Newsletter July 2009
in this issue
Vehicle Searches
Non-Custodial Interviews
Fitness and Sleep
Contact And Cover

Welcome to the Policetraining.net Newsletter

In this issue we continue to bring you important training topics of current interest.

Thanks for subscribing, and please forward this along to a law enforcement collegue you think may benefit.

- Sponsored By -
 
 
 
Officer U.S. Supreme Court places new limits on vehicle searches incident to arrest

by Rob Garver, Editorial Director of AssetForfeitureWatch.com, - website for law enforcement officials about asset forfeiture

A Supreme Court ruling this Spring placed considerable limits on the ability of a law enforcement officer to search a vehicle once a suspect is under arrest, overturning a 28-year-old precedent that, according to a slim 5-4 majority, had led to "routine constitutional violations."

The case, Arizona v. Gant, is expected to have a significant impact on asset forfeitures that arise from motor vehicle stops, and will require significant retraining of active officers, veteran law enforcement officials said.

The case arose from an arrest in Tucson in 1999. Rodney Gant was arrested by patrol officers for driving on a suspended license. After Gant was handcuffed and secured in the back of a patrol car, the officers conducted a search of his vehicle and found a gun and, in the pocket of a jacket on the back seat, a bag of cocaine.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Message From Our Sponsor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

Keep Moving Up in Criminal Justice with a CJ degree from Excelsior College

Earn your degree studying at your own pace through flexible programs from Excelsior College, an accredited leader in online education. Apply approved academy and military training toward your degree. Excelsior College courses and examinations, plus student support services, will take you from start to finish. Five emphases, including Homeland Security.For more information, click here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



By John E. Reid & Associates

Arranging a Non-custodial Interview 

During our training seminars we advocate that if the option is available it is preferable to conduct a non-custodial interview rather than a custodial interview. To persuade a guilty subject to voluntarily agree to present himself at the investigator's location for an interview requires that the interview be introduced in the proper manner. A past case clearly illustrates an improper approach:

A business owner suffered a theft of $2000 from a deposit bag that was left in a back office. Seven employees had access to the stolen money. The owner called a meeting of these employees and announced that if the person who stole the money came forward by Monday there would be no prosecution. On the other hand, if no one came forward all employees would be subjected to lie-detector tests and when the guilty person was identified, he would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Needless to say, no one came forward and confessed. When the polygraph examinations were scheduled several of the employees refused to take the examination, which was their legal right, and the case was never solved. Because of a general lack of insight to human behavior, the business owner unknowingly created a situation which almost guaranteed that the employee who stole the $2000 would not be detected.  


article continues >>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Message From Our Sponsor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Protect More & Serve Better with a Master's from University of Cincinnati

The professors in University of Cincinnati's Online Master of Science in Criminal Justice program have published more CJ articles than any other faculty; and are some of the most recognizable respected leaders in the industry. Our graduates are truly empowered to become leaders in their communities; with a confidence that can only be gained by learning from the greatest minds in their field.

Download your free brochure and learn more >

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

When Fitness in Mind, Body and Spirit
 
by Joe Truncale

Law enforcement officers often work strange hours, which can interfere with sleep patterns. Many officers work extra jobs and fail to get enough sleep. New research has shown that a lack of sleep can be a serious health risk. The following tips may help you sleep better:
 
  • Make sure that any medications you take are not affecting your sleep pattern. Check with your doctor on this issue.
  • Try to have a regular schedule when you go to bed and when you wake up. This sets up a formation of good sleep habits.
  • Don't smoke, because nicotine may affect your ability to sleep peacefully. * Avoid eating large meals just before bed time.
  • Keep your bedroom cool, dark and comfortable. * Have some calm and relaxing music playing before going to sleep.
  • Avoid drinking alcohol before going to sleep.
  • Avoid exercising less than three hours before going to sleep. Do your exercise and workouts in the morning or early afternoon rather than in the evening.
  • Avoid daytime naps if they are interfering with your sleep at night.
  • Meditate to relax yourself before going to sleep.
  • See your doctor if you have a continuous problem with getting enough sleep.

- contact Joe at [email protected]
 

 article continues >

You Make the Call...
With Larry Smith

Mission: This column is to give you information that starts you thinking about answers to typical police problems and
sometimes offer solutions.
 
Contact and Cover Revisited
Did you ever hear about the Contact - Cover principle? It was September 14, 1984, when Officer Tim Ruopp was cruising Grape Street Park in San Diego, CA. He saw two men and two under-age girls drinking liquor in a parked car. He investigated and called for backup. Ruopp began to cite one of the men, Victor Casillas, for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Officer Kimberly Tonahill arrived and Ruopp instructed her to cite the other man, Joselito Cinco. Unknown to the officers Cinco was armed with a 9-mm automatic pistol in a shoulder holster. When Tonahill began doing a pat down search of Cinco, he shoved her backwards, pulled his gun and began firing. She died from a fatal shot between the side panels of her ballistic vest.
 
Cinco turned the gun on Ruopp and began firing. Cinco then shot the officers several times again while they lay on the ground. Ruopp died two days later from a fatal gunshot wound to the head. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Message From Our Sponsor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Portland State University Now Offering Online Certificate in Criminal Behavior

Starting Fall 2009, Portland State University will begin offering an exclusive Certificate in Criminal Behavior. Courses in the certificate examine various forms of criminal behavior and offender typologies. Particular attention is paid to the biological, psychological, and social factors associated with the onset and persistence of antisocial behavior among youths and adults. Intervention and treatment strategies for preventing and controlling criminal activity also are covered.

For more information, click here.>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




View a list of law enforcement training offered throughout the country.

 

 

Law Enforcement Employment is on the Rise


Dennis Porter, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, Ret.

In spite of a tough national job market, the outlook for employment in law enforcement and related fields for the next 6 to 7 years could not be better. Specifically, the Bureau of Labor Statistics believes the field will need to hire for approximately 268,500 more law enforcement related job positions by 2012. The varied opportunities in this field range from police officers and corrections officers to border patrol agents and crime scene processors.

Why is the job market thriving? The answer in part is that baby boomers are retiring by the thousands on a daily basis.  As the baby boomers employed in law enforcement retire, police agencies across the nation are scrambling to fill in behind them with new applicants.  I personally have talked to dozens of policing agencies across the nation, and all repeat the same thing, "We cannot find enough qualified applicants to replace the retiring baby boomer generation."

If a prospective police officer applicant were to look only at federal law enforcement jobs, he or she would learn from a 2007 report of "Where the Jobs Are," the Federal Government alone will need to hire 60,000 people in security, law enforcement, and compliance assistance jobs by 2009.  Municipalities, counties, and states need to hire at comparable levels to fill open positions.

 
Law Enforcement Magazines

 
Law & Order Magazine

CounterTerrorist Magazine

Police Magazine    Police & Security News Law Officer Magazine