FBI: Crime Falls, but Small Town Violence Rises
from The Associated Press
Cities in the United States got safer in 2008, while small towns grew more dangerous, according to FBI data released Monday. The FBI says violent crime nationwide dropped by 2.5 percent last year. Property crimes also fell, by 1.6 percent, according to the preliminary data collected by the FBI. More

Healing the Badge
from Contra Costa Times
Modeled after a program in Boston, the West Coast Post-Trauma Retreat is one of just two residential treatment programs in the world for first responders. Lately, its leaders say they see more people with military service — police officers who were deployed as Reserves, for instance, or soldiers who return home to jobs in law enforcement. Focus on PTSD in soldiers has grown dramatically, with studies showing huge numbers from the war in Iraq. Sometimes it turns up later, after the uniform turns from green to blue. More

Public-safety Groups Agree to Seek 700 MHz D Block
from Urgent Communications
Eight major public-safety groups, including the National Sheriffs’ Association, met last week to develop consensus on several key items, including the desire to have Congress reallocate the D Block for public-safety broadband use; finding sustainable funding for the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST); and enabling local, regional and state entities to build out networks on the spectrum early. More

Oregon Sheriff Ordered Back to Basic Training
from The Associated Press via the News-Leader
The Oregon agency that certifies police officers says the sheriff of the state's most populous county -- a member of the force for nearly half his 70 years -- has to go back to basic training. Multnomah County, Ore., Sheriff Bob Skipper will become a police cadet next month -- possibly the oldest in state history -- unless he and other county officials persuade the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training to reconsider. More

Officers Saved by Stimulus May Still Lose Jobs
from CNN
It was a success story the White House was eager to highlight: Earlier this year, President Obama attended the graduation of 25 police recruits in Columbus, Ohio, touting it as a victory for the federal stimulus package. But the White House said the $1.2 million grant only guaranteed their jobs until the end of the year. And facing a growing deficit and a fight to pass an income tax hike, Columbus, Ohio, Police on Tuesday announced massive budget cuts that could mean hundreds of layoffs. More

Pennsylvania Bill would End Early Parole for Violent Offenders
from The Philadelphia Inquirer
Insisting that "enough is enough," Philadelphia Rep. Brendan Boyle has introduced a bill that would end early parole for repeat violent offenders. Boyle said at a recent news conference that House Bill 1567 would increase prison sentences for second- and third-strike offenses and end the possibility of early parole for those violent offenders. More

Two Vacationing Cops Subdue Violent Airline Passenger
from the Mercury News
At 40,000 feet over the Pacific, the only thing vacationing San Jose, Calif., police officers Luan Nguyen and Manny Vasquez wanted was to catch some Z's, maybe see an action movie and finally hear the announcement: "Welcome to San Francisco International Airport." What they heard instead was the captain: "I have a situation on board. If there are any law enforcement officers on board, please identify yourselves to a flight attendant." More

Cell Phones Problematic in Prisons
from the Chattanooga Free-Press via LexisNexis
While traditional prison contraband such as drugs and weapons remain troublesome, prison officials nationwide are dealing with a different -- and potentially more dangerous -- problem: cell phones. Not only can prisoners plan escapes over the phones, they also can conduct criminal activity such as drug deals from behind bars and harass victims or trial witnesses, said Rick Jacobs, director of special operations for the Georgia Department of Corrections. More

Chicago: 87 Percent of Arrested Men on Drugs
from the Chicago Sun-Times
Nearly 90 percent of the men arrested in the Chicago area last year tested positive for illegal drug use at the time of their arrests, according to a federal report. The area's 87 percent rate led among 10 metropolitan areas studied in 2008. More

Ohio State Troopers Fight Weight Limit Rule
from The Associated Press via MSNBC
Ohio state troopers — who face extra poundage for sitting long hours in patrol cars — are fighting back at a state rule that allows dismissal for those who consistently exceed weight limits. No too-heavy Ohio troopers or sergeants have been fired in recent years, but at least 11 have received verbal or written reprimands since January for weighing too much, Department of Public Safety records show. More