Internet Crime Hit Highest Levels Ever in 2008
from ConsumerAffairs.com
Internet crime and the financial havoc it plays on consumers' pocketbooks continued to rise in 2008, according to a new report from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The "2008 Internet Crime Report" revealed consumers lost more than $264 million last year to various Internet crimes. That represents a loss of $931 for each of the 274,284 complaints the IC3 received in 2008. More

DNA Saves
from Officer.com
Arrestee DNA legislation is a new trend in law enforcement technology. Research shows that often perpetrators of stranger murders are or will become serial killers. A recent city of Chicago study seems to support this. The Chicago examination followed the criminal histories of eight convicted felons and found that had officials collected DNA upon their first felony arrests, they would have prevented 60 violent crimes, including 30 rapes and 22 murders. More

STOPPED in the Name of Love
from the Daily Press
To reduce the number of young drivers who are injured or killed in motor crashes each year, the Michigan Sheriffs' Association has developed a program called STOPPED (Sheriffs Telling Our Parents and Promoting Educated Drivers). The program notifies parents in the event their child is stopped for a driving violation. More

Obama Urged to Break 'Vicious Circle' of Youth Crime
from Sapa-AFP via Business Day
With two million minors arrested every year, researchers and legal experts are urging President Barack Obama to find alternatives to jail, in hopes of breaking a cycle of crime that ensnares many American youths. More

Super-sniffer Dog Seeks Cell Phones in Prisons
from The Associated Press via the Hartford Courant
On the job for about two weeks, Rhianna, a 22-month-old former guide dog trainee, has become the nation's latest canine enlisted to help combat the growing problem of mobile phones being smuggled into prisons and used by inmates. Besides Connecticut, at least two other state corrections departments -- Virginia and Maryland -- have also trained dogs to sniff out contraband cell phones. More

Some Lawmen, Politicians Say Cartel Spillover Threat Exaggerated
from The Monitor via the Valley Morning Star
The nearly 50 deputies who make up the Zapata County, Texas, Sheriff's Office have encountered Zetas, busted narcotics smugglers and grappled with dangerous gangs over the past several years, Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez says. But that's nothing compared to the potential threat he sees on his community's horizon. More

Officer's MySpace Postings Jeopardize Credibility
from The New York Times
A New York City police officer’s credibility is called into question after evidence revealing his postings on MySpace, which included personal information, rants and raves. How much online exposure is too much for a public official? More

Police Departments Go Electric
from GreenCar.com
While many cops patrol in Ford Crown Victorias, Dodge Chargers, and Chevrolet Tahoes, others are cruising in much greener electric powered vehicles. Part of the reason is that, just like everyone else, police departments are being affected by unstable fuel costs and tight budgets. More

Feds Detail Efforts to Beef Up Border Security
from the Douglas Dispatch
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano laid out plans during a press briefing Tuesday in Washington, D.C., to help improve the security along the U.S.-Mexico border.The effort aims to provide assistance to the Mexican government to break up the cartels that are funneling illegal drugs into the U.S. and are committing violent acts in Mexico. Another goal is to guard against an increase in violence in the U.S. More

DNA Going Untested in Cases throughout L.A. County
from The Los Angeles Times
Dozens of law enforcement agencies throughout Los Angeles County routinely have not tested DNA evidence collected in rape and sexual assault cases, and are unable to accurately account for thousands of pieces of evidence that could potentially help solve crimes, according to a report to be released today. The county's two behemoth law enforcement agencies -- the Los Angeles Police Department and the Sheriff's Department -- have come under harsh criticism in recent months for not testing about 10,000 DNA samples gathered from victims' bodies after alleged attacks and for letting legal time limits pass on hundreds of cases. More

New Cameras Can Analyze Thousands of License Tags a Day
from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel via the Palm Beach Post
The multi-camera and scanner system, mounted on the trunk, hood, or roof of a cruiser in Hollywood, Fla., takes pictures as the officer drives through the city looking for stolen vehicles and criminals. The camera is capable of snooping through as many as 10,000 license plates a shift, leaving officials a bit giddy about its effectiveness. More