National Sheriffs' Association Names Deputy of the Year
from The Morganton News Herald
The National Sheriffs' Association named Burke County's Martin Lawing as the 2009 recipient of its Charles "Bud" Meeks Award for Deputy of the Year. Burke County, N.C., Sheriff John T. McDevitt said the NSA called him Friday morning to tell him the good news. Ross Mirmelstein, the director of meetings for NSA and staffer for the award committee, said the organization will present the award on June 22 to Lawing at its annual conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. More

Crime Labs Need Major Overhaul, Study Finds
from CNN
Those slick, intricate tests used by forensic investigators on shows like "CSI" look infallible, but that is the stuff of television. In the real world, forensic tests are much more ambiguous and rarely demonstrate a definite tie between an individual and a crime. That's what the National Academy of Sciences found when it studied the nation's forensic crime labs for two years. What the academy discovered was a "badly fragmented" system that produces inconsistent results and needs a major overhaul. More

Biden’s Commitment to Law Enforcement Impresses Louisiana Sheriff
from the Daily Comet
Lafourche Parish, La., Sheriff Craig Webre expressed optimism that money for police programs cut during the presidency of George Bush will be restored, after a Washington, D.C., meeting with Vice President Joe Biden and top law enforcement officials from across the country. Just how much money police will see, or whether they will see any at all, remains unclear due to the nation’s economic woes. More

Empty Houses Lure Crime, Worry Neighbors
from WFLX-TV
Foreclosed properties are an issue for law enforcement, because they can create a ripe environment for break-ins. "It's definitely a problem that we've seen and that we have to deal with. We did see an increase in homes that are foreclosed become targeted.," said Sgt. Tom Gendreau, who's with the detective bureau of the Palm Beach County, Fla., Sheriff's Office. More

Virginia Sheriff Wants Inmates to Shred City Documents
from The Associated Press via the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Virginia Beach, Va., Sheriff Paul Lanteigne is hoping to save the city money by allowing inmates to shred city documents. The sheriff bought a $40,800 industrial shredder and hopes to train inmates to run it under supervision. He says it could save the city money if other departments use the service. More

Dallas Police Using Grid System to Combat Crime
from the Dallas Morning News
Dallas police are looking at their busiest crime zones from a different perspective this year, using a new system called a Target Area Grid to more accurately focus their efforts to combat violent crime. More

Louisiana Prisons Seek Cost Cuts
from the Advocate Capitol News Bureau
The agency that runs the state’s prisons is trying to cut costs by turning kitchen grease into biodiesel fuel. That was one of the ideas offered Monday during a discussion of a looming state budget crunch. More

Juvenile Services Save County Big Bucks while Saving Youth
from the Tyler Morning Telegraph
Smith County, Texas, Juvenile Services reported savings of more than $1 million by rehabilitating juvenile offenders rather than placing them in out-of-home placement centers. According to the Juvenile Services year-end report, the county saved $1,021,145 by sending nonviolent juvenile offenders through the Substance Abuse Program (SAP) and the Sex Offender Program (SOP) instead of using outside facilities. More

Canadian Police Restrict Stun Gun Use
from The Associated Press via the Los Angeles Times
Canada's federal police will no longer use stun guns against suspects who are merely resisting arrest or refusing to cooperate -- saying the guns can cause death. "The RCMP's revised policy underscores that there are risks associated with the deployment of the device and emphasizes that those risks include the risk of death, particularly for agitated individuals," Elliot told members of Parliament's public safety committee. More