Bringing the Hub to the countryside

Canada has been a leader in developing the Hub Model of multi-agency collaboration (including police) to deal promptly with high-risk individuals and families before a full-out crisis occurs. This document from Saskatchewan’s Community Safety Knowledge Alliance thoroughly describes the Hub Model and lays out a plan to implement it in remote and rural areas, a serious challenge given logistical issues and dispersed staffing.

Operation Pacifier, 870 arrests for online child sexual abuse

This press release describes the results of a worldwide FBI & Europol investigation into online child sexual abuse on the Darknet’s Playpen site. Three site administrators were recently convicted and sentenced to 20-30 years in prison. A total of 870 arrests have been made and 259 sexually abused children have been identified or rescued.

CALEA sets the bar higher

This column reports achievement of a 7th consecutive accreditation from CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) by the Lethbridge Police Service in Alberta, Canada. It credits the process for development of best practices in use-of-force cases and evidence control, saying “it gives us the tools to continually review operations, improve where we can and lead by example. It sets the bar higher and helps the organization be better for our people and the citizens we serve.”

ISIS in Turkey

This article provides an in-depth analysis of the New Year’s Eve nightclub massacre in Istanbul that left 39 dead and 71 wounded. The attack was carried out by an ethnic Uzbek “sleeper operative,” born in Kyrgyzstan, on orders from his handler in Syria, with logistical support from an extensive ISIS network within Turkey. The country’s traditional focus on the Kurdish PKK may have deflected attention away from the ISIS threat, plus a purge of police and military officials has weakened its counter-terror capacity.

Unfounded sexual assaults in Canada

This article takes an in-depth look at rape and sexual assault investigation in Canada. Nationally, police unfound almost 20% of reported cases, although independent research indicates that only 2-8% of rape reports are false. The unfounded rate varies greatly between jurisdictions, suggesting that some departments continue to use outdated investigation methods and are dismissive of all but “perfect” victims.

Designing out crime

This article reports an award to a UK company for developing a process of “infusing thousands of microdots into metal sheets ‘marking’ them with a unique identifying code” intended to reduce theft of roofing and building material. The “secured by design” crime prevention program, started in 1989, uses standards and tests nominated and approved by the police to determine which products and systems receive recognition.

Internships with UN in Italy

The UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) based in Italy has posted 14 internship openings (unpaid) for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, with an application deadline of February 21. For more information go here.

 

Virtual currencies & crime

This article reports a recent global meeting of government and private-sector financial crime experts focused on the role of digital currencies (such as Bitcoin) in money laundering and other offenses. The conferees agreed on six recommendations deemed necessary “to detect, counter and investigate criminal uses of virtual currencies.”

UK “direct entry” growing

In 2014 the UK police implemented a “direct entry” program allowing exceptional individuals to join the police at advanced sworn ranks equivalent to lieutenant and captain in US terms. This article indicates that almost half of UK forces have now adopted the program. This site explains how the process works.

Multi-site BWC study finds 93% reduction in citizen complaints

This article details a 7-site experimental study of the impact of police body-worn cameras on citizen complaints. When officers wore the BWC they activated the equipment for every encounter and informed persons that they were being recorded. The result was a 93% drop in citizen complaints and the effect was diffused across shifts even when officers were not wearing the cameras.