Unit 4: Trash Cover

CJ293: Investigating Terrorism

Unit 4 Assignments

Read (eBook): Chapters 12-15 Extra Extra! (Frontline) Graded Work:

-- Discussion Board (20 pts)-- Seminar (20 pts)

40 Points Total

Unit 5

No Seminar No Discussion Board Midterm Project Only

– Use extra time to catchup!

Unit 5 Project—200 Points!

The textbook author notes that the evolution of terrorism has brought about a new or "modern terrorism" that is today far more lethal, in that small terrorist groups now have the capacity to bring about catastrophic damage. Create a 7-10 slide PowerPoint project that explains the evolution of terrorism and identifies four prevention and intervention techniques that are enhanced through communication and technology. Be sure to:Explain two historical concepts of terrorismExplain two modern concepts of terrorismIdentify four prevention and intervention techniques that are enhanced by technology and communication

Submit your PowerPoint project to the dropbox before the end of Unit 5.

Unit 5 Project—Tips & Clues

Re-read Chapter One “An Overview of Terrorism”– “Historical Terrorism” (pp. 4-5)– “Modern Terrorism” (pp. 5-11)– “New Breed of Terrorists” (pp. 11-12)– “Twenty-First Century Challenge to Law Enforcement (pp.

12-14)– “How Law Enforcement Addresses the Current Terrorist

Threat” (pp. 14-18)

Unit 5 Project—Tips & Clues

You are asked to “identify four prevention and intervention techniques that are enhanced by technology and communication.”

What does this mean?

Identify four items of contemporary technology (in areas such as communications, weaponry, or transportation) that have enhanced the ability of law enforcement to investigate or prevent in terrorism.

Re-read chapter one, starting on p.12, under the section entitled "The Twenty-First Century Challenge to Law Enforcement".

Seminar Topics: Tonight

Trash Cover

Trash Cover

Scenario: an investigator asks the city trash collector to pick up a black garbage bag left on the curb in front of the home of John Smith, a suspected drug dealer. In the plastic bag, the investigator finds evidence of drugs. The evidence is used to obtain a search warrant of Smith’s home. During the search, the investigator finds a kilo of cocaine; Smith is arrested.

--Did the warrantless search of Smith’s garbage violate the 4th Amendment?

Trash Cover

Answer: No. The investigator did not need a warrant to search the garbage because Smith had no legitimate expectation of privacy in the discarded garbage. – Items in garbage abandoned– Garbage on curb readily accessible to public

See California v. Greenwoood, 486 U.S. 35 (1988)

Trash Cover—Legal Aspects

Two key issues:– Ownership of the trash (abandonment)– Location of the trash (no trespassing)

Trash Cover—Legal Aspects

Can police remove items from a suspect’s kitchen or bathroom garbage without a warrant?

What if the garbage is kept in the suspect’s backyard surrounded by a fence?

What if garbage is placed into a locked container to be opened only by a waste disposal service holding a contract to pick up the trash?

Trash Cover—Legal Aspects

Exercise Caution—laws vary from locality to locality; in some areas, police are forbidden to use the trash cover technique.

Before using the trash cover technique:– Consult with department’s legal counsel– Consult with prosecutor

Trash Cover

Why is a suspect’s trash an investigator’s treasure?

Trash Cover

Trash can reveal background and insight about a suspect and his relatives, friends, family, business, and criminal associates.

From a security standpoint, people are careless about what they discard

Terrorists are as vulnerable to the trash cover technique as anyone else.

Trash Cover

 What types of personal or confidential information might someone find in your weekly trash? – Be specific and be honest.

Trash Cover

Items typically found in residential and business trash:– Cancelled checks, deposit slips, bank statements– Credit car receipts and bills– Utility bills– Telephone bills and statements showing numbers called– Personal correspondence– Medical bills, receipts, prescriptions– Mortgage and rent receipts/correspondence– Evidence of debt– Investment statements/information– Tax information– Business records– Magazine/newspapers/periodicals– Religious material– Remains of food (specialized)

Trash Cover

What type of information could investigators derive about your personal life from any of the following?– personal income– debts, creditors, credit card information – social security information– family and friends, associates– travel plans– hobbies.

How to Conduct a Planned Trash Cover

Three StepsSurveillance/Pretext Call (learn pickup times)Collect Trash (detail on next slide)Handling Fruits of Trash Cover (take to secure location, wear gloves and eye protection, follow department evidence procedures)

How to Conduct a Planned Trash Cover

Collection Methods–“quick pickup”–Look-a-like vehicle–Borrow or ride along with actual garbage truck–Open trash collector as informant

Identify risks/problems involved in these collection method?

How to Conduct a Planned Trash Cover

The “quick pickup”: suspect may see the investigator pickup the trash

Borrowing/ride-along in actual truck: people outside law enforcement (the employees of the waste disposal service) will know a trash cover is being conducted

Collector opened as informant: informant may require pay

How to Conduct a Planned Trash Cover

Take Caution Security: a top priority. Be discreet: if the subject learns that he is being

targeted, he will ensure nothing of value is discarded again.

Be careful: a trash can may contain a “booby trap” Be wary of misinformation: a clever terrorist may

fabricate information to create false leads

How to Conduct a Planned Trash Cover

Special Problems: apartment buildings and places of business.

— Identify common problems when a suspect resides in an apartment building or the trash is located at a place of business

How to Conduct a Planned Trash Cover

Centralized trash containers (segregating trash difficult and chain of custody compromised)

Dumpster located on private property Dumpster located inside building Dumpster locked (only contracted collector can

open)– ***Consult with legal counsel or prosecutor before

conducting the trash cover.

Unplanned Trash Cover

Collect anything a surveillance subject discards Collect any item on which a fingerprint or DNA can

be found Hotel rooms (after suspect checks out) Public conveyance: airplanes, buses, railroad cars,

taxis Other: restaurants, movie theatres, park benches,

gyms

Trash Cover--Reminders

Use common sense: just because you can, doesn’t mean you should

Conditions must be right: (risk of detection slight or non-existent; risk of embarrassment to agency slight or non-existent; likelihood of recovering information of value must be strong)

Legality: resolve all legal question before conducting a trash cover

Trash Cover

See you in Unit 6!

Enjoy the dumpster diving!