W i n t e r 2 0 0 4National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center

S panning the Potomac River just south ofWashington, D.C., the Woodrow Wilson Bridgehandles tens of thousands of vehicles everyday. The bridge is part of the I–95 corridor

that carries traffic along the East Coast from Maineto Florida and part of the Capital Beltway thatcarries commuters between their homes and theirjobs in Virginia, Maryland, and the District ofColumbia.

In 1998, a man threatening to jump from thebridge into the Potomac River closed the bridge formore than 5 hours, bringing traffic in the region toa standstill. Incompatible communications equip-ment prevented emergency personnel from differentjurisdictions on the scene from being able to com-municate with each other. This communicationsgap resulted in confusion and unnecessary delayin resolving the incident and the resulting trafficproblems.

Unfortunately, this was not a singular incident.In the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region, publicsafety personnel responding to a critical incidentinvolving multiple jurisdictions are often hamperedby an inability to communicate directly with otheragencies.

To address this communications gap, officialsfrom Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Colum-bia launched the Capital Wireless Integrated Net-work (CapWIN) in 1999 with initial funding fromthe U.S. Department of Transportation and theNational Institute of Justice’s (NIJ’s) AGILEProgram, which helps local and State publicsafety agencies address interoperability issues.

The goal of the CapWIN project is to createthe first integrated multi-State transportation andpublic safety information wireless network in the

(See CapWIN-Win Solution, page 3)

jurisdictions, which, Binks says, is “groundbreaking . . . . It’s abig deal to have three different States working together” andsharing sensitive information. Typically, when a police officerpulls over a car and runs a check on the driver’s identification,the officer is able to obtain information only from the NationalCrime Information Center, which is a national crime database,and the crime database in his or her jurisdiction. The officer

(See Making Way, page 2)

T hey’re called Segway™Human Trans-porters (HTs)

and they’ve beenfeatured on thenews, advertisedon Internet popupads, and more andmore, seen on citystreets carrying acourier or a postaldelivery person. Butwith the assistance ofthe National Institute ofJustice’s (NIJ’s) National LawEnforcement and Corrections Tech-nology Center (NLECTC) system, SegwayHTs may become standard issue for law enforce-ment and corrections officers.

“Segway is looking at different applications where thedevices could be tested, applications where people wearor carry a lot of heavy gear. That includes Army specialoperations as well as law enforcement bomb squads andHAZMAT teams,” says Bruce Richter, program managerat NLECTC–Northwest in Anchorage, Alaska. In turn, hesays, law enforcement officers are interested in using thetransporters in such areas as parks, parking garages, andcrowded downtown streets.

Early in 2003, Michael O’Shea, NIJ’s program managerfor NLECTC–Northwest and a former law enforcementofficer, contacted Segway regarding its evaluation pro-gram. In May, the company sent a representative toAnchorage to demonstrate the device. Shortly thereafter,NLECTC–Northwest was given the green light from itsadvisory council to be part of the evaluation program.In August, 10 officers from the Juneau Police Departmentreceived training on two Segways provided on loan byNLECTC–Northwest.

United States. Once completed, CapWIN willallow police officers, firefighters, transportationofficials, and other emergency personnel to com-municate directly with each other during a criticalincident using standard laptops. As a result, per-sonnel from different agencies will be able todevelop a coordinated response to an incident.

The idea behind the program “is to allow dif-ferent [public safety and transportation] agenciesto communicate and to set up a logical means ofdoing it,” says John Binks, the CapWIN TrainingManager at the University of Maryland’s Centerfor Advanced Transportation Technology. IBM,the primary integrator on the project, will buildthe network with off-the-shelf components andprovide an open standard interface to allowparticipating agencies to communicate with eachother using their existing equipment. “It’s muchbetter than trying to get three States to throwaway all of their equipment and [then] spendmore money on the same type of equipment,”Binks says. CapWIN also will provide mobilecomputing capabilities for agencies that cur-rently have none.

Using a standard laptop mounted in a policecruiser or a fire truck, users will be able to log onto the CapWIN system using a Web browser. Oncelogged on to the network, they will be able to seewhich other agencies are logged on using a globaldirectory, instant-message those other users, orenter chat rooms set up for aspecific incident to find outthe latest information.

Law enforcementusers will be able to useCapWIN to access crimedatabases in all three

2

Initially, Richter had reservations. But he quick-ly realized the battery-operated vehicles presenteda number of advantages. “It looks like a toy, so youdon’t realize its capabilities,” he says. “Then, whenI saw the photographs of bomb suit testing, itinstantly clicked. Bomb suits sometimes can weighabout 100 pounds, and they’re hot. They wear youout quickly. The Segway can get you on the scenequickly, extend your available work time, and getyou away quickly. It just made sense.”

Richter also notes that officers on Segwayswearing HAZMAT airpacks do not use up their airsupply as quickly as they would if they walked to ascene; that type of physical exertion often fogs upface masks, another potential problem avoided bySegway use. Because all the electronics on a SegwayHT are sealed, it can be quickly decontaminated bywashing it down after use at a HAZMAT scene.

“It has many uses for people who have to beon their feet in areas that are congested with people,such as narrow hallways and crowded streets,”says Maxine Andrews, also a program manager atNLECTC–Northwest and one of three Segway HT-certified trainers on the center’s team. “It respectsthe environment, since there are no emissions. Itdoesn’t take months to learn how to use. I helpedtrain the officers in Juneau, and they were out on thestreet patrolling almost immediately. The evening ofthe training, they went out and took it up the steepesthill they could find to check its performance.”

Alaska law enforcement agencies quickly caughton to Segway’s potential. Although the Juneau policefiled the first application to participate in the Segwayloaner program, after just 1 month of operation,NLECTC–Northwest had already received numerousother requests, including—

■ Alaska State Department of Corrections forcorrectional facility interior patrol.

■ Several large high schools for school resourceofficer campus patrol.

■ Alaska State Troopers for parking lot patrol atthe State fair.

■ Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchoragefor parking garage and terminal patrol.

■ Law enforcement agencies on the islands of Kodiak and Sitka for patrol.

All of these agencies, and others, lined up toborrow the Segway HTs, Andrews says. “One agencymay try them and say, we have no use for them, and the next will say, yes, we want to buy them.Either way, they haven’t had to spend money to find that out.”

Juneau P.D. started the process by borrowingtwo of the three NLECTC–Northwest Segway HTsfrom August to October 2003. Richter says that up

(Making Way . . . cont. from page 1)

Law enforcement, corrections, and other public safetyofficers in Alaska and other cold, remote areas of theUnited States face unique challenges to their crimeprevention, investigation, and rehabilitation effortsfrom weather, terrain, and distance.

The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Tech-nology Center (NLECTC)–Northwest was establishedin partnership with Chenega Technology ServicesCorporation to help define public safety requirementsfor information and operational technologies, withspecific attention to technologies that support lawenforcement and corrections under the extreme weather conditions, mountainous terrain, and vastdistances found in Alaska and other remote areasof the United States.

For more information about NLECTC–Northwest,call 866–569–2969, e-mail nlectc_nw@ctsc.net,or log on to www.justnet.org/nlectcnw/.

Segways after trying out the NLECTC–Northwestloaners can apply for U.S. Department of HomelandSecurity grant funds to pay for the devices, whichcost around $5,000 each.

In addition to police and corrections agenciesin Alaska, evaluations of Segways arranged throughNIJ and the NLECTC system have been conductedby police departments in Annapolis and MontgomeryCounty, Maryland, and Syracuse, New York, and bythe sheriff’s department in Los Angeles County,California, for the local transit system. The devicealso will be evaluated by Port Authority Police atJohn F. Kennedy International Airport in New Yorkand by school safety officers across the country.

For more information on the SegwayHuman Transporter loaner and evaluationprogram in Alaska, contact Bruce Richter atbruce.richter@ctsc.net or Maxine Andrews atmaxine.andrews@ctsc.net. Both can be reachedby telephone at 866–569–2969. For more informa-tion about the program elsewhere in the UnitedStates, contact Michael O’Shea, 202–305–7954 orosheam@ojp.usdoj.gov.

to five cruise ships, each carrying as many as 3,400passengers, may dock in Juneau at the same time.“That creates so much foot traffic, it’s hard to get apolice cruiser through if there is an incident near thedocks. Another advantage is that officers using thedevices stand about 8 inches taller than others in acrowd, providing them a much better view of theirsurroundings.”

While Juneau had two Segways to test, a thirdmoved around to other interested agencies. How-ever, no agency gets a Segway until officers fromthe agency take a formal 4-hour training course onits use.

“Training is designed to give you the tools tounderstand the capabilities of the machine and helpyou avoid the ways that you can get yourself intotrouble with it,” Richter says. “It’s easy enough toget a false sense of confidence after using it for onlya few minutes; you think you know how to move it.What you really know is just enough to get yourselfinto trouble.”

Richter says problems commonly encounteredinclude maneuvering too close to an object—so thesidewall runs up against it and the Segway attemptsto climb the object—or trying to turn too quickly,given its tight turning radius.

“After officers take the training, they becomeextremely excited after seeing what the devices cando,” Andrews says. “They might have thought theycouldn’t use it, but now they can see all kinds ofapplications. For example, you could use it to patrolat a street fair and not be exhausted from walkingif, late in a shift, you’re called on to give chase. Youalso could be at one end of that street fair, or at oneend of an airport, and get a call that a defibrillatoris needed at the other end.” According to Andrews,early reports from officers at Anchorage’s airportshow that an officer carrying such equipment on aSegway could beat officers on foot to the other endof the terminal by as much as 2 minutes—criticaltime for someone suffering a heart attack—andarrive with plenty of “wind” to start CPR, ifnecessary.

Segway HTs have a range of about 12 miles oncurrently available batteries. “We don’t expect anofficer to typically use it for an entire shift, just fora few hours here and there,” Richter says. Thedevice needs about 4 to 6 hours for a completerecharge. Lithium batteries, which will be avail-able soon, will double the range of the device.Another enhancement that already is availableis an all-terrain tire, which could improvewinter operation. However, many of theAlaska agencies appear more interested inusing it indoors than in deep snow, andcoastal areas like Juneau typically receivemore rain than snow. He says that agen-cies interested in buying their own

may find no outstanding warrants for the person inthat State. CapWIN will allow the officer to view thecrime databases in all three jurisdictions, potentiallyalerting the officer that the person is wanted in an-other State. Binks says the agencies determine howmuch information they want to share from their data-bases and who can access it. According to NIJprogram manager Tom Coty, agencies will besharing “even hot files with each other likewarrants and criminal records, and otherinformation they normally wouldn’t share.”As a result, CapWIN “will provide much morepowerful information for any participatingagency in the D.C. area,” which will makepolice officers “safer and more informed,”Coty says.

To date, CapWIN has already provedon a small scale that it can do what it wasdesigned to do. In 2001, project staff con-ducted a pilot project in which 22 laptopswere mounted in police, transportation, andfire vehicles in the 3 jurisdictions to deter-mine if messaging between the vehicles waspossible. Says Binks, “The idea was to seeif we could get some limited technology tocommunicate back and forth.” With the useof the Alexandria (Virginia) PoliceDepartment’s messaging switch, the vehicleswere able to interface and transferinformation from one agency to another.

The next step in the process, according to Binks,is to conduct beta testing to learn which aspects ofthe network are working well and which need to bemodified. In fall 2003, personnel from 16 agencies inthe region received training at the CapWIN TrainingCenter on how to use the CapWIN network interface.

Next, Binks says CapWIN plans to put 56 laptops invehicles in target areas for about 3 months of testing.After testing is completed, Binks says the project willbe ready to go into full production.

In addition to beta testing, Binks says CapWIN andIBM are working on an interface for PDAs (personaldigital assistants). This interface will allow motorcycle

police, police on foot patrols and horseback, andpolice in helicopters to use PDAs as officers in patrolcars will use laptops—to access criminal databasesand run background checks or send instant-messagesto personnel from another agency. Binks says local

agencies have already been asking about the PDAinterface “pretty aggressively.”

Currently, he says about 35 agencies in the D.C.metropolitan region are involved with CapWIN.He expects that number to grow because CapWINreceives daily inquiries about the project and staffare invited to appear at conferences across the Nation

to speak about the project. For agencies in the D.C.metropolitan area that are interested in becominginvolved with CapWIN, Binks says, “All they have todo is call us.”

NIJ’s Coty predicts that, if successful, CapWINwill have national implications. “What we will getout of this is a model that can be replicated, thatdetails how to develop the partnerships and coop-eration among the many different agencies, andthat leverages as much of the existing technologyas possible.” Binks adds that a requirement of theCapWIN project is to develop a national model thatother States can adopt. To that end, a full-time stan-

dards manager is responsible for providing doc-umentation on everything the project has

done so it can be easily replicated. SaysBinks, “That’s the unique aspect ofcoming through a university andbeing grant funded. People can learnfrom what we’ve done.” He adds,

“We’re not selling anything, we’retrying to solve a problem.”

For more information about the Capital Wireless Integrated Network project,call 301–614–3700 or visit the CapWIN websiteat www.capwin.org. Or, contact Tom Coty atthe National Institute of Justice, 202–514–7683;cotyt@ojp.usdoj.gov.

Law enforcement users will be able to

use CapWIN to access crime databases

in all three jurisdictions, which,

Binks says, is “groundbreaking . . .

It’s a big deal to have three

different States working

together” and sharing

sensitive information.

3

(CapWIN-Win Solution . . . cont. from page 1)

4

It’s called electronic crime, or

e-crime. The weapon can be a

computer, the scene of the in-

vestigation can be a hard drive,

and the perpetrators and victims

can be thousands of miles apart.

It can involve identity theft,

financial misappropriation, privacy

invasion, child pornography, or in-

tellectual property theft. It can render

law enforcement agencies helpless.

Since the information technology revolu-tion began, law enforcement has facedthe growing problem of cybercrime. Buta lack of resources and trained personnelhas put many agencies behind the curve.

Along with trained personnel to investigate suchtraditional crimes as murder, arson, theft, andassault, law enforcement needs “cyber cops” tofight electronic crime.

“To meet this growing need for trained per-sonnel, the CyberScience Laboratory (CSL) atthe National Institute of Justice’s National LawEnforcement and Corrections TechnologyCenter (NLECTC)–Northeast and its e-CrimeIntern Program in Rome, New York, are provid-ing college and high school students with aunique opportunity to gain knowledge andhands-on experience in the field of cyber-science in the law enforcement community,”says NLECTC–Northeast’s Robert DeCarlo, Jr.,who is an economic crime specialist with CSL.“The foundation of this program is a joint ven-ture between academia and both the publicand private sectors in an effort to expose stu-dents to a challenging experience in supportof cyberscience developments.

“One of the things that I like to emphasize isthat we’re trying to help these young people findproductive, meaningful jobs,” DeCarlo says. “Wewant to get them involved in the area of e-crimeand encourage them to make it their specialty in

law enforcement or private industry, asa computer forensics analyst or similar occu-

pation. The goal is to get them involved in thefield and have them stay in it.”

DeCarlo explains that CSL creates intern-ships in which “students do more than filepapers. They perform full-time, productivework, which could include heading up a specialproject or making a key presentation. Projectsvary according to CSL’s needs but often includetesting and tool assessments.”

“For example,” DeCarlo says, “one of theinterns [Roseanne Comito] who I mentoredtested a steganography detection tool . . . .She wrote a detailed assessment for thevendor and the vendor used it to refine thetool.” (Steganography is the art of hiding datawithin a computer graphic or file.) Comito usedher knowledge of steganography on anotherproject, working with a group of gifted middleschool students who were part of the DiscoveryChannel’s 2002 Young Scientist Challenge compe-tition. [Editor’s note: More information aboutRoseanne Comito’s project and the Young Scien-tist Challenge can be found at http://access.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Stories/Detectives/.]

Comito’s project involved middle schoolstudents. But another CSL internship programconducted during summer 2003 offered highschool students workplace experience andallowed them to create a course about cyber-crime for other high school students. “Theytalked to the staff and got a feel for the work-place,” says Andrea Belmont, an electroniccrime specialist with CSL. “They chose tocreate a website to showcase the course,”which focuses on information assurance andcybersecurity, or ways to protect network dataand systems.

Both the high school and college internsreceive wages based on their experience,DeCarlo notes. This experience plays a key rolein whether they are selected to participate inthe program. He says that he, Belmont, andothers review the resumes submitted eachsemester and select qualified students.

“When we look at resumes,” DeCarlo says,“we primarily look for someone who is study-ing criminal justice, information technology, orcomputer science; who is interested in cyber-crime; and who wants to stay in the field as acareer.” Belmont adds that although there isno set grade-point standard, students must bein good academic standing and receive a recom-mendation from an instructor. Many applicantslearn about the internship program from theirinstructors who urge them to apply.

Schools that have participated in the in-tern program include Utica College, SyracuseUniversity, University of Miami, Florida AtlanticUniversity, George Mason University, CarnegieMellon University, Dartmouth College, StanfordUniversity, State University of New York Insti-tute of Technology, Hilbert College, CornellUniversity, Columbia University, and John JayCollege of Criminal Justice. DeCarlo points outthat interns do not have to relocate to upstateNew York for a semester. CSL can place internswith U.S. Secret Service e-crime task forcesacross the country. DeCarlo says that anycollege that would like to take part in theprogram should call him. “We’ll talk and figureout if they have programs we can draw from.”

To find out more about the CyberScienceLaboratory e-Crime Intern Program, contactRobert DeCarlo, Jr. at 888–338–0584 or e-mail robert.decarlo@rl.af.mil.

5

DEFINITIONS

a. A unique string of numbers that identifies a computer or device on the Internet.

b. A malicious program that masquerades as a benevolent one.

c. A type of network in which individual users connect to each other directly, without a centralized server. Can be used to share files (legal or illegal) easily among individuals.

d. The art of hiding data or pictures within a file or files.

e. The act of capturing packets of data flowing across a computer network.

f. An attack that seeks to slow or disable a network by overwhelming it with useless traffic.

g. The protection of data and systems in networks connected to the World Wide Web.

h. A system that scans areas within a computer or network for possible security breaches.

i. The act of deceiving people into divulging information that allows access to computers and network infrastructure.

j. The protection of information systems to ensure their integrity.

k. A set of related programs that protect a private network from users based outside the network.

l. A program that monitors or “sniffs” a system for problems.

m. The act of forging the header information on an e-mail so that it appears to have originated fromsomewhere other than its true source.

How well do you know the language of e-crime? Try matching the terms on the left with the definitions on the right, then check theanswers to see how well you did.

TERMS

___ 1. Steganography

___ 2. Firewall

___ 3. Trojan Horse

___ 4. IDS (Intrusion Detection System)

___ 5. Network Sensor

___ 6. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Network

___ 7. Information Assurance

___ 8. Cybersecurity

___ 9. IP Address

___ 10. E-mail Spoofing

___ 11. Denial of Service (DoS)

___ 12. Social Engineering

___ 13. Packet Sniffing

5th Annual

Innovative Technologiesfor Community

Corrections ConferenceJune 14–16, 2004

Fairmont Copley Plaza • Boston, Massachusetts

Registration fee: $150 per person (covers the cost of provided meals)

The conference will spotlight the innovative use of technology incommunity corrections and emerging technologies. A vendor exposition

will be available for attendees to interact with technology providers.

Tentative topics include:

☛ Innovative Case Management Systems

☛ Drug and Alcohol Testing Technologies

☛ E-Learning for Community Corrections

☛ Advances in Electronic Monitoring

☛ Technology to Manage Sex Offenders

☛ Officer Safety

For more information or to be placed on our mailing list regarding this conference, please call Joe Russo at 800–416–8086, or e-mail jrusso@du.edu.

Hosted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center–Rocky Mountain, a program of the National Institute of Justice.

Answer: 1. d; 2. k; 3. b; 4. h; 5. l; 6. c; 7. j; 8. g; 9. a; 10. m; 11. f; 12. i; 13. e

76

owever, on an early September week-end last year, Moundsville, WestVirginia, faced a domestic terroristdrug laboratory, a suspicious pack-age, poisoned picnickers, a boatcollision, and more. For the second

time in 2 years, Moundsville was in themidst of a series of incidents that wouldtax public safety agencies to their limits.

But for this Ohio Valley town andsurrounding area it was all just part ofMock Disaster 2003, sponsored by theNational Corrections and Law Enforce-ment Training and Technology Center(NCLETTC).

NCLETTC, located in Moundsville,was established as a year-round trainingand technology center for corrections,law enforcement, and public safety

first-responder organizations.TheSeptember 2003 event was the secondmock disaster organized by the centerwith assistance from the National Insti-tute of Justice’s Office of Law Enforce-ment Technology Commercializationand the National Technology TransferCenter’s Emergency Response Tech-nology Program, both in nearbyWheeling, West Virginia.

The first mock disaster in 2002received a national first-place awardfrom the Government Security Expoand Conference and U.S. Law Enforce-ment Exposition and Conference inthe category of Disaster Preparedness/First Responders. But NCLETTC and itspartners in planning the 2003 eventsaw room for improvement.

Suzanne Park, outreach managerfor NCLETTC, says that in designingMock Disaster 2003, the planning com-mittee—which included local, State,and Federal law enforcement, hospitalsand health departments, fire depart-ments, environmental protectionagencies, medical examiners, and localchemical companies—tried to keep inmind such issues as communicationsdifficulties (interoperability) and delaysin calling in other agencies.

Months of planning resulted insix separate, yet interrelated, scenariosbased on the FEMA training objectives.Park says the participating agenciesranked the objectives according to theirneeds. The planners incorporated theobjectives that received the highestoverall scores into the scenarios, along

with special requests for other activitiessuch as an accident with multipleextractions, a boating accident involv-ing alcohol use, and a biological attack.

The agencies taking part in thesix scenarios included emergencymedical services, fire departments, lawenforcement and corrections agencies,911 centers, hospitals, medical examin-ers’ offices, the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation, the U.S. Armed Forces, theAmerican Red Cross, the Salvation Army,utility companies, local industries—even a hospice. Park recalls her surprisewhen she learned that a local hospicewanted to join in the drill. She learnedthat after September 11, hospice agen-cies took on bereavement counselingfollowing mass deaths. Because the

scenarios included multiple fatalities,the hospice would fit in.

“We brought them all in, and saidlet’s make this as real-life as possible,”Park says.“While at first it might seemfarfetched to have this type of drill inrural West Virginia, when you stop andthink about it, we have the Ohio Riverright here, we have Interstate 70 com-ing through the area, and it’s reallyquite feasible. We’re talking WestVirginia, and we’re also talking ruralUnited States. This is how most of uslive and work. Most of us don’t live inlarge cities.”

The mock disaster planners hadto do more than develop the six scenar-ios.They also drew up plans for theworkshops and vendor demonstrations

that would be held during the 3-dayevent.Workshops, Park says, ranged from“Moulage 101” (preparing “victims” forparticipation in a mock disaster drill) to“Terrorist ID for Everyday People” (howto help mail carriers, meter readers, andothers identify suspicious behavior) to“Rope Rescue Operations for theEmergency Responder.” Participantshad 24 workshop sessions to choosefrom, 6 of which were offered twice.

Participants also could visit approx-imately 50 vendor exhibits displayingnew technologies. Prior to the event,the planning committee reviewed thetechnologies to be displayed andselected several for use in particularscenarios. For example, a thermalimaging camera was made available

for evidencecollection ina dimly litwarehouse.

If a new tech-nology did not fit intoa scenario, vendorscould demonstrate theirproducts in a scheduledsession. Technologiesdemonstrated includedchemical detection systems,personal alarms, a smokegenerator for use in firefightertraining, gear to protect firstresponders from extreme heat,respiratory protection gear, thermalvision gear, and incident monitoringsoftware.

H

THE SCENARIO FOR DISASTERThe “disaster” began and ended with the informant: a phone call about illegal activities

at “Acme Environmental Labs,” then the recovery of a barrel full of “remains” from the river. Inbetween, participants in Mock Disaster 2003 faced a series of related scenarios—each with itsown set of challenges and training opportunities.

On a Friday afternoon last September, law enforcement officials in Moundsville, West Virginia,received a call from an informant—a member of a domestic terrorist group—that Acme Environ-mental Labs served as a cover for a clandestine drug laboratory. Immediately, West Virginia StatePolice, along with special response, explosive ordnance disposal, and sniper teams, went to abooby-trapped rural cabin. The evidence collected by law enforcement and other first respondersproved key to responding to the scenarios that followed. It showed that the terrorists were usingthe Internet to communicate, had created fake identification for themselves, and were targetingelected officials for assassination.

The next morning, the arrival of a suspicious package at the local wastewater treatmentplant pulled city police, fire, and rescue agencies to one side of town. Recognizing that they lackedthe proper equipment and resources, the local agencies called in an explosive response teamfrom the West Virginia State Police. Meanwhile, across town at a local park, an area hospital associ-ation was holding its annual picnic. A report of what was thought to be an explosive device in agarbage can brought a few first responders to the park. Shortly after they arrived, dozens of peo-ple attending the picnic became violently ill. These “victims” walked into the emergency rooms ofa half-dozen local hospitals, forcing the hospitals’ infectious disease specialists to call in assistancefrom local health departments.

That afternoon, the underwater rescue team received a call to retrieve two barrels from thenearby Ohio River. One contained a number of body parts in pieces too small to identify (DNA testing later identified them as the informant). The other contained “suspicious substances.”

[Editor’s note: Although a more complicated scenario had been planned, heavy rains in the areareduced this to a dive and recovery operation.]

Finally, a truck carrying chemicals—and driven by one of the terrorists—was headed fora plant on the Ohio River when it collided with a school bus. First responders had to deal withpossibly hazardous chemicals, multiple extractions, and several deaths.

“We really tried to roll in as many different types of responses to situations as we could,” saysSuzanne Park, outreach manager for the National Corrections and Law Enforcement Training andTechnology Center, which hosted the 3-day mock disaster.“One of the things we learned fromthe first mock disaster in 2002 is that these agencies don’t have the opportunity to participate intraining with a broad spectrum of other agencies. They train within themselves, or maybe withone or two others. Participating in the 2002 drill opened a lot of eyes, and participants said theyreally needed to learn which agencies have what resources available.

“Planning the 2003 event became a really awesome learningexperience for everyone involved,” Park adds.“This is about how touse both the resources at hand and the other resources available inthe community. One agency cannot be and do everything. It’s aboutlearning who has the resources and the capabilities.”

On Sunday, Sherry Muncy from the U.S. Attorney’s Office inClarksburg, West Virginia, gave a briefing on the results of the exercises.Muncy shared with agency leaders what her role would be in prosecutingthe event and how their work would affect what she presented. She praisedthe agencies for their level of training and preparedness.“Witnessing this event was such aremarkable experience. It has given me a much better understanding of what you do in yourpreparation and training to protect our communities.”

(See Waiting To Happen, page 12)

THE SCENARIO FOR DISASTER

8

NLECTC–National2277 Research Boulevard

Rockville, MD 20850

800–248–2742

asknlectc@nlectc.org

NLECTC–Northeast26 Electronic Parkway

Rome, NY 13441–4514

888–338–0584

nlectc_ne@rl.af.mil

NLECTC–Southeast5300 International Boulevard

North Charleston, SC 29418

800–292–4385

nlectc-se@nlectc-se.org

NLECTC–Rocky Mountain2050 East Iliff Avenue

Denver, CO 80208

800–416–8086

nlectc@du.edu

NLECTC–Westc/o The Aerospace Corporation

2350 East El Segundo Boulevard

El Segundo, CA 90245–4691

888–548–1618

nlectc@law-west.org

NLECTC–Northwest3000 C Street, Suite 304

Anchorage, AK 99503–3975

866–569–2969

nlectc_nw@ctsc.net

Border Research andTechnology Center (BRTC)1010 Second Avenue, Suite 1920

San Diego, CA 92101–4912

888–656–2782

info@brtc.nlectc.org

Rural Law EnforcementTechnology Center(RULETC)101 Bulldog Lane

Hazard, KY 41701

866–787–2553

ruletc@aol.com

Office of Law EnforcementTechnology Commercialization(OLETC)2001 Main Street, Suite 500

Wheeling, WV 26003

888–306–5382

oletc@oletc.org

Office of Law EnforcementStandards (OLES) 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8102

Gaithersburg, MD 20899–8102

301–975–2757

oles@nist.gov

Technology Identification

The NLECTC system provides informationand assistance to help agencies determine themost appropriate and cost-effective technolo-gy to solve an administrative or operationalproblem. We deliver information relating totechnology availability, performance, durabili-ty, reliability, safety, ease of use, customizationcapabilities, and interoperability.

Technology Assistance

Our staff serve as proxy scientists and engi-neers. Areas of assistance include unique evi-dence analysis (e.g., audio, video, computer,trace, and explosives), systems engineering,and communications and information systemssupport (e.g., interoperability, propagationstudies, and vulnerability assessments).

Technology Implementation

We develop technology guides, best practices,and other information resources that arefrequently leveraged from hands-on assis-tance projects and made available to otheragencies.

Property Acquisition

We help departments take advantage of sur-plus property programs that make Federalexcess and surplus property available to lawenforcement and corrections personnel atlittle or no cost.

Equipment Testing

In cooperation with the Office of Law En-forcement Standards (OLES), we oversee thedevelopment of standards and a standards-based testing program in which equipmentsuch as ballistic- and stab-resistant bodyarmor, double-locking metallic handcuffs,and semiautomatic pistols is tested on apass/fail basis. NLECTC also conducts com-parative evaluations—testing equipmentunder field conditions—on patrol vehicles;patrol vehicle tires and replacement brakepads; and cut-, puncture-, and pathogen-resistant gloves. NLECTC also has evaluatedemerging products to verify manufacturers’claims. The primary focus of OLES is thedevelopment of performance standards andtesting methods to ensure that public safetyequipment is safe, dependable, and effective.

Contact NLECTC for:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Office of Law Enforcement Technology CommercializationWheeling, WV

Office of Law Enforcement StandardsGaithersburg, MD

NLECTC–Southeast Charleston, SC

NLECTC–NortheastRome, NY

Border Research and Technology CenterSan Diego, CA

NLECTC–West El Segundo, CA

NLECTC–Rocky Mountain Denver, CO

NLECTC–NationalRockville, MD

NLECTC–NorthwestAnchorage, AK

Rural Law EnforcementTechnology CenterHazard, KY

Technology Demonstration

We introduce and demonstrate new andemerging technologies through such specialevents, conferences, and practical demonstra-tions as the Mock Prison Riot (technologiesfor corrections), Operation America (bombdetection technologies), and an annual publicsafety technology conference. On a limitedbasis, NLECTC facilitates deployment of newtechnologies to agencies for operational test-ing and evaluation.

Capacity Building

We provide hands-on demonstrations ofthe latest technologies to address such oper-ational issues as crime and intelligenceanalysis, geographic information systems,

explosives detection and disablement, in-mate disturbances and riots, and computercrime investigation.

Technology Information

NLECTC disseminates information to thecriminal justice community at no costthrough educational bulletins, equipmentperformance reports, guides, consumerproduct lists, news summaries, meeting/conference reports, videotapes, and CD–ROMs. NLECTC also publishes TechBeat,an award-winning quarterly newsmaga-zine. Most publications are available inelectronic form through the Justice Tech-nology Information Network (JUSTNET)

Corrections Technology Advisory Council(LECTAC)—ensures that we are focusingon the real-world needs of public safetyagencies.

Because most of the country’s law enforce-

ment and corrections services are provided

at the local level, the NLECTC system is

composed of five regional centers and is

complemented by several specialty offices

and a national center. Most centers and

offices are co-located with or supported by

federally funded technology partners so

they can leverage unique science and engi-

neering expertise.

at www.justnet.org. Hard copies of all publi-cations can be ordered through NLECTC’stoll-free number, 800–248–2742, or via e-mail at asknlectc@nlectc.org.

Technology Commercialization

Our law enforcement and corrections profes-sionals, product and commercialization man-agers, engineers, and technical and marketresearch specialists work together to identifynew technologies and product concepts. Theythen work with innovators and industry todevelop, manufacture, and distribute thesenew, innovative products and technologies.

Technology Needs Assessment

Our national body of criminal justiceprofessionals—the Law Enforcement and

N L E C T C

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The National Law Enforcement and Corrections TechnologyCenter (NLECTC) system, a program of the National Institute ofJustice (NIJ), offers no-cost assistance in helping agencies largeand small implement current and emerging technologies.

The NLECTC system was established in 1994 by NIJ’s Officeof Science and Technology to deliver information and tech-nology assistance to more than 18,000 police departments;50 State correctional systems; thousands of prisons, jails, andparole and probation departments; and other public safetyorganizations.

With a network of regional centers and specialty officeslocated across the country, the NLECTC system has been ableto deliver expertise in a number of technologies by formingpartnerships with such host organizations as the Air ForceResearch Laboratory, the Space and Naval Warfare SystemsCenter, and The Aerospace Corporation. Through these partner-ships, NLECTC staff have access to the latest innovations inresearch and development.

The NLECTC system serves as an “honest broker” resourcefor technology information, assistance, and expertise.

9

echShorts is a sampling of article abstracts published weekly as part of the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center’s (NLECTC’s) online information service: the Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology News Summary.

Offered through JUSTNET, the website of NLECTC, this weekly news summary provides synopses of recent articles relating totechnology developments and initiatives in law enforcement, corrections, and the forensic sciences that have appeared in newspapers,newsmagazines, and trade and professional journals. The summaries also are available through an electronic e-mail list, JUSTNETNews.Each week, subscribers to JUSTNETNews receive the summary directly via e-mail.

To subscribe to the JUSTNETNews/Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology News Summary, e-mail your request to asknlectc@nlectc.org or call 800–248–2742.

Note: Providing synopses of articles or mentioning specific manufacturers or products does not constitute the endorsement of theU.S. Department of Justice or NLECTC. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold. The NLECTC LawEnforcement and Corrections Technology News Summary should be cited as the source of the information. Copyright 2004, Information Inc.,Bethesda, Maryland.

T

Information HighwaysSan Jose Mercury News

The Metropolitan Transportation Commissionand Caltrans will oversee implementation of the511 Driving Times system, which will eventuallyestimate travel times throughout most of Califor-nia’s Bay Area. Some 150 sensors will be installedalong Interstate 80 and parts of Highway 101and Interstate 880 to track speeds of vehiclesequipped with FasTrak devices. Informationgathered from the sensors will be sent to agovernment database. Drivers can call the511 travel information line tohear the latest updateson travel conditions,while legislatorscan use the infor-mation to planfuture roadimprovements.However,privacy advo-cates are con-cerned that theinformationcould be used totrack individualvehicles and issuespeeding tickets. [Formore information about 511Driving Times, log on to http://www.511.org.]

Work Begins on StatewideCommunication System Associated Press

In an effort to facilitate communication betweenagencies throughout Indiana, law enforcementand emergency officials launched Project HoosierSAFE–T with the goal of replacing the old radiosystems with a network that all emergency agen-cies can use. The Integrated Public SafetyCommission is coordinating theproject, which is based on an 800MHz radio system that carriessignals from tower to tower tocreate broader coverage. Morethan $13 million in Federal grantsfor the project have been allocatedto the State, but project fieldcoordinator Steve Skinner saysthe effort’s total cost after 15 yearsshould be around $160 million.The cost of the radios will fall on theagencies that choose to join the program.It will probably take longer to implementthe project in one-third of the State where radio

coverage is impeded by craggy terrain. State offi-cials add that individual sites will still be proneto technical glitches that will be rectified on a case-by-case basis. [For more information onProject Hoosier SAFE–T, log on to www.in.gov/ipsc/safe-t.]

New Anti-Robbery Procedures at B of A American Banker

Bank of America, encouraged by a pilot test inLos Angeles that reduced bank robberies by 69

percent, has announced a full rollout of newsecurity policies and equipment at its U.S.

branches. The new security proceduresinclude armed security guards, photo

surveillance equipment, bulletproofbarriers, new training programs,and traps that detect weapons.The announced changes comeafter Bank of America tested thenew policies and equipment at

281 Los Angeles branches in 2002.The FBI and local law enforcement

groups assisted the bank during thetests, which saw bank robberies drop

from 77 between June 2001 and January2002 to just 24 during the same time period

a year later.

Super-Hero Tech ABC News

Researchers from the U.S. Army’s National Pro-tection Center at the Soldier Systems Centerdeveloped the Law Enforcement/Corrections

Tactical UniformSystem (LECTUS)in order to allow

officers to see inthe dark, protect them-

selves from bullets andblows, communicate with

other officers with only awhisper, see through the eyes

of other team members, andenter places with noxious chemi-

cals or smoke without harm.The system, which is based on the

military’s Land Warrior system, usescommunication technology that detects

vibrations in the skull when speakingand mutes loud sounds from the environ-

ment to protect the wearer from ear damage.Although LECTUS is currently designed withnylon, spandex, and ceramic plates, researchershope future innovations will bring about smart

fabrics that will reduce the weight of the system.LECTUS already is more flexible than current pro-tection suits worn by SWAT teams and prisonguards. Testing of the new technology, which isstill in its infancy, is underway. [For more infor-mation, log on to http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/FutureTech/futurecop030604.html.]

Animation Lets MurderVictims Have Final SayNew Scientist

German researchers have developed a 3D graph-ics program that can help forensics expertsreconstruct faces from the skeletal remains ofdead people found by the police. The graphicssystem of Kolja Kahler and Jorg Haber of theMax Planck Institute for Computer Science inSaarbrucken, Germany, and their colleagues

speeds up the traditional forensic process ofhaving an artist make a plaster cast of a skulland cover it with clay to mimic flesh. Thislaborious process tends to take the forensicartist several weeks. In addition to speeding upthe facial reconstruction process, the program’sanimation approach is beneficial in that itallows police to add expressions to the facialreconstruction with the click of a mouse.“Anartist cannot give the model personality, anda lot of times, that’s what people recognize,”says Todd Matthews of Doe Network, a globalorganization that works with forensic artiststo match unidentified bodies. Police typicallyhave forensic artists create one sculpture, andthe lack of facial expressions often makes themodel difficult to recognize. Dieter Buhman,a forensics expert at the Institute of ForensicMedicine at Saarland University in Saarbrucken,has recommended that the team create a wayfor the police to add hair color, hairstyles, andskin texture to reconstructed faces using their3D graphics program. [For more information,log on to www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994005.]

TDOT SmartWay Opens New Control Center Associated Press

The Tennessee Department of Transportation(TDOT) has opened its TDOT SmartWay system,which uses 20 electronic message boards, 150speed sensors, and 56 cameras along 36 miles ofNashville’s interstate highways to form an “intelli-gent” transportation system and reduce trafficcongestion. Control center operators watch thecamera views and use the message boards to in-form drivers of problems and to suggest alterna-tives. TDOT officials say that the instant feedbackshould let the department tell law enforcementofficials about problems more quickly and im-prove response time. The $16 million system isto be expanded to Knoxville, Chattanooga, andMemphis, and is 90 percent federally funded;TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely estimatesthat the system will add as much as 30 percentto the road system’s capacity and cost far lessthan widening the pavement. The camera viewsare to go up on the TDOT website and will be fedto local television stations, and the system will bepart of Tennessee’s Amber Alert for missing andabducted children. Nicely says that law enforce-ment agencies will be linked directly to thesystem. [For more information, log on towww.tdot.state.tn.us/tdotsmartway.]

Files Filling Up Prison Storage RoomsAssociated Press

Iowa’s prisons want to obtain State funding tostore countless paper documents collected overthe years on computer compact discs (CDs).The Iowa Medical and Classification Center atOakdale alone has documented every prisonerever held in the State, and would require an esti-mated $400,000 in the first year alone to upgradeits recordkeeping. Rusty Rogerson, who servesas the center’s warden, estimates it would take 5years to complete the archiving process. Oakdalecollects a criminal file, a medical file, and aninmate file for each new arrival in prison, whichaverages to 14 new inmates each day. The recordsare currently contained in a 3,000-square-footarea, but officials hope to eliminate permanentstorage by destroying paper documents aftertheir information is transferred to CD. Theproposal is set to go before the legislature thisJanuary and implementation of the new systemcould start as soon as September 1.

10

TechBeat is the award-winning newsmagazine of the National Law Enforcement andCorrections Technology Center (NLECTC) system. Our goal is to keep you up to date withcurrent and developing technologies for the public safety community, as well as otherresearch and development efforts within the Federal Government and private industry.TechBeat is published four times a year.

Individual Subscriptions: TechBeat is available at no cost. If you are not currently on our mailing list, pleasecall us at 800–248–2742, fax 301–519–5149, or e-mail us at asknlectc@nlectc.org.

Domestic Department Subscriptions: If your division, department, or agency has more than 25 indi-viduals, we can drop ship as many copies as you require. All you have to do is provide us with the quantityneeded, a shipping address (no Post Office boxes, please), and a contact name and telephone number.Your only obligation is to disseminate them once they arrive. If you require fewer than 25 copies, pleaseprovide us with the names and addresses of individuals who are to receive the newsmagazine and wewill send copies directly to them. Contact Rick Neimiller, TechBeat managing editor, at 800–248–2742, foradditional information or to subscribe.

Address Correction: Please notify us of any change in address or point of contact. Call 800–248–2742;fax 301–519–5149; or e-mail asknlectc@nlectc.org.

Article Reproduction: Unless otherwise indicated, all articles appearing in TechBeat may be reproduced.We do, however, request that you include a statement of attribution, such as: “This article was reproducedfrom the summer 2003 issue of TechBeat, published by the National Law Enforcement and CorrectionsTechnology Center, a program of the National Institute of Justice, 800–248–2742.”

Questions/Comments/Story Ideas: We welcome all questions, comments, and story ideas. Please contactRick Neimiller, TechBeat managing editor, at 800–248–2742 or e-mail rneimiller@nlectc.org.

Awards:TechBeat has received numerous awards, including the 1998 Best of Category, Excellencein Printing Award from the Printing & Graphic Communications Association; the first-place 1998Blue Pencil Award for Most Improved Periodical from the NationalAssociation of Government Communicators; the 1999Silver Inkwell Award of Merit from the InternationalAssociation of Business Communicators; andthe APEX 2001 Award of Excellence for Magazinesand Newspapers–Printed.

Photo Credits: Photos used in this issue ofTechBeat copyright © 2003 PhotoDisc, Inc.;Corbis Images; Digital Vision; National Law En-forcement and Corrections Technology Center–Northwest; and National Corrections and LawEnforcement Training and Technology Center.

Staff: Managing Editor, Rick Neimiller; Writers,Becky Lewis, Jackie Siegel, and StephanieNeuben; Editor, Michele Coppola; AssistantEditor/Writer, Brian Higgins; Graphic Designers,C. Denise Collins and Tina Kramer.

The National Law Enforce-ment and Corrections Tech-nology Center is supportedby Cooperative Agreement#96–MU–MU–K011 awarded

by the U.S. Department of Justice, NationalInstitute of Justice. Analyses of test resultsdo not represent product approval or en-dorsement by the National Institute of Justice,U.S. Department of Justice; the National Insti-tute of Standards and Technology, U.S. De-partment of Commerce; or Aspen SystemsCorporation. Points of view or opinions con-tained within this document are those of theauthors and do not necessarily represent theofficial position or policies of the U.S. Depart-ment of Justice.

The National Institute of Justice is a com-ponent of the Office of Justice Programs,which also includes the Bureau of JusticeAssistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics,Office of Juvenile Justice and DelinquencyPrevention, and Office for Victims of Crime.

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ServiceIn addition to funding the NationalLaw Enforcement and Corrections Tech-nology Center, the National Instituteof Justice (NIJ) and other Federalagencies support the National CriminalJustice Reference Service (NCJRS),assisting a global community of policy-makers, practitioners, researchers, andthe general public with justice-relatedresearch, policies, and programs.

NCJRS offers reference and referralservices, publications, onsite and off-site conference support, and othertechnical assistance. The easiest wayto access NCJRS is online.

Start at http://www.ncjrs.org.TheNCJRS website showcases the latestcriminal and juvenile justice and drugpolicy information. Take advantage of—

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L ate one afternoon last August, the San Joaquin County (California) Sheriff’s Departmentreceived a report of a strong-arm robbery. Four men had grabbed a wallet and ripped a goldnecklace from the neck of a male victim walking with a friend. Deputies John Davis and

Dave Koneckey arrived on the scene 17 minutes later.

During the initial interview, the victim described the suspects, including their race andapproximate ages. He reported he had met one of the suspects before, but could recall onlyhis first name. Davis entered the first name, race, and 3-year age range of the suspect into themobile data computer (MDC) in his patrol car. Seconds later a photo, address, and phone num-ber appeared on the screen. Davis called the victim over, who made a positive identification.

The deputies tracked the suspect to his home, where they spoke with him and a secondman. Both men admitted to being at the robbery scene, but each claimed not to have taken thevictim’s property. Neither would name the other two men involved. Both were taken intocustody and charged with strong-arm robbery.

The sheriff’s department resolved thiscase quickly with the help of a mug shotdatabase that is instantly available to theirofficers in the field. Known as the CusInSPhoto Viewer, this continuously updateddatabase is part of the department’s CustodyInformation System (CusInS, pronounced“cousins”).

“Having this type of system in all patrolunits has greatly enhanced the officers’ abili-ty to identify suspects and create lineupsfor victims in the field,” says Capt. StephanMoore of the department’s patrol division.At the touch of a computer screen, morethan 200 deputies have access to a databasethat contains 100,000 mug shots taken bythe sheriff’s department and the county’s 7police departments during the past 5 years.In addition to the photos, identification num-bers, monikers, addresses, and phone num-bers are maintained and updated as soon aschanges are noted. “The victim in the rob-bery had a photo to look at about 20 minutesafter the call was made,” says Tom Hennig,project manager for the sheriff’s departmentand a designer of the system. “In our experi-ence, memory fades quickly with time; thelonger the delay, the less the memory works.”

The CusInS Photo Viewer keeps trackof the most current mug shot and demo-graphics for everyone in the system. Whenany field is modified, new data replace theexisting data. Every day deputies rely on thephoto viewer for recent photos of suspects.Without the mug shot database, deputieswould have to depend on verbal descriptionsof appearance—height, weight, hair—thatcan be subject to interpretation, or of cloth-ing that can be easily modified. “All thedeputies can tell stories of when they usedCusInS to ascertain suspects’ identities,”Hennig says. “Time and time again these sus-pects are then arrested to answer for chargesagainst who they really are and not whothey’re pretending to be.”

When Deputy Ryan Biedermann madea routine traffic stop of a vehicle with an

11

expired registration, the suspect, who pos-sessed no vehicle information or identifi-cation, provided a name and date of birth.The CusInS Photo Viewer first displayed aphoto of the man’s brother, but a furthersearch using only the man’s last name turnedup a photo of the suspect under anothername. This led to the discovery of a felonywarrant from an adjoining county. “Withoutthe positive photo ID, the suspect wouldhave been able to get away with using hisbrother’s ID and would not have been ar-rested,” Biedermann says.

The CusInS Photo Viewer can beespecially helpful for new deputies or forthose who have been assigned to a new beat.A deputy can become familiar with communi-ty policing needs and known troublemakerswithout spending weeks learning an area.Deputies also are often required to watch forparolees and warrant violators. The photoviewer allows deputies to view the latestbooking photos on their MDCs as they makecontact with subjects or suspects wanted forinterview or arrest.

The CusInS Photo Viewer allows forsearches on height, weight, sex, age, haircolor, race, first name, last name, and partialidentification numbers. This enables deputiesto search for identity without having a sus-pect’s name. This search capability alsoenables the department to identify unknowncorpses based on their characteristics. Oncea positive identification has been made, thedeputy can work the case from phone num-bers, addresses, and identification numbersin the database.

A recent addition to the mug shot data-base is its in-the-field lineup capability. Thesoftware creates a lineup of subjects whoare similar in appearance, but have vary-ing features such as a beard, mustache, hair,or no hair. This allows officers to see howthe suspect could change his or her appear-ance. It also can help victims and witnessesidentify subjects.

Because the CusInS Photo Viewer is inthe startup folder on every MDC, deputiescan access the program with a touch of thescreen. Once the program is on screen,deputies can search any field to createcandidate lists. As more particulars areentered, the search is narrowed or returnsan exact hit. If the photo does not matchthe suspect, or the suspect cannot be found,the search can proceed until a match isfound or the deputy returns to the station.Because many suspects are repeat offenders,60 percent of all suspects booked by thesheriff’s department already have a photoin the system. As more photos enter the sys-tem, Hennig expects that the positive hit ratewill grow.

Accessing the CusInS Photo Viewer hasbeen made as easy as possible. Hennig saysdeputies were responsible for all of thescreen design and search scenarios. Everydeputy trained to use the MDC can operatethe photo viewer with 10 minutes or less oftraining. All training is done as part of normalbriefings with the aid of a laptop and projec-tor. Hands-on training is completed the firsttime the deputy uses the program in the car.“Our deputies have become so adept asusers of this program that it is now as criticalto their job as their weapons, radio, vehicle,and maybe partners,” Hennig adds. “Withoutthis tool, many suspects would have walkedfor lack of a positive ID.” The MDCs are up-dated wirelessly each day with no degrada-tion to radio frequency traffic or functions.It takes about 1.25 minutes of downloadingto update a day’s worth of photos and as-sociated demographics (phone numbers,addresses, etc.). If it were just adding orreplacing photos, the time would be cut inhalf. Hennig says complaints about thesystem are minimal and mainly relate to theaccuracy of the information—a data entryissue. Work is underway to add juvenile mugshots to CusInS as well as to expand its useto all county law enforcement agencies.

Development and deployment of theCusInS Photo Viewer was funded by a 2001Making Officer Redeployment Effective(MORE) grant from the Office of CommunityOriented Policing Services (COPS). This grantbuilt on the earlier MDC and wireless net-work project, which was funded by a 1998COPS MORE grant.

For more information on the develop-ment and implementation of the CusInSPhoto Viewer, call Tom Hennig, projectmanager, San Joaquin Sheriff’s Depart-ment, 209–468–4423, or e-mail thennig@co.san-joaquin.ca.us.

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“There’s a lot going on, and obviously people want to be part of this,”

Park says.“The vendors want to get the technology out there, and some-

times, when they give demonstrations at conferences and meetings, they

don’t get to show it to the end user. This event allowed the end users to see

and use it.”

Those end users owe their opportunity to see that technology to a

group of area emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who began planning

the first mock disaster drill early in 2001, according to NCLETTC Director

Steve Morrison. That group brought NCLETTC into the process to help it

obtain funding, Morrison says. After September 11, its members realized

that communities need to prepare to deal with all aspects of a disaster.

The group called on NCLETTC’s resources to help bring fire departments,

law enforcement agencies, and hospitals into the planning process.

What started out as an EMT-only drill became Mock Disaster 2002. That

initial event featured only one scenario—a chemical attack by a domestic

terrorist group on spectators and a high school band at a political rally.

“It has been a unique experience to see the first-responder community

coming together to work on this project,” Morrison says.“More importantly,

we have seen agencies partnering and working together because of their

knowledge of each others’ capabilities, training, and equipment. This is the

ultimate in community team building.”

In addition to helping secure funding and bringing other agencies on

board, NCLETTC, located in the former West Virginia Penitentiary in Mounds-

ville, has the ideal facilities to host the mock disaster.When not hosting such

special training events as mock disasters or the annual Mock Prison Riot,

Morrison says, NCLETTC facilities are open to corrections, law enforcement,

and other public safety agencies for training. Some portions of the penitentiary

have been renovated into state-of-the-art classrooms, but most of the cells

remain untouched and can be used for practice in cell extraction, prisoner

restraint and control, hostage negotiation, and more. In addition, public safety

professionals can attend scheduled classes at NCLETTC, vendors can rent space

to put on demonstrations, or agencies can rent facilities for use in training

exercises. NCLETTC also offers basic and advanced computer classes to the

general public with more community outreach projects being planned.

For more information about the National Corrections and Law En-forcement Training and Technology Center, its programs, and facilities,call 304–843–4147, or visit the center’s website at www.nclettc.org.

(Waiting To Happen . . . cont. from page 7)