The NPOAA-NPSOAA Salutes the

New Jersey State SPCA Humane Police

New Jersey Man Faces Six Animal Cruelty Charges

including Sodomy

PERTH AMBOY: A city man has been charged with six counts of animal cruelty for allegedly sodomizing a female Rottweiler belonging to his neighbor. The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Humane Police) on Monday charged a State Street resident with the animal cruelty charges. The dog was examined by a veterinarian before the charges were filed. The president of the State SPCA said this was not the first time the animal had been attacked by the man. "This was going on for over a year," said Stuart Rhodes, State SPCA President. "Neighbors had witnessed it and called police. He was literally caught with his pants down."  The owner of the dog had sought an order of protection barring him from entering her property and he violated it, Rhodes said.  "There are no bestiality laws in New Jersey," said Rhodes, adding if those laws had been in place, Jose Rodriguez, 39, might have been arrested.

Rodriguez is accused of sodomizing the 5-year-old dog on Dec. 19, 2004 in a State Street (Perth Amboy) backyard. On Dec. 22 the Perth Amboy Animal Control Officer notified the State SPCA Humane Police and an investigation was initiated. Perth Amboy police were also notified. The dog belongs to Rodriguez's neighbor, officials said. Rodriguez was charged under New Jersey’s Title 4 statutes, addressing and punishing acts of cruelty to animals, which are actively enforced by agents, investigators and officers of the New Jersey State SPCA Humane Police, with Abusing a Living Animal, Causing the Act to be Done, Inflicting Unnecessary Cruelty on a Living Animal and Torture and Torment of a Living Animal. The charges were filed in Perth Amboy Municipal Court. Civil and criminal charges could result in fines of $6,000, six months in jail and 30 days of community service.  

"This is obviously an uncomfortable case for any law enforcement agency or any rational human being to deal with," Rhodes said. "As a result of our investigation we found that despite efforts by the owner to resolve the issue, the abuse of this animal had been an on-going problem. It is my hope that through efforts of the NJ State SPCA Humane Police, this animal will never be subjected to this horrific abuse ever again. The dog, named Precious, was taken to Banfield, The Pet Hospital, in Woodbridge where it was examined by Dr. Phillip DeBaecke. The dog had bleeding, swelling, severe pain and trouble walking as a result of the abuse, SPCA officials said. Dr. DeBaecke said the dog did not require medical treatment and was released to the owner.

Two children were living with Rodriguez at the time of the incident. The case has been referred to the state Division of Youth and Family services, Rhodes said. The NJ State SPCA Humane Police is a non-profit law enforcement agency, staffed by agents, officers and investigators, vested with legal power to investigate and bring complaints in animal cruelty cases.

http://home.comcast.net/~animalcrueltynj/introduction.html

Police and Security Training

IN THE NEWS!!

IDENTIFYING LIES IN DISGUISE 2005

Available Now For Immediate Purchase and Delivery

IDENTIFYING LIES IN DISGUISE: A Practical Guide To Detecting Deception in Verbal (Suspect/Witness) Behavior (ISBN: 1-877858-27-7) previously out of print, will soon be available again from the NPOAA-NPSOAA, empowering officers and investigators, probation and parole, correctional and penal, humane and insurance investigators, attorneys and related professionals to learn to detect deception in the verbal behavior of both suspects and witnesses..

This important personal self-instruction or academy training tool takes its users on an eye-opening journey into the minds and motives of how liars use subtle language tricks to camouflage their deceptions. Anyone who needs to evaluate the truth value of a person's statements during an interview process will benefit from this book, particularly those in a law enforcement profession. $49.95+$5.00 USPSDC Shipping. Checks, Money Orders and Purchase Orders with Prepayment in Full Terms may be sent to the:

NPSOAA Training Library

Post Office Box 663 

South Plainfield, NJ 07080-0663.  

**Booksellers should contact amerfocus@aol.com for details. Additional details can be found on the ILID2005 website: http://ilid2005.tripod.com/

TIMELY TRAINING VIDEOS FROM THE NPOAA-NPSOAA TRAINING LIBRARY

WHAT DOGS ARE TRYING TO TELL COPS VHS

Now, you can learn some very basic techniques on how each officer can 'read' a dog's behavior and prove without doubt your agency is sensitive and attentive to such training. There have been an ever-increasing number of cases where cops have killed dogs they thought threatened them, only to learn there was no threat and then face enormous liability consequences. It's short, to-the-point and geared exclusively for law enforcement. (Includes a detailed lesson plan and study guide for in-service and academy training)

PIT BULL FIGHTING: WHAT EVERY COP SHOULD KNOW VHS

Brutal, bloodthirsty dog fighting has become a billion dollar "industry" worldwide The U.S. is now the leading provider of fighting dogs internationally. Now, learn how you can stop it on your turf and make great arrests for a multitude of other crimes, ranging from drug trafficking to money laundering to racketeering. Also addressed; preserving dog fighting crime scenes; gathering evidence/what to look for; eating 'em in court Learn how you can also generate revenue for your municipality, city and county by making good arrests of dog fighters AND those who attend dogfights. Other law enforcement agencies are doing it now! (Includes lesson plan and study guide)

ANIMAL ABUSE: WHY COPS CAN AND NEED TO STOP IT VHS

Far too often when law enforcement officers run across cases of animal abuse, they slough it off as “kids being kids.” It is much more than that. Studies show that people who abuse animals also abuse other people. Just for starters, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy are prime examples of animal abusers who acquired a taste for blood early in life by abusing animals. It is a serious crime that can lead to more serious crime. Our nation’s law enforcement officers need to know how handle evidence and vigorously investigate animal abuse cases. This timely and much-needed training video provides invaluable information about this important area of investigation and prosecution. (includes Fact Sheet)   For more details, see:

http://ilid2005.tripod.com/id11.html

Have You Ever Been Bitten by a Dog or Cat?

Have You Ever Been Scratched by a Cat, Touched a Bat, 

or Scratched or Bitten by an Aggressive Animal?

Everyone knows there is an inherent risk of bites and scratches from working with and around animals, especially when you least expect or suspect that such a confrontation will involve you, but here are some facts associated with them that you may find interesting: Approximately 800,000 dog bites and 500,000 cat bites are reported annually! Over 130 disease-causing microbes have been isolated from dog and cat bite wounds.

Bacteria in the saliva can cause infections such as Pasteurella, Streptoccal, Staphyloccal, and even Capnocytophaga which can lead to Septicemia, or blood poisoning which, in some people, can be fatal!

Two-fifths of nonfatal occupational injuries associated with dogs are from dog bites resulting in days away from work. Almost all of these cases involve the hands and fingers! Almost ALL occupational injuries involving days away from work that are associated with cats are from bites and scratches!

Two thirds of the injuries are from bites alone.  

Four-fifths involve the arms, hands and fingers!

Cat scratches, alone, account for more abrasions severe enough to require days away from work than any other mammal!

Preventing one of these injuries will more than pay for a pair of GAUNTLET Protective Gloves, Padded Sleeve Inserts and 100% Nitrile Glove Liners, in a Combination Package which is now available for immediate purchase and delivery from NPSOAA for only $99.00 + $5.00 USPSDC Shipping.  One size fits most.  The Super Sleeve on the Right is $65.00 Delivered by USPSDC.

The GAUNTLET is the latest development in protective sleeves and gloves custom made for animal handlers, all law enforcement, animal control officers, and humane police and security professionals who may encounter an aggressive animal at any time. This vital protective glove is constructed from specially formulated KEVLAR and 100% Nitrile Rubber polymers which are scratch and puncture-resistant and offer the best in bite and scratch resistance while at the same time retaining dexterity and mobility. See the website:

http://gauntletnobitegloves.tripod.com/

Animal Attacks and Victims: Incidents IN THE NEWS!

POLICE K-9 DOG INJURED IN PIT BULL ATTACK

Deputies shot and killed a pit bull that they say attacked a police dog while authorities searched for a burglary suspect. Three deputies, along with canine Deputy Gunner, were searching for a burglary suspect in the 900 block of 57th Avenue Place East at 7:53 p.m. Tuesday when a large pit bull charged at one of the deputies and the dog, according to a report from the Manatee County sheriff's Office. The pit bull bit the deputy canine; officers were able to pull the dog off of Gunner, Manatee County Sheriff's spokesman Dave Bristow said. But the pit bull attacked the canine again, and lethal force was used against the pit bull. Gunner, a Belgian Malinois, suffered a puncture wound in the head area, Bristow said. He was examined by a veterinarian and was released.

PIT BULL ATTACKS LETTER CARRIER

CARBONDALE -- A letter carrier on a Carbondale, Illinois route was severely bitten on the hand by a pit bull at a residence on his route, postal officials confirmed. A 50-year-old mail carrier was treated at Memorial Hospital. A Postal Customer Service supervisor confirmed that "the carrier was very seriously bitten by a pit bull.  "He was delivering mail on the porch of a residence when the dog burst through an unlatched screen door and attacked him.”  Others in the emergency room said that the carrier’s wedding ring had to be cut off his hand so he could be treated and that his uniform was covered with blood. “Even the wedding ring was dented from the dog's teeth. I had four big lacerations and four deep puncture wounds from the dog's teeth. It bled profusely. That's what really had me worried, was all the blood." Earlier this year, Orient Postmaster Charlene Irwin was bitten by a large dog that was partially blocking the post office door.  The dog was panting, and Irwin set a bowl of water down, hoping it would drink the water, then go away. Instead, it grabbed her hand and arm and dragged her toward the sidewalk. It also bit her on the leg. Irwin was taken to an area hospital, where she received stitches on her left leg and treatment for 13 lacerations on her left forearm and hand. That dog was described as a mixture of German shepherd and pit bull.  It was revealed that the postal service gives plenty of training to carriers on how to protect themselves from dog bites. "It's a serious problem nationally," he said, with "staggering numbers" of bites reported each year. "We want to use this opportunity to encourage people to restrain their animals, both to ensure the safety of our carriers and to reduce liability for the homeowners," he added. All letter carriers receive training, "one time a year at minimum," in how to defend themselves against dogs.

They carry dog spray, and are properly trained to use the mail pouch or satchel as a barrier between them and the dog.

Nationwide, the postal service reported 3,423 dog bites in fiscal year 2003.

In the Gateway District, which includes Southern Illinois and part of Missouri from St. Louis, West to Columbia, the total for fiscal year 2003 was 66 dog bites, a significant reduction from the 89 recorded the previous fiscal year, the supervisor revealed. "That makes us think our efforts on education and awareness are working."

For more Animal Attacks IN THE NEWS, See the Website:

http://gauntletnobitegloves.tripod.com/id11.html

NPOAA-NPSOAA Member Update 2005

The membership of the NPOAA-NPSOAA continues to grow with the new memberships of active law enforcement and security professionals on all levels, nationally and from around the world; retirees; clergy; and citizen supporters. Since the reorganization of the NPOAA-NPSOAA, we have welcomed new members from agencies and firms representing the New Jersey State SPCA Humane Police, Kings Knight Chess Club, People Against Car Theft, Inc.; Female Achievers Mentoring Program, Police and Corrections; School Security Officer Divisions, a Security Chief from Greece; Native American Tribal Casinos; Private Investigators; Security Instructors; Constables; Military Retirees, Vietnam Veterans, A National Authority on the History, Advantages and Disadvantages of Castration, and Castration as an Effective Treatment and Not as a Punishment for Repeat Sex Offenders; and More.

Thank You for Your Support.

SPECIAL NPOAA-NPSOAA 2005 TRAINING UPDATE:

Jail Suicides and Other Lockup Liabilities

Each year in our nation’s jails and holdovers, several hundred prisoners successfully commit suicide, and thousands more make some type of attempt.  Suicide is the leading cause of death in United States jails. In addition, large numbers of inmates suffer serious injury and often death at the hands of other inmates.  In each case, law enforcement faces the potential for civil litigation due to claims of negligence.  Suicide prevention is something that should be given high priority in the design or modification of any detention facility.  Current investigative research reveals that more prisoners today are concerned with other inmates harming them than they feared the isolation factor of being in a single cell.  Modern detention cells are designed for inmate protection.  The new cells have no exposed electrical outlets; no shower rods or curtains; and no sharp corners on benches or tables.  Another deterrent is the psychological effect of the inmate knowing the police or correctional officer could be watching at all times.  Modern facilities are designed with a center area that allows visible access to all cells.

In addition to suicide issues, all jail officers and administrators are more than concerned with inmate assaults, given the gang climate in most American jail settings. These and sexual assaults can often lead to litigation, resulting in municipal jurisdictions losing untold sums of money in civil cases where inmates are harmed in holding facilities even before appearing in court to be arraigned. The arresting officer is critical to the suicide prevention process. He or she should be aware of the emotional condition of the offender and relay this information to the booking officer, who continues the process, as, often possible suicide risks are not identified during the screening process. In addition to the presence of alcohol and drugs, at the time of incarceration, other suicide symptoms are Depression, Mood Swings, Crying, Withdrawal, Shame and Verbal Threats. The most common form of jail suicide is hanging when most suicides occurred 5 feet or less off the floor in a span of 720 seconds, using Bed Sheets, Shoe Laces, Belts, Neckties and Shirt Sleeves.  Other forms include Suffocation, Drowning, and Drug Overdoses.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Desperate people in incarceration situations will often attempt desperate ways to harm themselves.  Be Vigilant and Diligent! You can make the Life/Death Difference.

Do You Have an Email Address? Send it to npsoaa@aol.com to receive your Full Color with Graphics issues of the NPOAA-NPSOAA REVIEW E-Newsletter, delivered via Email. 

The Collecting and Hoarding of Animals

The animal "collector," sometimes known as a "hoarder," is a familiar person to us all. These "animal lovers" reside in almost every community throughout the United States, if not the world. You may even know someone like this, a person who tends to keep to themselves, someone who is always available to rescue a stray dog, cat or any animal in need. This may seem to be a selfless act of kindness until you enter the mind and home of a true animal collector. Animal collectors are people who, due to a psychological condition, honestly believe that any quality of life that they provide for an animal is better than letting that animal die. For collectors, one animal is too many and a thousand is not enough. They obsessively collect more animals than they can possibly care for, which results in the gross neglect of the animals within their care. They also tend to believe that they can care for their animals better than anyone else can and therefore shy away from finding the animals they rescue other adoptive homes.

A scientific study concluded that 76% of collectors/hoarders were female and 46% were 60 years of age or older. From this study it is estimated that there are 700 to 2000 cases of animal collecting in the United States annually and that in 80% of the cases animals were found dead or in poor condition.

The Cat Lady: Collectors are known to collect all species of animals, although the infamous stereotype is the "Cat Lady." Cat ladies are typically middle-aged to elderly, single or widowed women who spend all of their time and money feeding hoards of cats inside and outside their homes while they themselves live in filth, poverty, and squalor. They are known for their eccentricities and tend to shy away from human contact as they scour the neighborhood in search of animals in need of their help. One such case involved a 60-year-old woman who "rescued" some 589 cats and kept the cats in a house filled with their own waste, covered with fleas and suffering from ear mites as well as a number of other health conditions. This woman vehemently denied that she was a "collector": "I live in a nice house. I don't live in squalor" and "I'm not a crazy old lady." Of course, she failed to mention that she keeps her cats at a different residence than the one that she herself inhabits!

Filled to the Brim: All collectors seem to be in denial about the condition of the animals they keep. There was a recent collector case involving a woman who claimed to breed "show poodles." The neighbors finally called the police because of the foul odor emitting from her house. Everyone confronted with the case and anyone else would be sickened and appalled by the abuse and neglect involved in such a horrific scenario which plays out continuously during investigations conducted by animal cruelty agents, officers and investigators.  The collector in this case was a middle-aged woman who had literally filled her house to the brim with poodles -- letting them breed and inbreed until she ended up with at least 40 poodles in a tiny two-bedroom house. Since she never let them outside to go to the bathroom, layers upon layers of urine, feces, and newspapers stood two to three feet high throughout the home. The dogs were covered in their own urine and feces and their coats were severely matted from lack of care.

One dog had just given birth to a litter of puppies, yet she was so thin I could see every bone in her body. Old dogs, young dogs, and even puppies all suffered, living in deplorable conditions with no visible food or water. Emaciated dogs fed off the carcasses of dogs that had already starved to death. Others crouched in corners and hid behind furniture in fear from the lack of human companionship and socialization. Most of the dogs had been deprived of light for so long that when we opened the curtains to start our investigation and rescue, many of them yelped in pain as the sunlight hit their light-sensitive eyes. All of the dogs were emaciated, and many were obviously sick, yet the woman who "claimed" them as her own denied any wrongdoing in the care she provided for "her dogs."

Not Unusual: This is not an isolated or even an unusual case. Ask any animal control officer, SPCA humane police officer, or even most prosecutors and district attorneys, and they will all confirm that these cases are typical when it comes to animal collectors. Most times, collectors and hoarders think that saving these animals, at any cost, is better than having them dead." Animal collectors believe that all the animals depend on them and that no one can love the animals like they do. Code Enforcement personnel, who are often required to inspect property for code violations of tenants known for their propensity to collect animals. The grim results of a typical inspection are described by one such municipal employee: "I put on my “junkiest” jacket and light a cigar before I go in to mask the smell."

One familiar case involved a woman who had appointed herself a “savior” for stray dogs. To avoid prosecution, she kept the dogs she collected in regulation-size cages. She planned to let the dogs live out the rest of their natural lives incarcerated in these cages. As a result, the dogs were never let out to socialize or exercise with other dogs or with humans. As a result, they became what is known as "kennel crazy" -- a condition in which a dog manifests neurotic compulsive behaviors from being kept in a cage for too long a time with too little human interaction. The officer personally revealed that if he were a dog, "I'd rather be hit by a truck" (than to continue to suffer like the dogs or cats in these types of collector/hoarder cases).

Like every other professional involved in these cases, one never, ever hears an animal collector admit there was a problem with the care that they are or were giving their animals. "They truly don't see anything wrong."

A Death Grip on Denial: This mind-set seems to prevail amongst collectors. A District Attorney, who had assisted in the prosecution of a number of collector cases throughout the United States, further documented this fact, stating that collectors have a "death grip on denial." Here is, for example, a woman who was shown a photograph of one of the dogs that was seized from her care. The photo showed a dog so starved from lack of food that it was literally shedding its intestines and rectum. It was revealed that when the woman who "owned" the dog looked at the photo, her only comment was "I guess it did seem a little ill."

Not even animals used in agriculture are immune to the horrors of animal collecting. In one recent case some 300 goats living on an acre of feces, mud and urine were brought to the attention of the local humane society and the Humane Police agency. Although the goats' "owner" did not fit the prototype of your typical collector, a middle-aged attorney who works for a prestigious law firm, she was the first to deny the "collector" label she has been given. Instead, she claimed that "breeders need so many animals to develop championship strains. If people think this is overcrowding, they should check out the average (goat) dairy."

This well-educated, intelligent woman was unable, as most collectors and hoarders, to see beyond her illness. As a part of her complete denial she continued to claim that her goat husbandry practices had been "misunderstood." Yet most of her goats had upper respiratory infections as a result of overcrowding and some animals have been mud-caked for so long that they can hardly walk, and when they did, huge hunks of their hair fell off leaving raw flesh in its place. The attorney revealed that her only problem was with the animal cruelty investigation agency, which she wrongly claimed "thinks that no one should breed animals.” She claimed that it is and was their concerted effort to put animal breeders out of business."

Collectors and the Law: Every state has city and county ordinances that dictate how many animals a person may keep on the premises before a special license is required. However, collectors are furtive and tend to keep their animals indoors or out of plain sight, thus making enforcement of such ordinances very difficult. Laws and penal codes in many other states, mandate that any animal which needs immediate (veterinary) attention must be confiscated.

This puts a huge burden on the shelter staff of humane societies and animal control and cruelty agencies investigating collector cases, especially in areas where the feral cat and assorted animal populations have reached epidemic proportions and place an enormous financial obligation on that particular city or county resources to care for the animals being taken into its custody, and those which are not subject to a certain number of days until mandatory Euthanasia.

Although many cases are successfully prosecuted, the punishment is seldom severe – and very few collectors are punished beyond paying a fine. Even collectors whose animals have all been confiscated, and those who have been convicted of animal cruelty as the result of their collecting and neglecting animals, seldom stop this aberrant behavior. Most just move to another city, county or state and start collecting all over again. For example, a Maryland collector had 50 companion animals confiscated from her residence a few years ago. Two days later she had accumulated 20 more animals.

Personality Traits: Collectors fill up their lives and homes with animals so completely that they lose contact with friends and relatives. These people find themselves isolated and mentally dependent on their animals and they refuse to relinquish them regardless of the suffering it may cause the animals. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and other professionals have studied the habits of collectors. In their efforts to classify the collector mentality, a number of labels are used, but no one specific label prevails. Most consider collectors to be animal addicts whose behavior mimics that of a person with a substance abuse problem. Others feel that animal collecting is more symptomatic of an obsessive/compulsive disorder. The one thing that they all agree on is that collectors will continue to collect animals. Collectors have a mental illness and rarely, if ever, recover without intervention and psychological treatment.

A common trait relating to "animal addicts" reveals that their behavior is similar to that of substance abusers. She lists the following collector traits that coincide with traits of substance abusers:

* A preoccupation with the addiction

* repetition of the addictive behavior

* alibis for their behavior

* neglect of personal, physical, and environmental conditions

* claims of persecution

* presence of enablers who assist financially

* denial that the addiction exists

* isolation from the rest of society except for those who also deal in the addiction and

* abuse of animals through neglect

Enabling: When you drop off a stray, give pet food or money or even encouragement to someone who you think may be an animal collector, you are "enabling" that person to continue with his or her addictive, compulsive behavior. Enable means "to make able; provide with means, opportunity, power or authority (to do something)." By enabling them you allow them to continue to neglect and abuse the animals within their care.

Beware of Collectors: They are very skilled at getting the sympathy of true animal lovers. Do not enable someone you suspect of animal collecting by giving them money, food or support of any kind, as this will only encourage them to continue their obsessive behavior.

What to Look for: Collectors are not simply people who have a lot of animals. Collectors are people who have huge numbers of animals that are in poor condition. Very few collectors spay or neuter any of their animals, nor do they provide preventive or other veterinary care.  Collectors tend to stay isolated and are very defensive when questioned about the number of animals that they have or about the care that they provide. They tend to refuse to adopt out or part with any of their animals. Collectors tend to shy away from social interaction; they have dirty, unkempt residences; and they lack good personal hygiene.

What You Can Do:  Animal collectors, psychologically dependent on the animals they hoard, have addictive and/or obsessive compulsive disorders that compel them to collect animals.

Animal collectors truly do not have the best interest of the animals in mind when they "save" them.  All animals deserve adequate food, water, and access to the outdoors, as well as proper grooming and human companionship. If you know or suspect that someone you know may be an animal collector, contact the local authorities, such as the police, animal control agency, or a humane society and report your suspicions. If you see or witness animal cruelty or neglect, you can email your written complaint, including the exact address of the location, and enclose digital photos of the abuse you are reporting to the National Police and Security Officers Association of America’s - Animal Cruelty Referral Division at NPSOAA@aol.com. These reports will be referred to the appropriate state animal cruelty investigation authorities nationwide for action.

Traits of Animal Collectors:  Animal collectors are people who amass more animals than they can properly care for. Such persons generally fail to recognize or refuse to acknowledge that many of the animals in their custody are victims of gross neglect.

Animal Collectors Have: an apparent need to have many animals

* a "love for animals" combined with a failure to care for them responsibly

* a perception that reverence for life is synonymous with preservation of life, regardless of quality

* a hero-martyr complex, often receiving favorable publicity about the personal sacrifices made on behalf of the animals

* a need to control every aspect of the existence of animals in custody, often denying them veterinary care, exercise, and human companionship

* a stubborn refusal to part with any of the animals, be it through adoption of the relatively healthy or euthanasia of the sick

* an apparent inability to see the situation for what it is, often insisting that ill animals are healthy, that animals are perfectly happy in squalid surroundings, etc. * and a high rate of recidivism and a general return to animal collecting even after being convicted of cruelty to animals.

Warning Signs of Animal Collectors: Reasons for complaints about pathological hoarding of animals being brought to the attention of law enforcement and animal cruelty investigative agencies:  

* Unsanitary conditions

* Excessive numbers of animals

* Animals needing medical attention

* Odor

* Malnourished animals

* Accumulation of junk

* Odd human behavior

* Loose animals

* Damage to buildings

* Noise

How Animal Collectors Acquire Their Animals:

* Deliberate breeding

* Unplanned breeding

* Brought by public, unsolicited

* Purchased

* Sought from the public or strays taken in  

Animal Collectors' Living Conditions: Sanitary rating of animal hoarders' residences – Ranging from Minor to Major:  

* Reasonably clean and tidy

* Moderately cluttered and some trash or garbage, but no urine or feces present in living and food preparation area

* Heavily cluttered with trash and garbage, with unsanitary living and food preparation areas

* Noticeable odor with urine or feces confined to animal cages

* Heavily cluttered with trash and garbage, with unsanitary living and food preparation areas

* A strong odor and fresh feces or urine present in human living areas

* Heavily cluttered with trash and garbage

* A filthy environment with profuse urine or feces in living areas.

***This important awareness and training advisory could not have been provided without the assistance and permission of the Animal Protection Institute of which “Your” NPOAA and NPSOAA serve as both members and supporters.

Thank You, API!  More API intelligence will be featured.***

NPSOAA Announcements

of Interest to NPSOAA Members and Prospective Members:

In the past, printed editions of THE NPOAA and NPSOAA Review and Focus On have been sent by mail, but have changed to online versions and are available for downloading and printing from the NPSOAA website: http://npsoaa.tripod.com/ Please email us your active Email address, in order that you can be advised of current issues and training opportunities in a timely manner.  For those without computers or access, you will continue to receive your NPSOAA newsletters by mail.  We hope that you are enjoying your summer.

And … To Our Members and Supporters….Happy Birthday To You!!

The NPOAA-NPSOAA and its staff have been involved in the investigative research of a topic area that affects not only families and citizens, but also law enforcement, security, the criminal justice system, and anyone who may at any time, need to place an ailing spouse, sibling, relative, friend or loved one in a nursing home. The topic we are addressing in this issue is Nursing Home Abuse.

On July 30, 2003, a congressional report revealed serious, physical, sexual and verbal abuse were “numerous” among the nation’s nursing homes.  The allied study found that 35% of nursing homes in the United States (or 5,926 facilities) had been cited for more than 10,000 instances of abuse over a two year period, from January 1999 to January 2001.  In more than 1,500 facilities, the abuse violations were serious enough “to cause actual harm to residents” or to place the residents in immediate jeopardy of death or serious injury.

In some cases, a member of the nursing homes’ staff was accused of committing physical or sexual abuse. In others, staff members were cited for failing to protect people from abuse by other residents. Instances of nursing home abuse appear to be on the rise. The percentage of nursing home facilities cited for violations has increased every year since 1996. 

The nursing homes cited by the congressional study for instances of abuse accommodated some 550,000 residents.  Nationwide, some 1.6 million people reside in more than 17,000 nursing homes, of which over 11,000 are for-profit businesses. A higher level of care is reportedly provided at Not-For-Profit facilities.

The NPOAA-NPSOAA, in a joint awareness effort relating to nursing home abuse, for the benefit of its members, all law enforcement, security, criminal justice and allied professionals, has researched and has fully endorsed a number of outstanding training programs, including “NURSING HOME ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS” (Book) and its highly-recommended, accompanying 90-minute video seminar format “NURSING HOME INVESTIGATIONS”.  U

nder separate mailing, all NPOAA-NPSOAA members will receive a descriptive brochure relating to this awareness and training set, as well as information relating to the ever-popular “IDENTIFYING LIES IN DISGUISE”, which offers a professional training focus on detecting deception in the verbal behavior of suspects and witness (and victims) during interviews and interrogations.

Assaults on Law Enforcement and Security Officers

on the Rise

Over 65 thousand law enforcement and security officers are assaulted on the job every year. Sadly, not all of those attacks end up with the officer winning or even surviving. Even the most experienced officer may lose and need to regain control of his subject.

A strong offense is a good defense.

But in the real world, an officer may be taken by surprise at any time. He or she may not have the advantage in every situation, and there may be no instant help available from fellow officers. Having the ability to get out of a compromising position is a necessity for survival.

One mistake when confronting a criminal can be deadly. 

The NPOAA-NPSOAA Training Library highly recommends:

ESCAPE COMBATIVES: THE DVD

ESCAPE COMBATIVES: The DVD features DVD quality picture and Dolby stereo sound. Its easy to use menus let you play the film in its entirety or go directly to the lessons you want to review.  This DVD is state-of-the-art and will work with your home DVD player to play on your television, as well as on your computer.

ESCAPE COMBATIVES: The DVD addresses those situations and much more. It is a realistic training program that teaches officers how to respond whenever they're in the position of disadvantage. The defenses, counters, and escape tactics in this video are fast, effective and usable by officers in full uniform. The presentation teaches the defensive skills needed to survive worst-case scenarios, such as:

•           Escape from both frontal and rear choke holds

•           Escape from a side head lock

•           Escape from both frontal bear hug and rear bear hugs

•           Counters to shoulder and lapel grabs

•           Counters to both frontal and rear tackles

•           Counters to kicks, hooks and jabs

•           Counters to attacks with edged weapons

•           Counters to attacks with blunt objects

ESCAPE COMBATIVES: The DVD also includes GUERRILLA DRIVING: Counter Ambush Driving Tactics For Today's Mean Streets

Not long ago, the only people who needed to be concerned with defensive security measures were high ranking VIPs. Realistically speaking, no one is immune from such crimes today. In the real world, there is no difference between a carjacking and a kidnapping; between a smash & grab and an ambush; or between a drive-by shooting and an assassination. Violent crimes against law enforcement and security officers, and civilian motorists are reported daily as America's fastest growing crime wave spreads.

Let’s face it: If street thugs are going to shoot you for your car, you need to know how to stop them!

GUERRILLA DRIVING: The DVD contains the most effective tactical driving methods currently being used by professional drivers, federal agents and bodyguards. The evasive driving skills featured are routinely taught to police and security professionals who must deliver important passengers safely while under constant threat of attack.

•           Witness the secret driving techniques used worldwide to give police, security, military personnel, chauffeurs, and bodyguards the edge in crisis situations.

•           See dramatic footage shot from perspectives outside and within moving vehicles demonstrating how to perform evasive maneuvers.

•           Learn the basics of tactical driving including how to maintain vehicle control while hard braking; plus how to execute the J-turn and the Bootlegger turn.

 •          Discover the principles behind strategic, single, and multiple car ramming.

GUERRILLA DRIVING: The DVD will permanently change your driving habits after just one viewing. Because the urban driver now faces many of the same dangers and problems that high security drivers face. He or she needs access to the same information the professionals use to stop trouble before it starts. That is why this DVD has also been made as a public awareness presentation and available to its police and security members by the NPOAA-NPSOAA.

You may never need to use your car as a defensive weapon to save your life, but it’s nice to know you could!

HELP WANTED:

SELF-EMPLOYMENT AND SECOND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

According to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, state insurance fraud bureaus are being challenged to stop crime despite an environment that is stretching many of the state agencies thinner. State budget crises are clamping a vice on the budgets many fraud bureaus need to stay ahead of the scams that, in many cases, are growing in size, complexity, insurance money stolen and local citizens damaged. Yet, despite the odds, fraud bureaus are putting more heat on swindlers than ever, according to a study of 43 fraud bureaus.

This new investigative challenge has paved the way for current and former law enforcement and security officers, seeking a retirement or second career, not as a private investigator, but as an Insurance Investigator.

Within the insurance investigation profession, vast sums of money are dedicated to and spent on insurance claims, doctors, lawyers, trial defenses, research, reconstruction experts, and more.  It is a world sometimes filled with intrigue, sometimes unbelievable, and many times with mysteries that need to be unraveled, using the investigative skills you learned and honed during your law enforcement or security career.  It is also a rewarding field and career choice if you learn and develop the skills necessary to provide the expert services that are required.  It’s possible that you can become an Insurance Investigator.

It is not necessary to be a private investigator first.

Twenty-two years in the making, PRIVATE EYES HANDBOOK OF INSURANCE INVESTIGATIONS is written in a unique style that it will never need to be updated. It covers actual case histories on auto, auto theft, workers’ compensation, homeowner, medical malpractice, product liability and a host of other investigations.  This all-inclusive self-training handbook provides statement guidelines, diagrams, insurance terminology, forms, asset/subrogation research, and a complete list of many insurance markets.

In this 152-page handbook, you will have available to you many of the secrets that would otherwise take countless years to learn. Much of what you will learn from its pages is not taught in any school, college or insurance courses.  The secrets come from extensive first-hand field experience accumulated over many years. 

If you learn the basics from this timeless 8 x 11 handbook and go on to develop your expertise, seeking the market, learn, and provide the best service, it can be a very lucrative and personally rewarding career.  Insurance companies have a lot of money to spend, and they would rather spend it wisely.  As an Insurance Investigator, you can enjoy the monetary benefits, but you must set goals, develop skills, and go after it!

PRIVATE EYES HANDBOOK OF INSURANCE INVESTIGATIONS will provide much of the knowledge you will need to proceed and accomplish this.  The rest is up to you.

**ENDNOTE:

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to expand and enhance the NPOAA-NPSOAA, to make “your” organization great!  If you purchase any of the items featured, simply place your member number in the right margin and deduct 10%.

NEWER VERSIONS OF DIAGRAMMING SOFTWARE

MAKE DRAWING CRIME, CRASH SCENES EASIER,

SAVING HOURS AND BOOSTING ACCURACY

By Officer Dave Schanes,

Whitemarsh Police Dept., Lafayette Hill, PA

If you think diagramming crime or accident scenes can only be accomplished with the hand-drawn approach, think again.

Software programs that automate this task abound today and represent the most efficient method for creating diagrams whether you’re trying to determine who was at fault at an accident scene, or decipher the chain of events leading up to the scene of a homicide. Here are some reasons why this tool makes sense for today’s law enforcement professionals:

1)      Electronic diagrams are clear, neat and precise.

2)      Once completed, these diagrams can be shared among police department colleagues and with other law enforcement agencies.

3)      Automated diagrams give a professional appearance which, coupled with their accuracy, are highly effective in a courtroom.

4)      Diagrams created with drawing software programs require only half the time compared with hand-drawn diagrams.

Diagramming software programs are not entirely new. They actually began to emerge in the early 1990s. However, the popularity and adoption of drawing programs have soared among law enforcement professionals as successive versions of the software continue to offer greater ease of use, more features and improved functionality. In addition, training has become more available and easier through numerous options including movies on CD, online instruction, and classes offered at institutions throughout the nation.

Wide Range of Flexible Features

While shopping for a drawing software program, it’s essential to select one that is tailored to the specific needs of law enforcement. For example, two programs called The Crash Zone and The Crime Zone, which, unlike many off-the-shelf drawing programs, produce detailed and accurate depictions of accident or crime scenes. This is due in part to the comprehensive symbols library that is included, and to the many automated features that speed up the drawing process. When drawing diagrams of accident scenes, the user can:

            -convert any line, arc, or curve into a multi-lane street

            -automatically draw streets and intersections by clicking the mouse to select the road segments, set the number of lanes, then rotate each segment to the desired angle.

            -draw everything to exact measurements based on the data gathered at the site

If a crime scene diagram is being created, the software allows the user to:

-quickly draw the building floor plans that exactly represent the crime scene

-choose from hundreds of pre-drawn symbols to show details like furniture,

  clothing, doors, windows, vehicles, and more.

-create personalized symbols for unique items.

-pose bodies to accurately show their position

While diagramming is part of the job for police officers, it can require a huge chunk of time, especially if the scene being diagrammed is complicated. This is why the time savings offered by a good drawing software program is a huge benefit as workloads of law enforcement agencies increase without additional officers.

Drawings Done in Hours

Chief George Polnar of the Monroeville, Pennsylvania Police Department knows this situation well. After adopting The Crash Zone diagramming software for his department, he has noticed significant time savings with generating diagrams of various crash and crime scenes. Not only are the diagrams more professional, but the time saved from using drawing software versus hand-drawn diagrams “actually is giving me more officers on the street at any given time,”

Chief Polnar notes.

Just how critical diagramming software has become for the Monroeville Police Department is demonstrated by the fact there are only three traffic officers handling accidents. Some days multiple accidents occur, a situation aided by the area’s numerous highways running through Monroeville and handling thousands of cars. The drawing software helps to speed up diagramming while giving accident reports a professional look plus more clarity and accuracy. “The more our officers use the software, the more adept they’ll become at it,” Chief Polnar says. ]

Now, he adds, his Criminal Investigations Unit is going to use software generated diagrams as well, specifically The Crime Zone, a companion software program that is bundled with The Crash Zone.

Besides time savings, the diagramming software is compatible with Monroeville’s total station measurement system. Measurements taken from crash scenes can be imported into The Crash Zone to give a more detailed and completely accurate representation of the scene.

In one case, Chief Polnar recalls, “We had an accident scene involving a double fatality, and the combination of using the software with the total station reduced a three- or four-day crash scene analysis down to simply hours.”

Electronic Diagrams Help Inform Juries

There’s rarely a time when a major crime case doesn’t head straight

to court.

Since juries typically are not comprised of professional jurors, precise and detailed diagrams are essential for them to understand a crime case and to make an informed decision. One of the latest innovations with Crime Zone is that a two-dimensional diagram can be converted to a 3D view with the aid of a separate viewer.

Eventually, Chief Polnar will adopt this for his crime scene diagrams. “It’s extremely important,” he says of the 3D view, “because you can actually show where a guy was laying, or where a body was positioned. If you show jurors these kinds of details and involve them in the diagram, they’re going to remember it better,” Chief Polnar adds.

The Bedford Police Department, in Bedford, Texas, also is a proponent and avid user of diagramming software for crash and crime scenes. The department, which employs two detectives in its crime scene investigation division as well as two traffic scene investigators, spends significant time reconstructing both types of scenes using The Crash Zone and Crime Zone programs. “If we have a fatal accident, or it looks as though an accident will become one, our investigators are involved because oftentimes that results in involuntary manslaughter or criminal negligence homicide charges,” explains Chief David Flory. “So, we work it as a crime scene anyway.”

Bedford Police Department has been using its drawing programs for about six years. Before that, diagrams were hand-drawn, proving to be a slow, tedious and highly inefficient way to recreate events at a scene and to share this information with other department personnel. Using the software programs, Chief Flory says diagramming

has now been reduced from days to hours. But coupled with time savings is a need to also be able to accurately plot and show all the details and measurements of a scene. A recent case underscores this challenge. In the incident, involving Bedford PD’s SWAT team, a subject was firing shots from a building’s third-story balcony, and aimed his weapon towards SWAT team members as they arrived on the scene. One of the SWAT team members fired a long-distance rifle shot at the subject and killed him. “That was a pretty extensive crime scene, which would have been impossible to map (by hand) because the officer took the shot off the hood of a car, through a grove of trees, and up to the balcony,” Chief Flory recalls. “Trying to get a measuring tape 107 yards from ground level to third-floor level would have been impossible.” But mapping and diagramming the scene was achievable with Crime Zone, and, when the case went to court, proved crucial in convincing the jury to exonerate the SWAT team officer who shot the apartment building assailant.

“I feel that the professional representation of the crime scene that we were able to bring into the courtroom (with the electronically generated diagram) helped people understand the events better than a hand-drawn diagram would have shown,” Chief Flory said. “The automated diagram helped justify the officer’s actions.”

            ___________________________________________________________

Police departments like those in Monroeville, Pennsylvania and Bedford, Texas will need to contend with growing rates of vehicle accidents and crimes and leaner police forces. Therefore, automated drawing programs can help these departments become more efficient and accurate at documenting the likely events at a crash or crime scene as part of their many responsibilities. So far, the investment is paying big dividends to those police departments who decide to adopt this technology.

Concludes Bedford Police Department’s Chief Flory: “It saves officer time, which saves money, because man hours always equate to dollars. We’ve seen the proof of that. It enhances the prosecution of cases that we would normally not have. And it mitigates the potential liability on officer-involved shootings,” he adds.