NOW ON YOUR CORNER
Police in Waterbury, CT have set up a one-person police station in a 7-Eleven convenience store. The station consists of a podium with crime prevention handouts and a telephone. Police can use the center to fill out reports, use the phone and copier.
According to an article in the June '96 Rap Sheet, this is "the latest tool police departments are using to protect the public." It quotes the 7-Eleven loss prevention specialist as saying the idea is to "cut crime in the community by increasing police visibility."
It also begins to blur the line between public service and private security.
Also in Waterbury, a grant to promote "safe, drug-free schools" will be used to install security cameras in several city schools (Rap Sheet, Sept. 96).
On a local note, the newest Central Precinct "Contact Office" opened across from the downtown Safeway. The "St. James Contact Office" is provided rent-free at the St. James Apartements. We're sure the loss of revenue to the owner will be made up in savings on security.
NOW ON YOUR INTERNET PROVIDER
New York City's "Finestnet" is a web site for police to post photographs of wanted criminals to alert residents in every precinct of crime patterns and safety programs. While this modern technological feat seems a bit like something out of 1984, only one of New York's 76 precincts had accessed the site as of Sept. 3, 1996 (New York Times).
In May, a 14-year old in Antigua, Guatemala found the face of a local handyman on the FBI's 10 most wanted list and fingered him. This was apparently the first time listings on the internet have been credited with bringing in a wanted criminal.
The August 96 Rap Sheet reports that in Florida, 17 Sheriffs and 35 police departments have home pages, "and the trend is international."
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH?
This photo and headline appeared exactly this way in the Oregonian on August 26. The caption says that the man is being arrested for driving an allegedly stolen car. Yes, the male officer is pinning the man's fingers backward, and yes, that is a gun pointed at the man's head.
("Auto theft drop poses no mystery....Simple reasons explain Portland's dramatic decrease: paying more attention, vigorous prosecution and better security")
AND YOU THOUGHT RENTING A TUX WAS EMBARRASSING
The August Rap Sheet reports that some Chicago suburban schools are consulting with police to check the criminal records of their students' prom dates. An expert on school security from the National Alliance for Safe Schools voiced surprise at this policy. "I used to tell my daughter that if she wanted to go out on a date, she should submit the boy's fingerprints three days in advance. It sounds like someone took me seriously."
CHIEF MOOSE CALLS ACCOUNTABILITY HIGH PRIORITY
In the June 3 Our Town, a feature article on Chief of Police Charles Moose identifies his three highest priorities for the de-partment: 1) Focus on service to the community, 2) Accountability in police conduct and fiscal responsibility and 3) Improvement of public services. Since numbers one and three seem pretty similar, we hope that number two is getting enough attention.
COMPARED TO NEW YORK, MAYBE THINGS AREN'T SO BAD
The New York Civilian Complaints Review Board received 12,740 complaints from July, 1993 to December, 1995. Only 10,611 were considered for investigation and only 2827, or about 27%, were actually investigated. Portland's Internal Affairs handles around 600 complaints a year and then only 15-20 make it to our review board. However, it should be pointed out that New York's review board is independent of police and conducts the initial investigations, so people may be more willing to come forth in the first place. In 70% of investigated claims, investigators were unable to determine whether misconduct occurred. Only 8% of complaints were upheld and mysteriously only half of those ended with findings of officer misconduct. (New York Times, 7/25/96)
POLICE HIGH TECHNOLOGY TAKES A BLOW
The California Supreme Court upheld a decision limiting the use of heat scanners used to detect marijuana crops inside homes. The police had mounted heat scanners in an aircraft and flown over homes to detect the use of heat lamps. The court ruling requires police receive a valid search warrant before using the scanners. Evidence against a man who was growing 200 marijuana plants was thrown out on the basis of the ruling. (Cascadia Hemp News, Aug-Sept 1996)
IT ONLY GETS WEIRDER
A radio program broadcast Saturday nights called "American Crime Line" focuses on being pro- police. In addition to police chiefs and authors, host and former Chicago cop Ed Nowicki had an interesting guest on his show this January. According to Law Enforcement Technology magazine, his guest Massad Ayoob, director of the alarmingly named Lethal Force Institute, talked about firearms and self-defense.
The phone number given for America's Crime Line -- in Oregon's own 541 area code-- is 664- 8827.