iraq for bottled water to tips on using a cell phone during an
emergency.
Most
of these are Internet hoaxes.
Pictured to the right is one of the more famous Internet hoaxes.
The email says it is from the parents of abducted child Penny Brown.
It further asks the recipient to keep forwarding it as part of an Amber
Alert. (See
the hoax explained)
The best technique for determining whether an email is a hoax is to
go to the website www.Snopes.com.
Snopes has cataloged and investigated thousands of rumors and other
Internet communications. For each, they explain the origins
and in some cases they even verify that the situation is real.
Either way, it is a nice tool for investigating what is true and
what is not.
Monday,
July 2, 2007
National Night Out
NJLawman.com
Police departments across the nation are gearing up for this year's
National Night Out festivities which are scheduled for Tuesday, August
7, 2007.
For more information on this year's National Night Out,
click here.
Sunday,
July 1, 2007
Fireworks - What to Charge
NJLawman.com
We post this every year and get complaints when we
forget. For New Jersey officers, July brings an annual question
when making arrests for fireworks: "What do I charge them with?"
Chapter 21 covers explosives and fireworks. You'll
find a plethora of statutes in this chapter covering everything from
smoking in a facility that manufacturers fireworks to rules regulating the
public display of fireworks. The statute most relevant to the line officer
will be 21:3-2. Sale, Possession, or Use of, Fireworks which reads as
follows:
It shall
be unlawful for any person to offer for sale, expose for sale, sell,
possess or use, or explode any blank cartridge, toy pistol, toy cannon,
toy cane or toy gun in which explosives are used; the type of balloon
which requires fire underneath to propel the same; firecrackers;
torpedoes; skyrockets, Roman candles, bombs, sparklers or other
fireworks of like construction, or any fireworks containing any
explosive or inflammable compound or any tablets or other device
commonly used and sold as fireworks containing nitrates, chlorates,
oxalates, sulphides of lead, barium, antimony, arsenic, mercury,
nitroglycerine, phosphorus or any compound containing any of the same or
other explosives, or any substance or combination of substances, or
article prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or an audible
effect by combustion, explosion, deflagration or detonation, other than
aviation and railroad signal light flares, except (a) that it shall be
lawful for any person to offer for sale, expose for sale, sell, possess
or use, or explode any toy pistol, toy cane, toy gun, or other device in
which paper or plastic caps containing .25 grain or less of explosive
compound per cap are used, providing they are so constructed that the
hand cannot come in contact with the cap when in place for use, and toy
pistol paper or plastic caps which contain less than .20 grain of
explosive mixture per cap and (b) as in this chapter further provided.
The statute also contains exceptions and other
important information, so be sure to read the actual law and consult your
only agencies rules before filing any charges.
Sunday, June 10, 2007 FBI Ten Most Wanted NJLawman.com
Do
you know who the current top ten most wanted are?
Monday, May 28, 2007 Shoot, Don't Shoot NJLawman.com
Many
of our firearms programs have dwindled into nothing more than qualifying
twice a year. Throw in two more dates for agencies with rifles.
A company called Law Enforcement Targets can help put some actual training
back into your firearms program.
LET offers a nice line of paper targets with depicting various scenarios.
Besides their selection of paper targets, they offer a line of "overlays."
These allow range instructors to change the threat of the paper target
between shoots.
LET also has a selection of other targets and range gear.
Sunday, May 6, 2007 Who is Daniel
Faulkner NJLawman.com
We republish this piece about once a year. In light of
recent events,
now is a good time to remind everyone about Daniel Faulkner.
Years ago there was a Philadelphia Police Officer named Daniel Faulkner. He was
killed in 1981 by a radical named Mumia Abu-Jamal. Without going
into all the details, Mumia was sentenced to death. He has crowned
himself the poster boy for political oppression and racism. He's obtained
supporters from around the globe and from all walks of life. Actress
Susan Sarandon, the owners of Ben & Jerry's Ice cream, and Ed Asner
are among those within his ranks. A massive effort complete with
letter campaigns, billboards, rallies, and marches have all been held for
this animal.
Members of the Philadelphia Police Department, Maureen Faulkner (Daniel's
wife), friends, and family have fought this crusade every step of the
way. This officer died more than twenty-five years ago, and his
supporters (many from the next generation of cop) still fight as hard now as they did when it first
happened. They have done an amazing job. As a neighboring
state, New Jersey law enforcement should educate themselves as to the
details of this case. If ever needed, we should be on buses in great
numbers to Philadelphia to support our brother. To learn more about
this case, visit the Daniel
Faulkner website.
I have read a lot about this topic from all different sources. I
believe 100% that Mumia did it and deserves the death penalty. Don't
go by what we say though. Visit the above site, look for the
opposing arguments, and make your own decision. Either way, major kudos
to those who have battled for Danny Faulkner.
Friday, May
4, 2007 2007 Drug
Identification Guide NJLawman.com
The StreetDrugs
2007 Drug ID Guide is now shipping. It contains eighty pages of
High Resolution images of illegal drugs.
Just
about every street survival-type or officer safety class will touch upon
the importance of proper cuffing and ensuring that the arrestee does not
get out of his handcuffs. There is a relatively new product on the
market that can help.
Dubbed the Zak Tool Handcuff Cover, it's simply a
velcro cover for "pickable" parts of the handcuffs. It is easily
stored, lightweight, and inexpensive.
It goes for about eight bucks and can be found
here.
This has got to be one of the greatest, free tools
out there.
It's called Google Earth, and it should be in the
bag of tools of every law enforcement administrator, emergency
management coordinator, and homeland security official.
It's a bit hard to describe, and there is nothing
really like it.
Basically, you download and install the free
software from Google. When you have it up and running, you will
have satellite imagery of the entire planet. You can take a look
at the island you once visited on vacation, plot a search pattern for a
missing child, or use it to set up a perimeter for a future search
warrant.
It has been out for several years now, but many
officers still have not heard about it. For those of you who
already use it, take a look anyway as there have been newer versions
released.
To access the Google page with more information and
the download, click
here.
Monday, March 19, 2007 Pursuit and
Shootout Audio Transmission NJLawman.com
The audio clip below is from a rolling pursuit and
shootout which occurred in New York City. It would be an
excellent piece to use for training with dispatchers and/or officers.
Sunday, March 4, 2007 Protocol for
Wearing Black Bands NJLawman.com
Occasionally
we receive inquiries regarding the protocol for wearing black mourning
bands over uniform badges. We found the following on the Officer Down
Memorial Page:
A common request we
receive at the ODMP is if there is a protocol for the wearing of
mourning bands following a line of duty death. There seems to be no
universal protocol for the wearing of mourning bands, and oftentimes
it is left up to each individual agency to determine under what
circumstances and for how long to wear them.
We have developed the following suggested guidelines that can be
adopted into your agency's general orders for proper protocol of
wearing mourning bands:
Within your agency
~ from the time of death until midnight on the 14th day after the
death
Within your region ~ from the time of death until
midnight on the day of the funeral
Funeral attendee ~ out-of-region officers while
attending funeral
National Peace Officers Memorial Day (May 15th)
~ from 0001 hours until 2359 hours
Sunday, February 25, 2007 Hogan's
Alley NJLawman.com
The FBI has a miniature city which they use for street survival and
combat training. It’s called Hogan’s Alley.
From the FBI website:
New Agents are taught at [Hogan’s Alley] in the
areas of surveillance, arrest procedures, and tactical street survival
techniques. The new agents are then taken through real to life training
exercises such as a bank robbery, a day and night time surveillance, a
kidnapping, and an assault on a federal officer. New Agents are also
exposed to complaint and armed and dangerous arrest scenarios. Paint Gun
exercises are also utilized in order to test the New Agents' tactical
skills.
Hogan's Alley Complex is a unique method of allowing New Agents to apply
principles taught in other areas at the FBI Academy including firearms,
academics, physical training, and legal training in order to
successfully resolve the above described practical exercises at PAU.
During exercises students are provided with the tools similar to those
in the field such as bureau vehicles, radios, and electronic
surveillance equipment.
Sunday, February 11, 2007 NJ Training
and Schools Section NJLawman.com
The 2007 Training and Schools section of the NJLawman.com website is
growing each week. In it, we compile a master list of law enforcement
schools and training opportunities available in the New Jersey area.
Click here to reach the main training page.
Below is a small sample from February 2007:
1
PowerPoint
for Law Enforcement - Intermediate Course
Sunday, February 4, 2007 New
Magazine for Law Enforcement Recruits
NJLawman.com
Police Magazine is known to just about everyone who has at least
some time on the job. Well, the publisher of Police Magazine
has come out with a second publication targeted directly to the officers
of tomorrow.
Police Recruit is now available. This magazine contains articles
geared to newly hired officers and seems rather interesting.
It
is being distributed free of charge to “law enforcement academies,
criminal justice colleges, continuing education institutions and police
supply stores.”
Sunday, January 28, 2007 2006 Line of Duty Death
Summary
NJLawman.com
The preliminary figures for last year’s line of duty deaths have been
posted. There are several entities that track this information ranging
from the FBI to National Law Enforcement Memorial. The actual stats will
vary as each group uses its own criteria when compiling the numbers.
The information below is from the Officer Down Memorial Page.
Monday, December 5,
2006
Interesting Video
NJLawman.com
The following video footage is a three-minute-piece of a rally held in
San Francisco presumably over the summer. Different parts are
spliced together, and it's interesting to see how San Fran PD (which did
a very good job) handles the crowd.
Thursday, October 12,
2006
Language Translation Website
NJLawman.com
There
is a website we found that allows you to enter text and have it translated
to English or from English to several different languages. Right now
the site includes English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Portuguese,
Norwegian, and Chinese. It is an excellent tool for law enforcement,
but be careful as the translations are not always exact. The site is
www.Freetranslation.com.
Monday, September 5,
2006
When is it Time to Call for Backup
NJLawman.com
Well, it's certainly not after you are
already in a fight.
Ninety-five percent of the time, the
suspect tells you when you should be calling for additional
units. Maybe not in so many words, but he signals it.
It is when you walk up to the car and he is
belligerent. It is when he
begins to get loud. It is when he tells you to take your hands
off of him. It is when you notice him clinching his fists.
It is on the MV stop when he begins questioning you. It is
when you observe furtive movement. It is when you notice
he and his partner whispering. It is when the car doesn't
immediately pull over. It is when he doesn't immediately
follow your commands.
We could go on, but you get the point. The call for an extra unit should go
out at the first sign of trouble, not the last sign.
Sunday,
August 27, 2006
Great Website Resource
NJLawman.com
First, we have never actually gone through the process with either of
these sites, so we cannot vouch either way for their quality. If
anyone has input, please
email us.
We came across a couple of interesting websites which house
information on lost and unclaimed monies.
The first is called MissingMoney.com. The site allows you to do
a search by name for lost, forgotten and misplaced
For New Jersey officers there is also a site run by the Division of
Taxation which also allows you to do a search by name.
Click here to visit that one.
Sunday,
August 20, 2006
New Jersey Homeland Security Website
NJLawman.com
Not sure how many of us are aware of this website.
Launched back in 2003, New Jersey has its own website devoted to
homeland security issues in New Jersey.
The site is very informative and contains some great information for
in-service training as well as presentations to the public.
Most
of these are Internet hoaxes.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Do
you know who the current top ten most wanted are?
Friday, May
4, 2007
Dubbed the Zak Tool Handcuff Cover, it's simply a
velcro cover for "pickable" parts of the handcuffs. It is easily
stored, lightweight, and inexpensive.
