 Standards
Review: Polishing the ProductCALEA will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 1999. Looking back, one can see significant changes have been made both to the standards and the accreditation process. The original standards numbered over 1,000. As a result, it was claimed by critics that the process was too time-consuming, expensive, and inflexible. With the adoption of the Third Edition in 1994, accreditation evolved to the current 436 standards which use streamlined techniques like observation standards, automated documentation, 3-year reviews, and accelerated reaccreditation on-site assessments. A blue-ribbon user group, the Standards Review Task Force (SRTF), has been commissioned to again review the Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies (SLEA). The committee, chaired by Commissioner Bill Miller (photo left), submitted their recommendations to the Commission’s Standards Review & Interpretations Committee (SRIC) at the Vancouver Commission meeting in March. The recommendations were: no change to 66% of the standards, minor changes to 27%, major changes to 03%, deletions 03%, new standards 03%, and moved or relocated standards 08%. Coincidentally, the total number of standards remains at 436. The Commission unanimously recommended field review of the drafted standards before taking any final action. Many of the recommended changes involve only clarified language in the commentary section. The greatest departure from past standards involves civilian personnel authorized to carry lethal or less-than-lethal weapons. Previously, the standards implied weapons could only be authorized for sworn personnel. Agencies with armed security guards, or other classes of employees carrying weapons, were faced with certain noncompliance with specific standards. Some agencies disarmed non-sworn personnel in order to become accredited. Other agencies simply chose not to participate in accreditation, using this as an example of inflexibility in the standards. The recent revisions recommend by the SRTF include standards allowing the arming of non-sworn personnel based on a training curriculum commensurate with the scope and authority of the position held. A draft of the recommended standards may be downloaded from the CALEA website (www.calea.org) or will be mailed upon request on disk in MS-Word format. Comments, recommendations, and/or alternate draft language are welcome relative to Introductions, Standards, Commentaries, Levels of Compliance, Glossary terms, etc. All users are encouraged to scrutinize the draft revisions carefully and provide feedback to CALEA. Comments about the process or techniques used to assess agencies are also welcome. The SRTF will meet again mid-June to review feedback. Commissioner Miller will make his next report before the
Standards Review and Interpretations Committee (SRIC) at the Hershey (PA) meeting on July
31, 1998. If approved, the SRIC will make decisions on printing and transition policies
relative to changes affecting client agencies. Following adoption, the new changes will be
available in draft form on the Web or on disk format within two weeks. Editing and
publication activities will begin immediately with the final printing expected in time for
the November meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee. Although changes to the standards will not
be of the magnitude of the 1994 Third Edition, the Commission is expected to be very
liberal with its transition timetable so that the changes can be assimilated easily by all
agencies.
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| Working
With You
Tony has worked for The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., (CALEA) for eleven years and is responsible for supervising the Commission’s administrative staff. He also maintains the financial accounts and fiscal records as well as administering and managing the Commission’s accounts receivable and payable. At the direction of the Executive Director, he prepares the drafts of the annual budget. Tony is affectionately known as the Commission’s "bean counter." One of Tony’s most important functions, however, is to manage meeting registration for the Commission’s three major conferences. Before joining the CALEA staff, Tony was employed by the Department of the Navy. Tony attended James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia and is currently working on a degree in accounting at the University of Maryland. As a child, Tony attended parochial schools where he achieved various honors in foreign language (French), mathematics (hence the bean counter), poetry and athletics. He was raised as a devout Catholic and has two sisters and a brother, all older. Tony is an avid sports fan. His love of sports extended to coaching CYO and summer league basketball when he was younger. In referring to his enthusiasm for sports, Tony states that "I haven’t missed a Baltimore Orioles opening game since 1983." A farmer at heart, Tony spends weekends at his family’s homestead in St. Mary’s County, in rural southern Maryland. When he was growing up, he would spend summers there with his maternal grandparents. Tony sees accreditation as "the wave of the future." He feels accreditation brings out the best in law enforcement and the best is what all of us strive for. |
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| Accreditation
Works "Accreditation Works" presents specific examples of how accreditation
positively affects an agency or community. These success stories often go unnoticed, so
send your example to CALEA. Case # 11 Accreditation is important, says Monier, for a number of reasons: "It’s helped us to pursue excellence, to have access to state-of-the-art standards, and to manage and reduce our liability exposure through those standards." For example, the department, on two different occasions, had pending lawsuits which both made allegations pertaining to the use of force and a negligence/failure to train. Both times the department insisted that it go to trial because it felt that the suits were baseless. Monier recalls, "I was able to testify in both of those lawsuits about the accreditation process, what that meant specifically in terms of standards that pertain to the high-risk, high-liability areas -- particularly use of force -- and standards that relate to training." In both of those cases the jury came back with verdicts in favor of the community and not the plaintiffs. "I think," reflects Monier, "that in both cases the fact that we were nationally accredited and had met national standards and were able to prove that our training, policies, and procedures in those high-risk areas were up-to-date and exceeded expectations for professional law enforcement agencies, had a significant impact on the jury." Accreditation also has a day-to-day impact on operations at the Goffstown Police Department. Although Goffstown, a town of 17,000, is not totally immune from crime, it is located in a state which has one of the lowest per capita crime rates. However, notes Monier, low crime is not just a matter of geographical serendipity – accreditation can help maintain and facilitate a low crime rate "by having an effective system for managing the department and for meeting the needs of the community." As Monier explains, "by pursuing excellence, the better your agency is, and the better trained people in your agency are, the more responsive you are to the needs of the community and the more effective is your work in your community and that will result in a lower crime rate." Case # 12 On the 1997 public opinion survey, we asked the public if they supported the patrol in being accredited by CALEA. The exact survey question and response follows: In 1992, the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. The MSHP was the 10th state police/highway patrol agency accredited in the U.S. To be accredited, a law enforcement agency has to meet a series of standards related to efficient operation, accountability, professionalism and quality of service to the public. Law enforcement accreditation™ is similar to those established for educational and medical institutions. Maintaining compliance with accreditation standard requires extra effort and payment of fees of approximately $5000.00 per year. Do you favor or oppose the State Highway Patrol continuing to participate in this process?
It was somewhat disappointing, but predictable, that one fourth of the citizens didn’t have an opinion. We were favorably impressed that less than eight percent actually stated opposition to our investment in the accreditation process. To our knowledge, this was the first time any agency had asked the citizens it serves about the value of accreditation, and we thought you would like to know the positive results. |
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| Welcome to CALEA Between January 1, 1998 and March 31, 1998, the following agencies joined the accreditation process by signing initial contracts or ordering application packages.
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Exemplary Program’s That Work  Peer Support Program - Virginia Beach (VA) Police Department The Virginia Beach Police Department recognizes that police personnel are often exposed to countless critical incidents and serious situations in both their personal and professional lives. From 1988-1990 the department experienced several deaths of police officers and was unprepared to handle not only the psychological trauma felt by other officers but also the continued trauma and sense of loss experienced by the officer’s family. In response to this, the department developed programs to combat the stress associated with an officer’s death. One of the programs developed was the Peer Support Program. The Peer Support Program trains members to recognize, in fellow employees, the early warning signs of stress associated with critical incidents. Members learn how to assist others in understanding and dealing with this type of stress. This assistance may be informal or a member may refer an individual for professional assistance. The program also assists members in availing themselves of the Employee Assistance Program or other suitable programs, and provides informal counseling for the well-being of its members. Although the goals of the Peer Support Program include training personnel as informal support for those experiencing stress in such areas as marriage problems, financial problems, and administrative problems, the greatest concern is in handling the repercussions of an officer's death. These repercussions reach through all levels of the organization and the psychological, emotional and/or physical responses of each employee can vary greatly. The Peer Support Program officially began on June 8, 1991, with the adoption of General Order 92.31. Initially, it was discussed in roll call and in-service training as a program to assist experienced officers in seeking out assistance in handling problems. After several years the program expanded into an 8-hour course, taught at the Academy, which was geared to better prepare new officers for handling stressful situations on the street. The program was first implemented by training one Captain and two Master Police Officers as support personnel. After this initial training, a policy was developed on the uses of peer support. Subsequently, other officers were trained and a list was developed and posted in each precinct so employees could have access to any member of the Peer Support Team. The program has grown each year and new members of the team are trained annually. It has been accepted by officers/employees as being helpful to them personally and professionally. The program requires personnel who are committed, interested, and serious about the betterment and stability of their fellow employees and an administration committed to providing employees with training in handling personal stress and critical situations in their personal and professional lives. Annual in-service training specifically related to topics associated with peer support for the team members should be implemented, and although time consuming, an oral board for a new team applicant is a necessity. This should be managed by 3-5 member board of a current team members, To find out more about the program contact: Sergeant Steven D. Kurrle, Peer Coordinator, Municipal Center, Virginia Beach Police Department, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23456, Phone (757) 428-9133, Fax (757) 437-4866.
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| Your
Commissioner
During his term as Assistant City Manager for Greeley, the police department was going through the accreditation process with The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). In fact, for a period of four months during the final stages of the process, Sasaki was acting police chief. He was very proud when the city received its accreditation from CALEA in Phoenix, Arizona in 1987. Mr. Sasaki was also instrumental in Greeley’s downtown redevelopment, which included the Recreation Center, Senior Activity Center, Union Colony Civic Center, as well as various housing rehabilitation programs. In 1990, Mr. Sasaki assumed his current position as City Manager for Newport, Oregon, where much of his time is devoted to discharging his official duties. As City Manager he attends all City Council meetings to keep the council members advised of all the affairs and needs of the city. Mr. Sasaki was appointed as a CALEA Commissioner in 1995 and is currently serving his second term. As a CALEA Commissioner as well as a City Manager, Sasaki sees accountability and trust as items the general public is looking for. He feels CALEA offers one of the few programs that can bring accountability to law enforcement. He considers that this accountability leads to trust in law enforcement. "As in the case of schools and hospitals, citizens put their faith in the hands of others. Law enforcement also needs this same level of trust. CALEA has set the standard in law enforcement. It is a high standard that is not easy to obtain. Once attained, it must be maintained. Again not an easy thing to do." This stringency is what Sasaki perceives as giving credibility and trust to accredited law enforcement agencies. As a city manager, Mr. Sasaki sees this credibility and trust in law enforcement as one of the primary requirements in maintaining the welfare of the city. Accreditation is one way agencies gain trust and this is one of the reasons Sasaki supports the CALEA program. "Without trust, cities would spend many hours and dollars trying to establish credibility and I would rather see those resources utilized in more productive activities." Sasaki includes golf as one of his hobbies. Though he doesn’t consider himself a proficient golfer, he enjoys the time on the links as a way of relieving stress. He also enjoys touring across the country on his Honda Goldwing motorcycle with his wife Mary. They have "seen a lot of the country from the seat of his motorcycle." The Sasakis have two children, Kenneth and Jennifer, who have both "left the nest" and live in other states. Mr. Sasaki served in the US Army, Artillery Branch, from 1968-1969. His tour of duty included one year in Vietnam. He holds a BA in psychology from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. |
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| MOST WANTED INTERPRETATIONS Standard 81.2.8 The agency has the capability of immediate playback of recorded telephone and radio conversations while it maintains a continuous recording of radio transmissions and emergency telephone conversations within the communications center. A written directive establishes procedures for the following:
Commentary: These recordings are an indispensable source for criminal investigations, internal investigations, training, and audits of the agency’s service delivery system. Access to secure recordings should be limited and available only through a specific procedural method. The citizen requesting service or the officer wanting assistance may not be able to repeat an emergency conversation that was garbled or too quick for easy understanding. Therefore, the agency should have the capability to replay a conversation while recording other calls and radio transmissions. The capability of continuous recordings can be provided with a parallel dual-load recorder. (M M M M) Compliance may be OBSERVED. The need to have clear, understandable, information from a citizen in crisis or an officer in trouble is a life, health and safety issue, therefore 81.2.8 is a mandatory standard for agencies of all sizes. It is applicable to any law enforcement agency with emergency telephone lines and "first-responder" frequencies (generally patrol units). Non-emergency telephone lines and ancillary, non-emergency radio frequencies may or may not fall under this standard. For example, this standard is not applicable to some state bureaus of investigation since they may not have first-responder responsibilities. Their radio and telephone conversations may be administrative or investigative in nature, and the bureau would rely on the local law enforcement agencies for emergency telecommunications. There has been some confusion regarding discrepancies in 81.2.8.. This standard is an OBSERVATION ONLY standard, which means that documentation need not be presented, yet it requires a written directive containing specific procedures. This inconsistency has been noted by Commission staff. To alleviate the confusion they advise agencies preparing for an on-site assessment to continue treating the standard as an OBSERVATION standard, but to include a demonstration of the immediate playback during the assessor’s tour of the agency and have a copy of the procedures out for inspection at the time of the demonstration. The Standards Review Task Force has addressed this issue by changing 81.2.8 from an observation only standard to a documentable standard. If approved, this will mean that the procedures for immediate playback will be documented in file 81.2.8. The agency can still expect to have the assessors request a demonstration of "immediate playback" during the on-site assessment, since standard 81.2.8 is considered so vital to officer safety. Agencies often inquire if this standard requires the use of an in-console "call check" recording device, a parallel dual-load recorder, or both. Compliance can usually be demonstrated using only a parallel dual-load recorder, but this can be tricky. The threshold for proving compliance has always been the agency’s ability to demonstrate an "immediate playback." Problems most often experienced by agencies include, cumbersome retrieval procedures, poor location of the dual-load recorder in relation to the telecommunicators most needing the immediate playbacks, and inadequate training. Many accredited agencies use an in-console "call check" recorder, which offers the telecommunicator an immediate playback of any recorded conversation over the past 15 minutes with the simple push of a button at their console. Some use the parallel dual-load recorder as a back-up system for immediate playback in case the "call check" malfunctions. The parallel dual-load recorder continues to be the preferred method of longer-term tape retrieval and archive. Using the dual-load as a back-up to the "call check" exceeds the "immediate playback" requirement of 81.2.8. It is always a good idea for the accreditation manager to make a personal inspection of the "immediate playback" capability prior to an on-site. More importantly, a person’s life or the life of officers on the street might depend on the agency’s ability to decipher a garbled communication during a time of emergency. The agency should ensure that "immediate playback" technology is always there as a safeguard.
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| Special Presentations Offered in Hershey The following special workshops will be presented at the July meeting in Hershey. Training Certificates will be issued for attendance at all CALEA workshops. Dignitary Protection This workshop will provide participants with an overview of the selection, training and operational considerations associated with the security needs of elected officials and visiting dignitaries. Practical guidelines for establishing agency dignitary protection units will be presented. The workshop will focus on vehicles and vehicle operation, itinerary planning problems, communications, special equipment needs and supervisory practices. Criminal Investigation Assessment (CIA) ProgramThe Criminal Investigation Assessment Program (CIA) was developed in the mid 1980’s as part of the Pennsylvania State Police response to the escalating number of unsolved homicides within the Commonwealth and the need to focus on behaviorally-motivated serial crimes. This workshop will provide an overview of how the CIA Program develops physical or behavioral descriptions of suspects through the study of criminal acts, identification of persons who commit similar offenses, review of crime victims and formulation of probable motivating factors of criminal parties. The program will also describe how personnel were selected and trained as CIA officers. Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) DemonstrationA demonstration will be presented on the tactical use of special weapons and equipment in resolving those high-risk incidents or special emergency situations which require the activation of units comprised of those officers with special training in communications, tactics and the use of special equipment and munitions. A mock reenactment of a hostage rescue scenario will be initiated with helicopter insertions into a rooftop, followed by a sniper-initiated assault on the target combined with an explosive breech of a fortified position. The demonstration will conclude with a live fire entry and recovery of the hostage. Following the hostage scenario, the Tactical Mounted Unit will present a demonstration on the training and deployment of horses in responding the those incidents involving crowd and riot control. Upon the conclusion of the demonstration, static displays will be available for viewing by attendees. |
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| KOKOMO REVIEW REVEALS INTERESTING CUSTOM Chief Charles Hackett of the Kokomo, Indiana, Police Department was poised to answer questions during his agency’s final review before Committee "B" in Vancouver, B.C. His review leader, Commissioner Deu Pree, noted that the final report submitted by the on-site assessment team indicated a high degree of cooperation among members of the Kokomo Police Department, not only toward the attainment of accreditation, but during the completion of everyday tasks. This spirit of cooperation was especially evident in the apparent custom of all agency members, sworn and non-sworn, to greet each other automatically with a handshake. Commissioner Deu Pree asked Chief Hackett about the origins of this noteworthy custom. Chief Hackett explained that the handshakes have been customary since 1953, following the tragic death of Kokomo police officer, George A. Berryman. As is often the case following an officer’s line-of-duty death, some Kokomo officers experienced despair and resentments as part of their individual grief . Consequently, the organization actually started to suffer rifts as a result of differing perceptions of the same tragic event. This is when a Kokomo police officer pointed out the counterproductivity of finger-pointing within the organization, suggesting that from that moment on each member should greet another with a handshake. The handshake was to be symbolic of everyone’s desire to set aside all differences while "on the job" and to ensure a sense of solidarity if and when the Kokomo Police Department faced difficulties or tragedies in the future. The customary handshake has served the Kokomo Police department very well over the past 45 years. It instills an overall sense of pride and cooperation on the job, while memorializing an officer’s supreme sacrifice. There are times when the character of an agency transcends any professional standards we can hope to establish. Congratulations to the Kokomo Police Department on its award of accreditation and thanks for the important message this poignant story has brought to the accreditation community! |
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| It’s a Fact165,000 full-time
law enforcement employees are in CALEA agencies.
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| George Mason University Police Department Recognized for
Outstanding Programs George Mason University’s Police/Department of Public Safety has been recognized by the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers for "BEST PRACTICE" in the areas of professional accreditation and community outreach. Mason was chosen for best practices in these two areas from among 250 peer institutions. The department received its accreditation from CALEA in 1991, and was reaccredited in 1996. |
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| S.R.I.C. The Standards Review and Interpretations Committee (S.R.I.C.) met in Vancouver B.C. and was chaired by Commissioner Sullivan. There was one item on the agenda, a report from Commissioner William D. Miller on the status of recommendations from the Standards Review Task Force. The S.R.I.C. approved Commissioner Miller’s report and recommended to the full Commission that the draft revisions receive tentative approval, pending review and input from the field. |
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| IRS Financial Task Force Presentation at the Tulsa MeetingOn the morning of Friday, 21 November 1997, Nathan
F. Rodman, Internal Revenue Service Assistant Chief of Criminal Investigation in the
Arkansas-Oklahoma District, presented a review of the IRS Task Force to a group at the
Tulsa meeting. He was accompanied by Paul Eldridge of the Financial Task Force in Oklahoma
City. Rodman specifically addressed four areas where the IRS Criminal Investigation
Division can assist state and local law enforcement agencies concerning financial issues.
He laid out four topics that relate to all law enforcement agencies: Asset Forfeiture and
Equitable Sharing, Overtime Agreements, Jeopardy Assessments, and Training.
Asset Forfeiture and Equitable Sharing involve investigations of money laundering violations. "Many of you work in departments and agencies who have occasion perhaps to stop vehicles that may have money in them--sizable sums of money that you have reason to believe is from an illegal source," Rodman noted. Often questions arise concerning personnel or jurisdiction issues and how they affect the possibility of seizing that money. Rodman suggested calling his agency in those types of events. The IRS Criminal Investigation Division (IRSCID) has the necessary tools to conduct the "financial investigation as necessary to make that forfeiture stick when it goes to court." Any money seized goes into the Treasury Forfeiture Fund, which shares the money with the involved state or local authority for law enforcement use. Mr. Rodman explained that the IRSCID receives money from the Treasury Forfeiture Fund to pay the overtime wages of any state or local officer involved in an investigation with the department. When officers work overtime hours on IRSCID investigations, Rodman suggested that you "approach your local CID office about it. It is another funding mechanism to pay your officers for overtime work on things that are of mutual interest to us." Another issue Mr. Rodman discussed was Jeopardy Assessment. He explained that this is a situation when an officer has reason to believe that a sizable amount of money within a stopped vehicle is illegal, but there is not enough evidence to prove it. "If you believe that the money is dirty, we don’t want to give the money back in the hands of people who have violated the law already." Jeopardy Assessment states that the agency involved believes that the tax on the alleged illegal money is in jeopardy, thereby terminating that individual’s tax year and assessing tax on that money at the time of the incident. Rodman pointed out that the money received from the tax goes directly into the Treasury, "just like any other tax money." Mr. Rodman also described the IRSCID training course on public financial investigation techniques. The one-week course was created to help law enforcement officials understand more about the financial issues involved with investigations of this type. The IRSCDID will present the course on-site at local law enforcement departments or at other local facilities. You should contact your local IRSCID office for information. After his remarks, Mr. Rodman turned the floor over to Mr. Eldridge to explain the Financial Task Force program. Task force members could include agents from the IRS, the FBI, the DEA, US Customs, state and local sheriff’s offices, the local Bureau of Narcotics, and local police departments. All of these agencies can provide information on investigative techniques that could prove valuable to local law enforcement when confronted with financial issues. "We believe the Financial Task Force concept is an excellent program," Mr. Eldridge said. "It is amazing what you can do if you actually get the federal agencies and that state and local agencies in the same room." Mr. Eldridge went on to describe in detail various forms required by law for financial investigations and transactions. Financial institutions are required to submit the Currency Transaction Report whenever someone conducts a transaction in excess of $10,000. A Suspicious Activity Report can be filed when a bank, or other financial facility, observes suspicious transactions or activities. A CTR Casino report deals with cash transactions in gambling casinos. The Currency Laundering Incident Report and the Foreign Bank Account Form concern the transport of money in and out of the United States. Finally, a form called the DE-8300 must be filed for all business transactions of $10,000 or more. The IRS will be making all of these forms available in one package in the near future. Local agencies should contact the nearest IRSCID to obtain any of the currency transaction reports. There are IRSCID agents available 24 hours a day to handle any questions and help with investigations. Finally, Mr. Eldridge stressed the importance of contacting your local IRSCID as soon as an incident occurs: "call us right then and tell us you have a criminal investigation. Don’t call us eight months down the road when there is no criminal case." Law enforcement agencies that encounter trouble finding their local IRSCID office should contact the national office for assistance.
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July 1998 Meeting in Chocolate Town USA  This July CALEA is
heading away from the city and into the beautiful Central Pennsylvania countryside. The
upcoming meeting will be held in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Chocolate Town, USA. Hershey is
noted for the wonderful smell of chocolate which fills the air. A real treat for the
"chocoholics" among us. The meeting itself will be held in the incredible Hershey Lodge and Convention Center which has wonderful resort amenities. The lodge features tennis courts, swimming pools, saunas, playgrounds for the kids, miniature golf, a movie theater, a night club, three restaurants, and a state-of-the-art exercise and recreation center. Remember to book your hotel room early to get the special CALEA conference rates (717-533-3311). For those who wish to venture out, you will find the famous HersheyPark, ZOOAMERICA, and Hershey’s Chocolate World Visitors Center very nearby. A short drive away is the Amish country where they still are driving horse-drawn carriages. You can get event, weather, driving directions, and park information by calling 1-800-HERSHEY or check it out on the web at http://www.800hershey.com/-herco/. Training will be offered on Thursday and Friday. On Friday there will be presentations featuring such topics as Dignitary Protection, Criminal Investigation Assessment (CIA), as well as a demonstration by the Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) on the use of special weapons and tactics. Your hosts for the July meeting are the Pennsylvania State Police, AMTRAK Police, Derry Township Police Department, Lower Allen Township Police Department and the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Review. They have been extremely busy planning an outside event, maybe a barbecue on the Academy grounds. They are also arranging discount tickets for the various parks and special tours to the Gettysburg area and Amish country. To register with CALEA for the conference, be sure to contact Wendi Jones at 800-368-3757, ext. 34. After you register you will receive a packet from our gracious Pennsylvania hosts. |
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| Forensic Odontology In a special presentation on Friday at the Vancouver meeting this March, Dr. David Sweet, Director of the Bureau of Legal Dentistry, outlined the impact biological evidence from saliva and teeth has on everyday police investigations. " The identity of unknown individuals as well a criminals can be achieved through a blend of classic forensic dentistry techniques and the bimolecular analysis of trace evidence found on the victim or at a crime scene," said Dr. Sweet. He cited a series of Canadian homicide cases where the ultimate outcome of the investigation was dependent upon conclusions derived from scientific analysis. The necessity for proper trace evidence recognition, collection, storage and laboratory processing was emphasized. The interplay between police and the non-profit University of British Columbia based facility was the theme that Dr. Sweet underscored as the foundation for these successful criminal investigations. He encouraged the audience to consider forensic odontology as a resource in situations where dental evidence comprises a key factor in forensic casework. |
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| Vancouver Views
Our meeting was headquartered in the Hyatt Regency Vancouver, a large, well-managed hotel in the center of the city, affording wonderful vistas of the surrounding water and mountains. Meeting preliminaries began to take shape on Wednesday. Advanced registration opened for early arrivals, and the State Agencies Accreditation Coalition (SAAC) and the Coalition/Network Presidents held meetings. The Vancouver Police Department provided many volunteers, who supplied manpower, as well as helpful suggestions to sites and sights in their beautiful city. Continuing the new 2-day training format, a number of fine instructional presentations began on Thursday morning following the Welcoming Session. CALEA staff presentations focused on new attendees and included Introduction to Accreditation, Accreditation Manager Training, Assessor Training, both new and refresher, Hosting A CALEA Meeting and Practical Use of ASAP. A Resource Room was in operation both days with agency presentations rotating every two-hours. Scarsdale (NY) Chief, Donald Ferraro, moderated a panel of five chiefs in a discussion entitled The Role of the CEO in the Accreditation Process. The remainder of the agenda was supplemented by some outstanding contributions by visiting presenters. These included Responding to Missing and Abducted Children Cases (Det. Theresa Freeman, Connecticut State Police); What the Candidate Agency Should Expect from Assessors (Sgt. Peter Agnesi, Avon, CT); Electronic Surveillance Investigation Techniques (Mr. William Hufnagel, U.S. Marshal’s Service); Leading Change in the Modern Law Enforcement Organization (Superintendent Ruth Montgomery, Edmonton, CN); and Establishing Effective Written Directive Systems (Lt. Dave Burlingame, Norton Shores, MI). On Thursday evening, the Vancouver Police Department hosted a reception at the city’s fascinating aquarium, located in beautiful Stanley Park. Attendees were able to sample a delicious array of foods, ranging from Native BC to European, while they strolled through the many live exhibits of sea-life, both in and out of doors. On Friday, Vancouver’s Police Chief, Chief Constable Bruce Chambers, gave a warm, city-welcome to all attendees at the Opening Session. Chairman Daughtry introduced new commissioner, Dr. Jack R. Greene, Temple University, Philadelphia (PA). With a quorum of eighteen commissioners in attendance, the Chairman opened the meeting and excused the commissioners to their committee assignments. Corporate Affairs Committee: The committee received the 1997 CALEA Audit and Annual Report; heard a status report on the remaining grant agencies; and accepted an updated computer plan for inclusion with the 1998 Budget. Outreach Committee: The committee choose three regional areas where meetings in the year 2001 will be held. They were South (March), Southern Mid-West (July) and Far West (November). A procedural proposal for conducting exhibits at all future meetings, beginning in 1999, was approved. Standards Review & Interpretation Committee: The committee received a
thorough briefing on the work of the 1997 Review Task Force’s review of the current SLEA
edition. Their first draft was approved for field staffing. The draft language is
available on CALEA’a web-page (www.calea.org) or on disk upon request.
Responses will be due by May 31, 1998. A final draft, incorporating comments from
the field, will be presented at the next SRIC meeting in Hershey (PA). Training and instructional presentations from staff and volunteers continued on Friday. Topics included: Dynamic Simulation Use of Force Training-Beyond Minimum Standards (Cpl. Joel A. Johnston, Vancouver, CN); and Asian Organized Crime (Sgt. Andrew Erskine Nimmo, Vancouver, CN). A special guest presentation, entitled "Forensic Odontology-Behind Every Story There is a Grain of Tooth," by Dr. David Sweet, Director of the Bureau of Legal Dentistry at the University of British Columbia, was featured on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, the Commission focused its full attention on agency reviews. Four hearing panels examined 12 agencies for re-accreditation, 16 agencies for initial accreditation, 1 training academy for re-certification, as well as 2 communication centers and 1 a training academy for certification. Later that evening, a celebration banquet was held to highlight the outstanding accomplishments of these 32 agencies and to award them with accredited status or certification. The meeting was adjourned following an invitation to the next meeting in Hershey, Pennsylvania, July 29 - August 1, 1998. |
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| Asian Organized Crime Staff Sergeant Andrew E. Nimmo of the Vancouver
Police Department presented a workshop on "Asian Organized Crime" at the
Vancouver Commission meeting in March. Sergeant Nimmo has been with the Vancouver Police
Department since 1970, but in 1989, he began to devote his attention to the formation of
an Asian Organized Crime Section. The plight of the victimized Asian community so touched
him that it became his endeavor to help them however he could. Nimmo worked on a two and a
half year research project which ran parallel to their criminal investigations and has
delivered over 250 major presentations all over North America on this topic. His seminar
presented a brief overview of Asian organized crime, the reasons for its success, its
links to Southeast Asia, and how it is impacting policing in North America.
South East Asian communities in North America, and the problem of Asian organized crime, are largely misunderstood. This is somewhat surprising considering the rising percentage Asians represent in Canadian communities and the fact that the geographic expanse of their ethnicity is no longer restricted to traditional areas often referred to as "Chinatowns." The Coordinated Law Enforcement Unit (CLEU) has been investigating Asian Organized Crime in British Columbia for thirteen years. Although our responsibility is limited to British Columbia, our influence and activities are international in scope simply by the nature of the problem. The Asian Organized Crime Section (AOCS) of the CLEU is known and respected worldwide for its contributions in this field. Many of these contributions began as a the result of the "Ming Baak" (to understand) study that we conducted 1989-1991. Following the publication of this two year study, and the approval and provincial funding of all of its recommendations, we began to uncover the true extent of this organized crime problem. The problem is extensive and complex and very prominent in our daily lives. It is by far the largest and most widespread organized crime problem in existence in the world. Vancouver is at the heart of this problem in North America. The Canadian lower mainland Southeast Asian population is exploding toward the half million mark. One important point that must be kept in mind is that we are talking about the criminal element within the Southeast Asian communities not the entire communities themselves. The "Ming Baak" study and its results were dedicated to the Southeast Asian communities of British Columbia and their positive contributions This crime problem is comprised of three general components: Youth Gangs at the lowest level; Organized Street Gangs at the mid-manager level; and Asian Organized Crime Syndicates, also sometimes referred to as TRIADS, at the executive level. There is a general evolution through each level beginning with: extortion, protection, car theft, breaking and entering, exploitation of young girls, and assaults. This eventually graduates to debt collection, credit card fraud, home invasion robberies, narcotics trafficking, and murder. Finally, it escalates to specializing in contract murders, extortion and protection, prostitution, loan sharking, narcotics importation, gambling, kidnapping, major frauds and counterfeiting. Many of these crimes are signature crimes of organized crime generally and Asian organized crime specifically. Drive by shootings, home invasion robberies and extortions were all introduced to Vancouver on a wide scale by Asian Organized Crime. Asian criminals will sometimes act alone for their personal benefit. They will sometimes act in small gangs or cell groups for the benefit of the gang and they will sometimes act for the benefit of those who hire or direct them for the larger organization. We are not looking at a group of random criminal acts. Asian Organized Crime utilizes our multi-jurisdictional set-ups nicely to disguise the volume and linkages of their crimes. Time and time again, case after case, the criminal organization unfolds the associations and the criminal cooperation amongst the groups. Successful crime leads to financial gain, which in turn leads to power and power is what they want. Recruitment of individuals into this system is constantly occurring at all levels many times by way of extortion. There are a number of constants that are critical to understanding the problem. First of all Asian crime is committed almost 100% within the Asian community against Asian victims, with the following exceptions: major banking frauds, major credit card frauds, theft of telecommunications (cell phone cloning), drug importation and trafficking, organized home invasions, theft and transport of stolen luxury vehicles, and counterfeiting of currency and documents. Secondly, the Asian victim in most cases will not report his victimization to the police, because historically, culturally and due to fear this has always been the case. When you add to this the fact that reported crime is still what drives policing services you can see the fertile ground that exists for not being able to clearly identify the problem. The AOCS is very sensitive to the victims’ fear and we do not discount them because of it. The criminals we investigate take every opportunity to increase this fear by way of threats of retaliation. Thirdly, Asian crime will continue to grow in direct proportion to the increasing size of the Asian communities. (They see these communities as their victim pools). Fourthly, Asian Organized Crime involves itself in all types of crime from the lowest level to the highest level. They are totally diversified.. Asian organized crimes impact many different areas: Public safety issues, specifically crimes of violence and drug overdose deaths; the ongoing threat to public order; the economic costs of fraud, social treatment programs, and enforcement and the predatory exploitation of institutional regulatory and legal weaknesses. It is very much a Metropolitan, Provincial, National, and International problem. Investigators around the world must maintain close working relationships with each other. A local crime by no means indicates local criminals, local planning, or even local direction. This has highlighted the need for sharing of information among law enforcement agencies. In Vancouver we investigate groups known as14K, Dai Huen Jai (Big Circle Boys), Born to Kill, Ethnic Viets, Flying Dragons, Hung Pho, Kung Lok, etc. As mentioned earlier, the crimes they commit range from simple to complex Drug importation and distribution is a huge money maker for Asian Organized Crime and it will eventually control the whole market. Vancouver’s port is the primary gateway to the North American heroin market and is often referred to as the "Heroin Gateway to North America.". In Vancouver the two dominant Southeast Asian groups involved in the importation and distribution of heroin are Peoples Republic of China criminals known as the Dai Huen Jai, or Big Circle Boys, who dominate importation, and the Vietnamese gangs who are involved in heroin distribution. Estimates show that over 75% of heroin entering Canada comes by the Dai Huen Jai. Testament to the power of the Dai Huen Jai is the fact that they have actually rewritten the shipment route. Heroin now comes into North America through the Peoples Republic of China under their control. Hard drug prices in the Lower Mainland are in some cases only 5% of what they were years ago and the purity of the drug is much higher. The impact of these drug crimes can be seen in escalating heroin deaths, increasing drug treatment costs, increasing crimes against citizens and property by drug users, enforcement costs, prosecution costs and Vancouver’s reputation since it There have also been numerous contract murders in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland where victims and suspects were Asian Crime figures. These homicides remain unsolved in most cases due to the reluctance of witnesses. There is an ancient Chinese saying "Kill one frighten ten thousand" and until we can overcome the witnesses fear, we will have little improvement. Whether or not the threat of retaliation would ever be carried out against a witness is unimportant. the victim or witness believes it will and he sees our criminal justice system as far too weak to take care of their criminal problems. These homicides focus on Asian victims often leaving them bleeding and dead at violent crime scenes around our city. It may be as I wrote at the end of Ming Baak, that the only eventual solution to this situation is the passage of time. However, while this time is passing, the members of CLEU’s AOCS will be doing their best to overcome this ever-growing problem.
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Administrative Services Manager, Antonio T.
Beatty, was born in Washington, DC and has lived all his life in the DC metropolitan area.
Sam I. Sasaki, Jr. has spent most of his working life in
public service. He began his public career in 1970 as Planning and Zoning Director in
Adams County, Colorado. Mr. Sasaki also served in several public service positions in
Greeley, Colorado. He was City Manager from 1986-1990, during which time Greeley was
designated as an All-American City. Also while in Greeley, he served as Assistant City
Manager (1983-1986), Community Development Director (1978-1983), Planning Director
(1972-1978) and Executive Director of the Housing Authority (1972-1978). 
Vancouver is a spectacular city! It is vibrant. It
is friendly! And the panoramic views were breathtaking! Add to all of this the warm and
friendly hospitality delivered by the men and women of the Vancouver Police Department and
you know we had a wonderful meeting that will be long remembered!