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Why Partnering with the Department of Corrections is Vital to Public Safety

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By Leischen Stelter

Building partnerships is not a new strategy for law enforcement. Especially in the wake of ongoing budget cuts, police are focused on building as many relationships as possible. For example, the Baltimore Police Department recently stepped up a public-private partnership surveillance initiative to get more businesses to share their security camera footage with local police. In a similar vein, many police departments are improving their relationships with local retailers to battle organized retail crime (read about Target’s innovative ORC investigation model here).

Rob Stallworth, Deputy Chief Probation and a Parole Officer with the Virginia Department of Corrections

But nowhere are partnerships more important than within the law enforcement community itself. It’s particularly important for police to work closely with officers in their respective corrections department to improve public safety, says Rob Stallworth, Deputy Chief Probation and a Parole Officer with the Virginia Department of Corrections.

“Police officers and officers in the Department of Corrections have a responsibility to work together for one simple fact: We’re both dealing with public safety,” he says. “We’re just on different ends of the spectrum.”

Probation officers and correctional officers have a lot to offer law enforcement, he says, namely intelligence and information. Often times, corrections officers gather information from inmates who are suspected to be involved in gang activities or other potentially dangerous affiliations like sovereign citizen groups and white supremacists. It’s important for these officers to share this information with police, since the issues that happen inside an institution will eventually flow out onto the streets.

Probation and parole officers in Prince William County are proactive about building relationships with police. For example, Stallworth has probation officers working directly with gang member suppression and intervention units. It’s not unusual, for example, for detectives to go on home visits with parole officers. There are also monthly intelligence meetings giving law enforcement and probation officers an opportunity to share information about investigations and people of interest.

In addition to working with local law enforcement, Stallworth said that his unit has formed relationships with the FBI, DEA, ATF and other three-lettered federal agencies. In addition, the department has also allowed outside agencies to access the department’s internal database, so if there’s a person on supervision, a detective can look into the system (in read-only format) and see who that person’s probation officer is, for example. Fostering these solid working relationships with police has been a critical component to improving public safety and reducing gang-related crimes in the region.

 

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Judge rules Twitter Must Turn over Tweets of Occupy Wall Street Protestor to aid in Police Investigation

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By Tim Hardiman

On Oct. 1, 2011 more than 700 people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct during an Occupy Wall Street march. One of those arrested was Malcom Harris, who used Twitter to share information about the events of that day. In early July, a New York judge ruled that Twitter must turn over Harris’s tweets in compliance with a request from the Manhattan District Attorney, who claims that the tweets will reveal the truth of what happened that day. What implications does this ruling have for law enforcement, prosecutors and defendants?

Lie Detector: Do Investigators have the Proper Training to Identify False Information?

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By Timothy Hardiman

How can you tell when someone is lying? It’s an age-old question for law enforcement officers and a skill that requires a high-level of training and practice to master. During my study of the topic and extensive experience conducting interviews as a law enforcement officer, I believe it is difficult for investigators to be able to detect deception in routine interviews and interrogations.

Are Police Doing Enough to Help Protect Churches?

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Crimes against churches have grown dramatically in the last few years. In 2010, there were 1,783 burglaries or thefts in churches, compared to 1,237 in 2009. The total cost of theft, burglary, robbery, vandalism and arson in 2009 exceeded $6.3 million, according to this article. There have also been numerous violent crimes that occur in churches.

Neighborhood Watches: Good or Bad for Police Departments?

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There has been a lot of attention recently about neighborhood watches after the “captain” of a neighborhood watch in Sanford, Fla. shot and killed an unarmed black teenager, Trayvon Martin. Media outlets are asking if the shooter, George Zimmerman, was just looking out for his neighborhood where there had been multiple break-ins recently, or if he was a wannabe cop who tried to take justice into his own hands.

St. Patrick’s Day Rioters Showed “Complete Disregard for Police”

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By Michael Sale

A recent U.S.-based survey determined that London, Ontario is one of the most desirable places to retire in all of North America. London is a wonderful city with a great reputation. Known as “the forest city,” London has a colorful history with a population exceeding 360,000 and many people consider it to be “the city with everything.” However, Londo faces many of the same challenges faced by larger centers in Canada.