Outdated 911 Centers Can’t Handle Texting
from The Philadelphia Inquirer
In Atlanta, a kidnap victim in 2007 quietly managed to sneak a text message to his brother. The police were contacted, and the abductee was rescued. And in Kershaw County, N.C., a 14-year-old girl held captive in a bunker in 2006 sent a text to her mother from her captor's phone. She also was rescued. The technology to send text messages has long been available. But the money to upgrade 911 call centers to receive them has not. More

Riding Shotgun
from Officer.com
For agencies that have been forced to lay off officers, what may be most troubling is the fact it could be many years before their budgets will allow them to fill these now vacant positions. One proven method that is already in place and would only require a small amount of changes in regulations is the use of Level II reserve officers. In this case, they would now be full time paid Level II peace officers, perhaps called Assistant Officers, or AOs. In this scenario the Level II officers primary mission would be to ride shotgun and assist the fully trained lead officer with their duties while providing the all important backup. More

Crowded Cells, Racial Tensions Stoke California Prison Riot
from The Christian Science Monitor
A riot that injured almost 200 inmates at a prison in Chino, Calif., 40 miles east of Los Angeles, was reportedly sparked by racial tensions between blacks and Latino inmates, but experts say overcrowded conditions are what probably fanned the flames into violence. More

Inmate Hides Gun in Fat Layers
from Click2Houston.com
A nearly 600-pound man was able to hide a weapon for more than a day while he was in custody, police told KPRC Local 2. “Obviously the system broke down," former Harris County, Texas, Detention Major Mark Kellar said. "The procedures didn't work as they were designed to work." More

Family Ties that Don't Bind Cops
from Philadelphia Daily News
When police officer Alberto Lopez walked into a convenience store to confront four people who'd been in an auto accident with his son, he didn't have to think about department policy for on duty officers taking police action in matters involving a family member -- because no such policy exists. More

Jersey City Police Defend Actions
from NJ.com
Devastated they lost one of their own and four other police officers had been injured in the July 16 shootout with two suspected robbers, the last thing Jersey City, N.J. police brass wanted to see on TV was an "expert" questioning their tactics. More

Police Use Web To Tackle Crime
from Tuscaloosa News
Sheriff Ron Abernathy said that increasing the flow of information between the sheriff’s office and the public is a necessity that helps reduce crime. But with that power comes responsibility, said Tuscaloosa County, Ala. Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Andy Norris. “It’s a great avenue to spread information, not only through the community but the world,” Norris said. “But we have to be careful with what we put on there. People should make sure that what they put on there is factual, because if it’s not, you’re in effect yelling ‘Fire’ in a crowded theater. You don’t want to cause people undue alarm unless you have all the facts about what you’re posting.” More

Border Patrol Seizes $500,000 of Cocaine Stashed in SUV's Spare Tire
from the San Diego Union-Tribune
The Border Patrol seized more than $500,000 worth of cocaine hidden inside a SUV's spare tire and arrested a 24-year-old driver at a checkpoint in East County, Calif. More

Sources Say U.S. Border Patrol Considering Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
from PickupTrucks.com
While the U.S. Department of Energy is funding research into advanced electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, the Border Patrol needs something a little more robust to meet its needs -- like the all-new 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. More

Homeland Chief Vows More Funds for Border Cops
from the San Antonio Express-News
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano pledged $30 million in additional funding for state and local police agencies along the U.S.-Mexico border. Napolitano, speaking at the sixth annual Border Security Conference at the University of Texas at El Paso, said the increased funding for Operation Stonegarden comes in recognition of the role local agencies are forced to take combating both drug and immigration crime along the border -- a role she doesn't see ending anytime soon. More