States Increasingly Put Criminal Records Online
from The Associated Press via U.S. News & World Report
A growing number of searchable online criminal databases run directly by states have cropped up recently. The Web sites provide a valuable and timesaving service to would-be employers and businesses by allowing them to look up criminal convictions without having to submit written requests and wait for the responses. And they're popular: Last month alone, Florida's site performed 38,755 record checks. More

Cops Moving Faster to Find Missing Kids
from NorthJersey.com
If a child vanishes in Bergen County, N.J., law enforcement will mobilize in a matter of minutes with the aid of a new emergency program. The Child Abduction Response Plan will enable law enforcement to skip "trading business cards" and jump straight into a coordinated response within the precious first minutes of an abduction, Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire said. More

Deputy Shooting Highlights the Danger of Domestic Violence Calls
from the Bakersfield Californian
The unpredictable nature of domestic disturbance calls makes them among the most dangerous situations that a law enforcement officer handles. In general, traffic collisions are the number one cause of death among law enforcement. Number two are domestic disturbance calls. More

Evictions Straining Deputies, Residents
from the Columbus Dispatch
No one likes to enforce an eviction, especially near Christmas and in the winter cold and during a brutal recession. But some central Ohio sheriffs won't endorse what Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones plans to do. The sheriff in the southwestern Ohio county said he will tell his deputies not to evict people who have no place to go. More

Sealed Records Give Texas Offenders a Second Chance, but 1,500 were Charged Again
from the Dallas Morning News
More than 1,500 Texas offenders who had their records sealed from public view were charged with new crimes in the past two years. And about 10 percent of their 2,300 alleged new offenses were violent, including a handful of killings and sexual assaults. More

In Pennsylvania City, Law Enforcement Pursuing Little Crimes Eases Bigger Problems
from the Philadelphia Inquirer
In Camden, Pa., a drug- and crime-ridden city awash in street violence, police officers are spending more time these days making arrests for minor offenses such as public drinking, playing loud music, and violating curfew. When they arrive at a crowded corner, officers sometimes arrest as many people as they can - even if half of the charges are for so-called quality-of-life offenses. More

New Mexico Crisis Team Officers Aid Those with Nowhere Else to Turn
from Albuquerque Journal via PoliceOne
Drug-addled individuals committing petty crimes, suicide threats by those who feel depressed and helpless, the mentally ill on the streets with nowhere to turn. These are not uncommon situations that police in Santa Fe, N.M., have to deal with. But a program to be launched early next year aims to help officers and medical personnel work together to provide assistance to those having a hard time helping themselves - without unnecessary incarceration. More

California Officers Grapple with Suicides
from the Mercury News via the Contra Costa Times
They spend their days and nights in a workplace filled with hazards that can sear the soul. Law enforcement officers run toward trauma while the rest of us shield our eyes. Sometimes, it's too much. More

Technology May Help Officers Halt Hot Pursuits
from USA Today
Emerging technology could soon slam the brakes on high-speed police chases, which kill hundreds and injure thousands every year. OnStar, the General Motors unit that manufactures GPS systems for vehicles, offers Stolen Vehicle Slowdown technology: An OnStar operator can send a signal to a stolen vehicle, restricting its fuel flow and slowing it to 3-5 mph. More

Security for Obama's Proves Daunting
from ABC News
Obama's election shattered social and political barriers. His historic inauguration also marks a critical time for federal law enforcement officials who must — as with every new occupant of the White House — tailor an elaborate security plan to fit the new president and his family. In Obama's case, that involves an additional consideration: his race. More