National Sheriffs’ Association Backs Holder Nomination
from Media Newswire
A strong endorsement from the National Sheriffs' Association highlights Holder's "outstanding record of public service in his role as a federal prosecutor, a trial judge, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and the Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Justice." The Association expressed its "strong support for the nomination of Eric Holder to be the Attorney General of the United States. We urge you to confirm his nomination without delay." More

U.S. Marshals Won't Move State Inmates
from The Associated Press via the Times Argus
The U.S. Marshals Service is ending for now a program that allows states to move prisoners on its system of airplanes and buses, officials said. The decision could mean that state law enforcement agencies will have to pay more to extradite prisoners from other parts of the country. More

Sheriff's Deputy Back on the Beat after 10 Months in Afghanistan
from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Sheriff's Deputy Adams Lin is back to patrolling Palm Beach County, Fla., after serving in a war zone. Lin, a U.S. Army reservist who returned Sept. 20 from a 10-month stint in Afghanistan, was a sergeant with the military police assigned to Kandahar and Bagram. More

Patrol Car Shortage Forces Nassau, N.Y., Cops to Double Up
from Newsday
Nassau police have a shortage of marked patrol cars, sometimes forcing officers to double up because there are no spares available. The doubled-up car must then patrol the same area normally assigned to two cars, according to the police union, affecting response times. More

Woman Takes Helm of Sheriff's Posse
from The Lewiston Tribune
When Betty Barnes joined the Nez Perce County Mounted Sheriff's Posse four years ago, it was historic, and to some, devastating. A few people left the posse over a woman being allowed to join. Now there are not only a total of four women posse members, but Barnes has been elected chief of the 51-year-old organization. More

Virginia Sheriff Demands Raises, Threatens Cuts to Programs
from The Virginian-Pilot
Portsmouth, Va., Sheriff Bill Watson informed city officials Wednesday that he may suspend some services that his inmates provide the city because officials have yet to respond to his demand for a raise for his deputies. Watson sent an e-mail to City Manager Kenneth Chandler, several City Council members and a city department head informing them that he had talked to staff members about the possibility of shutting down the city's inmate work crews. More

New Ignition Lock Laws Aim to Foil Drunk Drivers
from The Associated Press
Motorists convicted of driving drunk will have to install breath-monitoring gadgets in their cars under new laws taking effect in six states this week. The ignition interlocks prevent engines from starting until drivers blow into the alcohol detectors to prove they're sober. Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska and Washington state began Jan. 1 requiring the devices for all motorists convicted of first-time drunken driving. South Carolina began requiring them for repeat offenders. More

Dallas Police to Take Part in Photo Lineup Study
from The Associated Press via the Los Angeles Times
Police in Dallas, where numerous convictions based on eyewitness testimony have been overturned, are taking part in a study to determine the best way to prevent witnesses from picking the wrong suspects in photo lineups.Typically a detective shows a witness at least six pictures of possible suspects at the same time, but critics say the detective's body language and verbal cues can unintentionally taint results. As part of the study, Dallas police will use "sequential blind lineups" in which someone who doesn't know who the suspect is shows the photos one at a time. More

Police Deaths Drop Due to Use of Protective Vests, Stun Guns
from The Associated Press via the New Haven Register
Greater use of bullet-resistant vests and stun guns helped reduce police deaths in 2008 compared with the previous year, two law enforcement support groups report. Law-enforcement officer deaths in the line of duty this year totaled 140, compared with 181 in 2007. Last year’s figure represented a spike in police deaths. More

Critics Say Barbed Wire Ban Helps Criminals
from The Associated Press via MSNBC
Some business owners in Newark, N.J., say recent enforcement of a decades-old ordinance prohibiting some types of barbed wire and razor wire is making the city more attractive — to thieves. Burglaries are up 17 percent from 2007 through November in Newark, which has a young, charismatic mayor who has vowed to help the city rebound from decades of official inaction, incompetence and outright criminality. More