Web Helps Law Enforcement Stay in Touch with Community
from the Telegram & Gazette
A rash of car thefts hits a neighborhood. Police officers hit the pavement and walk door-to-door to notify residents and look for suspects. While officers still knock on doors, the Internet has allowed news alerts, podcasts and online shows to inform the public and media about goings-on in their community. More

Illinois Sheriff Gets Positive Ink in Time 'Most Influential Person' Write-up
from the Chicago Tribune
Tom Dart is the sheriff with a soul, according to Time Magazine, which just named him one of the nation's 100 most influential people. If Dart really is a kinder, gentler sheriff, he's first an ambitious politician. And he has a handy knack for getting himself national ink, not only with his refusal to evict renters but also for his recent lawsuit against Craigslist for allegedly facilitating prostitution. More

Colorado May End Death Penalty to Focus on Cold Cases
from The Associated Press via the Press Enterprise
Colorado is one of 10 states that have considered abolishing the death penalty this year to save money, but Colorado's proposal has a twist: It would use the savings to investigate about 1,400 unsolved slayings. The measure has sparked fierce debate between prosecutors and some victims' families. More

California Sheriff’s Cancer Fight Leads to Classes for Inmates
from The Associated Press via the San Francisco Chronicle
Sheriff's Lt. Gilbert Aguilar begins his jailhouse class by telling the inmates how he learned he had one of the deadliest forms of cancer. His account gets the full attention of the 24 inmates. Some mutter supportive words. Others wince. Aguilar hopes his story keeps them from returning to jail. More

Commentary: Lock Up Teen Criminals?
from CNN
If we had the right intervention for troubled teens, could we reduce their chances of becoming repeat offenders? The fact that we constantly have to ask that question tells me America needs to change the way it fights crime. As a nation, we're very good at locking criminals up, yet we still remain one of the most violent and crime-ridden societies in the developed world. More

Florida Sheriff's Deputy Garners National Recognition for His Actions
from TC Palm
A Martin County, Fla. sheriff’s deputy received national recognition for his actions when he conducted a driving under the influence traffic stop that turned fatal almost a year ago. Deputy Sheriff Jason Howard recently received the National Sheriffs’ Association Medal of Valor and a Purple Heart. More

Bipartisan Coalition Introduces Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act in U.S. Senate
from the American Chronicle
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation´s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, hailed the U.S. Senate re-introduction of the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which would provide local police and sheriff´s departments with federal resources to combat hate violence. A wide coalition of national organizations has called for the passage of the LLEHCPA legislation, including the National Sheriffs’ Association. More

Nationwide Ammo Shortage Worries New Mexico Sheriff
from the Albuquerque Journal
Cops don't like the idea of not having bullets for their guns when they're chasing bad guys. But ammunition is at a premium these days because of a nationwide shortage, and Bernalillo County, N.M., Sheriff Darren White said if it continues his deputies may have to cut back on time at the shooting range to save their ammo. More

Court Offers Guidance on Admitting Dog Tracking Evidence
from the South Carolina Lawyers Weekly
A dispute over police dog tracking evidence has led the South Carolina Supreme Court to provide the first-ever guidelines for trial courts to use in determining whether such evidence is reliable. In an April 27 decision, the court described the guidelines as an "evidentiary framework to guide our bench and bar concerning dog tracking evidence." The court also clarified that trial courts have a duty to assess the reliability of evidence — including nonscientific expert testimony — as part of a threshold inquiry for admissibility under the rules of evidence. More

From Church-going Family Man to Bank Robber?
from The Associated Press via MSNBC
Bruce Windsor lived the life of a respectable family man — father of four, deacon in his South Carolina church, youth soccer coach, a volunteer who helped build orphanages in Brazil. Windsor is now one of a growing list of unlikely suspects, ordinary people from ministers to ex-cops citing financial duress since the start of the recession in late 2007 for allegedly turning to a crime that targets fast cash — bank robbery. More