U.S. To Provide $1 Billion to Hire Cops
from CNN
The federal government will give $1 billion in grants to law enforcement agencies in every state to pay for the hiring and rehiring of law enforcement officers, Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder announced on July 28. The money comes from the stimulus bill -- the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 -- the officials said. The law is designed to help pull the U.S. out of its recession by providing and saving jobs, and helping those most affected by the downturn in the economy. More

National Sheriffs Association Announces 2009 Award Recipient for Sheriff of the Year
from The Bartlett Express
The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) is pleased to announce that Sheriff Mark Luttrell, of Shelby County, Tenn., has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Ferris E. Lucas Award for Sheriff of the Year. The decision was a rather difficult and competitive one, as there were numerous nominees for the award from many sheriffs’ offices across the country. More

Technology is Helping Police Clear Crash Scenes More Quickly
from the Journal and Courier
After serious car crashes, roads can be closed for hours as police work to clear the scene and figure out what happened. However, a new process called photogrammetry is allowing police to reopen roads more quickly and avoid additional crashes. More

FBI Ruse Leads to Arrest of Most Wanted Suspect
from CNN
In the predawn darkness the agents switch the federal plates on their vehicles to local Wyoming tags and check they have no other signs showing they are from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They want to give the impression that they are fish and wildlife officers, certainly not what they really are -- an elite squad in search of one of the FBI's 10 most wanted fugitives.More

Criminals on Staten Island Collared By Cell Phones' Silent Data
from the Staten Island Advance
John Galtieri sits behind bars, in part because he used his cell phone minutes before murdering his ex-wife at a Pleasant Plains park and ride. The retired cop's conviction is just one example of authorities increasing use of cellular devices to track down criminals. More

Ruling on Lab Testimony Will Slow Process, Leone Warns
from the Lowell Sun
A recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that allows defendants to cross-examine in court the state lab and ballistics experts who analyze drugs and bullets, instead of just supplying lab certifications, will increase state expenses and slow cases to a crawl, Middlesex, Mass. District Attorney Gerard Leone warned. More

Drug Seizure Values for Pot Vary Widely
from the Arizona Daily Star
All drug-seizure values are not calculated alike. The Drug Enforcement Administration is considered to be the authoritative word on the going street values for drugs and distributes the information to law enforcement agencies. But each entity uses its own methodology to interpret the data to place theoretical price tags on drugs it seizes. It depends on who is doing the math. More

e-fense Announces the Newest Version of the Live Acquisition Tool
from PRWeb
Today at a meeting with various media outlets, e-fense announced the release of its highly anticipated version update to the renowned product, Live Response. Live Response is the live forensics acquisition and collection tool that rests on a USB thumb drive. More

Prisons: What the Governor Schwarzenegger Proposes for California
from The San Francisco Chronicle
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif., has outlined a plan to save $1.2 billion in prison spending by changing the criminal justice system so that fewer people are sent to prison and fewer parolees are sent back to prison. More

Record Number of “Lifers” in U.S. Prisons, Study Finds
from The Miami Herald
Tougher sentencing laws and restrictions on parole in Florida and other states have resulted in a record number of criminals serving life sentences, according to a new national study. More